Other Truths

Literature & Fiction

Grissom, Thomas

Poetry

Golden Quill Pr

One Spring More

How do students learn about physics without picking up a 1,000-page textbook chock-full of complicated equations? The Physicist’s World is the answer. Here, Thomas Grissom explains clearly and succinctly what physics really is: the science of understanding how everything in the universe moves.From the earliest efforts by Presocratic philosophers contemplating motion to the principal developments of physics through the end of the twentieth century, Grissom tells the unfolding story of our attempt to quantify the material world and to conceptualize the nature of physical laws. Through the centuries, questions about why things move proved to be unanswerable in any absolute, satisfying way. Instead the question became how things move, a direction of thought that led to the rise of modern science. Physics emerged as a mathematical description of the motion of matter and energy, a description believed to be complete and exact, limited only by the precision of measurement. Grissom shows that in one of the great intellectual ironies, advancements in twentieth-century physics affirmed instead that this quantitative theory was capable of discovering its own limits. There is only so much that physics can reveal about the world. This is physics for the thinking person, especially students who enjoy learning concepts, histories, and interpretations without becoming mired in complex mathematical detail. A concise survey of the field of physics, Grissom’s book offers students and professionals alike a unique perspective on what physicists do, how physics is done, and how physicists view the world.

The Physicist's World: The Story of Motion and the Limits to Knowledge

Science & Math

Astronomy & Space Science

Johns Hopkins University Press

How do students learn about physics without picking up a 1,000-page textbook chock-full of complicated equations? The Physicist’s World is the answer. Here, Thomas Grissom explains clearly and succinctly what physics really is: the science of understanding how everything in the universe moves.
From the earliest efforts by Presocratic philosophers contemplating motion to the principal developments of physics through the end of the twentieth century, Grissom tells the unfolding story of our attempt to quantify the material world and to conceptualize the nature of physical laws. 
Through the centuries, questions about why things move proved to be unanswerable in any absolute, satisfying way. Instead the question became how things move, a direction of thought that led to the rise of modern science. Physics emerged as a mathematical description of the motion of matter and energy, a description believed to be complete and exact, limited only by the precision of measurement. Grissom shows that in one of the great intellectual ironies, advancements in twentieth-century physics affirmed instead that this quantitative theory was capable of discovering its own limits. There is only so much that physics can reveal about the world. 
This is physics for the thinking person, especially students who enjoy learning concepts, histories, and interpretations without becoming mired in complex mathematical detail. A concise survey of the field of physics, Grissom’s book offers students and professionals alike a unique perspective on what physicists do, how physics is done, and how physicists view the world.

Principles of Traditional Archery

A completely new way of thinking about traditional archery takes shape in the pages of this book. The emphasis throughout is on the basic principles that govern the design, performance, and use of all forms of traditional bows and arrows. Here are discussed both the practical as well as the technical considerations behind the choices faced by every archer in selecting and using the tools of the sport. The design of the bow-and the arrow-are analyzed in terms of the underlying principles that determine their performance and use. The concept of an ideal bow and an ideal arrow are introduced as useful ways of thinking about the limitations of real bows and arrows. The important parameters of the bow are identified and a straightforward way of measuring them is described. The effect of draw weight on performance is examined with a view to injecting some realism into the perennial question of how much draw weight is enough. A separate chapter is devoted to the problem of distance shooting and another to clearing up the confusion surrounding the topic of arrow penetration. The effects of variations in arrow straightness, spine, and weight are analyzed to answer the question of when better arrows finally become good enough. The techniques of shooting and an in-depth discussion of the causes, and cures, of target panic are presented. And finally a separate chapter is devoted to a primer on the analytical design of bow limbs. This is a book for all serious archers-and bowyers alike-whether their interest is bow hunting, field and target archery, or bow design, and whether they are newcomers to the sport or experienced archers. The chapters on shooting are among the best ever written and alone make the book invaluable. There is something here to enhance the understanding and practice of archery for all who love and shoot traditional bows and arrows.

Sports & Outdoors

Individual Sports

Sunstone Press

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Books by Grissom, Thomas