EVER since Albert Einstein struggled to present relativity in layman’s terms in 1916, physicists have sought ways to make its counterintuitions accessible. Stannard starts refreshingly with eight everyday notions of space, time and matter contradicted by relativity, such as “time passes equally quickly for everyone”. Part 1 covers special relativity, part 2 the general theory, including black holes. Few surprises here bar the detailed discussion of the twin paradox, but the explanations are clear and engaging, aided by crucial diagrams.
Relativity: A very short introduction
Oxford University Press
