Society of Automotive Historians SAH Journal - Issue 275 - July/August 2015

Book review
by Helen V Hutchings

Some books inherently are - or prove over time to be - dependable, thus frequently consulted, resources. Among those on your commentator's shelves are the Kimes/Clark and Georgano encyclopedias, joined by John Lawlor's Auto Math Handbook (HP Books) and either auto dictionary by John Dinkel (Road & Track) or John Edwards (HP Books). Now there's another - just out - that is joining them.

The author Randy Beikmann wrote his book because he'd never forgotten his own years as a student, motivated to learn but with textbooks that were at best uninspiring and boring. They higher math books of theorems, data, equations, etc. were completely devoid of context relating them to his real life interests. Thus decades later, retired from his own accomplished engineering career at GM, he scribed chapters explaining kinematics, Newton's laws of motion, energy, power, dynamics and more.

Mathematics, much less calculus, trigonometry and physics, always seemed a struggle for your commentator despite being fascinated by their logic and ability to interpret and make use of nature's laws. Thus my askance at reading, much less commentating on this book turned to delight finding Randy Beikmann's explanations- enhanced by Bentley Publishers' graphics- and page-designers-not just clear and understandable but actually useable, applicable! And the half-dozen appendices that augment the already clear and useful text illustrated, as mentioned, with graphs, sidebar boxes and the like are the proverbial cake's frosting.

You'll only understand my enthusiasm and praise for this book once your own copy is in hand for it will not languish on the shelves. Rather, with its clear explanations and applications, it will gratify your efforts to understand. Or perhaps you know of a young person who would find just the right level of interest and encouragement of his or her own academic interests between the covers of Physics for Gearheads.

Review from and courtesy of SAH Journal - Issue 275 - July/August 2015

http://www.autohistory.org/