It's About Time: Understanding Einstein's Relativity

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A readable and entertaining look at how Einstein's special theory of relativity gives us a new understanding of the nature of time Relativity ought to be an important part of everyone's education. Its subject is time, with which we all think we are familiar. Einstein's special theory of relativity reveals that some of our most intuitive notion

Reviews

It's About Time is a book that should join the very best systematic popular expositions of science written in the last 50 years.---Peter L. Galison, American Scientist
An excellent book on Einstein's special theory of relativity. . . . I clearly see the strength of this book in lucid, self-contained, lively, down-to-earth, and meticulous presentation. . . . I have no hesitation in saying that this is the best book on the special theory of relativity at a semi-popular level I have ever read.---K. S. Birbhadra, The Observatory
In this highly readable book, Mermin argues that a working knowledge of relativity requires no more than basic algebra and geometry. He makes a valid point. Special relativity is more fundamental, up-to-date and accurate than Newtonian physics, and Einstein's presence in the classroom may inspire the most uninterested student.---Amanda Gefter, New Scientist
Mermin has taught relativity for 40 years and has clearly thought about the best way to teach the subject. It's About Time offers a serious, yet accessible approach to relativity.---Kara shane Colley, MAA Reviews
Mermin's premise is that everyone should know about relativity in order to understand the real nature of time. . . . What is remarkable in his approach is his reliance on developing the reader's skills to analyze events in more than one frame of reference. This is the key to understanding relativity: being able to translate with ease from one frame of reference (a moving train) to another (a station).---Simon Mitton, Times Higher Education Supplement
Requiring nothing more than a basic understanding of algebra, [this book] provides the clearest and most insightful treatment of special relativity I've ever encountered. . . . It's About Time brings the practice and foundation of physics together through the question of time.---Arkady Plotnitsky, Foundations of Physics
The reader will find some of the best non-technical description of the special theory of relativity ever written.---Jaume J. Carot, Mathematical Reviews
There's a profound difference between knowing about something, and knowing it, and Mermin succeeds at instilling the latter.---Gilbert Taylor, Booklist
This is a book full of insight with an engaging style. I recommend it to anyone who has to teach the subject to either [non scientists or undergraduate and graduate students]: it's a brilliant basis for a set of lecture notes.---Derek Raine, Nature
What makes the book as a whole so enjoyable to read is the steady pace at which the subject unfolds. The author spends as much time on each idea as he considers necessary. . . . Nowhere is the book too intense, and the learning curve for readers has a fairly constant slope. . . . David Mermin [is] a master teacher at work--and instructors will almost certainly include some of the ideas in their own teaching.---Nigel Dowrick, Physics Today

Author Bio

N. David Mermin is the Horace White Professor of Physics Emeritus at Cornell University. His books include Boojums All the Way Through and Why Quark Rhymes with Pork.