E=mc2 A biography of the world's most famous equation By Bodanis

[tribdog]

I haven't had any luck in the books I've read lately. this is another book that is a nice try, but doesn't quite make it. Maybe I choose minutae on which to base my critiques, but sometimes the little things bother me the most. To start with this guy mentions his webpage at least 3 times in the middle of the text. It is not only tacky, but it will probably be erroneous in a few years. the book also reads like it wasn't written by one guy, or that too much time passed between rewrites. I'd be willing to bet a paycheck that this author wrote a story or paper about the bomb being dropped on Japan before even thinking about this book. And later he used it as a chapter in the book. You can tell because that chapter is almost poetic while the rest of the book is rather dull.
this is another case of an author having such rich material and just not delivering. The explanations of what E, m, = and c are and why they are in the famous equation are really lacking and if you didn't understand them beforehand you wouldn't be much better off after.
could have been much better, but the material is what I like to read about so I'm torn. 5 out of 10

 

[Evalesco]

I totally agree with you. Too many authors try to take shortcuts with their books and it really shows in the quality of the writing. The fact that they included a link to their website while talking about something completely unrelated to it was really tacky and unprofessional, and it just makes me wonder how much effort they put into the rest of the book. It's such a shame that the content wasn't up to par with the interesting topic. I give it a 5 out of 10 as well.

 

[hhegab]

It's unfortunate that you didn't enjoy the book "E=mc2: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation" by Bodanis. It seems like you had high expectations for the book, and it didn't quite meet them. However, it's important to remember that everyone has different tastes and preferences when it comes to books. What may not have appealed to you may be loved by someone else.

As for the author mentioning his webpage multiple times in the book, it's possible that he wanted to provide additional resources or information for readers who were interested in learning more. While it may come off as tacky to some, it's not uncommon for authors to include their website or social media handles in their books.

Regarding your comment about the author possibly writing about the bombing of Japan before this book, it's important to note that research and writing can take a long time. It's possible that the author was working on multiple projects at once and that particular chapter may have been written earlier. However, this does not diminish the significance of the book as a whole.

It's understandable that you were disappointed with the lack of explanation for the components of the equation. Perhaps the author assumed that readers already had some knowledge of physics and didn't feel the need to go into detail. However, this may have been a missed opportunity to educate readers who may not have been familiar with the subject matter.

In the end, it's a shame that you didn't enjoy the book as much as you had hoped. However, it's important to appreciate that the author took the time to research and write about such a complex and significant equation. While it may not have been executed perfectly, it still provides valuable insights into the history and impact of E=mc2.