Understanding Physics: Volume 2: Light, Magnetism and Electricity

Asimov patiently and cogently wends his way from Classical physical theory to Modern theory, without, it seems, breaking a sweat. This is, as Asimov points out, a book largely about the collapse of Newtonian physics. I particularly liked his chapters on light, color, magnetism and electrostatics. This book would be a great elementary physics text.

Although I took a full year of physics in college, I learned most of my physics from the three books in the Understanding Physics series by Isaac Asimov. As proof, I offer the fact that I scored a respectable 8 on the physics section of the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) that I took before starting the college physics class. My study of physics in preparation for the test began when I purchased and read the three books in the series. When I was in the physics class, I understood all of the ideas; the only part that presented any difficulty was applying calculus to the problems. Asimov has a knack for writing about science in a way that allows for the rapid and complete learning of the concepts. This book covers the basics of light, magnetism and electricity and how they are intimately interrelated. . Unlike many other authors, Asimov does not hesitate to use equations in his explanations. I commend him for this, as you cannot learn physics without equations and the temptation to avoid them was no doubt strong. If you want to learn the fundamentals of physics, the three-volume Understanding Physics series by Asimov is the best place to start.

Asimov presents these aspects of phyiscs in bite-size pieces that anyone can digest. He uses everyday examples and only one or two simple equations to add emphasis. He explains where the math comes from and uses small diagrams to add a visual context. Some of the things he talks about are slightly out of date, but the history of the science is still interesting and enlightening. In general, the book is a bit of a snoozer, even for the hard-core science geek, but definitely worth reading for anyone who wants to understand these aspects of physics better.