Book Description

The study of AGN is one of the most dynamic areas of contemporary astronomy, involving one-fifth of all research astronomers. This textbook provides a systematic review of the observed properties of AGN across the entire electromagnetic spectrum, examines the underlying physics, and shows how the brightest AGN--quasars--can be used to probe the farthest reaches of the Universe. This timely textbook is a clear, comprehensive and self-contained introduction to active galactic nuclei (AGN)--for advanced undergraduates and graduate students in astronomy and physics. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent Introduction
Clear introduction to the field. I recommend this book to my undergraduate students who are starting to do research with me, and to my students in our upper division astrophysics class. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Who doesn't love a good argument? When physics heavyweights Stephen W. Hawking and Roger Penrose delivered three sets of back-and-forth lectures capped by a final debate at Cambridge's Isaac Newton Institute, the course of modern cosmological thinking was at stake. As it happens, The Nature of Space and Time, which collects these remarks, suggests that little has changed from the days when Einstein challenged Bohr by refusing to believe that God plays dice. The math is more abstruse, the arguments more refined, but the argument still hinges on whether our physical theories should be expected to model reality or merely predict measurements.

Hawking, clever and playful as usual, sides with Bohr and the Copenhagen interpretation and builds a strong case for quantum gravity. Penrose, inevitably a bit dry in comparison, shares Einstein's horror at such intuition-blasting thought experiments as Schrödinger's long-suffering cat--and scores just as many points for general relativity. The math is tough going for lay readers, but a few leaps of faith will carry them through to some deeply thought-provoking rhetoric. Though no questions find final answers in The Nature of Space and Time, the quality of discourse should be enough to satisfy the scientifically curious.--Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (6)

A debate between two strong personalities in physics
The current understanding of the physical structure of the universe is bipolar. There is Einstein's theory of relativity, which explains the macroscopic behavior of the universe to many places to the right of the decimal point. At the other end of the size spectrum, there is the quantum theory of fields, which explains the observed behavior of fundamental particles to many places to the right of the decimal point. Although one should always be very reluctant to state such a position, the resolution of this bipolar state into a unified one may be the last, great discovery of physics.
The purpose of this book is to present a debate between Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose concerning the possibility of the issue being resolved, and in what manner. It is a series of six short lectures, three from each man and ends with a brief debate between them. These lectures are not for the general audience, as each lecturer assumes a fundamental understanding of general relativity and quantum theory. Nevertheless, there is a great deal of explanation, including diagrams, in the lectures. Therefore, it is possible to understand the material if you have a basic understanding of the two main topics. Without that, don't bother opening the book.
Of course, the issue is not resolved, as that must wait for a later date. It is interesting that Hawking tends to emphasize the points of difference, while Penrose goes to some length to describe how similar their positions are. Penrose continues with the position of Albert Einstein, in that he argues that quantum mechanics is not a final theory, but only the "gross" appearance of much subtler events. Hawking believes otherwise, arguing that the probabilistic features of quantum mechanics is the way nature does things, and there is no underlying mechanism yet to be discovered that will remove them.
The arguments are strong, yet unconvincing. Not due to their lack of power, but because they are made by two equally strong and forceful personalities. When two such powers collide, there is rarely resolution. Nevertheless, the debate sheds a great deal of light on the current state of thinking in physics, and points out some ways in which it may be resolved.

SAH-WEET ...!!!
After having read "A Brief History of Time", "Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays", "The Cambridge Lectures" and "The Universe In a Nutshell" by the esteemed Professor Hawking, as well as Brian Greene's "The Elegant Universe", I figured this book would be yet another great educational read!

It appears that my initial logic was somewhat flawed.

While the book states at it's outset that it requires an understanding of physics, I believe that it requires either the equivalent mind-power of a Einstein with the cocaine-induced flashes of Freud, or the equivalent computing power of everything Seymour Cray ever built...after several upgrades!

After (during?!) the first chapter, I simply couldn't keep my thoughts from blurring into obscure thoughts of the fact that GM is killing the Camaro after 35 successful years...the price of inkjet printer supplies... Bill...Gates keeps getting away with it...and essentially ANY OTHER TOPIC than that which I was "attempting" to read at the time!

While one of the girls at the coffee shop (I get wired on caffeine, and I read...) who, I must admit, was absolutely, captivatingly exotic, and her mere presence drew my eye more often that I care to admit, using her as an excuse for my distraction would really only be secondary at best.

The fact remains that the book simply isn't written for laymen; it's for scientists...and not just "good" scientists either, but the "truly rare" breed...unfortunately, that breed does not appear to include me. Sure, I can get into Mensa...but this book was almost completely beyond me! (I GOT THE INDEX!!!)

I'd very highly reccommend any or ALL (obviously my choice) of the books I've noted above for anyone with an interest, but as for this one...if you're not working for a PHD, Masters, or at least a Bachelor's degree, save your money, because this'll only make you tear your hair out...for many, it's probably falling quickly enough on its own already.

Not me, of course, as I'm just so pretty my face decided to annex surrounding territory for expansion purposes.

Well...theoretics are theoretics, right?

hold on for dear life
This was an early attempt to capitalize on Hawking's commercial success with the Brief History. Roger Penrose, Hawking's PhD advisor, has also written some really fascinating books for lay readers on philosophical implications of physics such as on the nature of intelligence. However, combining the two in a debate, the form of this book, cancels out the reader-friendly accessibility of their solo works as their egos take charge and they try to outperform each other. It makes sense after the fact that if they're debating, they must be discussing matters on which they disagree, and since physics is so well settled and understood on all but the most esoteric and advanced questions, the subject matter of their disagreements must lie in that advanced realm. Of course, "advanced" is a vastly relative term to apply to physics, since many ordinary readers would balk at any physics material. But I have a degree in physics, albeit only a BS - and after the initial material I have to struggle to follow anything they're saying! They should stamp this book's cover with a caveat emptor; this is no "Brief History of Time" or "Elegant Universe." They even mention at the outset that they assume the reader has a basic understanding of physics, but these guys' idea of a basic understanding is a Ph.D. specializing in general relativity. Having said all that, the book still makes for heady reading from what I could pick up here and there, so it's a thrill if you're up to it.

Interesting but not Great
In spite of the errors mentioned in another review the discussion was fairly interesting but not as great a "debate" as I anticipated. I'd spend my money on Penrose's "The Emporer's New Mind" before this one. For those interested in Black Holes, Kip Thorne's "Black Holes and Time Warps ..." is exceptionally well written and rewarding for the reader. For the technically [mathematically] apt who wants an fascinating treatice on spacetime, try John Wheeler and Ignazio Ciufolini's book on Geometrodynamics (Princeton Univ. Press).

Massive confusion among irreconcilable physical concepts..
Apart from the elementary, undergraduate level errors in thermodynamics, e.g. the first law of thermodynamics on page 24 is NOT the first law, nor is it a combination of the first and second laws due to a sign error; the Helmholtz free energy on page 50 is NOT the Helmholtz free energy again due to a sign error; the statement on page 135 that all Einstein needed not to go fishing after 1925 was 'Stephen's discovery, fifty-five years later, of black hole radiation' is offensive! Hawking's great surprise, on page 43, that black hole radiation emission was exactly thermal with a temperature derived from the Bekenstein-Hawking expression for black hole entropy in terms of the area of the horizon is ludicrous because it has to correspond to the entropy of black body radiation, which it doesn't. The above are merely examples which serve to call into question the contributions of these two researchers and certainly raise grave doubts concerning the worth of this book. ... Read more

Book Description

This is a modern textbook that guides the reader through the theory and practice of satellite orbit prediction and determination. Starting from the basic principles of orbital mechanics, it covers elaborate force models as well as precise methods of satellite tracking. Emphasis is on numerical treatment and a multitude of algorithms adopted in modern satellite trajectory computation are described in detail. The accompanying CD-ROM includes all source codes written in C++ and relevant data files for applications. The result is a powerful and unique spaceflight dynamics library which allows easy software extensions by the user. An extensive collection of Internet resources is provided through WWW hyperlinks to detailed and frequently updated online information on spaceflight dynamics. The book addresses students, scientist working in the field of navigation, geodesy and spaceflight technology and satellite engineers and operators focusing on spaceflight dynamics. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Superb textbook on Maths of Satellite Orbit determinations
Satellite Orbits, Models, Methods and Applications is a great reference on Satellite orbit computation/determination. Chapters include; 1. Around the world in hundred minutes 2. Introductory Astrodynamics 3. Force Model 4.Numerical Integration 5. Time and Reference Systems 6. Satellite Tracking and Observation Models 7. Linearization 8. Orbit Determination and Parameter Estimation 9. Applications + Apendices and list of symbols.
This book's emphasis is on the mathematical methods and algorithms used in modern satellite trajectory computations. It also contains extensive list of WWW URLs on spaceflight dynamics.
Hardcover book measures 24 X 16 centimeters, contains 370 glossy pages with a dozen of color photos in the first chapter but lots of graphics ( Ground projections of satellite orbits, perturbations of satellite orbits, orbit determination analysis, ' ) and comes with a CD-ROM on the applications usable in Win98 / NT4.0 or Linux SUSE 7.2.
Excellent textbook designed for post-graduate students and engineers working in the field of spaceflight dynamics, navigation and geodesy.
Philip CORNEILLE

Excellent software
The sections dealing with orbit estimation are very sketchy. Needs to filled out with specific and detailed computational algorithms (e.g. Escobal).
Excellent! software, however.

Outstanding book
This book is a very thorough review of Orbital Mechanics. Current, up to date material that goes from the basics to graduate level. Outstanding CDROM has a lot of source code and compiled applications. The best book I've come across on this subject, highly recommended.

The best book in the field of numerical astrodynamics so far
This book gives a very good overview of numerical orbit determination methods. I would recommend it to anyone who has the basic knowledge of astrodynamics and is interested in orbit determination. It deals with different force models, numerical integration methods, time and reference systems and filter methods. Every chapter has exercises at its end. These exercises are extremely helpfull for understanding the theory of this chapter. The CD-ROM accompanying the book is absolutely great. It contains all source code (C++) for the different exercises in the book. ... Read more

Book Description

This volume comprises of papers which were presented at the Paul Roberts' Anniversary meeting at the University of Exeter and reflect his research contributions which are remarkable in their diversity, depth of contents and international importance. The volume is presented in the following sections covering geomagnetism and dynamos; fluid mechanics and MHD; superfluidity; mixed phase regions. There is a commentary of the papers putting the work of Paul Roberts into historical context and this volume provides a valuable source of reference for graduates and researchers working in this area of geoscience. ... Read more

Book Description

Why, today, would anyone undertake a plan to launch a spacecraft some 30 years in the future, and on a journey that would take some 40 years to complete? Paul Gilster investigates the science, and the spirit, of the NASA and JPL researchers who are actually at work on just such a project. ... Read more

Book Description

The Big Bang, the birth of the universe, was a singular event. All of the matter of the universe was concentrated at a single point, with temperatures so high that even the familiar protons and neutrons of atoms did not yet exist, but rather were replaced by a swirling maelstrom of energy, matter and antimatter. Exotic quarks and leptons flickered briefly into existence, before merging back into the energy sea.

This book explains the fascinating world of quarks and leptons and the forces that govern their behavior. Told from an experimental physicist’s perspective, it forgoes mathematical complexity, using instead particularly accessible figures and apt analogies. In addition to the story of quarks and leptons, which are regarded as well-accepted fact, the author who is a leading researcher at the world’s highest energy particle physics laboratory also discusses mysteries on both the experimental and theoretical frontier, before tying it all together with the exciting field of cosmology and indeed the birth of the universe itself.

The text spans the tiny world of the quark to the depths of the universe with exceptional clarity. The casual student of science will appreciate the careful distinction between what is known (quarks, leptons and antimatter), what is suspected (Higgs bosons, neutrino oscillations and the reason why the universe has so little antimatter) and what is merely dreamed (supersymmetry, superstrings and extra dimensions). Included is an unprecedented chapter explaining the accelerators and detectors of modern particle physics experiments. The chapter discussing the hunt for the Higgs boson, currently consuming the efforts of nearly 1000 physicists, lends drama that only big-stakes science can give. Understanding the Universe leaves the reader with a deep appreciation of the fascinating particle realm and just how much it determines the rich beauty of our universe. ... Read more

Book Description

In this tour de force of the ultimate and extreme in astrophysics, renowned astrophysicist and author J. Craig Wheeler takes us on a breathtaking journey to supernovae, black holes, gamma-ray bursts and adventures in hyperspace. This is no far-fetched science fiction tale, but an enthusiastic exploration of ideas at the cutting edge of current astrophysics. Wheeler follows the tortuous life of a star from birth to evolution and death, and goes on to consider the complete collapse of a star into a black hole, worm-hole time machines, the possible birth of baby bubble universes, and the prospect of a revolutionary view of space and time in a ten-dimensional string theory. Along the way he offers evidence that suggests the Universe is accelerating and describes recent developments in understanding gamma-ray bursts--perhaps the most catastrophic cosmic events of all. With the use of lucid analogies, simple language and crystal-clear cartoons, Cosmic Catastrophes makes accessible some of the most exciting and mind-bending objects and ideas in the Universe.J. Craig Wheeler is currently Samuel T. and Fern Yanagisawa Regents Professor of Astronomy at the University of Texas at Austin and Vice President of the American Astronomical Society as of 1999. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

How stars work
I found this book a complete surprise. From the title, I expected only a story about explosions and collisions but this book is much, much more. It provides really brilliant descriptions of how all kinds of stars evolve and how they regulate their energy production. After reading this book I fully understood why aging stars produce more energy but are cooler than they were in their youth. A minor complaint might be that the content is not well organized. A type 1A supernova is explained here and a type 2 there and later some more about 1A etc. But, I shouldn't dwell on a quibble. This is a terrific book. After reading it I'll never think of iron or nickel in quite the same way again.

The biggest explosions
There seems to be an aspect of human nature that wants to search out and discover things that are the most extreme in their class. People just seem to love record setters. This is a book about cosmic record setters. Within its pages Wheeler describes the biggest, most energetic, oldest, densest, things in the universe. If cosmic record holders hold any interest for you, then I think you'll find this book as enjoyable as I did.

Wheeler begins his book by describing how stars form, how they evolve in response to gravity, how they ignite, how they burn, and eventually how they die. This is a logical introduction, since virtually all the examples of cosmic catastrophes involve stars in one form or another. Like people, though, the life of each star is unique - and the end times are very different. Wheeler does an excellent job of describing the negative feedback process that stabilizes solar activity. If the star generates too much heat it expands. This expansion reduces the temperature, and throttles back on the rate of nuclear fusion. If the star cools down it contracts, and the contraction heats it up again, keeping the rate of fusion at a remarkably constant level for long periods of time during the stars life.

Much of Wheeler's text is actually about how stars evolve. This is important because to understand their deaths, you need to understand how they are born and how they evolve over their lifetimes. Their deaths are frequently the most interesting parts of the story because they are often involved with the catastrophes that are the book's principal thesis. While I bought the book because of its discussion about cosmic catastrophes, I found it valuable for its descriptions of stellar evolution alone. This includes a nice description of the "solar-neutrino" problem as well as a nice explanation of the red-giant phase, and especially the last stages during the life of a massive star that explodes in a super nova.

The foundational understanding of the basics of stellar evolution makes it easier to follower Wheeler as he takes the reader on a tour of the major players in cosmic catastrophes: white dwarfs, super novae (of many different types), neutron stars, black holes, and gamma-ray bursts. Wheeler's descriptions of these phenomena (to the extent that modern science understands them) are among the best I've seen in a popular science textbook. There is also a smattering of discussion about the origin of the universe in the Big Bang, and some interesting speculation about time (and space) travel using black holes.

In any book dealing with modern cosmology and astronomy there are inevitable discussions about the nature of space and time and how they fit together with Einstein's theory of general relativity. Most such books have at least one figure showing a funnel-shaped construct with grid lines converging as they swoop into the tapering end where the black hole resides. Wheeler uses lots of such diagrams. However, I think he does a better job than most at helping the reader understand what the diagrams illustrate. More importantly, he helps the reader understand what the diagrams do not illustrate, and their limitations (he dispels some common misperceptions about these sorts of figures). I especially enjoyed Wheeler's explanations about how one might (with the application of the appropriate mental acrobatics) use the diagrams to actually envision what is really going on in our multi-dimensional world.

Another thing I liked about Wheeler's book is the clear and frequent illustrations. For the most part the author has anticipated those places where prose just cannot quite complete the mental picture. When this happens there is inevitably a well-constructed diagram that finishes the concept and makes things clear. There was one exception, however. Figure 7.3 really needs to have an arrow or circle marking the location of SN 1987A. [I'm pretty sure I found it, but the exposure changes between the photographs, and so I'm not quite sure. It would have been nice to have the author's help in preventing a false identification.]

Reading this book one gets the sense that even though it is a qualitative description of astronomy (there are no equations) Wheeler is not over simplifying. His discussion of super novae, for example, lists many classes and describes theoretical uncertainties that other authors gloss over or ignore all together. Of course there is much more detail to super novae than what is in Wheeler's book. But at the qualitative level Wheeler leaves the reader understanding that there are many classifications of super novae, that some of the boundaries between classifications are not always so clear cut, and that we still don't know a lot about how some types form, and how other types explode. These are concepts that other popular science textbooks don't always convey. I think the only thing missing from the chapters on super novae is a table that summarizes all the different types and some of their descriptive identifiers.

Unlike some popular science texts, Wheeler devotes quite a bit of time describing the evolution of binary stars, which play an important role in some of the greatest cosmic catastrophes. I think he does an especially good job of qualitatively describing accretion disks, and how they fit in the context of mass transfer in binary systems. It's this mass transfer that is ultimately involved in some of the most spectacular catastrophes in the sky.

Overall, this is a great book. If you enjoy astronomy I'm sure you will find it satisfying and informative. It's just the sort of book to enjoy on a vacation, or after a grueling day at the office. ... Read more

Book Description

Physics of Space Plasmas was one of the first textbooks published in the area of space plasma physics and included up-to-date observations from space available at that time. It has been used in the United States and abroad by many universities as a text in introductory space plasma physics courses. A considerable number of new space plasma observations have been made since publication of the first edition. These more recent observations have revealed new and exciting information about space plasma and will enhance the quality of the overarching discussion and analyses of space plasma physics. Citing results from several NASA and ESA space missions, the completely revised Second Edition now expands the interpretation using kinetic physics to explain the kinetic features in the plasma data.Parks also includes a clear and simple discussion of how electromagnetic fields behave in rotating frames. This revision retains the thoughtful examples and problems of the First Edition and includes new ones to complement the new material and changes in the Second Edition. ... Read more

Book Description

Including the abundance of information known prior to the return of Halley's comet, as well as the new information discovered since then, the science of comets is described here by order of its discovery.From tail phenomena to coma morphology, to the most recent findings from space missions, this comprehensive text provides complete and up-to-date coverage of the subject.It will be suitable for advanced undergraduates and graduate students of astronomy and planetary science.First Edition Hb (2001): 0-521-23906-0 First Edition Pb (2002): 0-521-27218-1 ... Read more

Book Description

When a passenger check-in desk at London's Heathrow Airport disappears in a ball of orange flame, the explosion is deemed an act of God. But which god, wonders holistic detective Dirk Gently? What god would be hanging around Heathrow trying to catch the 3:37 to Oslo? And what has this to do with Dirk's latest--and late-- client, found only this morning with his head revolving atop the hit record "Hot Potato"? Amid the hostile attentions of a stray eagle and the trauma of a very dirty refrigerator, super-sleuth Dirk Gently will once again solve the mysteries of the universe... ... Read more

Reviews (61)

Dirk returns
this is yet another wonderous zany journey from Douglas
Adams. If you've ever wondered what humans do with all the brain matter they don't seem to use, what happens to gods when people stop believing in them, or whether it's possible to get pizza delivered in London, this book is for you. Same series as "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency", but I read this one first and the plot didn't suffer. Absolutely incredible.

Hugely Entertaining & Refreshingly Funny
THE LONG, DARK TEA TIME is a surprisingly different detective novel in which the hero, Dirk Gently, suffers from a number of humorous personality quirks. Dirk refuses to open his refrigerator, follows cars that seem to know when they're going when he's lost, and prefers to consider impossible scenarios over highly improbable ones. He also has a penchant for taking things that aren't his... although no matter how badly things seem to be going for him, he always seems to manage to end up in the right place at the right time. And perhaps this is the greatest lesson that Dirk Gently has to share.

I laughed out loud so often while reading LONG DARK TEA TIME that I cried, and found myself reading and re-reading passages to savor them again and again. Douglas Adams is truly a master story teller, even when dealing with a plot that ping-pongs back and forth between two main character who are coping with extremely unusual (and dare I say impossible) situations. Keeping track of the plot was challenging at times, but well worth the effort.

I highly recommend this book, and now plan to make sure I read everything Adams has written!

Fascinating
I just wanted to add (to all of the other reviews) that, while the Dirk Gently books may not be as hilarious as the Hitchhiker's book (and at times verge toward drama), I would say they are much more interesting.The plots are complicated to be sure, at times esoteric and puzzling, and you may even have to re-read, but I find it is well worth it.Fascinating.

Classic Douglas Adams
A check-in counter at London's Heathrow Airport spontaneously explodes in a ball of flame, and is ruled by the authorities as "an act of God." As it turns out, the explosion was an act of *a* god---Thor, the God Of Thunder, trying to catch a plane to Oslo, Norway. But why would an almighty god be trying to catch a plane flight in the first place? Enter holistic detective Dirk Gently to solve the mystery....The second and, sadly, final "Dirk Gently" book written by the late, great Douglas Adams, "The Long Dark Tea Time Of The Soul" is a hysterically funny book, and a major improvement over the decent but unspectacular first book, "Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency," which certainly had it's funny moments, but was too long (and long-winded) and confusing. This time around, Adams' writing is a LOT sharper & funnier, and he keeps the book excellently paced. And the character of Dirk Gently really grows here---he's much more concise and focused, and he doesn't ramble on and on about his philosophical views & methods of detective work as he did in the first book. "Long Dark Tea Time" contains many outrageously funny scenes---Dirk's dilemma with his old refridgerator, and his surprising encounter with a young boy watching TV are both particularly memorable---and great characters, too, not only Dirk Gently but also the spunky American girl Kate Schechter, Thor the hot-headed God Of Thunder, and the vile creature named Toe Rag. The story is clever, moves along nicely, and, if I haven't made it clear enough, is very, very funny.I'm saddened that Douglas Adams never got around to writing a third "Dirk Gently" book, as I would've loved to have read further adventures of this most oddball of detectives. But at least Adams wrote a pair of them, and "The Long Dark Tea Time Of The Soul" is a fabulously hilarious book that can proudly sit right alongside Adams' very best "Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy" books, in particular volumes 1, 2 and 4. "The Long Dark Tea Time Of The Soul" is classic Douglas Adams all the way.

Lesser Adams work -title more describes his career
The title "The Long Dark Teatime Of The Soul" comes from a line used to describe the bored and immortal Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged from his novel Life, The Universe, And Everything, who had entered "the long dark teatime of the soul."However, it may also be an accurate reflection of what Adams had entered re his writing career.

Kate Schechter is on her way to Oslo, but that never happens.First, she runs into a tall, angry Norwegian-looking person whom she helps out at the check-in counter at Heathrow Airport.Second, said check-in counter explodes, sending her to the hospital.The papers label the incident an act of God, resulting in several injuries and the disappearance of the apathetic check-in counter clerk who angered the Nord.She recovers, but something leads her to Woodhouse, a hospital for very unusual patients, including a one-eyed old man whose name is Mr. Odwin, has a tiny demonic-looking assistant named Toe Rag, and a certain temperamental son with a hammer named Mjolnir.

So where does Dirk Gently come in this?In his usual "fundamental interconnectedness in all things" way, of course.He wakes up hours after he was supposed to meet his client, who's terrified of a green-eyed giant with a scythe.He arrives at the client's house, only to find the police there, his client's head rotating in the middle of a 33 and 1/3 single "Hot Potato" record that keeps skipping.He goes through a series of misfortunes and incidents, including breaking his nose and being attacked by an eagle.

The premise, and it may require a few re-readings to fully get what's going on, is interesting enough, but not as the ones he explored in his Hitchhiker novels and the previous Dirk Gently novel.They seem to be a series of disconnected ideas that don't click together.Dirk Gently's quirky, eccentric character works as long there's a more straight-laced foil to respond to his ramblings.Here, there is no Richard MacDuff to help out.

Consider those who respond to him.Sally Mills, the nurse whose coffee he steals, isn't too put out by his personality.Kate Schechter, on the other hand, gives him a flea in his ear after he tail-ends her car, but she's more independent-minded than MacDuff, and there's only one segment in the book where she interracts with him.

Some ideas that could be funny or further elaborated include an I Ching calculator, which can add up to 4, but any answer above it equals "a suffusion of yellow."One that works is his theory of finding his way after being lost in traffic, and that's to follow a car that seems to know where it's going, the premise being that somehow, he'll end up where he needs to be.

As for his writing, Adams' description of Gently's fridge, which hasn't been opened for three months, is something: "the fridge no longer merely stood there in the corner of the kitchen, it actually lurked."And the fridge war between he and his housekeeper is a beaut in writing.There are actually some good writing moments, but other than that...

People interested in Adams should, as the chorus to "Hot Potato" goes, "don't pick it up, pick it up, pick it up" and maybe only after they've read Dirk Gently.Getting into it does require a high degree of patience, so only for the most diehard fans.Overall a bit disappointing, like his other work Mostly Harmless. ... Read more

Book Description

Spectroscopy - once the sole province of professionals - is becoming more and more popular with amateur astronomers. Various instruments, at prices to suit everyone, are already available "off the shelf".

"Practical Amateur Spectroscopy" contains everything you need to understand the basic principles, to begin observing, and to interpret what the spectra you have seen or recorded show and mean.

Contributions by leading practical amateurs from America and Europe cover a very wide range of amateur equipment and techniques. There are descriptions of all kinds of instruments, ranging form simple do-it-yourself projects like a direct-vision star spectroscope, to imaging with commercially made spectrographs. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Like cheap, shiny space suits and bug-eyed rubber monsters, nuclear-powered spaceships today seem like little more than laughably naïve 1950s science fiction tropes. It might have been otherwise--and still could be. George Dyson, son of supergenius physicist Freeman Dyson, wrote Project Orion to share some of his father's amazing research with the world. Much had been kept secret for years, but Dyson's unique insider status permits great depth and breadth on this important tale. Conceived in the wake of Sputnik, Project Orion was a true vision of '50s engineering: a huge 40-person ship powered by hundreds of tiny atomic bombs, capable of much greater lift and efficiency than chemically driven rockets. Struggles between NASA, the military, Congress, and other parties doomed Orion, but Dyson has gathered hundreds of documents and interviewed most of the researchers and engineers who worked together, trying to reach "Saturn by 1970." His knack for storytelling makes the book a quick, delightful read; even the staunchest anti-nuke activist has to admit that lighting a cigarette off a parabolic mirror facing a bomb test is pretty cool. By the end of the 20th century, technology had caught up with the vision of Orion--it's considered one of our best bets for long-distance space transit. Whether or not that could ever happen politically, Project Orion is a compelling exploration of scientific imagination. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (20)

The Limits Of The Possible
Imagine a nuclear bomb powered spaceship, envisioned in the late 1950's, able to reach the Planet Mars in a few weeks travel time, or Saturn in a year or so, carrying perhaps a thousand ton payload. A detailed engineering design was produced in the 50's and 60's of a ship capable of just that! George Dyson, in this volume, takes readers back in time to that exciting era where the sky was literally the limit. Many physicists are depicted, some unknown and some famous, as are the associated politics, and many technical details also. Project Orion, as it was named, was to be powered by small fission bombs ejected out the back of the spaceship and exploded some distance away, the explosion wave front would collide with a working medium which in turn would hit a pusher plate on the spaceship at high velocity thereby imparting thrust. In fact, this concept is the only method, I believe, that combines high specific impulse with high thrust, using existing technology....it could open up the solar system to colonization. Many thousands of small fission bombs would be required on most missions. The authors father, Freeman Dyson, actually worked on this project for a time, and George Dyson presents here a fascinating account, hard to put down at times.

The Orion project was eventually shelved, largely due to it's use of nuclear bombs, but also partly due to NASA's reliance on chemical powered rockets, but it seems clear that with appropriate safeguards, nuclear powered spaceships, advanced descendants of Orion, will someday ply the spaceways between the stars.

Orion
This engrossing account details the Cold War effort by young Manhattan Project veterans to design and fly an ocean liner-sized spaceship driven by atomic bombs that was to reach Mars and Saturn by the early 1970s. Dyson, son of physicist Freeman Dyson, relays the fifties-style Space Age optimism of the undertaking, and mirrors his account of militaristic bureaucracy vs. benign research with an insider's portrait of the now-aging participants. A-bomb designer Ted Taylor, admitting he may have helped set loose a Pandora's Box of nuclear ills, nonetheless considers Orion to represent the last spirit in that myth-the one political circumstances have yet to set free. Although this is an entirely factual eulogy (Orion required tiny, terrorist-sized nuclear weapons; likewise any spaceport it launched from would, by definition, be subject to a nuclear attack), it may also be the best science fiction novel of the year, and-like much science fiction-may yet come true.

Khorosho!
Loved it. Very detailed and always sober recollections. Lots of helpful photos, diagrams and schematics.

A thriller for any (especially aerospace) engineer.

Point Summary of Proposed Theoretical Adjustments to Orion
1. It is not a pusher-plate but a type of cannon that should contain the blast. The cannon could be described as a pusher-plate with walls on it, obviously to focus the energy released by the blast. Failing to focus the blast would also destroy many more satellites than is necessary (EPP) and is also very wasteful of the energy release. The number of explosions required to give propulsion would thus be much less.
2. The cannon is an ancient device but invented in a remarkable piece of history where the Chinese failed to develop its effective application. Unfortunately the English language does not have an alternative and less warlike term for a hollow tube with one end sealed by a pusher plate. America, the inventor of a new super "gun-powder", the atomic bomb, thus is repeating history by accidentally side-stepping the challenge of physical containment. The pusher-plate concept seeks to avoid the challenge of physical containment, a mistake. It is to be suggested "the inventor of new and overwhelming explosion will fail to develop its most significant application because of an over-whelmed sense of what the challenge of physical containment will involve".
3. Orion should never take off from the ground, but would be built in space. It would test the efficiency of our ability to push payload into space, but would limit all tests to outer space orbits and beyond where solar radiation is an existing malignant factor. As such it could be said to be a "green technology" in that malignant radiation releases in space are already a natural occurrence. The test apparatus being non-tether able in such an orbit would require from the very beginning a pilot and massive counter-thrust chemical engines to return the test for inspection.
4. deleted to fit word count.
5. It should not be assumed that the human being suffers the same intolerance to G force in space in exactly the same proportions as it is experienced on earth until real time data can be gathered. Acceleration is measured as a factor of time squared. Clearly relativity in space may work in our favour and allow travel under more G than is possible than on earth, something required if we were to reach the stars within an economic time period.
6. Our world without Project Orion is in danger of dispensing with the only natural theory of the non use of nuclear weapons. If we miss the point that such explosions have an economic potential for use in space, perhaps because we proceeded initially with an alternative theory of non-use so-called "MAD", then we are left at an evolutionary disadvantage. That a weapon is "horrible" is not an adequate theory of non-use, as many wars have inadvertently proved with other new technologies. That its use in war would mean a loss of its economic opportunity and value in space, is a significant deterrent. The Orion Project book by Dyson mentions NASA commenting it would be a useful way to dispose of or to consume fissile material. More than that it is an essential theory of non use of such materials and would hopefully when demand consumption in space increased to a certain level, call upon the dismantling of thermonuclear weapons to free up the atomic cores for use in the profitable area of space propulsion.
7. Project Orion once constructed in space, like the first cannons made in many pieces, would have the potential to actually lift or pull heavy objects into space. The bizarre "free energy" idea of the "sky hook" thus has a new and powerful application. If the cannon in orbit were to weigh 500 tonnes it would we might hope be able to lift 20 times its own weight, the dangling sky cables being supported by high altitude weather balloons. The environmental costs of currently pushing payload into space would thus be super ceded forever by a new capability to pull (as in a building site crane or harbour tug) 10,000 tonnes into orbit in one go by firing atomic explosions harmlessly away from earth at an angle to it.
8. The number of explosions estimated as needed for interplanetary travel by Orion is far too high. The frictionless, weightlessness of space means that following Newton's F=MA the acceleration would strictly not diminish over any amount of time. However again relativity would likely introduce some gradual diminishment of acceleration over the time period. The expectation of the requirement of one explosion a day in space would not be unreasonable until proven otherwise to maintain acceleration and hence gravity levels. This of course assumes that the pusher-plate has been given some containing walls and is not discharging energy willy-nilly across the heavens.
9. Occam's razor theorem highlights the essence of simplicity in invention. By determining to use a cannon/tube/canister rather than a pusher-plate with complicated hydraulics and ejection procedures, we can draw from a near millennium's wealth of experience in the development of the cannon to musket, then rifle. The use of cartridges and their subsequent ejection is likely to provide engineers with more insight on how an interplanetary craft can be efficiently powered, than the noble but essentially misguided attempt by Orioneers to re-write centuries of physical containment into riding shock waves. When it comes to the challenge of physical containment in space, it maybe like testing a light bulb in orbit, but we must face up to the challenge of physical containment in space. This route has seen many hundreds of years of development tests and failures since the dawn of the original gunpowder age. As such it is much more likely to result in ultimate success, rather than by re-inventing the wheel as "square" as the original Project Orion concept has with a "pusher-plate" sought to do.

Poor book saved by amazing subject
What was/is amazing about the Orion project is the fact that as far as we can tell it would have worked. By worked, I mean it would have made our current space shuttle and space station projects look like covered wagons in the age of autos. If history had taken just a slightly different direction, we could have had several building size bases on the moon by the early seventies, probably sent manned expeditions to Mars and even beyond by the 80's.

But this book is not a great treatment of the subject. There is a lot of technical discussion but little organization. Characters come and go, various memos are written, and people write techical papers on building two story high shock asorbers. All well and good but what is missing is the real story and a unifying analysis of the project to propel a spaceship by riding atomic detonations.

The author has done a valuable service by bringing this fascination program to our attention. In addition, it is very clear that chemical rockets have serious limitations. Mankind is unlikely to make much movement away from the earth without a revitalized Project Orion. ... Read more

Book Description

For centuries, astronomers have been interested in the motions of the planets and in methods to calculate their orbits. Since Newton, mathematicians have been fascinated by the related N-body problem. They seek to find solutions to the equations of motion for N masspoints interacting with an inverse-square-law force and to determine whether there are quasi-periodic orbits or not. Attempts to answer such questions have led to the techniques of nonlinear dynamics and chaos theory. In this book, a classic work of modern applied mathematics, Jürgen Moser presents a succinct account of two pillars of the theory: stable and chaotic behavior. He discusses cases in which N-body motions are stable, covering topics such as Hamiltonian systems, the (Moser) twist theorem, and aspects of Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser theory. He then explores chaotic orbits, exemplified in a restricted three-body problem, and describes the existence and importance of homoclinic points. This book is indispensable for mathematicians, physicists, and astronomers interested in the dynamics of few- and many-body systems and in fundamental ideas and methods for their analysis. After thirty years, Moser's lectures are still one of the best entrées to the fascinating worlds of order and chaos in dynamics.

Book Description

The study of cataclysmic variables - interacting binary stars containing a white dwarf accreting from an orbiting companion - is undergoing an exciting renaissance, as it embraces observations at all wavelengths. Cataclysmic variables allow, in particular, the direct and detailed study of equilibrium and non-equilibrium accretion discs; in turn these developments also help in our understanding of X-ray binaries, black holes and active galactic nuclei. This timely volume provides the first comprehensive survey of cataclysmic variable stars, integrating theory and observation into a single, synthesised text. An introductory chapter gives the historical background of studies of cataclysmic variables. The author then goes on to give an up-to-date review of both the observations (at all wavelengths, and over all time-scales), the theories, the models of the structures and accretion processes believed to be involved. A very detailed bibliography is also provided to guide the reader to pertinent primary literature. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Nice Book, Shame about the Price
This is the definitive work on CVs and a great reference work even 7 years after its publication. However, after that time the price is still so high as put it beyond all but the most dedicated of textbook collectors. Get the library to buy a copy if it doesnt already have one and borrow it immediately.

Great Overview
This book is an absolute must if you are to be studying Cataclymsic Variable Stars. If you need to find equations on mass-radius relations or just find basic background information on close binaries, cataclysmic variable, SU UMa's, outbursts, superoutbursts, and superhumps from birth to death then this is your book. It has great cross references. This is the book of books on CV's. ... Read more

Book Description

Digital sky surveys, data from orbiting telescopes, and advances in computation have increased the quantity and quality of astronomical data by several orders of magnitude in recent years. Making sense of this wealth of data requires sophisticated statistical and data analytic techniques. Fortunately, statistical methodologies have similarly made great strides in recent years. Powerful synergies thus emerge when astronomers and statisticians join in examining astrostatistical problems and approaches. The volume focuses on several themes: ·The increasing power of Bayesian approaches to modeling astronomical data ·The growth of enormous databases, leading an emerging federated Virtual Observatory, and their impact on modern astronomical research ·Statistical modeling of critical datasets, such as galaxy clustering and fluctuations in the microwave background radiation, leading to a new era of precision cosmology ·Methodologies for uncovering clusters and patterns in multivariate data ·The characterization of multiscale patterns in imaging and time series data As in earlier volumes in this series, research contributions discussing topics in one field are joined with commentary from scholars in the other. Short contributed papers covering dozens of astrostatistical topics are also included. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (1)

Still One of the Best Books on the Subject
Often ignored, the ability to control just where a spacecraft is pointed is absolutely critical to space flight. Without such controls, the Hubble telescope doesn't point in the right direction. The spy satellites don't point at the ground and the re-entry rockets don't point you in the right direction to come home.

The first Explorer and Sputnik experiences proved that what we thought we knew about the classical analysis of Newton and others were wrong, or at least incomplete. The realities of space flight intruded into the carefully developed mathematics of classical mechanics.

This book reflects the lessons learned and gives a rigorous mathematical introduction to the dynamics of spacecraft control. This is an augmented reprint of the original edition published in 1986. ... Read more

Reviews (20)

Nonrigorous yet thorough explanation of vector calculus
This book is excellent for understanding the basics of vector calculus: divergence, curl, gradient, Stokes' Theorem, Divergence Theorem, surface integrals, etc. Most vector calculus texts gloss over the big picture of vector calculus with mathematical rigor that is usually too abstract for non-math students, preventing many from truly understanding vector calculus. Schey's book keeps the math to a minimum and makes sure the basic concepts of vector calculus are thoroughly, yet concisely, explained. The book is also nice to have as a future reference tool.

Best Intro to Vector Analysis
If you want to learn vector analysis, this is the book to get. It covers the basics of vector calculus, inlcuding surface integrals, the divergence and curl of vector fields and gradient operators, as well as Stokes and Green's Theorem. Unfortunately, there is no real material here on tensors, which would have been helpful, but for all of the hopelessly confused math, physics, and engineering students, this item is a godsend. I used it to teach myself the subject while my professors were busy confusing me. A very clear, lucid and amusing introduction. Should be required reading for aspiring engineers and physicists.

A must for engineering and science students.
If you are an undergraduate engineering or science major, then you need to get a copy of this old classic and become good friends with it. If you are a graduate student or a professional in some branch of engineering or science, and you have not already read this book, then sneak out and get a copy before anybody finds out. (You can pretend that you really knew this stuff all along.) Seriously, this book should be considered Math 101 for scientists and engineers. You simply cannot get by without knowing the basics of vector calculus, curvilinear coordinates, Gauss' law, Stokes' theorem, and of course, the protagonists Divergence, Gradient, and Curl, known to their friends as Div, Grad, and Curl.

This is about as tame a book on vector calculus as you could ever hope to meet, which is part of the reason it's been so popular for so long. It's very easy to read (as far as math texts go), it has many simple but effective illustrations, it has ample exercises (most of which have solutions in the back), and it avoids excessive formalism, instead focusing on the nuts-and-bolts of vector calculus as it most commonly arises in electrostatics, for example.

Math majors will not be so enamored of this book, simply because of its heuristic approach (hence the word "informal" in the subtitle) and its close ties with applications, which it uses as motivation. Moreover, Schey does not develop differential forms or exterior calculus, which logically subsume and extend the material in this book (at the expense of far greater abstraction, which the majority of engineering and science students will prefer to avoid or at least delay). Instructors, if you teach electrostatics or fluid dynamics, you may wish to consider having this as a supplementary text for your students. It's such a clear and helpful little book your students will really appreciate it. (But, you already knew that.)

Bottom line for engineering and science students: You need to know this material, and it simply won't get any easier than this. Don't wait for the audio edition!

Vector calculus presented from an applied approach
If you've taken (or are in the process of taking) vector calculus (whether an intro in multivariable calculus or as a class itself) this book is indispensible for support.

It's best feature is the fact that physics and engineering students can benefit from it's applied viewpoint, specifically on electric charge, potential. etc.

The title of the book is established quite well in that this book is a relatively light read and that the reader will be able to comprehend vector calculus with an understanding of why scientists use vector calc in the first place.

Overall, an excellent read with the answers to selected exercises placed in the back allow the reader to monitor learning.

Excellent book to brush up your Vector Calculus
This little book is a real gem! For a long time till I read this I had been left confused and puzzled about the physical intuition behind these ubiquitous vector operations. [btw, even today I don't claim to be a god of Vector Calculus ;)] This little book is a very handy book to flip through in such a case to clear up some of the concepts you failed to grasp during your college lectures... It keeps a good balance between providing the intuition in the form of examples from Physics [Electric Field mostly], as well as pretty-rigorous math [If not 100% hard core rigorous] as well as the geometric insight that is so necesary to appreciate the usefulness of these concepts.
The fact that it is a small volume, and the light and easy going style of it's prose makes for great positives.
The problems given at the end of each chapter are also adequately challenging.
On the whole a very nice book. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

Hear the Voices of Ancient Wisdom in the Modern Language of Science

Ancient traditions, whose only claim to authenticity is that they are old, run the risk of becoming old-fashioned. But if an ancient tradition can claim to be not only ancient but also timeless and contemporary, it has a far greater chance of convincing each new, young generation of its value. Such a claim requires that each generation’s retelling use the new metaphors of the new generation. —from Chapter 1

In our era, we often feel that we can either speak about God or think scientifically about the world, but never both at the same time. But what if we reconciled the two? How could the basic scientific truths of how the natural world came to be shape our understanding of our own spiritual search for meaning?

In this provocative fusion of religion and science, Rabbi David Nelson examines the great theories of modern physics to find new ways for contemporary people to express their spiritual beliefs and thoughts. Nelson explores cosmology, quantum mechanics, chaos theory, relativity, and string theory in clear, non-technical terms and recasts the traditional views of our ancestors in language that can be understood in a world in which space flight, atom-smashing, and black holes are common features of our metaphorical landscape.

Judaism, Physics and God reframes Judaism so that it is in harmony with the conquests of modern scientific thinking, and introduces fascinating new ways to understand your relationship with God in context of some of the most exciting scientific ideas of the contemporary world. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

finding words
Judaism Physics and God
Searching for sacred metaphors in a post Einstein World

A shema:
"THE LORD OUR GOD; THE LORD IS A SINGULARITY." (Not one;-in fact God is the big bang.)

Well worth the read. Rabbi Nelson has a very user friendly style of writing. He is able to link traditional Jewish words and motifs with today's language (scientific mindsets) of atoms and particles. Rabbi Nelson has built a very strong bridge to show where there is linkage through the passionate creative use of language-metaphors. He has also taken it one step further to give texture and depth to everyday acts. By assuming all things began at the big bang; then knowing/thinking that we all began as star dust embodies everything with holiness.

Nelson also lays out the dark side/ challenges of new scientific insights. If nothing is knowable for certain, as quantum physics states, then an all knowing God becomes an open question. Maybe the really difficult answer is that God is not all knowing. The implication of that insight for man-God relations is hard.

My only regret about the book is that the books' section on String Theory.Nelson's continued efforts at finding metaphors that reconcile our traditional language and science limit him. I would have been interested in Rabbi Nelson working with String Theory as a new challenge to both cosmology and Judaism. The harmonics of String theory and the transcendent nature of God would have been an interesting discussion.

In his next book (using the quality of this book and predictability theory) I hope Rabbi Nelson is able to address the connection between modern neurological, bio-chemistry and God in a unified religious theory......

Will be referenced a thousand years from now
This is one of the most interesting and important books on Religion and philosophy that has been published since Einstein had to reconcile his discoveries with his beliefs.

Much of Judaism (and., by extension, Christianity) operates through the use of metaphors to bring us closer to God. God is described as a Shepard, as a King, as our Father, as our Rock, and as Light, just as a few examples.By definition, a metaphor illuminates but does not fully describe-- any of us can think of what aspects of a father we would ascribe to God, and what aspects of a father (growing old and dying) we would not ascribe to God.

At one level, Rabbi Nelson in this book askswhat metaphors from physics- specifically post-Newtonian physics-- can we use to illuminate G-d? His metaphors are fascinating: to cite one example, he asks us to consider God as the Light. God is often described as "Light" in prayers.God is also described as timeless-- a thousand years is but an instant to God according to the Rabbis.Well, physics happens to describe Light as timeless as well- photons from the big bang haven't aged at all in the 15 or so billion years of it's existence.

That's the first level of the book, and by itself it is very fascinating.God as the Big Bang, God as Light, God as shaped like multi-dimensional manifolds used in string-theory.Rabbi Nelson is very careful to explain the physics at a very approachable and enjoyable level,perhaps he succeeds so well because like most of us he does not have an advanced science degree. Yet there is a deeper level to this book as well:for Judaism, indeed for Western religion to remain relevant, it has to confront and grow along with our growing understanding of reality.This is the fundamental challenge that has been presented to Religion since the dawn of the Age of Reason.Rabbi Nelson takes on the challenge --- not by attempting to prove or disprove the existence of God, but by attempting to understand God through our growing knowledge of the universe.

You do not have to agree with Rabbi Nelson's personal beliefs to learn from this book-- there's plenty here for everyone from the confirmed atheist to the most Orthodox believer. Furthermore, he sets up a framework that can--and most likely will--be used by others for generations to come.I fully believe that this book will be referenced generations from now, if not beyond.

Finally, Science and God Are Rationally Reconciled
We are all conflicted about the traditional portrayals of God and the insights of modern science.David Nelson has written a thoughtful, complete and enjoyable book that provides a fascinating and inspirational reconciliation of the two. I found my self giggling with delight at the insights David Nelson provides, and fascinated by the easy to understand explanations of such concepts as quantum science and string theory. He starts with a remarkable yet obvious question: what if God were not a third party, but rather and integral part and cause of how things happen?Not simply the designer, but rather the very operation of the system.Like Nelson, I'm not a physicist, but he was able to communicate complex concepts in easily understood terms

New level of imagination
Judaism, to me, has always offered the most imaginative expressions of God, but Rabbi David Nelson's thoughts and suggestions for new metaphors pertaining to God, based on physics and scientific discovery, brought me to an entirely new level of thought and imagination.

As a mystic, I've long been fascinated by the wonders of science, the intricate, mysterious workings of the universe, and how they deepen my mystical journey and experiences. Typically, though, I'm forced to struggle through books on physics and science and to try, usually unsuccessfully, to draw my own comparisons. Rabbi Nelson profundly tied these together for me.

Rabbi Nelson has a thorough knowledge of physics (despite his humble claims to the contrary), and he didn't set out to write a book on mysticism. His book is filled with explanations of the intricate and awe-inspiring workings of the universe.

Yet his goal and purpose clearly and unapologetically are spiritual. The metaphors we've traditionally used for God, he writes, simply no longer work for many people. We need and require new ones based on the wonders of scientific discovery. God, Rabbi Nelson writes, can never be fully described or apprehended by the intellect, and neither can the Big Bang, string theory, or quantum mechanics. So perhaps, he writes, we should tie them together metaphorically.

I could not put this book down. It's one of the most fascinating and mind-blowing suggestions of new ways to think about God that I've come across - and people of all faiths (or no faith at all) can and will be challenged by it. For me, it's a powerful example of Judaism's brilliance, playfulness and continual openness to thinking creatively and openly about the Divine.

Where science and religion join hands
Now and again a book turns up that really changes and renews the way you see things. For a while now I, like many others, have been struggling with the kind of "religious" questions that you are not encouraged, or even allowed, to ask in "religious" gatherings. I have also been wandering, awestruck, through the mysteries that the new physics is revealing about the nature of our universe, and the big questions it presents. To find these two huge issues brought together in one, superbly written book was a surprise and a delight that I never expected. I have written all over my copy, because again and again the book was drawing out responses from my own journeying and helping to clarify the most pressing religious questions.

For those who have the courage to acknowledge that the spiritual journey, like every other aspect of life, is an evolving reality, which will pose more questions than it will provide answers, and yet is the most fulfilling quest we will ever know, this book is an absolute Must Read! So, you're not a Jew? No problem! Not a scientist? No problem! This book speaks its message loud and clear, yet with genuine humility, in ways that will resonate with every spiritual tradition. It is written in engaging, clear and non-scientific language, and I have found it one of the best guides yet for my post-modern Christian journey.
... Read more