The Physics of Everyday Things by James Kakalios -- my REVIEW

I really like science, especially that which applies to everyday life, which is why the title of this book really appealed to me.  I enjoy learning about everyday things and how they really work, things that may seem mysterious or complex, broken down into the why and how.  When I had the opportunity to review this book, it sounded very interesting, something that I thought I would like.

The book The Physics of Everyday Things by James Kakalios follows a person (you) through an imaginary day, from when you wake up to when you go to sleep at night, interspersing a commentary of what "you" are doing with explanations of how things which this theoretical you encounters work.  Things like your smartphone, x-rays, tvs, even the car from Back to the Future.  It's a lot of information--some easily understood, others take more thinking and careful reading (and some it's pretty difficult to understand without previous knowledge).

The book is full of really interesting parts, such as how your car remote works.  Though I've had cars with remote lock/unlock for many years now, I guess I just never really wondered how that works--now I understand why my remote is not a security issue for the car and why someone else cannot unlock my car with their remote.

As far as a read-able book...I found this book to be quite dry and heavy.   Some of the segments take thought -- as such, it's not just a zip through it book.  I felt like the story line of a person moving throughout their day was kind of blah and just kept getting interrupted with explanations...I would have liked it much better had it just been a reference book with the explanations indexed for the reader to search and read.

I wouldn't really recommend this book as a reading book.  As a reference it might be helpful-- the explanations are good -- by using the index in the back the readers can find the section they want.  Some sections are easily understood, while others seem to be written for readers with a bit more experience. So--not my favorite, but I may keep it around to refer to for explanations when I'm curious about something in particular.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”