Physics and Technology for Future Presidents: An Introduction to the Essential Physics Every World Leader Needs to Know

I did not buy the Kindle edition, but I do have a Kindle and I previewed the first chapter, and about one-third of the images were just a large black box that said "BLACKED OUT DUE TO RIGHTS." I assume this means that that, for some reason, certain image copyrights do not extend to the Kindle. What I found most bizarre was that some of the blacked out images were provided courtesy of NASA, and it was my understanding that all NASA images are considered public domain.I called Kindle customer service and they put me on hold twice in order to research this issue. The initial person had no idea what I was talking about and transferred me to a more specialized branch of tech support. It was hard to understand both workers because they did not speak very good English. The specialist downloaded the preview and sure enough his images were blacked out as well, starting at 82% into the preview of the book (Chapter 1, I believe), with several more blacked out images following. The specialist initially attempted to get me to buy the book to see if the images were only blocked in the preview. He offered to give me a refund if the images did not display correctly, but I said they should be able to figure it out on their end, so he looked into the documentation.After being taken off hold, the specialist returned with the following statement - I've copied it verbatim:"The publisher reports that by some rights, they had to block images. We are still looking for the publisher to find out the rights. But if you do buy the full book, the pictures are still be blocked."There is no disclaimer warning about the fact that the Kindle edition is incomplete and does not contain the entire contents of the actual book. I'm glad I didn't make the mistake of buying the digital version. I don't know if the book is good or not, but the lack of a disclaimer in this case is inexcusable. Amazon apparently has a record of this issue and thus they should either remove the Kindle edition as an option or publish a very conspicuous disclaimer and warning for buyers.

Physics and the laws thereof determine what is possible as far we can understand, but even more important, physics can guide us toward better decisions. Dr. Muller brings physics well within grasp of most capable people with this excellent book.I would buy this book for every kid in your life who shows even the slightest spark for learning. Even if only a page or two are read, the reader benefits. In other words, it doesn't have to be read as a textbook, enjoy it as though Dr. Muller himself was taking you on an adventure in learning.Is it hard? The hardest part of the book, thanks to Dr. Muller's style, is the cover!I will be offering this book to my best and brightest business clients as a gift. Only some will read it. Those who do read this wonderful book will decrease their own brain's entropy! And we need more of that!Uneducated people believe stupid stuff.Chris ReichTeachU.com

This may be one of the few textbooks that I have ever actually used to follow along in a course. I enjoy reading the chapters- although it is a topic that has had more recent advancements (I would consider a more recent edition), the course is really enjoyable and there is already a lot of supplemental material available online. I am taking the course at Florida State University and although the material is somewhat simplified for non-science majors, it is still a course that has challenged me in someways. I've learned a lot from this book so far and I love the way it is written, even if there are some biases- It is still credible.

I am a Ph.D. physicist who works part time for a congressman as a staff assistant on technical items. This is the clearest discussion I have seen of the impact of physics on future decisions. My favorite is the open discussion of how much cancer is caused by nuclear power. Try the chapter. I knew about the basic ideas from working on nuclear weapons in the 1960's. The discussion is very thought provoking. The book ought to be given to every congressman and senator and made mandatory reading so they don't get taken in by the charlatans that are out there trying to feast at the government trough.

Very interesting and well written but in the Kindle version, the illustrations appear as black boxes and the tables are nearly unreadable. This is true on my Mac as well as on the Kindle. I suggest you buy the hardcopy if you intend to use this as a text. I notified Kindle support of the difficulty nearly a month ago. they responded that they would see if it could be fixed. So far, no fix and no further response.

The book was surprisingly interesting. It uses a little math but it's elementary level stuff. It focuses more on relating the information to everyday matters like heating your house or why we still don't have electric cars all over the roads yet. There's no need to know 'real' physics beforehand and it doesn't talk in any technical language so it's easy for the average person to understand. Just be a little interested and you'll find the book a good read.

The cover was kind of gross and the spine had a huge dent from the seller, but get past the disproved "facts" of the progressive religion of Gia and her disease called man while disregarding any and every mention of economics made by the author, and this is a fantastic book. It is great for understanding important scientific concepts if you have not seen them before or need a quick refresher.

As a university student, the bi-annual purchasing of textbooks can really add up. I did the math, and renting this book from Amazon was not only the most economical choice, but also the one that would get the textbook to me the fastest. The book is not due back until well after the semester ends, so I don't have to worry about not having it during finals, etc. I'm fairly sure that the copy of the book that I received was brand new.

This tome resembles a first-year university physics textbook but without all the theory and mathematics. The author presents many of the usual topics, e.g., energy, gravity, optics, electricity and magnetism, etc. But he also includes chapters on timely issues, i.e., climate change and nuclear matters. In each case, once the basics (physics) have been discussed, mainly through words, tables, figures and a few very simple equations, he quickly goes on to use the information to describe real-world applications (technology) thus illustrating how useful the concepts are. The ultimate purpose of all this: to inform interested general readers - those presumably with little spare time on their hands - of important applications of physics to technology without bogging them down with the nitty gritty details. And in that, I would say that the author was immensely successful.The author, a well-respected professor of physics, writes with authority in a very clear and engaging style. He remains focussed and objective in his discussions such that any personal biases that he may have on contentious issues, e.g., climate change, are not evident. The only negative criticism that I can offer is the fact that the book contains many editorial errors, including in some of the (optional) calculations; this can be quite frustrating. Otherwise, this book can be savoured by anyone with a serious interest in the application of physics principles to the development of technology.

I happened upon Professor Muller's lectures on YouTube, and then downloaded them via itunes and listened to them at work (my admin job is relatively undemanding). I would recommend you check these out to determine whether this is the sort of Physics book you are after. The course is designed to encompass anything Physics related that the President of a country should want to know about, explained in a way that doesn't presume any background knowledge of science or maths. I stopped studying these subjects aged 16 and find that the level is pitched perfectly. I have to think hard about the concepts, but can understand almost everything, or feel I can. Topics include climate change, satellites, nuclear weapons, energy, space/the universe, and it is ordered so that knowledge learned previously is built upon. Prof. Mullers's style is clear, passionate and humourous. If you want to learn the basics of Physics I highly recommend this workbook.

Got this after listening through his lectures (previously available at the Berkeley website, buying and loving the softback. Not sure if the lectures are still there but they're definitely better than the ones by the current guy who apparently doesn't think that the course should be taught as if one of the students might be a future president - and also made rookie errors in the introductory lecture - ironically just the ones that Muller hoped to be able to teach his students to spot.

I read it as a novel. This book is extraordinarily didactic and an absolute must for whom would like to understand the world we live in. The podcasts from Berkeley bearing the same name are an excellent addition to the book.

Good to know stuff, you won't be fooled by the BSers.