Product Description

If you think that a negative charge is something that shows up on your credit card bill, then this book should be of interest. It explains complex ideas with clear illustrations dealing with the principles of mechanics as well as the concepts of electricity and magnetism.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #27005 in Books
• Published on: 1991-12-06
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Customer Reviews

Not as good as The Cartoon History of the Universe
I was delighted when some time ago I received two volumes of Larry Gonick's Cartoon History of the Universe as a present from a friend. It is absolutely hilarious! Being a physicist, I considered it a must to add Cartoon Guide to Physics to my Larry Gonick collection.

However, I was disappointed. The guide indeed tries to cover a significant amount of the usual high-school physics course - mechanics, electricity and magnetism (missing are thermodynamics and optics) - but it is not really as charmingly funny as the Cartoon History of the Universe. As a physicist, I can assure you that the problem does not lie in the simple fact that the history is more interesting topic than physics - physics is plenty interesting, thank you! But the desired blend between the textbook and the cartoon resulted in something that is not educational enough to actually learn something from it and too boring to make a good cartoon.

Trying to find some bright spot, I am happy to report I have not discovered any major flops in the science part of the book. Also, I believe the book actually becomes somewhat more interesting toward the end. But then again, if I would have to choose between, say, the chapter on relativity and Joseph Schwartz's Einstein for Beginners, I would probably opt for the latter.

Wonderful, fun way to learn a difficult subject.
If you haven't seen these Cartoon Guides before, you are in for a treat! They are a FABULOUS way to teach science. This book covers a broad range of physics from Mechanics to Electricity and Magnetism. But the whole book is a cartoon that creates most enjoyable reading. Whenever I get one of these books, my preteen asks to borrow it! (He's also learned genetics this way). Although it does not contain experiments as such, the presentations of scientific history and principles are great. Definitely a necessary book for older children, teachers and professionals...from The Science Spiders(TM) Newsletter

I love Cartoon Guides!
Larry Gonick is amazing. I've read a number of his "cartoon guides" and this one didn't let me down. I happened to read it while taking a highschool physics class. It was great--I kept thinking "Oh! *Now* I get it!" I think that this is an excellent supplement to any "official" textbook or class: the textbook will give you the math problems, etc., and the Cartoon Guide to Physics will allow you to understand the concepts behind them.