Relativity Simply Explained (Dover Classics of Science & Mathematics)

I recently read a handful of books on relativity, and I rank them as follows:Highly recommended introductory works:* Relativity Simply Explained by Martin Gardner -- best introductory book.* The Elegant Universe (chapters 2 & 3) by Brian Greene -- extremely lucid, but not as in-depth as Gardner's book -- possibly the best if you want a shorter introduction.* Einstein by Walter Isaacson, chapter 6 (special relativity) & chapter 9 (general relativity) -- not just a great biography, also a very lucid explanation of Einstein's ideas.* The Fabric of the Cosmos (chapters 2 & 3) by Brian Greene -- a discussion of general relativity & the nature of spacetime.Further reading:* Inside Relativity by Mook & Vargish -- great introduction to Newton, along with great sections on what high-speed objects look like and a great section on how Maxwell's equations of electromagnetism relate to relativity.* Relativity Visualized by Lewis Carroll Epstein -- a good additional book to read, if you want to delve more into truly understanding how it works. Not recommended as an introduction.* Relativity: A Very Short Introduction by Russell Stannard -- might be a good introduction, but not as lucid as some of the books above.* Relativity by Albert Einstein -- not recommended. It's great if you want to see how Einstein explained it, but it is generally not a good introduction. Cumbersome, difficult, and boring.Relative to the books above, Gardner's book gives the best history of the developments leading up to the theory of relativity. It gives numerous examples of the principle of relativity, which helps the reader ease into thinking in relative terms. It mentions a thought experiment about relativity by Poincare and a short story about relative changes by HG Wells. So it gives you a sense of what was going on prior to Einstein. None of the other books listed did that, or not as effectively.It provides a history of ether and the efforts to preserve the concept of ether (which leads into the development of the theory of relativity). None of the other books listed did that. I found all of the pre-history to be essential to truly understanding relativity.It does a great job explaining relativity in a lucid, straightforward manner with numerous examples. I think he explained the equivalence principle, which led to general relativity, better than any of the books above.A reader could reasonably skip chapters 10-12 (on cosmology), which are out of date and which are likely covered better elsewhere. They still make interesting reading, especially the chapter on the shape of the universe, but they are not essential to understanding relativity.This book is not perfect, and there are probably concepts that for some readers are better explained in other books. But, relative to the books listed above, I found it to be the best introductory book. Anyone interested in truly understanding relativity will likely want to read several books, in order to view it from multiple frames of reference.If you'd like larger print and/or hardcover, the first edition of this book is just as good -- Relativity for the Million. My only complaint about Relativity Simply Explained is that the text is a little small.Enjoy your studies of this fascinating subject!cheers:)

If you are looking for a comprehensive book to understand the nuances of Relativity theory, this isn't for you. However, if you are not mathematically inclined, or don't wish to dive into the math or physics just yet, this is a excellent choice.This was the first book that I read on the subject of Einstein's theory. I found it entertaining and actually fun to read. I have not read any of Gardner's other books, but his writing style in this one makes for an easy read. It does not feel like you are reading much of a physics books at all.Furthermore, the illustrations not only are well done, but they make it easier to understand the principles being explained.If you are looking to know the basics of this theory, this is best book to own. Simple to read, good explanations, uncomplicated. If you are looking for more depth, than you will certainly move on to another book after this, but this is an excellent one to start with.

Book is very well written. It gave me a very good feel for relativity. The graphics were fantastic. While these were on or adjacent to the narrative, just a few times I found a disconnect between the written descriptions and the graphics.Human beings do not live the quantum physics/relativity reality- the reality of this world. We live in a world that we perceive based on our limited senses and experiences. The same as a fish-it does not know what it is to live on land.For anyone with a basic science back ground, this book expands his knowledge taking him from what he knows to what he should know.

Lots of fantastic analogies. A bit dated due to publication date but definitely worth a read

No mathematics in this book. Relativity is explained by using "thought experiments" not so easy to imagine and understand . Relativity is a genuine ingenious but complicated theory, and it's the best explanation for the way the universe works. The book is outdated now as the big bang theory has been modified and the current thinking is that there was an inflation period, not a bang at the beginning.

We are too slow and too small to experience relativity. Even the fastest rocket will not help. Grow a big belly, neither. To see variations on space-time we need to get as fast as light or become as massive as our sun. Good news. Our imagination and mathematics can do these things for us. Of course, Gardner uses and abuses of our imagination to explain both special and general relativity in his book. He even points out the assumptions that Newton and Poincaré took for granted but Einstein rejected creating much better explanations for our universe.

Watching documentaries and reading about Relativity theory I always have questions that were not answered. As a result I have many wrong directions of understanding of it and all my efforts ended up with facing that I'm not able to grasp complexity that theory. It was before reading of this book. The book has direct and comprehensive explanations in term of questions that I though about and I recommend this book to everyone who is interested in this area but doesn't get its point yet.

I still struggle as a physics teacher to understand relativity. This book was recommended by a college professor who understood my struggle. I can't say I completely grasp everything relativity related, but my understanding of this concept has increased greatly as a result of reading this book (and Einstein's biography by Isaacson). I feel better prepared to answer questions from my students regarding this subject. I also think this would be an appropriate book to recommend to a high school student.