Physics Book Reviews

Tensor calculus has a huge series of applications across the physical sciences. From machine learning to fundamental physics, a solid foundation in tensor calculus and differential geometry is becoming more essential.  Despite these skills being in such high regard, the texts that currently exist to support the learning and reinforcement of tensor calculus are, for the most part, too terse and technical in nature. For students who are not inherently pure mathematicians ( as is mostly the case ), these texts are too proof-based, overtly technical and most egregiously do not show students how to apply these concepts to actual problems. For those of us with a physics background, such texts often present an insurmountable challenge to our education, and are often a deterrent for further study.  A Geometrical Introduction to T ensor Calculus is a refreshing exploration of both the theory and (drawing on the author's research expertise) application of tensor calculus.  As a tra...

 Suspicion is itself a challenge to the genre of crime fiction we have all become so accustomed to in the present age. From the outset the reader is put at odds with the moral and legal definition of innocence, as well as the significance media has on society.  Told within the back drop of postwar Japan,  the story revolves around the prosecution of a morally dubious woman, turned national pariah, for the murder of her recently wedded husband; on whom she had taken out multiple life insurance policies. Passed from legal council to council,  she maintains to almost a fanatical nature her innocence.  In parallel, the dogged local reporter who first propelled this case into the national Japan conscious, is himself embroiled in a fanatical quest to ensure the woman's conviction and eventual execution, by any means possible.  The conflict between these two is masterfully told through the inner workings of the Japanese legal profession. The overall narrative is e...

Chaotic Good gives an interesting offering into the death and rebirth cycle attached to the pains and aftermath of divorce.  Firstly, the collection's title ('Chaotic Good') is an interesting manifesto in itself. Reading from cover to cover, the reader is often set at odds with what truely Chaotic Good means to the poet and to ourselves. We only come across the answer after deep reflection, through the realisation that the entire healing process is indeed a chaos process. This point is illustrated excellently through the collection's non-linear structure.  The entire collection is split into 5 distinct chapters: Sepearation, Childhood, Adolescence, Marriage and  Rebirth. Starting with initial trauma and upheaval of divorce. The collection returns the poet back to their past, allowing them to recontextualize their past experiences in light of present circumstances. It is from this recontextualization of the past, that the poet and indeed the reader are allowed then to de...

 The legacy of the arthurian legends are perhaps more consequential than the actual figure himself.  From the anglo-centric consensus, King Arthur became the flag bear of British patriotism, military might, romanticism as well as a cornerstone for British literature itself. It is safe to say King Arthur has with time, become an indispensable part of the British tradition, even in the modern age.  One thing that has remained unclear through the ages is whether King Arthur existed in any shape or form in reality.  Increasingly, as the 20th century progressed belief in his existence has wained and fallen to the wayside, somewhat dampening the strength of his influence in the process.  King Arthur and the Languages of Britain aims to revitalise the legend of King Arthur by revisiting the question of his historicity, through fresh and innovative analysis. The text begins by providing an excellent introduction and review of the current historical consensus surrounding...

Modern Physics is a novel revitilsation of the standard 1st year education in undergraduate physics. The text is very comprehensive; it covers a broad spectrum of topics from quantum mechanics to condensed matter physics and cosmology.  What makes this book special is its approach in explaining physics phenomena. This text gives intuitive, relatable and detailed explanations of the how's and why's.  This is refreshing, as it build gently the readers physical understanding of how the world should work. This is remarkably important for building student's confidence when solving problems, but also their mathematical toolkit to do so. This is further aided by the numerous worked examples, conceptual questions and exercises throughout. There is no doubt in my mind that Modern Physics will soon become the standard reference for first year teaching. Modern Physics by Gary N. Felder and  Kenny M. Felder ISBN:  9781108913270

What does it mean to be a scientist ? How do I become a scientist ? What makes up the universe around us ? What is the Square Root of Einstein ? The Square Root of Einstein answers all and more of these questions, in a satisfying way.  Written in a warming conversational tone, this extremely entertaining book walks the reader effortlessly through some of the greatest surprises in fundamental physics over the last century: Quantum Mechanics, Special Relativity, General Relativity, Quantum Field Theory, and of course Particle Physics. These earlier chapters coalesces into the final half of the book which describes one of the most perplexing results of the last 20 years: The Double Copy. This book appeals to broad audience of popular science enthusiasts, young and old. For the teenage reader, this book provides a calling and challenge. This book is an accessible call to action towards young readers considering a career (or at the very least a university education) in science, especial...

The Mathematical Theory of Black Holes in Higher Dimensions is an interesting, insightful and intellectually challenging tome, which outlines the theory, advancements as well as open questions surrounding the nature of higher dimension phenomena in gravitational physics.  Black holes in higher dimensions are seldom referenced in many courses (both beginner and advanced) in the study of Einstein gravity. This book fills in this gap in readers' education by gently leading them through each of the topics one by one. Aimed at the graduate level, the text first begins to describe  static black holes in 5D, before extending into more advanced (and perhaps unfamiliar) examples of higher dimensional such as black strings. The text then leads itself to (in detail) outline the generation of such gravitational solutions as well as how to classify such solutions; it then ends with extensions to Einstein-Maxwell gravity theories. Interesting references are scattering throughout the text (a...