Book Description

This book provides a thorough description of the fundamentals and applications in this field. Basic concepts such as the optical and thermal properties of tissue, the various types of tissue ablation, and optical breakdown and its related effects are treated in detail. Special attention is given to mathematical tools (Monte Carlo simulations, the Kubelka--Munk theory etc.) and approved techniques (photodynamic therapy, laser-induced interstitial thermotherapy etc.). The part on applications reviews clinically relevant methods in modern medicine using the latest references. The last chapter covers today's standards of laser safety, with a careful selection of essential guidelines published by the Laser Institute of America. Numerous research photographs, illustrations, tables and comprehensive summaries make this book a useful guide for graduate students, scientists, and medical practitioners. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent book
This is an excellent book for anyone working in this field. The book covers everything from the basic theory to the latest applications. Detailed descriptions of each type of interaction mechanism and detailed references on each type of application are given. The second edition has been completely revised and updated. Highest ratings by Prof. Berns and Prof. van Gemert in their own classes. A MUST for your book shelf.

Concise and Practical
This book provides a concise review of laser-tissue interaction. It begins by introducing a brief theoretical foundation in tissue optics and moves on to describing various interaction and ablation mechanisms. The chapters are very well organized, the materials are well presented, and equations are used only when necessary. A large chapter is dedicated to introducing various medical applications of lasers in different clinical fields. The materials in this book are very suitable for scientists, engineers, and physicians involved in biomedical optics.However, since the release of this book, significant progress has been made in this area, which requires the author to substantially update information and development in the next edition. ... Read more

Book Description

This book describes the physical microenvironment of living organisms. It presents a simplified discussion of heat and mass transfer models and applies them to exchange processes between organisms and their surroundings. Emphasis is placed on teaching the student how to calculate actual transfer rates, rather than just studying the principles involved. Numerous examples are provided to illustrate many of the principles, and problems are included at the end of each chapter to help the student develop skills in using the equations and to gain an understanding of modern environmental biophysics. The book is an engineering approach to environmental biology. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

excellent and unique update in the subject
This text is an excellent companion for anybody dealing with transfers of energy and water in the biosphere, particularly at the plant-canopy level. Badly needed since the only comparable textbook is Monteith & Unsworth - a little outdated and more physically based than this one, which is more bio-oriented and includes current remote sensing use. Excellent reference, and well organized course textbook. There are some mistakes but I know of a second edition appearing this year which will correct them. ... Read more

Book Description

This highly unusual book is a serious inquiry into Schrödinger's question, "What is life?", and at the same time a celebration of life itself. It takes the reader on a voyage of discovery through many areas of contemporary physics, from non-equilibrium thermodynamics and quantum optics to liquid crystals and fractals, all necessary for illuminating the problem of life. In the process, the reader is treated to a rare and exquisite view of the organism, gaining novel insights, not only into the physics but also into "the poetry and meaning of being alive". This book is intended for all who love the subject. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A new look at life from an untraditional scientist
First of all, Mae-Wan Ho is a woman. The rest of these posts describe the author using "him" and "he," which demonstrates an unfortunate gender stereotype about scientists.

Mae-Wan Ho examines the question, "What is life?" using insights from physics, biology, and chemistry. The author is a professor and research scientist who works outside of the maintream, to say the least. She is best known for her activism against genetic engineering. Her writings take a "holistic" perspective on science; she tries to acheive understanding of the big questions (life, free will, etc) by combining ideas from many different fields.

The book is not flaky or meta-physics. It won't tell you about life energies or world consciousness. It is also not a layman's introduction to any particular established field, as many science books are. Rather, it is a new look at "life," somewhat scientifically rigorous (she is a professional researcher) but presented so that it's accessible to non-scientists. She has a chapter describing how life operates far from the theormodynamic equilibrium, which was very interesting. On the other hand, the final chapter about optics is somewhat far-fetched in my opinion. The book's ideas are generally outside of the mainstream.

All in all, it is a refreshing change from the 10023675th book about superstrings and selfish genes, for those of you who like science books. It's a short book, and worth the few hours it takes to read it. I would highly recommend it as pleasure reading for amateur science fans, or as a book that actual scientists with some time on their hands can read for a new perspective. (I myself am getting my Ph.D. at a top engineering school.) I think it will not appeal to most conservative professional scientists, who tend to reserve their respect for researchers who are experts in a small and established field.

Finally, don't worry about the equations; you can skip them and get the general idea.

A Tough Hike Over Worthy Terrain
This book is not for the faint of heart. While I made it through A Brief History of Time, and The Elegant Universe with only a few major hiccups, The Rainbow and the Worm was tough going. I'm a physician, not a physicist, and my college level calculus is very rusty. Staring down pages of equations was not easy.

That being said, this book repeatedly caused me to gaze off into space, absorbed in a totally new way of looking at an old phenomenon. I can't look at living organisms the way that I did before, and I'm indebted to Mae-Wan for this. Scientists are zeroing in on life, and while they strip away myth and mystery, they are replacing them with levels of awe at the complexity and wonder of the living world around us. Despite Ho's failure as a writer that is able to popularize difficult concepts, she is good enough to repeatedly inspire "Ah hah!" in anyone that takes the time.

Finally, I find it interesting that the first two reviewers on Amazon.com referred to Mae-Wan as a male. It robs the book of a bit of its flavor to work all the way through it not realizing that such intense and creative thought is female in origin.

Misguided Physics applied to Biology
While I admire the enthusiasm the author I was shocked by the sloppy physics.His arguments for coherent electromagnic interactions within the lossy tissues of an organism make no sense.His knowledge of quantum mechanics is,at best,that of a diletant.No doubt he has read a great deal ,but given the large number of misstatements and errors, I doubt that he has understood more than a small fraction of the serious material.On the basis of the excellent reviews of the book,(before actually reading it myself)I recommended it to two friends (physicists) who bought it. Both are angry with me.Having read it I can not recommend it to anybody.

An excellent discourse on the scientific philosophy of life.
M-W Ho begins this book with the question "What is Life?" and then states that the purpose of the book is to "keep the question alive". I believe he has creatively combined some of the deep intricies of physics (thermodynamics and quantum theory) with some fundemental biologic observations to establish an excellent framework for thinking about the nature of life. His descriptions of thermodynamics and quantum theory depend more on intuition than mathematics, and thus are accessible to non-speacialists. M-W Ho addresses observations in the atomic world, molecular world, cellular world up into the world of consciouness and civilization. This book has provided much "food for thought" concerning the deep issues of "Life" at many levels. ... Read more

Book Description

The lyotropic state of matter embraces highly concentrated solutions of soaps and detergents, as well as such biologically active substances as lipids, proteins, nucleic acids and lipopolysaccharides. Since some of the most important living lyotropic structures are biological membranes, their study is multidisciplinary, ranging from the molecular physics and physical chemistry of interfaces to living matter physics in general, and membrane biophysics in particular.
Written for liquid crystal scientists who are not familiar with lyotropics and membranes, for membranologists who are not familiar with liquid crystal physics, and for experts in these fields, this monograph presents both theory and experiment and provides an overview of the state of the art in this exciting area of study. ... Read more

Book Description

This completely revised and updated source book provides comprehensive and authoritative coverage of cell physiology and membrane biophysics. Intended primarily as a text for advanced undergraduate and graduate students and as a reference for researchers, this multidisciplinary book includes several new chapters and is an invaluable aid to scientists interested in cell physiology, biophysics, cell biology, electrophysiology, and cell signaling.

* Includes broad coverage of both animal and plant cells
* Appendices review basics of the propagation of action potentials, electricity, and cable properties ... Read more

Reviews (2)

terrible book
we had to read this book for a cell physiology class and this book is simply horrible. Unfortunately, it is the only book of its kind so our professor had to use it. The reading materials in this book consist of advanced topics in physical chemistry, engineering, physics, and biochemistry. This book should only be used as a referenced guide for professors and not as a teaching tool.

Comprehensive & authoritative textbook on cell physiol/bioph
This textbook received the CHOICE award from the Am Library Assoc as an outstanding academic book for the 1st edition in 1996 and 2nd ed in 1998. ... Read more

Book Description

Aimed at those working to enter this rapidly developing field, this volume on biological physics is written in a pedagogical style by leading scientists giving explanations that take their starting point where any physicist can follow and end at the frontier of research in biological physics. These lectures describe the state-of-the-art physics of biomolecules and cells. In biological systems ranging from single biomolecules to entire cells and larger biological systems, it focuses on aspects that require concepts and methods from physics for their analysis and understanding, such as the mechanics of motor proteins; how the genetic code is physically read and managed; the machinery of protein--DNA interactions; force spectroscopy of biomolecules' velopes, cytoskeletons, and cytoplasms; polymerization forces; listeria propulsion; cell motility; lab-on-a-chip nanotechnology for single-molecule analysis of biomolecules; bioinformatics; and coding and computational strategies of the brain. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is a lucid, straightforward introduction to the concepts and techniques of statistical physics that students of biology, biochemistry, and biophysics must know. It provides a sound basis for understanding random motions of molecules, subcellular particles, or cells, or of processes that depend on such motion or are markedly affected by it. Readers do not need to understand thermodynamics in order to acquire a knowledge of the physics involved in diffusion, sedimentation, electrophoresis, chromatography, and cell motility--subjects that become lively and immediate when the author discusses them in terms of random walks of individual particles. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

This book rocks.
If you're interested in learning the physics underlying cellular biology, then you should read this book.

The physics is pithy and the language is clear. ... Read more

Book Description

This new edition of Bioenergetics presents a clear and up-to-date explanation of the chemiosmotic theory and covers mitochondria, bacteria, and chloroplasts. It takes account of the many newly determined structures, such as ATP synthase and the two photosystems of photosynthesis, that provide molecular insight into chemiosmotic energy transduction. This edition includes additional color figures of protein structures and many newly drawn illustrations designed to enable the reader to grasp the fundamental insights that are derived from knowing the structure. Every chapter has been extensively revised and updated and a new chapter on the study of the bioenergetics of mitochondria in the intact cell is included to satisfy the enormous interest in this topic. Written for students and researchers alike, this book is the most current text on the chemiosmotic theory and membrane bioenergetics available.

Key Features
* Chapter on the study of bioenergetics of mitochondria in the intact cell
* Appendix listing protein structure resources
* Additional colour plates of protein structures
* Many newly drawn illustrations
* Website ... Read more

Book Description

This book contains the proceedings of an international hearing-research conference held in Germany 2002. The conference brought together experts in genetics, molecular and cellular biology, physiology, engineering, physics, mathematics, audiology and medicine to synthesize and extend our understanding of how the cochlea works. Topics are discussed experimentally and theoretically at the molecular, cellular and whole-organ levels. Some of the topics are: mechanosensitivity of motor proteins; mechanochemical transduction by motor proteins; mechanoelectrical transduction in the stereocilia of hair cells; electromechanical transduction in the stereocilia, soma and synapses of hair cells; multidimensional vibration of the organ of Corti; and otoacoustic emissions. This book will be invaluable to researchers and students in auditory science. ... Read more

Book Description

Incorporating dramatic recent advances, this textbook presents a fresh and timely introduction to modern biophysical methods. An array of new, faster and structurally higher-resolving power biophysical methods now enables scientists to examine the examination of the mysteries of life at a molecular level. So students and researchers alike need to know the technological details behind the latest methods so they can choose appropriate tools and make optimal use of them. This innovative text surveys and explains the ten key biophysical methods, including those related to biophysical nanotechnology, scanning probe microscopy, X-ray crystallography, ion mobility spectrometry, mass spectrometry, and proteomics. Containing much information previously unavailable in tutorial form, Methods in Modern Biophysics employs worked examples and more than 260 illustrations to fully detail the techniques and their underlying mechanisms. The book was written for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, researchers, lecturers and professors in biophysics, biochemistry, general biology and related fields. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Lots of novel methods!
The book presents a lot of novel methods, in particular those related to biophysical nanotechnology and microwave technologies, that cannot be found in other textbooks.

A necessary guide for biophysics/biochemistry students
This is an outstanding overview of the entire field of biophysics methods. The textbook presents the most important biophysics topics including fascinating biophysical nanotechnology and proteomics methods. The author uses lots of figures and does a marvelous job describing complex issues in fairly easy to comprehend terms. It is fun to read this book.

A fantastic textbook for Biophysics
This is a fantastic textbook on biophysics methods and techniques. I found it particularly useful for those who are theoreticians and computer modelers. As a theoretical biophysicist, I work on protein folding, protein structure prediction and ligand-receptor binding studies, and I was constantly looking for a book which contains all important and up-to-date experimental methods and techniques to better understand our experimental colleagues' work. Now I found it! If you are also looking for a book for introductory as well as advanced topics in biophysics methods, this book might be the one you are looking for. It essentially covers all the new and important subjects of this field. I found the chapters about proteomics, ion mobility spectrometry, and mass spectrometry, particularly interesting. I will try to include some of the material in the course "Biophysical Chemistry"(a graduate level course) that I am co-teaching, and I will strongly recommend this book to those who are interested in biophysics.

Inspiring, Informative, Useful.
Read this book before you start PhD program! Wish I have had this book earlier. Inspires you to aim higher than you might have otherwise attempted.

Great books for a quick overview of biophysical methods!
I have long looked for a book that gave me a summary of existing modern technologies for biophysical studies. This book offers a comprehensive overview of a wide variety of methods ranging from traditional methods such as X-ray to current state of art techniques such as microarrays. The methods are clearly described by many schematic figures. It is easy to read. The book also provides a comprehensive list of references for further details. It is highly recommended for anyone working in biophysics. ... Read more

Book Description

The influence of light on the lives of living organisms is all-pervasive, affecting movement, vision, behavior, and physiological activity. This book is a biophysically grounded comparative survey of how animals detect light and perceive their surroundings. Included are discussions of photoreceptors, light emitters, and eyes.The book focuses in particular on the kinds of optical systems that have evolved, beginning with unicellular organisms that detect and respond to light through to more advanced and complex designs for imaging. The relevance of these studies extends beyond biology, since these findings can be used to help develop photoreceptor energy conversion and information systems, and optical imaging devices with a wide range of everyday applications.The book will appeal to biophysicists, photobiologists, bioengineers, neuroscientists, and all researchers working in the area of vision and visual optics. visual optics. ... Read more

Book Description

The Handbook of Ion Sources delivers the data needed for daily work with ion sources. It also gives information for the selection of a suitable ion source and ion production method for a specific application.The Handbook concentrates on practical aspects and introduces the principle function of ion sources. The basic plasma parameters are defined and discussed. The working principles of various ion sources are explained, and examples of each type of ion source are presented with their operational data. Tables of ion current for various elements and charge states summarize the performance of different ion sources.The problems related to the production of ions of non-gaseous elements are detailed, and data on useful materials for evaporation and ion source construction are summarized. Additional chapters are dedicated to extraction and beam formation, ion beam diagnosis, ion source electronics, and computer codes for extraction, acceleration, and beam transport. Emittance and brilliance are described and space charge effects and neutralization discussed. Various methods for the measurement of current, profile, emittance, and time structure are presented and compared. Intensity limits for these methods are provided for different ion energies.Typical problems related to the operation of ion source plasmas are discussed and practical examples of circuits are given. The influence of high voltage on ion source electronics and possibilities for circuit protection are covered. The generation of microwaves and various microwave equipment are described and special problems related to microwave operation are summarized.The Handbook of Ion Sources is a valuable reference on the subject, of benefit to practitioners and graduate students interested in accelerators, ion implantation, and ion beam techniques. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

This volume provides a comprehensive introduction to the common scientific laws of both the natural and engineered worlds.As well as straightforward engineering design and biology, it also features mathematics, physics, chemistry, thermodynamics, biomimetics, medical engineering and history of science.The individual chapters are intended to be personal ‘flashes’ of illumination, combining authority, inspiration and state-of-the-art knowledge. ... Read more

Book Description

"This book explains modern medical technologies and their underlying basic physical principles.Topics include applications of lasers in surgery and cancer therapy, ultrasound imaging, x-ray and nuclear medicine imaging, computed tomography (CT) scans, radiation therapy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Specific medical applications include: colon cancer screening, arthroscopic knee surgery, laser eye surgery, dermatological laser surgery, virtual reality applications in medicine, obstetrical and cardiovascular ultrasound, mammography, osteoporosis screening, cancer radiation therapy, and MRI brain scans.Each chapter includes worked examples, homework problems and questions; an instructor's solutions manual is available from the author. The book will be of interest for those using various technologies in modern medicine.It will also be an invaluable source for undergraduate physics majors as well as for allied health students.It can also be used as a supplementary text for introductory physics courses for premedical students." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Extensive coverage without needing deep background
Increasingly in medicine, tools or techniques based on advances in physics have been making their mark. A problem that then arises is how to educate health professionals and students in this area about the basic physical principles behind these advances. Kane does a nice job of tackling the problem.

You don't need a degree in physics, or a heavy mathematical background to benefit from this text.

The idea behind lasers, and how they are used in surgery - from dermatology to retinal corrections to internal surgery - are clearly explained.

Of course, MRI and PET principles are covered, with the reader getting some appreciation of the immense computing power needed to obtain even the simplest images.

Even the century-old Xrays are explained. Though here one might imagine that there must be many existing texts with excellent discussions of this. But Xrays are included in this text for completeness. ... Read more

Book Description

Compiling twenty articles on the nature of life and on the objective of the natural sciences, this remarkable book complements Robert Rosen´s groundbreaking Life Itself -a work that influenced a wide range of philosophers, biologists, linguists, and social scientists. Breaking free from the constraints of reductionist reasoning, which maintains that simple, empirical mechanisms are the basis of all life, the renowned biophysicist tackles a remarkable range of subjects that will stimulate similarly far-reaching audiences. In Essays on Life Itself, Rosen takes to task the central objective of the natural sciences, calling into question the attempt to create objectivity in a subjective world. The book opens with an exploration of the interaction between biology and physics, unpacking Schrödinger´s famous text What Is Life? and revealing the shortcomings of the notion that artificial "intelligence" can truly replicate life. Rosen also challenges the paradox of the brain as organism and the receptacle of scientific reasoning. Elegantly rounding out his argument, the author reflects on the quandary of side effects, moments when science confronts unpredicted outgrowths of a process thought to be reduced to a system. An intriguing enigma links all of the essays: How can science explain the unpredictable? As a century defined by extraordinary scientific progress draws to a close, Essays on Life Itself is a critical work that asks readers to reconsider what we have learned and where science can lead us in the years to come. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Powerful critique, but ...
This book is a powerfil critique of reductionist and/or simulation (modeling) approach to mind/body problem, and "what is life" question. Rosen builds his case against Church Thesis, arguing that contemporary mathematical and, more generally, scientific rigor, which bans impredicative loops from scientific discource, would not allow us to build what he calls "new science", which is needed to account for life and consciousness.

More than once he mentiones Goedel Theorem, as well as various paradoxes, encountered by science over the centuries, emphasizing the fact, that they all are directly related to the impossibility to draw definite border between an observer and her subject (not just in quantum physics).

Although the book was very interesting for me, i felt that some essays essentially repeated the material, already covered in other parts of the same book. Also, this "new science", which Rosen thought is needed to deal with open systems, is never really described in any way, so we are left with critique only.

I am not sure i fully agree with Rosen's view of the Turing Test, which he only sees as a simulation approach to the mind (intelligence) problem. My understanding is that Turing Test should be rather understood in the "observer/subject" context, meaning that the participant makes a judgement, being, at the same time, fully incorporated into the system.

In one of the essays Rosen says: "If somebody wants to call this 'vitalism' - then ... so be it." With no constructive theory in site it's a bit like this, to my understanding.

Profound.....Utterly Profound
This collection of essays, along with Rosen's other book _Life Itself_, are mandatory reading for any scientist or any astute layperson interested in biology, physics or philosophy of science.

Rosen was a very insightful and technically capable theoretical biologist. His work - first as a student of physicist and theoretical biologist Nicholas Rashevsky, and later as professor emeritus at Dalhousie - is unquestionably of the level of importance of Einstein's Special/General Theory of Relativity, or Godel's Incompleteness Theorems. This is a grand claim to make, but once you read Rosen's work, you will see for yourself.

These are not the easiest books to read, despite Rosen's excellent writing skills. The difficulty is two-fold. First and foremost, the new concepts and paradigms presented are of such breadth and profundity that it can take several readings to begin to fully grasp them adequately. Secondly, Rosen is mathematically (and otherwise) quite astute. The reader will encounter to some degree: category theory, topology, catastrophe theory (Rosen dedicates a chapter on genericity in _Essays_ to Rene Thom), differential equations, dynamical systems, Godel, Church-Turing, as well as philosophical topics of epistemology, ontology, and foundations of biology, mathematics and physics.

This should not, however, deter even the non-professional. Particularly in _Life Itself_, Rosen progresses carefully and patiently, even including a short intro to Category Theory. One can gloss over some of the math and still garner most of the insights from the text alone. _Essays_ utilizes a wider range of math skills, since that book covers a broader range of topics, but it is still quite accessible to the careful and astute reader.

In _Life Itself_, Rosen was investigating the question posed by Erwin Shrodinger originally in his 1943 lecture "What is Life?". Rosen's search led him to peel back in careful detail the foundations of Newtonian mechanics and reveal the underlying tacit assumptions of a state/phase-based physics and the repercussions for science in general, and biology in particular.

By setting aside state/phase-based physics, Rosen then proceeded to layout the groundwork for an atemporal relational biology based on functional organization and to methodically investigate the theoretical limits of mechanistic systems, including along the way: simulation, Turing machines, and the epistemology and ontology of such systems. The distinction eventually becomes clear that any such algorithmic mechanisms cannot embody the kinds of impredicative complexity that are characteristic of an organism. Because the syntax of Newtonian physics can express no such closed loops of entailment, "life" cannot even be described in that model of physics, much less modeled in any complete way. Thus it is that biological organisms are not a mere subset of current physics, but are representative of complexities that require physics to be enlarged.

In _Essays on Life Itself_, Rosen uses his considerable abilities across a broad spectrum of topics to continue the ideas from _Life Itself_. It is difficult to describe how topics as diverse as the assumptions of Pythagoras, the Turing test, universal unfoldings, morphogenesis, mind-brain problem, and more can be in the same book. Mostly, they all in one way or another accomplish one task: to look beyond the limits of how a problem is currently being viewed, and to see it from a larger perspective. Often, these perspectives take Rosen into terrain others would avoid, since they sometimes lead into the non-algorithmic / noncomputable, or the breakdown of the presumed subject-object division, or other kinds of "messy" scenarios.

Often they lead into "complex systems", where Rosen uses the word "complex" to define a certain class of systems - those systems have symptoms of being: impredicative, non-algorithmic, context-dependent, semantic, nonformalizable. This classification is not a desire for obfuscation or ineffability, but is as rigorous as the nonformalizability of Number Theory or the unsolvability in closed form of the n-body problem. It is a complexity akin to the size of a transfinite number: it is not simply a matter of merely being hugely complicated, it is rather an entirely different order of system structure.

However, guided by Rosen, one does not feel uneasy following his path. Rather one feels enriched both in knowledge and in paradigm. Distinguishing the broader generic case from the degenerate or special is a characteristic theme in Rosen. The unfamiliar terrain he argues to is thus not some void, but a grander scale that subsumes the orthodox view.

In that grander view, it may become more clear that some problems are based on incorrect assumptions, while some are more difficult or complex than in the more limited original view. However, it is apparent that Rosen is uninterested in making problems appear simpler by ignoring those difficulties - he is interested in where the science leads. It is an immensely richer, complex view of the physical world that one comes away with. As such, it presents some difficult challanges, but it also opens up vast opportunities - opportunities not visible in the neat and tidy fantasy model of science that generally prevails where it is assumed that with enough effort everything can be reduced or calculated.

Rosen writes deliberately and with precision, and is both a critical and a profound thinker. I hope that he one day receives the recognition and admiration he rightfully deserves.

Groundbreaking Part II...
This collection of papers and presentations, published posthumously, is a companion to Rosen's earlier books "Life Itself" and "Anticipatory Systems: Philosophical, Mathematical and Methodological Foundations". This is probably the most accessible of his work to those without a fairly solid mathematical background. Not that this should prevent people from reading the earlier work since there are many sections that will be quite clear; I just feel that unfortuntely the crucial points of "Life Itself" might be lost due to the seeming technical nature of the explanation.

This is truly paradigm-shifting, moreso than anything else you are likely to read about in science. The Sante Fe crowd such as Stuart Kauffman obviously did not even grasp what Rosen was talking about when they met back in 1994 and that is even more tragic. So much time has been wasted with such money-wasters like the genome mapping fiasco when it could have been going into exploring new axioms for science.

For you see, this is what Rosen so eloquently points out in his work: the present axioms of science are much too limiting to explain anything we really would like to know about the universe. It is very interesting to see that Rosen grasped the implications of what also caught Einstein and Schrodinger's attention: the problem of inertial and gravitational mass. Rosen also points out the myriad of other areas where science has been busy putting band-aid after band-aid on the present set of theories to try to make them predict real phenomena.

For this is the problem with the present-day paradigms: they are only useful for predicting the N+1 state for some dead (and therefore uninteresting) mechanistic universe. The evidence has been staring us in the face for quite a while and I am not sure why Rosen should have been the first to analyze where the problems lie; it is even more surprising why his work appears to be so little known.

I also like the fact that this book is much more polished than his previous work. The index is mostly complete and there is also a list of references. I didn't note very many editorial erros and the language is quite friendly. This is a very high-quality science book and I suspect the first editions will be going for large prices in about 20 years when the "establishment" finally figures out where they went wrong.

Buy this and read it. And read it again. Then wonder why we are rushing pell-mell to "engineer" the world when we don't understand it at all.

Answers: Why is the whole is more than the sum of its parts
Robert Rosen died in December of 1998 after a long bout with diabetes and its complications. He left a significant quantity of unpublished notes and had this book in the publication process. His last "writings" were hand done on paper with great effort due to extensive peripheral neuropathy. It was a mixed blessing to be among the first to read his last works both this manuscript and the next, unfinished one. I am saddened by our loss even as I feel his presence through his writings.

Bob was an eloquent speaker and reading this set of essays is almost as good as hearing him in person. The essays were written to be published in a number of places, usually as invited talks, yet they may as well have been set down to be a book from the start. There is a thread of continuity that makes this the case. In addition, even though I had read many of the essays as they appeared earlier, their juxtaposition in this volume proves that "the whole is more than the sum of its parts"!

His stated purpose of this collection is to, in a sense, "flesh out" arguments in Life Itself (LI) that had to be short or even omitted for what might be called "logistic" reasons. In my opinion the essays do that at least. In LI he began with a caveat with which I am totally sympathetic. He warned the reader that he was weaving a very intricate cloth with a single linear thread and therefore much was being laid upon the reader's shoulders. My own experience is that it took numerous readings to begin to see how the weave was manifest. Once there, things fell into place more and more quickly, yet still a lot more was required because the design is so highly interconnected and rich in levels of meaning. I hope this book of essays will spare others that struggle. It will never be my place to evaluate that possibility since I can never go back.

The first part deals with the relationship of biology and physics within science, which can sound like an innocent enough topic until one understands that it is a revolutionary view.

Underlying it all is the common notion that physics is the source of all scientific laws and that chemistry and biology somehow must utilize physics to be scientific. Rosen rejects this notion and thereby opens a Pandora's Box. He uses the now more than fifty year old essay by Schrödinger, What is Life? as a springboard to the revealing argument about biology's more generic character in comparison to physics. As he does this he develops his notion of complexity as a description of this more generic view promoted by biology in contrast to the kind of "simple systems" which are the subject matter of physics. None of this should sound new to anyone who has read his earlier work, especially Life Itself, except for the new connections and new depths to which the arguments are taken. The result is a more solid whole than ever before

His introduction to this part of the book is worth having here to get a flavor for where he is going: "I claim that Gödelian noncomputability results are a symptom, arising within mathematics itself, indicating that we are trying to solve problems in too limited a universe of discourse." This is a nice capsule version of Rosen's message. If nothing else comes from his writings, this alone should change everyone who understands the message.

The book develops this theme along with the idea that science has limited itself unnecessarily. It created a surrogate world and then insisted that any observations about the real world not compatible with this model were "unscientific". The consequences are many and he explores them systematically. Whether you agree or disagree, an honest reading will require you to re-examine your beliefs.

A wonderful collection of essays
Dr. Rosen was a great man and this collection of essays follows on a number of foundational and classic works. The essays expand on, and clarify, a number of key issues that are present throughout Rosen's work. These include the Church-Pythagoras thesis, the mind-body problem, reductionism, syntatics and semantics, and biology and technology.

My main contribution to what has already been said in other reviews is to note that this work might be best viewed as a complement to Rosen's earlier work, Life Itself. Or, said differently, it might be best to read Life Itself first (if you haven't already). These are very complex topics that are explained from the standpoint of biology and mathematics and those without a previous foundation in Rosen's work--as I was when I bought this book--may find they have to establish that foundation first. ... Read more

Book Description

Intended for undergraduate courses in physics for students in biological physics, life sciences, biophysics, physiology, medical physics, and biomedical engineering, this book is an introduction to electricity and magnetism with examples and problems from the medical and biological sciences; it covers standard topics of electrostatic fields and potentials, electric currents, electrochemistry and bioelectricity, and electromagnetism.

This new edition of a classic set of books, originally published in 1974 from the authors' typescript, has been edited, updated, corrected, indexed, and typeset. It will satisfy the growing need for a working knowledge of the physical sciences among students and practitioners in the medical and biological sciences. The books can be used as supplements to standard introductory physics courses, as texts for medical schools, medical physics courses, and biology departments, and as a reference for practitioners.Chapters include problems and references.

The authors are recognized experts in the field. Benedek was the recipient of the 1995 Irving Langmuir Prize from the American Physical Society's Division of Chemical Physics, and the 1994 Biological Physics Prize from the American Physical Society.

FROM THE REVIEWS:

PHYSICS TODAY "These are classic books, and anyone planning to include bio-physical examples in a calculus-level course should study them carefully...The authors are to be congratulated for their work, and I commend AIP Press and Springer-Verlag for making the books available again." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

author's comments
I am the author of the book, so please excuse the 5 stars. The purpose of this note is to let anyone who is interested know that I have a web site, morpheus.hartford.edu/~goldick. On the site I maintain a list of errors and re-writes for the book. They are listed by date and by page. I hope that this is useful to all who are using the book.

I would very much appreciate comments about the book from any reader and also notification of errors.

There is an instructor's manual available from the publisher. ... Read more

Book Description

This interdisciplinary introductory text covers topics in physics as they apply to the life sciences, specifically medicine, physiology, nursing and other applied health fields.
Physics for Biology and Medicine, Second Edition is a concise introductory paperback that surveys and relates basic physics to living systems. It discusses biological systems that can be analyzed quantitatively and how advances in the life sciences have been aided by physical or engineering analysis. Applicable courses are Biophysics and Applied Physics

* Provides many practical techniques for applying knowledge of physics to the study of living systems
* Explains the operation of modern medical devices such as Computerised Axial Tomography (CAT) scans and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in simple understandable terms
* Presents material in a straightforward manner requiring very little background in physics or biology
* Includes many figures, examples, and illustrative problems
* Includes appendices which provide convenient access to the most important concepts of mechanics, electricity, and optics ... Read more