Three Books on Relativity

The Mathematical Theory of Relativity. By A. S. Eddington. Cambridge, University Press, 1923. VI + 247 pp. The Meaning of Relativity. By Albert Einstein. Translated into English by E. P. Adams. Princeton University Press, 1923. 123 pp. The Theory of General Relativity and Gravitation. By L. Silberstein. New York, Van Nostrand, 1922. IV + 141 pp. In attempting a combined review of these three books, I do not wish to give the impression that each does not merit extensive consideration. However, there are necessarily many points of similarity, and by pointing these out and emphasizing the differences I may be able to give an idea of the character of each book. Eddington's book is by far the most comprehensive and contains practically all of the mathematical treatment appearing in the other books, but the latter contain many helpful and stimulating observations and interpretations.