The Evolution of Physics

This book provides a still useful account, from 'the horses' mouths', of what Alfred Korzybski called the Newtonian and non-Newtonian views in physics. As Korzybski noted, all human beings form a view of so-called 'reality'. Understanding how scientists do this can have value for the rest of us. In this excellent book, the authors emphasize general formulations and a non-mathematical approach: "Most of the fundamental ideas of science are essentially simple, and may, as a rule, be expressed in a language comprehensible to everyone" (29). The book includes chapters on "The Rise of the Mechanical View," "The Decline of the Mechanical View," "Field, Relativity," and "Quanta." Readers will be rewarded with clear explanations of some potentially forbidding notions. These are interspersed with useful comments on physico-mathematical method, theory and the goals of science. Einstein's and Infeld's discussion demonstrates their view that "Science is not just a collection of laws, a catalogue of unrelated facts. It is a creation of the human mind, with its freely invented ideas and concepts. Physical theories try to form a picture of reality and to establish its connection with the wide world of sense impressions. Thus the only justification for our mental structures is whether and in what way our theories form such a link" (310).

Physics can be difficult to learn when theories and formulae are thrown at you with no historical context. You begin learning about motion, and then electricity and magnetism, and it's almost impossible to see a coherent connection between the ideas. Many people have heard of relativity and quantum theory, but do not have even a general notion of what they aim to explain. Like mathematics, you can learn physics without knowing about the people behind its development (though you will encounter many of their names in important expressions), but it never hurts to study how such ideas began, and how they came to be what they are today. Einstein and Infeld's book is aptly titled. They show how and why certain concepts came into being and what significance they hold. Beginning with "The Rise of the Mechanical View," they describe vectors, motion, forces, and energy. With "The Decline of the Mechanical View," they show how the behavior of electricity, magnetism, and light waves poses problems for the mechanical view.The next two (and most interesting) sections explore field, relativity, and quanta, and how they have proved more accurate in describing physical phenomena than what was previously known. Einstein and Infeld describe everything with a minimum of mathematics so that anyone with an interest in the development of physics can understand the contents. Although such math is necessary for a precise understanding of physics, the aim of the authors, which they frequently repeat throughout, is to give the reader a broad understanding of the general underlying principles. They have succeeded in giving an account of where the human construction of physics started, what has been covered since then, and where it is heading. It is a simply written book, suitable for readers who don't know physics and want to learn, but also helpful for students of physics who want to see a broader picture of its evolution.

This is the best short book that I know of on the history of physics--equally useful for the casual observer of science and the serious physics student. Einstein is capable of presenting the basic ideas of physics in a way that is succinct yet complete--and he never loses sight of the broad, revolutionary ideas that make the history of physics so exciting. This is undoubtedly because physics actually IS exciting for Einstein, and this excitement comes through in every page.This book reads as if Einstein thinks of physics as a really good story--complete with all characters and action of any good story--that he really wants to share with his reader.

This is an inspiring book. I know quite a bunch of people who decided to become physicists after reading it. Two interesting aspects should be mentioned. First, it was really written by Infeld, though thoroughly discussed, in a daily basis, with Einstein.(Infeld was a refugee under Einstein's protection, and thought he had to justify his temporary shelter at Princeton by writing something, which would also provide some income!). Another book by Infeld, "Quest", an autobiography, is the source of this and of many other interesting things about that period. Second, this book introduces very clearly a revolutionary contribution of Einstein's which is rarely recognized: a new method in physics which consists in obtaining knowledge from the comparison of observations of the same physical system obtained by two different observers. Though this had been done before (by Mach, for instance), it was Einstein who transformed it into a new tool for science. Physics was transformed by that, and quantum mechanics could then go even further, in the role given to the observer. This story is wonderfully told in this book.

While it would seem likely that one should go to another source to explain what Einstein's work really means and how it came about, this extraordinary book, coauthored by Einstein and Leopold Infeld, is perhaps the most cogent and interesting account of the origin and implications of relativity theory ever written. It offers the general reader - even those of us not steeped in Physics and physical theory - a fascinating glimpse of one of the most significant intellectual leaps of the last century. Much more comprehensive and engaging than such relativity 'primers' as Russell's ABC's of Relativity, it is both a very stimulating and readable account. Since Time Magazine recently selected Einstein as the Person of the Century, it seems timely to recommend this book as a fascinating introduction to the mind and work of someone who is normally thought to be beyond ordinary human comprehension. That he is an exceptional intellect is beyond question. What is remarkable is that he is able to communicate clearly to those of us less blessed with brillance. This is a wonderful book for any who have an active interest in how the universe works and how revolutionary new insights about the universe can be achieved with thought alone. An amazing book.