The Joy of Physics

For those who have always wanted to discover the joy of physics, this is the book that they’ve been waiting for.

Many people remember their struggles with physics in high school and have wished for the right opportunity to gain an appreciation of this significant area of knowledge. Now is their chance not only to understand physics, but to do physics. The author provides the general reader with a fun-filled, entertaining, and truly educational tour of this all-important science.

What makes the study of physics so worthwhile? The author says that, despite its reputation for difficulty, physics has an enormously ambitious goal, which appeals to people’s innate curiosity: to understand the workings of the entire universe, from the smallest quarks to the largest galaxies. Learning and comprehending as much as we can about the inner and outer workings of the universe is what evokes the joy of physics. Taking a hands-on approach, he invites the reader to share the joy. Easy, practical experiments pepper the book and connect the ideas of physics with the reality of the universe. The yo-yo, flying disc, shake flashlight, laser pointer, LED, and even a microwave experiment with an edible result add to the fun.

Complete with lively, memorable cartoons by Sidney Harris—America’s premier science cartoonist—this book reveals the inherent fun, intellectual pleasure, and supreme importance of a subject that we can now finally tackle and enjoy.


From the Trade Paperback edition.

Arthur W. Wiggins (Bloomfield Hills, MI), is the coauthor, with Charles M. Wynn, of the critically acclaimed The Five Biggest Ideas in Science, Quantum Leaps in the Wrong Direction, The Five Biggest Unsolved Problems in Science, and the textbook Natural Science: Bridging the Gaps. Wiggins is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Physics, Oakland Community College.