Book Description

This comprehensive handbook provides an overview of keytheoretical perspectives, concepts, and methodological approachesthat, while applied to diverse phenomena, are united in their generalapproach to the study of lives across age phases. In surveying thewide terrain of life course studies with dual emphases on theory andempirical research, this important reference work presents probativeconcepts and methods and identifies promising avenues for futureresearch. Included are sections on history and cross-national variability,normative structuring, movement through the life course, transitionsin the life course, turning points, connections between life phases,methodology, and the future of the life course. A major reference workand a seminal text, it is essential reading for social scientistsstudying phases within the life course, social psychologists insociology and psychology, demographers and academics in the field ofthe life course as well as students in these disciplines. ... Read more

Book Description

If a butterfly stirs its wings in Brazil, does it cause a tornado in Texas?Chaos is the most important advance in science since the advent of Quantum Theory.The discovery of randomness in apparently predictable physical systems, has evolved into a new science that declares the universe to be far more unpredictable than we could have imagined. Continuing the now familiar format of the "Introducing..." series, this book documents how chaos is present in most events, from the fluctuation in small animal populations to the rise and fall of financial markets. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

"Chaos" (not Chaos theory) is all this book introduces you.
I was looking for an easy-to-understand book on Chaos Theory for some non-English speakers (say, some Japanese students) to read, and I personally like "Introducing Fractal Geometry", so I got my hand on this book...

It was a mistake.

I would not say much about this. The author did introduce Chaos, not really Chaos theory, to the readers. He tried his best, I believe, to make things easy to understand by simplifying things... However, in doing so, he had just created Chaos.

Hence, this book is probably one of the best examples of "How Simplicity creates Complexity and Chaos"... a simple scheme found in Complex systems (like complex Cellular Automata which emerged from a simple set of rules).

One thing, while a lot of names (technical terms) were introduced, almost all of them are left unexplained. And I think only "introducing" is never enough. (Well, it was the name of the book afterall... this book wasn't named "Explaing Chaos" :)

There are other good books on Chaos for layperson. And, in fact, "Introducing Fractal Geometry" did a far better job than this one.

Introduction is what it is!
This is an excellent introduction to Chaos. It is aimed at the general non academic reader who may have heard about this buzzword called "Chaos" and wondered what's it all about. It is not for the academic, informed reader but a quick introduction for the intelligent layman or someone who last formally studied science many years ago. It draws heavily on James Gleick's book "Chaos" which was the first book to popularise the subject. If you are busy and want to know something about chaos to see if you then want to find out more, this book is perfect.

Confused and Mistaken
The main problem with the book is its emphasis on multiculterism, not to mention that the author simply does not know his stuff. We are told that Galileo ignored friction in order to get "neat results" and somehow caused Western science to only study linear systems. He seems to think that nonlinearity and chaos are the same thing. He tells us that nonlinear problems are not solvable. He actually suggests that we have only recently seen that the three-body problem is chaotic. (Instead Poincare proved the chaotic nature of the problem around 1890.) He seems to think that Asian philosophies actually capture the mathematical substance of chaos theory. I could go on. If you want to study chaos get the volume "Chaos and Fractals: New Frontiers of Science" by Peitgen, Jurgens, and Saupe.

The author did introduce chaos, just never explained it
Too much cute, too little substance. The author seems more interested in making jokes than presenting the topics of chaos and fractals.

I was also frustrated with the presentation in that the examples were frequently not related with the topic at hand.

Chaos of the bad kind

chaotic and unpredictable
There were a few points made ... but nothing tied together .... almost a spewing of definitions like fractal, chaos, feedback, aperiodic behavior.... Not worth it. ... Read more

Book Description

Designed for the student who has little or no background in the sciences, this book provides a brief, non-technical introduction to the basic methods underlying all good scientific research. It is ideal as a supplementary text for any course in which students must have some rudimentary understanding of how science is done. Topics include establishing causal links, testing explanations, extraordinary claims and anecdotal evidence, and fallacies. End-of-chapter exercises help reinforce material. A sold supplement to students, this book can also be bundled with a Brooks/Cole earth science text book. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Good at what it does.
The scientific method consists of (1) posing the intitial defining question of the investigation, (2) exploring the subject of the defining question, (3) formulating alternative hypotheses, (4) testing the hypotheses, and (5) posing a follow-up question if the defining question has not yet been satisfactorily answered. Carey's book is helpful only in step 4: it provides basic guidance for testing assertions. It also includes discussion of different kinds of explanation. It was written for non-technical beginning college students; it would also be suitable for high school students as yuoung as age 15. It is not, however, really an introduction to the scientific method; the reader should have some familiarity with the scientific method before reading this book.

supplement for critical thinking course
This is a practical guide to recognizing and evaluating reported results of experimental science. Carey does not deal with philosophy of science. Rather, he builds a vocabulary for distinguishing kinds of experiments and evaluating their results. He offers criteria for distinguishing scientific theories from non-scientific ones.

Carey includes innovative exercises that introduce students to the creative difficulties in discovering solutions to problems in science.

Improves your critical thinking skills the scientific way.
This book provides you with excellent step-by-step examples in applying the scientific method to everyday life situations. It gives you the tools to assess the validity of scientific claims and to guard yourself against the weird and the pseudoscientific ones.

The numerous examples allow you to practice and sharpen your skills and give you an excellent idea how the scientific mind works (or should work).

Accessible to the average reader.

AC.CHB

Psuedo-science
Hmmm, for the decay of societies less mentally eqiuped it's not half bad. However, a somewhat reasonable man (Myself) would define this prattle as an illogical farse. I have dismissed awful pseudo-scientific books as entertaining in the past, but you Carey, well you define the word "inane".

Regretfully, An angry M.I.T student ... Read more

Reviews (4)

The best got even better
If you liked Maurizio Sajeva and Mariangela Costanzo's first book, Succulents, then you will really like their second edition titled Succulents II. The book's outline is basically the same with some new information provided. The photo's, like their first book are superior and serve as a great means of plant identification. The addition of having the book in hard cover form (the first is paperback), makes this book an excellent reference material without concern on wear and tear when carrying it around the garden. Amazon books has the best price on this book and I've shopped around before purchasing it. If you time it right, you can order it with a couple other things and take advantage of free shipping and handling. I think that's pretty good deal.

Succulents II: The New Illustrated Dictionary
For this subject, this is a "must-have" reference book. It is very visual. The images are great and the authors have gone beyond the commonplace. Do I recommend it? I give it 5 "Forget-about-it's".

An impressive catalog of succulent species.
Documents around 1,200 species of succulent plants in an A to Z format. Entries include a color photograph, species name, family, a brief description of appearance and habit, and details of specimen's origin. Introduction provides a brief overview of succulent families and representative genera. Appendices cover alternative names (scientific, not common) and additional reading materials, broken out by family.

Bear in mind when considering this book that it is a _survey_ compilation, not an identification guide. It sets out to catalog the astounding variety of succulents worldwide, and never touches on care or maintenance. Pictures are often of salient features, such as flowers or stem structures, rather than of the entire plant, and many are photographed in their native habitat (by which I mean, they are not always the flawless beauties that we are accustomed to seeing in plant books --although the settings are often as fascinating as the plants themselves!).

I very much enjoy thumbing through this book. Although I personally find it of very little practical value, I would recommend it to any plant enthusiast with an appreciation for diversity or photography.

Another must have reference
The authors have begun where the first book left off. Very similar in size, the sequal has some info on CITES status, as well a general overview, of certain genus and species. For easier identification, several species have multiple pictures, ensuring that pertinent information is not lost from a habit shot. Some species are repeated from the intitial 1994 release, but many are new. Certainly an invaluable source for species determination, individually and in concert with the original. ... Read more

Book Description

Recent developments in molecular biology, genomics, proteomics, and other areas have produced a wealth of experimental data on sequences and three-dimensional structures of biological macromolecules. As a result, the employment of various computational methods of analysis to obtain useful information is now a major new discipline: bioinformatics.
The Dictionary of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology provides a vital reference for important terms, offering students and researchers a convenient summary of the core knowledge of the field. With concise and accurate definitions of over 600 words, phrases, and concepts, this volume:
* Offers thorough A-Z coverage
* Lists references and Internet links
* Incorporates cross-referencing throughout
* Features a comprehensive index of topics
Anyone working in basic sciences and clinical research today will find the Dictionary of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology to be an essential companion. ... Read more

Book Description

The Penguin Dictionary of Biology defines some 6,000 terms relating to this rich, complex,and constantly expanding subject—from amino acids, bacteria, and the cell cycle to X-raydiffraction, Ychromosomes, and zygotes. Long established as the definitive single-volume source,the dictionary has now been extensively updated for its eleventh edition. With expandedencyclopedic entries to explain the most crucial concepts, it explores the very latest discoveriesand developments, containing more than 400 new entries to take account of the latest thinking ongenetics, human physiology, disease, and cell biology. All key botanical and zoological conceptsas well as the core vocabulary of biochemistry, immunology, evolutionary theory, and ecology aredefined in depth, making this the ideal reference for students, teachers, professionals, andamateur biologists. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Quick reference, good for college biology
I found this book to be a great reference in conjuction with a good textbook like Campbell's Biology.This dictionary helped me look up difficult concepts that were not always explained that well in my biology college classes.If you want a great resource for knowing the type of questions asked on college biology tests, get
The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (Topics:Organization of Living Things & Chemistry of Life, Structure and Function of The Cell and Energy Pathways, Reproduction and Heredity, Genetics) Vol 1 by Patrick Leonardi

The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (Topics: Evolution, Ecology, Kingdom Bacteria, Kingdom Protista, Kingdom Fungi, Viruses, Plant Form and Function.) Vol 2

The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (Topics: Kingdom Animalia, Organization of the Animal Body, Animal Form and Function, Animal Reproduction, Development and Behavior) Vol 3

Penguin's dictionary, Campbell's Biology, and Leonardi's study guides helped me and my study group get excellent grades.

Great reference book
I majored in biology and work in a lab, and I use this book quite frequently. Not all of us remember every single thing from school, and this book is perfect for a quick reminder of terminology and processes. It covers a great deal of common and uncommon topics, and provides great illustrations for some of the central concepts of life science. I recommend this book for anyone working in, studying, or interested in biology. It is much quicker than trying to go through your old notes or textbooks!

Not for biologists
I'm an upper level biology major at a 4-year university, and I think every term that I looked up was not in this book.Maybe it would be fine for people who know absolutely nothing about biology, but if you're looking for a book to give you something a little extra other than your biology text book, this is not it.

Excellent and very comprehensive biological science book
I am not a scientist which is precisely why I love this book.I can look up practically any biological term and get an understandable yet complete and intelligent definition.I am amazed at how comprehensive this book is. Every possible term that I can think of seems to be included from"Aberrant chromosome behaviour" to "Zymogen."But,this book goes beyond the beautifully crafted definitions, it haswonderfully detailed drawings.I am so impressed that I don't know anyliterate person who would not benefit from having this reference on his orher shelf; even a biologist would be able to refresh on terminology.Greatfor students too! GREAT FOR EVERYONE! ... Read more

Book Description

An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles is an authoritativereference in a breathtakingly beautiful volume, one that will leave every readerwith a deeper understanding, appreciation, and--yes--fondness for these amazingcreatures and their place in nature. In terms of numbers, beetles are the mostsuccessful creatures on earth: about 350,000 species of beetles have beendescribed since 1758. They range from tiny to gigantic, occupy sundry habitats,and eat everything--plants, animals, and their own remains. An InordinateFondness for Beetles provides an engaging look at these magnificent yetpoorly understood creatures and highlights the absolutely essential role theyplay in the dynamics of nearly every terrestrial ecosystem on Earth.And, asthis book beautifully demonstrates, the aesthetics of beetle design are amazing.The fantastic colors and shapes of these creatures warrant the gorgeous colorphotography lavished on them in this book. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Gorgeous and well-written--recommended
The photographs by Lisa Watson are the first thing to catch your eye about this beautifully produced book. The majority are of museum specimens, which oddly is what makes the pictures so attractive: we're used to seeing high quality pictures of wildlife, but the displays here juxtapose many different beetles and have more impact than wildlife shots would.

The pictures are beautiful but the text is high-quality too. The authors start by reciting some statistics on the number of beetle species. Linnaeus, two hundred and fifty years ago, described 654 species; and Fabricius added another 4,112 species between 1775 and 1801. By 1876 Gemminger and von Harold's catalog contained nearly 77,000 species; and when Junk and Schenkling's catalogue was completed, in 1940, it listed nearly 221,500 species. It's now estimated that there are 350,000 described beetle species. However, recent work by Terry Erwin, extrapolating from detailed studies of a small area, suggests that there are more than eight *million* species of beetle just in the tropics!

The rest of the book is a fairly detailed survey of beetles in all their aspects. The authors are enthusiasts as well as experts, and it shows in their writing, which is crisp, clear and engaging. They cover beetle anatomy, fossilized beetles, habitats and niches, the beetle life cycle, and mimicry. There is also substantial coverage of beetles and humans: naming, appearance in mythology, use as jewels (really!), a discussion of pest control, and use in education. The book has more scientific depth than is usual for a coffee table book, without sacrificing interest value.

There is a website that appears to be maintained by one of the authors (Evans) that contains some material from the book; I recommend you take a look if you are hesitating about buying this. I found it by searching for the book title using a standard search engine; when I looked it was on the Lorquin Entomological Society's website, but it may have moved.

Recommended.

Jaw-dropping beauty
This is one of the most gorgeous books I own. I look at these pictures, and I think that human beings could not dream up jewelry that touches the beauty of these creatures. It is utterly unbelievable! Every time I page through this book my jaw is open in disbelief. They are so breathtaking they almost bring tears to my eyes. Okay. Confession time. They HAVE brought tears to my eyes.

This book is stunning!
Not only does this book have absolutely gorgeous photographs of many species of beatles, the factual content of the book is also very good. Not dumbed down, yet not inaccesible by the general public. Overall Excellent!

By far one of the best books I have read about insects
I have read large numbers of insect books, and this is my absolute favorite. Cover to cover, it is an interesting and informative book. The photography is simply stunning and amazing, and the text is easy to read and well planned to cater to the well informed entomologist and amateur alike. It describes all aspects of beetle lives, with special emphasis on how many beetles there are in the world and how they effect human cultures in ways we rarely notice. Anyone who has any interest in beetles, insects in general, or excellent photography should get ahold of a copy of this book. I assure you that you won't regret it!

Fascinating natural history and wonderful photographs.
If a single example of every living species, plant and animal, were lined up, every fifth organism would be a beetle! This amazingly beautiful book combines fascinating natural history about the most common form of life on earth with spectacular photographs. Brings the appreciation of beetles closer to the way many of us already feel about birds, butterflies and wildflowers. Look closely--beauty lies beneath our feet. This is a coffee table art book simply in a class by itself. It is rich in content as well as beauty ... Read more

Book Description

The essential desk reference for authors, editors, and publishers of scientific research, the ACS Style Guide is a complete stylistic handbook. Topics include grammar, style, usage, illustrations, tables, lists, and units of measure, as well as the conventions used in chemistry. It also covers numerous related topics, from peer review and copyrights to oral presentations and the ACS ethical guidelines for publication. Lively and practical, this reference will help any chemist communicate effectively. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The ACS Style Guide : A Manual for Authors and Editors
The ACS Style Guide (A Manual for Authors and Editors) 2nd is an up-to-date edition for the authors and editors, and a guideline for the American Chemistry Society (ACS) publications. This edition almost answers all the possible question of authors and editors. The detail index from page 431 to page 460 gives us the most effective, comprehensive and user-friendly guide for publication.

Excellent
The American Chemical Society has done an excellent job in compiling this invaluable resource for its members. It encompasses everything you could possible want to know about writing a scientific paper, posters, letters to the editor, press releases, naming and numbering of chemical compounds, conventions in chemistry, copyright, ethical issues as well as preparing an effective oral presentation. In addition, it has a clear and concise section on grammar and punctuation, a very functional index, is up-to-date including guidelines on how to cite references from Web sites, and provides a useful bibliography after each chapter. My job often involves proofreading of abstracts or journal articles in various fields of science; apart from a dictionary to check spelling, this is the resource I reach for most. ... Read more

Book Description

What would kill you if you fell into a black hole? Once people finally get to Mars, how will they get back? What makes the holes in Swiss cheese? Are there any carnivorous plants that are harmful to humans? Are there really caterpillars that scream to protect themselves?How do birds have sexual intercourse? Why don’t woodpeckers damage their brains? What is the function of ear wax? Why don’t you sneeze when you’re asleep?Do germs have germs? What is considered evidence for extra-terrestial intelligence?

Every week, C. Claiborne Ray answers questions like these from the readers of the New York Times Science section who, as this delightful second volume demonstrates, never seem to run out of things to ask about.Here, Ray gives us 225 of the most interesting answers she has gleaned from scientists in every discipline, satisfying our desire to understand some of the strangest, most curious mysteries of the natural world.Victoria Roberts’s charmingly wacky drawings add to the fun. ... Read more

Book Description

This book concentrates on some general facts and ideas of the theory of stochastic processes. The topics include the Wiener process, stationary processes, infinitely divisible processes, and Itô stochastic equations.

Basics of discrete time martingales are also presented and then used in one way or another throughout the book. Another common feature of the main body of the book is using stochastic integration with respect to random orthogonal measures. In particular, it is used for spectral representation of trajectories of stationary processes and for proving that Gaussian stationary processes with rational spectral densities are components of solutions to stochastic equations. In the case of infinitely divisible processes, stochastic integration allows for obtaining a representation of trajectories through jump measures. The Itô stochastic integral is also introduced as a particular case of stochastic integrals with respect to random orthogonal measures.

Although it is not possible to cover even a noticeable portion of the topics listed above in a short book, it is hoped that after having followed the material presented here, the reader will have acquired a good understanding of what kind of results are available and what kind of techniques are used to obtain them.

With more than 100 problems included, the book can serve as a text for an introductory course on stochastic processes or for independent study.

Other works by this author published by the AMS include, Lectures on Elliptic and Parabolic Equations in Hölder Spaces and Introduction to the Theory of Diffusion Processes. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Oxford Companion to Earth a solid entry in this series
"The Oxford Companion to the Earth" is one of the more recent titles to be published by Oxford University Press (copyright 2000). One of the defining characteristics of the "Companion" series is comprehensiveness and this volume is no exception. In 1,174 pages, closeto one thousand entries appear, from "Acid Rain" to "Zoogeomorphology." All the topics one would expect to find in an encyclopedia of the earth sciences are here: volcanoes, plate tectonics, earthquakes, glaciers, the weather and other such standard fare are represented. A pleasant surprise is the unanticipated subject matter, such as "Art and the Earth Sciences," "Geoscience and the Media" and "Wine and Geology." Think of it as a rounding up of the unusual suspects. This kind of inclusiveness is a double-edged sword. While many topics are touched on, many are given only superficial treatment. "History of Geochemistry," for example, is not particularly helpful, as it is litle more than an enumeration of dates and events, without any analysis or context. To be sure, this shortcoming is due partly out of necessity, as an in-depth discussion of every topic would result in an unwieldly tome. I found the longer articles more informative, such as "Mantle and Core Composition," which takes up better than four pages. On the whole, this book presents an overview of a particular topic, rather than an examination of it. While well illustrated,l the majority of visual material consists of line drawings. Photographs, what few there are, have been printed n black and white only and generally are quite small. One of the features of this series that I particularly like are the "extras" presented to the reader. In the case of "Earth," they include paleogeographic maps printed on the end papers and a number of appendices covering the gelogic times scales, comparatative data on the earth and other planets of the solar system, the periodic table of the elements and several pages of scientific units, conversion tables an abbreviations of scientific terms. All in all, I regard this as a worhty addition to the library of anyone who desires a "just the facts, ma'am" approach to topics in the earth sciences. ... Read more

Book Description

An Introduction to Cybercultures provides an accessible guide to the major forms, practices and meanings of this rapidly growing field. From the evolution of hardware and software to the emergence of cyberpunk, film and fiction, David Bell introduces readers to the key aspects of cyberculture, including email, the internet, digital imaging tecnologies, computer games and digital special effects. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Tries to see the future
So here you are in the 21st century. And you still don't look like the Jetsons. But perhaps you want to see what is coming down the pike?

The book offers suggestions on the future, by examining the so-called cyberculture. A nonlinear blend of fact and cyberpunk science fiction. The facts include trends in hardware and software engineering. Plus the social usages of these. Like the rise of massive multiplayer environments (Everquest etc). And how people voluntarily immerse themselves in these in an addictive wirehead mode. Where wirehead is a term borrowed from science fiction of the 1980s and earlier, when this behaviour was predicted.

The book examines the rise of a new type of community, mainly extent on the Web, comprised of people, most of whom will never meet in person. How exotic this would have seemed in the 1970s. Yet this has crept up on us. Is this a harbinger? Will people withdraw into themselves and their net connections? Such issues are speculated upon in the book.

As you can imagine, the book span many fields, including sociology, psychology, computer science and science fiction. Worth a perusal. ... Read more

Book Description

Why do living things and physical phenomena take the form they do? D'Arcy Thompson's classic On Growth and Form looks at the way things grow and the shapes they take. Analysing biological processes in their mathematical and physical aspects, this historic work, first published in 1917, has also become renowned for the sheer poetry of its descriptions. A great scientist sensitive to the fascinations and beauty of the natural world tells of jumping fleas and slipper limpets; of buds and seeds; of bees' cells and rain drops; of the potter's thumb and the spider's web; of a film of soap and a bubble of oil; of a splash of a pebble in a pond. D'Arcy Thompson's writing, hailed as 'good literature as well as good science; a discourse on science as though it were a humanity', is now made available for a wider readership, with a foreword by one of today's great populisers of science, explaining the importance of the work for a new generation of readers. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

On Growth and Form
On Growth and Form written by D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson is a classic and should be found on the bookshelf of any well read person.

This book sets our mind up for an education in physics, chemistry, mathematics, and physiology with form and function. Language skills are needed for reading this book as the author uses the original Greek in places for explaination and emphsis. Aristotle comes to mind and German is used for emphsis.

If you want to get the full extent of the text and you are not up to speed on the subjects mentioned or you'll find it hard to read this book. This could be read by a junior or senior in high school. But, I think it would be more appropriate for college.

This book is the study of organic form using methods found in the physical sciences. This book is a challenge to read, but it is very logical and straight forward.

A misunderstood classic
A great book, to be read by all biophysicists-to-be.

The modern follow-up to this book is Thom's Structural Stability, which shows that the logical conclusion of Thompson's ideas is both exciting and dubious. We probably can't just 'look' at stuff, we need to make (useful) predictions or the theory won't last. The interested reader should also pick up, if briefly, Mandelbrot's Fractal Geometry of Nature.

Two notes of interest. 1) Morphology has indeed proven successful in proving physical theory: in the aggregation of dust particals, measuring the gross fractal dimension allows you to predict the type of noise involved in creating it. 2) The logarithmic spiral, together with the fibonnaci sequence and the golden ratio, show up quite surprisingly in synchronized chaotic loops.

a quantitatiave approach to biology
This book is a classic, no two ways about it. It is really the first credible attempt to start taking a quantitative approach to biology, and despite the developments of the past century (molecular biology, etc), the problems raised in this book are just as pressing as they were when thompson wrote it. Anyone working in cell biology nowadays will immediately see applications of the ideas in this book, for example to organelle morphogenesis. The genius and erudition of thompson shine through on every page, making the book inspiring to read.

simply a marvellous exposition of ideas
I heard about this marvellous book as I was reading in the typical popular science literature years ago now but its almost impossible to avoid contact with this tome of the archetypal polymath D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson. A remarkable man with a wonderful open view of science and the, what's now called, interdisciplinarian approach to the world. Refreshingly full of new ideas especially for his day and even now where conservatism as usual is the norm in scientific circles. I hope many scientists read this book and see not just a curiosity but a representation of a whole approach to the world of nature. I will never forget the first time I read the chapter on coordinate transformations in animal shapes, today's schools simply do not inspire in this way and its time this changed. The prescence of this book, well read, on any person's bookshelf is a must.

Illuminates the essence of understanding - Classic Overview
It's about so much more than the limits our minds create from standard reviews & categorizations. Shows how to organize your thinking to tackle something new. On the surface, it's a turn of the century survey & application of physical scientific knowledge. On a higher level it communicates how to effectively organize knowledge as a tool & pathway to inner understanding as only the CLASSICS can do. I was required to read it for my Brandeis Ph.D. in Biophysics, but have recommended it to home schoolers as the best single book to inform a teenager about physics, chemistry, biology, & practical thinking. The Latin roots of the title words, Form & Function, are utilized, rather than specialized contemporary jargon. ... Read more

Book Description

This book presents a unified theory of rare event simulation and the variance reduction technique known as importance sampling from the point of view of the probabilistic theory of large deviations. This perspective allows us to view a vast assortment of simulation problems from a unified single perspective. It gives a great deal of insight into the fundamental nature of rare event simulation.

Until now, this area has a reputation among simulation practitioners of requiring a great deal of technical and probabilistic expertise. This text keeps the mathematical preliminaries to a minimum with the only prerequisite being a single large deviation theory result that is given and proved in the text. Large deviation theory is a burgeoning area of probability theory and many of the results in it can be applied to simulation problems. Rather than try to be as complete as possible in the exposition of all possible aspects of the available theory, the book concentrates on demonstrating the methodology and the principal ideas in a fairly simple setting.

The book contains over 50 figures and detailed simulation case studies covering a wide variety of application areas including statistics, telecommunications, and queueing systems.

James A. Bucklew holds the rank of Professor with appointments in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is the author of Large Deviation Techniques in Decision, Simulation, and Estimation. ... Read more

Book Description

While there has always been a large public interest in ancient pictures painted or carved on stone, the archaeological study of rock art is in its infancy. But intensive amounts of research has revolutionized this field in the past decade. New methods of dating and analysis help to pinpoint the makers of these beautiful images, new interpretive models help us understand this art in relation to culture. Identification, conservation and management of rock art sites have become major issues in historical preservation worldwide. And the number of archaeologically attested sites has mushroomed. In this handbook, the leading researchers in the rock art area provide cogent, state-of-the-art summaries of the technical, interpretive, and regional advances in rock art research. The book offers a comprehensive, basic reference of current information on key topics over 6 continents for archaeologists, anthropologists, art historians, and rock art enthusiasts. ... Read more

Book Description

Statistics for Environmental Biology and Toxicology presents and illustrates statistical methods appropriate for the analysis of environmental data obtained in biological or toxicological experiments. Beginning with basic probability and statistical inferences, this text progresses through non-linear and generalized linear models, trend testing, time-to-event data and analysis of cross-classified tabular and categorical data. For the more complex analyses, extensive examples including SAS and S-PLUS programming code are provided to assist the reader when implementing the methods in practice. ... Read more