The Handy Physics Answer Book (Handy Answer Books)

Rating:
Summary: Great book if you have general questions!
Review: I have three of these books now and I continue to not be disappointed. These books help answer questions that you may not think about but as soon as you read them you end up saying to yourself "hmmm that's a good question"! This book is very cool to read and if you have any interest what so ever in Physics it will keep your attention for hours if you let it. Definitely not the type of book you would read cover to cover, it's more useful as a reference guide. I don't see why any college or high school student or anyone for that matter with an interest in Physics wouldn't have this book. It's a great buy and fun to read!

Rating:
Summary: A fabulous, comprehensive book on physics for the apprentice
Review: I took physics in high school (circa 1980) and its real-world relevance was not emphasized with the mathematics of problem solving...but I knew there was an answer out there. P. Erik Gundersen has done a fantastic job of making physics understandable to the layman and very fun by stressing its relevance to the real world. As he discusses the great physicists of the world and their discoveries, you can easily see how we have reached our current technological state. After reading this book I really understand a great deal more of how and why the world works. It has given me a great appreciation for the study of physics and I most definitely want to learn more! I always thought I liked chemistry the best, but this book has changed my mind! I recommend this book to anyone who wants to challenge their mind and to understand better the world in which we live. I read the book everyday while commuting to work on the Metro and I could not put it down! P. Erik Gundersen is a talented writer and teacher. I hope that he plans to write many more books on physics...I will be eagerly awaiting.

Rating:
Summary: WOW! Totally Accessible-A book for all us nonphysics majors!
Review: I've taken 2 years of physics. One year in high school and one year in college. It seemed the main important concepts were never stressed(the real life relevances) while the difficult mathematical parts were. This book is the first to give me the BIG picture of why things were in my two years of study. I recommend this book to anyone who has had basic physics and to parents who can't(and feel reluctant to admit) answer some of the most basic questions in physics to their kids. E.g., Why is the sky blue?

Rating:
Summary: A good resource book
Review: This book is a great one to refer back to find quick answers for rather complex subjects. It is easy to use, very user friendly, and written in a non-technical way. A great book to have on hand.

Rating:
Summary: OK for Children
Review: This book might serve the need of elementary school children, but anyone with an introduction to physics will find the book to be of little use. There are hundreds of short (one paragraph) responses to all sorts of questions, some of them not much related to physics. At times the author wants to predict the future: What does the future hold for fusion? At times the author answers a question other than the one asked: Why do monkeys have tails? (The response is on the physical function of tails.)
Also there is little order to the text other than broad chapter headings. So if you have a question, the book provides little help in finding the answer.
Overall, a weak piece of bathroom reading.

Rating:
Summary: Handy. Physics. Answers.
Review: What do Newton, Einstein, and "a typical kindergartner have in common? Aside from playing with their food and bad hair, they demonstrate a unique ability to ask deceptively simple questions..."
If you are wondering how cosmic inflation theory works, read cosmologist George Smoot's "Wrinkles in Time." If you are wondering about the weakness of perturbation theories or the strength of superstring theory, read theoretical physicist Brian Greene's "The Elegant Universe." If you want to know what quantum tunneling is, look it up in physicist John Gribbins' "Q is for Quantum." But --
If your "how does that work" questions are less abstract, perhaps like: why is the doorknob opposite the hinges on a door (?) or why is the sky blue (?) or -- for something slightly more advanced -- how might an electron be pushed as close as possible to light-speed (?), then pick up a copy of Gundersen's "Handy Physics Answer Book." A wonderful resource, the book is exactly what the title suggests. Interesting 'everyday' questions are posed, the kind of questions a young child might ask, but which most adults would struggle to answer. The answers follow, always in clear and concise language. It will be money well spent, Gundersen, a high school physics teacher, covers a lot of ground, and answers a lot of questions.

Rating:
Summary: OK for Children
Review: What do Newton, Einstein, and "a typical kindergartner have in common? Aside from playing with their food and bad hair, they demonstrate a unique ability to ask deceptively simple questions..."
If you are wondering how cosmic inflation theory works, read cosmologist George Smoot's "Wrinkles in Time." If you are wondering about the weakness of perturbation theories or the strength of superstring theory, read theoretical physicist Brian Greene's "The Elegant Universe." If you want to know what quantum tunneling is, look it up in physicist John Gribbins' "Q is for Quantum." But --
If your "how does that work" questions are less abstract, perhaps like: why is the doorknob opposite the hinges on a door (?) or why is the sky blue (?) or -- for something slightly more advanced -- how might an electron be pushed as close as possible to light-speed (?), then pick up a copy of Gundersen's "Handy Physics Answer Book." A wonderful resource, the book is exactly what the title suggests. Interesting `everyday' questions are posed, the kind of questions a young child might ask, but which most adults would struggle to answer. The answers follow, always in clear and concise language. It will be money well spent, Gundersen, a high school physics teacher, covers a lot of ground, and answers a lot of questions.

Rating:
Summary: The Nordic God of Physics
Review: Yes, that's right, P. Erik Gundersen is the Nordic God of physics (he sounds like a Swedish guy...or maybe Norwegian...ah it's all the swame!) The Handy Physics Answer Book is hands down the #1 physics guide around. Brian Greene, look out. From his mesmerizing discussion of light, to his earth shattering look into the Big Bang, P. Erik Gundersen makes physics phun!