Book Description

This companion book to Voyageur Press’ "The Snowflake: Winter’s Secret Beauty" features new, super-detailed photographs of snowflakes, detailed captions containing the science behind their beauty, and literary quotes relating to nature and snow. ... Read more

Book Description

Researchers around the world depend upon having access to authoritative, up-to-date data. And for 90 years, they have relied on the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics for that data. This year is no exception. New tables, extensive updates, and added sections mean the Handbook has again set a new standard for reliability, utility, and thoroughness. This edition features a completely new table of Physical Constants of Organic Compounds with data on almost 11,000 compounds, new structure diagrams, and a new, more convenient format. Reflecting CRC's dedication to ensuring the Handbook remains current, this edition also incorporates new entries and data from the U.S. Government's just-released "Tenth Report on Carcinogens." ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Represents Our Technological Civilisation
Some years ago, an author in a science fiction magazine put forth a gedanken (thought experiment). Suppose you would be transported to another planet and you had to attempt to rebuild our civilisation. But you could only take 6 books with you.

What would you take?

Well, that author gave a list of his suggestions. One of which was this; well an earlier edition anyway. He pointed out something about the Rubber Handbook, which is what anyone who regularly uses this book calls it. So easy to take for granted, because in any lab, you can usually rummage around and find some edition of it. But it represents millions of hours of engineering and research to measure and collate its results.

If there is one book that summarises the engineering of our civilisation, it is this.

Always nice to see CRC continually updating it. But having said the above, whether you need this latest edition is another matter. The changes are incremental. If you have an older edition, and there is no specific reason to upgrade, then you probably shouldn't. Note that I did not say never. Just tell yourself you can defer it till next year. Then, at that time, ask yourself again. ... Read more

Book Description

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE SERIES
Physics of Thin Films is one of the longest running continuing series in thin film science, consisting of 25 volumes since 1963. The series contains quality studies of the properties of various thin films materials and systems.
In order to be able to reflect the development of today's science and to cover all modern aspects of thin films, the series, starting with Volume 20, has moved beyond the basic physics of thin films. It now addresses the most important aspects of both inorganic and organic thin films, in both their theoretical as well as technological aspects. Therefore, in order to reflect the modern technology-oriented problems, the title has been slightly modified from Physics of Thin Films to Thin Films.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE VOLUME
This volume, part of the Thin Films Series, has been wholly written by two authors instead of showcasing several edited manuscripts. ... Read more

Book Description

This comprehensive textbook utilizes Green's functions and the equations derived from them to solve real physical problems in solid-state theoretical physics. Green's functions are used to describe processes in solids and quantum fluids and to address problems in areas such as electron gas, polarons, electron transport, optical response, superconductivity and superfluidity.The updated third edition features several new chapters on different mean-free paths, Hubbard model, Coulomb blockade, and the quantum Hall effect. New sections have been added, while original sections have been modified to include recent applications.This text is ideal for third- or fourth-year graduate students and includes numerous study problems and an extensive bibliography. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Containing too many misprints.
Unfortunately, the 3rd edition of Mahan's book contains enormous number of misprints. Sometimes, it is impossible to understand what is meant by the author without consulting the previous edition. For example, in Sec. 4.1.5. the author refers in the text to the equation which apparently should be between Eqs. (4.126) and (4.127) but which had been omitted. At the same time, some evident drawbacks of the previous edition have not been corrected. For example, the definition of the thermodynamic average used in Sec. 3.6 is different from that used in the previous sections, although it is not mentioned in the text. Despite the book is an excellent introduction into the field of Many-Particle Physics, I would recommend to the customer to either buy the previous edition or to wait for a new one.

Bien detaille, comprehensible.
Un excellent livre sur un sujet d'actualite. G. Mahan discute de nombreuses en detaillant a chaque fois les etapes necessaires et en ne negligeant pas les explications ni les liens entre les differentes theories. Vu le prix, courez a votre bibliotheque pour vous le procurer! ... Read more

Book Description

Mr Tompkins has become known and loved by many thousands of readers (since his first appearance over fifty years ago) as the bank clerk whose fantastic dreams and adventures lead him into a world inside the atom. George Gamow's classic provides a delightful explanation of the central concepts in modern physics, from atomic structure to relativity, and quantum theory to fusion and fission. Roger Penrose's new foreword introduces Mr Tompkins to a new generation of readers, and reviews his adventures in the light of current developments in physics today. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Very Entertaining
I wish they made an animation movie from this book. This is very nice introduction into Modern Physics expecially for those who is interested in Physics in young age but does not have rigorous knowledge of mathematics or physical concepts to understand it or for those who knows it but can not explain it to a teenager. Concepts covered is Relativity and Quantum Mechanics where speed of light is reduced to very low valus or Planck constant is increased to managable levels. You can see the strangness in everyday experiences.
Very fun to read or to give as a present to young future Physicist.

Superb Intro to Modern Physics
I first read this about 50 years ago in graduate school, and was wonderfully stimulated. Despite many advances since, this book is still thoroughly up-to-date (except for particle physics and quarks). I remember mainly how Mr Tompkins suffers in a room where the speed of light has been reduced to 100 mph. Could never again think of simultaneity again in quite the familiar Newtonian way. That is but one example of the freshness of view that Gamow's fun-loving mind creates. It taught me more than most formal texts; and with so much more ease.I hope that he and Lewis Carroll have found each other in Heaven, and are discussing how to educate and amuse.

It helped me understand...
I'm a novice at this subject matter, and I've recently started reading introductory books on quantum physics for fun. I read, "The New Quantum Universe" prior to reading this. This easy to read book filled in some gaps that that I had. It helped me grasp some concepts that had otherwise passed over my head when reading the other book.

I understand that this is a classic text and I can see why. It's fun to read, and provides a foundation for further understanding. It explains uncertaintity, radioactive decay, and electron shells especially well.

I may not fully appreciate the concepts I was able to internalize from this book for quite some time. I can say that I strongly recommend it to the layman or anyone who's eager to understand some basics of this incredible field of study.

An alltime favorite!
A lovely reprinted edition of a peral from Gamow. The original edition has been out of print for a number of years. This 1993 edition has added commentary and a fascinating bio of Gamow. He was born in Odessa, in what was then Russia, --before the Soviet Union. The story of his escape to the West is straight out of a thriller. Only it is real! Gamow was referred to by a journalist, some time during the Cold War, as "the only scientist in America with a real sense of humor". He can take the most technical stuff and make it simple. Fun too! The book:--Intellectual treats, whimsy, but deep. Illustrated with lovely drawings by Gamow himself. Much of it can be understood by a child, and other parts might require a little concentration. All of it is great fun. Follow your imagination, and while you explore, you will learn about Einstein's theory of relativity. And in unexpected ways! You will see the wonders of physics thru the eyes of a child. With his unexpected thought experiments, Gamow has captured the imagination of generations of readers, and he has inspired a degree of curiosity that comes naturally to children.
The author George Gamow started in nuclear physics, during the Golden Age of Physics, worked with Niels Bohr in Copenhagen, then later in the US, on the Manhattan Project during WWII; and after the War, he was professor in Boulder Colorado. He has a building on campus of The University of Colorado named after him! He is one of the few scientists who wrote popular books. They are precious pearls, and they have been equally popular with my parent's generation as with mine. For awhile they were out of print, but luckely some have now been reprinted in recent years!
Other Gamow titles: Biography of Physics, Atomic Energy [dedicated to the hope of lasting peace], Physics of the Strapless Evning Gown,...We are lucky that Dover has reprinted some of them. Gamow's list of scientific accomplishments includes a 1948 landmark paper on the origin of chemical elements, the Big Bang model, and later work with F. Crick on DNA and genetic coding.-- Do more Gamow editions, Dover!
Review by Palle Jorgensen, September 2003.

Good introduction to modern physics
This book is about 50 years old, but it has aged well. The basic ideas discussed in the book have not changed, although some discoveries in the intervening years have made a few parts obsolete. Gamow's writing is witty, yet rigorous. Without compromising scientific accuracy, he manages to make his narrative engaging and entertaining.

Gamow touches on some classical topics, as well as relativity and quantum mechanics. For instance, he explains probability theory and how it relates to thermodynamics using a vignette about a gambling system to win at Monte Carlo.

The author, renowned for his contributions to 20th Century physics and to its popular exposition, assumes a fair amount of sophistication on the part of the reader. This does not mean that it will be beyond the reach of most people, but it will challenge the reader.

This book is one of the recommended readings for a class I teach at drphysics.com. Many of my students have found this book to be helpful. ... Read more

Book Description

This revised text presents a cogent explanation of the fundamentals of meteorology, and explains storm dynamics for weather-oriented meteorologists. It discusses climate dynamics and the implications posed for global change. The Fourth Edition features a CD-ROM with MATLABr exercises and updated treatments of several key topics. Much of the material is based on a two-term course for seniors majoring in atmospheric sciences.

* Provides clear physical explanations of key dynamical principles
* Contains a wealth of illustrations to elucidate text and equations, plus end-of-chapter problems
* Holton is one of the leading authorities in contemporary meteorology, and well known for his clear writing style
* Instructor's Manual available to adopters

NEW IN THIS EDITION
* A CD-ROM with MATLABr exercises and demonstrations
* Updated treatments on climate dynamics, tropical meteorology,middle atmosphere dynamics, and numerical prediction ... Read more

Reviews (5)

An Underrated Text
This book, often simply referred to as "Holton", has been roundly cursed by undergraduates since it was first published. I know, because I was one of them. However, as the years went by, and as the number of classes requiring Holton as a text went by, I realized two things. First, that this book was not meant to hold your hand through all the derivations. It requires a competent instructor who can use Holton as a detailed companion to rigorous coursework. This book is NOT for the average person who wishes to study alone. The second thing is that this book was written to fill a gap. There were no similar atmospheric dynamics texts. As a consequence, it must cover a large amount of material in a rather small, college textbook-sized space. It does this well. Yes, the author's writing style is dry to the extreme, and yes, physical explanations are often lacking. However, if you have access to a competent professor, neither of these are problems. One final thought... as we call the book simply "Holton" remember that Frankenstein's monster is often called simply "Frankenstein", but we will leave comparisons to the reader - and to the author!

Paramount
Useful introduction to dynamic meteorology. Covers many fundamental concepts and concisely. It is not a good fluid dynamics book. It is developed for the atmospheric scientist. It contains an exceptional chapter on waves. Also, there are some elementary concepts related to stratospheric dynamics and general circulation that are very well-written.

a tough textbook, definitely not one for the coffee table
Okay, this book doesn't strike me as fantastic either. I like math...and when Holton uses the phrase "it can be shown that..", I cringe. Even meteorologists (like myself) can have difficulty following certain sections of Holton's text, simply because he glosses over (often major) details in derivations and explanations of topics.

That said, the book has come in handy on a couple occasions as a reference tool. Had it not been required, I doubt I would ever have purchased this text. Even in the first four chapters, which I believe are extremely important to all atmospheric scientists, Holton dodges mathmatical rigor and instead gives derivations as end-of-chapter problems.

For a first-year graduate student with a solid math background, this book has more worth. As an undergraduate, I never used the book other than to work the problems my professor assigned out of it. If you are looking for a book to introduce you to meteorology, this will suffice but you can find better!!

Confusing for Students
As a meteorology student (a college student of an age significantly greater than 12), I found this book far too confusing. It introduces equations and variables seemingly from nowhere, frequently using the standard dodge "it can be shown that ...," and hence leaving the numerous highly mathematical concepts herein contained far removed from the theoretical and mathematical backing requisite for comprehension and insight. Moreover, the book employs rather complicated notation, oftentimes without making reference to the meaning of variables or the various "operators" acting upon them in the surrounding text. Physical reasoning in the book is lacking and ill-developed at best. The text leaves numerous critical questions unanswered. Even more poorly written than most [confusing] fluid dynamics books, this abnormally dry textbook uses an insufficient quantity of text and covers too many topics for its length in an overly superficial in a badly condensed manner.

Do not buy this book unless you will face repercussion for failure to do so, i.e. unless a higher power (professor, employer, etc.) imposes a rigid requirement of ownership.

Good basics review but that's all.
Well, if you are a student new to the field I am sure you will find this book extremely helpful but if you are looking for elegant mathematical derivations and further explanations of baroclinic instabilities, for instance, it is not the book you want to buy. The emphasis is on physical principles rather than the math. Thus, I am not really found of his notation too. ... Read more

Book Description

A major contribution to our understanding of the basic laws of the universe -- from the author of The Book of Nothing.

The constants of nature are the fundamental laws of physics that apply throughout the universe: gravity, velocity of light, electromagnetism and quantum mechanics. They encode the deepest secrets of the universe, and express at once our greatest knowledge and our greatest ignorance about the cosmos.

Their existence has taught us the profound truth that nature abounds with unseen regularities. Yet while we have become skilled at measuring the values of these constants, our frustrating inability to explain or predict their values shows how much we have still to learn about inner workings of the universe.

What is the ultimate status of these constants of nature? Are they truly constant? And are there other universes where they are different?

John D. Barrow, one of our foremost mathematicians and cosmologists, discusses the latest thinking about these and many more dramatic issues in this accessible and thought-provoking book. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

A good overview, but ...
"Constants of Nature" is an excellent overview of a fascinating topic--the origins and significance of the constants of the universe. It prompted me to spend a great deal of my free time digging around for more information on many of the topics it addresses, which is always a ringing endorsement for a work of non-fiction.

However, it's not perfect. The book's subtitle ("From Alpha to Omega") is somewhat deceptive--the "meat" of the book (after the first few chapters) deals almost entirely with the fine structure constant (alpha). Barrow talks a great deal about constants in general, but never devotes much time to any of the others specifically. Furthermore, at times, Barrow seems to become sidetracked--an inexplicable discussion of the value of contemplating "alternative histories" (i.e., speculating what would have happened if Germany had won World War II, and similar endeavors) awkwardly interrupts the flow of one chapter, for instance. Also, the book has several errors that were immediately obvious to me (for instance, it says light from the Sun takes 3 seconds to reach the Earth; the correct value is more than 8 minutes), which makes me suspect that there are probably many more errors that I missed, but which would be obvious to someone with a marginally greater degree of physics sophistication.

However, perhaps the biggest disappointment was in the introduction of the values of the Planck length, Planck time, etc., all of which are central to the book. Barrow justifies the signifiance of these values simply by stating that they are the only values of the appropriate dimensions that can be derived by combining certain other physical constants in straightforward ways. However, from there he makes the logical leap that the Planck distance, for instance, is the "natural" measure of length in the universe. This is certainly a fair statement, but it's hardly justifiable to make that statement based simply on the fact that it can be derived from a number of other constants--one could have selected another collection of fundamental constants and come up with a completely different "natural" unit of length. In short, the line of reasoning does not justify the conclusion.

In all, this is a thought-provoking work, but it's often short on detail and had a tendency to leave me with more questions than answers. The more technical reader will probably wish for more thorough arguments throughout; however, it's still an enjoyable read and a fine attempt at popularizing a difficult area of physics.

Innovative and refreshing text
In his previous book "The Book of Nothing", John Barrow presents a vacuum and uses it to show us its new meaning. Now he finds another interesting topic - constants of Nature in science (mostly "fine structure" constant but not exclusively), and uses them to teach us about unknown history and measurements in modern cosmology. I find his cube of theories and colorful description of many forms of multiverses (including the one having different times dimension) very educative.
Extra flavor is added in chapter 9 (about "virtual history"). It brings some humor and relaxes in the middle of not so easy subjects. Especially chapter 11 requires extra effort and figure 11.6 is missing from the hardcover edition. Generally: book represents another great effort in popularizing sophisticated top end of a science. Hopefully I will remember formula: 2(pi)e^2/hc for a long time to come.

Disappointed
The Book of Nothing was much better. I am surprised at errors made on simple physical realities. Eclipse of sun is defined as earth's shadow covering sun's disc... Sun's light reaching earth in 3 seconds... As one reviewer already mentioned, letter used for "1" is indistinguishable from "I"... I could not find much detail on "constants", just speculations and what if's... Quotes sprinkled all over are much more fun to read...

very good
Fascinating discussion on the number that govern the universe. Though certainly not perfect(and somewhat self promoting), barrow is a very entertaining, infromative writer.

Not quite from alpha to omega
There is a good book in this book somewhere, but it is trapped inside of a fair book that promises a lot more than it actually delivers. There is an initial problem that the book fails to make the case as to why particular constants are important. When discussing the fine structure constant (which is really the only constant that is given any significant coverage), the author tells us that it is made up of a combination of the electron charge, the speed of light, and Plank's constant. One might ask why these three particular values and that would be a fair question. The author tells us that if these three values changed but the fine structure constant remained the same, the resulting universe would be indistinguishable from our own. And then he leaves it there. What does that mean? Why is this the case? The author skips over this and moves on to other topics. He also makes a claim for "natural units" without being clear about what he means and why they are particularly natural.

In chapter six the author discusses some curious coincidences surrounding Eddington's number. But after having debunked some other coincidental numbers he seems to leave himself open to claims that he is simply invoking meaningless coincidences. For example, he lays claim to an odd coincidence between the number of protons in the Universe and the ratio of the strengths of the electromagnetic and gravitational forces between two protons. Why these particular numbers? There are some interesting twists and turns in the book but there are also enough things that seem rather shaky that I began to doubt how much of the book was truly reliable. As one reviewer has already pointed out, what does one say when a book is so careless as to claim that solar eclipses are caused by the Earth's shadow falling on the Sun? I am sure the author doesn't believe that to be the case but it shows a certain amount of carelessness that worries me about the remainder of the book.

There are some good parts to the book that I should mention. The discussion of the Anthropic Principle was clear and concise. His explanation of why intelligent life could not evolve unless there were exactly three spatial dimensions and one time dimension was convincing although I would have liked him to expand on this in more depth. Chapter eleven's discussion of natural nuclear reactors was also quite interesting. Overall there are some good parts in here but I didn't find the book as a whole delivered on its promise. ... Read more

Book Description

Lewis Carroll Epstein explains deep ideas in physics in an easy-to-understand way. Thinking Physics is a perfect beginner's guide to an amazingly wide range of physics-related questions. The book targets topics that science teachers and students spend time wondering about, like wing lift. Epstein elucidates the familiar but misunderstood - such as how tides work - along with more obscure but fascinating phenomena like the "Bernoulli sub" and the "artificial aurora" created by hydrogen bombs. Broken into many short sections and peppered with Epstein's own playful hand-drawn illustrations, the book does not simply give the right answer: It also goes into the answers that seem right but are wrong and shows why they are wrong - a rarity in science books. Thinking Physics is a rigorously correct, lighthearted, and cleverly designed Q and A book for physicists of all ages. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

A fun book that should be in your library...
This book gets one excited about physics. Common physical phenoman like rate, speed, mass and force are explained in very ingenious ways. What is more the writing is good and to the point. Even though there is not much math to speak of the author explains things in a concise manner. What got me hooked to this book is that it does require thinking on part of the reader. One quickly finds out that what may seem intuitive and common sense is in fact precisely the wrong answer. Another major advantage of the book is that you do not have to read it from page one onwards. Turn to any segment and you are sure to be sucked in. Page after page is filled with nice little nuggets of fun. Get this book you will not regret it.

This is the Best
If you ever took a college class in physics, or maybe even high school, or ever wanted to understand physics, this is the book for you. I'm an electrical engineer, and my physics classes were 20 years ago, but I love this book. It really does make you think!! Buy it now (and get one for your friends).

Very Useful Book
No, this isn't a perfect book. Some of Lewis' explanations are a bit vague and some are incomplete but despite these minor flaws this book does a wonderful job of explaining important concepts of physics in very simple terms.

I can't think of anyone who wouldn't benefit from reading this book. Oh yes, it's a fun read too!

teachs you how to think about physics problems
I like this book because it has interesting and motivating physics problems that can be solved, without math, with just carefull thinking on the truly physical aspects and principles. I do not mean that math should not be used in physics books, nor that all physics problems can be solved without math, but problems that do not need math are also very interesting and should be taught, and this book is very good in doing that. I think high school should use this book (as complement to conventional books) because it would have great effect on kids's mental habits. One thing I do not like from this book is that answers are upside down. It deserves 5 stars.

Honest and clear teaching
It's amazing the capability of being clear and to get to the right point. Ingeneous! I recommend for every one who search for learn physics, even those who already studied it! ... Read more

Book Description

Today nearly everyone is familiar with holograms, three-dimensional images projected into space with the aid of a laser. Now, two of the world's most eminent thinkers -- University of London physicists David Bohm, a former protege of Einstein's and one of the world's most respected quantum physicists, and Stanford neurophysiologist Karl Pribram, one of the architects of our modern understanding of the brain -- believe that the universe itself may be a giant hologram, quite literally a kind of image or construct created, at least in part, by the human mind. This remarkable new way of looking at the universe explains now only many of the unsolved puzzles of physics, but also such mysterious occurrences as telepathy, out-of-body and near death experiences, "lucid" dreams, and even religious and mystical experiences such as feelings of cosmic unity and miraculous healings.

Reviews (131)

Are individual experiences valid scientific data?
This is one of the most provocative books I have read in years. In the first few chapters Mr. Talbot describes the emerging holographic paradigm in science, drawing on David Bohm's work in quantum physics and Karl Pribam's work in neuroscience. I found both descriptions to be fascinating, and especially enjoyed the historical context for the work of these two seminal thinkers. As a person with a master's degree in neuroscience and chaos/complexity theory, I found a couple of his simplifications misleading, but would give him high marks for his overall comprehension of the conclusions of Pribam and his followers.

The remaining 2/3 of the book is a discussion of how the holographic paradigm may provide a rational basis for interpreting a wide variety of phenomenon located around the fringes of established science. He looks at everything from strange historical "miracles" like stigmata and appearances of the Virgin Mary to modern psychic abilities and LSD experiences, from out-of-body and near-death-experiences to UFO abductions. In addition, he compares language used in the modern scientific discussion of holography with the language used by ancient mystical traditions.

Mr. Talbot's writing style is unusually clear and lucid. All of this makes for a highly engaging book. It kept me up late every night for more than a week. I am a person who has had an OBE/NDE (out-of-body, near-death-experience), and can tell you that his description of such events is an astoundingly accurate portrayal of what I experienced.

I am also a scientist, and know that most of my highly rational, empirical colleages would have trouble accepting a majority of Mr. Talbot's conclusions. This work addresses something so completely out of the realm of everyday experience for most people, and probes a world that is normally invisible to the five senses. Hence, objective, empirical science -- as defined by a conventional theorist or practicing technician -- simply cannot address these experiences. They are outside the range of focus of the tool that Western minds currently rely on.

The service that Mr. Talbot provides is a challenge to rethink the conventional definition of science so that it can take into account a much wider range of human experience. What he argues for is the acceptance, as valid scientific data, of the experiences of individual humans, across cultures and throughout history, that are remarkably consistent with one another. These experiences address aspects of reality that are invisible to the skeptical eye, but become obvious to the person who chooses to develop other forms of perception.

As a person who was unwittingly thrown into an OBE/NDE experience, I am naturally inclined to read a book like this one with an open mind, and felt immensely rewarded for doing so. However, if I had reviewed the same book before having my own personal experience of some of the phenomena it describes, I would have reviewed it as a new-age excursion into a realm of fantasy. I am completely sympathetic to some of the reviewers who see it that way, and respectfully disagree.

I believe there is an extraordinary synthesis happening among the realms of human experience, one that can validate each individual's story, however unusual, and also one that honors all the different ways of knowing. I see Mr. Talbot's work as one of the more important bridges yet constructed between traditional science and spirituality, between rational discourse about repeatable, empirically verifiable phenomenon and the quirky, esoteric or mythological elements of personal experience that actually define most people's experience of reality. This book is a "must read" for any passionate seeker of truth.

Science Or Pseudo-Science?
When I originally purchased and began to read Talbot's presentation, I was intrigued by the way he proposed to explain some of the mysterious or unexplained phenomena of the past and present through an honest inquiry. He applied a blend of both scientific theory and speculations from traditional mysticism to the table. He includes discussions of some of the stranger aspects of quantum physics that have challenged modern physicists with their counter-intuitiveness and introduces the concept of the HOLOGRAPH as a possible model of reality. Yet he feels the need to combine these points with paranormal or "supernatural" mysteries from the past, as well as his own experiences. In the end, however, he clearly veers towards his own assumptions and uncritically accepts much of the dubious superstitions and supernatural claims of less enlightened historical times. He does not actually present any real evidence for his argument or hypothesis, but descends into personal anecdotes (i.e. unverified claims) about his own bizzare "experiences"(hallucinations?). The book is interesting up to a point, but quickly degenerates into yet another "New Age" attempt to elevate magical-spiritual-supernatural nonsense to the level of legitimate and testable science. Very unfortunate indeed.

An excellent resource
The Holographic Universe is by far one of the best books quantum physics I've read. This book clearly presents a unified view of both science and spirituality.

Their are many mystical concepts that the author touches upon. The idea of a Collective Unconcious; that we all share a deeper racial memory is reminiscent of the later works of Carl Jung.

In addition, there is a small but helpful chapter devoted to Multiplicity or multiple personalities. The author articulates a theory that multiples exist as a collection of individual souls that exist in parallel dimensions as well as our own.

Physical differences are scientifically observed in different members of a multiple's system. A brain tumor is seen in the x-rays of a multiple patient. When the patient changes personalities, the brain tumor is no longer present.

I found his theories to be helpful and well thought out. For any student of psychology or self discovery, these ideas are are insightful and creative. There is a great deal we don't know and may never know. This book allows the reader the opportunity to go beyond their limited understanding of how their universe may exist.

A little too new age
This book is interesting but ultimately is attempting to justify new agey feel good connectedness with a little pseudo science. Its nothing new. People have been using the wierdness of quantum theory to justify wacky meta-physical ideas since its inception.
The creditials of some of the thinkers doesn't cut it for me. Many brilliant scientists go non-linear as they get older trying to find some kind of spiritual meaning to existence. Not having traditional religion they create their own using questionable interpretations of modern physics. An excellent example of this is Tipler's 'The Physics of Immortality' where he invents his own heaven complete with all the trapping of eternal bliss in paradise. And he 'proves' it using modern cosmology. Wow.
I only write this review to warn people that are looking for science not meta-physical speculation. I bought this book without a lot of checking and thought I was getting a discourse on the holographic model used in cosmology as an information theoretic approach to physics. See for example Lee Smolin 'The Three Roads to Quantum Gravity'. Instead I got a lot of wild speculation based on anecdotes of ESP,Coincidences and miracle healings. This just isn't science. To quote the late Carl Sagan. 'Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence'.

Cool Idea, but Where is the Correct Skepticism?
Ok, the book is really great, first of all. It has just countless paranormal experiences and explains them using the "holographic universe" point of view. Great idea, awesome analogy, and amazing stories...

One story in particular just blew my mind. On page 150 (soft cover), it talks about this guy, Sai Baba. The book claims Sai Baba could actually create any object he wanted and it would flow from his hands. It spent 4 pages on stuff Sai Baba has done, and how it's been confirmed. This intrigued me so much, I did a simple Google on "Sai Baba". After maybe 5 minutes of research, I found a website that had videos of Sai Baba producing random objects, and the videos were SOLID PROOF that Sai Baba is a fake. Not only a magician, but a terriable magician!

The book presented his knowledge with such enthusiasm that I believed it. Only after some basic research did I realize it wasn't true. It seems like the author didn't set his skepticism level high enough, and just took ANY paranormal story he could get his hands on, and printed it in his own "hologram" perspective to try and prove his point. I feel very cheated! What other stories in the book are completely false, I wonder?

Overall: awesome idea of reality, and mind blowing, but c'mon! How hard is it to do some basic research? ... Read more

Book Description

Turbulent Flows is an up-to-date and comprehensive graduate text on this important topic in fluid dynamics. The book consists of two parts: Part I provides a general introduction to turbulent flows, how they behave, how they can be described quantitatively, and their fundamental physical processes. Part II is concerned with different approaches for modeling, or simulating, turbulent flows. Key appendices present the necessary mathematical techniques. While primarily intended for engineering graduate students, this book will also be valuable to students in applied mathematics, physics, oceanography and atmospheric sciences, as well as to researchers and practicing engineers. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

best book for pdf.
well, Professor Pope is the best professor so far on pdf modeling of turbulent. Before the book was printed, he use it as a textbook on MAE732, Turbulent analysis, in Cornell univeristy. we are really impressed by pdf. ... Read more

Book Description

The two volumes that comprise String Theory provide an up-to-date, comprehensive account of string theory. Volume 1 provides a thorough introduction to the bosonic string, based on the Polyakov path integral and conformal field theory.The first four chapters introduce the central ideas of string theory, the tools of conformal field theory, the Polyakov path integral, and the covariant quantization of the string.The book then treats string interactions: the general formalism, and detailed treatments of the tree level and one loop amplitudes.Toroidal compactification and many important aspects of string physics, such as T-duality and D-branes are also covered, as are higher-order amplitudes, including an analysis of their finiteness and unitarity, and various nonperturbative ideas.The volume closes with an appendix giving a short course on path integral methods, followed by annotated references, and a detailed glossary. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Enlightening text on a murky topic
This book succeeds in what seems to be the impossible. It actually presents a clear, up to date, and entertaining version of a field that is still very much in a state of active research and is still, after all these years, on quite uncertain ground. By studying this, the reader who thinks intelligently about the material presented will be able to form his/her own opinions on this still somewhat controversial topic and will be able to converse intelligently with others who have opinions on the topic. I know that for me personally, this text opened up beautiful ideas which, to a large extent, are still unexplored. Before I read this book, my gut feelings about the topic were that it was rather dubious at best, but now that I understand (I think) the basic ideas of the field, I feel quite comfortable in it, indeed almost as if it is completely natural. What I think is one of the best things about this book is that it does not assume the pretense that string theory is on firm ground, that everything is quite certain and that string theory HAS to be the final theory of nature in all its glory. I find this attitude EXTREMELY pretensious and annoying. Instead, it simply covers what we know about string theory, and explains in detail just why it is consistent, and why it offers an explanation for what we see in nature. In short, it leaves just enough room for the imagination of an intelligent reader to philosophize as to the meaning of the theory and as to its ultimate place in nature
As for practical details, it seems to me that the reader should at the very least have a firm understanding of Quantum Field Theory (at least at the level of Weinberg's first volume, see my review on that modern masterpiece), and to a lesser extent of General Relativity, before even attempting to tackle this. I know that I myself, despite the fact that I have read several texts on QFT, had to reread several sizeable chunks of the book to fully digest it.

Good try, but too dense
Lets face it, string theory is a difficult subject. But the only reason this book is the best string theory text is because they are all lousy. What it comes down to is string theory is too new for a good textbook writer to have tackled the task. What has happened, is string theory is currently populated by a small group of elite geniuses. So some of these elite geniuses take to writing a book, which turns out to be clear to other geniuses, but maybe not so clear to others, who are nonetheless capable of learning the theory. This happens in all fields, you will find that modern quantum mechanics books are much more readable than volumes written by the founders of the theory. Polchinski has clear writing, but can you solve the problems? If it seems clear but solving the problems is a mystery, it isn't a good book. Why can't people put in lots of examples? Why can't they include solutions to at least odd numbered problems? If they went to all the trouble to write the book they could at least do that. After all the goal is to teach, not to be mysterious. What needs to happen is some physicist with a talent for writing needs to A)Write an undergraduate level text on field theory, and B)write a more accessible book about string theory aimed at people who aren't at the level of Weinberg intelligence wise.

very thorough and complete
Polochinski presents upto date developments (mostly in 2nd volume) in string theory such as D-branes and dualities that are not discussed in Green, Witten, Schwarz's Superstring theory text. However, I found GWS's arguments easier to follow because they were intuitively and physically motivated. Although Polchinski's books lack physical insights, he more than makes up for them by completeness of the material, mathematical rigor and helpful exercises. However, I highly recommend that you first get Di Francesco's conformal field theory and read chapters 3-7 , 10 and 12 to get a better feel for stuff like state-operator mappings, Virasoro algebra, OPE's, etc. Although Polchinski claims the books are pretty much self-contained, I would say QFT (probably around lvl of 1st vol. of Weinberg) and GR are min prereq and some knowledge of SUSY, rep. theory of Lie alg, alg. toplogy wouldn't hurt. Lastly, the first edition had many many typos but corrections are frequently updated and you can download them through a website whose address is given in the book (the address in the book has a typo and should read "ucsb").

Very thorough and upto date
The two volumes introduce many important recent developments in string theory not covered in Green, Schwarz & Witten's Superstring text such as D-branes, dualities, etc. However, I found GSW's treatment of basic materials easier to follow because the authors try to explain things intuitively. Although many physical insight in Polchinski's book is sacrificed, it makes up for them through completeness and mathematical rigor. However, I highly recommend that you read Di Francesco et al's conformal field theory book (read chapters 3-7, 10 and 12-13) to get a better feel for stuff like operator state mapping, OPE's, Virasoro algebra, vertex operators, etc. Of course a good course in QFT, GR and some basic familiarity with SUSY, Rep. theory, & some algebraic topology are probably a prereq although Polchinski claims the book is pretty much self-contained. Lastly, the book suffers a little from numerous typos (atleast the 1st edition) but corrections are updated frequently on a ucsb website address.

The best introduction to strings.
I think there is no other book with so clear and precise explanations of string theory. All equations are carefully derived, all non-trivial conclusions are reached by a sequence of trivial thoughts. It exhibits the author's great pedagogical talent. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (6)

Still a Standard Text
Very well written and with a comprehensive explanation of the basics of advanced quantum theory. This is the place for understanding about computing propagators and Feynman diagrams to arbitrary order.

Plus, the Dyson equation! At last, you can find out what made Freeman Dyson famous amongst physicists. You can decide whether this ranks in importance to Feynman's and Schwinger's discoveries.

The problem sets are nontrivial. Which will be appreciated by you, AFTER you have attempted them. (Whilst you are in an allnighter, trying to finish a problem set, your opinion may differ!)

The book does not cover superstrings, because those came after its publication.

classical text for many particle theory
This book is one of the most famous textbooks for the many
particle theory. I like it and recommend to anyone who studies
many particle theory for the first time. But, I should make some
comments on this book. First, this book does not contain any
descriptions for the path integral method, which is now very
popular in the field of many particle theory and is compactly
explained in Negele and Orland. Second, applications seems to be
somewhat old. This is inevitable and not author's fault. For
example, modern nuclear theory goes far beyond the RPA. Third,
authors focused on the perturbational expansion of the Green's
function and did not give explanations how to use the Feynman
diagrams to calculate the energy corrections for the fermion
systems, which is found in March, Raimes and Gross.

Anyway, this is a good book. I hope everyone likes it!

A second year graduate student
Very consistent and easy to learn book. I like this book much more than famous one by Abrikosov,Gorkov, Dzyaloshinskii.

Excellent Book
Do you want to learn basics in many-body physics? This book will provide your needs!

Green's function in many-body systems: ABC
This book is especially suitable for junior grads and senior undergrads who want to know the diagramatic techniques of Green's function method. ... Read more

Book Description

Ionospheres provides a comprehensive description of the physical, plasma and chemical processes controlling the behavior of ionospheres. The relevant transport equations and related coefficients are derived in detail and their applicability and limitations are described. Relevant wave processes are outlined and important ion chemical processes and reaction rates are presented. The various energy deposition and transfer mechanisms are described in some detail, and a chapter is devoted to the various processes controlling the upper atmosphere and exosphere. The second half of the book presents our current understanding of the structure, chemistry, dynamics and energetics of the terrestrial ionosphere, and other solar system bodies. The final chapter describes ionospheric measurement techniques. The book will form a comprehensive and lasting reference for scientists interested in ionospheres, and it will also prove an ideal textbook for graduate students. It contains extensive student problem sets, and an answer book is available for instructors. ... Read more

Book Description

This Second Edition provides solid state scientists, who are not necessarily experts in crystallography, with an understandable and comprehensive guide to the new International Tables for Crystallography. The basic ideas of symmetry, lattices, point groups, and space groups are explained in a clear and detailed manner. Notation is introduced in a step-by-step way so that the reader is supplied with the tools necessary to derive and apply space group information. Of particular interest in this second edition are the discussions of space groups application to such timely topics as high-temperature superconductors, phase transitions, semiconductor superlattices, incommensurate modulation, and icosahedral symmetry.

Key Features
* Explains the use of space groups to non-crystallographers
* Applies space groups to current topics, such as high-temperature superconductors and phase transitions
* Includes extensive appendixes, covering all aspects of space groups, including incommensurate modulations and disorder ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Not for beginners
If you have never taken a basic crystallography course then this book will not make any sense.Although the authors attempt to make crystallography understandable, they fail miserably.Their style is very fractured and there is little transition between chapters so it seems as if nothing is connected.In short, the book makes perfect sense if you are ALREADY a crystallographer, but if you are new to the field then I would recommend some other text.

Best pedagogical book on Space Groups
This book provides a good, clear introduction to Space Groups that will make using International Tables straightforward.The applications are almost entirely crystallographic (very few applications to solid state physics), but a reader can move to that area after studying this book.
I like this treatment better than any I've seen for graduate students and practicing nontheorists.

An excellent book for applied scientists & engineers
If I needed to characterize this book in a single word, I would say...excellent. Space groups are a rather abstract discipline in crystallography and hence, many books dealing with the subject are usually very theoretical. Burns' book is written for the applied scientist or engineer who needs a working knowledge on a sophisticated concept such as Space groups. The book is structured in a quite pedagogical style which lends itself to a pleasant self-study perfectly well. Worked-out examples are plenty which helps the reader to familiarize him/herself with the use of the International Tables for Crystallography. The level of the treatment is elementary, yet its scope is comprehensive and the treatment is rigorous. The book is ideally suited for those working in the solid state sciences.

excellent for the beginner
Great book for the beginner who does'nt know very much about space groups or the International tables.The book goes through and shows you examples and step by step of what all that stuff means. It's got some examples at the end, but I skipped that.One annoying thins about this book is that all the settings are in 1st setting for monoclinic so you get p21/a instead of the standard p21/c.If you become a crystallographer you'll know what I mean.Besides that though, it's a great book, very easy reading.Recommended for the beginner. ... Read more

Book Description

Calculus-based introductory physics text that provides a modern approach to traditional topics. This revised edition retains the accurate writing of the first edition and incorporates feedback obtained over five successive printings, resulting in a virtually error-free text. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

I want to get exercise.
Chapter 11. 1,5,23,29,39,61 Chapter 12. 1,9,13,17,31 Chapter 13. 1,5,9,23

c.f>I am a korean student. ... Read more

Book Description

From the Commentary by Robert Geroch (The corresponding section of Einstein’s text can be found below the comment.Please note that in the book, the Commentary is placed after the complete text of Relativity.)

Section 17.Space-Time

Minkowski’s viewpoint represents a "geometrization" of relativity. These ideas have, over the years, come to the forefront: They reflect the perspective of the majority of physicists working in relativity today. Let us expand on this viewpoint. The fundamental notion is that of an event, which we think of as a physical occurrence having negligibly small extension in both space and time. That is, an event is "small and quick," such as the explosion of a firecracker or the snapping of your fingers. Now consider the collection of all possible events in the universe—all events that have ever happened, all that are happening now, and all that will ever happen; here and elsewhere. This collection is called space-time. It is the arena in which physics takes place in relativity.The idea is to recast all statements about goings-on in the physical world into geometrical structures within this space-time. In a similar vein, you might begin the study of plane geometry by introducing the notion of a point (analogous to an event) and assembling all possible points into the plane (analogous to space-time). This plane is the arena for plane geometry, and each statement that is part of plane geometry is to be cast as geometrical structure within this plane. This space-time is a once-and-for-all picture of the entire physical world. Nothing "happens" there; things just "are." A physical particle, for example, is described in the language of space-time by giving the locus of all events that occur "right at the particle." The result is a certain curve, or path, in space-time called the world-line of the particle. Don’t think of the particle as "traversing" its world-line in the same sense that a train traverses its tracks. Rather, the world-line represents, once and for all, the entire life history of the particle, from its birth to its death. The collision of two particles, for example, would be represented geometrically by the intersection of their world-lines. The point of intersection—a point common to both curves; an event that is "right at" both particles—represents the event of their collision. In a similar way, more complicated physical goings-on—an experiment in particle physics, for example, or a football game—are incorporated into the fabric of space-time. One example of "physical goings-on" is the reference frame that Einstein uses in his discussion of special relativity. How is this incorporated into space-time? The individuals within a particular reference frame assign four numbers, labeled x, y, z, t, to each event in space-time. The first three give the spatial location of the event according to these observers, the last the time of the event.These numbers completely and uniquely characterize the event. In geometrical terms, a frame of reference gives rise to a coordinate system on space-time. In a similar vein, in plane geometry a coordinate system assigns two numbers, x and y, to each point of the plane. These numbers completely and uniquely characterize that point. The statement "the plane is two-dimensional" means nothing more and nothing less than that precisely two numbers are required to locate each point in the plane.Similarly, "space-time is four-dimensional" means nothing more and nothing less than that precisely four numbers are required to locate each event in space-time. That is all there is to it! You now understand "four-dimensional space-time" as well as any physicist. Note that the introduction of four-dimensional space-time does not say that space and time are "equivalent" or "indistinguishable." Clearly, space and time are subjectively different entities. But a rather subtle mixing of them occurs in special relativity, making it convenient to introduce this single entity, space-time. In plane geometry, we may change coordinates, i.e., relabel the points. It is the same plane described in a different way (in that a given point is now represented by different numbers), just as the land represented by a map stays the same whether you use latitude/longitude or GPS coordinates. We can now determine formulae expressing the new coordinate-values for each point of the plane in terms of the old coordinate-values. Similarly, we may change coordinates in space-time, i.e., change the reference frame therein. And, again, we can determine formulae relating the new coordinate-values for each space-time event to the old coordinate-values for that event. This, from Minkowski’s geometrical viewpoint, is the substance of the Lorentz-transformation formulae in Section 11. A significant advantage of Minkowski’s viewpoint is that it is particularly well-adapted also to the general theory of relativity. We shall return to this geometrical viewpoint in our discussion of Section 27. ... Read more

Book Description

The book presents a comprehensive discussion of the most common microbicides (approx. 300) used for the protection of materials and processes against biodeterioration. The characteristics of each microbicide, e.g. chemical and physical properties, effectiveness and spectrum of efficacy, the knowledge of which is a prerequisite for the effective use of microbicides, are discussed. It is also informed about the toxicity and ecotoxocity of the microbicides. The corresponding depth of knowledge and experience makes uses of microbicides possible without damage to human health and environment. The corresponding legislative aspects are regarded in a special chapter.

This new book is not a simple revised new edition (second) of the Handbook Microbicides for the Protection of Materials which appeared in 1993.

This edition is divided into two parts. In Part One 23 contributions of worldwide selected experts present extensively diversified information about:

-Microbicides with regard to the relationship between chemical structure and mode of action and activity,
-Research and development in consideration of registration procedures,
-Legislative aspects,
-The use of microbicides in the major application areas (18) which are described in detail.

The Microbicide Data is organized into 21 substance classes (e.g. alcohols, aldehydes, acids, amides, etc.) and collected in Part Two.

Part One signifies an important perfection and increase in actuality. In part two, `Microbicide Data' is an eagerly anticipated actual inventory of the old book. The combination of the two parts in one book is special and has resulted in the most authoritative information in the field. Accordingly this book will be invaluable not only to all those using microbicides, but also to teachers and students working in biodeterioration and anyone engaged in research and development in the microbicide field.

Book Description

Balances mathematical discussions with physical discussions.
* Derivations are complete and the theory is applied whenever possible.
* Gasiorowicz is a world class researcher in quantum physics. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Smart, short, splendid
I've learned quantum physics twice now. First, with McQuarrie's "Physical Chemistry", with its 1000+ pages, and then with this book. I didn't learn anything the first time around that I wouldn't have learned in Gasiorowicz's book. It's short, which is *always* good, but manages not to leave anything important out. Don't look for examples, but if you're content with learning the full wave theory of quantum mechanics, this is the book for you. With the possible exception of Griffiths, this is the most fun quantum physics book out there.

For those of you interested in learning QM on a more sophisticated level without necessarily putting in more work, I recommend Griffiths "An Introduction to Quantum Mechanics," or for the really brave amongst you, Sakurai's "Quantum Mechanics" and "Advanced Quantum Mechanics" series.

1st place winner for the bland book award!
This book is so bad I ended up hating the book and the course. I was really looking foward to the start of the semester. This book made me look forward to finals.
Inadequate explanations is what kills this text. I think Mr. Gasiorowicz forgot the text was ment for undergraduate students. Its guaranteed to leave anyone in a total state of consternation.

A good solid INTRODUCTION
People seem to expect a lot from an introductory book. However, this is seldomly seen in introductory textbooks. This book does give a solid introduction to quantum mechanics. Although it presents some of the topics poorly at times (especially the chapters after and including the one