The Story of Science: Einstein Adds a New Dimension
by Joy Hakim
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Book Summary Information
Author: Joy HakimBrand: Books
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-11-01
ISBN: 1588341623
Number of pages: 480
Publisher: Smithsonian Books
Book Reviews of The Story of Science: Einstein Adds a New Dimension
Book Review: A Real Pleasure to Read
Summary: 5 Stars
This book is both a pleasure to hold and to read. It includes many vivid illustrations printed on glossy paper. It does follow the tendency of most modern informational works to be designed with sidebars and insets on each page. Many scholars complain that this kind of formatting is a reflection of our increasing inability to concentrate, and that when overdone in school textbooks, it tends to train us in distraction even further. However Hakim keeps the boxed asides within manageable limits. She and the publishers of this book don't fragment the pages beyond reason. The result is a nice balance between entertainment and education.
The sidebars often include pictures that add a historical perspective to the scientific explanations. For example, there are photographs of some of the places where Einstein spent his youth, and there's one particularly telling photograph of a German street scene during WWII.
However a book like this ultimately has to have, not only eye appeal, but worthwhile content. Hakim delivers on this score. Her explanations are for the most part lucid and interesting. She makes clarifications I hadn't read elsewhere. For example, she distinguishes between X-rays (which are waves) and beta rays (which are particles). And she finally helped me understand the difference between vacuum tubes and solid state transistors - I think.
Furthermore, she passed a litmus test I apply to all books that touch on the topic of how the structure of DNA was unraveled. Hakim gives due credit to Rosalind Franklin and her work with X-ray crystallography in providing a key clue to the nature of the double helix. Most authors credit only Watson and Crick. But when they do that, I know they haven't thoroughly researched their topic. However Hakim's familiarity with Rosalind Franklin's contributions gave me confidence that Hakim had done her homework and that this book would generally provide deeper insights than most books dealing with physics and quantum physics.
The only trouble with Hakim's writing style is that she usually employs the present tense. "Einstein says... Niels Bohr proceeds to..." I would trip over this usage each time, because I know these men are dead and their achievements are in the past. I suppose Hakim wanted to underscore the ongoing relevance of these scientists' discoveries. But the usage only led to frequent confusion about what time frame we were dealing with in each chapter. Well, I suppose such confusion could actually be deemed appropriate in a book trying to demonstrate how time measurements are all relative. But seriously, that choice did create a series of small speed bumps in the path of understanding.
Also, Hakim was a little eccentric in the words she chose to define in sidebars. Sometimes you'll find a rather commonly understood term singled out for definition in a sidebar, while a rather arcane technical term right beside it goes without any explanation. The book could have used a dedicated glossary at the back, and also an expansive index.
But these are minor criticisms of a book that overall would be an addition to any library, ready for use as reference or simple enjoyment by readers of all ages.
Summary of The Story of Science: Einstein Adds a New Dimension
In volume three, students will look over Albert Einstein's shoulder as he and his colleagues develop a new kind of physics. It leads in two directions: to knowledge of the vast universe and its future (insights build on Einstein's theories of relativity), and to an understanding of the astonishingly small subatomic world (the realm of quantum physics). Students will learn why relativity and quantum theory revolutionized our world and led to the most important ideas in modern science, maybe of all time.In the three-book The Story of Science series, master storyteller Joy Hakim narrates the evolution of scientific thought from ancient times to the present. With lively, character-driven narrative, Hakim spotlights the achievements of some of the world's greatest scientists and encourages a similiar spirit of inquiry in readers. The books include hundreds of color photographs, charts, maps, and diagrams; informative sidebars; suggestions for further reading; and excerpts from the writings of great scientists.
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