Rating: 
Summary: An alltime favorite!
Review: A lovely reprinted edition of a peral from Gamow. The original edition has been out of print for a number of years. This 1993 edition has added commentary and a fascinating bio of Gamow. He was born in Odessa, in what was then Russia, --before the Soviet Union. The story of his escape to the West is straight out of a thriller. Only it is real! Gamow was referred to by a journalist, some time during the Cold War, as "the only scientist in America with a real sense of humor". He can take the most technical stuff and make it simple. Fun too! The book:--Intellectual treats, whimsy, but deep. Illustrated with lovely drawings by Gamow himself. Much of it can be understood by a child, and other parts might require a little concentration. All of it is great fun. Follow your imagination, and while you explore, you will learn about Einstein's theory of relativity. And in unexpected ways! You will see the wonders of physics thru the eyes of a child. With his unexpected thought experiments, Gamow has captured the imagination of generations of readers, and he has inspired a degree of curiosity that comes naturally to children.
The author George Gamow started in nuclear physics, during the Golden Age of Physics, worked with Niels Bohr in Copenhagen, then later in the US, on the Manhattan Project during WWII; and after the War, he was professor in Boulder Colorado. He has a building on campus of The University of Colorado named after him! He is one of the few scientists who wrote popular books. They are precious pearls, and they have been equally popular with my parent's generation as with mine. For awhile they were out of print, but luckely some have now been reprinted in recent years!
Other Gamow titles: Biography of Physics, Atomic Energy [dedicated to the hope of lasting peace], Physics of the Strapless Evning Gown,...We are lucky that Dover has reprinted some of them. Gamow's list of scientific accomplishments includes a 1948 landmark paper on the origin of chemical elements, the Big Bang model, and later work with F. Crick on DNA and genetic coding.-- Do more Gamow editions, Dover!
Review by Palle Jorgensen, September 2003.
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant exposition of modern physics
Review: George Gamow has a gift for getting at the essence of modern physics and explaining it. The reader still needs to have a fair amount of sophistication. This book is not "dumbed-down" at all.
Rating:
Summary: Superb Intro to Modern Physics
Review: I first read this about 50 years ago in graduate school, and was wonderfully stimulated. Despite many advances since, this book is still thoroughly up-to-date (except for particle physics and quarks). I remember mainly how Mr Tompkins suffers in a room where the speed of light has been reduced to 100 mph. Could never again think of simultaneity again in quite the familiar Newtonian way. That is but one example of the freshness of view that Gamow's fun-loving mind creates. It taught me more than most formal texts; and with so much more ease.I hope that he and Lewis Carroll have found each other in Heaven, and are discussing how to educate and amuse.
Rating:
Summary: A perfect step into modern physics.
Review: I read this book when I was only sixteen (in fact, it was one of my presents on that birthday), and it started me on a great path to understanding modern physics years ahead of my time. This book, wonderful for all ages (even very small children, I'd imagine), serves as the best tool for grasping the groundwork of many principles of modern physics, yielding an easier understand when more complexity arises. Read this book! Even Einstein would enjoy it, I'm sure, and he might even learn something.
Rating: 
Summary: Very Entertaining
Review: I wish they made an animation movie from this book. This is very nice introduction into Modern Physics expecially for those who is interested in Physics in young age but does not have rigorous knowledge of mathematics or physical concepts to understand it or for those who knows it but can not explain it to a teenager. Concepts covered is Relativity and Quantum Mechanics where speed of light is reduced to very low valus or Planck constant is increased to managable levels. You can see the strangness in everyday experiences.
Very fun to read or to give as a present to young future Physicist.
Rating:
Summary: Everyone should be forced to read this book
Review: I would like to emphasize that this book is not written above anyone's level. It won't go over anyone's head who either possesses or is on their way to achieving a High School diploma. It is a pleasure to read, very amusing, and intensely didactic. If you ever thought you might fall asleep during a Physics lecture, this is the book for you! If you have any authority over other people, you should force them to read this book!
Rating:
Summary: It helped me understand...
Review: I'm a novice at this subject matter, and I've recently started reading introductory books on quantum physics for fun. I read, "The New Quantum Universe" prior to reading this. This easy to read book filled in some gaps that that I had. It helped me grasp some concepts that had otherwise passed over my head when reading the other book.I understand that this is a classic text and I can see why. It's fun to read, and provides a foundation for further understanding. It explains uncertaintity, radioactive decay, and electron shells especially well. I may not fully appreciate the concepts I was able to internalize from this book for quite some time. I can say that I strongly recommend it to the layman or anyone who's eager to understand some basics of this incredible field of study.
Rating:
Summary: It helped me understand...
Review: I'm a novice at this subject matter, and I've recently started reading introductory books on quantum physics for fun. I read, "The New Quantum Universe" prior to reading this. This easy to read book filled in some gaps that that I had. It helped me grasp some concepts that had otherwise passed over my head when reading the other book. I understand that this is a classic text and I can see why. It's fun to read, and provides a foundation for further understanding. It explains uncertaintity, radioactive decay, and electron shells especially well. I may not fully appreciate the concepts I was able to internalize from this book for quite some time. I can say that I strongly recommend it to the layman or anyone who's eager to understand some basics of this incredible field of study.
Rating:
Summary: It helped me understand...
Review: I'm a novice at this subject matter, and I've recently started reading introductory books on quantum physics for fun. I read, "The New Quantum Universe" prior to reading this. This easy to read book filled in some gaps that that I had. It helped me grasp some concepts that had otherwise passed over my head when reading the other book. I understand that this is a classic text and I can see why. It's fun to read, and provides a foundation for further understanding. It explains uncertaintity, radioactive decay, and electron shells especially well. I may not fully appreciate the concepts I was able to internalize from this book for quite some time. I can say that I strongly recommend it to the layman or anyone who's eager to understand some basics of this incredible field of study.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent and entertaining introduction to modern physics
Review: If you think physics is boring, get this book. You'll enjoy everyday stories merged with relativity theory, quantum physics, etc.
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