1. For the Love of Physics: From the End of the Rainbow to the Edge of Time
Free Press
MIT professor Walter Lewin explores an array of fun and entertaining physics applications, from fundamental particles to the most impressive cosmic wonders, in his book For the Love of Physics: From the End of the Rainbow to the Edge of Time - A Journey Through the Wonders of Physics. You have to respect any book with a chapter title "The Magic of Drinking With a Straw" (which, I presume, has to do with concepts of pressure and surface tension, such as behavior of liquid in a tube).
Release Date: Feb. 7, 2012
2. Space Chronicles: Facing the Ultimate Frontier by Neil deGrasse Tyson
W.W. Norton & Company
3. How to Teach Relativity to Your Dog by Chad Orzel
Basic Books
This book is a follow-up to Orzel's well-received 2009 book How to Teach Physics to Your Dog. While the first book focused on quantum physics, Orzel now turns his explanatory powers to Einstein's famous theory of relativity, attempting to present it in language that's acceptable to even the lay reader (or the lay dog, for that matter).
Release Date: Feb. 28, 2012
4. Planetary Nebulae and How to Observe Them (Astronomer's Observing Guides)
As part of the Astronomer's Observing Guides series, this is a more practical guide than most of the others on this list, intended for the amateur astronomer who wishes to begin exploring planetary nebulae. These are not visible to the naked eye, but an average-sized quality amateur telescope can detect them, and this book provides practical advice on how to select the right telescope, filters, and other apparatus, as well as how to use them to find the desired objects in the night sky.
Release Date: Feb. 28, 2012
5. Emigrating Beyond Earth: Human Adaptation and Space Colonization
Springer Books
Strictly speaking, this isn't a physics book, but instead a book about how physics could potentially change the human condition. The authors, anthropologists Dr. Cameron M. Smith and Dr. Evan T. Davies, are interested in placing space exploration within the greater context of human evolution. As outlined in the promotional blurb, "In this approach, space colonization is shown to be a natural continuation of the human species' 4 million-year legacy of adaptation to difficult new environments." I'm not quite sure what to think of this one. It has potential and could be either a mind-blowing read or a pointless piece of speculation, but I thought it was worth including on the list.
Release Date: Feb. 29, 2012
