Physics, Sidney Perkowitz
Physics, Sidney Perkowitz
List: $12.99 | Sale: $9.10
Club: $6.49

Physics
A Very Short Introduction

Author: Sidney Perkowitz

Narrator: Eric Jason Martin

Unabridged: 4 hr 32 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 01/31/2023

Synopsis

Physics, the fundamental science of matter and energy, encompasses all levels of nature from the subatomic to the cosmic, and underlies much of the technology around us. Understanding the physics of our universe is an essential aspect of humanity's quest to understand our environment and our place within it. Doing physics enables us to explore the interaction between environment and human society, and can help us to work towards the future sustainability of the planet.

This Very Short Introduction provides an overview of how this pervasive science came to be and how it works: who funds it, how physicists are trained and how they think, and how physics supports the technology we all use. Sidney Perkowitz presents the theories and outcomes of pure and applied physics from ideas of the Greek natural philosophers to modern quantum mechanics, cosmology, digital electronics, and energy production. Considering its most consequential experiments, including recent results in elementary particles, gravitational waves and materials science, he also discusses outside the lab, the effects of physics on society, culture, and humanity's vision of its place in the universe.

About Sidney Perkowitz

Sidney Perkowitz is Charles Howard Candler Professor of Physics at Emory University, during which time he has produced over 100 research papers and books with funding from the US government, industry, and foundations. Now, as Professor Emeritus, he presents science for non-scientists, and is the author of several books, including Universal Foam: From Cappuccino to the Cosmos, and Frankenstein: How a Monster Became an Icon, the Science and Enduring Allure of Mary Shelley's Creation. He has written articles for publications including the Washington Post, New Scientist, and the Los Angeles Review of Books, and has appeared on outlets including CNN, NPR, and the BBC. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and, in 2015, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society for Literature, Science, and the Arts.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Alok

someone not having prior knowledge of physics should try this to develop an appeal to the subject. interesting engaging informative......more

Goodreads review by Seth

Not only does it suffer a bit from excessive breadth of subject, it's only loosely organized, which leads to Perkowitz repeating himself occasionally. For example, in chapter 3, he goes straight from talking about the male/female ratio in physics PhDs to explaining how Eratosthenes measured the circ......more

Goodreads review by Dani

This would've been Sheldon's answer to Penny's "could you teach me a little physics?".......more

Goodreads review by Orlando

Speaking not only as a non-physicist, but as someone who never studied physics even at the high school level, I found this book to serve its purpose admirably. It is structured well, beginning with the historical and theoretical development of physics from its primitive Hellenic days into the Standar......more

Goodreads review by Nicolas

It covers a lot of ground - from the history of physics as a field, to classical physics, classical field theory, modern physics, and physics since the modern period. It goes into the difference between theoretical vs. experimental physics in terms of professional physicists, what professional physi......more

Add to Cart
Add to Wish List