When I was much younger I read a lot of popular physics books (eg, Stephen Hawking). I haven't read any in a while but would like to get caught up.
What are your top 3 recommendations for non-technical physics books? I'd be more interested in books with a modern slant (dark matter/dark energy/string theory), but well-written and accurate trumps everything.
Thoughts?
Recommended Physics Books
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Re: Recommended Physics Books
By non-technical, do you mean "contains no equations" or that you don't need 4 years of grad level math just to start understanding it, i.e., complex numbers and linear algebra are okay?
Re: Recommended Physics Books
I was looking for 'no equations,' but if there are good comprehensive books about modern physics with university math I'd consider checking them out.
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Re: Recommended Physics Books
For string theory et. al. I'd just browse the latest publications from the usual suspects like Brian Greene and Michio Kaku. I'm more partial to more "practical physics" e.g. a book that explains "why gold is yellow" and that kind of stuff. Sorry, I'm not much help here, but I've only read one book about fancy physics since I actually started studying it ;-P
If you're interested in _understanding_ quantum mechanics, this is an awesome book
http://www.amazon.com/The-Structure-Int ... 674843924/
If you're somewhat comfortable with matrices and know what the squareroot of -1 is, then this is a great book. Deep but non-technical. Unfortunately such books are very rare!
If you like to read equations for fun and inspiration but don't bother about following along with pen and paper, the Feynman Lectures provide a comprehensive review of modern physics up to year 1940 or thereabouts. Anything more modern than that, and the math grows quite long-haired. You can pretty much forget about [even] comprehending quantum field theory or general relativity on the math level without spending a couple of years in grad school.
Another way of saying that is that when I finished my MSc in 2000, I had a fairly solid understanding of what was known in most fields until year 1950, some depth in the subatomic fields until year 1970-80 (that was my primary focus, I switched to astro later on), and contemporary understanding in a very very narrow specialty. A lot was known by the end of WWII.
If you're interested in _understanding_ quantum mechanics, this is an awesome book
http://www.amazon.com/The-Structure-Int ... 674843924/
If you're somewhat comfortable with matrices and know what the squareroot of -1 is, then this is a great book. Deep but non-technical. Unfortunately such books are very rare!
If you like to read equations for fun and inspiration but don't bother about following along with pen and paper, the Feynman Lectures provide a comprehensive review of modern physics up to year 1940 or thereabouts. Anything more modern than that, and the math grows quite long-haired. You can pretty much forget about [even] comprehending quantum field theory or general relativity on the math level without spending a couple of years in grad school.
Another way of saying that is that when I finished my MSc in 2000, I had a fairly solid understanding of what was known in most fields until year 1950, some depth in the subatomic fields until year 1970-80 (that was my primary focus, I switched to astro later on), and contemporary understanding in a very very narrow specialty. A lot was known by the end of WWII.
Re: Recommended Physics Books
I loved Feynman's Six Easy Pieces and Six Not So Easy Pieces. QED is great reading too.
Link to the Lectures- http://www.feynmanlectures.info/flp.html
Link to the Lectures- http://www.feynmanlectures.info/flp.html
Re: Recommended Physics Books
I think you might like Physics for Future Presidents.
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Re: Recommended Physics Books
Second what Seneca said. QED was really good!
Six Easy Pieces I think does have a few equations, and is really good also, but the first four (I think, was a while ago) chapters felt a little too easy / duplicative of basic high school physics.
Six Not So Easy Pieces was my favorite because of the chapters on relativity. It has equations, but they are, I think, needed. If you took calc in high school (even if you don't really remember it) it will add, rather than take away, from his explainations
Six Easy Pieces I think does have a few equations, and is really good also, but the first four (I think, was a while ago) chapters felt a little too easy / duplicative of basic high school physics.
Six Not So Easy Pieces was my favorite because of the chapters on relativity. It has equations, but they are, I think, needed. If you took calc in high school (even if you don't really remember it) it will add, rather than take away, from his explainations
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Re: Recommended Physics Books
If videos are an acceptible suggestion, I'll add Veritasium. It's a good link launch, too.
http://www.youtube.com/user/1veritasium/about
I also like 2veritasium but it's a little less science-y http://www.youtube.com/user/2veritasium/about .
http://www.youtube.com/user/1veritasium/about
I also like 2veritasium but it's a little less science-y http://www.youtube.com/user/2veritasium/about .