It's About Time

N. David Mermin is a theoretical physicist who has worked in solid state physics, low temperature physics, statistical physics, crystallography, and foundations of quantum mechanics. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and won the first Julius Edgar Lilienfeld Prize of the American Physical society for "his remarkable clarity and wit as a lecturer to nonspecialists on difficult subjects." His books include "Solid State Physics, Boojums All the Way Through", and "Space and Time in Special Relativity".

• Preface: Why Another Relativity Book ix Note to Readers xiv Chapter One: The Principle of Relativity 1 Chapter Two: Combining (Small)Velocities 14 Chapter Three: The Speed of Light 19 Chapter Four: Combining (Any)Velocities 28 Chapter Five: Simultaneous Events;Synchronized Clocks 45 Chapter Six: Moving Clocks Run Slowly;Moving Sticks Shrink 58 Chapter Seven: Looking At a Moving Clock 73 Chapter Eight: The Interval between Events 79 Chapter Nine: Trains of Rockets 89 Chapter Ten: Space-Time Geometry 102 Chapter Eleven: E =M2 144 Chapter Twelve: A Bit about General Relativity 171 Chapter Thirteen: What Makes It Happen? 179 Index 187

"Mermin's premise is that everyone should know about relativity in order to understand the real nature of time... What is remarkable in his approach is his reliance on developing the reader's skills to analyze events in more than one frame of reference. This is the key to understanding relativity: being able to translate with ease from one frame of reference (a moving train) to another (a station)."--Simon Mitton, Times Higher Education Supplement "This is a book full of insight with an engaging style. I recommend it to anyone who has to teach the subject to either [non scientists or undergraduate and graduate students]: it's a brilliant basis for a set of lecture notes."--Derek Raine, Nature "It's About Time is a book that should join the very best systematic popular expositions of science written in the last 50 years."--Peter L. Galison, American Scientist "In this highly readable book, Mermin argues that a working knowledge of relativity requires no more than basic algebra and geometry. He makes a valid point. Special relativity is more fundamental, up-to-date and accurate than Newtonian physics, and Einstein's presence in the classroom may inspire the most uninterested student."--Amanda Gefter, New Scientist "There's a profound difference between knowing about something, and knowing it, and Mermin succeeds at instilling the latter."--Gilbert Taylor, Booklist "Mermin has taught relativity for 40 years and has clearly thought about the best way to teach the subject. It's About Time offers a serious, yet accessible approach to relativity."--Kara shane Colley, MAA Reviews "What makes the book as a whole so enjoyable to read is the steady pace at which the subject unfolds. The author spends as much time on each idea as he considers necessary... Nowhere is the book too intense, and the learning curve for readers has a fairly constant slope... David Mermin [is] a master teacher at work--and instructors will almost certainly include some of the ideas in their own teaching."--Nigel Dowrick, Physics Today "Requiring nothing more than a basic understanding of algebra, [this book] provides the clearest and most insightful treatment of special relativity I've ever encountered... It's About Time brings the practice and foundation of physics together through the question of time."--Arkady Plotnitsky, Foundations of Physics "The reader will find some of the best non-technical description of the special theory of relativity ever written."--Jaume J. Carot, Mathematical Reviews "An excellent book on Einstein's special theory of relativity... I clearly see the strength of this book in lucid, self-contained, lively, down-to-earth, and meticulous presentation... I have no hesitation in saying that this is the best book on the special theory of relativity at a semi-popular level I have ever read."--K. S. Birbhadra, The Observatory