The Physics of Superheros is a book by James Kakalios, who is a physics and astronomy professor at the University of Minnesota. The book presents physics concepts without getting bogged down in the weeds like a regular textbook can. While the book does include some of the equations, it does not have the presentation you get in a textbook with all the formulas being derived and examples of worked-out problems. It reads more like a novel than a textbook, with the author explaining the concepts as he goes along but not really showing the work. In fact, I think doing some of that (giving a problem statement and working out the math) would have made the book a bit better. That said, he was not going for a rigorous academic presentation of the material, so it is understandable that he took the approach he did. Each chapter is devoted to a physics concept and then tied to a particular superhero (Aquaman with fluid mechanics, The Flash with friction, etc). In some chapters, the author will give an equation or two; in others, he just explains things without any equations.
The book is moderately long, at about 400 pages, but it is pretty easy and fun to read. For a student, it is actually the perfect kind of book to read before you take a class in physics because it is rigorous enough that you will actually learn the material but is presented in a fun enough way that the concepts are more likely to stick with you. It is not a book that I would say will ever help you pass a physics exam or assist in solving homework problems, but it will give you the all-important base of knowledge and understanding of the concepts you need when you do get to the point where the math, and working out the problems is critical.
The book is moderately long, at about 400 pages, but it is pretty easy and fun to read. For a student, it is actually the perfect kind of book to read before you take a class in physics because it is rigorous enough that you will actually learn the material but is presented in a fun enough way that the concepts are more likely to stick with you. It is not a book that I would say will ever help you pass a physics exam or assist in solving homework problems, but it will give you the all-important base of knowledge and understanding of the concepts you need when you do get to the point where the math, and working out the problems is critical.
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