Physics for the Inquiring Mind: The Methods, Nature, and Philosophy of Physical Science

A foundational understanding of physics is essential to a well-rounded education, today more than ever. Physics for the Inquiring Mind dispels common misperceptions about physics and explains how to think and reason the way physicists do. First published in 1960 and based on Eric Rogers’s popular lectures at Princeton University, this perennial classic continues to offer fresh insights into the nature and methods of science, and to introduce new generations of readers to the thrill of scientific discovery. This delightfully candid book is written with the nonscientist in mind, presenting a carefully selected framework of topics that illustrate how scientific knowledge is cultivated through reading, discussion, and experiment, and how to form one’s own opinions and think one’s way through scientific problems. It shares a physicist’s appreciation for good theory while providing real-world examples of the scientific method at work.

Physics for the Inquiring Mind is a must-read for college students and anyone who wants to learn what physics really is and to grow in scientific wisdom.