Special Relativity and Classical Field Theory

The Theoretical Minimum

Contributors

By Leonard Susskind

By Art Friedman

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$13.99

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$17.99 CAD

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The third volume in the bestselling physics series cracks open Einstein’s special relativity and field theory

Physicist Leonard Susskind and data engineer Art Friedman are back. This time, they introduce readers to Einstein’s special relativity and Maxwell’s classical field theory. Using their typical brand of real math, enlightening drawings, and humor, Susskind and Friedman walk us through the complexities of waves, forces, and particles by exploring special relativity and electromagnetism. It’s a must-read for both devotees of the series and any armchair physicist who wants to improve their knowledge of physics’ deepest truths.
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  • PRAISE FOR Special Relativity and Classical Field Theory:
  • "Susskind's approach is to subject the novice to a historical mathematical boot camp to make the path seem natural, and ultimately easier... At once witty and insightful."
    Nature
  • "Susskind is meticulous in explaining each step of applying the equations to the physical phenomena he describes, and he excels in explaining why the math works the way it does.... If you're intrepid enough... you'll emerge with a much deeper appreciation for the true meaning of Einstein's relativity, Maxwell's equations and many other aspects of fundamental physics."
    Science News
  • PRAISE FOR Quantum Mechanics:
  • "The writing is fresh and immediate, with plenty of detail packaged into the smooth narrative.... I maintain a clear recollection of the bewilderment with which I struggled through my own university quantum-mechanics courses. For students in a similar position, trying to draw together the fragments of formalism into a clear conceptual whole, Susskind and Friedman's persuasive overview--and their insistence on explaining, with sharp mathematical detail, exactly what it is that is strange about quantum mechanics--may be just what is needed."
    Nature
  • PRAISE FOR The Theoretical Minimum:
  • A Wall Street Journal Best Book of 2013
  • "So what do you do if you enjoyed science at school or college but ended up with a different career and are still wondering what makes the universe tick?.... Leonard Susskind and George Hrabovsky's The Theoretical Minimum is the book for you. In this neat little book the authors aim to provide the minimum amount of knowledge you need about classical physics...to gain some real understanding of the world.... They do so with great success.... Along the way you get beautifully clear explanations of famously 'difficult' things like differential and integral calculus, conservation laws and what physicists mean by symmetries.... Messrs. Susskind and Hrabovsky's book is a powerful exposition of why science is 'real' and a counter to the kind of wishful thinking employed by people who, for whatever reason, reject the scientific worldview."
    Wall Street Journal
  • "A pleasure to read... a beautiful, high-level overview of the entire subject."
    Physics Today
  • "Very readable. Abstract concepts are well explained....[The Theoretical Minimum] provide[s] a clear description of advanced classical physics concepts, and gives readers who want a challenge the opportunity to exercise their brain in new ways."
    Physics World

On Sale
Sep 26, 2017
Page Count
448 pages
Publisher
Basic Books
ISBN-13
9780465093359

Leonard Susskind

About the Author

Leonard Susskind is the Felix Bloch Professor in Theoretical Physics at Stanford University. He is the author of Quantum Mechanics (with Art Friedman) and The Theoretical Minimum (with George Hrabovsky), among other books. He lives in Palo Alto, California.

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Art Friedman

About the Author

Art Friedman is a data consultant and the author of Quantum Mechanics (with Leonard Susskind). A lifelong student of physics, he lives in Murphys, California.

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