by George Gamow

isbn: 0521447712
subject: Nonfiction, General Science, Children's Books
finished: 10/8/2000

I've been interested in physics for as long as I can remember, but since I've always been too lazy to really learn it (by spending a year or two doing the problems in The Feynman Lectures, for example) I seem to be stuck reading popular books that contain few or no equations. Despite its age, Mr. Tompkins is one of the best of these. It's about a man, inquisitive but none too bright, who keeps falling asleep during physics lectures and having dreams about worlds with alternate physical laws. For example, in one the speed of light is about ten miles per hour and in another the effects of the uncertainty principle can be observed even on large objects. By putting difficult concepts into familiar contexts, Gamow is able to explain them in an intuitive way that even small children should be able to grasp. Recommended.