Does Brian Greene's book, "The Elegant Universe" explain special and general...

A

Alex K

New member
...relativity fairly well? I am looking for an in depth explanation on Einstein's theories, while keeping a minimum on the math. Would "The Elegant Universe" be a good choice?
I was reading "A Briefer History of Time" and that's what caused me to pick up Brian Greene's book. Hawking's book spoke about what it was, but not exactly why it was. Is Greene's similar?
 
I would say that it is one of the best. It goes well beyond relativity. However, I suggest you read more than one description; they all vary a little in approach, and the more you read the better you will understand. Try "A Briefer History of Time" by Stephen Hawking.

EDIT: I agree with John D that a physics text is the best way to understand special relativity. The formulas can be derived using basic algebra (although to get to E = M*C² elementary integral calculus is needed). Going though the math does give a much better insight into the theory. General Relativity, however, is a different matter.
 
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