Why Does E=MC2 and Why Should We Care

By: Brian Cox, Jeff Forshaw, Multiple Authors

Narrated by: Jeff Forshaw

In one of the most exciting and accessible explanations of The Theory of Relativity in recent years, Professors Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw go on a journey to the frontier of 21st century science to consider the real meaning behind the iconic sequence of symbols that make up Einstein's most famous equation, exploring the principles of physics through everyday life.

©2010 Brian Cox & Jeff Forshaw (P)2010 WF Howes Ltd

Makes a dry topic engaging without being corny about it

Kudos to the authors for making a dry topic engaging without being corny or try-hard about it. A nice thing to listen to in the background to try to pick up a little knowledge

well written

I needed a break from the strictly quantum theory side and much of it is what I already understood. But, Brian and Jeff do a great job ! this book is a great place to start to understanding the "why."... I hope I live long enough to see a complete unification. I am always looking for hints to that end. No matter how many books and papers I have studied,, there is always something "different" in where it leads my thoughts. I was not disappointed.

Easy to follow

I enjoyed it very much. Very easy to follow, The mathematics was not cumbersome and overbearing. The content was logical.

Superb Introduction to Relativity !

This is a great introduction to understanding how energy has been converted to mass and back into energy, creating every bit of known matter. The first part of the book introduces the reader to the concept of e=mc2, in very simple and easy to understand terms. In the second part of the book, the authors breakdown the equation to teach any curious learner the math behind the equation. Even if you are not interested in breaking down the math, I would still highly recommend this book if you are curious about special or general relativity.

I found the 3rd part of the book to be the most enjoyable. The authors give a fantastic and extremely easy to understand survey of the various types of stars in the universe. Stars are one of my favorite things to read about, and I have read my share of books about them. I would definitely say these authors excelled at explaining the relationship between mass and type of star as well as the forces at work to keep stars active. There is a beautiful dance that exists between the inward pull of gravity and the outward push of fusion and electron repulsion. The way the authors organized this discussion was so simple and beautiful. I think anyone interested in the dynamics of stars would love this book. They did not mention my favorite star, the brown dwarf. That was a tiny bit disappointing.

The final part of the book gave an extremely brief summary of the standard model as well as a summary of some of the particles accelerators and wave detectors. The authors chose not to bog the reader down with the various particles of the standard model. They were more interested in trying to help the reader understand how these particles are at work in e = mc2.

I would definitely recommend this book for someone who is looking for an introduction or a refresher.

thoroughly enjoyable

explained specific and general relativity in a clear manner with minimal math. I was able to follow most of it while listening to the audio while driving. The audible was well read and engaging.