Book Reviews June 2006

Weighing the soul Len Fisher Orion Books, 2004 ISBN: 0297645552 In Len Fisher's previous book 'How to dunk a doughnut' he looked at the science of things in everyday life. The emphasis in 'Weighing the soul' is a bit different, here he looks at some historical episodes which illustrate how different viewpoints have clashed and how one of them has come to be accepted. The historical viewpoint may mean that it has a less general apppeal than his previous book. For instance it might not be so appreciated by school-age readers - they might like some of the dangerous chemical experiments he did when he was child, but I'm not sure their parents would approve. However, it is still very readable, and those who do read it will be richly rewarded with an insight into the way science actually works. Continued..

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Beyond the third dimension Thomas Banchoff Scientific American Library, 1990 ISBN: 0716750252 Some people claim to be able to visualise space with more than 3 dimensions, but for most of us the fourth dimension represents inaccessibility and mystery. In this book Thomas Banchoff explores the progress which has been made in reducing the mystery by showing how higher dimensions may be visualised. There is the usual comparison with Flatlanders visualising three dimensions, but the book also looks at other ways of presenting higher dimensions such as contour maps, 'unfolded' versions of polytopes (higher dimensional polyhedra) and perspective drawings. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to get a better grip on what higher dimensions actually mean. Continued..

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The little book of philosophy Andre Comte-Sponville Vintage, 2005 ISBN: 0099450186 Philosophy is a vast subject and to write a small book encompassing a significant part of it seems to be an impossible task. It has been achieved in this work by writing twelve books, each of which is an introduction to one area of philosophy, and then taking the forewords from these and forming them into a single volume. It works pretty well - Andre Comte-Sponville originally wrote the books for teenagers, so the style is easy to read. Is death final? Is there a God. What do we mean by beauty and what part does Art play. If you want a book which discusses these big questions but doesn't become too taxing then this book fits the bill admirably. Continued..

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Models as mediators Mary Morgan and Margaret Morrison Cambridge University Press, 1999 ISBN: 0521655714 Science is based on the creation of theories to explain observatons. But often the theories are too abstract to relate directly to the world. The contributors to this book explore the idea that scientific models act as mediators between the two. I would say that the book is mostly aimed at philosophers and historians of science - I found it a bit wordy and philosophical at times, and intend to look out for a book on the topic more suited to the general scientific reader. On the other hand there are plenty of concrete examples given, and practising scientists who are facing the issues raised in constructing scientific models will find much of interest. It would also be useful someone entering this area of study, as it introduces many of the 'standard' examples of scientific models. Continued..

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The end of science John Horgan Abacus, 1997 ISBN: 0316640522 Can science keep going on at an ever accelerating rate, or will the flow of new ideas dry up in the near future? John Horgan asks plenty of well known scientists but doesn't listen to their answers - he's already decided in his own mind, in which science seems to be a form of post-modernist literary criticism. Science is called naïve when dealing with something which is well known, ironic when it's more speculative, so you can't win either way. There's not much here if you want a map of how science will progress in the coming decades, but the book is worth reading for the interviews with such a diverse range of scientists - Horgan manages to get them to answer some awkward questions without being thrown out of the door. Continued..

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Computers Ltd. What they Really can't do David Harel Oxford University Press ISBN: 0198604424 Mentioned in P vs NP Computational complexity, that is the study of the resources needed to solve problems by computer, is a central part of computer science. Unofortunately this area may seem difficult to understand, despite the fact that many people have a good working knowlegde of computers. The inclusion of the P v NP question as one of the Millennium problems in mathematics may draw attention to the subject, but doesn't make it look any easier. In this book David Harel provides a short account of the subject in a way that can be understood by the non-specialist reader. It's an enjoyable read, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants a better understanding of just what the limitations of computers are. Continued..

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Science matters Robert M Hazen and James Trefil Cassell, 1993 ISBN: 0304342424 Science is sometimes seen as being difficult - something which only experts need to know about. But anyone who believes this is essentially opting out of playing a full part in today's society. Hazen and Trefil attack this problem by providing an overview of science for the non-scientist in the form of this book. I have to say that it's impressive how much of the basics of science they get into less than 300 pages - physics, chemistry, astronomy, geology, biology and ecology are all dealt with. I feel that they have succeeded admirably in their task, and whether read through or used for reference this book deserves a place on the bookshelf of any non-scientist who wants to improve their knowledge in this area. Continued..

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DNA: The secret of life James Watson Arrow, 2003 ISBN: 0099451840 James Watson is famous as one of the partnership responsible for the discovery of the structure of DNA, and his book 'The Double Helix' telling the story of that discovery is an international bestseller. In 'DNA: The secret of life' he describes some of the applications that our knowledge of DNA has generated. Its become a vast subject area, and at times I found it difficult to decide how to approach the book - whether each chapter could be read alone or whether they combined into a single thread. However it's well written and maintains the readers interest through its nearly 500 pages. I would recommend it to anyone wanting a readable overview of the current state of genetics. Continued..

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God's Equation Amir Aczel Arrow ISBN: 0385334850 Mentioned in Cosmic horizons Modern cosmology is a fascinating area, with a constant stream of new discoveries about the universe. However, to have more than a superficial knowledge of the subject requires some acquaintance with Einstein's equation from general relativity, which can be intimidating for the newcomer to the subject. In this book Amir Aczel provides an accessible introduction to the consequences of this equation. This is mostly via biographical details of Einstein's life, but also involving the other major players in the field, including experimental test of GR and earlier work done on non-euclidean geometry. The later chapters get on to the recent work on the accelerating expansion of the Universe, and how this is related to Einstein's 'greatest blunder', that is the cosmological constant term of his field equations. Continued..

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Zero - the biography of a dangerous idea Charles Seife Souvenir press ISBN: 0285635867 Mentioned in Wormholes Zero is a strange sort of number - for instance division by zero in a computer program causes all sorts of problems. This book is a look at the development of the concept of zero, and infinity, zero's twin, from ancient times to recent discoveries in cosmology and quantum physics. Aristotle tried to hide paradoxes associated with zero, with pronouncments such as 'Nature abhors a vacuum'. This held back the development of mathematics in the West, while in the East zero was accepted and the subject flourished. Eventually the usefulness of zero was accepted in the West, and mathematics took off agian, leading to the use of infinitesimals and the development of the calculus. I felt that the book would be very useful to someone learning calculus, as it gives a clear description of the ideas behind the subject. Continued..

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Genesis: The Scientific quest for Life's Origin Robert M Hazen Joseph Henry Press, 2005 ISBN: 0309094321 The origin of life on Earth from non-living matter nearly 4 billion years ago is a topic which should be of interest to us all. However books on the subject either tend to lack detail, or become too technical for the general reader. Hazen has a background of making science more accessible and here has managed to create a book which is easy to read, but also covers much of the research in this area. It's a subject in which controvesies abound, and I would recommend this book to all readers who want an informed account of the question of life's origin. Continued..

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Science from Fisher information : a unification B. Roy Frieden Cambridge University Press, 2004 ISBN: 0521009111 One of the first things we learn in physics is Newton's law that force causes acceleration. Later we move on to the principle of least action, which is more abstract than Newton's law, but is a more general result - it applies to a larger class of systems. It is then natural to see if this process can be carried further. In this book Frieden gives a candidate (based on the work of R.A. Fisher), which is known as Fisher Information. Frieden shows that many of the equations of physics can be reached via this path, and illustrates its generality by applying it to biological growth and even to trading on the stock market. Continued..

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Euclid and his modern rivals Lewis Carroll Dover Publications, 1973 ISBN: 0486229688 Lewis Carroll is known all over the world for his Alice books. But he also produced mathematical works under his real name of Charles Dodgson. For this work he uses his pseudonym, and indeed it is a peculiar hybrid of mathematical discussion and nonsense writing. It's written as a play - I very much doubt that it's ever been performed - and criticises the attempts that were being made at the time to dethrone Euclid's Elements from its acceptance as the textbook for the teaching of geometry. Dedicated fans of Lewis Carroll might might be interested in reading it, as well as those interested in his psychological state, but I can't recommend it for general readership. Continued..

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The century of the gene Evelyn Fox Keller Harvard University Press ISBN: 0674003721 At the beginning of the 20th century the term gene was introduced. In the middle, the structure of DNA was figured out, and by the end the human genome had been decoded. Thus it was very much the century of the gene. This book by Evelyn Fox Keller serves as a gentle introduction to genetics, including topics such as error correction and the development of an organism. However, its central point is that the concept of the gene has been overused, and in future we won't see it as being so important. It is recommended for readers who want to learn about genetics, but who require a critical view of the concepts which are being introduced. Continued..

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Ghost in the Atom P C W Davies Cambridge University Press, 1986 ISBN: 0521457289 Mentioned in Local Realism Quantum theory can seem rather puzzling. Schrödinger's cat is confusing enough, but that's relatively simple to understand compared with questions of entanglement and non-locality. This book is based on a series of eight radio programs where Paul Davies interviewed recognised experts in the subject. Thus it provides an opportunity for the reader to get a flavour of this subject without getting bogged down in philosophical handwaving. The book starts with an excellent introduction to the the subject by Davies and so is suitable for the non-specialist reader, but would also be useful for those with more knowledge of the subject who want an overview of the different positions held by different scientists. Continued..

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