The Nature of Science: An A-Z Guide to the Laws and Principles Governing Our Universe

Features

• Cover Type: Hard Cover with 464 pages
• Published by: Houghton Mifflin
• Edition: 1st Edition April 14, 2003
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0618319387
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0618319381
• Book Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.1 x 1.3 inches
• Weighs: 2.8 pounds

Product Description
Today science literacy - knowing how the world works, from the microscopic level to the farthest reaches of space - is more important than ever, but finding all the essential information in one place can be a daunting task. Enter The Nature of Science, the ultimate science handbook for the home, explaining in everyday terms the two hundred overarching laws, principles, and mechanisms that make sense of the physical world.
Cloning; black holes; Fermat's last theorem; genetic drift; the inflationary universe; Newton's laws of motion; string theories. With lively writing and whimsical analogies, science popularizer James Trefil leads a remarkable A-Z tour through the discovery, significance, and workings of the universe's major laws. Here are some two hundred essays on grand theories, such as Kepler's laws of planetary motion and Mendel's laws of genetics, and on more familiar phenomena, such as how airplanes fly and how polarized sunglasses work. Abundant cross-references make it easy to follow a law's connections across different fields, revealing a web of unifying theories that span the smallest cell and the largest galaxy. Timelines in each essay further spell out the evolution of each law, while biographical sidebars on scientists showcase the often quirky tales of discovery - the human stories behind nature's laws.
From atomic theory to Zeno's paradox, The Nature of Science makes understanding science a pleasure. For those who are familiar with the Big Bang (but maybe not the Big Crunch or the Big Splash), this book is essential reading - a key to unlocking the mysteries of the universe.

About The Author
James Trefil, the Clarence J. Robinson Professor of Physics at George Mason University, is the author or coauthor of more than thirty books, including The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy.

Reader Reviews
The Nature Of Science is an attempt by James Trefil to put together essays on all the important laws of nature. The essays I've read to date are well-written, accurate, and on point. And as with any work of this magnitude, mistakes were made and left unedited. The mistakes range from minor typos to a few major mistakes [the chart of leptons on page 372 lists the 3 types of neutrinos as having POSITIVE charges]. The Nature Of Science is a case of excellent intent, but less than perfect execution. My hope is that the publisher is serious about this book becoming the indispensable reference that it could be and quickly edits the problems out of future printings. I wanted to give this book a 5 and out of frustration was leaning towards a 3, so I split the difference and gave it 4-stars.