Symmetry and the Beautiful Universe
by Leon M. Lederman, Christopher T. Hill
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Hardcover (31 October, 2004)
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Reviews (5)

Exhilarating
I thank Lederman and Hill for making me aware of how naïve was my simple notion of symmetry. Very likely, few scientists outside of physics had more than an inkling of what symmetry means before having read this book. The word" symmetry" connotes something to most of us, but few of us recognize symmetry to be the linchpin for what is (or might not be). "Exhilarating" best describes my new appreciation, as I re-read parts of Symmetry, my notes, the authors' notes, and my notes on their notes...and to feel the satisfaction that derives from dissolving each little bit of ignorance in physics.

There's Math Behind These Theories
The famous insights that Einstein brought to the world are usually viewed in the popular literature and on TV shows as being the result of his famous 'thought experiments.' Not as well known is that his theories were developed using, even made possible because of the earlier development of tensor calculus.

In this book the authors finally pay tribute to the mathematics of Emmy Noether. She and Dave Hilbert worked at the University of Gottingen, Germany until as a Jew she was forced to leave Germany. At least she got to leave in time.

Most of her work was on the basic fundamentals of mathematics. But one small foray into theoretical physics has led to the development of Symmetry as described in this book.

Readable for this Layman
This book bridges the gap between esoteric scientific concepts and the truly comprehensible.As someone fascinated by science without a strong background in it, I can truly appreciate the incredible feat of this book.Lederman takes what should be complex and makes it lucid and readable.He takes on the aesthetic of symmetry and translates it to the layman audience.This book is truly worthwhile and informative, for all readers. ... Read more

Isbn: 1591022428
Sales Rank: 8344
Subjects:  1. General    2. Popular works    3. Science    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Symmetry    6. System Theory   

The Force of Symmetry
by Vincent Icke
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Hardcover (02 February, 1995)
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Reviews (9)

Modern physics as natural philosophy

As I write these words, I stop frequently to consider how they might best be arranged, an activity no different in principle from picking my way along a trail when hiking over tricky terrain. For human beings, walking and language production (at least spoken language) are natural, their potential part of our DNA, their actualization emblematic of a basic level of developmental health and social well being. Mathematics too has been called a language, and indeed certain features of this language (e.g. the ability of neonates to recognize small numbers of things) are innate. But none of us go on in the normal course of development to become fluent in mathematics without a great deal of difficult, sustained effort.

It has become axiomatic among people who write popular books on scientific subjects to suppose that physics cannot really be presented without mathematics. And if that axiom is true for classical physics, it is even more true for modern physics, the surreal world of quantum interference, antimatter, black holes and M theory.

But now along comes Dutch physicist Vincent Icke, and in his book THE FORCE OF SYMMETRY he has, one might say, renormalized popular accounts of modern physics.He has been able to state the concepts of modern physics in a way which is lucid, coherent and, in all but the very simplest instances, nonmathematical. The novice physicist will not have to unlearn any of the concepts he acquires in Ickes' book after hegoes on to master the mathematical intricacies of quantum field theory. The advanced student can use Ickes' text to obtain a detailed topography of the field.

There is much to delight in this charming book. The five years I spent studying theoretical physics was a time of painful head banging on questions like, "How do you know this?" Few writers have the grace of Feynman, the ability to say about some arcane point, this is as much we know about it, no deeper than this. Icke, like Feynman, is very careful to signpost his epistemological wanderings. He lets the reader know when it is analogy, intuition, logic, experiment, convention, or metaphysics which is progenitor of some bit of physics knowledge.

Because of his careful attention to the grounding of his discourse, Icke does not fall into the deep pit which is, alas, standard in most popular science writing. You know what I mean. There you are, happy reader, blithely meandering along in someone's account of protein synthesis, the inflationary period, mathematical intractability... the subject doesn't matter. You are reading along, and you are beginning to feel the first faint blush of hope. Maybe you will understand it this time! And then you turn the page. And then the trail disappears. No matter how many times you go back and forth over the ground, there is now a chasm in your understanding as big as the Central Rift Valley. I first had this experience years ago reading Bertrand Russell's account of special relativity. All was well, and suddenly, darkness descended. I took the book to a friend who is a physicist at Lawrence Livermore, and asked, "Why can't I understand this?" He took a look, "You don't understand it because he has left out the following (very long list of) points." Thus I learned that it is OK to be simple minded in the world of science. Almost a gift, really.

Of particular note because of their exceptional clarity are the sections on: quantum interference, superposition, angular momentum, antimatter, gauge theory, isospin, Yang-Mills fields, the color field, symmetry and symmetry breaking. First published in 1995, the book has too little to say on string theory, but prophesied that supersymmetrical theories will lead the way in mapping what was then the frontier. Please Mr. Icke, update your book!

Physics, as Feynman said, keeps the simple stuff. The rest goes to chemistry, biology and engineering. Probably the line that most readers of Icke's book are sure to remember is this one: "Physics is not difficult; it's just weird." A funny little assertion, yet one that points in the direction of the kind of knowledge that physics is. The physics of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries has introduced us to a universe too strange (in the lexical sense) to even be imagined. Physics, in its many acts of discovery, has taken us further outside of ourselves than any other human study. The exploration of physics, by lay persons and physicists alike, is a thrilling adventure. It is science become natural philosophy, once again. Better than any other book of its kind, I found Vincent Icke's book to motivate this exploration. The last words are his: "in the book of physics, there never is a final sentence."

too ambitious
The author casts such a wide net he is forced
to give short shrift to recondite matters like
gauge theory.This hurried romp through deep
physics leaves the reader with jumbled impressions
and occasional outright misinformation (re e.g.
omission of quantum decoherence).The author is
not an expert in these fields would have been wiser
to bring in a technical collaborator.

A fine introduction
First, I feel I must refer back to F.A. Muller's review (also on this page, titled "Erros Abound").
Vincent Icke, the writer of "the force of Symmetry", *did* actually study theoretical physics (on the same university that Mr. Muller now resides) so I'm a little surprised to find that he "shouldn't really understand fundamental physics".

Actually, Mr. Icke studied under Tini Veltman, who won the Nobel Prize for Physics recently (together with Gerard 't Hooft) and is now professor of astrophysics (Leiden university) and cosmology (Amsterdam university).

I think "the Force of Symmetry" is an excellent primer on the subject of quantum behavior, relativity and symmetry. Besides (in my humble opinion) understanding, it's written with dry humour and love for the subject, and that's highly catching.

It urged me to want to know more on the subject(s), which is exactly what I'm going to do. So beware - it might catch on you too ;-) ... Read more

Isbn: 0521404959
Sales Rank: 2046753
Subjects:  1. Physics    2. Quantum Theory    3. Science    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Symmetry (Physics)    6. Science / Physics    7. Theoretical methods   

Deep Down Things : The Breathtaking Beauty of Particle Physics
by Bruce A. Schumm
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 November, 2004)
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Reviews (6)

The best layman's description of the Standard Model ever
This is a magnificent book. Indeed, I would say this is, bar none, the absolute best layman's book on the Standard Model of modern physics. If you have enjoyed other books such as Leon Lederman's "The God Particle" or, more recently, Brian Greene's "The Elegant Universe," then you will probably enjoy this book.

This very readable, highly understandable tome discusses the mathematical underpinnings of physicists' current functional and tested model of how the universe is constructed and works, save for gravity. It does so in the context of symmetry groups (in particular Lie groups) and how these basic mathematical concepts add up, almost miraculously, to a straightforward model of matter, energy, and how they interact.

I have, over the years, read quite a few technical books on quantum mechanics and mathematical physics. Until reading this book, however, I did not appreciate the simplicity and beauty of the group-theoretic underpinnings. Indeed, it could be argued that I did not understand group theory at all, but reading Penrose's recent "The Road to Reality" actually helped quite a bit in that regard as well.

I cannot say enough good about this book - read it, you won't be disappointed. IndiAndy has a good, more detailed review, so I won't repeat much of what he says.

Another book I recommend is Watson's "The Quantum Quark" which is primarily concerned with QCD (one part of the Standard Model). This other book delves more deeply into that one subject, and is a nice compliment, although of course there is some overlap.

Thank you to my brother-in-law Mark, now serving in Iraq, for giving me this book this past Christmas.

makes particle physics interesting
Bruce Schumm has done the impossible, he makes particle physics interesting!

Deep Down Things is a great book.

An eye opener
This was the book I was looking for for a long time.I special ordered several popular science books on particle physics at the local Barnes and Nobles, and selected this one because of the many careful diagrams and patient descriptions.Bruce does a wonderful job explaining Lie groups and Internal symmetries.The physics inevitably develops from what seems like patches needed to complete the beauty of the geometry.If you enjoy Scientific American articles, you will love this book. ... Read more

Isbn: 080187971X
Sales Rank: 27090
Subjects:  1. Gauge fields (Physics)    2. Nuclear Physics    3. Particles (Nuclear physics)    4. Physics    5. Quantum field theory    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Symmetry (Physics)    9. Science / General   

The Quantum Quark
by Andrew Watson
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (07 October, 2004)
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Reviews (2)

A close look at quantum chromodynamics
The Quantum Quark is a close look at quantum chromodynamics that does not require an extensive mathematics or physics background of the reader. Freelance science journalist and regular contributor to "Science" magazine Andrew Watson explores such topics as the quantum world, "the gregarious gluon", quarks and hadrons, the true significance of the vacuum state, and much more. A handful of black-and-white diagrams and photographs illustrate this fascinating tour of scientific theory, recommended for anyone with even the most casual interest in understanding the fundamental particles composing the Universe.

QED to QCD for the serious & intent lay-reader
The Quantum Quark by Andrew Watson

In the preface, Watson explains his book "...focuses on quantum chromodynamics, the essentials of how it works and how it came into being." He goes on to say "At the modest cost of a complete story...The Quantum Quark explores QCD in more detail than all other books on particle physics intended for a wider readership." And finally assures the reader, "...this is a pleasant stroll through great ideas, and not a textbook." I agree on all accounts.

Let me qualify to whom I think this book will attract.
Some of us are deeply curious, intelligent & interested folks - actively seeking answers and doggedly pursuing the richness of fundamental physics at a readership that spans a range well past the "golly-gee!" pop-physics level (e.g. Hawking/Green) but striving, reaching, stretching on tip-toes below the University academic level with its rigorous mathematical quantification proofs and rules. While it is meant for a serious lay-reader and undeniably non-mathematical in its presentation, this is definitely not light reading. People who aren't afraid of becoming a little lost while navigating the figurative `forest through the trees' can have courage this book will guide them if they're patient and willing to be led. To be sure, the dedicated reader will aquire a nodding acquaintance with concepts of conservation laws, symmetries, gauge theory, and U(1) X SU(2) & SU(3) group theories (which ultimately account for and lie at the root of the most fundamental physical laws) and last, but not least, a good conceptual grip of QCD. A willingness to do some re-reading will bode you well. The trip can be somewhat heavy going with its deep, abstract and technical description of a fundamentally mathematical subject - but it is well worth the wear & tear on the intellectual soles of your mind. Ultimately, this is an account of humanity's pinnacle intellectual achievement.

OK, so what have we got here?

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1Introduction1
2Symmetry9
3The quantum world19
4Toward QCD110
5The one number of QCD269
6The gregarious gluon288
7Quarks and hadrons305
8Quarks under the microscope328
9Much ado about nothing370
10Checkerboard QCD391
Appendix 1 A QCD chronology413
Appendix 2 Greek alphabet & SI prefixes426

The introduction does its job setting the scope of subjects: Quantum Electrodynamics (QED), the Electro-Weak force, and last, but principally, Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD) a.k.a. the theory of the Strong Force. It brushes on experiments in high-energy physics that bring the constituents of the Standard Model to light.

After the introduction, we're treated to a little history of the mathematicians and physicists who brought us Group Theory and a sketch of the properties of groups (i.e. identity element, closure, associativity & the inverse element). Descriptions and brief examples are given for O(2) orthogonal and SO(2) special orthogonal (abelian) transformations plus mention of associated dimensional 2x2 matrices; non-abelian SO(3) groups are discussed and the U(1)XSU(2) and SU(3) groups are revealed to be the fundamental abstract spaces of particle physics in a nutshell. Lie groups are briefly mentioned as well.

The next major section, "The Quantum World", is my favorite material in this book. It starts with the fact that the measured magnetic moment anomaly of QED demonstrates its superior standing as the crown achievement of theoretical & experimental physics. Basic quantum mechanics topics are effectively covered:
Energy quanta (Planck's constant h), wave phase & interference, Uncertainty Principle, Schrodinger, the principle of least action and Feynman's sum over paths.

The elements quickly evolve in relative complexity and abstraction - ultimately leading towards a clearly developed connection between QED to QCD. The progression takes us through:
mass-energy relations in Relativity, matter-antimatter pair production, Fermion and Boson spin & statistics and Pauli's Exclusion principle, quantum fields, the four-momentum, virtual particles, vacuum polarization, Green's functions, Feynman diagrams, vertex interactions, self-energy, infinite divergences, perturbation and renormalization program (dimensional regularization), effective low-energy field theory, Fermi's theory of weak interactions to Weinberg/Glashow/Salam and Veltman/t'Hooft Nobel prize winning contributions in the electroweak realm, and finally the all important gauge principle including the example of changes in potentials and changes in global vs. local phase.

I'm now going to do the author a grave disservice by reviewing the remainder of the book in an all too brief summarization. The majority of the book plumbs the depths of QCD. Andrew brings us by the experimental facilities for a thorough inspection of the accelerators & detectors (BNL RHIC, Fermilab CDF, CERN-LEP, DESY, KEK-BELLE & SLAC). He gives complete coverage of the physicists responsible for its development and associated milestones. To name just a few of the many discussed in great detail: Yukawa - Isospin, mesons; Yang-Mills - CP violation, Gell-Man - the Eightfold Way; `the particle zoo', families, Quark-Gluon, flavordynamics, inelastic scattering, color charges; Nambu - spontaneous symmetry breaking; the Higgs mechanism & weak neutral currents; Gross, Wilczek & Politzer - Asymptotic Freedom.

Watson judiciously included countless diagrams to illustrate important concepts and fundamental interactions plus many photographic pictures of physicists, experimental devices and facilities. The back of the book includes a good glossary and a nice annotated "Further reading" section that breaks suggested titles in easy reading, not-so-easy reading, and `hard core' sections.

That's it. Altogether a serious undertaking - I hope you are challenged by it and thoroughly enjoy it as much as I have!

p.s. I recommend these complementary books: "Deep Down Things" by Schumm; "The Force of Symmetry" by Icke; "Fearful Symmetry" by Zee; "Symmetry and the Beautiful Universe" by Lederman; and "Out of This World" by Webb. N.B. check out the reviews on these books, also browse the "So You'd Like To..." and "Listmania!" lists below to help decide which ones you might want to consider. ... Read more

Isbn: 0521829070
Sales Rank: 145653
Subjects:  1. Nuclear Energy    2. Nuclear Physics    3. Quantum Theory    4. Quantum chromodynamics    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Atomic & molecular physics    8. Science / Nuclear Physics   

Fearful Symmetry
by A. Zee
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (14 December, 1999)
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Reviews (5)

A group theorist's opinion
I have spent most of my career studying simple groups --
finite and algebraic simple groups -- and the geometric
spaces on which they act and I have found it impossible not to be
carried away by the sheer beauty of these structures
and by the sense that they must have some reality in nature
beyond a mathematician's thoughts. This book allowed me
to have a little sense of how true this might be (far
beyond what I knew just from newspapers). As a group theorist
who has thought a lot about the same 'philosophical' issues,
I couldn't put this book down. It is full of charming stories
and good humor. In my opinion, this book is a model of good scientific writing.

Symmetry but not for everonei
It started very nice, author has very nice way of introducing concept of symmetry with easy introduction. He gives good examples of symmetry in Physics from Newtonian and Einstein Physics. I wish there was some formalism that would show where the symmetry shows itself in the formulations. Then subject goes to invariance transformations. Subject becames exteremely difficult for popular scientist who does not know Particle Physics and all the concepts comes with it. Overall it shows that the concept of Symmetry is very strong tool in Physics as long as you look for the right and meaningfull symmetry.

Not for everyone
This book tries to use symmetry concept to describe many important physical laws from relativity to grand unification theory. For readers with ample physics background, it provides a refreshing review. On the otherhand, although the arthor attemps to simplifies some abstract concepts, Ifeel it will be a very difficult read for those who lacks physics or grouptheorybackground to appreciate the underlying beauty of symmetry. ... Read more

Isbn: 0691009465
Sales Rank: 454296
Subjects:  1. Philosophy    2. Physics    3. Physics Research    4. Renormalization (Physics)    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Symmetry (Physics)    8. History of Science and Medicine, Philosophy of Science    9. Science / Physics   

Hidden Unity in Nature's Laws
by John C. Taylor
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (15 October, 2001)
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Reviews (2)

Amazing Breadth and Depth ofKnowledge of Physics
The author obviously has an amazing command of the complete range of his subject, physics. This book is both a an excellent history and an excellent narrative of the unfolding of man's search for the fundamental nature of the micro and macro nature of matter and the universe.
My only fault with this book is a paradox:the author assumes thatthe readers "don't know much about math" so for most of the book he painfully avoids writing equations, and substituteswordy explanations. In doing so some of the beauty of his narrative is lost. The paradox is that anyone whe is going to plow into this book and get anything out of it, had better have a good handle on math at least algebra.

Hidden Unity in Nature's Laws
Hidden Unity in Nature's Laws written by John C. Taylor is a book about how physics and nature come together and how physics explains nature.Now, before you get all huffy and discount reading this book, let me say this, the author has taken great pains in explaining the mathematics in this book, making a very understandable and highly readable book.

This book has two major themes associated with its writing.First, there is a pattern of unification, the major example explained by the author is between magnetism and electricity, Research has showed that electricity and magnetism are interconnected... not that they are the same thing, but they are two aspects of a unified whole.

The other major theme the author brings out in the book is that quite often, different branches of physics have seemed to contradict each other when taken together.As the contradiction is resolved in a new, consistent, wider theory which include the two branches.This is called the resolution of contradictions.

What is so nice about this book is this, you'll need some knowledge of mathematics and physics, but the explaination is very understandable.There is a fascinating insight into the development of our fundamental understanding of the world, and the apparent simplicity underlying it.

The author takes us on an interesting path that leads right to the heart of physics, but never forgettting that his readers are not as skilled at physics as he is.Therefore, he uses pictures in explaining the mathematical priciples associated with explaining the problem, translating the equations into words or pictures.

I found this book to be highly readable and very understandable, explaining physics in terms that a layperson can gain the concepts and have a workable knowledge of what physics is all about.This book will get you on the ground floor. ... Read more

Isbn: 0521659388
Sales Rank: 277379
Subjects:  1. History    2. Physics    3. Science    4. Science/Mathematics    5. History of science    6. Science / Physics   

Reality's Mirror : Exploring the Mathematics of Symmetry (Wiley Science Edition)
by BryanBunch
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (September, 1989)
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Reviews (1)

Well written, but...
This book is a layman's introduction to symmetry in mathematics and physics. And it reads well. But sometimes it seems that although the author is correct in his mathematics, his knowledge of physics is somewhat flawed -- a definite shortcoming, since the book itself emphasizes the physics as compared to the mathematics. (He doesn't get to group theory, which is the main mathematical basis for discussing symmetry, until Chapter 8!)

I'm not recommending an "instead-of" book, since I haven't found one I really like better. But i come away with a definite feeling of disappointment. ... Read more

Isbn: 0471501271
Sales Rank: 968726
Subjects:  1. General    2. Mathematics    3. Nuclear Physics    4. Science    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Symmetry (Physics)    7. Biology, Life Sciences    8. Mathematics / General   

Symmetry Discovered : Concepts and Applications in Nature and Science
by Joe Rosen
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (12 March, 1998)
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Reviews (3)

Brief, but nice
This is a very slim book which could be a first introduction to symmetry. It has a good introduction to group theory, which is the principal branch of mathematics that deals with the topics needed to understand symmetry, and it covers some types of symmetries usually neglected, like color symmetry. It's not at a very high level, which is good if you're starting off, but not if you already have a good dose of the necessary material. In other words, this is an introductory book and will not satisfy you if you are looking for a more advanced text, but I recommend it as a first book.

A classic in symmetry
When it was first published in 1975, this book filled a gap in the literature. It still does. Simple and unassuming, it is the best introduction to symmetry that I ever read. A perfect introduction to the two subsequent books by Rosen himself, and to more advanced treatises, like Weyl's.

An easily understood beginner's manual.
Pierre Curie developed the idea of symmetry in 1894. He later won theNobel Prize with his wife Marie for their studies of radioactivity. ButPierre Curie's greatest legacy may end up being his work on symmetry, whichforms a rare link between science and art. But symmetry is a complexsubject for general readers, as illustrated by the following concisedefinition of it: Physical processes require environmental dissymmetry, andalthough the symmetry of a product can exceed that of its cause, anydissymmetry of a product must have existed in its cause. The value ofRosen's book Symmetry Discovered is its success in reducing the complexityof the subject. Cambridge University Press originally published the book,and this edition is a reprint with a new preface and supplementalreferences including an English-language treatise from the MoscowUniversity symmetry school, world center for this topic. SymmetryDiscovered is an easily understood beginner's manual. ... Read more

Isbn: 0486294331
Sales Rank: 180465
Subjects:  1. Philosophy & Social Aspects    2. Science    3. Science/Mathematics    4. Symmetry    5. Science / General   

Symmetry in Science: An Introduction to the General Theory
by J. Rosen
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 October, 1996)
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Reviews (1)

The Best Book on Symmetry
This is the most wonderful and facinating book on symmetry I have ever read! Everyone who applies symmetry concept should read it. There are many many books on symmetry. Many of them simply treated symmetry as a mathematical attribute. Joe Rosen is the first one firmly treated symmetry as a property of a system (very similar to a thermodynamic properties). The author has rediscovered the symmetry principle (Effect is more symmetric than cause), as some of the most important literature was published 90 years ago and not in English. I recommended many colleagues to read it. You will like it! Shu-Kun Lin, PhD http://mdpi.org/lin.htm ... Read more

Isbn: 0387948368
Sales Rank: 1161918
Subjects:  1. Philosophy & Social Aspects    2. Physics    3. Science    4. Science/Mathematics   

Lucifer's Legacy: The Meaning of Asymmetry
by Frank Close
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 March, 2001)
list price: $14.95
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Editorial Review

Is the universe perfectly balanced? Physicist Frank Close looks at symmetry and the deep structures of the universe in his luminescent book Lucifer's Legacy. Matter and antimatter, positive and negative charge, even the curious properties of quarks all seem to be arranged in diametrically opposed pairs (or triplets, when you consider zero-state properties like neutral charge). Yet we plainly live in a skewed environment--we can't find antimatter unless we make it, almost all of our proteins are left-handed, and there are 10 Windows machines for every Mac. Is this asymmetry essential for life? Is it, in fact, a necessary consequence of creation? Dr. Close examines these questions and more in intimate but not obsessive detail, showing that life as we know it couldn't exist without a few crucial imbalances.

The question of whether or not we just got lucky with this universe is due to be answered in 2005, when CERN, where Close works, will test theories relating to the Big Bang. The author has a gift for explaining the intricacies of particle physics in terms that lay readers can easily grasp and even come to love. His poetic sensibilities, which frame the book and give it its title (from the statue of Lucifer at the Tuileries gardens in Paris), reflect the human and cosmic mysteries inherent in both the nature of physics and the work of physicists. There's a wee bit of math and geometry herein, but not enough to scare off the numerophobic; in fact, the cogent explanations and illustrations may win Close a few converts to hard science. In the final analysis, Lucifer's Legacy carries a hint of irony: it is such a thoroughly good read that you'll find yourself hunting in vain for flaws.--Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (7)

A wonderful first look at physics
This book is a pleasant, painless introduction to particle physics and the applications of symmetry in the universe.I could see how it might annoy an experienced physicist with entire chapters full of metaphors and analogies intended to solidify the reader's understanding of the concepts, but for a beginner these are quite helpful.It also includes a long and detailed history of the major discoveries in atomic physics, which is a tiny bit too long, but still informative and well written.I am a junior in high school, and I enjoyed this book immensely.

For laymen only
Before I start to criticise "Lucifer's Legacy", I should add that I am a trained physicist, and wanted to brush up a bit about ideas of symmetry/asymmetry, which have become essential to our quest to explain the physics of the universe. Having clarified this, I must say the first part of this book was a real disappointment: it seems to be intended for people who have not heard much about physics since they left high school. There are some nice detours about the history of physics about the turn of the century. But apart from that, the book often is annoyingly trivial. Towards the end it gets more interesting, and some ideas about symmetry and symmetry breaking are nicely presented. But if you look for more than light bedtime reading, look somewhere else.

Great Book - Collector's Item?
The book is extremely well written, fascinating, and easy to read. But the best part is the little errata sheet that comes with the book that may make it a collector's item. There is a drawing in the book of the Tullieries Garden in Paris meant to show the symmetry humans wish to achieve. The drawing has an error that breaks the symmetry, just like the one headless Lucifer statue in the Garden broke the symmetry when the author visited it, giving him a starting point for this book. The errata sheet attempts to restore the symmetry with a new drawing, but the irony has already made its point; human attempts at symmetry are doomed to fail in an asymmetric universe. ... Read more

Isbn: 019866267X
Subjects:  1. Chaotic Behavior in Systems    2. Cosmology    3. Philosophy & Social Aspects    4. Physics    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Cosmology & the universe    8. Designed / suitable for A & AS Level    9. Popular science   

What Makes Nature Tick?
by Roger G. Newton
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 August, 1993)
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Reviews (1)

What Makes Nature Tick?
What Makes Nature Tick? written by Roger G. Newton is a book first and foremost about physics, but the physical sciences do play an intergral part.

Now, that you know the book is about physics, don't shy away from it as it is written in a way that the lay person can understand.This is a book the physical tinkers and problems solvers will like.This book shows the reader the imagination, intuition, and elucidation of the author when it come to this book.He makes the reader feel at home as he egages us in a discussion of superconductors, quarks, strings, and phase space.

From tachyons, time, and chaos we are on a journey of questions posed and answers given to some of the easier questions, while some of the more difficult are left to our imagination and the author's as well.But, I think the author will be able to answer those question well before I could.

There are mysteries in the universe that need exploring, this book brings a surprisingly powerful influence toward that goal.The Contents of this book are as followed:Science, Mathematics, and Imagination; Chaos and the Ghost of Laplace; Time's Arrow; Forces acting through Space; Waves: Standing, traveling, and Solitary; Tachyons, the Aging of Twins, and Causality; Spooky Action at a Distance; What is an Elementary Particle?; Collective Phenoomena; and The beauty and Power of Symmetry.

As you can see, this little tome covers a lot of physics, but it is presented in a why that will keep you very interested.This being said, you have to have a scientific leaning and a liking for science to appreciate the book.What I found interesting outside of this book is the further reading section.

I enjoyed this book and it explains some of the new science that we are getting from observation. ... Read more

Isbn: 0674950852
Sales Rank: 391990
Subjects:  1. Nature/Ecology    2. Physics    3. Physics (General)    4. Science   

Thinking about Physics
by Roger G. Newton
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (31 January, 2000)
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Editorial Review

It takes a certain daring to challenge the views of Albert Einstein and Richard Feynman on purely scientific grounds--and great skill to make that challenge accessible to a general audience. Roger Newton does just that in Thinking About Physics, a book suited to readers with undergraduate-level training in the physical sciences and mathematics, which he deems "the only language capable of describing nature unambiguously." In his survey of modern physics, Newton examines some of the assumptions underlying the ways in which we think about the world. He argues, briefly, that the insistence on the primacy of the particle discounts the more important quantum field from which particles issue--and, he adds, understanding that field may one day yield a quantum geometry of space-time. Among other topics, Newton guides his readers through current theories about the directionality of time ("nature without a universal causal arrow of time," he writes, "could not be orderly," inasmuch as causes have to precede effects); examines models of symmetry and "supersymmetry"; and considers how theories are made, emphasizing the role of probabilistic reasoning in shaping hypotheses and explanations. Joining elegant equations and readable prose, Newton's overview is sure to interest students of modern science. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Carry-on concepts in modern physical theories for autodidact
Many 'popular physics' books serve well for expanding the serious layman's autodidact pursuit in understanding physics. Newton offers intellectually satisfying handles for what I like to call 'carry-on concepts' in modern physical theories.

This book is what some would call popular physics but I think is broader and deeper than such a simple categorization. From the outset of 'Thinking about Physics' (TaP), Newton offers that answers to issues in thinking about questions of physics are subject to debate and humbly advises us not to accept his word without question. He doesn't lie out the solutions offered over the years, with all the pros and cons (and yet he ultimately gives his 2 cents), but suggests we use his arguments as starting points for our own thinking.
I found a good overall summary in the beginning of this work: ?This book consists of more or less independent essays on various general topics found in physics, whose common thread appears in the pervasiveness of probabilistic approaches and the central role played by mathematics, with the quantum theory of fields as the most basic description of reality.?
In the Preface Newton admits a '...disagreement with a number of prominent physicists such as Feynman & Heisenberg, who, at the most fundamental level, give primacy to the particle concept.'
As in Philip R. Wallace's Paradox Lost, Newton makes the argument that the supposed paradoxes in interpretations of theoretical conceptions of physical phenomenon have a '...linguistic source, stemming from the use of the concept of particles and waves.' In contrast to Paradox Lost, he regards quantum fields '...as the basic entity, with 'particles'-possessing great intuitive appeal but circumscribed utility-appearing as phenomena produced by the field.'
His Introduction and Chapter 1-Theories can be seen as a condensed version of his book 'The Truth of Science' and, at the same time, an expansion of a great layman's treatment in similar chapters of his title 'What Makes Nature Tick?' (WMNT) The latter book is a less mathematically technical, more popular look at subjects conspicuously similar to TaP. It is in these two chapters where he addresses some challenges to a popular and historical philosophy of science. As an antidote to philosophical general assumptions, loose arguments and possible misinterpretations apparent in other popular publications, Newton places common sense definitions of experiments, theoretical understanding and explanation on solid ontological ground leaving us with a sense of complete logical satisfaction. He also discusses the necessity and great utility of using conceptual analogies in describing certain phenomenon in physical theory but makes the usual warnings of their limits and potential misleading.
The second chapter talks about the state of physical systems and phase correlations in classical & quantum mechanics. The state vector, density operator, and probabilities are nicely brought to light.
Chapter 3 is a sweet treatment of the role, beauty and & power of mathematics. This is an elegant and technical expansion of the chapter in ?What Makes Nature Tick?? (WMNT)
Chapter 4, Quantum Fields and Particles, is fairly technical but accessible with the persistent enthusiasm of this physics layman. I return time and again to this chapter to gain understanding of aspects for which I had ignorance in previous readings.
In Symmetry in Physics (ch5) Newton takes us through Parity, Group Theory in Particle Physics, and Field Theory. I chose to prepare for this chapter by reading the lighter chapter on Symmetry in WMNT. Yet another example of the nice complementary correlation between the two works.
The last three chapters are Causality and Probability, Quantum Mechanics and Reality, and Arrows of Time. These titles are sufficiently self-explanatory for the purposes of this review and exist as final examples of the technical expansion that may be explored in the corresponding chapters of WMNT.

The book concludes with an Epilog where the author asks whether we are able to distinguish relevant characteristics of our perception of physical nature and summarizes the three broad essentials this book was meant to identify: quantum fields and the explanatory machinery which provide the necessarily mathematical language to describe nature unambiguously - causality and probability.
The Further Reading section in the rear of the book is nicely broken down by the corresponding chapters with the suggested reading listed in the usual manner. A great resource! Finally, a complete bibliography and helpful index conclude the book. Last and certainly least, I ran across strange sentence early in my reading of TaP, '...it would take a very large hole in the side of a well-constructed skyscraper to make the building collapse.' The book was written in January 2000. Being serious about physics, I obviously don?t attribute this to conspiracy but do find the coincidence uncanny.

BOTTOM LINE ON THE BOOK ? CHALLENGING, GREAT READ FOR THE HUNGRY AUTODIDACT.
Best regards to the author and the lay reader.
IndiAndy

the author's personal philosophy
This is a great book. The author gives his personal philosophy as a practicing physicist and obviously good teacher about the current great issues in physics: the arrow of time, theunreasonable effectiveness ofmathematics, The EPR debate, entanglement, causality, probability.....There is an extensive discussion of models, theories, and paradigms and howthey influence experiments as well as how they are chosen from among otherlikely candidates. There is even a short appendix on solitons. It is thereflectionof a practical man as to how physics advances and itsrelationship to the "real" world - far from the philosophicalmusings of Kuhn or Popper. It's the kind of book that would make you wantto sit down and have further discussions with the author. He does have aprevious publication by Harvard U Press which I haven't read but willsurely look at next. ... Read more

Isbn: 0691009201
Subjects:  1. General    2. Philosophy    3. Philosophy & Social Aspects    4. Philosophy (General)    5. Physics    6. Physics (General)    7. Science    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Science / Physics   

Symmetry
by Hermann Weyl
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 January, 1983)
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Reviews (2)

Great Examination of Symmetry from a Mathematical Viewpoint
Be forewarned this book is technical and mathematical. Though you can definitely read it without going through all the math and thinking it through it won't be nearly as valuable to you as it would be if you spentsome time and actually thought things out and figured them out rather thanjust speeding through. That being said this is probably the bestexamination of symmetry out there that I have read. Weyl starts from verysimple concepts and eventually works his way up to examining even complexornamental symmetry. Of course much of what he says about symmetry is trueof aesthetics and beauty in general and many parallels can be drawn betweenwhat he is saying and other items like music that may not appear to haveclear symmetry right off the bat. Unfortunately in the version I have thecitations that Weyl makes are not clearly listed, but many of the authorsare fairly prominent and easy to look up. If you like this book I mightalso reccomend G. D. Birkhoff's Aesthetic Measures. Where, Weyl isinterested more in just symmetry Birkhoff is interested in mathematicalaesthetic examination in general. Overall this book is a must read foranyone interested in aesthetics.

Ornamentation and its mathematical basis
This delightful booklet motivates the study of symmetry by showing its presence in art and nature. This is a work of love, frequently bordering poetry. Yet, it is a scientific book of high class. Hermann Weyl, one of the very great mathematicians of this century, then explains the mathematics behind symmetry, mostly group theory, and obtains all forms that, by repetition, completely fill the plane and the space (the crystallographic groups). This is wonderful reading. After it, the reader should be prepared for a beautiful recent discovery by R. Penrose, that there are aperiodical forms that completely fill the space, and, still more surprising, that Nature makes use of them. They are the quasi-crystals (not treated in Weyl's book, of course). ... Read more

Isbn: 0691023743
Sales Rank: 331997
Subjects:  1. Aesthetics    2. Esthetics    3. General    4. Mathematics    5. Physics    6. Proportion (Art)    7. Science    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Chemistry    10. History of Science and Medicine, Philosophy of Science    11. Science / Physics   

Fearful Symmetry: Is God a Geometer? (Penguin Science)
by Ian Stewart, Martin Golubitsky
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Paperback (01 September, 1993)
list price: $12.50
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Reviews (4)

Interesting to the biologist too
I really didn't knew exactly what to expect. I have to say I wasn't disappointed, but was a little overwhelm with some new concepts (maybe it was just that I read this book while in my honeymoon). Anyway, I am no mathematics genius (I'm really far from that) but I'm a curious guy and this book fulfill my eager, while by the way make me use some slept neurons hibernating since my college days. My background is not mathematical, but you don't need much mathematics to drive you through to book, besides it was really interesting to see biological applications of mathematical abstractions. This was a wonderful read without troubling with numbers and formulas.

Breaking symmetry to uncover one theory that rules them all
Breaking Symmetry is certainly a magic term in this book. With the use of innumerable real-life examples and the use of dozens of pictures Stewart and Golubitsky try to illustrate the basic concept of the "Theory-That-Covers-Everything". Being confronted with the dissection of physical phenomenon into degrees of symmetry, gives the reader enough reason to believe that the "big theory" might ultimately be uncovered by using the mathematical tool of Breaking Symmetry. But this book also points out that scientists are still far away from reaching this ultimate goal.

The patterns discussed in this book takes you to the invisible world of quarks, then shows you the wonderful stripes on the fur of a tiger and finally let you surf the spiral-arms of our Galaxy. Clearly it gives the reader the opportunity to have a taste from more than one scientific discipline: Biology, Physic, Chemistry, Maths, they are all addressed in this book.

But be aware: you must keep yourself very alert while reading it, because the train of thought is not always easy to follow. Apart from the sometimes strange jumps, the narration is very clear and easy to understand, which will certainly enable you to get more insight into the fascinating world of symmetry.

AN EARFUL ONSYMETRY AND AN EYEFUL AS WELL
This book really improved my understanding of what physicists are talking about when they speak of Symmetry Breaking. The book makes it possible foryou to understand the underpinnings of this concept whilst doing nothingmore intellectual than pouring the milk onto your breakfast cereal. Lots ofgood illustrations.Nothing to be frightened of in this book. ... Read more

Isbn: 0140130470
Sales Rank: 1030704
Subjects:  1. General    2. Science    3. Science/Mathematics    4. Industrial applications of scientific research & technological innovation    5. Mathematics    6. Theoretical methods   

Dreams of a Final Theory : The Scientist's Search for the Ultimate Laws of Nature
by STEVEN WEINBERG
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 February, 1994)
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Reviews (9)

Very Good Overview of a Difficult Subject
Dreams of a final theory
I believe this book's main propose was the Author, a Nobel prize winning physicist attempting to weigh in for Congressional funding of the Superconducting Super- Collider(SSC).This book is like reading two books in one.The first part of the book had some very good writing about atomic particle research and excellent explanations of the experiments.It also contains the author's surprisingly optimistic view that the theories being currently developed are the beginning of the correct path that will lead science to the "final theory".The remainder of the book is a promotion of the field of particle physics to show that by reduction all the sciences can benefit and share in what is learned in particle physics. Chemistry, Biology, etc at their lowest levels operate at an atomic level.Also some philosophical musings.The author has a knack for explaining complicated ideas for the layman.

A thought-provoking book
One of the more personalized accounts of physics I've read.Especially of interest were the discussions of the fate of the SSC in Texas.A good read.

I like this book
Two chapters stand out to my mind: "Against Philosophy" and "What about God?"Weinberg makes a convincing case that philosophy has made little contribution to objective truth.He also says that he knows of no important scientist in the post-war period who has been substantially influenced by philosophy.One has to be careful here with the word "post-war" because it is well-known that people like Einstein and Heisenberg were very interested in philosophy.As to the chapter on religion, who is better qualified to talk about it than a great physicist like Weinberg who understands the origin of the universe better than almost anybody alive?He makes a forceful case for atheism (though he does not use this term).My only regret is that he doesn't encourage violence against religious fundamentalists and extremists, who are always prepared to use violence to advance their agenda.

Incidentally, Weinberg's belief that a final theory is near is too optimistic.Martin Rees has got it right: The advancement of science is like fractals - every little detail can be further enlarged to reveal far more, ad infinitum.Thus, the search for scientifc truth must be endless, and the dreams for a final theory are no more than that. ... Read more

Isbn: 0679744088
Sales Rank: 93429
Subjects:  1. Physics    2. Quantum theory    3. Relativity (Physics)    4. Science    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Science / General   

Supersymmetry: Unveiling the Ultimate Laws of Nature
by G. L. Kane, Gordon Kane
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (03 July, 2001)
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Editorial Review

Call it a preview of coming attractions. The physical theory called "supersymmetry" is as yet unproven, but its proof will unite the four fundamental forces of nature--electromagnetism, gravity, and the strong and weak nuclear forces--and lead to the so-called Grand Unified Theory that physicists have long quested after. The theory underlying supersymmetry posits that every particle has a "superpartner" (a quark has a "squark," an electron a "selectron," and so on), whose existence can be adduced by observable behavior. Some of these superpartners, such as the conjectured Higgs bosons, are "really a new kind of matter," suggests physicist Gordon Kane in Supersymmetry.

The experimental proof required to validate supersymmetry will soon be available, when reconfigured particle accelerators at the Fermilab in Illinois and CERN in Switzerland go on line. These accelerators will be powerful enough to "smash" particles at hitherto unknown levels of energy. They will also be enormously expensive, Kane adds, a cost he justifies by insisting that "Society always comes out ahead, even from a purely financial perspective, when it builds such facilities, because new developments lead to 'spinoffs' that in turn lead to multibillion-dollar industries." Society will come out ahead in another way, Kane confidently predicts, with supersymmetry's providing knowledge of how the world really works. Accessible and thought-provoking, Kane's book offers a glimpse of that knowledge to come. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Superdumbed Down
Physics can only properly be described with math, and can only be described deeply with math that only a tiny fraction of people can understand. So every writer of a book on physics for a popular audience faces the question of how to describe physics in everyday language that will nonetheless convey much of the essential meaning. On the other hand, the core demographic for a popular book on theoretical physics shouldn't be confused with the average individual. Gordon Kane, while a formidable theorist, unfortunately misjudged where to aim his sights with "Supersymmetry", a book attempting to describe the theory of extending the Standard Model a little closer to the ultimate theory of everything by devising a symmetry between bosons and fermions. There's a limit to how much you can talk about a theory without actually describing the theory.

For example, consider this exercise in friendly vaguary: "One can estimate the maximum possible value of the cosmological constant from the observed expansion rate of the universe. We can also estimate naively what size the cosmological constant should be if we made the simplest guess. The problem is that the maximum size the cosmological constant could have, and still be consistent with what we observe, is many powers of 10 smaller than the naive estimate." I can barely even decipher this ambiguous hand-waving as an indication of the cosmological constant problem; I find it hard to believe that anyone not already familiar with this problem would gain any understanding from this sort of description. They'd do much better to read, for example, Joao Magueijo's beautiful exposition.

Kane does clear up enough to carry across some of his keen insights, including on the daunting task of finding experimental evidence of supersymmetry and on what the shape of fundamental theory implies for different versions of the anthropic principle. He also provides some of the reasons why supersymmetry actually makes predictions that fail in ways the Standard Model already succeeds at least somewhat, casting doubt on the inevitability that supersymmetry will prove to be a successful description of physical law. Actually the book could gain from further splashes of cold water; many times Kane ends up implying that supersymmetry's first impressions are clearly inconsistent with known theory and new versions of the theory were devised that always make predictions just out of reach of our collider technology. Somehow though, Kane repeatedly concludes with assured confidence that this out-of-reach version of the theory will be vindicated. As with strings, the exuberance of the theorist leaves a vague disquiet, if you can sense it, at the prolonged enthusiasm for intricate mathematical elegance in the absence of experimental verification of theoretical predictions - made before the fact, not as postdictions. In the meantime, the wealth of newly observed physical phenomena, such as dark energy, that were wholly unanticipated in decades of arcane theoretical work, beg for that disquiet to receive a greater acknowledgement than can be found here.

No Einstein Chapter!
It's come to be a relief to read a book on popular physics without the obligatory chapter on Einstein.The author, Gordon Kane, spends that freed up space discussing how effective theories change the scope of physics at different scales of various parameters (size and speed being the usual ones).This is something that the general public would benefit from knowing, as a great many people think that each new scientific discovery invalidates previous knowledge instead of expanding on previous knowledge.

While Kane necessarily avoids burdensome mathematics, he does offer some "proofs" and "requirements" of supersymmetry that can be explained qualitatively.This plus the Feynman diagrams are about the best you can expect without grabbing an advanced graduate-level textbook.

One caveat: the author seems almost religiously convinced that the evidence for supersysmmetry is "just around the corner" and always speaks as if the experimental proof is a fait accompli.Based on limits to the theory, we really ought to be seeing the lightest superpartner already and the reader feels that the book takes on an unrealistically-optimistic tone.

More specific details would have made it better
Supersymmetry is a particular mathematical extension of the standard model in which the equations predict additional things like superpartners.Kane's book, obviously, is about supersymmetry, including some of its historical origins and what it might teach us about the universe.

One of the questions readers might ask is what difference does supersymmetry make?Is it just a particularly nice way of writing the equations of the standard model?Kane does a nice job of explaining these differences, and helping the reader understand how supersymmetry, as a theory, can be tested.

For example, the Standard Model predicts something called the Higgs boson.The exact number of Higgs bosons, and their characteristics, will help shape the Standard Model.If it turns out that supersymmetry describes nature, we should find that there are at least five types of Higgs bosons.

Kane has included an entire chapter on the subject of testing supersymmetry.One of the nice things about his chapter is the way in which he explains how beam intensity affects the determination of a theories viability.Often, it's not just a matter of finding some new particle, but of observing processes with different decay products at different rates.This is where intensity comes in, as it allows a faster acquisition of the statistics to distinguish between different models.In other words, a collider's usefulness depends on more than the energy of the colliding particles.It also depends on things like how many particles are in the colliding beams (the intensity).

Kane also does a nice job of explaining - at the beginning of the book - the hierarchy among models and theories, though he brings (of course) a distinct theoretical-physicist point of view.

Kane's book is totally qualitative, and intended for the general public.That's not necessarily a bad thing.Generally I enjoy books that address cutting-edge research at the 50,000-foot level where you don't have to be an "expert" to follow the mathematics.Such books make me feel like I'm still using my time wisely, even though the book is "easy reading."

Unfortunately, I think Kane's book is a bit too qualitative.I realize that a subject like supersymmetry is very complicated, and that a 200-page book with no equations can hardly hope to give the subject justice, but this level was just a tad bit too general for me.There just isn't that much solid and clear information that I could grab hold of here, and I came away feeling (unfortunately) like I hadn't learned as much as I'd hoped to.

The book definitely has its good side.Kane is a talented writer, and he does a good job of explaining concepts about theories and models in physics.What he does explain is - for the most part - clear and easy to follow and understand.

For example, Kane points out that the superpartners predicted by supersymmetry could help to explain the missing mass of the universe (mass that is known to exist from the gravitational maps produced by the measuring the motions of stars, but not visibly detected).These superpartners interact through fields that don't act on normal matter - except for the Higgs boson (which is responsible for giving particles mass).It was not clear for me, though, why this has to be so.That's part of the problem.Kane provides a fair amount of information, but much of it takes the form of simple statements thrown out, without the ability to see how these things are required as part of the theory.For every explanation, it seems, I found myself with a dozen more questions.

Some of the side discussions in this book are quite interesting, like the discussion about the search for the Higgs boson, some of the commentary about the origin of the universe, and the missing mass (already mentioned above).I got the feeling that the book was written at a level appropriate for (and possibly intended for) politicians and administrators responsible for funding the colliders necessary to search for the superpartners.Indeed, one of the most interesting parts of the book was the discussion about Fermilab and CERN, and how each is engaged in research in modern physics.

Some of the most interesting stuff is actually in the appendices, which you will definitely want to read.There is also a useful glossary and adequate index. ... Read more

Isbn: 0738204897
Subjects:  1. General    2. Nuclear Physics    3. Science    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Supersymmetry   

Shapes, Space, and Symmetry
by Alan Holden
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (19 September, 1991)
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Reviews (3)

Little Gem
Alan Holden must be a very dedicated man.This short book on polyhedra is filled with pictures of intricate paper models, all made by the author.In the final section, showing how to construct similar models, one can see a photo of his workshop with hundreds of models arrayed neatly on shelves behind him.This book was clearly a work of love.

Most of the book is occupied with a treatment of regular and semiregular polyhedra, prisms and antiprisms.These are examined in some depth--for example, all nine regular polyhedra are constructed.The last fifty pages introduce other topics, such as packing, lattices, and knots; the treatment here is very brief, somewhat disappointing and leaving a desire for more depth.The same can be said of the final section, on construction--Holden gives general guidelines but leaves the reader to compute the dimensions of all the faces of his models himself.

The prose is clear and concise, rare for a mathematics book.But the real substance lies in the photographs of polyhedra models.These are contructed in such a way that it is always easy to see the details of the solid: faces of different shapes are made of different shades of paper, complicated models are shown in intermediate stages of construction, polyhedra to be compared (such as duals) are shown as individuals and interpenetrating.The great icosidodecahedron photo on page 112 (or its companion that might go by the same name on page 98) is almost worth the price of the book by itself.

This is not a rigorous treatment of the subject, but it is a beautiful one.

An excellent introduction to Archimedean Star Polyhedra
This well-made and inexpensive book is brim-full of pictures of Alan Holden's models of polyhedra. It is a book for the hobbyist and the enthusiastic closet Pythagorean, more than it is for the professional mathematician. It is especially useful as an introduction to Archimedean star polyhedra, which are surely as beautiful as anything in geometry, and which were not fully catalogued until the 1950s.

If you find this material as compellingly fascinating as I do,you may want to follow up this book with these two:

"Polyhedron Models," by Magnus Wenninger, has a more thorough and systematic treatment of the Archimedean star polyhedra than Holden's book. These include some incredibly complicated models of "snub" star polyhedra -- spectacular stuff that is not included here. (On the other hand, Wenninger's book costs a good deal more.)

"Regular Polytopes," by H.S.M. Coxeter, is an elegantly written introduction to polyhedra in 3 and 4 dimensions. Coxeter himself wrote the first systematic treatment of the Archimedean star-polyhedra, and helped to discover the last few in the process.This book's illustrations are nowhere near as nice as the other ones', but this is balanced by its more rigorous mathematical treatment of the theme. Somebody needs to come up with a better way (using computer graphics?) to illustrate higher-dimensional polyhedra. In the meantime, this inexpensive book is the best I know on the subject.

A beautiful, simple and elegant book on polyhedra
A friend of mine lent me this book in 1975. (I still haven't given itback). Although this 200 page book is very simply and clearly written, Ihave never been able to sit down and read it from start to finish. Eachpart I read makes me stop and contemplate. After 24 years I still find newthings in it! The book starts out describing the five Platonic solids. Nextit explores the dualities: between the octahedron and cube, between thedodecahedron and icosohedron, and between the tetrahedron with itself.Holden talks about solids discovered by Kepler and Poinsot, space fillingsolids other than the cube, Nolids, lattices and a whole lot more. He alsodescribes how to make your own models with cardboard and Elmers' glue. DougKendall's photographs of Holden's models are very pleasing. This is myfavorite book. ... Read more

Isbn: 0486268519
Sales Rank: 111278
Subjects:  1. General    2. Geometry - General    3. Mathematics    4. Polyhedra    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Science / General   

The Search for Superstrings, Symmetry, and the Theory of Everything
by John Gribbin
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 August, 2000)
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Editorial Review

In days of yore, educated men and women would avidly follow new developments in the world of science; these days it seems to be too much trouble--relativity was bad enough, but "N-dimensional space"? Fortunately for those of us who have trouble visualizing parallel parking, much less quarks and gluons, John Gribbin is back with an up-to-date primer on subatomic physics. The Search for Superstrings, Symmetry, and the Theory of Everything refers as much to the reader's search for understanding as to the physicist's search for clever theories and experimental evidence to back them up, and Gribbin's prose is up to both tasks.

While meeting luminaries from Einstein to Steven Weinberg, we are treated to clear explanations of what in the world they're talking about, whether it's the "collapse of the wave function" or "high-energy particle acceleration." This material is especially fascinating to those of us without much mathematical inclination, as Gribbin manages to show the state-of-the-art in modern physics without forcing us to go back to school for a few years. (There is an appendix, "Group Theory for Beginners," for interested parties.) Writers like Gribbin are helping us reclaim the time when a little learning was all it took to understand science--and The Search for Superstrings, Symmetry, and the Theory of Everything might just convince you that it's not so hard, after all. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Overview of particle (not astro) physics since quantum
If you haven't had a solid introduction to quantum physics, this book is not the place to start -- Gribbin's excellent earlier book (Schroedinger's Cat) is the place to start.However, if you've read about the Cat and have a decent conceptual grasp, this book is a good update.Gribbin's strength is explaining the concepts, independent of the intense math that's involved in physics.The science is so complicated that this is clearly not an easy task, yet Gribbin is, in my opinion, quite good at bringing the concepts to a level that I can mostly, usually, get a grasp of.On this level, this book covers what's happened in physics from the quantum revolution up to the present.Superstrings, Symmetry, & TOE is really not the best title for it though, because I read the first half of the book waiting for Gribbin to get to any of the title concepts.

I don't think Superstrings is nearly as solid an effort by Gribbin as Cat was.I had a hard time grasping the symmetry concept.I was solid on the review of quantum mechanics (which was well done, but was not enough information to make me suggest skipping Schroedinger's Cat). I was right with him through the spin function, and I was doing pretty well all through quarks.When he (finally!) got to strings, I could understand again.Unfortunately, all through the discussion of symmetry -- which I read and re-read several times -- I just wasn't getting it.

All in all, I think this is a pretty solid book for covering the physics concepts of the last 70 years or so, but I recommend reading Schroedinger's Cat, or at least having a conceptual understanding of quantum mechanics first.

Well written and informative
If you are looking for more than " Oh, Golly" physics with some real mathematics, then this will be disappointing, but if you likeRichard Feynman type informative lectures that name the names andgive an understandable overview, then this is a well written book with history and facts and references. I got is as a gift from a friend who was trying to be of help! It was more help than some of my Google searches on the Internet!

Excellent overview of a challenging topic
I discovered John Gribbin relatively recently and have been going throughany of his books that I could find. Even though his enthusiasm leads him into the realm of speculation at times, he is a very competent source ofexciting and important information and remains a consistently good writerfor whom clarity comes naturally.

This book is shorter and more succinct than many others by the author, and he mostly remains within the mainstream boundaries. It can serve twopurposes: as a quick refresher in modern physics, and as an overviewof some of the latest developments in force unification efforts.

For me, the writing was of just the right level of difficulty to makeit worth-while to put in the effort necessary for the enjoyment of understanding the ideas it is trying to convey. Usually, they madegood sense on the second reading of a given section (allowing forsome inevitable vagueness of the subject as explained in words withoutthe underlying mathematics).

I would advise, however, that the complete neophyte starts elsewhere (maybe some earlier books by the same author); on the other hand, peoplewho are interested in much more detail of string theory in popular form could read e.g. "The Elegant Universe" by Brian Greene. ... Read more

Isbn: 0316326143
Subjects:  1. Grand unified theories (Nuclear physics)    2. Nuclear Physics    3. Particles (Nuclear physics)    4. Physics    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Supersymmetry    8. Waves & Wave Mechanics    9. Science / Physics   

The Nature of Solids
by Alan Holden
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (02 April, 1992)
list price: $11.95 -- our price: $9.56
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Reviews (2)

Re-reading it, 35 (?) years later
I thought I read this book when I was an undergraduate, but the date of publication on my hardback copy says it must have been later.In cleaning out our library my wife asked, "You don't really still want this old book, do you?"I said that I thought I once thought it was pretty good, so let's keep it.And I started to re-read it.

Maybe 35 years as a working physicist (nuclear, not solid state) has colored my view of things, but this book is rather better than just "pretty good".It is amazing how much meat of the subject that Holden can get across in a qualitative, non-mathematical way!He doesn't use the words "Fermi gas" -- in fact, Fermi isn't even noted in the index -- but the concept comes across very well.It is remarkable how much I learned about the nature of solid state, but maybe that only says how much I had forgotten from the first time I read it.

Very nice!Thank you, Alan Holden.

Good intro to the solid state
This short, easy to read book serves its purpose:a non-mathematical but informative intro to solid state physics.The illustrations and descriptions are good.I read it as self study before solid state physics and it was useful in the non-mathematical setup (albeit mostly review) for the mathematics of the class. ... Read more

Isbn: 0486270777
Sales Rank: 932573
Subjects:  1. Science    2. Science/Mathematics    3. Solid State Physics    4. Solids    5. Science / General