Black Holes, Wormholes & Time Machines

AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on a book published in 1999 that is praised for its readability and accessibility, making it suitable for high school students. Readers express enjoyment of the book, noting that while some material may feel dated, the core concepts of relativity and quantum mechanics remain relevant. The book is described as a good introduction to complex topics, though some readers find it overly simplistic and lacking in detailed explanations or evidence for its claims. Overall, it is recommended for those with little prior knowledge of physics, emphasizing the importance of approaching popular science literature with an open mind, as these works often present unproven ideas intended to inspire curiosity rather than serve as definitive sources.
_Mayday_
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What initially attracted me to this book was how easy it was to read, or atleast how easy it said it was to read... I have read the first few pages and I am really enjoying it. For anyone that has read it, I would like to know if any of it is dated. It was published in 1999, or that is the case for the book i have taken out. Being 9 years since it's release I would have thought it was possible for their to be some dated ideas.

Has anyone read this book? If so would you advise it to a High School pupil? I think I will give it a read as it will probably answer a lot of my questions on a subject I have next to no idea about!

_Mayday_

If you want to have a look for yourself? here is a https://www.amazon.com/dp/0750305606/?tag=pfamazon01-20 to the book. Enjoy :smile:
 
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I've read it & yes it was a really good read. It is a pretty laid back read & some of the material is dated, but you're not going to misinterpret the concepts because of the material. It was written for the public & so its really just presenting the gist of the ideas. Also, once you really get into the book, you'll see it talks A LOT about the history & developmental stages of relativity and quantum mechanics. So here, none of this information really gets dated. Overall it is good book to read & I don't think it requires any levels like high school or college knowledge, because again it was written for the public.
 
I finished the book a few weeks back now. Overall, it was a very nice introduction to the subject, though I had a few problems with it.

1. Even though I had no previous knowledge at times the book was patronising and didn't go into enough detail.

2. The author didn't really say why things where as they are, and it felt as if I just had to trust him, he did not provide much evidence and I found this frustrating.

For anyone who has an interest int his field, but hasn't done any previous work on it or anything related to physics, this book is great and I would highly reccomend it!

_Mayday_
 
I don't think you're going to find much "proof" for various ideas in popular science books. You just got to read them with an open mind. Many of them can really inspire creativity, but in a lot of them you have to realize that a lot of the ideas aren't proven which most of the time, that is how the ideas are introduced.
 
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Hi, I have notice that Ashcroft, Mermin and Wei worked at a revised edition of the original solid state physics book (here). The book, however, seems to be never available. I have also read that the reason is related to some disputes related to copyright. Do you have any further information about it? Did you have the opportunity to get your hands on this revised edition? I am really curious about it, also considering that I am planning to buy the book in the near future... Thanks!
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