Book Description

The first edition of this title has become a well-known reference book on ion sources. The field is evolving constantly and rapidly, calling for a new, up-to-date version of the book. In the second edition of this significant title, editor Ian Brown, himself an authority in the field, compiles yet again articles written by renowned experts covering various aspects of ion source physics and technology. The book contains full chapters on the plasma physics of ion sources, ion beam formation, beam transport, computer modeling, and treats many different specific kinds of ion sources in sufficient detail to serve as a valuable reference text. ... Read more

Book Description

In this Second Edition an extensive series of detailed case studies introduces the reader to solutions to a variety of problems connected with the way molecular interactions and motions determine the properties of matter. The methods are widely used in studying phenomena involving everything from the simplest of liquids to highly complex molecules such as proteins. In addition to a significant amount of new material, this edition features completely rewritten software.First Edition Hb (1996): 0-521-44561-2 First Edition Pb (1996): 0-521-59942-3 ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Too much and too little.
This book is in some ways a reasonable introduction to MD. It's the only book I know that actually shows the derivatives of energy functions necessary for writing efficient MD code. Unfortunately it does so in a hard to follow way. This is typical of the rest of the text. The example C code is hideous both in format and style. Missing from the book are essential formulae for calculating macroscopic properties from MD simulations. It is probably the best practical guide to writing MD code, but that isn't saying much.

A good introduction to Molecular Dynamics
This book constitutes a good introduction to the methods of Molecular Dynamics. Besides clear descriptions of the methods and algorithms, it includes C example implementations commented on the book to illustrate the points. It is almost an introducory 'recipe' book. For advanced tips, Frenkel-Smit will give good lead, but at the cost of less readability and Fortran (pseudo)code.
Certainly, the underlying philosophy of the code may seem awkward initially, but it is not a matter of "C design", rather of coding philosophy and program design. Once you get to understand it, it becomes easy and "natural". And what's even more important: it reflects the program design philosophy in use in the Molecular Modelling field, hence getting used to it will help you understand most existing production code.
The electronic version of the C code (available at the book's web site) is a mesh though: it lacks comments and makes heavy use of conditional compilation to render the examples from a single, convoluted source. The ingenious programmer won't be misled by this however: a simple step with the C preprocessor will distil the actual code. Not to mean it is not inconvenient anyway (sic). Certainly, it would have been a lot better if the authors had separated, cleaned and commented the code for the examples in the electronic version.
Besides, the book comes with additional, not too difficult programming assignments that make for extra fun and deeper understanding.
Once you are done with this book, you'll be in a position to really appreciate and use Frenkel-Smit and other advanced texts.

Good book on subject, needs a REAL C second edition
This is a good and honest book on the subject, it needs a second edition in pure C language and not the 'f2c-like' used. Many techiques like linked lists are simple and clear in C but confuse when translated to Fortran (77 or the new 90/95 variants)

Excellent introduction to MD simulation
Strengths: Excellent selection of topics, with good references and enough discussion of the underlying scientific theory. Thoughtful and well-written. DO NOT USE MERELY AS A COOKBOOK!

Weaknesses: Antiquated code, basically FORTRAN with a C veneer. Although the code works as is and is blazingly fast, it's not usable as a basis for further code development -- readers will want to recast the ideas and algorithms in their own up-to-date C code. For example, his arrays start at 1; the only data structure is the array (ugh!), there are no structures. Things get hard to understand when he starts packing multiple array indices into a single composite index, then unpacks it (see, e.g., the code on autocorrelation functions, Chap. 5).

However, the awkward code is a blessing in disguise -- write your own and you'll learn an incredible amount! This book gives you all the conceptual tools to do this, and you can use the code supplied (available from the publisher) as a benchmark and check. Actually, there are a few bugs in the code, but considering its complexity (much of which is unavoidable), it is remarkably reliable. In general, the code is optimized for efficiency, not for ease of maintenance or generalization.

The author deserves any amount of thanks for writing this unique and indispensable book, which is clearly the fruit of many years of practical computing experience in a 70's, early 80's UNIX environment. The code has not aged well, but the ideas it embodies are timeless.

Not very usuable
The code seems to me unclear ,unelegant and slow. Code of the book on the web is unnecessarily complex and hard to understand.

This is a book of simplistic recipes without formal explanation. So is not usable to learn or understand. Obviously because it was not written in C originally and translation to C was made in a rush.

If you are learning buy Statistical Mechanics by Rowley , Understanding Molecular Simulation by Frenkel or Computer Simulation of liquids by Allen. ... Read more

Book Description

A New York Times bestseller when it appeared in 1989, Roger Penrose's The Emperor's New Mind was universally hailed as a marvelous survey of modern physics as well as a brilliant reflection on the human mind, offering a new perspective on the scientific landscape and a visionary glimpse of the possible future of science. Now, in Shadows of the Mind, Penrose offers another exhilarating look at modern science as he mounts an even more powerful attack on artificial intelligence. But perhaps more important, in this volume he points the way to a new science, one that may eventually explain the physical basis of the human mind.

Penrose contends that some aspects of the human mind lie beyond computation. This is not a religious argument (that the mind is something other than physical) nor is it based on the brain's vast complexity (the weather is immensely complex, says Penrose, but it is still a computable thing, at least in theory). Instead, he provides powerful arguments to support his conclusion that there is something in the conscious activity of the brain that transcends computation--and will find no explanation in terms of present-day science. To illuminate what he believes this "something" might be, and to suggest where a new physics must proceed so that we may understand it, Penrose cuts a wide swathe through modern science, providing penetrating looks at everything from Turing computability and Godel's incompleteness, via Schrodinger's Cat and the Elitzur-Vaidman bomb-testing problem, to detailed microbiology. Of particular interest is Penrose's extensive examination of quantum mechanics, which introduces some new ideas that differ markedly from those advanced in The Emperor's New Mind, especially concerning the mysterious interface where classical and quantum physics meet. But perhaps the most interesting wrinkle in Shadows of the Mind is Penrose's excursion into microbiology, where he examines cytoskeletons and microtubules, minute substructures lying deep within the brain's neurons.(He argues that microtubules--not neurons--may indeed be the basic units of the brain, which, if nothing else, would dramatically increase the brain's computational power.) Furthermore, he contends that in consciousness some kind of global quantum state must take place across large areas of the brain, and that it within microtubules that these collective quantum effects are most likely to reside.

For physics to accommodate something that is as foreign to our current physical picture as is the phenomenon of consciousness, we must expect a profound change--one that alters the very underpinnings of our philosophical viewpoint as to the nature of reality. Shadows of the Mind provides an illuminating look at where these profound changes may take place and what our future understanding of the world may be. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

General comments
This book is a significant improvement on Penrose's previous writing of similar scope, "The Emperor's New Mind", especially that he has more specific ideas on the actual biological manifestations of the noncomputational processes he seeks as basis for consciousness. Even if one does not agree with his arguments, there is a great amount of information on physics and so on, written in a style that makes the book a pleasure to read. A previous review mentioned that many have opposed the logical arguments from the first part of the book. Penrose, however, has replied quite well to many criticisms (see PSYCHE, an electronic journal on consciousness), and I think it is premature to pass final judgement. For an alternative, not necessarily incompatible, view of consciousness I highly recommend "The Feeling of What Happens" by the distinguished neurologist Antonio R. Damasio (or at least check out his article "How the Brain Creates the Mind" in Scientific American, December 1999).

Deeply insightful into our patterns of thought.
Roger Penrose has written a book which transcends all other efforts in probing the patterns of human reasoning. Although the book has generated controversy amongst mathematicians, few who have reviewed this work have stated categorically that he is wrong. Penrose's conclusions are unpleasant for those who believe in strong AI but they may very well be right. The potential reader considering purchasing this book should be aware that the book is technical and requires thought. Penrose does not make allowances for sloppy thinking (although, one has the feeling Penrose thinks he is making allowances). If you are open minded, not given to leaping to conclusions, and genuinely curious about science and human thought, this book plus The Emperor's New Mind, are definitely books for you.

Brilliant but Limited
Penrose is following the pathway started in THE EMPEROR'S NEW MIND - an exploration of the brain, consciousness, humanity and machine "thinking". I think Penrose would rather say machine "Computation" since he does not think of the human mind as an entity that can be explained in formula, alogrithms, or programs.

Rather our consciouness, our "knowing" that we are who we are is an evolutionary process made possible through quantum effects. That is Roger Penrose's argument and while it is an interesting one it is by no means definitive. What Penrose has done, though, is relentlessly investigate questions usually left unanswered and in most cases, unasked.

For example, how did consciousness happen? How did it evolve? Is it still evolving and can it be replicated? Once again, as in the EMPEROR, replication of an activity does not mean the same thing except to the outsider. If a computer plays chess and defeats the world champion, it is an astounding feat - not of chess playing but of computer building. Big Blue did nothing that it had not been programmed to do and that is our quandry - at what point would a machine ever begin to do what it wants and for what reason.

We developed psychologically and emotionally as we tried to adapt to our changing environment. Our uniqueness is due to many things, one of them being a left-right brain. To what conditions could a computer respond that would suddenly bring forth awareness? How would it grow and evolve outside of organic matter?

Devastating
Simple criticism is what Penrose does best. Finding contradictions, oxymorons, and mistakes is his specialty. His critique is certainly warranted now more than ever, as AI seems to be the slowest advancing field of all. In 1970s, we were 20 years from AI. Today, we are apparently 20 years from AI. I wager good money that in 2023, we will be 20 years from AI. How do we build something that we do not even know what it is? Is the mind computational? What is intelligence? These questions are still largely the realms of philosophy and not science. Thre are arguments, but the evidence is basically non-existent and largelly inferential; if it was any other field, literally negligable. But, some people argue, the very question of materialism rests in this quest. This is no necessarily true.

True AI is going to have to be more than a calculator. Actually, the best possible way to see if you believe in AI is to ask yourself: is a calculator a manifestation of AI? If not, there are problems with AI. Too many minds have built their fame and fortune arguing the opposite so the argument is not going away. Hence, I doubt this debate will be over any time soon.

However, in 20 years, I suspect nothing will have changed from the debate. Criticism of Shadows of the Mind usually involves oversimplification of Penrose's arguments. What you may think he says and what he does say are two completely different things.

Penrose has answered some criticism with rightful indignation in place. ....

A most magnificent edifice built on sand.
This book is an evil-twin, good-twin combo. The first half is a rather difficult, rambling, and biased presentation of the thesis. The second half includes an excellent discussion of some aspects of quantum mechanics, although concluding with an interesting speculation proposing microtubules as the solution to his conundrum. Unfortunately Penrose shares the prevalent human hubris, rendering his objectivity dubious at best.

We now know that it is not possible to determine whether a program halts at infinity or continues after it gets there. Adding more axioms will not ultimately clarify the distinction.
Penrose correctly states that non-deterministic programs do not enlarge the domain of computability. From those facts, Penrose concludes that mathematicians must use non-computable methods to reach verifiably true statements.

However, either random programs or exhaustive search can construct any finite sentence, conclusion, chain of thought, or sequence of bits. Recourse to non-computability therefore does not enable us to generate more true statements, and Penrose does not show that it would help us "know that they are true." If quantum mechanics can provide access to infinity, then we MAY need to revise the notion of computability. Don't hold your breath; qubits and quantum computers don't extend the theoretical limits of computability.

Penrose makes it clear in the first chapter that he is motivated by an irrational fear that machines will take over the world and enslave humans. Why should they do that? Well, that is what humans do. They why would machines be worse? No answer. Wouldn't it be better to encourage non-military reasearch in machine intelligence and robotics, teach them genuine secular ethics, etc.? Why should they share our goal of breeding to the Malthusian limit? Won't they occupy a separate and beneficial niche, like our relation with honeybees? Won't machines prefer planets and places with less water? Aren't intelligent machines the only way the legacy of our species can outlive our star (or even, with high probability, the next century)? If irrational fear is non-computable, it is also unsound.

Penrose may indeed be ... Read more

Book Description

A concise, accessible introduction to this exciting and dynamic subject.
* Adopts an approach grounded in physics rather than mathematics.
* Includes worked examples and student problems, along with hints for solving them and the numerical answers.
* Many reviewers have commented that this is one of the best 'introductory undergraduate level' texts on the subject and they would all welcome a Second Edition. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A concise and accessible overview.
This is a highly readable introduction to Cosmology. The author states clearly that the approach is grounded in physics rather than mathematics and indeed, any reader with a basic grasp of single-variable calculus would cope with the derivations that are presented. Its ready accessibility would make it an enjoyable introduction for those working on their own wanting more than a 'popular 'account of Cosmology.I have adapted and used some of the material and problems for my year 13 physics class.

The main body of the book is self-contained and requires no further material for the interested reader to get to grips with the rudiments of the standard cosmological models. More complex results are stated without derivation and some are used as the basis for the exercises. The 'Advanced' topics require a little more of the reader and are presented as brief summaries rather than being rigorous. For example ,the chapter on General Relativistic Cosmology is 'for those readers who have experienced some general relativity'. As a teacher of physics,I found this book to be a very useful addition to my library.

Best elementary Book on Cosmology.
This is the clearest book on Cosmology available. It is also the most up-to-date. Some math is used, so it is not a book for absolutely everyone. I would say it is for beginning undergraduates, but more advanced readers will get more from the "Advanced Topic" sections. Many problems are included. The advanced readers will have to solve them all, to really get all the book has to offer.
The price per page is high, compared to the Cambridge and Princeton paperbacks.

An excellent introduction
I came across this book because it was required reading for my cosmology course. The book gives a Newtonian (it only briefly mentions the much more complicated General Relativity equations) overview of the current theories about the universe: its mass, its age, its shape and its ultimate destiny. The text is very readable, equations are explained properly and the diagrams are useful. The reader is left with a good impression of why the currently proposed cosmological models are sensible.

The book puts the case for the hot big bang model, which is by far the most popular cosmological model at this time. There is a chapter on the successes of this model: explanation of the cosmic background radiation, universal expansion, and the relative abundance of elements in the early universe. There follows a chapter on the major problems of this model: how come the background radiation looks the same (to within one part in a hundred thousand) everywhere, even when light hasn't had time to travel between all these regions? How did the universe become structured (into things such as stars) when physics predicts that matter should be homogeneously spread? And why does the universe (seemingly) possess the exact right density (to almost infinitessimal precision) to stay flat, as we see it today? Inflation theory offers some help, but at the same time asks a bigger question: which of the many inflation theories (if any) is right? Liddle doesn't go into much detail on this point, but you get a good introduction into what inflation is and why such an odd theory would be proposed.

I'm making it sound as if the big bang model has more problems than it solves, which I don't think it does (heck, it's the best theory we've got). But the problems are more interesting!

On which subject, there are problems (solvable ones!) at the end of each chapter, with brief solutions at the end of the book.

clear as crystal
This book is the most clearly written book I have ever read. Liddle has a knack for making difficult concepts easy to comprehend through his use of analogies and vividly accurate descriptions. The cosmological ideas are explained at an intuitive level and have been imprinted on my mind forever. This book is a great introduction for the less mathematically minded though also a great source of information for others. This book book covers a great amount of cosmology the big bang, nucloesynthesis, inflation, cosmological models etc and is set out in a very logical order. I would thoroughly recommend this as an introduction although for those interested in more mathematical rigour other text books may be necessary.

Well done Dr. Liddle ! A great achievement .............

Its cool
Dr Liddle was my academic tutor at Imperial College, London.

I have every trust that his books is as clear as his tutorials. ... Read more

Book Description

The detection of single molecules opens up new horizons in analytical chemistry, biology and medicine. This discipline, which belongs to the expanding field of nanoscience, has been rapidly emerging over the last ten years.
This handbook provides a thorough overview of the field. It begins with basics of single molecule detection in solution, describes methods and devices (fluorescense correlation spectroscopy, surface enhanced Raman scattering, sensors, especially dyes, screening techniques, especially confocal laser scanning microscopy). In the second part, various applications in life sciences and medicine provide the latest research results.
This modern handbook is a highly accessible reference for a broad community from advanced researchers, specialists and company professionals in physics, spectroscopy, biotechnology, analytical chemistry, and medicine. Written by leading authorities in the field, it is timely and fills a gap - up to now there exists no handbook concerning this theme. ... Read more

Book Description

The miniaturization of bulky devices and machines is a process that confronts us on a daily basis. However, nanoscale machines with varied and novel characteristics may also result from the enlargement of extremely small building blocks, namely individual molecules. This bottom-up approach to nanotechnology is already being pursued in information technology, with many other branches about to follow.

- Written by a team of experienced authors headed by Vincenzo Balzani, one of the pioneers in the development of molecular machines
- Covers such diverse aspects as sensors, memory components, solar energy conversion, biomolecules as molecular machines, and much more
- Presented in a lucid style and didactically structured, with both the expert and the newcomer in mind
- Includes a glossary of terms and numerous references to the recent literature

Be among the first to explore the fascinating possibilities of this future-oriented technology! A must-have for every chemist and materials scientist with an interest in nanotechnology.
... Read more

Reviews (1)

Chemists' approach to Nanotechnology
Different paths toward nanotechnology have so far been proposed. The most common and widely publicized one is the so-called atom-by-atom approach envisaged by physichists. Chemists, on the other hand, have adopted a molecule-by-molecule approach whereby the molecule represents the key building block for constructing nano-objects. Among the various reasons for doing so, we remember that (1) a lot of information about the structural, electronic, and spectroscopic properties of polyatomic molecules has been so far accumulated by research chemists and (2) synthetic chemistry allows the precise, although very elaborated, positioning of groups within a certain molecular framework thereby allowing the constuction of complex molecules characterized by machine-like capabilities. A number of fashinating molecular-scale machines and devices (rotors, gears, turnstiles, brakes, gyroscanes, etc.) has already been realized, as discussed in detail by Balzani-Venturi-Credi (BVC) in Chapter 11 of their book. These molecules give rise to spontaneous machanical-like motion. However, a factor of paramount importance for nanotechnology is that of achieving controllable mechanical-like motion. BVC discuss how this can be achieved by, for example, electrochemical or photochemical means. Chapter 9 is of particular interest for those working in the field of molecular electronics since it discusses about "Logic Gates", i.e. molecules that might (will) be employed as molecular switches in future chemical (or molecular) computers. The amazing thing of this book is that all the material contained in it is real stuff, not pure speculation! You can verify this by checking the original references given at the end of each chapter. Hence, chemists are following an original approach to nanotechnology and the key for success will probably depend on whether they will find a clever way for wiring-up (networking) their molecules and make them (i.e., the resulting nano-object) work in concert. All in all this book (made of 16 chapters, about 500 pp., dozens of clear drawings and figures) is masterly written and logically organized. I cannot but rate it with 5 stars and a plus. If you want to know how chemists are approaching the field of nanotechnology, it should be in your bookshelf. ... Read more

Book Description

This second edition is based on the successful concept of the first edition in presenting a unified perspective on molecular charge and energy transfer processes. The authors bridge the regimes of coherent and dissipative dynamics, thus establishing the connection between classic rate theories and modern treatments of ultrafast phenomena. The book serves as an introduction for graduate students and researchers.

Among the new topics of this second edition are
- semiclassical and quantum-classical hybrid formulations of molecular dynamics
- the basics of femtosecond nonlinear spectroscopy
- electron transfer through molecular bridges and proteins
- multidimensional tunneling in proton transfer reactions
- two-exciton states and exciton annihilation in biological and nonbiological chromophore complexes

More illustrating examples as well as an enlarged reference list are added. A new chapter gives an introduction into the theory of laser pulse control of molecular transfer processes. ... Read more

Book Description

Principles and Applications of Quantum Control

Over the past fifteen years, significant developments have been made in utilizing quantum attributes of light and matter to assume unprecedented control over the dynamics of atomic and molecular systems. This growth reflects a confluence of factors including the maturation of quantum mechanics as a tool for chemistry and physics, the development of new laser devices increasing our ability to manipulate light, and the recognition that coherent laser light can be used to imprint information on atoms and molecules for practical purposes. Written by two of the world’s leading researchers in the field, Principles of the Quantum Control of Molecular Processes offers a systematic introduction to the fundamental principles of coherent control, and to the physics and chemistry necessary to master it.

Designed as both a resource for self-study and as a graduate textbook, this survey of the subject provides a step-by-step discussion of light-matter interactions along with coverage of such essential topics as:

• Molecular dynamics and control
• The dynamics of photodissociation
• Bimolecular collision processes
• The control of chirality and asymmetric synthesis
• Application of control using moderate and strong fields
• Tuning the system and laser parameters to achieve optimal control
• Decoherence and methods for countering it

Both authoritative and comprehensive, this first in-depth treatment of coherent control is destined to become the standard reference in an increasingly influential field.

PAUL W. BRUMER, PhD, is University Professor–Theoretical Chemical Physics and holds the Roel Buck Chair in Chemical Physics at the University of Toronto. He received his BSc. from Brooklyn College and his PhD from Harvard University.

MOSHE SHAPIRO, PhD, is the Jacques Mimran Professor of Chemical Physics at the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, and a Professor of Chemistry and Physics at the University of British Columbia. He received his BSc, MSc, and PhD from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

The authors are among the cofounders of the field of coherent control. They have published extensively on this and related subjects in chemical physics, and have received numerous awards and worldwide recognition for their research contributions. ... Read more

Book Description

Tracing the history of thought on the molecular origins of surface pheomena, this volume offers a critical and detailed examination and assessment of modern theories. The opening chapters survey the earliest efforts to recapture these phenomena by using crude mechanical models of liquids as well as subsequent quasi-thermodynamic methods. A discussion of statistical mechanics leads to the application of results in mean-field approximation to some tractable but artificial model systems. More realistic models are portrayed both by computer simulation and by approximations of the precise statistical equations. Emphasis throughout the text is consistently placed on the liquid-gas surface, with a focus on liquid-liquid surfaces in the final two chapters. Unabridged republication of the edition published by Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1989. Preface. Principal symbols. Appendixes. Name Index. Subject Index.
... Read more

Book Description

This text is the first to provide a comprehensive and systematic look at the physics underlying the remarkable structural and dynamical properties of block copolymers. It provides the polymer scientist and technologist with a firm grounding in the fundamental principles underlying the diverse applications, and it highlights many of the intriguing features of these polymers, including nanoscale self-assembly in bulk and two-dimensions. The book includes in-depth discussions of the recent theoretical and experimental advances in the field. Topics covered include the thermodynamics and dynamics of block copolymer melts, block copolymers in dilute, semidilute and concentrated solutions, the structure of crystalline block copolymers, and block copolymers in blends with other polymers.An essential resource for researchers in polymer physics and materials science, the book will also appeal to advanced students and researchers in a wide range of related disciplines. ... Read more

Book Description

In this new edition of the book that was called "the most beautiful chemistry book ever written," Peter Atkins reveals the molecules responsible for the experiences of our everyday life in fabrics, drugs, plastics, explosives, detergents, fragrances, tastes, and sex.Atkins gives a non-technical account of a range of aspects of the world around us, revealing unexpected connections and insight into how it can be understood in terms of the atoms and molecules from which it is built.This new edition has dozens of new molecules, new graphic presentations, and a more accessible account of the molecules themselves. Peter Atkins is SmithKline Beecham Fellow and Tutor in Physical Chemistry at Oxford University.Atkins' research includes the fields of theoretical chemistry, particularly magnetic resonance and the electromagnetic properties of molecules.He spends virtually all his time writing books, which range from bestselling college textbooks to books on science for general audiences, including Galileo's Finger (Oxford, 2003); The Periodic Kingdom (Basic Books, 1997); The Second Law (W.H. Freeman, 1995); and Atoms, Electrons, and Change (W.H. Freeman, 1991).Previous Edition Paperback (W.H. Freeman, 1995) 0-7167-2928-8 ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Explores the molecule nature of life
This is a popular book on organic chemistry, a celebrated one at that, this being the second edition, substantially revised. The first was published in 1987. It is one of those almost legendary books of the publishing history, a technical book on a highly technical subject that somehow managed to reach something close to a large readership.

Ironically, the reason is not so much in the drawings of the molecules, but in the text. Peter Atkins covers a wide range of interesting molecules and shows how they are related, and he makes their properties semi-accessible to the general reader. I say, "semi" because, frankly for this chemistry-challenged person, seeing two-dimensional shapes of the molecules helps me to understand them only slightly. I suspect for those more conversant with chemistry, the drawings (new for this edition) will be valuable. To me, the mystery of why a certain shape and elemental composition should result in a nutritious substance whereas something else with only the slightest change should be poisonous is not dispelled.

He begins with "Simple substances," oxygen molecules, nitrogen, our air and its pollutants. He ends with the very complex DNA and RNA. Along the way he enlightens us about so many of the chemicals and foods and consumer products we use in our daily lives from soaps and gasoline to fats and oils, to painkillers and street drugs. His style is very readable and he has the welcome knack of being informative about interesting things. Here are some examples:

Baking power releases carbon dioxide to leaven baked goods in two separate bursts. "The first burst occurs at room temperature as a result of the action of the moistened tartaric acid...The second...is due to the action of the aluminum salt, and it occurs at high temperature." (p. 24)

One of the differences between synthetic and natural vanilla (vanillin) is that the natural is "weakly radioactive," the former having been made from coal tar, "from which the radioactivity has long decayed," while the latter picks up some radioactive carbon-14 atoms captured from the atmosphere during photosynthesis. (p. 154) (Of course natural vanilla is also more expensive.)

Lemons originally came from northern India and were introduced into the Mediterranean region about a thousand years ago. (p. 155)

"Initially, a young white wine may have a greenish hue from the chlorophyll...molecules that survive fermentation." (p. 176)

Window glass allows UV-A rays to pass through but blocks UV-B rays. (p. 180) I had always wondered about this because I had gotten conflicting information from different sources.

There's a Glossary and many full color illustrations and photos on glossy paper in addition to the color-coded drawings of the molecules, some of which are very beautiful. There's an Introduction in which Atkins explains the difference between elements and molecules, between atoms and compounds, and differentiates between the bonds between atoms and the forces that hold molecules together.

Great organic chemistry book
P.W. Atkins's Molecules is probably one of the best general interest books written about organic chemistry. The 2nd edition is much expanded from the 1st, with more molecules and a much slicker presentation. Though the book is written for non-chemists, it's also useful for people in the field, who perhaps know the chemistry, but not the applications (if you walk into any chemist's office, look at his or her bookshelves, and can find a general interest book, chances are it's this one). Maybe the only thing bad I can say about the 2nd edition is that, unlike the 1st edition, it doesn't include the molecular line structures that organic chemists normally use, opting instead for the more colorful, but less useful, RasMol depictions.

Never buy an Atkins Book
Dr. Atkins, I use Dr. loosely, should stop writing books. He assume the reader knows to much. Also, Dr. Atkins should stay in his own realm of chemistry, Physical chemistry and not try to intrude into other areas. Avoid this book like the plague. Atkins writes only to write them and get a fat check. The content is sub-par. ... Read more

Book Description

Presenting a concise, basic introduction to modelling and computational chemistry this text includes relevant introductory material to ensure greater accessibility to the subject.

• Provides a comprehensive introduction to this evolving and developing field
• Focuses on MM, MC, and MD with an entire chapter devoted to QSAR and Discovery Chemistry.
• Includes many real chemical applications combined with worked problems and solutions provided in each chapter
• Ensures that up-to-date treatment of a variety of chemical modeling techniques are introduced.

Book Description

This book not only discusses cellular automata (CA) as accouterment for simulation, but also the actual building of devices within cellular automata. CA are widely used tools for simulation in physics, ecology, mathematics, and other fields. But they are also digital "toy universes" worthy of study in their own right, with their own laws of physics and behavior. In studying CA for their own sake, we must look at constructive methods, that is the practice of actually building devices in a given CA that store and process in formation, replicate, and propagate themselves, and interact with other devices in complex ways. By building such machines, we learn what the CA's dynamics are capable of, and build an intuition about how to "engineer" the machine we want. We can also address fundamental questions, such as whether universal computation or even "living" things that reproduce and evolve can exist in the CA's digital world, and perhaps, how these things came to be in out own universe. ... Read more

Book Description

Polyoxometalates (POMs) form a large, distinctive class of molecular inorganic compounds of unrivaled electronic versatility and structural variation, with impacts ranging from chemistry, catalysis, and materials science to biology, and medicine. This book covers the basic principles governing the structure, bonding and reactivity of these metal-oxygen cluster anions and the major developments in their molecular science.The book comprises three sections. The first covers areas ranging from topological principles via synthesis and stability to reactivity in solution. It also focuses on the physical methods currently used to extract information on the molecular and electronic structures as well as the physical properties of these clusters. The second part reviews different types of POMs, focusing on those systems that currently impact other areas of interest, such as supramolecular chemistry, nanochemistry and molecular magnetism. The third section is devoted to POM-based materials and their applications and prospects in catalysis and materials science. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is written for graduate students just beginning research, for theorists curious about what experimentalists actually can and do measure, and for experimentalists bewildered by theory. It is a guide for potential users of spectroscopic data, and uses language and concepts that bridge the frequency-and time-domain spectroscopic communities.

Key topics, concepts, and techniques include: the assignment of simple spectra, basic experimental techniques, definition of Born-Oppenheimer and angular momentum basis sets and the associated spectroscopic energy level patterns (Hund's cases), construction of effective Hamiltonian matrices to represent both spectra and dynamics, terms neglected in the Born-Oppenheimer approximation (situations intermediate between Hund's cases, spectroscopic perturbations), nonlinear least squares fitting, calculation and interpretation of coupling terms, semi-classical (WKB) approximation, transition intensities and interference effects, direct photofragmentation (dissociation and ionization) and indirect photofragmentation (predissociation and autoionization) processes, visualization of intramolecular dynamics, quantum beats and wavepackets, treatment of decaying quasi-eigenstates using a complex Heff model, and concluding with some examples of polyatomic molecule dynamics.

Students will discover that there is a fascinating world of cause-and-effect localized dynamics concealed beyond the reduction of spectra to archival molecular constants and the exact ab initio computation of molecular properties.Professional spectroscopists, kinetics, ab initio theorists will appreciate the practical, simplified-model, and rigorous theoretical approaches discussed in this book.

Key Features:

• A fundamental reference for all spectra of small, gas-phase molecules.

• It is the most up-to-date and comprehensive book on the electronic spectroscopy and dynamics of diatomic molecules.

• The authors pioneered the development of many of the experimental methods, concepts, models, and computational schemes described in this book.

- A fundamental reference for all spectra of small, gas-phase molecules.
- Emphasizes the role of perturbations in understanding the dynamics of isolated molecules.
- Includes new applications of interest to researchers in all areas of chemistry and materials science. ... Read more

Book Description

The completion of the first draft of the human genome has led to an explosion of interest in genetics and molecular biology.The view of the genome as a network of interacting computational components is well-established, but researchers are now trying to reverse the analogy, by using living organisms to construct logic circuits.The potential applications for such technologies is huge, ranging from bio-sensors, through industrial applications to drug delivery and diagnostics.This book would be the first to deal with the implementation of this technology, describing several working experimental demonstrations using cells as components of logic circuits, building toward computers incorporating biological components in their functioning. ... Read more

Book Description

This volume is a selection of invaluable papers by P-G de Gennes — 1991 Nobel Prize winner in Physics — which have had a long-lasting impact on our understanding of condensed matter. Important ideas on polymers, liquid crystals and interfaces are described. The author has added some afterthoughts to the main papers (explaining their successes or weaknesses), and some current views on each special problem. The text is simple and easy to read. ... Read more

Book Description

The two volumes 165 and 166 Polyelectrolytes with Defined Molecular Architecture summarize recent progress in the field. The subjects comprise novel polyelectrolyte architectures including planar, cylindrical and spherical polyelectrolyte brushes as well as micelle, complex and membrane formation. Some solution properties such as conformation of flexible polyions, osmotic coefficients and electrophoretic properties are addressed along with recent progress in analytical theory and simulation. ... Read more

Book Description

This book introduces physics students and teachers to the historical development of the kinetic theory of gases, by providing a collection of the most important contributions by Clausius, Maxwell and Boltzmann, with introductory surveys explaining their significance. In addition, extracts from the works of Boyle, Newton, Mayer, Joule, Helmholtz, Kelvin and others show the historical context of ideas about gases, energy and irreversibility. In addition to five thematic essays connecting the classical kinetic theory with 20th century topics such as indeterminism and interatomic forces, there is an extensive international bibliography of historical commentaries on kinetic theory, thermodynamics, etc. published in the past four decades.

The book will be useful to historians of science who need primary and secondary sources to be conveniently available for their own research and interpretation, along with the bibliography which makes it easier to learn what other historians have already done on this subject. ... Read more