book on standard model

[chebby]

Hi folks,

I decided that I owe it to myself to learn the standard model physics in detail. Trying to read Wikipedia was a failure (information was too dry to swallow.) I did a search on amazon on "standard model" and it came back with 22,362 results That's why I'm asking if anyone could recommend a book? The things I'm looking for is

a) Easy explanation for a non physics person (all the quarks, leptons, fermions, spins, etc.)
b) Hopefully a lot of historical information
c) Written in an interesting manner

thanks,
any suggestions would be appreciated

 

[MeteorWayne]

Try taking a look at Books Lectures and Documentries topic in Space Science and Asztronomy. That might be a better place to pose the question.

 

[drwayne]

"Easy explanation for a non physics person"

One thing to keep in mind - not all Physics lends itself to an "easy explanation".

It is frequently possible to put together a simple, non-mathematical story
that "makes sense", and is correct as far as it goes. The problem is that that
basis is not one that makes for a stable platform to go forward.

That sounds elitist, I know, but its not like you can read a few popular books
and play like Eric Clapton either. Believe me, I have tried.

 

[chebby]

I shouldn't have said non physics, as it means no physics at all. I did take 3 semesters of physics in college (mechanics, thermodynamics and waves/electro-magnetism). I just meant I don't like big mathematical formulas, but rather well presented facts and conclusions. Basically what I'm saying I don't want a dry textbook, but something akin in presentation to Hawking's A Brief History of Time.

I'll start in Books Lectures and Documentries topic, but I prefer reading real books than online lectures (I already spend enough time with a computer at work).

 

[MeteorWayne]

I much prefer the printed page myself for detailed analysis, which is why I read books, and subscribe to Science, Nature, Sky and Telescope, Scientific American, Science News, WGN ( I could go on, but you get the idea...also an idea of what my bookshelves and basement look like ). It's much easier to highlight important lines, and flip back to reexamine previous pages.

MW

 

[drwayne]

I much prefer the printed page myself for detailed analysis, which is why I read books, and subscribe to Science, Nature, Sky and Telescope, Scientific American, Science News, WGN ( I could go on, but you get the idea...also an idea of what my bookshelves and basement look like ). It's much easier to highlight important lines, and flip back to reexamine previous pages.

MW

One day, my son will inherit a large library of texts and technical books, and will probably say something like:
"Where do I rent a dumpster again"

Seriously, I obviously agree with you with respect to my physics and programming books. I do like to read
novels and such on my PDA.

Wayne

 

[azure_infinity]

As my math skills increased through my college years, the books I collected got increasingly more technical. I do have quite a collection from prior to that, though, and still like to crack one often to peruse the ideas they present.

Someone I recommend searching for is Brian Greene.

His book, "The Elegant Universe" starts at classical physics, takes you gracefully through Special and General relativity, and pulls you into Quantum Mechanics, ending with M theory. If your brain is wired for novels, you should only have to wade through the language a little before understanding what he is saying and how he presents it. Often, he uses common everyday events metaphorically to understand some of the strange workings of our universe. Try it.