Reviews (3)

Athena Unbound
I read this book with tremendous interest. The stories it contains resonated in me or seemed to fit friends and colleagues. I have given Athena Unbound to family members upon graduation (from engineering school) and to my own women Chemistry students for graduation. I think it is important for my students to know what problems may lie before them and how they may be side-stepped. This book does a great job of outlining what these problems may be. Science is still a man's world. Forewarned is forearmed!

More like a research paper than a book
I picked this book for my engineering ethics class thinking how great it would be to read about the experience of other females in engineering. To my dismay the book was slow and repetitive. The books studies white American women in science. The data through out the book is presented in a rough research paper like format. This is not a peasant to read book. If you can identify with white American women in the scientific field, then read this book. Otherwise the focus of this book is too narrow and the authors of the book does not present any practical solutions to the problems encountered by women in the scientific field.

Great Introduction to Subject
This book is one of the best books I have read on the subject of women in science. It will appeal to the general public, who tire quickly of statistic upon statistic. Instead, this book gives a broad overview of the gender issues surrounding science and approached to resolve these issues. Should be required reading in any gender or science history class, I think, though the focus is on contemporary issues not historical documentation. ... Read more

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M->CREATED ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Best modern control text
This book is adopted as a text for state space control courses in my school. The writing style is clear and it is easy to follow. Concept of controllability and observability are shown very nicely. This book provides quite solid theoretical background for state space control. For control implementation using microchip, "PowerPC Programming Pocket Book" was also very helpful.

System theory presented in its best
We adopted this book in our graduate courseof linear systems and controls. i was the TA of that course. I have never seen such an elegent utilization of Vector Spaces and Matrix Theory to explain the system concepts and its controlled behaviour. It really is the engineering text which builds upon the mathematical concepts.Beauty of the book is the its implicit presentation of the concepts which challenges the intution of the reader.End chapter problems and solved exercises enhance the skills in student's quiver.i recommend that any student who wants to build a firm engineering basics should surely spend his thoughts on the material presented in the book.

One of the best text book on Control Theory
It contains many illustrated problems and covers nearly every important topics of control theory. Highly readable.

Outstanding Textbook - Highly Recommended
I used this textbook for a graduate course in state space methods. This is the best textbook I have seen on the subject. Covers the necessary theory and then works out prenty of problems illustrating the ideas. I refer to it often in my other graduate classes. ... Read more

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Highly entertaining text essential for anyone interested in Game Theory. Only basic understanding of arithmetic needed to grasp necessary aspects of two-, three-, four- and larger strategy games with two or more sets of inimical interests and a limitless array of zero-sum payoffs.
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Reviews (6)

Excellent, entertaining introductory text
This is a superlative introduction to a mathematical concept which, with a lesser writer, could be tedious to learn. Williams includes many entertaining and enjoyable story problems, replete with attractive illustrations, that make learning the subject a joy. He takes an inherently interesting topic and makes it easy and fun to learn.

I recommend this book unreservedly.

A Fun Introduction to Game Theory
The Compleat Strategyst by J.D. Williams is a wonderful introduction to the ins and outs of game theory. The pace of the primer I found quite reasonable, and the organization is very natural. The Compleat Strategyst begins with the gist (as it should) regarding game matrices and how to interpret them. Williams's discussion then proceeds through 2 x 2 games, 2 x m games, 3 x 3 games, 3 x m games, and so on. Each section contains clever story problems chosen to both re-enforce basic principles and point to potential pitfalls. Also provided are numerous exercises to build the skills necessary to understand game theory.

One of the most enjoyable facets of The Compleat Strategyst is J.D. Williams's entertaining writing style. He seems to know the kind of people reading his book (non-mathematicians who think they might be able to apply game theory to their own work - in my case anyway), and the text is taylored to that audience. In addition, while making the subject matter of game theory accessible strictly through arithmatic, the author provides fair reminders that a great deal of actual mathmatics is being swept beneath the rug.

Excellent
I found this book to be an excellent introduction to game theory that doesn't require much mathamatical background beyond simple algebra. It comes complete with theoretical explainations of the game matrix, problems to help sharpen your skills, and strategic stories that fit with a game matrix, to help show how game theory can be applied to real problems. A definite must for anyone who wants to start learning about game theory.

Simply excellent
It takes a lot of time to work thru the examples in this book. (I use Excel to speed things up). But it's a great book. First read it at around 1970. Still in love with it.

Remembered for years
I first read this book when I was in high school, around 1957. I still remember it today, for a clear, coherent, and funny discussion of game theory, and the statistics controlling the optimum strategy. I hope I can raise a copy of it, since it is out of print! ... Read more

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Everyone in the modern world knows what technology is. But what is nanotechnology? Taken from the Greek, nano means "one billionth part of" a whole. In modern parlance, it means very, very small. Nano-tech is the next step after miniaturization. Cell phones are miniaturized versions of traditional landline phones. Wristwatches are miniature versions of clocks. Desktop computers are miniature versions of the original analog calculating machines. Miniaturization is commonplace in today's world. In tomorrow's world, nano-tech will be the new common technology. It will affect everyone on the planet, and may change civilization as it is now known.

Scientific American's UNDERSTANDING NANOTECHNOLOGY presents the cutting edge of a new technology that will find usage in medicine, space exploration, communications, manufacturing, and almost every other aspect of modern society. Imagine getting an injection of "smart" molecules that can seek out cancer cells and destroy them without harming any of the surrounding tissue. Imagine a simultaneous space launch via the Shuttle of thousands of robotic probes, each no bigger than an insect, and each programmed to do a single task in concert with all of the others. And that's just the beginning. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An Interesting Guide to Nanotechnology
This book has a number of different chapters from different authors. Each author seems to have had good experience in the nanotech field, relating his experiences, overview knowledge and expectations in the future. I liked the fact that they referred to very current day progress and studies they had done in their own laboratories, giving it a very real experience. They also gave a good overview of future nanotech, and did not go overboard on radical futuristic predications, grounding their vision both on scientific limits and what exists in nature already.

Its a short book (140+ pages), and managed to read through it very quickly based on its interesting content and well written nature.

I'd recommend it for people who have great interest in nanotechnology and are making their first few steps. Possibly, read this first to get an overview and then get into the more technical books. After having read this book, already articles on nanotech news sites are making easier reading already.

This is probably not easy reading for the average person, one would have to have a basic chemistry and physics to maximize ones gain from the book. A PHD/Masters (thankfully) is not required.

A collection of papers on Nanotechnologies
This book collects papers from good to great contributors. The technical details are reasonable for any one with engineering background. It is more of an introduction to people who are most interested in the nanotube development.

The books explains that nanotechnologies fall between the usual daily macrophysics and the quantum mechanics, and that is why it is so mysterious. However, the book, since written mostly by scientists, does not go into great details on the applications side. It provides a cautiously optimistic view of the future, but does not go into more details in painting a futuristic pictures. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

for serious non-mathematicians
This is a serious book. Stewart explains clearly and concisely for a non-mathematician some of the central ideas of mathematics. Perfect for those willing to put in some thought. I'd also recommend it to anyone in first year pure math. And especially to anyone who teaches math.

A classic - the first version of this book appeared in 1975.
This charming book was written by a man who knows how to teach, and how to have fun. For example, as each successive topic is discussed, Mr. Stewart is careful to furnish the reader with an intuitive grasp of its main points. Only then, does he delve into the topic's details. However, what really makes this book readable is the author's wit, and sense of delight, as he illuminates--one-by-one--the abstract concepts of modern mathematics. Amazingly, this book can be read by almost anyone, and they will come away with an understanding of the why, and the wherefore, of modern math.

In theory at least, having a degree in pure math meant that I had insights that most engineers don't have. In reality, it meant I was more aware of what I didn't understand. When I got this book, I went straight to the topics I'd never gotten the point of: set theory, topology, and hyperspace. I was not disappointed, but it was not until I settled down and read the whole book that I really got the point. Modern mathematics (modern meaning the late 1800s on) provides a framework for all math. That is why it is--of necessity--more abstract, generalized, and rigorous.

Interestingly, the figures in this book are hand drawn. Perhaps its because this book has a way of transporting the reader to a university classroom - somewhere. It wouldn't have seemed right if the figures were anything but hand drawn.

outstanding guide to higher math for the layman
This book is very much in the same spirit as more recent books such as Keith Devlin's "Mathematics, the New Golden Age" (which I also recommend). It explains various subjects in pure mathematics in order to make them accessible and interesting to non-mathematicians. A great variety of subjects are covered, including abstract algebra, group theory, number theory, and especially topology, to which the author devotes several chapters. The links between different branches of mathematics (e.g. topology and group theory) are given special attention, and one of the central themes of the book is the fundamental unity of mathematics. I strongly recommend this book to anyone with a serious interest in mathematics. Plus, the price is definitely right!

One of the most lucid and enjoyable math books available
If you want great mathematical puzzles, you buy a Terry Stickels puzzle book. If you want to read about the universe from the world's best amateur mathematician and physicist, you read Martin Gardner. If you want a professional's point of view of all the above, you read anything by Ian Stewart. This is simply a must read for all clear thinking people.

Absolutely brilliant!
Deserves 10 stars. Here is an author who understands so many advanced concepts and who can write smoothly, clearly and convincingly, bearing the reader along with his keen and interesting mind. Convincingly demonstrates the interrelationships between different areas of modern mathematics. Great mathematics for the layman without being in the slightest bit condescending. I have had an amateur's interest in mathematics since high school but was never able to follow it up professionally. This book is the best I have read in the 30 years I have had this interest. A delight to read, educational and informative. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

Little book packed with good info!
Feibelman has done a great service for future scientists in writing this book. Although a quick read, it's dense with good advice for budding scientists, whether they be at the grad student, postdoc, or assistant professor stage of their careers. For example, he advises against showing an outline at the beginning of a talk because it is as superfluous as it is ubiquitous. (See the review by Gregory McMahan for more specifics.)

The only shortcoming I find with the book is its focus on high level research. As a top scientist at a government lab, Feibelman directs his comments to those whose aspirations are similar to his. Not all of us who do research aspire to, or can, be tops in our field however. If you're looking for a book that tells you how to balance teaching and research or how to survive in different types of academic institutions, for example, a better choice would be Tomorrow's Professor by Richard Reis. Feibelman focuses only on the research side of the coin however.

Still, the book is excellent and can be useful to anyone whose career includes scientific research. I only wish I had found it earlier!

An entertaining read with superb advice
This is a succinct, pleasurable read that will help academics in the sciences pick an advisor, choose a research project, give excellent presentations, land a post-doc position, decide whether to go into industry or academia, and eventually get tenure. Wow!
Feibelman packs a career's-worth of tips and tactics in his slim volume and makes it entertaining at the same time.

Feibelman's suggestion that all research should tell a compelling story. This is advice that any academic -- even those in the humanities and social sciences - would be wise to follow.

I am a professional counselor and coach to academics and this is the first book I advise for grad students and junior faculty in the hard sciences -- especially those who work in labs.
My professor husband is a microbiologist and epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina, and after reading the first section of the first chapter of this book, I ran to my husband and insisted that he buy a copy for every student who comes near his lab.

My one complaint (and it is significant) is that Feiblelman is sexist. He presents 6 vignettes in the beginning of his book about career mistakes made by academics. Five of the stories are about men who make tactical career errors. One story is about a woman -- her mistakes are personal, psychological difficulties -- she tries too hard to please her father and ends up becoming a workaholic who doesn't have time to bear children.
Men are allocated work difficulties while the sole woman's problems are emotional in nature. I find this to be an inexcusible example of stereotyping from an otherwise saavy and helpful sage. Shame on you, Feibelman.

Obviously...
Most of the pages in this brief book are devoted to statements of the obvious that anyone worthy of a Ph.D. should be able to discern on his or her own. There are some useful points on presentations and communication. The author points out the excessive burdens of being an assistant professor and suggests that the candidate establish a reputation in industry or government, then seek a (presumably tenured) academic post. Though I agree that one should avoid being an assistant professor at all costs, I cannot think of a single professor in my discipline (Organic Chemistry) who has obtained a tenured position without moving up through the assistant professor rank.

Excellent book
This is a great book for absolutely anyone working on his/her PhD or looking for career advice at the end of their PhD. In fact, it will be a great help even to those who are long finished with their PhD's especially if they are currently advising their own students.
The writing style is very friendly and straightforward, as if the author is talking to you, sitting across from you. More importantly, the advise is very practical and comes from someone who has a lot of experience in academia.

Even if you think you know all this...
You'll find a lot of valuable advice in this book even if you think you already know all these things. I was at first skeptical that something new for me would emerge from this tiny book (especially after having attended many seminars on topics discussed in the book), yet in many cases I felt that what I read did strengthen my understanding of the processes and tradeoffs involved in selecting an advisor/mentor, making a career choice (industry vs. academia), writing a grant proposal, etc.
If you are on the verge of such an important step in your professional life and decide to save yourself the $10 or so that the book costs, you are truly shortchanging yourself.
If nothing else, read the book at the library -- it would take you 2-3 hours, but the results will be a lifetime's worth! ... Read more

Book Description

Jennifer Kahn's "Stripped for Parts" was selected as the lead story of this year's Best American Science Writing because, as Dava Sobel, best-selling author of Longitude and Galileo's Daughter, reveals, "it begins with one of the most arresting openings I have ever read." In "Columbia's Last Flight," William Langewiesche recounts the February 1, 2003, space shuttle tragedy, along with the investigation into the nationwide complacency that brought the ship down. K. C. Cole's "Fun with Physics" is a profile of astrophysicist Janet Conrad that blends her personal life with professional activity. In "Desperate Measures," the doctor and writer Atul Gawande profiles the surgeon Francis Daniels Moore, whose experiments in the 1940s and '50s pushed medicine harder and farther than almost anyone had contemplated. Also included is a poem by the legendary John Updike, "Mars as Bright as Venus." The collection ends with Diane Ackerman's "ebullient" essay "We Are All a Part of Nature."

Together these twenty-three articles on a wide range of today's most current topics in science -- from biology, physics, biotechnology, and astronomy, to anthropology, genetics, evolutionary theory, and cognition‚ represent the full spectrum of scientific writing from America's most prominent science authors, proving once again that "good science writing is evidently plentiful" (Scientific American).

Reviews (30)

Unconventional but very successful
A new player seems to have appeared on the field, and he seems to be indeed a good player. There have been many books published which approach the Intelligent Design-related controversy from various vantage points, and some of them have been quite good.

To find an additional niche for another book was not an easy task. Perakh, in my view, has done it quite successfully - his book is unlike any other published so far about Intelligent Design or about biblical neo-apologetics.

The format of this book is rather unconventional - it is built around a set of publications (books and articles) by, first, the most prominent defenders of the Intelligent Design and, second, by some Christian and Jewish writers, all of whom Perakh unequivocally debunks.

I was impressed by the strict logic of Perakh's narrative. For example, after having read chapter 1, which contains a very meticulous analysis of publications by William Dembski (perhaps the most prominent champion of Intelligent Design), I could not help but to say to myself, "Gee, the king is naked." Using unrelenting logic, Perakh has demonstrated the lack of substance in Dembski's theory, whose quasi-mathematical appearance serves as pure embellishment covering the lack of meaningful contents.

I will be looking for other publications by Perakh, starting from his posts on the Talk Reason web site. Welcome to the fray, Perakh, you get five stars from me.

Well worth the effort
I've been reading about the creationism/evolution debate for twenty years now, and this book is an extremely important addition to that discussion. Perakh has two basic points as he works his way through the major advocates of ID (Intelligent Design). One is that they misuse statistics is ways that are intuitively reasonable but ultimately incorrect. This is why he includes a discussion of the Bible Code, another case of statistics gone awry.
His second point, and one that I hadn't seen spelled out so well before, is that the idea of irreducible complexity is a jumbled compilation of observations which Paley and others have offered much more clearly long ago. Perakh breaks down each component of irreducible complexity and shows how it does not justify the strong claims made for it by ID theorists.
My frustration in all of this is that the people who most need to read this book aren't going to take the time and effort necessary to engage in his arguments.

On the attack
With 30 reviews already present, why another? Because of this observation: the reviews of all books in the area of science vs. religion came with emotional baggage. Atheistic books are praised by atheists and religious books are praised by believers. There is almost no middle ground, essentially no books for agnostics. The result is then that the 'helpful' question at the end of a review really means, 'do you agree with the viewpoint,' not how well is the book done. The existing reviews bring up all the criticisms and the praiseworthy comments I could make. I agree with many of the author's observations. On the other hand, no matter how brilliant a scientist he appears to be, I find off-putting his self-serving examples of his 'brilliance', his snide remarks and his technique of pointing out an author's lack of knowledge when that missing information is of no consequence to the author's point of view. Destroying a writer's credibility is easier than wining a debate by logic. And in using that technique some information he presents is out-and-out wrong, just as he accuses other authors of inaccuracies. In his "Afterword" he presents himself as not agnostic, both religious faith and atheism being irrational, but as neutral. Still, all in all, an important read.

Badly needed
Perakh is repetitive and verbose in places, succinct and to-the-roint in others. He's unnecessarily generous toward Behe (INHO) yet bitingly critical of Johnson (who fancies himself another Einstein, only smarter!).

Despite the uneven prose and tone, Perakh provides a thorough analysis of ID arguments in their own terms, unlike other writers who too-quickly, perhaps, turn to more scientific language.

This fills a gap that truly needed filling.

The Power of Scientific Logic.
'Unintelligent Design' is a monumental work in the on going "debate" between creationism and evolution. Perakh exposes the fraudulent claims made by Johnson, Dembski, and Behe, showing them as narrow-minded, one-sided, and unscientific. He shows those who favor "intelligent design" are not out to seek real truth, but are actually trying to impose a religious ideology on society.
Certain sections of the book are boring and unnecessary. This is because Perakh takes the time to demolish ridiculous beliefs only religious fanatics want to believe. No rational person would believe in such nonsense. Nonetheless, Perakh dismantles the beliefs to the point where they have no validity.
The "intelligent design" theorists try to make the scientific society look dogmatic and totalitarian, when in fact, it is the other way around. The scientific community, for the most part, is more open minded the the religious community. Science and the theory of evolution are the best explanations of how everything came to be. "Intelligent design" and most religions don't explain anything, and have no intellectual curiosity whatsoever. ... Read more

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"""It is the aim of this book to...present the evolution of number as the profoundly human story which it is.""

¿Tobias Dantzig

""This is beyond doubt the most interesting book on the evolution of mathematics which has ever fallen into my hands. If people know how to treasure the truly good, this book will attain a lasting place in the literature of the world. The evolution of mathematical thought from the earliest times to the latest constructions is presented here with admirable consistency and originality and in a wonderfully lively style.""

¿Albert Einstein

""Tobias Dantzig's Number: The Language of Science is one of the truly great classics of mathematical exposition, perhaps the most lucid history of the number concept ever written. Its republication should be a cause for celebration by every scientifically minded person, regardless of his or her mathematical background.""

¿Eli Maor, author of e: The Story of a Number and To Infinity and Beyond

""Tobias Dantzig's Number is a classic. A fascinating account of the evolution of mathematics, it deserves a place on the bookshelf of anyone who is interested in the history of thought.""

¿Charles Seife, author of Zero and Alpha and Omega

""A classic! Anyone interested in the history of numbers and mathematics should read this book.""

¿Mario Livio, author of The Golden Ratio

From the rudimentary mathematical abilities of prehistoric man to the counterintuitive and bizarre ideas at the edges of modern math, this masterpiece of science writing tells the story of mathematics through the history of its most central concept: number.

Dantzig succeeds in his aim to reveal a human story, and in making that story accessible to the non-expert. In his friendly and welcoming style, he shows how math developed from basic faculties present in us all, beginning with our ""number sense""¿the ability to discern that an object has been added to or removed from a small collection of objects without counting. The subsequent evolution of the concept of number is inextricably linked with the history of human culture, as Dantzig demonstrates. He shows how advances in math were spurred by the demands of growing commerce in the ancient world; how the pure speculation of philosophers and religious mystics contributed to our understanding of numbers; how the exchange of ideas between cultures in times of war and imperial conquest fueled advances in knowledge; and, ultimately, how the forces of history combine with human intuition to trigger revolutions in thought.

Sweeping in scope, Number is an open doorway into the world of math. Dantzig explains the foundations of mathematics with ease, and eloquently explores deeper philosophical questions that arise along the way. He describes the properties of all kinds of numbers¿integers, primes, irrationals, transcendentals, and more. He explains the significance of zero, and shows that its invention had revolutionary consequences for arithmetic. He shows how the invention of symbols for use in algebra¿a radical departure from tradition at the time¿ushered in a new era of math; how arithmetic and geometry reflect each other; and how calculus uses infinity to model the continuity of space and time.

With a new afterword, notes section, and bibliography written by math professor and author Joseph Mazur, and a new foreword by mathematician Barry Mazur, the Masterpiece Science edition of Number¿which was first published in 1930¿is the first update of Dantzig's classic work in over fifty years. It is a story that ranges from the dawn of man to the genius of history's greatest mathematicians, vividly revealing how the pursuit of knowledge transcends the rise and fall of civilizations." ... Read more

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Reviews (8)

ok, worth it cuz its cheap
This book is worth the money 'cuz its so cheap. The reproducions arent really that good, and there are some problems of provenance: the cover drawing attributed to Leonardo, but it is by his master/teacher Verrocchio.

drawing enthusiast, don't buy it
if you are a Da Vinch zealot, you should have it. but, if you need some drawings to study or copy it. don't buy it. the quality of print is not that good, there's a bunch of Da Vinch's memos though...i doubt it's useful for a drawing enthusiast..pretty sure that it's invaluable for people who are studying "Da VinchSTICS".if you are a drwaing enmthusiast you'd better buy da vinch's another drawing books.....

drawing enthusiast...don't buy it
if you are a Da Vinch zealot, you should have it. but, if you need some drawings to study or copy it. don't buy it. the quality of print is not that good, there's a bunch of Da Vinch's memos though...i doubt it's useful for a drawing enthusiast..pretty sure that it's invaluable for people who are studying "Da VinchSTICS".

Excellent insight into Leonardo Da Vinci
Interesting book detailing the life and thoughts of Leonardo Da Vinci. Historical context of the period and biographical information is included. Reading gets a little dry at times. Excellent resource book. Specific topics can be looked up to discover da Vinci's wisdom and insight.

Leonardo's Masterworks
This 2-Volume collection published by Dover wonderfully exhibits Leonardo's works with his sketches, designs and ideas. If you ever wondered what Leonardo thought, then these are the books to get. The book is set up with the text in two columns; the left in the original Italian, and the right side in the translated English. In those words are written of Leonardo's philisophical ideas, lives of where he lived and his surroundings, his theories on color, perspective, proportion, architecture, foliage, physiology and so many other things that the Great One was curious about. Througout the book and amidst the text are Leonardos sketches, thumbnail sketches, workings of famous pieces such as the Last Supper, some anatomical drawings - and in those pages you can see Leonardo's handwriting which he tended to write backwards. The value and reference is endless, especially for the artist. This edition is reprinted from the 1833 version originally entitled "Literary Works of Leonardo Da Vinci." This is a 2-volume set, which is sold seperately, but for the price, it is so worth the money. Highly reccomended! ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Good Reference
It is a good book, used as the requred text for the graduate soil mechanics class at UC Berkeley. I learned a lot from it. There are also other good references there, e.g. Soil Mechanics and Foundations by Muni Budhu.

If there were 6 stars to give...I would
As a Geotechnical engineer in a graduate program I can honestly say that this is my most frequently consulted reference.
More accessible and practical than Mitchell, or Taylor, (though not as theoretical or fundamental).

Holtz & Kovacs is a clear step above Das, Coduto, or Huang in scholarship.

This is a book that you keep for your engineering career.

Best book for understanding
However you still need Braja M. Das for your PE Exam
Good Luck

Manish Patel
Easy to understand, However, You need Braja Das's books for PE Exam. Use this book to understand basics which is not described in Braja Das's books

Excellent Text on Soil Mechanics
This book is an outstanding text for learning soil mechanics. I have used it extensively in post-graduate work, and wish I had it when I was an undergrad. Clear and concise, it makes understanding some of the more esoteric concepts a lot easier. ... Read more

Book Description

Outstanding text with long history that has been updated and given a fresh look and now includes an Essential Study Partner CD-ROM and strong Internet support through it's own website and accompanying PowerWeb. Aimed at presenting the essentials of physics, chemistry, earth science, and astronomy in a clear, easy-to-understand way, The Physical Universe shows students how science works, how scientists approach problems, and why science constantly evolves in its search for understanding. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Nice edition, but it is really necessary?
For over thirty years, McGraw has been putting out various editions of this highly successful textbook. Now in its tenth iteration, McGraw has made an important extension. It added a CD (which was long overdue). Plus, the book gives access to an online resource called PowerWeb. Pretty snazzy! You can access whole bunches of material there which is simply not in the book.

Hopefully, this may help motivate some students to learn more effectively. But a disquieting counterargument has arisen in some quarters. Is a new edition really needed? Perhaps an earlier edition would suffice for most students. If so, this would let several buy second hand versions far more cheaply. But if the publisher goes to this edition, and it is made mandatory by a school, then it is far harder for students to find used versions. At least for a few years. And later? When those used editions start circulating, what if the publisher and school then go to a newer edition?

From the Viewpoint of a Freshman High School Student.
This title is a comprehensive look at many aspects of science. Its Study guide is very helpful in preparing for examinations. The book, however, has a complicated way of explaining material. This slight defect may be reduced with the help of the useful appendixes, and study guides. ... Read more

Book Description

The national bestseller that reveals how we are descended from seven prehistoric women. One of the most dramatic stories of genetic discovery since James Watson's The Double Helix, The Seven Daughters of Eve reveals the remarkable story behind a groundbreaking scientific discovery. After being summoned in 1997 to an archaeological site to examine the remains of a five-thousand-year-old man, Bryan Sykes ultimately was able to prove not only that the man was a European but also that he has living relatives in England today. In this lucid, absorbing account, Sykes reveals how the identification of a particular strand of DNA that passes unbroken through the maternal line allows scientists to trace our genetic makeup all the way back to prehistoric times, to seven primeval women, the Seven Daughters of Eve. ... Read more

Reviews (81)

Educational, Evocative and Entertaining
Of the many science books I have read, very few have been as well-written and sheerly entertaining as they have been educational.

In "The Seven Daughters of Eve," Bryan Sykes broadens the view of human evolution, tracing migrations through time and around the globe. His descriptions of the discovery and his defense of the paradigm shift of using mitochondrial DNA in anthropology are clear and easy to understand.

The heart of the book is the fictionalized reconstruction of the lives of the seven European "clan mothers" discovered by mitochondrial DNA analysis. Mr. Sykes weaves stories of the day-to-day struggle for survival of women at different points in human history. The stories are evocative, and connected me with the actual women more than simply reading "25,000 B.C." would have done. I enjoyed the stories very much. I only wish that Mr. Sykes had footnoted which of the objects mentioned in the stories had actually been found by archaeologists.

I loved Mr. Sykes' use of the word "feminine" to describe the traits that have nurtured and supported human survival. This book is an antidote to superficial definitions of femininity.

I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in human evolution. I would especially recommend the book to women who want to feel a closer connection with their fore-mothers.

Wonderful book! Accessible science for non-scientists
First of all, this is not a book for those already thoroughly familiar with the workings of genetics. Yes, this book is written in a very popular style but I do not believe this is a flaw, but rather its strength. I found Prof. Sykes' writing style extremely engaging and enjoyable, and quite literally could not put this book down.

He manages to draw the reader in and share his great excitement on his journey of discovering the secrets of DNA. He discusses his DNA analyses on the "iceman" discovered in the Alps, the Cheddar man discovered in a cave in southern England, and even on the bones of the Tsar of Russia, and how all of these led him to realize how DNA analysis could be applied to the greater question of how we are all related. He also naturally adds chapters on what exactly DNA is and how it works, but these are never dry or boring.

The seven chapters in which Sykes fictionalizes the daily life of the seven women he has traced to be the common maternal ancestors of most Europeans are the weakest part of the book. However, while I share reviewer D. C. Smith below's doubts about the monogamous nature of prehistoric male-female relationships and while those lines he cited in his review did have me cringing a bit, overall I would have to say that even these chapters served their purpose quite well, as after reading them I have a much clearer idea of the KIND of existence that these women would have lived. The only drawback I can see is if people take these chapters literally, and after having their own DNA analyzed begin seeing themselves as the descendant of the actual individual depicted in these chapters. These seven chapters are only intended to give us an IDEA of how they lived.

In conclusion, I'd have to say that I really did enjoy this book very, very much and have no problem with giving it a rip-roaring rave review! I hope that soon we will see further works providing more detail on the other maternal clans outside of Europe tantalizingly introduced in this book's final chapter.

In the mean time, I can't wait to have my own DNA analyzed by Prof. Sykes' labs at Oxford at the service listed at the back of the book, and find out just where my own ancestry fits into the big picture. I know it sounds extremely corny to say this, but I really do feel this book has to a tiny extent changed my life!

Absolutely painful to read is this book!
Either this stuck up English twit Sykes is writing all about himself or he's writing stupid, phony stone age stories. If I want dumb stone age fiction I'll watch The Flintstones.

The Journy of Man is a better book!
It was on here i read that Spencer Wells's Journey of Man book was better than this conceit-trip by Bryan Sykes (TSDOE is a book of which I have had the bad misfortune of reading since---one of the worst reading expeiences of my life). I have since gotten JOM and loved every bit of it. Wells's book is full of much more important facts and there's also a neat section in JOM on the Aryans. Get Spencer Wells's far superior book and learn more about the aryans possibly in your genetic background. Skip this garbage!

Not much good comes from this ego trip
Outside of the following. Sykes, in spite of his egomania, conveys the important fact that the all important and numerous British have a good deal of mitochondrial DNA of the Syrian kind. This explains why, say, Charlton Heston (Britsh) looks like Ralph Nader (Syrian). As a British person myself (now residing in the USA) I find it interesting that I have so much arab blood from 10,000 years ago. Everything else in the book is worthless. Basques and Polynesians are too few in number the world over so explaining their origins was a total waste (besides what was an explanation of polynesian dna doing in this book anyway, they aren't even Europeans). Also, we already knew (from Paabo!) that Neanderthals aren't in our dna (at least not very much). And the whole stone age historical fiction concept is really dumb and totally fake. An overall rotten book. ... Read more

Book Description

Robert Kuehl's DESIGN OF EXPERIMENTS, Second Edition, prepares students to design and analyze experiments that will help them succeed in the real world. Kuehl uses a large array of real data sets from a broad spectrum of scientific and technological fields. This approach provides realistic settings for conducting actual research projects. Next, he emphasizes the importance of developing a treatment design based on a research hypothesis as an initial step, then developing an experimental or observational study design that facilitates efficient data collection. In addition to a consistent focus on research design, Kuehl offers an interpretation for each analysis. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Statistics text for people who understand statistics
Kuehl covers a lot of statistical designs, and provides great examples and practice problems. However, the book is not "user friendly" even for student who have had several semesters coursework in regression analysis. Also, the author tends to change his notation from chapter to chapter without telling the reader, thus creating great confusion. For example "r" or "k" could signify replicate. Some sections are poorly organized. ... Read more

Book Description

A bestselling collection of brilliant and quirky essays, on subjects ranging from biology to grammar to artificial intelligence, that are unified by one primary concern: the way people perceive and think. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

Hofstadter's approachable collection
When I was in high school I discovered the joys of reading Martin Gardner's "Mathematical Games" column in Scientific American. After a few years of pleasure he was replaced by someone else who (among other things) wrote on the joys of Rubik's cube and I found myself wasting weeks of time and filling notebooks with my quest to explore and solve the cube.

That columnist was Douglas Hofstadter, who brought the same skill at sharing his enthusiam for his topic that created the amazing, mind shattering 'Godel, Escher, Bach'. His column, that occupied the same place as "Mathemetical Games", was called "Metamagical Themas" (looking closely at those two names will tell you a lot about Douglas Hofstadter) and lasted for 13 issues.

This book is a compilation of those columns, each with a new endnote by Hofstadter and some letters received by the magazine and his reply.

Together they cover a large range of topics while keeping to the central concerns of most of Hofstadter's work; consciousness, patterns, music, language and computer systems.

The combination works superbly. This volume is much more easily approached than 'Godel, Escher, Bach' while raising similar questions in the mind of the reader. For those that have read the earlier work there is not just the joy of more of Hofstadter's writing on diverse topics but the sheer pleasure of discovering another dialogue involving Achilles and the Tortoise.

I find it hard to define the set of people who would enjoy this book, but it would be a large and varied one.

Better than GEB?
Perhaps it is sacrilege, or stretching things a bit, but in my view this book tops GEB. Admittedly, I have read GEB several times, so maybe somebody who hasn't read GEB won't get the full benefit of Metamagical Themas. Here are my reasons for my opinion:

1) Hofstadter doesn't spend so much time being cute. Sure, all the jokes in GEB were funny, but they can get old, especially when you're going through the book a second time trying to delve deeper into an idea.

2) The variety of topics. Everything from Chopin to self reference to nuclear proliferation. Yet as the title might suggest, a common thread runs through all the topics. Hofstadter emphasizes this with his addendums to the original articles; he also has several new essays.

3) A great summary of Hofstadter's views on AI. If you read GEB and weren't really sure what he's about, reading the new Achilles and Tortoise dialogue, "Who shoves whom around in the careenium?", will clear things up. It did for me. Also, there's an article on Hofstadter's criticisms of the approaches that have been taken by AI experts (up to 1985, when the book was written).

In summary, GEB was an amazing work that was diluted to make it more palatable to non-technical people. Metamagical Themas is Hofstadter at full strength.

Brilliant and Thought Provoking
This collection of Hofstadter's columns from Scientific American provides wonderful reading.

One of the gems is his simple, but brilliant analysis of the Prisoner's Dilemma. The usual analysis notes that the Nash equilibrium is for both players to defect. Hofstadter notes (correctly) that if both players are rational, then because the game is symmetrical, both players will choose the same strategy. So, the only choices are for both to cooperate or both defect. Since both cooperating has a higher payoff than both defecting, the rational strategy is to cooperate. The Nash equilibrium isn't relevant because it considers pairs of strategies which are impossible if both players are rational, i.e., the pairs where one player defects and the other cooperates.

Hofstadter notes that many people when presented with the above argument still say that they would defect. His descriptions of his attempts to reason with his friends and the results of the lottery he conducted (he told readers of his column they could send in entries for the lottery, but the more that entered, the smaller the prize would be) are, as he says, amusing, disturbing, and disappointing.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
This collection of essays previously published as a column in Scientific American is very uneven. There are some true gems like he discussion of the game Nomic in which rule changes are part of ordinary play or the sections on self referential sentences. Basically everything is readable, but not all chapters make much sense.

Some parts are really bad. In chapter 5 he wonders why one can judge the intellectual content of magazines by their cover, not seeing the obvious solution that these magazines try to attract different audiences. He spends some time discussing the prisoners dilemma and he get's it completely wrong. He argues that a rational person would know that other rational persons would think along the same lines and therefore act the same way. So a rational person can use this knowledge to influence another person. This is complete bogus of course. People are rational when they act rational, if I cooperate in the prisoners dilemma, I am not changing the definition of rationality, I'm simply irrational. Hofstadter also discusses Axelrod's famous computer tournaments. A more realistic view on the topic is provided by a review of Axelrod's book by Ken Binmore. That review can be found on the web.

The book is still valuable for the good parts, but one should read the book with a sceptical eye. Hofstadter is a layman on many things he discusses, and sometimes this shines through. Another problem is that some issues like the cold war anren't really interesting anymore. People who like Hofstadter will surely like it and find enough pearls to make the buy worth it though.

Essence of Mind and Pattern
At any level of scientific comprehension, this book provides an intelligent subscription to pattern. Includes essays and 'conversations' on Alan Turing, and clear and relevant description of common and interesting science. The most valuable information is hofstaedter's creative description of thought. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (8)

DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK
DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK. I bought this book to learn logic. It turned out that this book uses 3 different software, which can be installed through cd or web site. Most of the exercises require software. Quite frankly I prefer the pen and paper method better. You don't really need a set of software to learn basic logic. It just adds unnecessary complexity.
When I opened this book and read through first chapter it turned out that 80% of the exercises require the use of software. I was not willing to install the software ands set up the grade grinder, which requires Internet connection. I usually study in libraries or cafes, and I don't have a laptop to carry around. When I do an exercise, I want to check the answer, not send an e-mail and wait for an answer. The logic behind this is that author/publisher wants us to buy new books, rather than used, which is $60.00. This format makes used book worthless. This is such a cheap way of authoring and publishing a book. There are many other good books on logic available with a more user-friendly format. All the reviews are cooked up to justify this cheap way of making money.
Only buy this book if you have a laptop, desire to learn frustrating software (may I remind you that goal is to learn language, proof and logic, not software.) and if you like reading in front of a desktop with an Internet connection. BTW: Grade grinder sucks, just imagine a computer grading your assignment.

Great beginner's logic book, software useful.
Yes, as many have already complained, the software used extensively in this book is not at all intuitive. It is, however, an excellent learning method, I found that the grader was extremely helpful at reinforcing the book's material.

For those of you that need a bit of help, check out:

www.geocities.com/lplsolutions

A lot of help with the book can be found here. Good luck!

Software can only be used once
I bought a used copy of the book and software at the beginning of the term, for a class. Now that we're starting it, I find out that a) we will be using the CD's software, including the online grading service, and therefore b) the copy I bought is useless to me.

The grading service records one email address (i.e. that of the previous owner) per book number. That email, necessary for submitting homework and for sending you the results, cannot ever be changed. In my case, it turns out the CD (which includes a .pdf copy of the textbook anyway) was the important part of the purchase . . . and will not work since it's been used before.

So be warned: don't buy the package used if you will need the software.

Software is frustrating but ultimately helpful
Stanford uses this book in its two introductory philosophy classes (philosophy 57 and phil 159). It is appropriate for students without much exposure to math or computer science, as it is very verbose--much more so than Enderton's _Mathematical Logic_ for example.

Students found the software initially frustrating, and the instructor interface can also be harder to use than it should be, but in the end it is worth it. I handed out a survey at the end of one course and the students generally thought the software was helpful and shouldn't be omitted. Showing the students what to do can be helpful. I just took part of a class period and went through (using laptop+projector) installing the software, building a world, writing a sentence, submitting a few exercises, and getting feeback by email.

Oh, and even if the software [was bad], instructors w/o TAs would probably still love it, as 2/3rds of the exercises can be graded automatically.

excellent logic text with super software, exercises
This text is written in a very clear (shall I say logical?) manner. It covers all a first order logic course can consider.
The exercises are very well thought out and doing them gives the reader a thorough understanding of the subject matter in a chapter.
I disagree with another reviewer (John Rocklin) who did not like the software. There are adequate help files (he said there were none). The software is understandable, especially with 1) using it, 2) help files and 3) manual. It is extraordinarily useful to construct a "world" in which to test the truth of logical statements, prove the truth of a series of statements and devive a truth table for a given statement. The opportunity to send exercise answer files over the net and have them graded in minutes is a great feedback mechanism. The student can send files for grading until they are correct and then also send them to the professor for credit.
All in all, highly recommended. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (6)

Excellent Text Book

This is one of those rare gems of a text that delivers information almost every time you look at it. Strongly recommended for students of materials science or researchers who are working with mats. sci. or metallurgy.There are comprehensive sections on nucleation and diffusion, topics that are often mentioned but rarely explained to a sufficient degree. The section on thermodynamics provides enough relevant information to bring home the point that there is more to thermo than "a piston in a chamber with a permeable wall...(etc etc etc)" .It is a particularly useful reference for free energy considerations when examining phase transformations in solids, as the title plainly states!

This book should be handed off to students in materials science on principle (but only if they promise to read it).

A very useful book for materials science people
This is a very comprehensive book on phase transformations from a materials scientist point of view. Without going deeply into the math of the theory of phase transitions, which is repulsively complex, the authors have taken a pragmatic approach using a simple, easy-to-understand and straight forward style. Not much pre-requisite knowledge is required for this book though some background in materials thermodynamics will definitely be helpful. A must for grad-students, professors and practitioners of materials science.

A must have for any Mat.Sci. student...
...this book is the only text suited for a materials science class in phase transformations.A great introduction to the subject.

Phase Transformations in Metals and Alloys
This a good book for students in material science. I think that should be reimpressed again.

Asking for answer-key
Dear sir,

I am a lecturer of University of Indonesia in Metalurgical Engineering.
I use this book as a teaching reference and found it very useful.
I would like to have a copy of the answer-key of the exercises in your book.
Please send me to the following address:

Ir.Esa Haruman, Msc(eng),Ph.D.
Jalan Raya Tanjung Barat No.83
Pasar Minggu
Jakarta Selatan
Indonesia
12530

Telp/Fax: 62 21 7806844

Also let me know a cost of compensation

Your sincerely,

Esa Haruman ... Read more

Amazon.com

Consciousness is notoriously difficult to explain. On one hand, there are facts about conscious experience--the way clarinets sound, the way lemonade tastes--that we know subjectively, from the inside. On the other hand, such facts are not readily accommodated in the objective world described by science. How, after all, could the reediness of clarinets or the tartness of lemonade be predicted in advance? Central to Daniel C. Dennett's attempt to resolve this dilemma is the "heterophenomenological" method, which treats reports of introspection nontraditionally--not as evidence to be used in explaining consciousness, but as data to be explained. Using this method, Dennett argues against the myth of the Cartesian theater--the idea that consciousness can be precisely located in space or in time. To replace the Cartesian theater, he introduces his own multiple drafts model of consciousness, in which the mind is a bubbling congeries of unsupervised parallel processing. Finally, Dennett tackles the conventional philosophical questions about consciousness, taking issue not only with the traditional answers but also with the traditional methodology by which they were reached.

Dennett's writing, while always serious, is never solemn; who would have thought that combining philosophy, psychology, and neuroscience could be such fun? Not every reader will be convinced that Dennett has succeeded in explaining consciousness; many will feel that his account fails to capture essential features of conscious experience. But none will want to deny that the attempt was well worth making. --Glenn Branch ... Read more

Reviews (67)

It certa_nly fi_ls in the bl_nks
Dennett's theory of 'consciousness' (or the lack of consciousness), does not resort to mystical explanation like many other ideas do. He, and many others would agree, that non-materialist explanations are a form of 'giving up'.
He may not have explained 'consciousness', but I believe, that he has certainly contributed to our understanding of how and why we think like we do.
'Consciousness Explained' is one of the best books I have ever read, all areas in the text being relevent to the title's 'promise', and convincingly argued. Please read this book and don't be turned off by the other reviews here, you will be stimulated.

Quote:
"Only a theory that explained conscious events in terms of unconscious events could explain consciousness at all. If your model of how pain is a product of brain activity still has a box in it labeled "pain", you haven't even begun to explain what pain is, and if your model of consciousness carries along nicely until the magic moment when you have to say "then a miracle occurs" you haven't begun to explain what consciousness is." [page 154-5]

A Break from Decartes
Contrary to other reviewers, I believe Dennett has a very