Books February 2006

Book Reviews February 2006

The discovery of subatomic particles Steven Weinberg	Cambridge University Press, 1983	ISBN: 052182351X
This book has been written to tell the story of the discovery of elementary particles, while at the same time teaching the reader about earlier, more basic physics. However, I would say that it isn't for the complete novice - it is more suited to a student of physics who would benefit from studying the calculations described - it is good to have examples to follow which lead to an significant result. It would also suit someone who already knows some physics and is interested in more details of the history of the subject. Continued..

The book nobody read Owen Gingerich	Arrow	ISBN: 0099476444
The title is from Koestler's The Sleepwalkers, and refers to Copernicus's. De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium. Historian of Science Gingerich saw that one copy had been well anotated, and so clearly somebody had read it. He then started on a quest to find who had read the early editions, by looking at annotations. This expanded into a search for all existing copies of the 1st and 2nd editions. Combines a biography of Copernicus and his student Rheticus, with an account of Gingerich's studies over more than 30 years. Continued..

The unexpected Einstein Denis Brian	Hoboken, 2005	ISBN: 0471718408
Einstein is such a well known scientist that he is often put on a pedestal, to be exhibited as an example to us all. Then again there are those who delight in knocking him off this pedestal. Either way such a famous person is likely to have myths arise about him. Following on from his recent biography of Einstein, in this book Denis Brian tackles some of the stories to sort out the truth from the fiction. He gives an readable insight into the character of Einstein so the book is worth reading even if you don't believe the myths in the first place and so normally wouldn't bother with such debunking. Continued..