Reviews (4)

Beginners Start
Being new to LabVIEW this book was a great help in learning. It starts with the basics and step through each phase. Excellent for any LabVIEW user.

A great book for a novice trying to become more proficient.
I had read all of the manuals that came with LabVIEW, but still needed something more to get me over the initial learning curve; something to answer the "Why should I do it that way?" questions .vs. the "Here's how to do it." The latter part of "LabVIEW for Everyone" did just that, in addition to providing more detail in how to perform basic operations.

Provides enough information to get started
Gives excellent overview and lets you see the potential of the software.

Good starting resource - lots of examples
I've been programming data acquisition systems for a long time and was daunted by the scope of learning yet another programming language. LabView product literature seemed difficult to understand. But, with the help of LabView for Everyone, I got into the project quickly and get results immediately. The book is easy to read, sometimes cutsey, but filled with good examples that work! They point out pitfalls, problem areas, and provide examples of how-to for many situations (for example, why the wires are different colors and sizes; common errors that result from broken wires, and so forth). Their examples were invaluable for getting my project done in a reasonable amount of time. I'd strongly recommend this book for people faced with getting going with LabView. I developed my project typing with one hand and leafing through this book with the other. I guess it saved me 4 weeks of work. That alone makes it worth the price, several-fold. ... Read more

Book Description

Methods in Cell-Matrix Adhesion contains integrated coverage on cell-matrix adhesion methods. It brings the classical methodologies and the latest techniques together in one concise volume.This coverage includes experimental protocols and their conceptual background for all aspects of cell-matrix adhesion research: the extracellular matrix, adhesion receptors, and the growing number of functional applications of matrix-adhesion in molecular cell biology. Also covered is the purification of the extracellular matrix to functional analyses of cellular responses. ... Read more

Book Description

There is intense public interest in the role of universities as a source of science-based innovations. To increase our understanding of this role, this book compares the economic effects of university research in the United States and Japan--countries similar in economic and technological capabilities but different in culture, tradition, and institutional structure. Incorporating historical, sociological, and industrial perspectives, the book discusses both the mechanics of university-industry interactions and how policies encouraging such interactions can address regional and national needs.

Some of the results of this comparative study are surprising. For example, contrary to common assumptions, collaboration between individual faculty members and colleagues in industry appears to be as high in Japan as it is in the United States. It also becomes clear that it is the pace of technological change, more than government incentives, that puts universities in the position of driving the most exciting areas of business growth. Finally, although universities are vital to the networks that lead to innovation-based growth, experience in both Japan and the United States suggests that policies aimed at transforming economically depressed areas through the promotion of university-based ventures are difficult to implement when the environment for economic transformation is weak.

Contributors: Lewis M. Branscomb, Amy B. Candell, Y. T. Chien, Henry Etzkowitz, Irwin Feller, Richard Florida, Michael S. Fogarty, Gerald Hane, Takehiko Hashimoto, Adam B. Jaffe, Sumio Kakinuma, Shingo Kano, Robert Kneller, Fumio Kodama, Hiroto Kotake, Josh Lerner, David C. Mowery, Masamitsu Negishi, Richard R. Nelson, Fujio Niwa, Hiroyuki Odagiri, Seiritsu Ogura, Yoshiyuki Ohtawa, Kenneth Pechter, Bhaven N. Sampat, Amit Sinha, Sheryl Winston Smith, Yuan Sun, Katsuya Tamai, Shinichi Yamamoto, Mariko Yoshihara, Arvids Ziedonis. ... Read more

Book Description

Southern Illinois Univ., Carbondale. Introductory textbook designed for those entering the field. Previous edition: c1992. Covers important aspects of electron microscopy from a biological perspective. Assumes minimal experience in physics and mathematics. Includes over 200 new line drawings and micrographs and a new chapter on digital imaging and image analysis. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent EM primer
I actually had the opportunity to receive instruction from Prof. Bozzola in both Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), and acquired the book for those reasons. It is not common to find even a textbook with such well-detailed instructions from beginning level to advanced for a myriad of topics in the field. Of course, there is a very significant focus on biological applications, so some portions of the book are not entirely relevant to materials science folks like myself. This book covers the basics of optics, sample preparation, imaging, photography and film developing, and specifics about both TEMs and SEMs. This book is a very good investment for anyone intending to perform work with such instruments.

If you are learning EM you must have this book...
This is a great book for those entering the field of EM study. It takes you step by step through both SEM and TEM sample prep and analysis. It is packed with helpful pictures and diagrams. It will be a book you will refer to for methodology and protocal from fixation to sectioning...I really love this book. ... Read more

Book Description

A practical introduction to basic theory and contemporary applications across a wide range of research disciplines

Over the past two decades, scanning probe microscopies and spectroscopies have gained acceptance as indispensable characterization tools for an array of disciplines. This book provides novices and experienced researchers with a highly accessible treatment of basic theory, alongside detailed examples of current applications of both scanning tunneling and force microscopies and spectroscopies.

Like its popular predecessor, Scanning Probe Microscopy and Spectroscopy, Second Edition features contributions from distinguished scientists working in a wide range of specialties at university, commercial, and government research labs around the world. Chapters have been edited for clarity, conciseness, and uniformity of presentation to provide professionals with a concise working reference to scanning probe microscopic and spectroscopic principles, techniques, and practices.

This Second Edition has been substantially revised and expanded to reflect important advances and new applications. In addition to numerous examples, the Second Edition features expanded coverage of electrostatic and magnetic force microscopies, near-field optical microscopies, and new applications of buried interfaces in nanomechanics, electrochemistry, and biology.

Scanning Probe Microscopy and Spectroscopy, Second Edition is an indispensable working resource for surface scientists, microscopists, and spectroscopists in materials science, chemistry, engineering, biochemistry, physics, and the life sciences. It is also an unparalleled reference text for advanced undergraduates and graduate students in those fields. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A good reference on STM
This book mainly focus on STM. However, it doesn't cover much on AFM. The use of AFM has become increasingly popular in recent years in research investigation in various areas, including cell biology, DNA research, material science, nanotechnology, and so on. The editor may consider include detailed discussion on AFM in next edition (if any). ... Read more

Book Description

From the bestselling author of Fermat's Last Theorem, the story of a group of scientists who set out to finish what Einstein started

Can two particles become inextricably linked, so that a change in one is instantly reflected in its counterpart, even if a universe separates them?Albert Einstein's work suggested it was possible, but it was too bizarre, and too contrary to how we then understood space and time, for him to prove.No one could.Until now.

Entanglement tells the astounding story of the scientists who set out to complete Einstein's work.With accesible language and a highly entertaining tone, Amir Aczel shows us a world where the improbable-from unbreakable codes to teleportation-becomes possible. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Not quite what I was looking for.
I should begin by saying that I was expecting (or hoping for) a different book, though perhaps from the other book by Aczel that I have read (Mystery of the Aleph), my expectations were probably misplaced. The book that I was hoping for would have been much more technical, though given the fact that only a handful of equations appeared in the book at all, this would not be difficult), and one that would explain what this entanglement thing is, or at least provide arguments for some of the prevailing theories.

What this book did provide, though, was a brief account of the history of entanglement as a controversial physical concept. I first encountered entanglement while doing some studies in quantum computation, and my studies were on the computer science/mathematical side, which basically meant that entanglement was a given, and it never really occurred to me that there would have been much controversy --- in retrospect, this was quite naive of me. By going through the breakthroughs made by many physicists over the passed century, Aczel was able to bring light to the fact that while science textbooks state principles as undeniable truths, doing science and interpreting science are more akin to a somewhat political struggle. For this reason, there is much to commend this book.

However, a great shortcomming is the length. The book is divided into 20 chapters with an average length of about 12 short pages. Most chapters have a two-fold purpose --- to introduce and give a brief biographical sketch (leaning more towards intellectual development) of someone involved in the history of entanglement, and also to explain briefly what that person did. Due to the length, it is impossible to provide much detail of either the person(s) introduced or how the result fits into the overall development of our understanding of the quantum world. The only results that seemed to permeate the book were the paper by Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen which introduced the concept as an argument against quantum physics, and John Bell's theorem which provided a theoretical mechanism to determine whether Einstein or quantum physics is correct.

After reading this book, I am looking forward to going through more books listed in the References, in the hopes of finding the book I want.

I cannot rate this book .
I simply suspect it is retitled, earlier edition of "Entanglement-the Greatest Mystery in Physics" by the same author, and I have given it 3 stars. It should be stated by the publisher. Not the best book. Victor Stenger's "Timeless Reality" is my choice on these subjects.

Pretty good stuff
Excellent history showing how much of the quantum weirdness was discovered. I really enjoyed the personal stories of the scientists that made these discoveries. However, not enough detail was given when it came to EPR and how the results pointed to non-local reality. Otherwise, it was a great read and well worth the money! ... Read more

Book Description

There are numerous professionals who are interested in doingresearch but who may not have had much statistical training as part of theirformal education.This book addresses the needs of the "mathematicallychallenged" in ways no other statistics book does. Most statistics books arewritten for people who teach statistics, not those who want to learn to usestatistics in order to read, understand, and conduct research. KEYTOPICS: Written for those with little mathematical background, this bookfocuses on teaching students how to select and conduct appropriate statisticaltests to answer research questions. This book does not assume a lot of priorknowledge, nor does it assume readers will know what kind of tests to perform.Written in with an engaging tone, this book is for anyone - fromteachers to nurses, from social workers to managers - who needs to know thebasics of researching and analyzing data. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent textbook for behavioral science statistics.
This book presents statistics in a very non-threatening manner. It clearly provides both the how and the why of statistics for the behavioral sciences. The author has included "tips" throughout each unit that highlight important concepts that help focus the student's understanding of the topic. Each new procedure is followed by a well conceived example. ... Read more

Book Description

How do you crack nuts with a piece of string? Reverse gravity? Cobble together a clock out of a coffee cup, a soda bottle, and some water? Use a vacuum cleaner and nineteenth-century railroad technology to fashion a makeshift bazooka that can launch paper projectiles? Create a rainbow in a block of Jello? This is a one-volume romp through a whole array of counterintuitive science experiments that require little more than common household items and a sense of curiosity. Prepare to have your surprise sensors on overload as Neil Downie stretches math, physics, and chemistry to do what they have never done before.

This book describes twenty-nine unusual but practical experiments, detailing how they are done and the math and physics behind them. It will delight both casual and inveterate tinkerers. Of varying levels of complexity, the experiments are grouped in sections covering a wide field of physics and the borders of chemistry, ranging from dynamic mechanics (''Kinetic Curiosities'') to electricity (''Antediluvian Electronics'') and combustion (''Infernal Inventions''). The chapters are titillatingly titled, from ''Twisted Sinews'' and ''Mole Radio'' to ''A Symphony of Siphons'' and ''Tornado Transistor.'' More-detailed explanations, along with simple mathematical models using high-school level math, are given in boxes accompanying each experiment.

Armchair scientists will welcome this edifying and entertaining alternative to idleness, not least for the buoyant prose, enriched by historical and literary anecdotes introducing each topic. With this book in hand, tinkerers, whether dabblers in science or devotees, students or teachers, need never again wonder how to impress friends, the judges at the science fair, and, not least, themselves.

... Read more

Reviews (2)

The bazooka is a good experiment
I enjoyed the book, but so far the only experiment we've done is the vacuum bazooka, for which I recommend using a wet vac and small water balloons as ammo.

Interesting Book
I've only had this book for a few days, but have found the projects unusual and offbeat. For the most part, they are not a rehash of old science projects. They are well described and each one has a good description of the science and math behind them. The illustrations are not overly detailed, but they do the job quite well. I found it a little odd that the description of what the project is about is separated from the chapter on the project. The summaries of what is interesting about the projects and simply what they do is in the front of the book. If you open to a project within the book, you'll wonder what the real appeal of the project is until you go to the front of the book.

The author is quite a tinkerer and at least one of the project toys is patented. I believe a few others are heading toward patents.

Several projects require access to a small amount of Mecanno (or Erector) set parts. These companies almost do not exist it the U.S. any longer. However, Brio recently started distributing Erector sets again. I'm sure one could find substitutes for the Mecanno parts at a local hardware store or maybe even make them. ... Read more

Book Description

The emergence of genomics, the study of genes, is one of the major scientific revolutions of this century. Microarrays, a method used to analyze numerous DNA samples rapidly, enables scientists to make sense of this mountain of data using statistical analysis. They are being used in such areas of biomedical research as studying patterns for gene activity that cause cancers to spread. This book presents a comprehensive methodology for analyzing DNA microarray and protein array data.
The most comprehensive treatment of this important emerging field, Exploration and Analysis of DNA Microarray and Protein Array Data includes:
A review of basic molecular biology and a chapter introducing microarrays and their preparation
Chapters on processing scanned images, preprocessing microarray data, group comparative experiments, and other designs
Discussions of clustering, protein arrays, and applications for diagnostic tools
Ample exercises assist absorbtion ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent!
This book provides an excellent overview of various methods in DNA microarray analysis. ... Read more

Book Description

Introduction to Bioinformatics by Arthur Lesk is a timely and much-needed textbook which provides an accessible and thorough introduction to a subject which is becoming a fundamental part of biological science today. As a pioneer of the use of bioinformatics techniques in research, Dr Lesk brings unrivalled experience and expertise to the study of this field. The aim of the book is to generate an understanding of the biological background of bioinformatics, and to integrate this with an introduction to the use of computational skills. Without describing computer science or sophisticated programming skills in detail, the book supports and encourages the application of the many powerful computational tools of bioinformatics in a way that is both relevant to and stimulating for the reader. The book contains numerous problems and innovative Weblems (for Web-based Problems) to encourage students to engage with the subject and with the accompanying web site and to develop a working understanding and appreciation of the power of bioinformatics as a research tool. ... Read more

Book Description

This best-selling classic tells the story of one of the world's greatest scientific adventures. Jane Goodall was a young secretarial school graduate when the legendary Louis Leakey chose her to undertake a landmark study of chimpanzees in the wild. In the Shadow of Man is an absorbing account of her early years at Gombe Stream Reserve, telling us of the remarkable discoveries she made as she got to know the chimps and they got to know her. This paperback edition, illustrated with 80 photographs, includes an introduction by Stephen Jay Gould and a postscript by Goodall.During Goodall's forty years of studying chimpanzees, she has become one of the world's most honored scientists. She tells of the later years in THROUGH A WINDOW, also available in Mariner paperback. AFRICA IN MY BLOOD: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN LETTERS tells the story, through her letters, of childhood through the early years at Gombe. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

An extraordinary account - even decades later
IN THE SHADOW OF MAN, first published in 1971, remains one of the most extraordinary observations of chimpanzee behavior in the wild. Goodall begins with the story of how she arrived in Africa and her first days there, but wisely switches the attention from herself to the endangered chimpanzees she studies. She not only recognizes individuals but learns their distinctive personalities, describing in compelling detail the smallest of moments that illuminate who these great animals are. Unlike most scientists of the time, Goodall documents emotions and complex political behavior, the social hierarchy and parenting abilities, the aggression and the bonds formed between chimps that can only be described as friendships. In eloquent prose, Goodall tells the stories of these chimps - most notably that of Flo and her family - and will forever change the way you view chimpanzees.

The book contains several black and white photographs of the chimps, a real treat after getting to "know" these chimps in writing.

If you have any interest at all in primates or in animals generally, this is a must-have book.

A classic and entertaining, but not for everyone
Jane Goodall wrote the book on contemporary ethology (the study of animals in the native habitats), literally, but not everyone will enjoy it. It is full of anecdotes from Goodall's life in Africa during the first few decades of the ethology experiment that shocked the scientific community with its informality and enthralled the world with its endearing stories. The reader becomes entranced in the saga of Jane's pitfalls and triumphs, and later is deeply affected by the chimpanzee society and its eerie parallels to that of man. But the reader of which I speak is interested in science, in animal behavior, in the story of a young girl jeered by those who never thought she could make it, in the story of a young girl who almost believed them, in the story of a woman who never did, and whose life, and that of man's closest relative, as well as the world scientific community and the environment as a whole, were changed forever. And, fascinating as the human story is, one must be able to dig the animal story as well, and all the way through the book, which is not long to one who does. Conclusion? Excellent in every respect, but if biology class turned you cold from the start, you might not make it through all 304 pages. Otherwise, get the book -- you'll be in for a treat.

Great Reading
I read this book a long time ago and have looked into it many times since. It's an entertaining read that teaches us not just about chimpanzees but also about human nature and behavior. If you pay attention to this book, you'll be a better person for it!

A Great Book!
Reading this book has changed my life. I better know now who I am and why I am. The chimpanzee in the wild is a remarkable mirror.

An amazing woman!
Jane Goodall is such an ambassador for chimpanzees and all other life on this planet. Her hard work, insights, and drive are to be admired! This book is her beginning and a must read for everyone. She is a truly amazing woman! ... Read more

Book Description

Expert reporting from the editors of the Palm Beach Post capture these tragic events of nature, that happened during the worst Hurricane season tha Florida has ever seen. ... Read more

Book Description

Will "beam me up, Scotty" become reality? Quantum mechanics suggests it may . . . and soon.

Since cyberspace -- a word coined by a science fiction writer -- became reality, the lines between "science" and "science fiction" have become increasingly blurred. Now, the young field of quantum mechanics holds out the promise that some of humanity's wildest dreams may be realized. Serious scientists, working off of theories first developed by Einstein and his colleagues seventy years ago, have been investigating the phenomenon known as "entanglement," one of the strangest aspects of the strange universe of quantum mechanics.

According to Einstein, quantum mechanics required entanglement -- the idea that subatomic particles could become inextricably linked, and that a change to one such particle would instantly be reflected in its counterpart, even if a universe separated them. Einstein felt that if the quantum theory could produce such incredibly bizarre effects, then it had to be invalid. But new experiments both in the United States and Europe show not only that it does happen, but that it may lead to unbreakable codes, and even teleportation, perhaps in our lifetimes. . . . ... Read more

Reviews (25)

The Quantum Reality Einstein Could Not Suppose
In 1935 Einstein, Rosen and Podolsky raised a serious criticism of quantum theory in the form of a paradox. The criticism meant that quantum theory brings about a "spooky action at distance" or "entanglement" between quantum subsystems. Two photons generated at a point with a correlation, for example, continue to have the correlation even after they are separated by a great distance, and a change in the state of one of them affects the other instantaneously. In 1964 John Bell proposed a mathematical theorem experimentally to test the existence of entanglement. Alain Aspect carried out such an experiment in 1982 to show that entanglement is a reality.

Even one of the greatest physicists in history, Albert Einstein, could not suppose that entanglement would be a reality. So it must be quite difficult to make ordinary person understand it. Amir Aczel tried to do this difficult task in this book, but he does not seem to have well succeeded. Just half of a total of 20 chapters is spent to describe the history of quantum mechanics, though a short mention about entanglement appears at a few places. Thus the reader who learned quantum mechanics to some extent at least would find the first half of the book rather tedious. From the story of debate between Einstein and Bohr in chapter 11, the book becomes interesting. However, the author explains neither Bell's theorem nor the details of many experiments understandably. On the final page, the author reveals the reason of difficulty in understanding entanglement writing, "... the quantum theory does not tell us why things happen the way they do; why are the particles entangled?" Was our expectation to the author too big?

A good point of the book is that it includes biographical descriptions of a lot of physicists related to quantum theory and entanglement. I have learned for the first time that Thomas Young, famous for the double slit experiment, was a child prodigy. Schrödinger's anecdotal "entanglement" with women are also told. A bad point is that writing and printing are made rather carelessly. For example, von Neumann's proof of the non-existence of hidden variable in quantum mechanics and John Bell's later challenge to Neumann's assumption are repeatedly described on pages 101 and 102. There are many typos, and especially the contents of pages 234 and 235 should be interchanged. This error, combined with sudden appearance of the description of Borromean rings on page 232, makes the reader confused around these pages.

At the Edge of Physics and Philosophy
This is a story about the search for a deeper understanding of what Quantum Mechanics really means. The book is tantalizing but a bit frustrating because we don't known what quantum theory actually means. I particularly appreciated the opportunity to get to know a little about the key players in this search, it adds a human touch and offers a feel for what it must be like to be at the frontiers of quantum theory research. Aczel skims the surface of the material because he must avoid plunging into the mathematics needed to fully appreciate the details. I suggest the reader have some previous experience reading and thinking about quantum theory ("The Cosmic Code" by H. Pagels is particularly recommended). Aczel spends the first half of his book with introductory material however in places this effort might need more elaboration for someone trying to enter this bizarre topic for the first time. This book is probably one of the very few places where a reader of popularizations in physics can explore the latest ramifications of quantum entanglement. Aczel spent considerable time interviewing the key physicists and probably got the science right. We recognize his total involvement with the content and appreciate the care with which the ideas are presented. I rated this book 5 stars because it was so thrilling and left me with a wish that I could be there with the investigators. This is an ongoing story and I didn't want it to end! It will certainly bend your brain and leave you wondering about what reality actually is! The bibliography is useful for anyone wishing to dig into the territory deeper.

Good But Doesn't Quite Hit The Bulls-Eye
* Although Albert Einstein helped lay the foundations of modern
quantum physics, in the late 1920s he parted ways with the field,
stating that "God does not play dice with the Universe" and working on
"thought experiments" that would reveal what he saw as fundamental
flaws with the theory.

His last major jab was published in 1935 in a paper co-authored by his
assistant, Nathan Rosen, and another physicist, Boris Podolsky. The
paper took as its starting point the basic concept of quantum physics
that until a particle was measured, its state was not merely unknown,
it was undefined -- its state would be established by the measurement.

The paper written by Einstein, Podolsky, and Rosen, known as the "EPR"
paper after its authors, imagined the simultaneous generation of two
photons (light particles) that had interlinked properties -- for
example, polarizations at right angles to each other. The two photons
propagate in opposite directions. Their state is unknown until one is
measured, for example for its polarization -- but then the state of
the other one is known, no matter how far away it is. This "EPR
paradox" seemed to violate Einstein's theory of relativity, which
stated that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light.
Austrian physicist Erwin Schroedinger described the photons as
"entangled".

Amir Aczel's ENTANGLEMENT describes the history of entanglement,
showing how it originated -- and then shows how it was actually
experimentally demonstrated.

Einstein said the EPR paradox showed that the photons were not
actually undefined before they were measured, with their state
specified by "hidden variables". Danish physicist Niels Bohr rejected
Einstein's argument, but since the issue seemed purely theoretical
that was as far as it went for three decades. In the mid-1960s, a
brilliant Irish physicist named John Bell came up with a persuasive if
hideously subtle proof that it was possible to test the EPR paradox
and prove whether there were hidden variables or not.

This led to a sequence of experiments that demonstrated hidden
variables didn't exist. ENTANGLEMENT describes how the evolution of
the idea of entanglement led to "Bell's Theorem" and then discusses
the series of experiments that put the theorem to the test. It takes
a biographical approach, giving the background of the researchers
involved and telling the story of how they came to perform
these experiments.

Although I was expecting great revelations from ENTANGLEMENT, I have
to confess, if cautiously, that I was a bit disappointed in this book.
It is one of these books for which it is a bit hard to figure out who
the target audience is supposed to be. It seems a little too light
for a serious physicist, though no doubt its historical context is
interesting for that audience, but tends to lead the casual science
reader down a twisting path. I have this sense that the author
didn't quite know how to simplify the argument enough so that casual
readers did not have to wade through complications which are
irrelevant to them.

Like I mentioned, I say this cautiously. This is a good book, not
merely worth reading, but worth rereading, probably more than once. I
was just wishing for something that would make everything clear, which
may have been a completely unrealistic expectation -- this is about as
difficult a subject to write about as can be imagined. I will
continue to mine this book for bits of gold for a long time -- but
somehow I suspect that I will never hit the mother lode with it.

So Easy to Understand it should be a Gradeschool text
This book makes the understanding of the greatest ideas in science as expressed mathematically that it should be taught to gradeschoolers.
It gives anyone who has ever breezed over the commutative property of addition/multiplication in math as simply fundamental, and without depth, a real understanding of exactly how important that property actually is; by logically and simply linking it directly to the uncertainty principal; helping some to understand it easily.
The rest of the book past the point of the commutative property and uncertainty does the same in the same fashion; and whos carese about tiepows if the message is being goteen across...understanding is what's important.
I digress...maybe it should be required reading only in magnet or schools for the more mentally endowed; however I see it as simply brilliant. (This review actually written by Brian Harred, I'm in my girlfriend's account because she was at amazon.com last on this computer).
Seriously, I highly recomend this book to anyone with an intuitive understanding of math and physics, but needs a really good, quick refresher...Brian Harred (also, how did that big blue statement about voting on our own reviews get RIGHT below my thoughts? The stars are not votes; they are the reviewer's opion as expressed in "stars"...

More of a review than speculation
The majority of the book is a review of the history of physics leading up to the current understanding of entanglement, including much biographical information about the major players in the quantum mechanics arena. I would have liked to see more than just that last short chapter talking about the implications and possibilities of entanglement. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent Lab Safety Reference
This book is an excellent reference for laboratory safety professionals, students, and science educators.

Combines and updates two informative and useful books.
Prudent Practices has combined and updated two of the most useful and informative books on chemical safety available. This is a must for chemical technicians, researchers and hazardous waste managers! The book(s) gives concise information on general chemical lab safety, proposes procedures for monitoring experiments, controlling waste and uncovering hazardous situations. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The thought that humans might one day be able to harness time, traveling freely from one age to another, has been a fixture of science fiction for years. Science fact is beginning to catch up to the long-held dream: in this entertaining survey, researcher-writer Clifford Pickover observes that current theories of physics support--or at least do not rule out--the possibilities of time travel.

In chapters that mix whimsical science-fiction scenarios with brief essays on matters of fact, Pickover takes a leisurely stroll through various chrono-cosmological theories and discusses their attendant virtues, flaws, and inherent paradoxes. One modern notion, Kurt Gödel's addendum to Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity, posits a rotating universe in which it is possible for a traveler to move between states of time and return to the present (assuming, of course, that there is such a thing as the present); the theory depends on a universe that rotates slowly, which seems not to be the case, but, as Pickover points out, it nevertheless provides a mathematical basis for time travel--which, he suggests, is a fine and worthy start. Pickover peppers his well-illustrated text with learned asides on such matters as light-cone diagrams, rocket clocks, string theory, parallel universes, and other topics real and speculative. What he turns up in the course of his narrative is fascinating--and fuel for anyone who entertains dreams of interdimensional wandering. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (15)

If you lost the faith, you are a few pages from finding it!
I am completely sure that every kind of reader will get pleasure from this book; furthermore, I guarantee that any reader will recover his/her lost faith in time travel. If you saw "Contact" (the movie), or you often read science-fiction novels or even if you just want to enjoy a good and productive reading, you are strongly advised to buy and read this excellent and fascinating book. "Time: A Traveler's Guide" was written in the same clear, precise and funny way as "Black Holes: A Traveler's Guide" was done in its opportunity. The book now featured by Dr. Pickover will let you discover the "science behind the science-fiction" about the main topic by means of a science-fiction story plenty of funny dialogs, diagrams, formulas and graphics that make the information, and the book in general, a delight to read. You will NOT need vast knowledge in physics or mathematics to understand the ideas, and furthermore, to realize that time travel is possible. The book also offers a great deal of information about the special and the general theory of relativity besides spacetime physics. I also recommend Pickover's book about Black Holes as an excellent complement because that book is one of the best text in this topic and you will see that black holes could serve (in a far but possible future) to travel through time. Sincerely, buy the book and you will see that every page you read becomes a piece of your renovated faith in a dream as beautiful as paradoxical, TIME TRAVEL!

Entertaining physics lessons - what a concept!
My first reading of Pickover's work, this book was both enjoyable and educational. Pickover presents a refreshing look at the physics and philosophy of time and space travel.

Quantum Physics Can Be Fun
An outstanding book - I have never before read a book that dealt with such advanced concepts that was so easy to read and comprehend and as hard to put down (I read it in a weekend). Dr. Pickover's style of making the first half of each chapter a sci-fi story, with the second half "the science behind the story" makes this book fun and teaches you without having to work. Definately inspires creative thought.

I have a few more Pickover books on order and look forward to more. (...)

Awesome through and through
If you ever wanted to learn more about time travel, pick up this book! Time: A Traveller's Guide combines mathematics with an intruiging plot. He weaves some non-fiction into the math and information to make it all the more interesting. I have had the privilige to contact Mr. Pickover myself and he is an amazing man! This book is one of the best I have read!

One of the BEST books about temporal mechanics Ive ever read
This book is one of the bet novelles I have read about temporal mechanics in years. The engrossing yet comical plot will keep you enthralled for hours on end. At times the math gets a tad overwhelming (even for a lover of math such as myself), but it is well worth the knowledge you take away from it. ... Read more

Book Description

What does nature really look like? Today, aided by the wizardry of modern scientific imaging instruments, we are able to see far more of the physical world than we ever dreamed possible. These devices can discern millions of invisible colors, look back in cosmic time some 14 billion years, peer behind and within seemingly opaque borders such as skin and bone, and capture events that last a mere trillionth of a second. Looking through their "eyes," we have acquired powers far more potent than Superman's X-ray vision: the powers of Super Vision.

From microscopes to telescopes, from magnetic-field detectors to chemical mapping probes, today's instruments make possible an entirely new view of nature. Super Vision is a comprehensive showcase of 200 breathtaking scientific images that span the world of phenomena from subatomic particles to the incomprehensibly vast structure of the universe. The accompanying text tells readers what they are looking at and explains the underlying technology. Also included is a huge, groundbreaking chart clearly illustrating the relative sizes of objects covered in the book. At once a primer on the scientific worldview and a reminder of the awesome, multidimensional beauty of nature, Super Vision simultaneously informs and delights. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Spectacular photo book
This is one of the most beautifully illustrated photo books I've ever seen. Ranging from the submicroscopic to the macroscopic and even cosmic in scale, the book presents hundreds of spectacular photos of different aspects of our world and universe. They range from the geometrical perfection of a matrix of metallic crystals, to the delicate tracery of a microbial colony, to amorphous, bloblike, and menacing looking cancer cells, to the graceful symmetry of a galaxy floating in the vastness of space.

Every photographic method you can think of is represented (including many I couldn't have thought of), including ordinary light photography, x-ray, infrared, plane-polarized, electron microscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, and a photo of Washington, D.C. using something called Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar.

In addition to size, the time scales range from subatomic particles that only last a few trillionths of a second to photos of distant galaxies whose light has been travelling for 14 billion years to reach earth. The text is also clear and concise and non-obtrusive and doesn't detract from the visual presentation of the photos. Overall a beautifully illustrated photo book just to browse encompassing the many wonders, young and old, big and small, and animate or inanimate, of our world.

Beautiful Science
I can't remember another book combining scientific insight with artistic beauty quite this way. The author has painstakingly selected, arranged, and captioned stunning scientific images. Whether for the coffee table or to actually read and learn something, Super Vision is a winner.

Stunning book about a beautiful world
From protons to parsecs, Ivan Amato's "Super Vision" reveals what many scientists know: the universe is a visually stunning place. This remarkable collection of images, coupled with Amato's compelling captions, shows the art that can be found in science. Thanks to advances in instruments ranging from atom smashers to telescopes, combined with unprecedented computer power, the phenomena of the cosmos can be painted in vivid color. Scientists use these images in their daily effort to understand the universe; we can enjoy them for pure aesthetic pleasure. Covering 42 orders of magnitude (powers of ten), "Super Vision" shows us the abstract swirls of a decaying particle, the eerie machinery of a spider's spinnerets, how zebrafish scales can look like a Balinese hillside, and the tortured faces of distant planets. For a guide to the art in our natural world, this is the book. It's as beautiful as the universe it describes. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Great but not for the novice
This is a comprehensive "high end overview" of the things you need to consider if you're going to design and build an underground house. It is not specific to a particular location or house design. As an engineer this book has provided me with a lot of insight into what I need to think about for my house. If you're looking for finished designs and building instructions this is not the book for you. It has been a great introduction for a house I'll be building in the Sierra foothills in the next few years.

Long on concepts; short on formulas
(Rating should be about 2.5 stars)

"Earth Shelter Technology" reads more like a very long abstract than a technical reference itself. There are many (262) references for the 194 pages of text and figures. The book covers the basic ideas of earth sheltering pretty thoroughly, but unless you dig into the references, you're left with very little practical information that you'd need to design an earth-sheltered building.

I thought that I'd hit real meat with a formula for soil temperature as a function of depth underground and day of the year. Plug in mean temperature and annual temperature swing amplitude, and you're almost there. But this formula includes a constant for thermal diffusivity of the soil. Well, there's a table with thermal and other properties of various materials; BUT the authors left some blanks: the thermal properties for rock, heavy dry soil, or concrete -- precisely the materials of interest when constructing an earth-sheltered structure in dry areas -- are missing.

There are also many figures with axes labeled but not dimensioned; you can get a qualitative idea of how things relate, but nothing like a quantitative relationship.

The book is dated (copyright 1987); the references are of course even older, going back to 1949. The book reads as if written a decade earlier, though. The dated impression is partly due to the technology used in the book itself. There are no photographs; instead, there are hand-drawn ink illustrations that surely took quite a long time to produce, but lose much of the detail that a decent photograph would show (example: "Aerial view of the University of Minnesota Bookstore"). Also, the text refers to simulation programs for handheld calculators and for mainframes -- there's nary a mention of a PC.

There are very few alternative books on this subject, so I'd recommend it for a conceptual overview. But you won't find enough information here to design an earth-sheltered building.

It's all here folks.
This is probably the only book that shows you how to engineer a underground house properly from start to finish. A must for anyone interested in underground building. Lots of illustrations, but no photos.

Textbook pulling the underground neccesities together

Boyer & Grondzik have pulled together all of the disparate sources of information required to properly design an underground facility.

Although the book was written in 1987, there are no other books which have pulled together all of the design issues and formulas required to properly design a structure, including heating & ventilation, waterproofing techniques and studies of existing structures.

While people have been building and using underground housing for thousands of years, most of the published material consists of "how we did it" or analysis of ancient buildings. This is the first book I've found which brings the material required to properly engineer a design into one place.

The focus of the book is on the engineering aspects, so don't expect much in the line of architectural design. Site selection, including soil types and proper detailing for passive solar heating, load balancing for heating & cooling systems, drainage system design and proper daylighting design are all covered very well.

This is not the ideal resource, I would like to see a more current book, which would give analysis of exiting structures over a longer time-frame (many of the structures analyzed were built during the "energy crisis" of the 70's & early 80's, and thus only had a decade or so of occupation.)

Overall, if you are interested in designing an underground home which will provide a safe, secure and low maintenance facility, this is a good reference. Oh, you might find you can easily design a "no-power" dwelling, at least as far as heating/cooling costs. Unless you like paying utility bills....

This is a technical book, some engineering knowledge is desirable when reading it, but it is not beyond the level of a high school student with some physics. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The Oxford Companion to the Year is one of those splendid volumes that should have a permanent place in every personal reference library, next to a well-thumbed Brewer's.

The main body of the book gives a huge amount of historical and folkloric information on every day of the year (including, yes, February 30, which has happened three times); the days of the week, months and seasons; and the major feast days and festivals in a wide variety of different cultures. This is the section that most readers will find the most fascinating; its 658 pages provide endless browsing.

The second part concentrates on the making of calendars over the centuries: how our own complex calendar evolved with its irregular month lengths and its rules for when leap years occur, plus details of the calendars of many other cultures--Chinese, Hindu, Muslim, and many more--all trying to find a regular system that can cope with the fact that the roughly 29-and-one-half-day lunar month and the roughly 365-and-one-quarter-day solar year simply can't be meshed.

Bonnie Blackburn and Leofranc Holford-Strevens must be congratulated on the huge amount of work this book must have taken, and on such splendid results. --David V. Barrett, Amazon.co.uk ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The most thorough calender reference available
This 937 page reference work of calendar customs and time-reckoning is a modern day version of Robert Chambers's "Book of Days" (1864), and is now surely THE definitive reference work on the subject. For every day of the year (including February 30, which has been observed three times in past calendars, once in Sweden and twice in the Soviet Union), there is a listing of the date (e.g., 25 Abril), the Roman date (e.g., a.d. VII Kalendas Maias), a list of Holidays and Anniversaries (e.g., Australia, New Zealand, Samoa, Tonga: ANZAC Day) or Holy Days (e.g., Mark the Evangelist) or perhaps something from Ancient Rome (e.g., "On this day was held the ceremony for keeping rust off crops, the Robigalia,"). Moreover, there are usually one or two paragraphs given to explain the origins of various holidays or as biographical background. Sometimes poems or literary excerpts are inserted to further enliven the entry. Additionally, a generous amount of humor and bonhomie are sprinkled throughout the text.

Other calendar customs such as the moveable feasts of the western church year, days of the week, Red-Letter days, Dog Days, terms at Oxford or Cambridge, Handsel Monday, Thanksgiving, or the Lord Mayor's Show each have their own entries and explanations. Part II follows, with investigation into calendars and chronology. Here the international scope of the book receives greater exposure, with discussion of the Roman Calendar, Chinese Calendar, Egyptian Calendar, Greek Calendar, Hindu Calendar, Jewish Calendar, Muslim Calendar, Anglo-Saxon Calendar, or Celtic Calendar being some of the many discussed. Explanations of the difference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars, calculating the date of Easter, use of symbolic calendars, as well as many other topics round out a thoroughly researched section.

My only demurring remark about this excellent book is that sometimes the academic writing can be a little dry and murky, drifting into the pedantic, so that at times I found myself nodding off to sleep. This style of presentation also led to occasional difficulties when trying to understand the discussion at hand. Nevertheless, on the whole, the book is most interesting. A great deal of research obviously went into this wonderfully thorough and accurate reference work. It may be used either as a source for information, or alternatively its daily entries may be read throughout the year as a short daily entertainment. To sum, it is a book well worth obtaining.

An absolute treasure chest!
More than just a scholarly reference, this mind-bogglingly comprehensive book is masterfully written and offers something for everyone. From the historical significance and traditions of each day of the year to the calendars and time-reckoning systems used all over the world throughout history, the Oxford Companion to the Year is chock-full of obscure bits of history, poems, quotations, and illustrations. Absolutely fascinating reading--a must-have for the new millennium! ... Read more