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Relativity for Beginners, The Special And The General Theory: The 3 Bizarre Discoveries You Must Know To Master Einstein’s Relativity Fast, Revealed Step-By-Step
Are you ready to master Einstein’s Theory of Relativity fast through just 3 bizarre discoveries, even if you’ve got zero prior experience or training in the subject? Then keep reading...
When asked to explain Relativity simply, Albert Einstein himself once joked, “Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That's Relativity.”
But when most normal people without advanced training attempt to study the subject seriously, they’re quickly weighed down by mathematics which would take months to finish, let alone understand...
But what does it all mean?
What are the most important ideas underneath the mathematics, explained in their simplest form?
Most people, unfortunately, were never taught how wonderful and spectacular Special and General Relativity truly is in school...
And the ones who do receive formal training are overwhelmed with advanced mathematics that only makes sense to a fraction of the population...
In this book, we will break through the confusion and reveal to you the most important ideas of Special and General Relativity, told through the amazing true story of just 3 bizarre discoveries – many of which resulted directly from Einstein’s wild imagination!
In Relativity For Beginners, The Special and the General Theory, you’ll The hidden secrets of Space and Time.The solar eclipse that saved Einstein’s career.The true secret nature of light (it’s too strange to believe).How a playful riddle about a dead cat fundamentally changed our perception of reality itself.How time travel might work and the ONE thing that moves faster than light.Why Einstein’s old mathematics professor never believed in him (but gave him a boost anyway!).Why Newton got gravity wrong (and Einstein got it right!).How Einstein’s old college buddy you’ve never heard of helped him accomplish the masterpiece of his life.Einstein’s greatest regret (and what it means for our universe).The incredible real science of how to shrink objects.The #1 deadliest killer in our universe (and why we’re still alive).Einstein’s top-secret letter to President Roosevelt that helped the Allies win WWII.The real science behind worm holes, string theory, alternate realities, parallel universes, and the multiverse.How a genius you’ve never heard of took us to the brink of a Theory of Everything.And a whole lot more!
And as free bonuses, you’ll get a glossary for key terms, a list of all the most important equations and variables mentioned, and we included fun facts about the physicists themselves to bring the history to life.
You could research the topics individually and piece the story together yourself… But this process would take hundreds of hours!
This book will immediately increase your understanding of Special and General Relativity in ways that a math book never could…
Even if you have no prior experience – the book starts with the assumption you know nothing about Relativity (yet).
When asked to explain Relativity simply, Albert Einstein himself once joked, “Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That's Relativity.”
But when most normal people without advanced training attempt to study the subject seriously, they’re quickly weighed down by mathematics which would take months to finish, let alone understand...
But what does it all mean?
What are the most important ideas underneath the mathematics, explained in their simplest form?
Most people, unfortunately, were never taught how wonderful and spectacular Special and General Relativity truly is in school...
And the ones who do receive formal training are overwhelmed with advanced mathematics that only makes sense to a fraction of the population...
In this book, we will break through the confusion and reveal to you the most important ideas of Special and General Relativity, told through the amazing true story of just 3 bizarre discoveries – many of which resulted directly from Einstein’s wild imagination!
In Relativity For Beginners, The Special and the General Theory, you’ll The hidden secrets of Space and Time.The solar eclipse that saved Einstein’s career.The true secret nature of light (it’s too strange to believe).How a playful riddle about a dead cat fundamentally changed our perception of reality itself.How time travel might work and the ONE thing that moves faster than light.Why Einstein’s old mathematics professor never believed in him (but gave him a boost anyway!).Why Newton got gravity wrong (and Einstein got it right!).How Einstein’s old college buddy you’ve never heard of helped him accomplish the masterpiece of his life.Einstein’s greatest regret (and what it means for our universe).The incredible real science of how to shrink objects.The #1 deadliest killer in our universe (and why we’re still alive).Einstein’s top-secret letter to President Roosevelt that helped the Allies win WWII.The real science behind worm holes, string theory, alternate realities, parallel universes, and the multiverse.How a genius you’ve never heard of took us to the brink of a Theory of Everything.And a whole lot more!
And as free bonuses, you’ll get a glossary for key terms, a list of all the most important equations and variables mentioned, and we included fun facts about the physicists themselves to bring the history to life.
You could research the topics individually and piece the story together yourself… But this process would take hundreds of hours!
This book will immediately increase your understanding of Special and General Relativity in ways that a math book never could…
Even if you have no prior experience – the book starts with the assumption you know nothing about Relativity (yet).
- GenresSciencePhysicsNonfiction
212 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 20, 2023
200 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
January 18, 2024
This one was a perfect review for a topic I haven’t thought about in a while. It would definitely help to have some background knowledge before reading, but reading this book as I did on a kindle or e-reader is a great option for quickly looking up words and phrases that the author doesn’t define but a complete understanding of is necessary to appreciate and engage with the concepts and theories. I appreciated the visual representations of Einstein’s thought experiments in both this book and Stoddard’s Quantum Physics for Beginners. Both reads were combined into one on my kindle with the quantum book being first. Personally, I would suggest reading this relativity book before reading the quantum physics overview. 🪐🔭
April 25, 2025
"Relativity for Beginners, the Special and the General Theory" by John Stoddard, published in 2023 and narrated by Joel Richards, is a captivating and accessible audiobook that invites listeners into the mind-bending world of Einstein’s theories of relativity. Designed for those with little to no background in physics, this audiobook distills the complexities of special and general relativity into a digestible and engaging narrative, centered around three pivotal discoveries that shaped Einstein’s revolutionary ideas. Stoddard’s approach is refreshingly non-mathematical, prioritizing storytelling and conceptual clarity over equations, making it an ideal entry point for curious minds eager to grasp the wonders of space, time, and gravity.
The audiobook shines in its ability to weave scientific explanation with historical and anecdotal context. Stoddard brings Einstein’s era to life, spotlighting lesser-known figures who influenced his work and pivotal moments, like the solar eclipse that validated his theories. The narrative is peppered with vivid analogies - Einstein’s own quip about time feeling different on a hot stove versus sitting with a loved one sets the tone - and thought experiments that make abstract concepts like time dilation and space-time curvature feel tangible. For instance, Stoddard’s explanation of how motion affects time, using everyday scenarios like a passing car, is both intuitive and revelatory. These moments transform what could be daunting physics into a series of “aha” insights, sparking curiosity without overwhelming the listener.
Joel Richards’ narration is a standout feature, elevating the listening experience with a clear, enthusiastic delivery that mirrors the book’s approachable tone. His pacing is deliberate, allowing complex ideas to sink in, while his subtle shifts in tone keep the anecdotes lively and engaging. Richards’ voice strikes a balance between scholarly and conversational, making the audiobook feel like a guided tour through Einstein’s imagination rather than a lecture.
Key highlights include the exploration of relativity’s broader implications, from its role in atomic technology to speculative ideas like wormholes and string theory. Stoddard also includes delightful bonuses, such as a glossary of key terms and quirky historical anecdotes about physicists’ personal lives, which add flavor without detracting from the core science. However, some might wish for more depth on Stoddard’s own credentials, as his background is only briefly addressed, leaving a slight gap in establishing his authority.
"Relativity for Beginners" is a triumph of science communication, blending rigorous concepts with narrative charm. It’s a must-listen for anyone intrigued by the cosmos but intimidated by its complexity, offering a gateway to Einstein’s legacy that is as enlightening as it is enjoyable.
The audiobook shines in its ability to weave scientific explanation with historical and anecdotal context. Stoddard brings Einstein’s era to life, spotlighting lesser-known figures who influenced his work and pivotal moments, like the solar eclipse that validated his theories. The narrative is peppered with vivid analogies - Einstein’s own quip about time feeling different on a hot stove versus sitting with a loved one sets the tone - and thought experiments that make abstract concepts like time dilation and space-time curvature feel tangible. For instance, Stoddard’s explanation of how motion affects time, using everyday scenarios like a passing car, is both intuitive and revelatory. These moments transform what could be daunting physics into a series of “aha” insights, sparking curiosity without overwhelming the listener.
Joel Richards’ narration is a standout feature, elevating the listening experience with a clear, enthusiastic delivery that mirrors the book’s approachable tone. His pacing is deliberate, allowing complex ideas to sink in, while his subtle shifts in tone keep the anecdotes lively and engaging. Richards’ voice strikes a balance between scholarly and conversational, making the audiobook feel like a guided tour through Einstein’s imagination rather than a lecture.
Key highlights include the exploration of relativity’s broader implications, from its role in atomic technology to speculative ideas like wormholes and string theory. Stoddard also includes delightful bonuses, such as a glossary of key terms and quirky historical anecdotes about physicists’ personal lives, which add flavor without detracting from the core science. However, some might wish for more depth on Stoddard’s own credentials, as his background is only briefly addressed, leaving a slight gap in establishing his authority.
"Relativity for Beginners" is a triumph of science communication, blending rigorous concepts with narrative charm. It’s a must-listen for anyone intrigued by the cosmos but intimidated by its complexity, offering a gateway to Einstein’s legacy that is as enlightening as it is enjoyable.
December 16, 2024
“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” - Albert Einstein
This book is perhaps the greatest explanation of Einstein’s theories of special and general relativity that I have read yet—and I say that after I have already read Einstein’s book on relativity. Stoddard ultimately shows how Einstein was a scientist of incredible imagination (similar to Isaacson’s depiction in his biography of Einstein) which ultimately led him to make his incredible discoveries as a patent clerk. This book is not just a great explanation of the mathematics and illustrations for relativity, it is also a great history of the scientific developments during Einstein’s lifetime and his legacy on discipline of physics. We see how Einstein was a scientist who stood on the shoulders of James Clerk Maxwell rather than Isaac Newton. Einstein showed that there is no such thing as absolute rest for the universe. There is also no such thing as the ether. Everything is in constant motion, and all of the laws of physics hold up in all reference frames. Gravity is not instantaneous, but it travels at the speed of light. Nothing travels faster than the speed of light—except for the universe in its expansion because it is not bound by the laws of light. Einstein’s work also helped predict the existence of black holes before they were even discovered. He was truly a scientist ahead of his time.
Stoddard does explore the mathematics of Einstein’s work, but he explains it with such clarity that even the mathematically un-inclined like myself can follow. His visual illustrations are invaluable to his work! Stoddard explains Einstein’s theories about how time and space are not absolute, they are relative. I also learned about the ins and outs of time dilation and how all moving bodies experience it, it’s just not noticeable because we move so slowly. Time dilation only becomes a major problem when you move at light speed. This dilation is depicted in a fascinating manner in the movie Interstellar. Simultaneity is also relative. The chapter on the train paradox and the relativity of simultaneity was probably my favorite. Here are a few other insights I gleaned from the book:
- distance is just what you measure between two points. It is also relative.
- energy and mass are equivalent
- anti-matter destroys all matter it comes into contact with (it is in the name).
- It was nuclear fission and Einstein’s E=MC2 equation that allowed a chain reaction of powerful nuclear preportion to develop!
- space and time are connected in four dimensional space-time.
- Gravity warps both space and time.
- a gravitational field causes light to bend (the sun bends starlight that passes by it).
- gravity affects the passage of time.
- You experience time more slowly in your house than you do while standing at the top of a skyscraper (wild!)
- Einstein had to use non-Euclidean geometry in his four dimensional space-time.
- Einstein explained the mystery of Mercury’s strange orbit, thus closing his general theory as a logical system.
- Stars burn through their fuel until fusion cannot happen anymore, then they collapse from their own gravity.
- Time is frozen at the event horizon of a black hole.
- If space-time is like a fabric that can bend, what would happen if space-time folded over itself? A wormhole?
- A universe containing mass-energy cannot stay the same. It must either expand or contract. This discovery bothered Einstein.
- Light frequency in stars from distant galaxies grows less frequent. Because the universe is expanding.
- Great explanation of the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago and its discovery by a Catholic priest.
- We don’t know how the universe went bang or what happened just before the Big Bang. *Theists enter the chat*
- Cosmic Microwave Radiation as evidence for the Big Bang.
- The monopolization of unproven string theory, the search for a theory of everything, and the resultant stagnation of progress in modern physics.
So much good stuff to sink your teeth into in this book from quotes and strange facts as well!
This book is perhaps the greatest explanation of Einstein’s theories of special and general relativity that I have read yet—and I say that after I have already read Einstein’s book on relativity. Stoddard ultimately shows how Einstein was a scientist of incredible imagination (similar to Isaacson’s depiction in his biography of Einstein) which ultimately led him to make his incredible discoveries as a patent clerk. This book is not just a great explanation of the mathematics and illustrations for relativity, it is also a great history of the scientific developments during Einstein’s lifetime and his legacy on discipline of physics. We see how Einstein was a scientist who stood on the shoulders of James Clerk Maxwell rather than Isaac Newton. Einstein showed that there is no such thing as absolute rest for the universe. There is also no such thing as the ether. Everything is in constant motion, and all of the laws of physics hold up in all reference frames. Gravity is not instantaneous, but it travels at the speed of light. Nothing travels faster than the speed of light—except for the universe in its expansion because it is not bound by the laws of light. Einstein’s work also helped predict the existence of black holes before they were even discovered. He was truly a scientist ahead of his time.
Stoddard does explore the mathematics of Einstein’s work, but he explains it with such clarity that even the mathematically un-inclined like myself can follow. His visual illustrations are invaluable to his work! Stoddard explains Einstein’s theories about how time and space are not absolute, they are relative. I also learned about the ins and outs of time dilation and how all moving bodies experience it, it’s just not noticeable because we move so slowly. Time dilation only becomes a major problem when you move at light speed. This dilation is depicted in a fascinating manner in the movie Interstellar. Simultaneity is also relative. The chapter on the train paradox and the relativity of simultaneity was probably my favorite. Here are a few other insights I gleaned from the book:
- distance is just what you measure between two points. It is also relative.
- energy and mass are equivalent
- anti-matter destroys all matter it comes into contact with (it is in the name).
- It was nuclear fission and Einstein’s E=MC2 equation that allowed a chain reaction of powerful nuclear preportion to develop!
- space and time are connected in four dimensional space-time.
- Gravity warps both space and time.
- a gravitational field causes light to bend (the sun bends starlight that passes by it).
- gravity affects the passage of time.
- You experience time more slowly in your house than you do while standing at the top of a skyscraper (wild!)
- Einstein had to use non-Euclidean geometry in his four dimensional space-time.
- Einstein explained the mystery of Mercury’s strange orbit, thus closing his general theory as a logical system.
- Stars burn through their fuel until fusion cannot happen anymore, then they collapse from their own gravity.
- Time is frozen at the event horizon of a black hole.
- If space-time is like a fabric that can bend, what would happen if space-time folded over itself? A wormhole?
- A universe containing mass-energy cannot stay the same. It must either expand or contract. This discovery bothered Einstein.
- Light frequency in stars from distant galaxies grows less frequent. Because the universe is expanding.
- Great explanation of the Big Bang 13.8 billion years ago and its discovery by a Catholic priest.
- We don’t know how the universe went bang or what happened just before the Big Bang. *Theists enter the chat*
- Cosmic Microwave Radiation as evidence for the Big Bang.
- The monopolization of unproven string theory, the search for a theory of everything, and the resultant stagnation of progress in modern physics.
So much good stuff to sink your teeth into in this book from quotes and strange facts as well!
July 4, 2025
My feelings about this book are INEFFABLE.
The explanation of the speed of light and relativity on the moving train- MIND BLOWN.
Also the light clock experiment- 😍😍.
Just- ALL OF IT. I’m ready to pounce on Einstein’s text!
“To punish me for my contempt for authority, fate made me an authority myself. - Albert Einstein”
“When Einstein published his revolutionary paper and described how time slows down relative to stationary observers, his ideas were so far ahead of his time his contemporaries were unwilling or unable to properly appreciate it. He faced intense criticism and ridicule from his peers.”
“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one. - Albert Einstein”
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. -Albert Einstein”
The explanation of the speed of light and relativity on the moving train- MIND BLOWN.
Also the light clock experiment- 😍😍.
Just- ALL OF IT. I’m ready to pounce on Einstein’s text!
“To punish me for my contempt for authority, fate made me an authority myself. - Albert Einstein”
“When Einstein published his revolutionary paper and described how time slows down relative to stationary observers, his ideas were so far ahead of his time his contemporaries were unwilling or unable to properly appreciate it. He faced intense criticism and ridicule from his peers.”
“Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one. - Albert Einstein”
“Imagination is more important than knowledge. -Albert Einstein”
January 5, 2024
This is one of the best books I have read in the last few months. And it is one of the best on basic physics that I have ever read. I loved the style of the author, the examples he used and the way it managed to keep the interest high. An enjoyable book for anyone trying to understand the way the world around us works. A good book for teenagers and adults alike.
September 27, 2023
very interesting book!
Great book and the explanations are clear. Easy to read and great details. Very good for beginners since I have no idea about this subject and was able to grasp it!
Great book and the explanations are clear. Easy to read and great details. Very good for beginners since I have no idea about this subject and was able to grasp it!
December 24, 2023
Good, simple, understandable physics
A concise overview of Einstein's theories of special and general relativity explained in a manner easily understandable to the non physicist. Well worth your time.
A concise overview of Einstein's theories of special and general relativity explained in a manner easily understandable to the non physicist. Well worth your time.
December 28, 2024
Amazing... pretty similar book as the previous one about quantum discoveries, but this one gives very interesting details about the journey of Einstein.
pretty cooooooooooooooool.
thank youu.
rod
pretty cooooooooooooooool.
thank youu.
rod
January 13, 2024
Science Made Simple
An educational & interesting read on the basics & background of the wonders of relativity. Author does a great job breaking it down
An educational & interesting read on the basics & background of the wonders of relativity. Author does a great job breaking it down
September 30, 2024
Clear, concise, and every so often...witty.
Certainly reads as advertised.
Certainly reads as advertised.
May 16, 2024
You know it is going to need anther 4-5 reads before the explanations, rather than the
understandable becomes comprehensible for me.
Regardless John Stoddard writes a fabulous book, for anyone interested. :-)
understandable becomes comprehensible for me.
Regardless John Stoddard writes a fabulous book, for anyone interested. :-)
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews