THE ROMANCE OF PHYSICS

by Keith Gordon Irwin ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 10, 1967

From the author of The Romance of Chemistry (1959) comes a history of classic physics which combines conceptual, biographical and chronological approaches in a crystalline synthesis--crystalline because many-faceted and clear. The author presents both the theories of the major fields of physics and the contributions of outstanding individuals to those theories: he traces the development of each field in a separate time sequence, picking up the work of the same individual in different spots where necessary. For example, the first (and cornerstone) section is concerned generally with gravitation--Archimedes Galileo and Newton star in successive chapters; but both Galileo and Newton reappear later, Galileo in connection with the investigation of light and the measurement of temperature, Newton in connection with the study of liquids, power and light. Each discovery is reconstructed in short, logical steps which the reader can follow in the excellent diagrammatic drawings of Anthony Ravielli each field is traced to the end of the nineteenth century. For the twentieth century, the work of three men--Einstein, Rutherford and Fermi--represents a sampling of recent ideas. By buttressing the fine text with a chronology, an extensive glossary, a long list of suggestions for further reading (biographies, surveys and special studies), and an index (of terms and names), in addition to the portraits and diagrams, the editors have produced both a complete course for independent study and a useful tool for finding information.

Pub Date: Jan. 10, 1967

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Scribners

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1967

Categories: NONFICTION