Books July 2006

Book Reviews July 2006

Stalking the Riemann Hypothesis Dan Rockmore	Jonathan Cape, 2005	ISBN: 0224062530
Mathematicians, both professional and amateur, find the study of the primes fascinating. However, there are still aspects of them which are not well understood, of which the Riemann Hypothesis is an example. The first part of this book discusses each of the main contributors to the subject, and shows how the different aspects of the Riemann hypothesis fit together. It then gets on to more current work, showing links to some surprising areas of study. Rockmore does an excellent job of making mathematics accessible to the non-mathematician readers, and I cna't help thinking that maybe the eventual solution to the problem will come from someone inspired by this book. Continued..

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Beyond Science John Polkinghorne	Cambridge University Press, 1996	ISBN: 0521625084
The relationship between science and religion, and the authority of science on deep philosophical issues are hotly debated topics at present. Unfortunately many of the contributions to this debate don't seem very well thought out, and so it is refreshing to find a book such as 'Beyond Science' in which John Polkinghorne has tried to give a sensible discussion of these issues. Polkinghorne had a career as a particle physicist before becoming ordained as a priest and so is well qualified to look at this area. Continued..

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The Spark of Life Christopher Wills and Jeffrey Bada	Oxford University Press, 2000	ISBN: 0198662769
There is currently a great deal of discussion about how life arose from the mixture of chemicals present on the early Earth. Did it begin at hydrothermal vents, did it go via an 'RNA world' or is there some explanation which we haven't thought of yet. There are plenty of books which go into detail of the current state of this discussion and the experiments which are being performed. In The Spark of Life, Christopher Wills considers these issues, but takes a wider viewpoint than most books, taking the reader on a journey from the beginning of the earth to the development of the eukaryotic cell. Continued..

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Cosmological Physics John Peacock	Cambridge University Press	ISBN: 0521422701
This book is aimed at advanced undergraduates and new PhD students. It introduces the reader to advanced topics whilst maintaining the structure of a textbook which can be worked through be the student. Similar level textbooks can become a bit abstract, which means that they get harder to follow as you get into them, particular for a reader outside the usual academic environment. Here this problem is avoided by the use of examples from astrophysics to provide material for actual calculations, which help the reader to get to grips with the subject. The book starts with a rapid introduction to tensors, which might be a bit intimidating, but you don't really need to remember the symbolism to proceed with the book. Continued..

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The first men in the moon H G Wells	House of Stratus, 1901	ISBN: 0755104013
I found this to be rather a plotless book - it seems to be more of an exercise in descriptive writing than a proper story. There doesn't seem to be much of an attempt to make the science sound realistic - it ends up seeming much more like magic (of course I'm writing with hindsight, over 35 years after we actually went to the moon). But the real problem is that the characters seem to be more spectators than anything else - there's a bit of action in the middle, but even then I didn't feel any empathy with the main characters Continued..

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Big & Green David Gissen	Princeton Architectural Press, 2002	ISBN: 1568983611
Environmentalism is often perceived as promoting a 'back to nature' viewpoint. However, with current population levels there's no way that there can be any realistic return to the agrarian societies of a few centuries ago. On the contrary, true environmentalism has to accomodate peoples needs while having the minimum disrruption to the enviroment, and that implies buildings which get the maximum benefit from a small land area - that is high rise buildings. Hence the exhibition 'Big & Green: Towards Sustainable Architecture in the 21st century' was conceived, to show how large buildings can go together with environmental benefits. This book shows the buildings which were exhibited, together with essays explaining the new ways of thinking. Continued..

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The Time Machine H G Wells	Penguin Books, 1895	ISBN: 0141439971
'The Time machine' is H G Wells' first published science fiction story. It's a short book - Well's commented 36 years later that this was due to the hurry to get it published and he would like to have written a longer work. However I prefer to read somewhat 'naive' early works of sci-fi writers before they have learnt to write 'proper' literature. Reading this book gives and insight into what Well's wanted to write - we see that from the beginning he was more interested in possible futures for society than high tech gizmos. It's also worth reading if you've only seen the film version and want to know more about Wells' work. Continued..

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The Basis of Measurement Vol 1 Thomas McGreevy	Picton	ISBN: 0948251824
The history of measurement doesn't sound like a particularly gripping subject. So how well does this author succeed in making it interesting for the reader. I would say that he does reasonably well. A book like this is never going to be a bestseller, but if you're interested in where our system of measurements came from then you might like to read it. In particular if you were brought up on imperial measures you will find some questions answered. What does avoirdupois mean, and why on earth are their 5½ yards in a 'rod, pole or perch'? These, and many similar questions are discussed in this book. Continued..

The philosophies of science Rom Harré	Oxford University Press	ISBN: 0198880561
Many of you must have attempted to read philosophy books and given up. Like me, you have probably found that a lot philosophers delight in using obscure language to say nothing in particular. If this is the case, then you will find that this book is a breath of fresh air. Rom Harré gives us a well presented overview of ideas in the philosophy of science in a compact volume. Despite the small size of this book, he covers a wide area and even manages to fit in a comprehensive summary at the end of each chapter. Continued..

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The Planets Dava Sobel	Fourth Estate, 2005	ISBN: 1857028503
Each chapter of this book deals with one of the planets in the solar system, and goes from early myths, through the history of the study of the planet up to the present day with information from space probes and other observations. The book is written in a much more poetical style than Sobel's earlier works. But this doesn't mean that it's full of airy nothings, on the contrary I was very impressed by her skill in packing such a lot of information into a small space while at the same time producing a book which is easy to read. Continued..

The Google story David Vise	Macmillan	ISBN: 0405053712
No one with an internet connection can have missed the spectacular rise of the Google search engine in the last few years. This book tells the story of this rise - how the founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin came to top the list of young billionaires without it seems having a particular interest in making money. Thus we hear about how Google has challenged the established way of doing things in business, and the legal problems which they have faced as a result. The book is well written -no technical knowledge required - and is recommended for anyone who want to catch up with what has been happening in the computing world. Continued..

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Linguistics: An Introduction Jean Aitchison	Hodder and Stoughton, 1973	ISBN: 0340757922
When I started reading this book I realised that there is a lot more to linguistics than I had thought. Apparently I had a very 'Victorian' view, expecting the book to be principally about the comparison of words in different languages and the history of how these words developed, although I realised that the work of Chomsky in the last half century would also play a major part. But in Linguistics: An Introduction, Jean Aitchison shows that there is a lot more to it than that, with chapters on sound patterns, the positioning of words in sentences and the relationship between syntax and semantics as well as the psychology and sociology of language. It would suit anyone looking for a broad overview of this subject. Continued..

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3D Toons Steve Anzovin and Raf Anzovin	Ilex, 2005	ISBN: 1904705405
The state of 3D animation has advanced so much recently that it is used in part or in total for many of the films made nowadays. Not only that, but computer hardware is advancing so fast that such animation begins to look possible to the amateur filmmaker. 3D Toons, by Steve and Raf Anzovin is aimed at that market. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to know exactly waht it is trying to do. It isn't a 'how-to' book which would teach people the basics of 3D animation. It doesn't look at the well known filmmakers such as Pixar. Rather it's a showcase for the works of some lesser known animators. Continued..

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How the laws of physics lie Nancy Cartwright	Clarendon Press, 1983	ISBN: 0198247001
Most scientists are satisfied if the laws they use agree reasonably well with experiments, but philosophers look at the trickier questions of whether those laws are true in any sense. Nancy Cartwright takes the intruiging position that the theoretical models which are used in physics describe something real, but the fundamental laws which supposedly underlie those models do not. The book is aimed at philosophers of science, but it has plenty of concrete examples and so will also be of interest to scientists who want to look deeper into what underlies their subject, especially chapters 5 on phenomological laws and chapter 9 on the measurement problem of quantum theory. Continued..

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An imaginary tale : the story of the square root of -1
Paul Nahin

Princeton University Press

ISBN: 0691027951

Mentioned in

road to reality

Imaginary and Complex numbers have the reputation of being difficult. Maybe it's their name - calling them 'Bombelli numbers' might not sound so bad. This work takes a non-textbook approach to the subject, but if you find complex numbers scary then I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to you - there are quite a lot of equations. On the other hand the mathematics isn't particularly difficult. I would say that it is aimed at the keen high-school students, who will get a foretaste of more advanced mathematics. Those with a little more mathematical knowledge should enjoy it as a bit of light reading. Continued..

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The infinite cosmos Joseph Silk	Oxford University Press, 2006	ISBN: 0198505108
I'm not particularly keen on blogs - I prefer what I read to be more structured. This probably means that I'm not the best person to review Joseph Silk's new book, as at times it seemed to lack structure in the same way as a blog. There didn't seem to be any central thread to lead the reader through the book, and the author sometimes seemed to be repeating himself. On the other hand he is an expert in the field and it is clear that he has thought about the things he is writing about, so if you don't mind the style of writing you might consider reading this book. Continued..

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The fabric of reality David Deutsch

Allen Lane

ISBN: 0140146903

Mentioned in

road to reality

quantum computing

Deutsch is best known for his views on quantum computing and its link to the many worlds interpretation of quantum mechanics. Naturally these subjects figure highly in this book, but I would say this isn't just a book about modern physics, in fact it's more of a philosophy book. If that's put you off then it shouldn't - this is philosophy as it should be written. In a non-technical and highly readable way, Deutsch puts forward the arguments for his view of the nature of reality, and I have to say that he is fairly persuasive - even for people like me who don't believe in the many worlds interpretation Continued..

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The world of Walther Nernst Kurt Mendelssohn

Macmillan, 1973

ISBN: 0333148959

Mentioned in

Absolute zero

The name of Walther Nernst is less well known than some of the other scientists who were part of the revolution in physics at the start of the 20th century, but the experimental and theoretical work he did was a vital part of that revolution. In this biography by Kurt Mendelssohn, who studied with Nernst for many years, we hear the story of Nernst's rise as a talented researcher in low temperature physics, followed by a prestigious (and profitable) career as a scientist in Berlin. Nernst is responsible for the 3rd law of thermodynamics, and worked with Einstein on the quantum nature of low temperature physics. The book doesn't go particularly deeply into the science, and is more suited for readers wanting a view of Nernst and the society in which he lived. Continued..

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Hitler's Gift Jean Medawar and David Pyke	Richard Cohen Books, 2000	ISBN: 1860661726
Anyone who studies the history of science in the first half of the twentieth century will find a large part was played by German Jewish scientists, many of whom fled to other countries with the coming of the Nazi party. In Hitler's Gift, David Pyke takes the point of view that this was Germany's loss and other countries gain, and tells the stories of many of the scientists involved. The book shows that although the decision to leave may have been obvious with hindsight, at the time it was a difficult one to make. It also shows how being transferred to a different environment gave many of the scientists a fresh start, resulting in many important discoveries. This book will be of interest to any reader who wants a better understanding of the decisions which were made by individuals and governments during this confusing time. Continued..

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The second law Peter W Atkins

Scientific American Books

ISBN: 071675004X

Mentioned in

Absolute zero

Thermodynamics is often considered to be a difficult subject. Vague talk of 'disorder' doesn't help much in describing what is going on. 'The Second Law' avoids such philosophising, instead it gives a straightforward, non-mathematical introduction to the subject, with a large number of pictures to help. The workings of steam engines and refrigerators are explained, with diagrams relating what is happening on macroscopic and microscopic scales, which is central to understanding this subject. Atkins also shows the important role of thermodynamics in chemical and biological processes. If the word 'thermodynamics' brings you out in a cold sweat then I would say that this book is for you. Continued..

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Einstein defiant : genius versus genius in the quantum revolution Edmund Blair Bolles	Joseph Henry Press, 2004	ISBN: 0309089980
Einstein's attitude to quantum theory is often portrayed as that of a reactionary, wanting a return to the ways of classical physics. In Einstein Defiant we are told a different story - in the early 1920's it was Einstein himself who was in the forefront of the development of quantum theory with his use of the photon to explain electromagnetism, while Niels Bohr was looking for explanations based on the more classical, wave theory of light. Although the work is entirely non-technical, Edmund Blair Bolles does a very good job in describing the development of physics during revolutionary times. I would recommend the book to readers interested in the history of physics in the 20th century and more generally to anyone interested in the history of Europe between the wars. Continued..

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The quest for absolute zero Kurt Mendelssohn

Taylor and Francis, 1977

ISBN: 0850661196

Mentioned in

The absolute zero of temperature is (probably) an unattainable limit, but it's human nature to constantly strive to get ever close to such a limit. 'The quest for absolute zero' describes these battles to achieve ever lower temperatures. It starts with with the liquefaction of oxygen in 1877, with other gases following soon after, but helium remaining stubbornly gaseous until 1908 when it was liquified by Kamerlingh Onnes, leading on to his discovery of superconductivity. The book then examines how theoretical physics was affected by low temperature reseach, looking at the theories of Nernst and Einstein on the subject. However, the book does not require technical knowledge, rather it uses plenty of helpful diagrams, and would be accessible to readers without a scientific background, but interested in the history of low temperature research. Continued..

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Collision-based computing Andrew Adamatzky	Springer, 2002	ISBN: 1852335408
Today's computers might seem fast, but their architecture requires that data has a chance to settle down before it is used. If the data could be kept on the move all of the time then they could be even faster. But to do that you need a different way of doing things, such as nonlinear optical devices. That was the sort of thing I expected from Andrew Adamatzky's book, together with such subjects as the thermodynamics of computation and digital models of physics. Unfortunately I found that most of the papers were about cellular automata, such as Conway's 'Game of Life'. Now this is an interesting topic research area, and the end results, when displayed on a computer can be fascinating , but I can't say that I really want to know the details of the models - I tended just to look at the pictures. Continued..

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Time and Chance David Z Albert	Harvard University Press, 2000	ISBN: 0674011325
Why time goes in one direction only is a question which has puzzled many people, but especially philosophers of science. In 'Time and Chance', David Z Albert examines how thermodynamics fits in with the direction of time, and shows the fallacies in arguments which have tried to deduce the arrow of time from thermodynamic behaviour. He writes with a conversational, and sometimes confrontational style, which makes a refreshing change from some works in the philosophy of science. The book does not require a great deal of prior knowledge, since the necessary thermodynamics and statistical mechanics are introduced in the first few chapters, with plenty of helpful diagrams. Thus Albert explains the problems with the idea that the universe began as a chance event - if you think it did then you are led to believe that only your immediate surroundings arose, and that happened only a few seconds ago, with your past memories happening by chance. Continued..

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Black Bodies and Quantum Cats Jennifer Ouellette	Penguin Books, 2005	ISBN: 0143036033
Physics is sometimes thought to be a subject which is remote from everyday life, only to be followed by experts. In this book, based on a monthly column in APS news, Jennifer Ouellette shows that this is not the case. The book takes various episodes in the history of physics and describes them in terms which the non-technical reader will understand. - with plenty of references to modern novels and films providing metaphors for the underlying physics. Thus Jurassic Park is used in the explanation of Chaos Theory and Blade Runner in the discussion of Artificial Intelligence. Its a well written book and although the chapters are in chronological order they are independent of each other so its perfectly suited to dipping into whan you feel like a bit of light reading. Continued..

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