No comments about Banneker: The Afro-American Astronomer.

5 comments about Stephen Hawking: A Quest For The Theory Of Everything.

1. After reading "A Brief History Of Time" by Stephen Hawking, I was absolutely taken with astrophysics. Now, I'm no professional, but I could understand Hawking's book even if I had to learn to concentrate on what I was reading completely and reread some places. Hawking attempted to explain even the most complicated things - and succeeded. I thought I could pick up Kitty Ferguson's book for some easy reading on Hawking's discoveries - boy, was I wrong!

   Kitty Ferguson makes absolutely no attempt to explain the things she's talking about. None! She simply gives you facts that are impossible to accept without explanations. For the most part, I did know what she was talking about - and even then I was astounded by how confusing she had managed to make it all seem, and how imprecise a few of her facts and analogies were.

   If you understand the things she's talking about (and you probably do understand most of the things if you know at least something about Hawking's discoveries), you have no need to read this book. It's not even that good of a biography. If you don't know a thing about astrophysics, but would like to learn and, what's much more important, understand these things, pick up another book - and I myself would suggest the aforementioned "A Brief History Of Time" by Stephen Hawking.




2. Kitty Ferguson gives a lot of info on Stephen Hawking's life and works, being a small book in size it is full of interesting theories on Universe and Black Holes. It is purely scientific book thus it tries to explain everything scientifically, eventhough Stephen Hawking sometimes accepts that science cannot prove some things that are beyond our reach, nevertheless he does not accept that the whole universe is a God's creation.

   "The Creation of the Universe" by Hârun Yahya is an excellent book which explains scientifically how God has created the Universe.




3. I really liked this book at times, but found Kitty tries to hard to explain Hawking's theories. If you are not one of the Mensa crowd then it gets a little meaningless like similar to reading Greek, can you speak or read Greek? not me! Some of Hawking's theories are explained well and are pretty straight forward, such as the singularity theory and how many believe the universe has expanded and then retracted back to a singularity and then expanded and retracted over and over. Also it goes into detail about his belief that particles can escape black holes, once it reaches the event horizon it splits the negative may fall directly into the black hole past the even horizon and the positive falls away from the event horizon freeing it.This aside what I really wanted to read more about was the man Hawking himself. I mean come on, I've already read "A brief history of time". In short this book is short on explaining much about Stephen and tries to hard to explain some of his many theories.



4. After reading A Brief History of Time I decided that I wanted to learn more about Stephen Hawkings himself and how he became who he is today. I picked up this book written by Kitty Ferguson, which is claimed to be a biography and started reading it. After about twenty pages she was done talking about his life and started talking about his theories. This was disappointing to me because I thought the book was a biography.
   
   As I continued reading I became somewhat confused while she told about Hawkings discoveries. The explanations were little or none in trying to get the reader to understand the ideas. It did not help that there were very few small illustrations that were in the book to go along with her explanations. If there were highly detailed color illustrations such as those in A Brief History In Time, it might have been much easier to understand.
   
   I did enjoy the beginning of the book where Kitty goes into detail about the beginning of Hawkings life but I feel like it was just an overview of how he became who he is today. I would not recommend this book, instead I would recommend A Brief History In Time because it is much easier to understand because it has great illustrations and is not so mathematical.



5. 
   I felt that Ferguson achieved a nice balance by intermingling Hawking's biography with introduction to his theories. It allows your brain to alternate between working on science and returning "back to earth" to meet an interesting human being with all his problems and victories. The science part is very layman-friendly, and at the same time is not too slow for the scientifically-minded (just a bit too politically correct, but it's understandable). The biography part is tactful, and with just the right amount of detail. The book is clear and inspiring, and she convinced me to read Hawking's "A brief history of time".
   
   Strangely enough, Hawking's book turned out to be not as clear and inspiring as Ferguson's book. She painted him as the king of clarity, conciseness, and humor, but I don't get such an impression at all from reading his book. So now I have mixed feelings: I respect Ferguson for being good at writing and teaching (better than Hawking at both), but I'm annoyed with her for the false advertisement.

No comments about 101 Things You Didn't Know About Einstein: Sex, Science, And the Secrets of the Universe.

5 comments about Tesla: The Modern Sorcerer.

1. I purchased this book wanting a good biographical account of Nikola Tesla. Though it is that, what I didn't realize was that it is really aimed at young readers (ages 9-12). Nothing on the cover or the introduction mentions that fact. The odd book size(wide format), the larger font size and the limited vocabulary give it away as a juvenile selection. I would recommend it highly for that age group. However it was not the adult biography I looking for. I think I will give my copy to my son. I believe he will enjoy it.



2. Though what you may learn of the subject matter is facinating, the novelization approach and contrived dialogue sometimes borders on annoying.

   As well, the amount of background information (on Edison, J.P. Morgan, etc.) provided sometimes is more distracting than helpful.




3. Tesla, The Modern Sorcerer, is not what I expected. I wanted an biography of the scientist, but the dialogue with his father at the start led me to believe that it was a children's book, assuming details of actual dialogue were not recorded for posterity. However, after a more careful inspection of the jacket, I found that although the book is labeled Science / Alternate Technology, it is none too clearly also identified as a novel. This is not bad in itself. However, the writing is terrible! Names, dates and place are given and dropped as quickly without having any kind of cohesion. It became apparant to me that the author had writen an outline to help him structure his story, but then he copied the outline and filled in nothing. Details and dialogue are stacatto and stilted. He references, at one point, a machine that runs at so many Webers, without defining what a Weber is or even mentioning it again. Details appear to be decently researched, but the "novel" concept allows these to be manufactured. The authors other works are novels about UFO abductions, and he uses this book to tout his UFO theories. A waste of time to read, but perhaps interesting to a child without previous knowledge of science.



4. I found this book on the "Physics" section of a Borders Bookstore, which led me to believe I was buying a biography of Nicola Tesla (as I was traveling abroad I didn't have much time to check on the author). What I found was a book full of made up dialogues (and of cuestionable quality at best), written by a guy whose other two books are about UFO's and aliens.
   
   I wished there was a direct way to contact Borders bookstores to ask why is a book that is OBVIOUSLY fiction placed on the physics section. I would steer away from this book unless I was in the mood to read pretty crappy fiction.



5. It seems some people blindly grab books off shelves, expecting to discover epic literature by such methods. It may indicate something about someone who buys books before examining the first page. Stewart's objective here seems to be of biographical and circumstantial nature, and not too technical. But for those of the technical class, it'd seem that they might by default, look at the book a bit, before purchasing it. If I set out to buy a dictionary, but got instead some old discourse by Chomsky, I would be disappointed, though I certainly would not criticize Sir Noam for my mistake. For Stewart's intended purpose, this book is a success. I suppose if this is a children's book, then a whole lot of top-notch science fiction and other creative writings should have many o' men embarrassed. This book captures many of the fascinating aspects of Tesla's life, as well as the generally historically-neglected crimes of Edison. I may be a bit cynical, but I have my doubts that certain critics of this work would have been satisfied had they purchased technical writings of Tesla-Himself, and would have complained about the lack of style and tedious documentation. Yes, this work is in novel format, but it is the last thing the common child will understand on any significant level. As for many great fantasy works, we read them as children, then many years later read them again, only to discover new things we had never considered. Perhaps an appeal to the young and vibrant imagination is more a benefit than a deficiency. I highly recommend it to any open minded person who does not insist on wandering through infinite realms of technical data and references, and is not afraid of being entertained whilst learning.
   A great book! It will always have a place on my shelf.

2 comments about Newton's Tyranny: The Suppressed Scientific Discoveries of John Flamsteed and Stephen Gray.

1. The Clarks make no bones about it: Sir Issac Newton was one of the greatest scientific minds of the his time. Of all time, in fact. Newton was the symbol of the triumph of science over superstition.

   But Newton had a darker side. Despite the fame and recognition he had received, Newton refused to let anyone threaten to overshadow him or stand in his way of greater achievements.

   Reverend John Flamsteed was the first Astronomer Royal - a position he held for 44 years serving under 6 kings. He spent his night in the observatory of Greenwich gazing through telescopes, cataloguing the stars. Newton wanted this information to figure out a better way to navigate to oceans, a major problem in his day. He was convinced Flamsteed was holding back the critical information he needed. For that, Newton used all the considerable power at his disposal to end the career of Flamseed. He almost suceeded. It was only because of the dedication of Flamsteed's widow that his 3-volumn Historia Coelestis Britannica was published.

   Today, because of Flamsteed's work, we measure longitude from the place he accomlished his work - Greenwich.

   The work of Stephen Gray is less known. A commoner trained as a dyer, he was a most unlikely member of the Royal Society.

   Gray was a long time friend of Flamsteed. He carried on a regular coorespondence with the elder scientist, sharing with him his own celestial observations.

   But it was Gray's pioneering work in using electricity for communications that earned him immortality. Work, that if not for Newton, may have been accomplished 20 years sooner.




2. This is a quick read that is both well-written and well-organized. The authors take few diversions - historical, rhetorical, or empirical - from describing the relations among the characters in the title: the credentialed Newton, the laborious Gray, and the intermediary Flamsteed. The result is a concise and enjoyable report on what is known and what can be reasonably surmised about the relative contributions of these men. There is sufficient detail (and sufficient lack of colouring) to make the book of interest to scientists, and to historians and sociologists of science. But there the book is sufficiently accessibile, and the subject matter sufficiently finite to make it equally appealing to anyone with interest in such topics as politics, organizations, and astronomy, not to mention Newton and his era.

No comments about R.A. Fisher - The Life of a Scientist.

2 comments about An American Child Supreme: The Education of a Liberation Ecologist.

1. The book delves into some very important issues, but skips over much of the biographical stuff and early memories I was hoping for. Over 50 pages of this already short book are just a listing of his previously published articles. In this case, the cover of the book is just a little bit misleading.



2. LA Times 7/22/01 "Nichols is a God-forsaken mountain of American conflict, spriritual doubt, political duality and gender confusion. Like a pioneer, he keeps lighting out the territory ahead of the rest, gets lost in the desert and comes up the hills....This memoir, this credo, reveals a tender, overprotected rich kid growing up on 600 Long Island acres that had been in his family since the 1700s....Some time after college, his best friends took off for Guatemala, dragged him down for a visit and politicized the hell out of him. That was 1964, and he was 24. It was the best thing and the worst thing that could have happened to John Nichols."

   Colorado Springs Independent 7/5/01 "Nichols is a masterful storyteller, full of the humor that springs from honesty, and this is one of those books you begin to wish would not end after you've read the first 10 pages."

No comments about Stock Frauds, Manipulations, and Insider Trading (Secrets of the Great Investors).

5 comments about Tales of the Himalaya: Adventures of a Naturalist.

1. Hello...I'm a 13 year old girl, and I knew Dr. Swan quite well. He was a great, full of energy, brilliant person. This book is wonderful, and the life of him is very interesting, even to me. I would definately something i would recommend to anyone and everyone. I will prolly read this a million times, and I will never get sick of it, ever.



2. Written in a casual, funny and lively style, this book is chock full of fascinating nuggets about the critters and people that populate the Himalayas. Lawrence Swan was an excellent writer and a renowned authority on Himalayan wildlife. A must read for anyone interested in wildlife, The Himalayas, and/or the rigors of field work.



3. I am one of the lucky ones who actually knew Prof. Larry Swan, the author of this remarkable book, and I was privileged to have heard all of these stories recounted by the man himself in the classroom and at his home. Although I miss his voice and grand gestures, I am delighted to report that the stories in his book, from his boyhood in Darjeeling, to high altitude spiders, Yetis and the great Indian monsoon, are as engrossing on the printed page as they were to hear! Professor Swan was a remarkable biologist, a master teacher and a creative, gifted man who lived a full and amazing life. This excellent volume of his adventures and thoughts is a reminder to us that great lives can be led, and great mentors can be found. It is a must for all inquiring minds and adventurous spirits!!



4. I am currently a Peace Corps Volunteer serving in the Northwestern corner of Bangladesh. Although my job keeps me busy I still seem to have large amounts of free time for reading. As there are not many outlets for books in English where we are, my fellow PCV's and I have learned to read almost anything. In a rare and exciting care package from home, my father sent me this fantastic book. Dr.Swan's adventures are so full of excitment and humor that you wish they were your own. They can compel even the most diehard homebody to think of packing a bag and heading to the mountians. Dr.Swan writes of the Himalaya and it's people with respect and admiration that could only come from someone who knew and loved them well. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a little adventure or some very truthful information. As soon as i finished it I sent it off to a friend in the neighboring town. I have yet to see it show up back at the Peace Corps library, which means it is still floating around somewhere amongst the PCV's of Bangladesh.



5. Larry Swan was a born naturalist, an original thinker, and an inspiring teacher. He was also a fascinating character and a raconteur of the first order. When I was an undergraduate in the 1960s, his courses at San Francisco State College were legendary. His lectures were like savory curries. He served up meaty ideas in a rich masala of entertaining and sometimes bawdy stories. "Tales of the Himalaya" is a collection of Swan's adventures and the discoveries and ideas that emanated from them. The chapters stand by themselves. There are chapters on debunking the yeti, his discovery of the Aeolian Biome, a theory of high altitude bird migration, an amusing exploration of leeches and lice, and a wonderful chapter about his beloved Sherpas. (All who took his course in Zoogeography ended up loving Sherpas.) And there is much more. Like Doc Ricketts of Cannery Row, Larry Swan was the kind of person who turned John Steinbeck on to biologists, and made his students want to climb mountains. This is a book about science, exploration and travel, imbued with an infectious personality. If you have ever looked up at a lofty range of mountains and wondered, then this is a book worth reading.

3 comments about Galileo: Heretic.

1. The author has been most thorough in research and devotes great detail and attention to our understanding of the thought, political, social and religious forces of that milieu. The story of Galileo's trial and imprisonment is engaging. The book is easily put aside. Hundreds of figures over centuries who contributed to the events culminating in the trial enter and leave the pages of the book as players on the stage of a drama. The players, both important and relatively minor, do not play their parts in chronological order in this book. It is difficult to find a thread of thought or story which holds one's attention. In the end, the final events causing the trial of Galileo are not complex or lengthy. The actual causes and culmination of the trial are few and easily conveyed. The book does give the reader a thorough knowledge of a vast, detailed, historical setting for the drama.



2. The author's main thesis is that Galileo famous trial did not take place because he promoted a heliocentric view of the universe, but because he promoted a non-Aristotelian theory of physics at variance with the Church's doctrine of transubstantiation.

   Anyone who wants to read a heroic account of the victory of the forces of knowledge and experimental science (i.e. personified by Galileo) over those of ignorance (i.e. biblically inspired geocentricism) had better look elsewhere. On the other hand, anyone who wants to read a far more interesting (and believable) story which reveals much more about both religion and science than does the traditional Galilean myth will find this book fascinating.

   All those who read "The Name of the Rose" and "Foucault's Pendulum" are also advised to read this (especially if they found Eco a bit weak on historical background from time to time).




3. I love this book. It reads like a criminalistic story, with ever surprising twists. It gives the reader a very vivid image of a time when Jesuit doctrine and Galileo's thinking clashed. It destroys the image of Galileo the scientist who only trusts in experimental observation. Further, it shows that the reaction towards Galileo was quite split among Catholics. And that Galileo's contrahents weren't mere fools. Basically, it seems Pietro Redondi draws from real life not from ideology. However, the main conclusion of the book that Galileo wasn't condamned because of his adherence to Copernican ideas but because of his atomism, that was in sharp contrast to the Jesuit interpretation of the transsubstantiation, seems so surprising to me that I still doubt about its correctness.