5 comments about The Five Ages of the Universe: Inside the Physics of Eternity.

1. I love and collect books about cosmology since many years. This one was a great reading. Not only about the beginning and current state, but also about the fate of the Universe in the future.
   Time will show how these computer simulated predictions are accurate. But it will not be you or me of course to observe it.
   Book as for today is a bit outdated, does not take under consideration new discoveries like dark energy and acceleration of the Universe.
   I have asked Professor Adams about it and he e-mailed: "the biggest change to our vision of the future comes in the Dark Era; positronium formation will be less likely, and a vacuum phase transition will be more likely if the Universe has a component of this dark energy. The basic picture however is still correct". What I really like about this book is that it gets even more interesting in the end. Explanation of quantum mechanical tunneling and possibilities of sudden cosmic scale phase transition is so vivid that I had a hard time to fall a sleep. My imagination was running wild ignited by description of space-time foam and multiverses. Summarizing: it was easy, quick and enjoyable learning about not so easy subjects. "References and further reading" list included in this book is worth to have a look as well.
   Professor Adams is currently working on his new book.



2. I thought this book was very fascinating! I enjoyed reading not only about theories regarding the past and present eras of the universe, but also about future eras. As the title implies, authors Fred Adams and Greg Laughlin divide the lifetime of the universe into five eras, and we're living in the second. It was fun to imagine what the night sky should look like trillions of years into the future, and many more. It was also fun to read about the time when it can be expected that only black holes will be left, and to go even beyond that. This is the only book I know that deals much with the question of the far future of the universe.
   The authors also brings up questions which are probably beyond our ability to know the answer to(for example, whether our universe is one of many), but such an idea is interesting to think about. They do mention a few ideas that I'm skeptical of (for example, the idea of a "Darwinian view of universes"), though they also acknowledge that this remains speculative.
   Although this is a scientific (not a theological) book, I will also mention that I am a believing Catholic. So I believe that God created all things, including the whole universe. However, I also believe that the scientific theories mentioned in this book are compatible with Catholic Church teaching, provided we understand that everything that happens is in the providence of God. Of course we should also understand that theories are not doctrines, and so theories could be subject to change upon future discoveries.
   I highly recommend this book, at least for those who have some general knowledge of astronomy and physics.



3. This book describes what I hope is the ultimate fate of the universe, that is, a gentle, long-lasting slip into beautiful quiescence. Alas, we are only babies in this universe, and should this prove to be true, all our offspring, and their offspring, and so on shall continue to be babies in this increasingly grandiose yet dimming universe. Then, maybe, intelligence shall cease and true existence, that is, non-existence, will prevail into the dark eternity...far out man:)



4. I am simply a general reader who enjoys reading about cosmology so I have no way to judge whether the physics in this book is sound, but I suspect that it is. There are a great many divergent views on various aspects of what is discussed in this book. Since the boundaries of this science live in speculation and searching for evidence it isn't surprising that people as well respected as Stephen Hawking change their mind about Black Holes and so forth. This means that some things that were speculated in this book may have become generally accepted by now, or may have been made obsolete by new observations.
   
   In any case, for those of us who want to gain some sense of the broad sweep of what are Universe is, what happened at its beginning and how it might end, this book is a fine read. The authors are able to present complex ideas clearly enough to make me believe I have some grasp of them (when I likely do not, but the sense of belief is comforting). The language is never condescending for the general reader and is not so long that the detail becomes overwhelming.
   
   It is a fine book and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in the broad sweep of the existence of our Universe.



5. This book is written for the layman and yet is ever so elegant.
   
   While much of it is still speculation and the result of current astrophysical theory, it is worth reading because it will take you to a "what if" universe that will blow your mind.
   
   It is a must read for anyone thinking about the big picture of the universe and what the future holds.

5 comments about Statistical Mechanics: Entropy, Order Parameters and Complexity (Oxford Master Series in Physics).

1. I immensely enjoyed studying this statistical mechanics book. I think that the author, James Sethna, has a "Feynman-like" ability to explore his subject matter with much depth, insight, and many playfully creative excursions. The exercises cover such topics as the thermodynamics of Dyson Spheres and black holes; of how many shuffles it takes to fully randomize a card deck; and of whether an advanced, intelligent being or civilization can, from a thermodynamic standpoint, manage to process an infinite number of thoughts before the heat death of the universe, or whether they are limited to a finite number of thoughts. I think that there is a lot of wisdom and insights in this book which is missing in other books I've read on statistical mechanics and thermodynamics, where I often feel overwhelmed by a zoo of partial derivatives and thermodynamic equations with little guidance given on how the entire structure fits together. I strongly recommend this book for anyone who has studied some statistical mechanics and/or thermodynamics in a lower-level undergraduate course, and is looking for more advanced upper-level undergraduate or graduate-level text.



2. This book is great, if you've already got an advanced physics degree and want a new/fresh look at Statistical Mechanics with a modern bent. The problems are very long and wordy, but that ususally means there's a lot of explanation...which is because none of it is explained in the text.



3. This books is reader friendly and very interesting. In the chapter about correlation function & linear response theory, the demonstration is very clear and self-consistent. As a student who is new to this topic, I think this chapter is even better than Chandler's book on this topic( I love Chandler's intro too). The problem set seems to be stimulating and may need more time than learning the main text. And more, the appendix is on Fourier Transform, a saver to the chemistry student like me.



4. The book Statistical Mechanics: Entropy, Order Parameters and Complexity by James Sethna is excellent. I have used it as the main textbook in my course on Statistical Physics for first year graduate students at the Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) in Brazil. The students and I liked it very much.
   
   I think that the main quality of the book is that it presents Statistical Physics as a very dynamical subject, interconnected with several subjects within physics, as well as outside it.
   
   Since the book is aimed for a one semester course on the subject, the author had to make important choices. I really liked his choices. For instance, the book does not discuss approximate methods used to treat systems with interacting particles, instead the author has chosen to have a chapter on Calculation and Computation. Although these methods have played an important role in the past, nowadays the study of the relevant problems in the field require computer simulations. The chapter on Computer Simulation is excellent. Instead of only discussing how to perform a Monte Carlo simulation, it proofs mathematically in detail (except for the Perron-Frobenius theorem) why one ends up with an equilibrium probability distribution after a number of Monte Carlo steps. Another important subject covered in the book is that of Abrupt Phase Transitions. For most Statistical Physics books, only Second Order or Continuous Transitions exist. The exercises are also another very important and interesting choice made by the author. They are very different from the usual exercises one can find in a regular textbook on Statistical Physics. The exercises are in general very intelligent and they appear in a broad range of difficulty, from those which can be solved by inspection to those that are small projects. I recall two great examples, exercises 5.7 and 5.10, where it is shown in a very clear and clever way that, when we know the system from a microscopic point of view, its entropy does not increase, whereas if we know only a coarse-grained description of it, then its entropy does increase. Some exercises lead the reader, in a secure way, through aspects of the theory that are not covered in the text. For instance, Landau's theory for phase transitions is presented in a very nice way in exercise 9.5.
   
   Perhaps, the aspect that I have enjoyed most in the book is that the author does not shy away from discussing one of the thorniest points in the fundamentals of Statistical Physics: what entropy really is. The book discusses in some detail Phase Space Dynamics and Ergodicity. It presents some physical situations where the ergodic hypothesis breaks down. Usually this problem with the theory is swept under the rug in most textbooks. One very interesting case is that of the entropy of glasses. A subject the author himself has worked on. If a liquid is cooled down very fast it may become a glass, undergoing what is called a glass transition. When the system is in the liquid phase its atoms are diffusing and the system goes through all different possible configurations, that is believed to be the cause for its entropy (ergodicity). When the liquid undergoes a glass transition, the atoms cease diffusing and the system is jammed in one (a single one) structure of the liquid that generated it. If the system is not anymore going through all the possible configurations available what has happened to its entropy? No heat is released in this transition, therefore, one does not expect a change in its entropy. A hardcore purist would answer that the glass is not a system in equilibrium and, therefore, the entropy is not well defined. The point is, it may take much more than the age of the Universe for the glass to reach the final equilibrium and become a crystal (reported changes in glasses of ancient churches are urban legends). The question about what has happened to the entropy of the liquid remains there, despite the purist's answer. The experimentalists can measure very well the residual entropy of a glass. For the author, for me and fortunately nowadays for many others, the satisfactory answer is that the entropy of a glass is the missing information about the system. Another example of residual entropy can be found in the ice cubes in your refrigerator.
   
   At last but not least, I would like to comment on a misconception of a previous reviewer about Shannon's Information Theory. The entropy proposed by Shannon is a measure of the uncertainty of a set of possible messages that can be exchanged, regardless the content of each message. Therefore, this entropy is related to the probability distribution associated with the ensemble of possible messages, regardless of their content. If there are any doubts, I would suggest reading the first chapter of the book Mathematical Foundations of Information Theory by A. Ya. Khinchin. In section 5.3.2 of the book, the author is just analyzing the properties of the Shannon entropy of a probability distribution using a humorous example. The probability distribution can be associated with anything, even with a key lost by a careless room-mate. This entropy is a property of the probability distribution, independent of any possible meaning attributed to it by a human being.



5. This advanced undergraduate or introductory graduate level text on statistical mechanics is clearly written by a master and perhaps visionary teacher. Statistical mechanics remains, in my opinion, the only truly rigorous science of emergent phenomena. As the scientific community in general focuses more on complex systems, it is likely that the techniques developed for the theoretical study of the statistical thermodynamic properties of matter will find widespread applications from biology to banking. In this spirit, this book is written to educate the next generation of scientists rather than as a text focused solely on existing applications.
   
   While the subject matter of this book easily devolves into mathematical gymnastics, this text is wonderfully written to simultaneously build up an intuitive grasp along with proficiency with mathematical concepts. Introductory chapters on "What is statistical mechanics?" and "Random walks and emergent properties" are deceptively simple: the mathematical techniques employed in these chapters should be immediately accessible to senior level physics and engineering students. Yet by the end of Chapter 2, one finds oneself deriving a simple one-dimensional Fokker-Planck equation--a nontrivial application in statistical mechanics with applications in chemical kinetics, transport phenomena, mathematical biology, and finance.
   
   This appeal to potentially broad applications is part of what makes this book unique. While a great number of important physical concepts are developed, this is really not an ordinary physics book. Instead, the tools and techniques of statistical mechanics are developed from an exceptionally broad perspective.
   
   While I have worked very few of the problems, the end-of-chapter problems sets present deep and detailed questions that are critically integrated into the text. A reader who has the time and dedication to do the problems will gain much more than one who does not.

3 comments about Hydrologic Analysis and Design (3rd Edition).

1. I seem to refer to this book over and over. I am always searching for answers and this book seems to have them all! I am a water resources engineer and feel that this book is well organized, applicable to real engineering problems, easy to read, and well indexed.



2. A much needed book at a great price. In great condition at a fraction of the original price. Would certainly buy from them again.



3. This books is hard to read because of the extensive and monotonous writing in addition to lacking variety of examples.
   
   I took a semester of Hydrology Design, taught by Dr. Mc Cuen himself, in which he had to complement the lectures with numerous handouts with graphs, formulas, examples, and procedures that are not available in this textbook.
   
   You would be better off checking your University's Library database for other authors rather than purchasing this textbook.

2 comments about Basic Algebraic Geometry 1: Varieties in Projective Space.

1. This book is very good for the secondary course after learning with Harshorne's Algebraic geometry.



2. I have been a student of AG for the past six years and I have come to the conclusion that Shafarevich is a great place to start. Having said this, one must have the necessary background in algebra and topology. I disagree with the other reviewer about doing this after Hartshorne--start here then do Hartshorne!!! Oh ya, the index refers to both volumes 1 and 2; read the first page of the index!!!

3 comments about Physics: Algebra/Trig (with CD-ROM).

1. I bought this book for a class and was hoping it would help me through it, since my teacher was not the best. It just made it more confusing. The book is littered with information, just too much for a person taking algebra based physics. Most people taking Algebra based physics need a step-by-step approach at learning the subject matter. This book does a poor job at doing so. The concepts are not clear and concise, and fails when attempting to outline major equations. The problems in the back have answers for the odd problems, but how do we access answers to the even problems? Where's the student solution manual? It adds much difficulty to the learning process. Wouldn't recommend it.



2. THis is an excellent book...but you really have to be committed to learn anything (esp. Physics). You can't expect to just read through once and understand everything. This book makes the reader think deeply about physical concepts, but again, you have to be committed to grasp them throughly. It is a very interesting book. Excellent resource for to-be-researchers. In fact, it introduces the reader to very interesting facts about different researcher. I used to read it like a story book (some chapters took about a day to read) but i enjoyed it. If you want to learn physics and want to learn it with an open mind, this is the best book. I have taken an engineering physics course also and their book was very boring and confusing compared to this one. so..enjoy!



3. I'm really mad at our school for having this as our textbook.
   
   This book talks too much about the history of physics than to focus on concepts and how to solve problems. It doesn't tell you what kind of equations you should use for what type of problems. Some answers on the back of the book are wrong.
   This book is bad for both self studying and for class supplement.
   This book is just not for studying physics nor for anything else. I'd say it's garbage.

2 comments about Fourier Series and Orthogonal Functions.

1. During the course of my studying the book, i discovered that the book goes indepth in making the concept of fourier series analysis simplified. As an engineer i make use of fourier series applications often both in my research work and in the teaching of my students to a great extent i have found this book extremely useful in that it aids the level of understanding. I have also realised that even to a novice that picks up this book will find it very interesting to a large extent.As it is known that fourier series is very usefu in engineering study , especially in the area of solving heat condition problems and for specific applications in engineering design. The book has taken a more comprehensive form which makes reading very easy . I prefer this book because it follows a progressive sequence of explanation.The introduction of fourier integral into the fourier series solution has brought to a great extent the use of partial differential equations in eral life engineering problems . The book has also made the engineering concepts defined practicable, by demonstration of a straight forward attempt aimed at pionting out the extent to which engineerig is usefuk in our everyday lives. This book should be recomended in schools as the true book avalaible in the understanding of the concept of fourier series. Orthogonal function study has also been made in such a way that a first time reader will find it easy in terms of the concept and context.



2. I learned Fourier analysis on my own, and mostly from this book. Its intuitive content is excellent, but it is a rigorous math text, approaching the subject form an algrbraic viewpoint. He treats convergence issies in detail and in a well-motivated fashion. "Read Who is Fourier" for an intro, and read this for the math behind the intuition.

No comments about Precalculus: Functions and Graphs (2nd Edition) (Mathxl Tutorials on CD).

4 comments about Elementary and Intermediate Algebra.

1. I ordered this book thinking that it was the textbook. The book that I got not only took forever, but was not the textbook, it was only a student answer key. Seeing as how the description of the book says "text" it is very decieving. So if you need the text be careful when ordering this.



2. This textbook is perfect for any learning college student. As a college math student I was forced to buy this book, but little did I know that in the long run, I'd learn alot from this book, and the materials learned stook out for a while. They stayed in my head and memory for a very long time. If you are going to move to the next higher level math, be glad you bought this one. It will help you a great deal. It's worth it!
   
   I can compare this with bittinger's book (the one with the flower) but I haven't read enough of bittinger's book because I'm used to this one.
   
   pros: great material, step by step examples and clear instructions. Hard to get used to at first but very easy to get used to. You learn about functions, equations, and everything!
   
   cons: some of the material is hard. What do you expect from an intermediate algebra book. Also, if you have a hard teacher, it might make it harder for you to pass (or a strict one), but that shouldn't hinder you from learning from the book because the book itself can sometimes be a good instructor too! Though sometimes there isn't enough explanation for a particular problem, so it would be hard for some people who are hard of learning or just take more time to learn. But all it takes is dedication and determination, like everyone is saying.



3. I recieved this book in bad condition but it is a good book. I needed it for school.



4. Let me preface this review with this: I do not have a math brain. I really have to spend a lot of time working through the problems, which means I get to know the book fairly well. it's pretty straight forward with general principles of math, but i find that the wording is weird in places, and there isnt a logical flow to the progression of information. My professor agrees ~ we started at 1.1, went to chapter 8, back to chapter 2, skipped another . . .
   
   the answer book that you can get only has the answers to the odd numbered problems, which is included in the back of the book ~ i don't really understand the purpose of having it twice.
   
   with the book, you get access to "Mathzone," an interactive math site set up by the publisher. i'm sure it will get better as the site gets older ~ but there's a lot of improvements that need to be made. I like that when you're doing the homework, you have access to "hints," which helps you get through some of the stuff you're still struggling with, and i like the "e professor" section that has video clips with explanations from the book. I don't like the "answer pallate" they use, (you can't even tab between in the same equation), and the "net tutor" is a joke. it took me 25 minutes to get help with a question, and i was the only person "in line."
   
   If you're looking at this book, you probably don't have much say in whether you have to buy it or not . . . if you do, good luck!

No comments about Stochastic Tools in Turbulence.

3 comments about An Introduction to Mathematical Modeling.

1. I read this book for the first time when I was in college. It addresses many fundamental and practical questions with tremendous clarity. It particularly stands out in my mind because of its simple and compelling answers to three questions: Why do we need models of reality? What are the constraints on rigorous modelling (trade-offs between precision vs. generality vs.simplicity)? How to evaluate a mathematical model?



2. Aimed at senior level undergraduates, the first chapter briefly discusses at a high level what mathematical models are, how they¡¯re formulated and rules of thumb as to how to evaluate them. The rest of the book surveys simple to moderately complex models applied to problems taken from a wide variety of disciplines in business, science, and engineering. As a survey course, brevity and breadth take precedent over depth and the examples are watered-down versions of problems taken from a plethora of sources cited throughout the text. However, the problems and models are not too superficial that they don¡¯t retain the essential issues modelers are likely to encounter.

   Although the book is intended primarily for college seniors and first year graduate students, ¡°Part I: Elementary Methods¡± requires only first year calculus and basic probability whereas ¡°Part II: More Advanced Methods¡± also requires differential equations. Therefore, the book will appeal to various levels.

   The book is rather dated as is evident by its lack of emphasis on numerical methods and no one should expect to be ready for any serious real world modeling as a result of reading this text alone. However, the book does not pretend to be anything more than what it is and the author cautions that it should merely supplement and not substitute mathematics and science coursework. (I would also add that a few courses in numerical methods and computer science would also be the order of the day.)

   Although the first chapter outlines a quick four-step process for formulating mathematical models, the author stresses the role of discussion and research behind each high level step. Any attempt to provide detailed cookbook heuristics would be a sham. Professor Bender also makes a good point about addressing the ambiguity associated with complex problems raised by clients. Indeed, two themes that resonate throughout the examples are redefining the problem by clarifying objectives through discussion as well as iteratively refining a model by adding (useful) detail to an initially crude one. If nothing else, iteratively modeling elucidates the subtleties of the problem under discussion.

   Success as an applied mathematician for industry thus requires excellent interpersonal skills and the author clearly reflects this sentiment by requiring group discussions for the book¡¯s exercises containing vaguely stated and open-ended problems having multiple answers. He also notes the crucial role the applied mathematician must play in helping a client clarify his/her objectives.

   A must read for any aspiring industrial mathematician.




3. There are so many expensive books on this subject, this gives you a concise introduction to the field of mathematical modeling that is informative and interesting. The author doesn't tackle the mathematical models of any one field. Instead he tries to illustrate the process of designing and analyzing mathematical models by showing examples from a variety of disciplines. There are plenty of examples in this book, but don't expect recipes, because there really is no such thing as a mathematical modeling recipe. There are multiple approaches and thus multiple answers to just about every modeling problem. What the author does is make you comfortable with these facts and give you some questions to ask when approaching any modeling problem. Anybody with an understanding of calculus and ordinary differential equations and maybe a dash of probability theory should feel at home with this book. Highly recommended, especially before tackling some of the more expensive and specialized books on this subject.