 More  | The Theoretical Minimum
What You Need to Know to Start Doing Physics
by Leonard Susskind and George Hrabovsky The Theoretical Minimum Upsets a Maxim Mathematical equations in trade books=low sales.
Like many publishing maxims, this one has been debunked. Late last month, The Theoretical Minimum: What You Need to Know to Start Doing Physics by Leonard Susskind and George Hrabovsky, published by Basic Books on February 1, arrived on the New York Times bestseller list.
"We've published a lot of science books at Basic Books," Perseus Book Group CEO David Steinberger said. "No one can remember a book like that hitting the Times list." The feat is all the more striking because there are mathematical equations on just about every page of the book—and so many equations on some pages that there's no text. At the same time, the book has a simple, pleasing cover and is just 238 pages long, resembling a leisurely, intriguing nonfiction book like Consider the Fork or Cod or Brunelleschi's Dome.
But the authors are no lightweights. A theoretical physicist at Stanford, Susskind is the author of The Black Hole War and The Cosmic Landscape and is known for his development of the string theory as well for his work on black holes, cosmology and the origins of massive particles. Hrabovsky is a "citizen scientist" and president of Madison Area Science and Technology, which is devoted to scientific and technological research and education.
Their joint effort, The Theoretical Minimum, is an introduction to physics and associated math that they developed from Susskind's lectures through Stanford University's Continuing Studies program. The lectures are popular on YouTube and have an accessible, entertaining approach that, shall we say, contrasts the formal style of high school and college textbooks.
Susskind's large following on YouTube helped draw attention to the book, along with tweets and blogging in the science community and positive reviews. Steinberger said the strong social media support showed how important it is for reaching this market—and how the topic, YouTube videos and book are all part of a conversation. » Shelf Awareness |
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