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E=mc2; A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation
by Bodanis, David
- Used
- Very Good
- Hardcover
- first
- Condition
- Very Good/Very good
- ISBN 10
- 0802714633
- ISBN 13
- 9780802714633
- Seller
-
Silver Spring, Maryland, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
New York: Walker & Company, 2000. First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. Very good/Very good. xiii, [1], 337, [1] pages. Illustrations. Notes. Guide to Further Reading. Index. Foreword by Simon Singh. DJ has slight wear and soiling. Some corners creased. David Bodanis is a futurist, speaker, business advisor and writer of popular science books, notably E=mc2: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation, which was translated into 26 languages. Originally from Chicago, he received an undergraduate education in mathematics, physics and economics at the University of Chicago[1] (AB 1977). In 2001 he published E=mc2: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation which was translated into 20 languages. In 2005, it was made into a documentary for Channel 4, and aired on PBS under the name Einstein's Big Idea. In 2009, E=mc2 was made into a ballet by the Birmingham Royal Ballet and won the South Bank Award for best British Dance of the year. Most people know that Einstein's equation is important but they don't usually know why. This book takes an approach to the equation that concentrates not on the biography of Einstein but on the biography of the equation itself. The author stated "I could write the biography of E=mc². Everyone knows that a biography entails stories of the ancestors, childhood, adolescence and adulthood of your subjects. It's the same with the equation. The book begins, accordingly, with the history of each part of the equation - the symbols E, m, c, =, and squared. For each of these - the equation's 'ancestors' - I focus on a single person or research group whose work was especially important in creating our modern understanding of the terms." David Bodanis looks at the three elements - e, m and c - before they end up together in Einstein's equation in Berne, 1905. From there he follows the course of the equation through the 20th century, focusing on the people who developed Einstein's work and its consequences. Without the equation for instance there would have been no atomic bomb, no lasers, no Internet and no science of black holes.
Synopsis
Generations have grown up knowing the equation E=mc2 and that it changed the shape of our world but never understood what it actually means and why it is so significant. In his new book, David Bodanis writes the “biography” of one of the greatest scientific discoveries in history, and through his skill as a writer and teacher, he turns a seemingly impenetrable theory into a dramatic and accessible human achievment.Bodanis begins by devoting elegant chapters to each of the equation’s letters and symbols, introducing the science and scientists forming the backdrop to Einstein’s 1905 discovery. Having demystified the equation, Bodanis explains it mathematically and brings it to life scientifically and historically, making clear the astonishing array of discoveries and consequences it made possible – from the splitting of the atom to a television’s cathode ray tube to the carbon dating of prehistoric paintings.At first, Einstein was unsure of what he had accomplished. “The argument is amusing and seductive,” he wrote to a friend, “but for all I know, the Lord may be laughing over it and leading me down the garden path.” In fact, Einstein did nothing less than open the door to the inner structure of the universe. In David Bodanis’s skilled hands, that achievement is an uncommonly good story.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Ground Zero Books
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 74515
- Title
- E=mc2; A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation
- Author
- Bodanis, David
- Format/Binding
- Hardcover
- Book Condition
- Used - Very Good
- Jacket Condition
- Very good
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First Printing [Stated]
- ISBN 10
- 0802714633
- ISBN 13
- 9780802714633
- Publisher
- Walker & Company
- Place of Publication
- New York
- Date Published
- 2000
- Keywords
- Einstein, Theory of Relativity, Atomic Bomb, du chatelet, E-mc2, Energy, Heisenberg, Heavy Water, Lavoisier, Mass, Matter, Physics, Robert Oppenheimer, Ernest Rutherford, Speed of Light, Uranium, Voltaire
Terms of Sale
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About the Seller
Ground Zero Books
Biblio member since 2005
Silver Spring, Maryland
About Ground Zero Books
Founded and operated by trained historians, Ground Zero Books, Ltd., has for over 30 years served scholars, collectors, universities, and all who are interested in military and political history.
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Much of our diverse stock is not yet listed on line. If you can't locate the book or other item that you want, please contact us. We may well have it in stock. We welcome your want lists, and encourage you to send them to us.
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