Andrew Harrell 2005-09-15

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

Concepts, if you study them carefully, can reveal keys to
how to make progress in our knowledge and understanding. They
are more than just ideas (related to and involving sense impressions), but they are and can be the meaning of meaningful words. Thus they provide a framework for our thinking and provide directions and perspectives in which to judge our understanding and viewpoints.In science and physics, the concepts (note the author's use of the plural here)
of the idea of what a physical, scientifcally observable substance (or mass) is, is a fundamental problem which took humankind centuries, even milleninia in order to get a good and useful epistomological handle on. This book (along with its two companions..Concepts of Space and Force) are gemstones of knowledge in this area. And I find myself in agreement with Dr. Albert Einsteins assessment of the value of the work in his foreword to Concepts of Space . " We rarely find a person who has the philogical and historical training required for critical interpretation and comparison of the source material, which is spread over centuries... I have the impression that Dr. Jammer, has demonstrated and in this case, these conditions are satisfied."

Muzaffer Muctehitzade 2001-01-06

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

very well written book on the concept of mass, which is one of the "concept of" series out of many. In one book the entire development of the mass concept is descibed in a narrative form except towards the end when the relativistic mass concept is explained. It starts with ancient thouts and end with Quantum Mechanical concept of the mass, relating each new concept with the previous as it isa developed. Although it is mostly narrative, in order to understand and enjoy the book and history of "Mass" some physics/mathematics background is necessary. I really enjoy this series.