Reviews
Fascinating.
The author uses clear and easy-to-understand language to describe how kinematics is essential to the modern study of physics.
A great deal of interesting historical material on kinematic ideas... the story of Einstein’s pathway to discovery is a gem... an illuminating pleasure to read. Einstein, the smasher of earlier images of physics, would have been the first to applaud this very human account of himself and this period of his life. Perhaps this text will turn out to be inspirational reading for some future young Einstein!
The book is really two books in one... Martínez deserves our gratitude for digging up a rich selection of recollections.
This often-overlooked branch of mechanics, which describes objects’ motion, provided the foundation for special relativity, a historian argues.
Martinez draws from an unparalleled wealth of sources.
The author has indeed succeeded in offering the reader a wealth of material, presented in an accessible way.
Anyone interested in the development of our current concepts of space, time, and motion will learn an enormous amount from this book. It combines broad scope and meticulous attention to detail, all recounted in a lively fashion. Reading it is not only instructive—it is a pleasure.
Martínez's careful reconstruction of Einstein's path to relativity is an absolute tour de force!
The chapters on Einstein form a compelling narrative as the author mines a rich vein of letters and later reminiscences, which make the book very accessible and of interest to many readers.
Book Details
Preface
1. Big Picture: Rise of a Rejected Science
2. Where to Begin? Invisible Causes or Visible Motions
3. Ambiguous Truths: The Allegedly Pure Science of Motion
4. Debates over Language: Coordinates
Preface
1. Big Picture: Rise of a Rejected Science
2. Where to Begin? Invisible Causes or Visible Motions
3. Ambiguous Truths: The Allegedly Pure Science of Motion
4. Debates over Language: Coordinates versus Vectors
5. Scientific Definitions: The Concepts of Space and Time
6. Discovery and Invention: Conceptual Origins of Einstein's Relativity
7. Text and Equations: Elements of Einstein's Kinematics
8. Critical History: The Algebra of Motion
Bibliography
Index