This book tracks the history of the theory of relativity through Einstein's life, with in-depth studies of its background as built upon by ideas from earlier scientists. The focus points of Einstein's theory of relativity include its development throughout his life; the origins of his ideas and his indebtedness to the earlier works of Galileo, Newton, Faraday, Mach and others; the application of the theory to the birth of modern cosmology; and his quest for a unified field theory. Treading a fine line between the popular and technical (but not shying away from the occasional equation), this book explains the entire range of relativity and weaves an up-to-date biography of Einstein throughout. The result is an explanation of the world of relativity, based on an extensive journey into earlier physics and a simultaneous voyage into the mind of Einstein, written for the curious and intelligent reader.
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From the reviews:
Selected by Choice magazine as an "Outstanding Academic Title" for 2013
"Topper . has written an engaging, lucid account of Einstein's development of the special and general theories of relativity. . Topper provides an easy, readable narrative . clear footnotes that add depth and detail without interrupting the story line. . Topper's slender volume is impressive in successfully conveying to a general audience beyond the high-school level both the science and the detective work needed to reconstruct the history of the science. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All academic, general, and professional audiences." (J. R. Burciaga, Choice, Vol. 50 (9), May, 2013)
"David Topper's 'How Einstein Created Relativity out of Physics and Astronomy' presents both of the theories in an easily understandable and accessible way not requiring previous knowledge or familiarity with higher mathematics or tensor calculus. . I would definitely recommend reading it to those interested in any of the general themes of the book: relativity, history of physics and astronomy and Albert Einstein. This book is certainly worth reading, not just once, but many times." (Kadri Tinn, AstroMadness.com, March, 2014)
