For the Love of Physics

From the End of the Rainbow to the Edge of Time - A Journey Through the Wonders of Physics

By: Walter Lewin, Warren Goldstein

Narrated by: Kent Cassella

"You have changed my life" is a common refrain in the emails Walter Lewin receives daily from fans who have been enthralled by his world-famous video lectures about the wonders of physics. "I walk with a new spring in my step and I look at life through physics-colored eyes," wrote one such fan. When Lewin's lectures were made available online, he became an instant YouTube celebrity, and the New York Times declared, "Walter Lewin delivers his lectures with the panache of Julia Child bringing French cooking to amateurs and the zany theatricality of YouTube's greatest hits."

For more than 30 years as a beloved professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Lewin honed his singular craft of making physics not only accessible but truly fun, whether putting his head in the path of a wrecking ball, supercharging himself with 300,000 volts of electricity, or demonstrating why the sky is blue and why clouds are white.

Now, as Carl Sagan did for astronomy and Brian Green did for cosmology, Lewin takes listeners on a marvelous journey in For the Love of Physics, opening our eyes as never before to the amazing beauty and power with which physics can reveal the hidden workings of the world all around us. "I introduce people to their own world," writes Lewin, "the world they live in and are familiar with but don't approach like a physicist - yet."

Could it be true that we are shorter standing up than lying down? Why can we snorkel no deeper than about one foot below the surface? Why are the colors of a rainbow always in the same order, and would it be possible to put our hand out and touch one? Whether introducing why the air smells so fresh after a lightning storm, why we briefly lose (and gain) weight when we ride in an elevator, or what the Big Bang would have sounded like had anyone existed to hear it, Lewin never ceases to surprise and delight with the extraordinary ability of physics to answer even the most elusive questions.

©2011 Walter Lewin and Warren Goldstein (P)2011 Tantor

Critic reviews

"As joyful as Richard Feynman's Lectures in Physics (but without the math), this text (written with the aid of University of Hartford historian Goldstein) glows with energy and should please a wide range of readers." ( Publishers Weekly)

Mind Blown

this was a fantastic introduction to the world of physics! to be honest I have never taken a physics class and felt that this might be a bit daunting to understand but the subject matter was broken down and made digestible and comprehensible. enjoyed the book so much that I went to youtube to watch his videos.

Great book

This book covers a wide variety of physics topics and the conceptual ideas behind them. It makes me want to go back to school!

More like an autobiography with some physics

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Not really. There are better books out there that don't meander about random topics in physics and autobiographical details.

What could Walter Lewin and Warren Goldstein have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Write about physics, or write about your life, but don't randomly cover both. I don't really care about why you had to pay two guilders for coffee in 1960 or whatever.

Which character – as performed by Kent Cassella – was your favorite?

The leprechaun at the end of the rainbow... It doesn't exist!

Was For the Love of Physics worth the listening time?

No.

Beauty is all around us

such an amazing work of art, the way Mr Lewin talks passionately about physics makes you fall in love with all science

From the Brain of a Language Major

What made the experience of listening to For the Love of Physics the most enjoyable?

I admit that I know almost nothing about physics, and I downloaded this book on a crazy whim, but then I loved it! The narrator interpreted the authors' words in a friendly and conversational way. And the authors gave me a brand new view of the world, just as promised.

What was one of the most memorable moments of For the Love of Physics?

The discussion of black holes (which apparently everyone loves) was completely enlightening.

Which character – as performed by Kent Cassella – was your favorite?

Walter Lewin, the professor

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I was astonished that I liked it so much.

Any additional comments?

As a language major, I usually stay away from anything science-related, but I am really glad that I took a chance on this book.

part of the establishment?

I'm not a physicist or an expert, so correct me if I'm wrong.
I'm surprised and confused, why this author didn't include a drop of info about Nikola Tesla, even in the section that discusses electromagnetic fields, d.c. motors, and such. It makes me wonder if he was ignorant about Tesla's contribution, or if he's just part of the J.P. Morgan empire.
He even says there is no "energy free-lunch". As far as I understand, Tesla was working on exactly that issue... providing "free electricity" to the world. J.P. Morgan wouldn't fund the project because he didn't want the world to have free electricity.

Interesting-but too many science formulas

Any additional comments?

He could leave out all the science formulas and equations and just explain what happens. The equations bog the story down.

A Wonderful Listen

Any additional comments?

A fabulous and instructive listen. Yes the narration was a little fast and the subject matter a little meandering, but the over all narrative of such rich and complex subject matter necessitated an approach that didn't bog down and remained interesting and illuminating. Not a book to listen to when doing other things. I was ill when listening to it and so was able to give it my full attention for long periods which helped me appreciate the brilliance of what was being conveyed. There are certainly many parts I will revisit as one listen is probably insufficient for an English and History major!

Fun, but deep

I enjoyed this book quite a bit, but must admit there was much I didn't understand as he goes pretty deep into space. Great nuggets throughout though.

Physics for the common man

All of my great teachers were able to show me the importance of the seemingly insignificant in some dramatic style. Walter Lewin is a master of dramatic presentation. After listening to "for the love of physics", twice, I found myself watching hours and hours of his lectures and demonstrations on the web.

the thoughts and writing are engaging and lively and I will never look at rainbows the same way. Because of this book I now know how to look for rainbows as well.

Thank you Professor Lewin.

Mr. Cassella's narration is very good, warm and well paced.