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Walter H. G. Lewin
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For the Love of Physics: From the End of the Rainbow to the Edge of Time—A Journey Through the Wonders of Physics Kindle Edition

by Walter Lewin (Author), Warren Goldstein (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,448 ratings
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“YOU HAVE CHANGED MY LIFE” is a common refrain in the emails Walter Lewin receives daily from fans who have been enthralled by his world-famous video lectures about the wonders of physics. “I walk with a new spring in my step and I look at life through physics-colored eyes,” wrote one such fan. When Lewin’s lectures were made available online, he became an instant YouTube celebrity, and The New York Times declared, “Walter Lewin delivers his lectures with the panache of Julia Child bringing French cooking to amateurs and the zany theatricality of YouTube’s greatest hits.”

For more than thirty years as a beloved professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lewin honed his singular craft of making physics not only accessible but truly fun, whether putting his head in the path of a wrecking ball, supercharging himself with three hundred thousand volts of electricity, or demonstrating why the sky is blue and why clouds are white. Now, as Carl Sagan did for astronomy and Brian Green did for cosmology, Lewin takes readers on a marvelous journey in For the Love of Physics, opening our eyes as never before to the amazing beauty and power with which physics can reveal the hidden workings of the world all around us. “I introduce people to their own world,” writes Lewin, “the world they live in and are familiar with but don’t approach like a physicist—yet.”

Could it be true that we are shorter standing up than lying down? Why can we snorkel no deeper than about one foot below the surface? Why are the colors of a rainbow always in the same order, and would it be possible to put our hand out and touch one? Whether introducing why the air smells so fresh after a lightning storm, why we briefly lose (and gain) weight when we ride in an elevator, or what the big bang would have sounded like had anyone existed to hear it, Lewin never ceases to surprise and delight with the extraordinary ability of physics to answer even the most elusive questions.

Recounting his own exciting discoveries as a pioneer in the field of X-ray astronomy—arriving at MIT right at the start of an astonishing revolution in astronomy—he also brings to life the power of physics to reach into the vastness of space and unveil exotic uncharted territories, from the marvels of a supernova explosion in the Large Magellanic Cloud to the unseeable depths of black holes.

“For me,” Lewin writes, “physics is a way of seeing—the spectacular and the mundane, the immense and the minute—as a beautiful, thrillingly interwoven whole.” His wonderfully inventive and vivid ways of introducing us to the revelations of physics impart to us a new appreciation of the remarkable beauty and intricate harmonies of the forces that govern our lives.
Previous page
  1. ISBN-13
    978-1451607130
  2. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  3. Publisher
    Free Press
  4. Publication date
    May 3, 2011
  5. Language
    English
  6. File size
    3063 KB
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“MIT's Lewin is deservedly popular for his memorable physics lectures (both live and on MIT's Open Course Web site and YouTube), and this quick-paced autobiography–cum-physics intro fully captures his candor and lively teaching style… joyful… [this text] glows with energy and should please a wide range of readers.” (Publishers Weekly (starred review) )

“For the Love of Physics captures Walter Lewin’s extraordinary intellect, passion for physics and brilliance as a teacher. Hopefully, this book will bring even more people into the orbit of this extraordinary educator and scientist.“ (Bill Gates )

“Walter Lewin's unabashed passion for physics shines through every page of this colorful, largely autobiographical tour of science. The excitement of discovery is infectious.” (Mario Livio, author of The Golden Ratio and Is God A Mathematician? )

“Fascinating... A delightful scientific memoir combined with a memorable introduction to physics.” (Kirkus )

“As the hundreds of thousands of students who have witnessed [Lewin’s] lectures in person or online can attest, this classroom wizard transforms textbook formulas into magic… Lewin’s rare creativity shines through… a passport to adventure.” (Booklist (starred review) )

"In this fun, engaging and accessible book, Walter Lewin, a superhero of the classroom, uses his powers for Good – ours! The authors’ share the joy of learning that the world is a knowable place.” (James Kakalios, Professor and author of The Physics of Superheroes and The Amazing Story of Quantum Mechanics )

About the Author

Walter Lewin taught the three core classes in physics at MIT for more than thirty years and made major discoveries in the area of X-ray astronomy. His physics lectures have been the subject of great acclaim, including a 60 Minutes feature, stories in the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Newsweek and US News and World Report. They have also been top draws on YouTube and iTunes University. He was awarded three prizes for excellence in undergraduate teaching. He has published more than 450 scientific articles, and his honors and awards include the NASA Award for Exceptional Scientific Achievement, the Alexander von Humboldt Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship. He became a corresponding member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and Fellow of the American Physical Society in 1993. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Warren Goldstein is a professor of history and chair of the History Department at the University of Hartford. A prizewinning historian, essayist, and journalist, he has had a lifelong fascination with physics. His writing has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune and many other national periodicals. His prior books include Playing for Keeps: A History of Early Baseball and William Sloane Coffin, Jr.: A Holy Impatience.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B003UV8TFE
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Free Press (May 3, 2011)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 3, 2011
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3063 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 322 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 2,448 ratings

About the author

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Walter H. G. Lewin

Walter H. G. Lewin

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
2,448 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Book Shark
5.0 out of 5 stars It's not a matter of understanding physics, it's a matter of falling in love with it!
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2012
Verified Purchase
For the Love of Physics: From the End of the Rainbow to the Edge of Time, A Journey Through the Wonders of Physics by Walter Lewin

"For the Love of Physics" is the wonderful, educational book that enlightens the layperson to physics. Professor Lewin's passion for physics shines throughout the book as he takes readers on a journey from the tiniest particles to the utter vastness of our universe. Acclaimed MIT professor Walter Lewin, helps us see the world through the eyes of physics. This book is in essence a two-part book, in the first part Lewin focuses on the basics of physics. The second part has to do with his area of expertise, X-Ray Astronomy. An enjoyable, instructive read that is perfect for the layperson who wants to learn about physics through a practical lens versus a mathematical one. This 320-page book is composed of the following fifteen chapters: 1. From the Nucleus to Deep Space, 2. Measurements, Uncertainties, and the Stars, 3. Bodies in Motion, 4. The Magic of Drinking, 5. Over and Under, Outside and Inside, the Rainbow, 6. The Harmonies of Strings and Winds, 7. The Wonders of Electricity, 8. The Mysteries of Magnetism, 9. Energy Conservation - Plus ca change..., 10. X-rays from Outer Space!, 11. X-ray Ballooning, the Early Days, 12. Cosmic Catastrophes, Neutron Stars, and Black Holes, 13. Celestial Ballet, 14. X-ray Bursters! And. 15. Ways of Seeing.

Positives:
1. A well-written book about physics that focuses on the beauty of it rather than the details.
2. Well-researched book that is accessible to the masses.
3. Professor Lewin's goal are to educate and to exude excitement over his topics...mission accomplished. As a reader and reviewer, I appreciate the passion
4. An inside look at the world of a physicist. The love for astronomy...Interesting.
5. One of the great strengths of this book is how Lewin educates his students on physics. By using everyday experiences, he is able to convey complex topics in an understandable and hands on way.
6. There are some heart-warming and tragedy behind Professor Lewin's fascinating life and he is kind and brave enough to share them with the readers.
7. The wonderful world of optics. One of the most fascinating optical phenomena...glories.
8. Newton's three laws of motion.
9. The gravity of the situation. Mass vs. weight.
10. Does a wonderful job of properly attributing discoveries to their discoverers.
11. Answers a lot of everyday questions through physics: why is the sky blue, what causes rainbows, how do planes fly, etc....
12. The basics of sound waves. Myths debunked along the way.
13. Electricity in a whole new light. Magnetism. The physics of lightning. The great Maxwell.
14. How energy works. The various types and applications.
15. The second part of the book, the author concentrates in his area of expertise X-ray astronomy. A tour deluxe of the x-ray universe. The author goes in more depth and takes you out of the classroom. It feels like a memoir of sorts.
16. A lot of amusing tales regarding his days in the field.
17. Neutron stars, supernovae, black holes, neutrinos, pulsars..oh my!
18. Some of the most amazing facts you will ever read, "A teaspoon of neutron star matter would weigh 100 million tons on Earth".
19. X-ray bursts!
20. Stellar spectroscopy...the most powerful tool in astrophysics.
21. The golden age of cosmology.
22. Find out about Professor Lewin's "other" love.
23. Links, very helpful links that add depth to the topics discussed.

Negatives:
1. The Kindle version omits the picture inserts unless you count the links for the Kindle Fire.
2. This book is intended for the masses so those in the field of physics will find it too basic.
3. Let's face it, it pains me to say it but a lot of people just can't handle science even at its most accessible.

In summary, after reading this educational book the quote that best summarizes it, " A woman does not want to be understood, she wants to be loved". I apologize for not properly attributing the quote but I feel it captures the essence of this book. Professor Lewis wants you to learn about physics but his focus is for you to fall in love with physics. The love for physics will drive one's innate curiosity toward learning physics. It's a wonderful philosophy to have and this book emanates rays of wisdom. If you are a layperson and want to see the world in a different light by all means pick up this book!

Further suggestions: " Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100 " by Michio Kaku, " The Physics Book: From the Big Bang to Quantum Resurrection, 250 Milestones in the History of Physics (Sterling Milestones) " by Clifford A. Pickover, " Death from the Skies!: These Are the Ways the World Will End . . . " by Phillip C. Plait, " Death by Black Hole: And Other Cosmic Quandaries " by Neil deGrasse Tyson, " A Universe from Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather than Nothing " by Lawrence Krauss, " Knocking on Heaven's Door: How Physics and Scientific Thinking Illuminate the Universe and the Modern World " by Lisa Randall, " Wonders of the Universe " and " Why Does E=mc2? (And Why Should We Care?) " by Brian Cox, " Big Bang: The Origin of the Universe (P.S.) " by Simon Singh, and " The Grand Design " by Stephen Hawking.
18 people found this helpful
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ubpdqn
5.0 out of 5 stars a brilliant teacher
Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2011
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This is a wonderful book. It takes the reader on a journey through classical mechanics, electricity and magnetism, waves and Professor Lewin's area of long term research, X-ray astronomy. Although this outline mirrors to some extent the three MIT courses (now available to all, see the post Ellipses), this is more than a cut down version of these lectures.

Professor Lewin takes us on this journey with passion, with humor and with enthusiasm. On every page are connections to experiences in everyday life. These connections are not dry explanations of common phenomena but encouragements to the reader to test these ideas. I found myself having the almost uncontrollable desire to turn on a hose with the sun at my back and spin around to generate my own rainbow. I was also saddened that my shower and sun configuration prevents my own personal grasp on these rainbows. These small experiments are not solely qualitative but quantitative exercises. This powerful explanatory and predictive nature of physics is bed rock in the book. At every opportunity, Professor Lewin helps us to understand the enormous numbers (mass, energy, power, etc) of the quantum and astronomical scale by comparisons with values of these properties on objects and states on our human scale.

As testimony to the Professor's connection with the reader (we are another wave of students) there are repeated references to internet resources that amplify his words. I have provided some of these in previous posts.

The chapters on X-ray astronomy take us on the journey of a an active experimental research physicist. There is agony and ecstasy. This revelation of the invisible, distant and historical amazing view of the cosmos is "mind-blowing".

The book not only reveals the fundamental importance of physics in understanding the universe but weaves seamlessly the insightful views of a grand master physicist on issues of global importance: the energy crisis, human obesity, the safety of nuclear power, the Large Hadron Collider.

Finally, Professor Lewin gives us instructive glimpses of the formative influences of his life: family, the Nazi occupation and Holocuast (an ever-present shadow), Lady Luck (the visit to MIT, the opportune meetings with friends and colleagues) and the transformative powers of education and Art. It is also clear that "fortune favours the prepared mind".

May we all learn to enrich our connections with the world through education, reason and art. If the intelligence, enthusiasm and wonder that Professor Lewin conveys transforms us even a little, then bonus intra melior exi, i.e we enter good but leave better. What greater honour to a bestow on a brilliant teacher?
11 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Scientific entertainment.
Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2012
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I haven't finished this book yet and I don't think I will for a while yet, and like any good read, I'll be disappointed when I do. I bought the book in the first place because I saw Walter lewin's MIT lecture by the same name and loved it. I've always been interested in physics and to learn anything new is always worth the time. With 'For The Love of Physics', Lewin captures his wonderful lectures in book form. His love of the subject is so obvious that it becomes infectious and I find myself eagerly explaining the science of rainbows to my wife. Although at times Lewin can go into a subject a little too exhuastively, you soon become used to the style and can skate across the superflous bits. Scattered throughout the text are various autobiographical snippits which give added interest. I think Walter Lewin is not only a very clever physicist, but a talented entertainer as well, not a common combination.

A very entertaining and also interesting book, I hope he writes another!
4 people found this helpful
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Lilian
5.0 out of 5 stars Ótima compra!
Reviewed in Brazil on May 25, 2021
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O livro tem um vocabulário fácil e interessante. Ensina os princípios da Física de uma forma divertida, que capta a atenção do leitor. RECOMENDO!
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Chaitanya Prasad
5.0 out of 5 stars Product
Reviewed in India on November 17, 2023
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Its good and knowledgeable
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Turi Cane
5.0 out of 5 stars A tribute to Physics
Reviewed in Italy on August 16, 2020
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If you already love Physics, you will love this book as well. If you don’t (yet), this book (and Lewin’s lectures on YouTube) will make you :)
One person found this helpful
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Mauricio Callejas
5.0 out of 5 stars Pequeño gran libro
Reviewed in Mexico on March 3, 2018
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Buen libro para introducir o interesar a las mente jóvenes al mundo de la física. Llegó en buen estado y bastante rápido.
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Jean Francois Flamee
5.0 out of 5 stars Un livre à lire par tous les ados et leurs parents.
Reviewed in France on May 13, 2019
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Il s'agit d'un livre rédigé en anglais. C'est l'opportunité d'apprendre ou de se perfectionner en anglais, une langue indispensable en technique au 21ème siècle. L'auteur est un brillant professeur du MIT (USA) dont la pédagogie d'enseignement est exemplaire et unanimement reconnue. Si vous voulez découvrir en des mots simples les beautés cachées de la physique du monde qui nous entoure, alors vous apprécierez la lecture de ce livre et les beautés du monde qui nous entoure ne vous apparaîtra plus de la même façon car vous en aurez découvert la beauté cachée.
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