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Understanding Physics - by Isaac Asimov

Book Review, © Copyright 1998, Jim Loy

This was originally three books. Now, it is available as one book. I recommend it, as a tool for making sense of physics. I went from a fairly poor physics student to one who wanted to major in physics, because of this book. I guess it can give you a fairly broad grounding in the basics, instead of racing on to the tougher, specific stuff. These are the chapters:

Volume 1 - Motion, Sound, and Heat

1. The Search for Knowledge
2. Falling Bodies
3. The Laws of Motion
4. Gravitation
5. Weight
6. Momentum
7. Work and Energy
8. Vibration
9. Liquids
10. Gases
11. Sound
12. Pitch
13. Temperature
14. Heat
15. Thermodynamics

Volume 2 - Light, Magnetism, and Electricity

1. Mechansim
2. Light
3. Lenses
4. Color
5. Light Waves
6. The Ether
7. Relativity
8. Quanta
9. Magnetism
10. Electrostatics
11. Electric Currents
12. Electromagnetism
13. Alternating Current
14. Electromagnetic Ratiation

Volume 3 - The Electron, Proton, and Neutron

1. The Atom
2. Ions and Radiation
3. The Electron
4. Electrons Within Atoms
5. Electrons and Quanta
6. Electon Energy Levels
7. Radioactivity
8. Isotopes
9. Nuclear Chemistry
10. Artificial Radioactivity
11. Nuclear Structure
12. Nuclear Reactors
13. Anti-Particles
14. Other Particles

This book (as well as the three seperate volumes) is out of stock at the publisher. If you would like to try to order it anyway, click Amazon.com to go directly to this book.

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