Physics for Poets

by Robert H. March

Book Overview

Designed for one-term courses on physics for liberal arts majors, this book aims to give an insight into the connections between physics and cultural history. The book uses no mathematics beyond basic... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0070402485
• ISBN13: 9780070402485
• Release Date: January 1995
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies
• Length: 282 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.3" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Physics for the Humanities

As an educator, I am thrilled to report great success with this text. Dr. March more than aptly guides the average physics layperson through an exciting and well organized journey in the development of modern physics. The natural integration of historical narrative with foundational physics is a stunning achievement. The guided lessons are well complemented by the exercises in the appendix. As a whole this text provides the basis for an enjoyable learning experience. I would recommend this text for anyone planning on teaching an introductory level physics course or sojourning alone through this exhilarating subject matter.

Can be used as Refreshment for Survivors of Freshman Physics

March gets it just right by employing the soft to understand the hard. I read this book during my sophomore (after having finished my ABET accredited physics) Christmas vacation. It started me on a path that lead to a very powerful and useful understanding of physics.

Iambic physics?

When I first read Robert March's `Physics for Poets', it reminded me much of the sense of science one gets from popular programming such as Carl Sagan's `Cosmos' - it presents the science theory and progress in elegant, poetic and non-mathematical terms. I have never been afraid of the mathematics (indeed, I studied mathematics to a good level at university) but have always been impressed with those who could describe for the numerically-challenged the intricacies of subjects such as physics and astronomy.March covers topics in physics from the earliest investigations in the ancient world (back when the line dividing science from philosophy was not so distinct - as history repeats, there is a growing blurring of the line in modern physics once again). However, March does not spend inordinate time on ancient subjects or ideas such as classical mechanics (save to introduce later topics for which such concepts will be necessary). He gets to the heart of modern physics rather quickly.March has an interesting development of various topics. For example, his discussion of the theory of relativity is very different from the typical `hard-science' physics books from which I studied. He develops intuitive descriptions, shying away from technical discussions of Lorentz transformations or frames of reference (I think this is a concept that students could grasp more readily than perhaps March believes). Despite this, March uses the traditional `frames of reference' model of travelers on a train, seeing thing in relative states as they are traveling against the more static countryside, which is itself traveling as the earth revolves on its axis, and orbits the sun, as the sun moves about the galaxy, as the galaxy spins around the local group, etc. Frames of reference can actually be fun!Quantum mechanics is also an area of modern physics that leads to much confusion, and March confesses that there are limitations to the discussion possible without mathematical equations and models. There are simply no `real-world' analogies that can be drawn that make sense for some of the concepts. However, he does introduce key ideas such as the Bohr theory and Schrodinger's wave in ways generally accessible.March does introduce the occasional equation - calculus is not required for understanding, but elementary algebra is needed to follow some of the discussions. March describes each equation as introduced `in English', in words that are generally comprehensible. He includes more technical mathematics in an appendix for those who desire more. As this is a textbook, there are questions in the appendix for each of the chapters. There are also suggestions for further reading and a topically-arranged bibliography. Some of the readings are now out of print or out of date, but many of the titles still remain relevant. This is a very good book for those who know physics or mathematics and want a quick conceptual introduction or review, and for those who are not trai

The incredible introduction to the modern physics

The first emphasis is that this book succeeds to lead readers to the understanding of the particular relativism without any premises. The most important achievement is to make readers understand the Lorentz's transformation of time certainly. This book has completed it successfully by the careful step-by-step logical teaching in contrast with other many common texts using highly difficult mathematical equations. After reading it, you can say to everybody that the particular relativism is easy to understand and explain it logically. Because of this significance the unique and easy explanation of the quantum theory would seem superficial.This book is what beginners must read before falling into the chaotic confusion of the physical knowledge.

Do not be decieved by clever title

Robert H. March is a Proffessor of Physics at the University of Wisconsin. The text developed out of the course of the same name. There is not alot of poetry going on here. He aims to make the principles of physics as understandable to a comoner like my self, not initiated into the high scientific mysteries, understandable. There are formulas here, but some things can't be undertood without them. You don't need much more then a grasp of highschool algebra to follow along. Presumably even a poet has had this. It is a chronological review of Physics from its inception by the greeks to the curent edge of partical physics. Or at least what we can at least hope to understand. Clearly writen, and a supurb attempt to render this very difficult material understandable. It will take some effort on the reader's part to understand, but it is well worth doing so. He really can't make it any simpler without becoming inaccurate.