1 comments about Stephen Smale: The Mathematician Who Broke the Dimension Barrier.

1. This book not only provides a useful description of some of the theory at a level technical enough to be satisfying, but also gives a fascinating view into the life and thinking of a Field's Medal winner (1966). Who would have guessed that the future Field's Medal Winner received a C in Calculus II and Physics and that he had a B- average Jr. year at the University of Michigan? And perhaps particularly heartening to those who have been through the graduate school experience, that he was less favored than Munkries and received an ultimatum from the chairman to improve (and that in graduate school, according to Raul Bott, Smale sat in the back and it wasn't clear he was always paying attention). But, of course, Smale more than redeems himself resulting in a storied career and a reputation that surpasses the boundaries of his specialties. This is a marvelous book.

No comments about Thomas Edison, Critical Lives.

No comments about Sigmund Freud - Psychiatric Genius (Biography).

2 comments about Skeptical Chemist: The Story of Robert Boyle (Profiles in Science).

1. This is a delightful short biography of Robert Boyle, known (at least a little bit) by everyone who has studied elementary chemistry or physics as the founder of Boyle's law.
   
   Boyle was a member of the British upper class, born in 1627 he lived until 1691. English history students will recognize this as including the years when Oliver Cromwell overthrew King Charles I, when the Black Death was running rampant, when the Great Fire of London destroyed much of the city.
   
   This was also a time when experimental science was beginning to replace the earlier Aristotle based ideas of only thinking about a problem was beginning to be replaced by experiment. The whole concept of science was changed by this simple rule. An experiment proved or disproved a theory. The experiment must be repeatable, that is, you or I must be able to do the same esperiment and get the same results over and over. Students will recognize this as the basis for experiments demonstrated by teachers or conducted by the students themselves.
   
   By any measure, Boyle was one of the great scientists of all time.



2. Very good book, for older elementary and secondary students. Encourages them to think and feel with the book. Thanks again. Great book.

2 comments about Your Little Black Book, Vol. 1 African American Inventions and Inventors (Your Little Black Book).

1. THIS BOOK GAVE ME A LOT OF INFO...I RECOMMEND THIS TO ALL AGE GROUPS...VERY HELPFUL WITH HISTORY PROJECTS....



2. This book is riddled with historical errors as well as grammatical and punctuation errors. This book clearly was not edited. The author does not list any references or sources for the facts he cites. The book is not organized in a coherent manner. These criticisms have been recognized and affirmed by the author, yet he would rather make money off of an inadequate product than devote the time and effort to create a true literary piece. This book lacks credibility. This book should be avoided as a tool to teach children or any one else. If you are seeking a book that highlights African-American accomplishments, this book will be a great disappointment. Search Amazon for a myriad of books on the topic of African-American inventors and achievement. However, do not waste your time with this shameful attempt at a book.

1 comments about Understanding Me: Lectures and Interviews.

1. For anyone remotely interested in McLuhan, I recommend this book for the following reasons.
   It is a much easier read than most of McLuhan's work, as it is a collection of interviews and speeches which are necessarily more concise, and were for me much more involving.
   It gives an insight into McLuhan's theories which can be quite puzzling and abstruse at first. In his speeches and essays, he repeats his same themes in a variety of manners, which help to give the reader a better understanding of the theories.
   It's no McLuhan for Idiots (I'm not sure if there is such a thing, based on the nature of his works), but it is definitely a very useful and enjoyable companion book.

No comments about A Hombros De Gigantes: Las Grandes Obras.

No comments about Sigmund Freud: Caricatures & Cartoons.

1 comments about Julian Schwinger: The Physicist, the Teacher, and the Man.

1. For those interested in History of Science, Quantum Mechanics or Julian Schwinger, this is a great book-- at least from the science perspective.

   This volume has essays by many of the contemporaries and students of Schwinger. In them, they talk a lot about his science, and how this has influenced various areas of physics. In that the book is quite valuable. Thus, Schwinger the Physicist.

   They also talk a great deal about how great a lecturer he was, and even discuss his lecturing style-- which I found quite interesting. I even found myself making a couple of mental notes for when I lecture. Thus, Schwinger the Teacher.

   However, after reading many of these essays, I still could not get a really good feel of what Schwinger the Man was like. There were several anecdotes by some of his students of the sort: "In my five years of graduate school, Schwinger invited me to his house for dinner once. The evening was spent pleasantly." Or: "One time when I went to office hours, Schwinger asked me a question, and I explained why that could not be so. He said "Oh yes! How stupid of me!" This was the only time I heard him admit he was wrong." Or: "Schwinger enjoyed history, but not music." Or: "One time, after he had bought a new car, he took me driving. Usually restrained, on this day he showed reckless abandon." (paraphrasing these)

   The feeling I got after reading these essays was that either: (1) Schwinger was such a private man, that no one really got to know him very well or (2) Physicists do not have a good idea what an adequate description of a man is, other than describing his science--and that these anecdotes encompass what they feel is an adequate representation of the type of man he was.

   Personally, I would have liked to hear more about Schwinger the NON-physicist. For example, how did he relate to his children? What about when his mother or father died? How about his relationship with his wife?

   Who's to say, though? These are just my thoughts--- and I haven't won a Nobel Prize!

   As an added bonus, there is a delightful transcript of a lecture Schwinger gave the year before he died in 1993, on George Green and physics.

   This is still worth a look, if you are interested in this sort of thing.

1 comments about Making Genes, Making Waves: A Social Activist in Science.

1. An intelligent, clearly written book by Harvard microbiologist and social activist Jon Beckwith. He describes his eventful life in science and activism, and makes some interesting points about the nature of science: "the actual practice of science is a human endeavor with the flaws and virtues of any human activity." He emphasizes the importance of ethics in science, and says that scientists and non-scientists must work together for science to help mankind, and not be used unwisely. I knew Beckwith years ago when I lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and wish him well with the book.