Book dossier

The lighter side of gravity

by Jayant Vishnu Narlikar

Gravity is the most enigmatic of all known basic forces in nature. Yet it controls everything from the motion of ocean tides to the expansions of the entire Universe. Many books use technical jargon and high-powered maths to explain what gravity is all about. In The lighter side of gravity, the presentation is beautifully clear and completely nontechnical. Familiar analogies, interesting anecdotes, and numerous illustrations are used throughout to get across subtle effects and difficult points. The coverage is, however, comprehensive and makes no compromise with accuracy. This second edition has been brought completely up to date and expanded to include the discovery of gigantic gravitational lenses in space, the findings of the COBE satellite, the detection of MACHOs, the investigation of the very early Universe, and other new ideas in cosmology. In short, this lucid and stimulating book presents 'the lighter side' of the intriguing phenomena of 'gravity' to the student and general reader.