Bernard Diu’s goal was to write a physics book for the general reader. He has simplified his subject, eliminating whatever could have seemed frightening to the uninitiated. Before it enters the domain of mathematical formulas and calculations, science is first of all made up of concepts, ideas, experiments and facts. From classical physics to quantum theory, the author explains how physicists have consistently constructed an explanation of nature, despite numerous errors and occasional loss of hope. This book will enable the reader not only to understand what physics is — i.e., mechanical physics, optics, electromagnetics, relativity and quantum mechanics — but also to learn more about it. The author has aimed at an exhaustive approach to the subject without entering into too many details, and he is rigorous without falling into the trap of formalism.

Bernard Diu teaches theoretical physics at the University of Paris- VII. He is a graduate of the Ecole Normale Supérieure of Paris.