What Is Relativity?: An Intuitive Introduction to Einstein's Ideas, and Why They Matter (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780231167260)

It is commonly assumed that if the Sun suddenly turned into a black hole, it would suck Earth and the rest of the planets into oblivion. Yet, as prominent author and astrophysicist Jeffrey Bennett points out, black holes don't suck. With that simple idea in mind, Bennett begins an entertaining introduction to Einstein's theories of relativity, describing the amazing phenomena readers would actually experience if they took a trip to a black hole.

The theory of relativity reveals the speed of light as the cosmic speed limit, the mind-bending ideas of time dilation and curvature of spacetime, and what may be the most famous equation in history: E = mc2. Indeed, the theory of relativity shapes much of our modern understanding of the universe. It is not "just a theory"--every major prediction of relativity has been tested to exquisite precision, and its practical applications include the Global Positioning System (GPS). Amply illustrated and written in clear, accessible prose, Bennett's book proves anyone can grasp the basics of Einstein's ideas. His intuitive, nonmathematical approach gives a wide audience its first real taste of how relativity works and why it is so important to science and the way we view ourselves as human beings.

Author: Jeffrey Bennett
ISBN-10: 0231167261
ISBN-13: 9780231167260
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Language: English
Published: 03/04/2014
Pages: 208
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.95lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.20w x 0.90d

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 12/02/2013
Kirkus Reviews 01/15/2014
Booklist 02/01/2014 pg. 7
Library Journal 03/01/2014 pg. 108
Choice 10/01/2014 pg. 300