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 enlarge | Author: Diandra Leslie-pelecky
Publisher: Dutton Adult
Category: Book
List Price: $25.95
Buy New: $14.06
You Save: $11.89 (46%)
New (25) Used (18) from $12.80
Rating:  24 reviews
Sales Rank: 65859
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 286
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 8.9 x 6.1 x 1.8
ISBN: 0525950532
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.720153
EAN: 9780525950530
Publication Date: February 14, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: SATISFACTION GUARANTEED! NEW Book! May have remainder mark. Most orders ship within 1 BUSINESS DAY with ORDER CONFIRMATION.
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| Customer Reviews:
 Don't wait for the movie February 25, 2008
W. Petry (Highlands Ranch, CO)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
This book would translate nicely into a Discovery Channel series. You know, high-interest, science-to-the-masses kind of stuff. Give it a year; it's going to happen! I am a fan of "The Physics Of.." books, and some disappoint: they can be so thorough [read hyper-mathematic] as to resemble homework; or they can be so simplified they read like a children's book. Most land somewhere in between. Take, for instance,Adair's book on the Physics of Baseball: it's fantastic, but I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone. It contains more mathematics than the average Joe (or Jane) is equipped to handle. But this book, The Physics of NASCAR, follows the Goldilocks Principle: it's just right. Not too pithy, not too watered down. High interest, easy access, entertaining insights. If you like popular science, you'll enjoy this book. Personally, I love the way the author pulls in characters from the NASCAR family. It gives the book personality! She does a great job with the science as well. There were a couple of bobbles here and there, but she covered a LOT of ground. This book is really a text in applied physics (and biology and chemistry), sans the quantitative rigor. I would love to adapt it to my high school curriculum--it would certainly grab my students' attention. If you teach physics at the high school or college level, this book is the perfect supplement to a course on physics for non-majors, or simply a means to raise the interest/relevance level for the concepts you teach. Buy it. If it doesn't work out, then re-sell it on Amazon's Marketplace. Now there's a win-win situation! Hope that helps...
What makes NASCAR go fast. March 15, 2008
Randall H. Stoner (Victorville CA USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is an interesting book on the science involved in NASCAR racing. I'm fascinated by both physics and racing and so I couldn't pass up this book. Although some of the discussion seemed basic, I realize that not everyone has been reading about what makes cars go fast for as long as I have. Despite this, I still learned quite a bit from this book. The one thing that struck me as a little odd is that the author is a woman and uses examples drawn from her experience as a woman. This isn't bad. Her examples make good points, but it's certainly different being exposed to a female perspective the sciences -- much less in the racing.
Supercars May 9, 2008
Joseph S. Maresca (Bronxville, New York USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The author gets into details regarding how to build
a supercar. In doing so, many scientific explanations
are set forth in easy-to-understand language.
For instance, engineering slip involves defects or
missing atoms which can be corrected by placing
more counterbalancing defects. Mild steels promote
magnetism. The use of iron increases the melting point.
Cross-linking of materials; such as, polymers can
increase strength overall. Tighter tolerances
provide for more precise measures. Adding small
metallic flakes to paint allows for added coloration.
The idea of engineering torque and power are
dependent upon the structure of the engine.
The Nascar engine gets 850 horsepower. Both
beryllium and copper valves dissipate heat
better than steel by the author.
The author presents a study of wind tunnel airflow.
Slower moving area exerts greater pressure on machinery
wings aerodynamically. Airlift can be best achieved
when the top of the wing is more curved than the bottom.
Lastly, the author extols the advantage of good
welding in the manufacture process.
The book provides an excellent perspective
on how to build a virtually indestructible Nascar !
It should be read widely by race car enthusiasts and
auto buffs in general.
A Great Book February 24, 2008
MeAnd (Midwest)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
If your other half is a NASCAR lover then this is a great book for them. I got this book for my hubby as a gift....he loved it so much that he read the entire book in one day.
Perfect gift March 25, 2008
Martha Schwope (Concord, MA)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I bought this book for my husband, and knowing how much I thought he'd like it, I didn't even wait until his birthday to give. He's a go-go-go type who rarely has time for a book, tho he fills up bigtime on magazine articles. But this one he never put down once he opened it up. I don't think I've seen him sit so still for so long. He said that it was JUST what he wanted to know! GREAT book!
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