In The Science of Radio, Paul J. Nahin charts the development of the ordinary superheterodyne AM radio receiver for the specific purpose of providing an introduction to fundamental physics and engineering. Taking a "top down" approach to the subject, Nahin starts with a broad overview of radio as a sociological and technological phenomenon, then describes specific advances in research that made radio possible, moving through deeper levels of technical detail as the story progresses.

Readers will see how various concepts and theories are combined in the laboratory to achieve specific results. And the book's "just in time" method of introducing mathematical and physical theory only as needed to understand a topic, helps readers gain a firm grasp of often elusive material.

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By focusing specifically on the workings of AM radio, The Science of Radio offers a both a fascinating history of radio as an information and entertainment medium and a practical, applications-oriented introduction to electrical engineering. A number of challenging problems, with answers and/or solution hints provided for nearly all of them, are in the book.

It is a superb companion text for intermediate engineering students familiar with freshman calculus and physics, as well as engineering or physics professors, and other scientists in the history of radio.