Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A controversial yet highly intriguing read...recommended!, 29 Aug 2008
I came across "What Einstein Didn't Know About Time" on Amazon whilst I was searching for a popular science book about Einstein. The title itself immediately piqued my interest, but it was the rather strong and strangely personal comments of the reviewer who traduced it that really raised my curiosity. I tried to research the book online as, at the time of writing this, there are no details about it on Amazon.
All I found was a brief description on another site stating that the book's ultimate intention is to prove that Einstein's universally accepted theories of relativity are based on principles that are demonstrably false. Now there's an intriguing subject for a popular science book! I decided to take a chance and ordered the book.
I was not disappointed; "What Einstein Didn't Know About Time" is a definite page-turner and a wealth of information. I must admit I didn't learn much from the two initial biographical chapters, and they did indeed have a rather subjective feel to them, but the sixteen science chapters, which constituted the bulk of the book, were a thorough joy to read. The author managed to relate a difficult and often dry subject in a concise and easily understandable manner without having to resort to mathematical equations, as is often the case in books of a similar nature. It is quite clear that the author's primary goal is to make the subject as accessible as possible to the average reader because, painstakingly, he chronicles the development of relativity theory from the original thought experiment that was conducted by Galileo. In addition to discussing Einstein's theories and their inherent contradictions that result in curious paradoxes, the book, which contains an abundance of helpful illustrations, also covers many other aspects of theoretical physics.
Even if the book does not convince a diehard relativist that Einstein's theories are fundamentally flawed, it will, in my opinion, at the very least encourage thinking outside the box. Overall, "What Einstein Didn't Know About Time" is a worthwhile read for anyone who's interested in physics and wants to know more about Einstein's theories, where he got his ideas from, and how a competent experimental physicist could easily determine as to whether the acclaimed genius was wrong.
|
|
|
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
A waste of trees, 22 May 2008
If it weren't for the egotistical ramblings within this book I may have been tempted to be a little more circumspect in reviewing this..... piece of fiction.
It seems clear to me that the author has financed the publishing of this book himself, as assuredly no scientifically slanted publisher would do so. To what end I'm really not sure.
What this amounts to, and what is demonstrated in page after page of flailing, declivitous incomprehension of even some of the most fundamental laws of physics - and of even the scientific method itself - is that the author does not understand, cannot comprehend (as he describes it himself as incomprehensible - a bit of a clue)the Special and General Theories of Relativity.
He posits, first, that Einstein has beguiled the scientific community, which has accepted his theories uncritically. From this erroneous beginning it all, unfortunately, goes rapidly downhill. I cannot even begin to highlight the very basic errors insistently repeated throughout, without reverting to critiqueing virtually every page within.
What is most puzzling, and unsettling, is the venom with which he refers to Einstein. I cannot understand what personal reason the author has to have anchored such clear detestation onto an individual he (presumably) never knew.
I suppose that this book might make an interesting subject for a psychological investigation into the mindset of such an individual who would, for whatever purpose, chose to expend so much energy to produce a work which merely paints a (rather disturbing) picture of an individual whose ego far outstrips his scientific intellect - and no amount of verbosity will ever be able to hide that.
It is a poisonous, scientifically inept work of fiction.
|
|
|
|
With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is). 
Amazon Home
Make sure you always get what you want with an Amazon.co.uk 
