Outstanding text by one of the 20th century's foremost physicists dramatically explains how the central laws of physical science evolved, from Pythagoras' discovery of frequency ratios in the 6th century BC to today's research on elementary particles. Includes fascinating biographical data about Galileo, Newton, Huygens, Einstein and others. 136 illustrations.
Here's a sample of other books in this Dover category
Relativity and Its Roots by Banesh Hoffmann Entertaining, nontechnical demonstrations of the meaning of relativity theory trace development from basis in geometrical, cosmological ideas of the ancient Greeks, plus work by Kepler, Galileo, Newton, others. 1983 edition.
The Infancy of Atomic Physics: Hercules in His Cradle by Alex Keller This compelling history portrays the human faces and lives behind the beginnings of atomic science, from experiments in the 1880s to the era just after the First World War.
Einstein's Essays in Science by Albert Einstein, Alan Harris Speeches and essays in accessible, everyday language profile influential physicists such as Niels Bohr and Isaac Newton. They also explore areas of physics to which the author made major contributions.
Galileo and the Scientific Revolution by Laura Fermi, Gilberto Bernardini An absorbing account of the origins of modern science as well as a biography, this book places particular emphasis on Galileo's experiments with telescopes and his observations of the sky.
