From paradox to reality: our basic concepts of the physical world/ Fritz Rohrlich

Includes bibliographical references and index

This is a clear, non-technical tour of the conceptual foundations of modern physics aimed at scientifically literate readers. Fritz Rohrlich explains the basic ideas of relativity and quantum mechanics without heavy mathematics, focusing on the experimental results and conceptual puzzles that drove the development of each theory. The book examines classic paradoxes and apparent contradictions, showing how proper physical reasoning resolves them and how physicists build consistent models from observations. Throughout, Rohrlich stresses the historical and philosophical context, helping readers see why modern physics looks counterintuitive yet remains deeply constrained by experiments. The result is a compact, accessible guide that demystifies core twentieth-century physics for students and interested general readers.