Well-known Berkeley physicist and author of Physics for Future Presidents has collaborated with illustrator Joel Manfre to create a fast-paced collection of scientific snippets. These little gems are sure to cause a chuckle or a "wow that is cool" response in anyone who has even the slightest interest in science. This is one fun book.
Physics, a Page at a Time
It won't take long to get through this small volume. On the right facing pages, there is a humorous cartoon to illustrate Muller's chosen topic. On the left page is a paragraph or three giving a little background and a flourish of information on the topic.
The Instant Physicist is an easy read, comprising 64 short articles. There is no table of contents and no index. None are needed. This isn't the kind of book used to look something up. It really is kind of a "bathroom reader" that can be picked up at one's leisure and opened to any page.
There are no deep and probing analyses of the mysteries of the universe here; just a fine selection of short easy to remember bits of physics. Most people think physics is hard. "Real" physics undoubtedly is, but there is nothing hard to understand in this book.
Fun and Topically Relevant Science
Muller could have picked just about anything to write about but he has done a masterful job of choosing subjects that are both interesting and important. Well, not always important, but certainly always interesting.
Muller touches on subjects ranging from radioactivity (the government checks the natural origin of alcoholic beverages by making sure they are radioactive), heat (think "lips"), solar power (don't consider satellite-grade solar panels for your roof), electric cars (battery powered autos don't really seem to be such a good idea at the moment), and TNT (so-so in the energy department, but a real champ in terms of power), and others. In each case his style is breezy and entertaining. It's just plain fun to read.
The author's introduction promises the reader will "learn astonishing facts! Win arguments with friends and relatives!" and be able to "make crazy-sounding bets, and win money!" If you have an hour, you have time to become, if not an "Instant physicist," at least someone who knows a bit of interesting stuff about some really cool and important science. Maybe you even could win some money on a crazy-sounding bet.
Sources
- The Instant Physicist: An Illustrated Guide; Richard A. Muller; W.W. Norton & Co.; New York, NY: 2011
Philip McIntosh - The author holds a B.Sc. in Botany and Chemistry and an M.A in Biology and he has thirty + years of experience in science and industry.
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