Einstein's Theory of Relativity

Rating:
Summary: A Gem
Review: At times notation can be a distraction, at other times notation can cause confusion, as in E&M most notably. Max Born's book is a gem and if you can get around the mild distractions and focus on the ideas then you may even get around the paradoxes in Relatively, where "common sense" is a distraction.
Some gifted people can write and explain well the most complex ideas some cannot. Max Born succeeds one of the best popular books on Relativity.

Rating:
Summary: A Gem
Review: At times notation can be a distraction, at other times notation can cause confusion, as in E&M most notably. Max Born's book is a gem and if you can get around the mild distractions and focus on the ideas then you may even get around the paradoxes in Relatively, where "common sense" is a distraction.
Some gifted people can write and explain well the most complex ideas some cannot. Max Born succeeds one of the best popular books on Relativity.

Rating:
Summary: reply to the guy from the schwarzchild radius
Review: Born spends the first half of the book developing an historical perspective of the time at which Einstein was grappling with Relativity. He leads us through all the major domains of Physics and arrives at Einstein's point of departure.

In the second half of the book, a full and complete review of Relativity is given.

Extensive use of physics equations is made throughout the book however for the reader looking purely for the historical perspective these can be safely assumed.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting Overview
Review: The book starts with an interesting and simple overview on Mechanics and Electromagnetism. The basic concepts of SR are presented, like Lorentz Transformations, space contraction, time dilatation, velocities addiction and the well known "E = mc2". It ends with a small introduction to GR.

The notation is not quite usual, so don't be surprised to read "K = mb" for the usual "F = ma". Anyway, read it if you are young (I read it right after my "Sweet Sixteen") or if you want reduced knowledge of the matter.

Rating:
Summary: If you only have one physics book
Review: This little book is a complete delight; if you can only take one physics book to bed with you at night, this might be it. Born reviews much of classical mechanics and E&M, and gives a great introduction to special relativity. There is a bit more on the history of ether than I really wanted to see, but that aside, this a wonderful, comprehensive, handy (not big and heavy) and inexpensive book. I highly recommend it.