No comments about Solutions to Selected Problems: From the Physics of Radiology.

5 comments about The Art of Molecular Dynamics Simulation.

1. Strengths: Excellent selection of topics, with good references and enough discussion of the underlying scientific theory. Thoughtful and well-written. DO NOT USE MERELY AS A COOKBOOK!

   Weaknesses: Antiquated code, basically FORTRAN with a C veneer. Although the code works as is and is blazingly fast, it's not usable as a basis for further code development -- readers will want to recast the ideas and algorithms in their own up-to-date C code. For example, his arrays start at 1; the only data structure is the array (ugh!), there are no structures. Things get hard to understand when he starts packing multiple array indices into a single composite index, then unpacks it (see, e.g., the code on autocorrelation functions, Chap. 5).

   However, the awkward code is a blessing in disguise -- write your own and you'll learn an incredible amount! This book gives you all the conceptual tools to do this, and you can use the code supplied (available from the publisher) as a benchmark and check. Actually, there are a few bugs in the code, but considering its complexity (much of which is unavoidable), it is remarkably reliable. In general, the code is optimized for efficiency, not for ease of maintenance or generalization.

   The author deserves any amount of thanks for writing this unique and indispensable book, which is clearly the fruit of many years of practical computing experience in a 70's, early 80's UNIX environment. The code has not aged well, but the ideas it embodies are timeless.




2. This is a good and honest book on the subject, it needs a second edition in pure C language and not the 'f2c-like' used. Many techiques like linked lists are simple and clear in C but confuse when translated to Fortran (77 or the new 90/95 variants)



3. This book constitutes a good introduction to the methods of Molecular Dynamics. Besides clear descriptions of the methods and algorithms, it includes C example implementations commented on the book to illustrate the points. It is almost an introducory 'recipe' book. For advanced tips, Frenkel-Smit will give good lead, but at the cost of less readability and Fortran (pseudo)code.
   Certainly, the underlying philosophy of the code may seem awkward initially, but it is not a matter of "C design", rather of coding philosophy and program design. Once you get to understand it, it becomes easy and "natural". And what's even more important: it reflects the program design philosophy in use in the Molecular Modelling field, hence getting used to it will help you understand most existing production code.
   The electronic version of the C code (available at the book's web site) is a mesh though: it lacks comments and makes heavy use of conditional compilation to render the examples from a single, convoluted source. The ingenious programmer won't be misled by this however: a simple step with the C preprocessor will distil the actual code. Not to mean it is not inconvenient anyway (sic). Certainly, it would have been a lot better if the authors had separated, cleaned and commented the code for the examples in the electronic version.
   Besides, the book comes with additional, not too difficult programming assignments that make for extra fun and deeper understanding.
   Once you are done with this book, you'll be in a position to really appreciate and use Frenkel-Smit and other advanced texts.



4. This book is in some ways a reasonable introduction to MD. It's the only book I know that actually shows the derivatives of energy functions necessary for writing efficient MD code. Unfortunately it does so in a hard to follow way. This is typical of the rest of the text. The example C code is hideous both in format and style. Missing from the book are essential formulae for calculating macroscopic properties from MD simulations. It is probably the best practical guide to writing MD code, but that isn't saying much.



5. I'm not sure I'm that reader.
   
   The ideal reader is wholly at home with good bits of analysis - you'll be comfortable with Lagrange multipliers, LU decomposition, quaternion representation of oriented values, and a fair bit else. You won't need the basics of classical physics, including Hamiltonians and a few projections of the Navier-Stokes equations down into tractable form. Non- and in-equilibrium dynamics, smooth and discrete representations, plus their mixed forms - you're prepared to build up from these elements.
   
   You, the ideal reader, are not much of a programmer, though. The book built very much around extensive C sample code. I use the term "C" in some strict syntactic sense, though. The general style reminds me of FORTRAN, but the global data declarations are in the style of pre-1980 BASIC. This book is aimed at the odd mix of capable numerical analyst (which I'm not) and chemist (which I'm not), but naive software developer (which I'm not).
   
   The strength of this book is in its code samples. The author explictly invites modification and extension. The only sane way to modify this code is to understand it thoroughly, and to understand the underlying chemistry, physics, and numerical models.
   
   Maybe this book works well for some people, people that I admire immensely. I just wish it worked better for me.
   
   //wiredweird

4 comments about Quantum Optics: An Introduction (Oxford Master Series in Physics, 6).

1. I developed an interest in quantum optics in my last year of undergraduate school but I became discouraged with it since every book that I picked up on the subject was esoteric and too involved for an introduction. It seemed as if NONE of the quantum optics textbooks available were appropriate as an introduction. But then I found this book.
   
   Although not as mathematically intensive as I was hoping for it to be, it explains the physics very well. And although it doesn't compensate for many years of post-graduate study, I was able to better understand research papers in quantum optics due to this book.
   
   The book follows a rather traditional approach to developing quantum optics...first starting off with a discussion of important results in electromagnetism, classical optics, and quantum mechanics...then progressing to the theory of photons (discussing photon statistics, coherent states, and second quantization (with regard to photon number states)). Furthermore, it discusses the essential "backbone" of quantum optics (light-matter interactions) and then applications of quantum optics (quantum computing, quantum entanglement, etc.).
   
   I broke the rules and skipped ahead to the applications section and I must say that everything seems to make sense because of Fox's ability to convey difficult ideas in a simple, easy-to-understand manner.
   
   For anybody just starting to take an interest in quantum optics (like I was at one point), I would strongly suggest this book. It's not as mathematically sophisticated as Loudon's "The Quantum Theory of Light" (which is another must-have for quantum optics), but it's an excellent introduction.



2. At last we have a text that provides a comprehensive introduction to quantum optics for the beginner - both theory and experiment - and one which takes you through many of the most recent concepts and potential applications in computation, cryptography and teleportation etc.
   
   A feature of this text is the clear explanations and carefully explained jargon - it's NOT just mostly a collection of math like some other supposedly introductory texts.
   
   If you want to find out what quantum optics is all about - this is a great book to start with.



3. This is our textbook and is easy to understand. It also has answers for the exercise questions. That helps a lot.



4. Fox does a great job explaining a complex and dense field from an intuitive and experimental standpoint. I read this book after one term of 1-D introductory Q.M. and everything made sense. The experiments and set-ups described throughout the book are a great tool and were particularly handy since I was using the book to get ready for a summer internship in a Quantum Optics group. The only downside is that the book is quite lacking from a theoretical standpoint. If you are a bit more comfortable with Q.M., say at the level of Shankar, Liboff, or Sakuri, try Knight instead. Nonetheless, this is a great book.

5 comments about Dance for Two: Essays.

1. This book made me dream and think about my life and me. Thought me the magic of writng and the reasons behind it..." For one's delight, to give the same pleasure to others, to go back and find meaning in what we wrote or simply dismiss it..." The essay format made it a simple and enjoyable reading and made me look for more of his work. I read Einstein's Dreams, although I was dissapointed his writing style pull me to look for this book, this one is a great one. Einstein's Dreams left me waiting for a conclusion or a dialog with "The Great One"



2. Brilliantly written stories whose themes revolve around science and scientists and their interactions with art, society, history and life in general. Gives science a human touch, makes it more personal and approachable to anyone. Makes us think about the universe around us and the lives we lead and how everything untimately ties together. I liked it even more the second time I read it.



3. These 24 essays, written during the past 15 years, were chosen because, on retrospection, they pleased the author. They are sure to please the reader, too. Their stage is the ever-fascinating interface between science and the arts.

   Have you ever pondered that the upward force generated by the churning electrons and protons in the molecules of the stage floor opposes and exactly counterbalances the downward force that the weight of the ballerina exerts on the floor? Or that as she completes her leap, the earth's orbit readjusts itself by a trillionth of an atom's width? Lightman has pondered these and other matters, and describes all in graceful, accurate and compelling prose.

   Several events in the book, like the building of a bomb shelter, appear in a fictional setting in Lightman's novel "Good Benito," leading me to wonder if other chapters of his first novel are autobiographical, also.

   Several humorous essays describe imaginary visits by Newton, Einstein, and others to Lightman's twilight zone. These visits always end with an unexpectd twist, leaving this reader gasping for reality--and for more.

   One of Lightman's many perceptive messages can be found on p. 95 where he says, "Science offers little comfort to anyone who asks to leave behind a personal message in his work." Of course, this impersonality is undoubtedly the key to the great success of science. But in bringing his own wry and perceptive slant to 'writing' about science, Lightman is able to have his cake and eat it too, conveying an entertaining message which is both scientifically informative and yet gratifyingly personal.




4. many, if not most, scientists beleive in evolution and that science is the leading force of this universe. Alan Lightman so simply proves it not so. Through everyday circumstances he displays a larger force at work, a demonstration rarely seen, heard, or read. My career is in the science field and the internal battle between science and religion is constant in my life. Now I read 'Smile' and 'In His Image' when I question that. All of these essays are brilliant and insightful. I recommend this book not only to my friends, but my librarian as well.



5. Last weekend, I was wandering through my local bookstore when I chanced upon Alan P. Lightman's collection of essays DANCE FOR TWO. I remembered reading Lightman's EINSTEIN DREAMS and GOOD BENITO in college over 10 years ago, when I picked them up from the student bookstore because I liked the way the books felt in my hand, and, after reading them, I liked the way Lightman's prose stuck in my memory.

   So I added DANCE FOR TWO to my stack of purchases and read it over the last two nights. I was not disappointed.

   DANCE FOR TWO is a collection of 24 short essays that Lightman has published over the last 15 years in various magazines and journals. Each essay is written in a economical, nearly austere, style that is reminiscent of the clear, autumn days on the East Coast that must have influenced Lightman. Though the prose is spare and distilled, the essays themselves are strangely moving. In reading, "Smile", a boy-meets-girl story reduced to the mechanics of the eye, ear, and brain, I got choked up when I read the ending lines "All of this is known. What is not known is why, after about a minute, the man walks over to the woman and smiles." I still don't know why I got choked up.

   Unfortunately, like any collection of short works, some of the essays that would be quite enjoyable on their own pale in comparisons to the more beautiful siblings. While most of the essays here are excellent, one or two only rise to the merely good.

   The subject of these essays is ostensibly about the role of science in everyday human experience, and Lightman does a masterful job of communicating sometimes complex topics into common language. But, as the title of the collection suggests, a dualistic theme pervades throughout the book. In particular, Lightman is constantly comparing and contrasting science and art, finding the hidden creative and human aspects in the hard sciences, as well as craft and objective nature of art. Lightman also explores other dualistic notions.

   In his essay "Students and Teachers", Lightman explores the two seemingly opposite roles and finds their hidden connections. In his fable "Mirage", Lightman explores the difference between theorizing on the world and having the courage to act on those theories when he creates a city in Persia where the inhabitants seem enringed by distant fortress walls. In "Flash of Light," Lightman discusses the difference between theoretical science and experimental science by examining a humorous episode in his attempt at experimental science. In "Seasons", Lightman contrasts the certainty provided by the world of physics with the messiness and uncertainty of the political climate on college campuses during the Vietnam War. In "Pas De Dux", Lightman explores the effect of the dancer on the earth she dances upon. The ending paragraph of this essay is quite beautiful. "For an ending, the ballerina does a demi-plie and jumps two feet in the air. The Earth, balancing her momentum, responds with its own sauté and changes orbit by one ten-trillionth of an atom's width. No one notices, but it is exactly right."

   But perhaps the biggest dualistic theme threading its way throughout this book is the relationship between the reader and the writer. In his Introduction, Lightman warns us that "writing is a selfish and self-centered profession," and he remarks on the pleasure he receives on going through his old works and being surprised at the small fraction that is pleasing. But while Lightman may be performing this task egotistically, one gets the texture of humility throughout all of his essays. Lightman, rather than being proud of his writing ability, seems more amazed by it, as if his writing ability was another type of natural phenomena outside of the author to be studied and measured if it can. And if it cannot be subjected to the tools of science, then it should at least be appreciated for the beauty it provides.

   And that seems exactly right.

   Dav's Rating System:
   5 stars - Loved it, and kept it on my bookshelf.
   4 stars - Liked it, and gave it to a friend.
   3 stars - OK, finished it and gave it to the library.
   2 stars - Not good, finished it, but felt guilty and/or cheated by it.
   1 star - I want my hour back! Didn't finish the book.

4 comments about Modern Elementary Particle Physics: Updated Edition.

1. Particularly good are the first 8 chapters introducing gauge theories and the Standard Model. This isn't a field theory text - Kane doesn't introduce spin sums or trace theorems so he never fully calculates a process; instead, he relies on dimensional analysis to provide approximate results. As a high energy theory student, I found this to be a drawback, but I guess that's what Peskin's book is for. Also, there are a fair number of minus signs and indices incorrect throughout the book (nothing serious, just a little annoying).



2. Great ! Great ! Great ! This book is all about physics. The real physics... The physics is not lying in the trace theorems or in other technicalities of Quantum Field Theory but in simple, straightforward, physical arguments that arise from the basic principles of relativity and quantum mechanics. And Kane's book is all about that. As J.J Sakurai once said, a student may be a leading expert in calculating state of the art cross sections but if he/she cannot answer the simple questions, quickly and easily, then all is lost. Kane gives the reader the ability to quickly come up with answers for questions like "what do I expect the width for this particle to be", or "taking into acount this symmetry how do I expect this cross section to behave". As Fermi said, dont start the long calculation if you dont have a quick and dirty first result that will guide you along the more rigorous and exact calculation. So this book is all about that and physicists from all backgrounds will be able to follow it. I think that the book can serve excelently as an introductory graduate course before the hifh energy student moves to the more technical Field Theory books. In my opinion it is a disaster to jump into a rigorous Quantum Field Theory book before grasping the big picture and understanding why the heck all the pain is needed for the long theoretical calculations. And Kane's book serves this purpose. I am a graduate student at Stony Brook in experimental heavy ion physics and I spent some gratifying evenings going through the pages of the book. After the reading of this book interested readers in particle physics should also consider the books by Chris Quigg and also the classic Halzen - Martin book. The book touches upon all aspects of the standard model. I strongly suggest it !



3. My background is electrical engineering, so I'm not a physicist or a lay person. I thought this book would be perfect, but it wasn't. It started out well enough, and I was following along, relying on my knowledge of electrophysics, and Maxwell's equations. But I was soon in trouble, as Kane began to rely on a mathematical operator, the Lagrangian, one which I hadn't any experience. Thinking I had forgotten something, I went looking for it, but it wasn't in any of my old math books. OK, I'll just follow along, I thought, not trying to verify the results in my own mind. But soon I was in trouble, as Mr. Kane began just listing equation after equation, with little or no explanatory text to tie it all together. After a time, my interest waned; this was very frustrating, since I was tired of reading "popular physics" books, with their unsatisfying explanations, but I knew I wasn't ready for graduate level quantum physics texts since my physics background is not that sophisiticated. This book began with promise, but ended without its fulfillment.

   I don't know what the answer is, except to warn readers to be versed in the Lagrangian before they get started.




4. The typesetting and diagrams are humble, but this book delivers big. It was, for me, a superb refresher on real nuts-and-bolts particle physics. The book is a little dated: some of the unknowns, like the mass of the Top quark, are now known. Despite that, the content wears well.
   
   It is absolutely essential to have a background in simple Legrangian (& Hamiltonian) mechanics, and an advanced undergraduate intro to quantum mechanics course already well in hand. Also necessary is advanced science/engineering math, which would have come naturally in the quantum mechanics course.
   
   Kane leads the reader through the standard model with smoothe explication, and presents mathematical derivation of many -- perhaps all -- crucial predictions of the standard model. His derivations have the merit of being in greatly simplified form, after which he states the "real" answer, which is always close. Best of all, the math had no errors that I could find. Wow.
   
   This is a great text for a first-year graduate course in particle physics, but will require occasional in-class updates by the instructor.

2 comments about A Modern Introduction to Quantum Field Theory (Oxford Master Series in Statistical, Computational, and Theoretical Physics).

1. This book is short and to the point. The author has a good sense for the heart of the subject and how to present it in an efficient way. I would recommend this book to anybody who wants to either a.) learn the meat of QFT quickly or b.) wants a good reference which quickly reviews the most important parts of QFT. Since the technical details are important, I would highly recommend using this book in conjunction with a book with more technical details like the one by Peskin and Schroeder. (However, this book does have a lot of good information for its size.) Reading this book will help catalyze your understanding of the details in a more technical book.



2. This book presents the basics of QFT in a form that is very understandable. The author starts by presenting Lie algebra, which is used to justify spinors. A spinor Lagrangian then creates the Dirac equation. This approach makes the Dirac equation seem as natural as the Maxwell equation. I have previously seen two other books that took the approach of taking Schrodinger's equation and relativity and mashing the two together using Pauli matrices as glue. That never sat well with me and I was glad to see some justification. The clear, consistent, modern notation was a great help - I have seen other books that mix Einstein notation with bold-face 4-vectors using dot products, etc. I also found it helpful to have a concise book to introduce the concepts without getting bogged down in examples with equations spanning the entire page (this book does however have examples at the end of the chapters).
   
   The next chapters introduce quantization, perturbation theory, non-abelian theories, etc. I only got through half the book as it was just some summer reading for me, but paging through the latter half makes me look forward to having the time to finish it.

1 comments about Einstein and Oppenheimer: The Meaning of Genius.

1. THE AUTHOR HAS BEEN COMPILING A BIOGRAPHY OF HANS BETHE. HE HAS PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED A BOOK COMPARING OPPENHEIMER AND BETHE. DURING THIS TIME HE HAS DONE EXTENSIVE RESEARCH ON MANY PROMINENT PHYSICISTS WHOM BETHE HAS INTERACTED WITH (SOME WHO THE AUTHOR KNEW QUITE WELL). THE WORD "GENIUS" HAS BEEN APPLIED TO MOST OF THESE MEN AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER.
   
   ONE MAY NOT AGREE WITH ALL THE AUTHOR'S CONCLUSIONS. BUT THESE CONCLUSIONS ARE BASED ON EXTENSIVE RESEARCH AND THOUGHT. IF NOTHING ELSE, THEY SHOULD STIMULATE YOUR THOUGHT PROCESSES AND OPEN UP A NEW HORIZON.
   
   RECENTLY THERE HAVE BEEN MANY BOOKS ON EINSTEIN AND ON OPPENHEIMER, BOTH COMPLEX MEN FROM THE VIEW POINT OF US MORTALS HOWEVER THIS BOOK IS UNIQUE IN ITS COVERAGE AND INSIGHTFUL COMPARISONS

4 comments about Gauge Theory of elementary particle physics.

1. since field theory is not setisfectory in any sense the book seems to present it not as ugly.



2. The book presents the basics of the particle physics. I don't like the first of the book: field theory part is bad. But the rest of the book is very well written. It was very help for me to understand particle physics.



3. This book was "recommended" for an elective course in particle physics for PhD students at OSU. Having little to no experience in the field (besides simple modern physics topics like bubble chamber examples and time-dilated lifetimes of particles, etc.) I was hoping that I would get a better introduction. The book offers no such thing. It jumps right in with "Basics in Field Quantization" (which is hardly comprehensive) and then blows through everything in high gear. Considering that most students in physics haven't seen particle physics in their core sequence of coursework, I would not recommend this book for a course in particle physics unless the requisites for the course explicitly state that the student should have experience with field theory and an understanding of group theory. This is definitely a poor source for a student who is seeing the subject for the first time. For those who are more experienced in particle physics, I would expect that this book is a good reference, though I cannot say that for sure because I am not a member of such a group.

   I also purchased the book of solutions to problems in this book. It sheds some light on the topic, but not much. Nonetheless, I won't sell this book because sometime down the road I might find it and its companion to be useful.




4. I have no issues with the contents: you should know QFT at the level of Weinberg Vol 1 and group theory at the level of Tung. If it were not for the construction of this book I would probably have rated it 5 stars. The cover and binding are what you would expect from a cheap five-dollar paperback. I wasn't reading it much longer than two ot three weeks before sections started to fall out. At the price its being sold, its poor quality is nothing but a crime.

5 comments about Making Waves: Irving Dardik and His Superwave Principle.

1. In his/her short "review," "jubjub" makes the extremely serious accusation that either I, as author, or Irving Dardik, as the subject of the book, must have "paid" some of the reviewers, because of their positive comments. ("Jubjub" uses the derogatory term "infomercial language.") While I refrain from stooping to respond to such a base claim, I would ask why "jubjub" would seek to hide behind a mask of anonymity while making such a claim about me in such a public arena? Does she/he not have the decency or courage to simply identify themselves? What does she/he have to hide, if anything? (In entering this "review," I was asked to select a rating; as author, I simply entered its current rating, not wishing to skew the rate either way.)



2. Corrupting the integrity of the amazon review system with viral marketers is a distasteful annoyance but it pales in comparison to preying on the hopes of the ill.
   
   I love books that are on the fringe of science--they are often thought-provoking and entertaining even if they report on findings that are ultimately flawed. However, seeing how the grandiose claims of this book ultimately led to the defrauding of the elderly and chronically sick makes me ashamed that a fraction of the money I paid for this book went into the pocket of the author.



3. Dardik's work is, IMO, profound and still in its infancy. He offers a model of how both life and the physical world 'work'. Most immediately and as a doctor, Dardik focused initially on how our Western life-style works against human performance, and produces chronic disease -- and what may be done to reverse this by strengthening the body's natural ability to create health.
   
   Lewin's book is an excellent introduction for both lay people and subject experts. Lewin describes well the important first practical applications in health and physics of Dardik's concept of SuperWaves. It is clear that applications will continue to be discovered as others in other fields, such as politics, sociology and psychology, consider the implications of Superwaves.
   
   Lewin's book is a handy entry into this model of how both life and the physical world work, and a good launching point for people who find traditional models inadequate.
   
   At the same time, Lewin's book offers a fascinating look into the world of creative people who tackle areas in which a prevailing wisdom is (too) well-entrenched. It is a world of joyous intellectual breakthroughs and of numbing institutional defeats, of lasting friendships and loyal support and of belligerent personal attacks.
   
   This world requires perseverance, sacrifice, enduring curiosity and open-mindedness, and as with all the great pioneers of history, it is fortunate that Dardik has these aplenty, and that the benefits of his insights are thus entering into our lives.
   
   Lewin's book is a great help in furthering this tendentious, difficult, important and rewarding process.
   
   Lawrence de Bivort



4. The only reason I decided to buy this book was because of the "John Doe" and "jubjub" below, who both use the term viral marketers to describe some honest people reviewing the book, and then pretending to feel bad about wasting fifteen bucks to the author's grubby capitalist pockets; I'm sure they haven't even held the book in their hands. They mentioned no details about the book they didn't like, why they didn't like it, and gave it the lowest score possible. Get a life.
   
   Dan Winter already has an incredible amount of information online at his Golden Mean site for free. I was fascinated by the incredible life-like symmetries in the graphs and charts, even though he has a ton of crazy ideas... which seem to make sense under this universal paradigm. Can't wait to read the book.



5. I really liked the book, on a literary level. It was well written, engaging, and thought provoking. However, it really fails, and fails badly at giving the how to's. I'd love to try the protocol the Dradik has developed and the book describes, but there just isn't enough detail about how to institute it. i feel like I was shown a menu and then told I couldn't ordewr the food. From what I undersatnd, Dardi charges $5,ooo a month to enroll in his program! That leaves out most of the planet. So much for sharing usable information.

1 comments about Atomic Physics (Oxford Master Series in Atomic, Optical and Laser Physics).

1. This book has two types of material; both well done. The first could have been written decades ago, and is the "traditional" atomic physics. Where you start with the hydrogen atom, and investigate its spectroscopy with the Schrodinger equation. Then the book takes the next logical step by going to helium and thence to heavier atoms. LS and JJ coupling and other refinements. Such material is now quite well known and you need this for a solid background.
   
   But the book also has much more recent material. On quantum computing using qubits. These attempt to use the quantum states of small groups of atoms, to perform computations fundamentally different from current digital efforts. Enough detail is given for you to appreciate the severe experimental travails of the field, and how much more remains to be done, if qubits are ever to become useful.