Find the Perfect Textbook for SR: An Introduction to Special Relativity

[dEdt]

My first formal introduction to Special Relativity came from the last few chapters of a Mechanics textbook, covering the Lorentz transformation, basic kinematics (no Minkowski diagrams), basic dynamics, and an intro to four-vectors. SR really interests me, and I'm eager to learn more about it. I found a good text by Woodhouse expanding on the mathematics of SR, but I feel I'll still be missing out on important material. Could anyone recommend an appropriate textbook, that's more biased towards applications to physical problems, and meant for someone who's had an exposure to the basics? I've heard that Wheeler wrote a decent text, do you think that would work? Thanks.

 

[ghwellsjr]

I always recommend Einstein's 1905 paper, especially the first parts. There, you will learn that the one-way speed of light cannot be measured but instead is arbitrarily defined. That seems to be missing from most textbooks.

 

[bcrowell]

Spacetime Physics by Taylor and Wheeler is very good.

 

[Fredrik]

I like the parts about SR in Schutz's GR book, which apparently was inspired by Taylor & Wheeler's presentation.

 

[dEdt]

People seem to be recommending Taylor and Wheeler. What kind of stuff is in it?

 

[Fredrik]

People seem to be recommending Taylor and Wheeler. What kind of stuff is in it?

I haven't read it, so I can only say that it's an approach based on spacetime diagrams, and that the book has been discussed in many other threads, so I suggest you do a search. You can also read the reviews at Amazon.

 

[DiracLandau]

"Spacetime Physics" by taylor and wheeler is a really marvelous book to read, as the exposition is very physical and lot of concepts are introduced through physical examples.Though it doesn't touch upon the formalism,it gives lot of conceptual problems and paradoxes. Another book based on physical examples and a lot of experiments is "Special Relativity " by A.P.French.Of course the 1905 original paper by Einstein is quite simple to understand and a must read for any student of relativity.Once this is done there are lot of books for the math formalism of SR.