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Product Description
ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS tells a compelling story, using original papers from Einstein, Copernicus, Galilei, Kepler and Newton. Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking explains how these works changed the course of science, ushering astronomy and physics out of the Middle Ages and into the modern world.
About the Author
Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking is Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge (Newton's old position). He is the author of A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME, which remained on the New York Times bestseller list for a record-breaking 237 weeks. Curiously, Hawking was born 300 years to the day after Galileo died.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful contribution,
This review is from: On the Shoulders of Giants: The Great Works of Physics and Astronomy (Paperback)
As an astronomy student this is the kind of book I had always wanted: the actual texts of some of the most significant works in physics! Up to now these texts were simply not accessible -- unless, of course, you were willing to find a dusty copy from the 30's in a university library.It is fascinating to read the ideas of Copernicus, Keppler, Galileo, and the 'Principia' of Newton. Stephen Hawking enthusiasts beware! This book is probably not for you. The target audience is people with a background and very keen interest in physics, and those who are fascinated by the history of science, and not afraid of a bit of math. Contents About the book All in all, great value for money, and a unique opportunity to read these original works. For this alone it deserves its 5 stars.
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The original papers.,
By Palle E T Jorgensen "Palle Jorgensen" (Iowa City, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)
This review is from: On the Shoulders of Giants: The Great Works of Physics and Astronomy (Hardcover)
What makes this Stephen Hawkin book different is that it collects together in one place the original papers of the great masters, starting with Copernicus, and ending with Einstein. A generation ago, Eric Temple Bell suggested that we begin with the classics when learning math and science. Traditionally, it was thought that modern books based on the classics offered more effective ways of introducing or presenting the material, and as a result only a few students (and teachers) took the trouble of looking at the original classics, the central papers of the great masters. The true landmark papers. All the while, they collected dust on the shelves in the back rooms of libraries. Of the giants in science, five stand out, Copernicus, Galilei, Kepler, Newton, and Einstein. A chapter is reserved to each of the five. Each chapter begins with a lively biography which also serves to place the material in the context of the history of science. This is followed with the original papers themselves in translation. With this book, readers can compare Newton's laws from Principia with the fundamental papers of Einstein. It is collected in one place with commentary. Complaint: The print reproduction of Einstein's papers is not good, and some formulas unfortunately have been truncated in the reproduction. Hopefully that will be fixed in a second edition.
24 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Only for experts,
This review is from: On the Shoulders of Giants: The Great Works of Physics and Astronomy (Hardcover)
Collecting together the classic papers that made certain scientists famous is a great idea, but only if you have a degree in physics already. The original papers in here are mostly over the head of the average reader, who will buy the book thinking it is by Stephen Hawking. And the potted biographies of the superstars are just too short and sometimes inaccurate to be worth the cost. It would be much better to have a skilled writer explaining what these papers really mean.
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