Last Minute Presents for Physicists

Books, of course, but which books...?

One of these "be careful what you wish for" things, is that I now get a lot of requests to review books (and DVDs and online games etc), just as I reach the stage of my life where I spend most of my time doing reading reformatting paperwork instead of reading fun new things... which is a shame, because the books I get sent are pretty much generally exactly those I spent most of my very limited disposable income on when I was younger...

One day soon I'll catch up on the backlog.

In the meantime, here are three good looking physics books that any good physics nerd should appreciate

Hindsight and Popular Astronomy
by Dr. Alan B Whiting

also on Physics World top 10 books for 2011
Alan is an old friend of mine, and one of the most interesting people in the world.
He is also a good, careful writer.
Buy it.


Strange New Worlds
by Ray Jayawardhana

RayJay is also an old friend, and an excellent popularizer of science.
This book is as topical as it gets.
Buy it.


How to Teach Physics to Your Dog
by Chad Orzel

I've never met Chad, it has been a close call several times.
He produces really good students, ripe for grad school, and he has a cute dog.
This is the book I am currently reading.
Buy it.

So, I'm being naughty here - I have not yet read any of these, I will, and I will review them, and I have seen enough to be quite sure they are good.

So buy them.

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