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Joanne Baker
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50 Physics Ideas You Really Need to Know (50 Ideas You Really Need to Know series) Hardcover – 2 Aug. 2007

by Joanne Baker (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 144 ratings
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We encounter physics before we've even left the house in the morning; an alarm clock tracks time, a mirror reflects light waves and our mobile phones rely on satellites held in their orbit by gravity. Where would we be without the Bernoulli equation to explain how planes fly, electromagnetic waves enabling us to communicate around the world or the discovery of X-rays? In 50 Physics Ideas You Really Need to Know Joanne Baker will uncover the physics all around us, from basic concepts like gravity, light and energy through to the complexities of quantum theory, chaos and dark energy. Featuring short biographies of iconic physicists, explanatory diagrams and timelines showing discoveries within their historical context, this book is the perfect guide to the fundamental concepts of physics, making even the most challenging theories easy to understand. Contents include: Newton's law of gravitation, Brownian motion, Chaos theory, Fleming's right hand rule, Planck's law, Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, Schrodinger's cat, Superconductivity, Rutherford's atom, Nuclear fission and fusion, The God particle, String theory, Special and general relativity, The big bang and the Anthropic principle.
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  1. Part of series
    50 Ideas You Really Need to Know
  2. Print length
    208 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    Quercus
  5. Publication date
    2 Aug. 2007
  6. Dimensions
    17.8 x 2.2 x 20.4 cm
  7. ISBN-10
    1847240070
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1847240071
  9. See all details
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Product description

About the Author

Joanne Baker studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge and took her PhD at the University of Sydney in 1995. She is a physical science editor at Science magazine, where her speciality is space and earth science.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Quercus; 1st ed. edition (2 Aug. 2007)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1847240070
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1847240071
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 17.8 x 2.2 x 20.4 cm
  • Customer reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 144 ratings

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Joanne Baker

Joanne Baker

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4.3 out of 5 stars
144 global ratings

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Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Dan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely love it!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 November 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This book is an absolute triumph! It's a brilliant and accessible guide to the fundamental concepts that govern our universe. Joanne Baker expertly navigates complex topics with clarity and conciseness, making even the most challenging theories understandable and engaging.

    Each chapter delves into a key physics idea, from classic laws like gravity and motion to mind-bending concepts like quantum theory and relativity. The book is perfectly paced, offering bite-sized explanations that are both informative and thought-provoking.

    What sets this book apart are the insightful diagrams and timelines that accompany each idea. They provide a visual context and historical perspective, making the learning experience even richer.

    Whether you're a student, a science enthusiast, or simply curious about the world around you, this book is a must-read. It's a fantastic resource for anyone who wants to grasp the essential principles of physics without getting bogged down in complicated jargon. I highly recommend it!
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  • Me Yep
    4.0 out of 5 stars Really useful overview for the layperson
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 November 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I bought this book as I wanted to find out more about the sciences.
    I have that this has for me been a very readable and entertaining primer on physics. It is not I know of a substantial academic nature but has suited me down to a T. I just wanted an overview and I have had that.
    Really pleased I bought this for my Kindle and is the first book that I have read on it.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Reader-718
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 October 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This whole series of books is brilliant at giving one a broad idea of many important subjects.

    They are written in such a way to educate you on the ‘key’ aspects of a subject. For example, when learning languages, experts will advise ‘you only need 90 words to learn *****’; well, these books are sort of like that: you only need 50 ideas to (broadly) learn about a topic. And it works (for me, anyway).

    This is money well spent. They tend to go through phases of lowering the prices, so if you keep an eye out you can build your collection. Also, this is something both adults and the young can make great use of. The beauty is the subjects are broken down very well, if you want to learn say, ‘Quantum’, using these books & doing a little extra on the side yourself with either search engine or AI, you can teach yourself anything in their series - anything. Think about that. These books are self-education in the 21c - go for it & life long learning!
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  • Simon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Higher ground
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 25 August 2007
    Verified Purchase
    Learning is a bit like climbing a mountain. Every step is a little bit harder than the last but the view gets better all the time.

    In this excellent book, the author takes us through fifty of the most important laws of physics, by way of a series of short and entertaining essays. Beginning with the fundamental laws of heat, motion and energy - those we learn at school and brush up against in the trials of everyday life - we gently ascend through to more recent advances in understanding -bits of the picture that fall well outside the realms of everyday experience: the sub-atomic world of waves and particles: the forces, such as dark energy, that are at work within (and outside?) our expanding universe. Amongst the highlights are an extremely lucid explanation of Einstein's theories of General Relativity and Special Relativity.

    Not only does the book demonstrate and celebrate how humankind has slowly begun to unravel the mysteries of life but, for the average reader, it helps us shuffle a few steps up that mountain of learning.

    For me, one of the real triumphs of the book is the way that the author shows how even the fundamental laws fit in to the broader picture. For instance, I don't remember my college lecturer explaining how the Second Law of Thermodynamics could determine the ultimate fate of the universe. He should of done - how often do physics students ask the question, "Why do we need to know this?" Well, this book might have the answer and step by step, inch by inch (or should that be nanometre by nanometre) you will be ascending a bit of that mountain I talked about before. I even found myself going back to re-read some of the essays, so clear is the progression between them.

    If, like me, you have an interest in science and physics but are by no means a great intellect, this book is a great place to gain a better insight into the way everything sticks together and stays together. Or doesn't, as the case may be !
    32 people found this helpful
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  • n1msr
    3.0 out of 5 stars Good, but flawed
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 13 November 2007
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    I really wanted to like this book, and for the most part I do. There is a need for a book that can cover the basic physics and theories about the world around us in an interesting and engaging way. This book is pretty good at that. However, I think it is flawed because there are some glaring errors, and this will not help those who didn't understand these things at school, whether because they were not interested or because the teacher wasn't up to it (they can have bad days too).

    Two examples are these:

    1. In the Introduction on page 3 it reads "Our mobile 'phones connect us via invisible electromagnetic threads to satellites orbiting overhead". Normal mobile 'phones do not do this. Only satellite 'phones do this, and they are relatively expensive and bulky.

    2. In Newton's Laws of Motion on page 9 it reads "Acceleration is a change of speed over some time". Whilst this is true, acceleration is really a change of velocity over time, and velocity is a vector and has a component of both speed and direction. So acceleration can be a change in speed or direction (or both) over some time.

    These examples may seem pedantic, but it is an important distinction. Perhaps this book tries to avoid anything tricky by dumbing down. Anyway, I still like the book. But it could be better.
    57 people found this helpful
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  • Jennifer Juniper
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book, great price.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 December 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Really great little book. I used to love physics at school, but it was very hard going! This is really really helpful. A bit late for me maybe in terms of getting in to physics as a job, but the ideas are explained so clearly. Highly recommended. Thank you!
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Alexander Morrison
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent value. Useful information
    Reviewed in Canada on 23 December 2023
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    Basic concepts described concisely. And with great clarity
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  • Ray Cemic
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent coverage!
    Reviewed in the United States on 15 March 2021
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    This book succinctly explains the major ideas of physics. It is not a physics textbook; rather a survey for someone who wants to acquaint themselves with basic coverage.
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  • vinodhini
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in India on 4 August 2014
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    Excellent
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  • Paco
    5.0 out of 5 stars Repasa algunas cuestiones de la física
    Reviewed in Spain on 29 May 2012
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    La versión en español cuesta el doble que la edición en inglés, por eso compré este volumen. Me ha gustado ya que como ingeniero conozco la física clásica, pero algunos aspectos de física 'moderna' (aunque no lo sea tanto por fechas) los desconozco y por culturilla merece leerse los libros de esta colección.
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  • Stefan Steinbauer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Physik ohne Formeln
    Reviewed in Germany on 30 August 2009
    Verified Purchase
    Finden sich noch im Buch zur Mathematik aus derselben Serie einige Formeln, muss man Sie in diesem Buch suchen und wird sehr selten fündig. Dafür ist umso mehr Platz für die Erklärung der Konzepte und Theorien. So entsteht aus dem Buch ein kurzweiliger Überblick über die Physik - unterhaltsam und informativ.
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