Average customer rating:
- All this Roz Chast in one place? For ME!?!
- Lamp Lovers Unite!
- A lot of entertainment for Roz Chast fans
- Theories of Everything Exceeeds Expectations
- A very funny lady
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Theories of Everything: Selected, Collected, and Health-Inspected Cartoons, 1978-2006
Roz Chast
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA
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ASIN: 158234423X
Release Date: 2006-10-31 |
Book Description
At last, the comprehensive book of cartoons from beloved New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast.
Customer Reviews:
All this Roz Chast in one place? For ME!?!.......2007-09-14
This collection of Roz Chast cartoons brings me great joy and delight. It's fun to watch the evolution of her particular "style" from her earlier works to recent years. All of my favorites are here (i.e. "Inside One's Memory Bank", etc.) Some people don't "get" her, and that's fine with me ("Can't come to the U.S. to buy property -- I have to finish Scrubbing This Teakettle!") She draws some of my favorite cartoon facial expressions ever and I have a secret dream of someday owning an actual cartoon she penned or seeing my likeness as drawn by Roz. Those fantasies may never happen, but in the meantime I forked over the bucks for this great big old book and am so glad that I did. Where else can I relish a world of "Bad Mom" magazine and "The kid who learned about math on the street"?
Lamp Lovers Unite!.......2007-08-04
Like Pablo Picasso, Roz Chast is a prolific genius. But unlike Pablo, Roz is FUNNY!!!
A lot of entertainment for Roz Chast fans.......2007-07-10
Whenever I pick up the New Yorker, I always search first for Roz Chast cartoons. I love her sense of humor. The book is a great value - hours of entertainment. Roz Chast fans will not regret making this investment.
Theories of Everything Exceeeds Expectations.......2007-05-21
I've been a fan of Roz Chatz's work for just about 30 years. This amazing compendeum does not dissapoint. It's more than just looking at cartoons. It's a real READ. I spent about two or three weeks perusing this volume. Unlike most "cartoon books" this one has intellectual weight. It is both insightful and F U N N Y! If you are at all familiar with this artist/writer's work than THEORIES OF EVERYTHING is a must for your library.
A very funny lady.......2007-05-15
I love the quirky, definitely neurotic humor to be found
in this treasure of cartoons. A great brouse when I need
a laugh.
Amazon.com
How is the human brain like the AIDS epidemic? Ask physicist Albert-László Barabási and he'll explain them both in terms of networks of individual nodes connected via complex but understandable relationships. Linked: The New Science of Networks is his bright, accessible guide to the fundamentals underlying neurology, epidemiology, Internet traffic, and many other fields united by complexity.
Barabási's gift for concrete, nonmathematical explanations and penchant for eccentric humor would make the book thoroughly enjoyable even if the content weren't engaging. But the results of Barabási's research into the behavior of networks are deeply compelling. Not all networks are created equal, he says, and he shows how even fairly robust systems like the Internet could be crippled by taking out a few super-connected nodes, or hubs. His mathematical descriptions of this behavior are helping doctors, programmers, and security professionals design systems better suited to their needs. Linked presents the next step in complexity theory--from understanding chaos to practical applications. --Rob Lightner
Book Description
A cocktail party. A terrorist cell. Ancient bacteria. An international conglomerate.
All are networks, and all are a part of a surprising scientific revolution. Albert-László Barabási, the nation's foremost expert in the new science of networks, takes us on an intellectual adventure to prove that social networks, corporations, and living organisms are more similar than previously thought. Grasping a full understanding of network science will someday allow us to design blue-chip businesses, stop the outbreak of deadly diseases, and influence the exchange of ideas and information. Just as James Gleick brought the discovery of chaos theory to the general public, Linked tells the story of the true science of the future.
Customer Reviews:
Not deep enough (?).......2007-06-23
For some reasons both this one and 'The Tipping point' didn't really appeal to me. As an example in this book there is this attempt to superimpose the 'Bose Einstein condensation' to network properties. I personally didn't see any beef there
Network theory and its applications.......2007-06-07
After reading Mitchel Resnick's Turtles, Termites, and Traffic Jams: Explorations in Massively Parallel Microworlds (Complex Adaptive Systems), my exploration of decentralized networks went down a very viral path. This book, in particular, discusses the application of network theory in the context of its historical significance. The author explores how it can be used as a tool and device to understand cities, computer networks social networks, human-human interactions (speech), human-computer interactions (HCI), computer-computer interactions (protocol), diseases, computer viruses, nature. Based on this book and its related siblings, it inspires tremendous amounts of ideas for the next big thing in marketing strategy.
Superb popular science: the laws of networks........2007-04-14
Networks all have a meaningful similarity. Whether the network at hand is a party, a cell's molecular reaction, or the puzzling old bridges of Königsberg, Prussia, you could describe each one by using a branch of mathematics called "graph theory," invented by Leonhard Euler in 1736. His long-dormant concept bloomed in the 1990s with the advent of the Internet and continues to yield insights into many important problems. Sounds a bit dry? Don't worry. Albert-László Barabási writes in a lively style (there's nary an equation in sight) with fun, informative anecdotes. The tale of how he and other scientists discovered "the laws of networks" unfolds like a detective story. After reading this book, you'll see networks everywhere and gain deeper insight into disparate phenomena, from biological systems to business organizations to the economics of "increasing returns." We recommend this clear, accessible book to anyone who has ever wondered about the ubiquitous webs that encompass all things. This is popular science at its best.
Great for the layman.......2007-04-11
One of the best books I've read about the subject, especially good for those being introduced to the subject of graph theory and network thinking. One of the few technical page-turners I've had the pleasure to enjoy! Really, could not put it down!
If you liked Freakonomics..........2007-01-12
...then you'll love the connections drawn in this text. It more than touches on the realities of "Six Degrees of Separation" (as well as Kevin Bacon!)in an interesting, readable format. You don't need to be a scientist or a mathematition to understand the links, networks, and nodes assessed in this book.
I must admit that it started out a bit slow, but I recommend you stick it out for an enlightening outlook on the interconnectivity of everything.
Amazon.com
Economics is not widely considered to be one of the sexier sciences. The annual Nobel Prize winner in that field never receives as much publicity as his or her compatriots in peace, literature, or physics. But if such slights are based on the notion that economics is dull, or that economists are concerned only with finance itself, Steven D. Levitt will change some minds. In Freakonomics (written with Stephen J. Dubner), Levitt argues that many apparent mysteries of everyday life don't need to be so mysterious: they could be illuminated and made even more fascinating by asking the right questions and drawing connections. For example, Levitt traces the drop in violent crime rates to a drop in violent criminals and, digging further, to the Roe v. Wade decision that preempted the existence of some people who would be born to poverty and hardship. Elsewhere, by analyzing data gathered from inner-city Chicago drug-dealing gangs, Levitt outlines a corporate structure much like McDonald's, where the top bosses make great money while scores of underlings make something below minimum wage. And in a section that may alarm or relieve worried parents, Levitt argues that parenting methods don't really matter much and that a backyard swimming pool is much more dangerous than a gun. These enlightening chapters are separated by effusive passages from Dubner's 2003 profile of Levitt in The New York Times Magazine, which led to the book being written. In a book filled with bold logic, such back-patting veers Freakonomics, however briefly, away from what Levitt actually has to say. Although maybe there's a good economic reason for that too, and we're just not getting it yet. --John Moe
Book Description
Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common? Why do drug dealers still live with their moms? How much do parents really matter? What kind of impact did Roe v. Wade have on violent crime?
These may not sound like typical questions for an economist to ask. But Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He is a much-heralded scholar who studies the riddles of everyday life -- from cheating and crime to sports and child rearing -- and whose conclusions regularly turn the conventional wisdom on its head. Thus the new field of study contained in this book:
Freakonomics.
Levitt and co-author Stephen J. Dubner show that economics is, at root, the study of incentives -- how people get what they want or need especially when other people want or need the same thing. In
Freakonomics, they set out to explore the hidden side of ... well, everything. The inner workings of a crack gang. The truth about real-estate agents. The secrets of the Ku Klux Klan.
What unites all these stories is a belief that the modern world is even more intriguing than we think. All it takes is a new way of looking. Steven Levitt, through devilishly clever and clear-eyed thinking, shows how to see through all the clutter.
Read by Stephen J. Dubner
Download Description
"
Which is more dangerous, a gun or a swimming pool? What do schoolteachers and sumo wrestlers have in common? Why do drug dealers still live with their moms? How much do parents really matter? What kind of impact did Roe v. Wade have on violent crime?
These may not sound like typical questions for an economist to ask. But
Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He is a much heralded scholar who studies the stuff and riddles of everyday life -- from cheating and crime to sports and child rearing -- and whose conclusions regularly turn the conventional wisdom on its head. He usually begins with a mountain of data and a simple, unasked question. Some of these questions concern life-and-death issues; others have an admittedly freakish quality. Thus the new field of study contained in this book: freakonomics.
Through forceful storytelling and wry insight, Levitt and co-author
Stephen J. Dubner show that economics is, at root, the study of incentives -- how people get what they want, or need, especially when other people want or need the same thing. In
Freakonomics, they set out to explore the hidden side of ... well, everything. The inner workings of a crack gang. The truth about real-estate agents. The myths of campaign finance. The telltale marks of a cheating schoolteacher. The secrets of the Ku Klux Klan.
What unites all these stories is a belief that the modern world, despite a surfeit of obfuscation, complication, and downright deceit, is not impenetrable, is not unknowable, and -- if the right questions are asked -- is even more intriguing than we think. All it takes is a new way of looking. Steven Levitt, through devilishly clever and clear-eyed thinking, shows how to see through all the clutter.
Freakonomics establishes this unconventional premise: If morality represents how we would like the world to work, then economics represents how it actually does work. It is true that readers of this book will be armed with enough riddles and stories to last a thousand cocktail parties. But
Freakonomics can provide more than that. It will literally redefine the way we view the modern world.
"
Customer Reviews:
My two cents.......2007-10-08
This collection is the perfect introduction to "thinking outside the box" that Young Adults so desperately need. Filled with challenging situations that demand to know, "why things are the way they are?" Sprinkled with just enough statistics to give credibility, (but not to overwhelm), and just enough history to shed light on the bigger picture; it asks the meaningful, fresh questions that will intrigue and interest the most lethargic student. Recommended for thoughtful, mature audiences, this book may appeal to the Young Adult reader, and their parents. Drugs, crime, getting a job - this book covers many of the contemporary issues facing Young Adults today.
Mind blowing .......2007-10-02
This book changed the way I think about economics, while being entertaining and fun. Highly recommended!
Dumbed Down Levitt.......2007-09-27
I saw Steven Levitt (the economist) on CSPAN Book-TV. He was intelligent, incisive & insightfull and presented his information clearly with a wry sense of humor. I very much anticipated reading this book. What a disappointment! Clearly the book was written by Dubner, not Levitt, and it's origins as a Sunday magazine profile are too apparent. The sharp intelligence and clear ideas are made fuzzy by Dubner's generic, puffy non-fiction writing techniques. This is not to say this book is without merit. Levitt's ideas manage to shine throught the murk of Dubner's writing. But if you want to get a clearer picutre of Levitt and his thinking, go to the C-SPAN Book-TV archives and watch the show with Steven Levitt discussing the book.
I hope that next time Levitt and/or his publisher will have the confidence to have him write a popular, non-academic book on his own and won't feel the need to hire a "professional" to translate his ideas to a popular audience. His ideas need simple clarity, not fancy dressing up.
Spray-Painted Fruit.......2007-09-25
"Freakonomics" has all the elements of great nonfiction. It approaches old subjects in new ways. It combines a "rogue" economist's out-of-the-box thinking with the concise work of a disciplined writer. A quick read, it also challenges Americans to think for themselves--now there's a real accomplishment!
Levitt and Dubner make some interesting points about our education system, medical and parental fears, and racial divides. They never claim to tie all these insights into a cohesive treatise, although they do meander back and forth over unifying themes of what motivates us as human beings and what causes us to buy into collective myths. For years, I've observed the lemming effect in our society, usually driven by the media, and by the average person's seeming inability to override knee-jerk fears with a small dollop of logic. Raising my own children, I heard the flip-flopping of the experts: "Babies should sleep on their backs...their bellies...their sides...in your bed...in their own bed..." ad nauseum.
"Freakonomics" has worthy goals. It reaches them on many levels. On the other hand, it is marketed toward those who already see through these societal deceits. It's not high-minded enough to satisfy those seeking true "rogue" economics, and it's not accessible enough for those nominative readers who might benefit from it the most. Also, on a number of occasions, it draws from a hodgepodge of statistics and extrapolates theories that, while very reasonable, are not proven here with any certainty. And yet we are expected to believe them, even while the same authors are telling us to stop believing such extrapolations from other "experts."
For a book that'll cause you to reconsider certain "established" norms" and to carry on lively discussions, "Freakonomics" is a wonderful coffee table addition. I was disappointed, though, in its overall lack of depth. Most of the subjects addressed are ones I, as a regular individual, have questioned on basic principles of logic in the first place. I didn't need a "rogue" economist for this, or a catchy title. I could've extracted the same tidbits from a decent magazine article by the same pair.
An apple is an apple is an orange. Yes, there are some nutrients in this tasty book, but the authors, like many grocers, have spray-painted the fruit to appear a bit more delectable than it actually is.
This book makes economics entertaining.......2007-09-23
Think you won't be entertained by a book about economics? Think again. Reduced to its essence, economics is about people's response to incentives. This book abounds with examples that you probably aren't accustomed to thinking of as economics. The author excels at analyzing mounds of data and extracting nuggets of wisdom from it. He even steps you through a couple of them, though once he's sure you've got the idea he sticks to giving you the pertinent information. After reading this book I became aware of how economics permeates human interactions.
Book Description
Guitarists of all levels will find a wealth of practical music knowledge in this special book and CD package. Veteran guitarist and author Tom Kolb dispels the mysteries of music theory using plain and simple terms and diagrams. The accompanying CD provides 94 tracks of music examples, scales, modes, chords, ear training, and much more!
Customer Reviews:
Simple yet Effective........2007-10-06
This is a book that should be read after or at the same time as reading The Guitar Fretboard workbook. This book expounds on scales and intervals, triads and arpeggios, but in theory. Helps with learning how to write staff, read staff, sightread, and play! A MUST HAVE!
-Dr. Kenneth
Solid.......2007-09-30
An easy to understand guide in music theory as it relates to the guitar. I'm no wiz-bang when it comes to music. I constantly struggle with it, but despite that I recieve so much gratification from the effort. This book lays out the concepts in very easy and digestible chunks so that even a slow music learner as myself is able to grasp the concepts.
Comprehensive, intuitive guide for the guitarist wanting to understand theory..........2007-09-22
I have been a musician all of my life, since the age of 4, and a guitarist for a decade, since the age of sixteen. I was in high school orchestra and took guitar lessons for a few years, but at no time during any of this did any of my instructors really help me understand music theory. I tried learning a few times by myself, but that always ended in frustration.
Then I found this book. "Music Theory for Guitarists" is the most in-depth, intuitive, and well thought out book on the subject that I have ever come across. After reading this book and completing the exercises in it, I now feel confident in my grasp of music theory in a way I thought would never happen.
This book deftly guides the reader through the journey from the most basic of basics to much more complex topics, such as chord substitution and reharmonization. It also includes an entire chapter on learning to find the key center of songs, which is an incredibly useful skill to have. You can't always tell by ear what key you are in.
Perhaps the most in depth part of this book...the author analyzes the major and minor scales, and all of their modes, in depth. He gives each scale and mode its own section, discussing the nuances of what sets each apart from the others, and giving ideas for how and when to apply it in real world situations. He also goes into detail about building and identifying chords and harmonizing the major and minor scales (a section that has completely reinvented the way I look at writing music.)
I cannot say enough about this book. It has opened my eyes to a subject I thought I was too "stupid" to grasp, and showed me that I was only unable to learn because it had never been presented to me correctly. If you have any weaknesses in your knowledge of music theory, I would strongly recommend that you take advantage of the goldmine of information found in this book. You will likely find yourself, as I have, seeing the language of music in a completely different light, and for the first time really seeing how all Western music is connected at the root.
Great book!.......2007-09-17
Although some of the concepts can be a little tough at first, this book has become invaluable to me. It has enabled me to progress as a professional guitarist, not just someone who seeks to "self-learn" things on their own by playing songs of favorite bands.
I am very glad I got this book. It will teach you everything you need to know about music theory- which will greatly improve your guitar playing abilities in the long run.
great book.......2007-08-29
Ive reviewed alot of material on theory, and I really gained alot from this book. I dont have a guitar teacher, however, I do have a music theory instructor that I meet with weekly, and now that Ive completed a workbook in theory, and now reviewing with Music theory for guitarists, I feel that I am covering things as both review and newly applied to the guitar. There are great tips to understanding the guitar as well, which make me create my own music, and not just learn songs. Songs seem great for the once a year campfire, where everyone can sing along, but I play everyday, and without an audience. Sooner or later, youre going to discover that youre bored with other peoples songs, and youre ready to create your own music, of which this book gives you the keys to understanding this and take off on your own. Before this book, I was very frustrated with the fret board, now its user friendly in all positions.
Book Description
Introduces the embracing world-concept long sought by scientists, mystics, and sages: an Integral Theory of Everything
• Explains how modern science has rediscovered the Akashic Field of perennial philosophy
• Reveals how the universe stores a record of all that is happening and has ever happened on Earth and throughout the cosmos
• Explores the origins, role, and future of life and consciousness in the universe
Mystics and sages have long maintained that there exists an interconnecting cosmic field at the roots of reality that conserves and conveys information, a field known as the Akashic record. Recent discoveries in the new field of vacuum physics now show that this Akashic field is real and has its equivalent in the zero-point field that underlies space itself. This field consists of a subtle sea of fluctuating energies from which all things arise: atoms and galaxies, stars and planets, living beings, and even consciousness. This zero-point Akashic-field--or “A-field”-- is not only the original source of all things that arise in time and space; it is also the constant and enduring memory of the universe. It holds the record of all that ever happened in life, on Earth, and in the cosmos and relates it to all that is yet to happen.
Scientist and philosopher Ervin Laszlo conveys the essential element of this vision of the “informed universe” in language that is accessible and clear. The informed universe lends credence to our deepest intuitions of the oneness of life and the whole of creation. We discover that, as philosopher William James stated, “we are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep.”
Customer Reviews:
An excellent intro to holistic philosophy.......2007-09-14
A superb book on holistic philosophy. The article by Dr Peter Teiman, "holism and gestaldt"discusses the more philosophical aspects, yet this book looks at holism from the philosophical as well as physics and psychological perspectives.
Dr Peter Teiman
Switzerland
clear, coherent, and concise........2007-06-22
finally, a coherent study of the bridge between the concept of the 'a-field' and the current developments in physics which may support these theories. simple enough to make sense to a non-scientist, but certainly detailed and thorough enough to satisfy an intelligent inquisitor. another excellent work from ervin laszlo.
Revolutionary Thinking.......2007-05-06
Mind-blowing concepts which force us to question our understanding of the "real world."
Technical.......2007-05-06
Not a bad book, but rather technical for my liking. This book is more for the chemist than the alchemist (if you know what I mean). I agree with the reviewer BJ Day, the spiritually esoteric aspects of the Akashic record was not touched upon at all. The closest he came to this, was mentioning how "Native Tribes were able to communicate beyond the range of human eye and ear. At times entire cultures were able to share information among themselves, even though they were not in any known form of contact with each other". Maybe Ervin Laszlo will give more of that in his 2nd edition (May 2007). He has a pretty impressive resume, and a interesting surname.
Why stop at the akashic ?.......2007-05-02
A very great scholarly book but i was a bit dissapointed with the conclusions he reached. he is coming from a scientific background and only very carefully concedes anything that might be labelled spiritualistic. That is fair enough ... keeps us from going off the rails completely but sometimes i wish great scholars wouldn't be so rigid. Sometimes academia gets in the way of other, far more intuitive and (ironically) RATIONAL conclusions. However, he does have the very great virtue of scientific rigour, so that you know if he admits for example telepathy into his discourse, that it must be solid.
He explains how information is transferred instantaneously
during phenomena like the quantum spook 'action at a distance' and telepathy (which he readily admits into his framework), and then poses the question 'how' is the information transferred , given that it must be faster than the speed of light. He also marvels at the level of 'coherence'
between organisms such as ourselves and our envoirnment, and again points to feedback loops and systems theory (covered very well by the way in
fritjof capras 'web of life').
Again the big question is 'how' - how does the information get 'fed back' so quickly on natures broadband, so to speak, in order to maintain such a high level of coherence. This points convincingly to another type of 'connectivity' - not translatory across a surface, but vertically towards a common center (in this case an omnipresent etheric, or common field sustaining and informing the observable world). The idea of the ether raises its head again and, inspite of mitchelson&morley it is very plausable. (incidentally, according to nature magazine, this was revisited in 1986 and traces of etheric wind WERE found, using more sensitive equipment. Where was the huge sensational reaction in the scientific community ? .... this is what i mean about scientific rigidity, or fear of ridicule).
This is how the book starts out, and it is very exciting, and then he goes on to posit the existence of the akashic field (read 'etheric field', vacumn or zero point field) which mystics and spiritual teachers have always maintained.
This field would explain neatly a range of phenomena - just like Lynn
mcTaggarts book 'the field' - in fact, basically, at this point he has just caught up with McTaggart.
I was then hoping he would maybe explore the possibilities of the other fields (or plenums / planes) , just as the esoteric literature tells us - ie. the astral plane, the mental plane, the causal plane etc. but he stops at the akashic. (in fairness, as a scientist he had to).
From there he says it is an information reservoir that 'informs' the physical world of phenomena, storing the information holographically in wave patterns - and that everyones conscious experience is stored there for everyone else to tap into ... (reminded me abit of Carlos Casteneda and the eagle devouring our awareness at the point of death).
The thing that dissapointed me is that he was dismissive of reincarnation and the idea of a soul existing as an entity within the field as 'unlikely' without giving any further explanation. He said that peoples experience of past lives were actually people just tapping into the field of all experience in a manner not unlike radio reception - ie. you pick up on the frequencies that resonate with your own. The consious experiences are recorded there , but there is no trace of the agent who put them there .... abit like the song being immortalised when burned (encoded) onto the cd , but the cd burner (the agent) itself dissapates)...The obvious extension of that analogy is who or what is the listener to the cd's ?
At the end of it all , and after many iterations of universal creation, all of the fields potential gets realised (in the form of these holographic, soliton like, patterns) and this is equivalent to all of the possibilities inherent within the mind of god becoming realised - or god has become self realised through us as his agents (yes ... very like the eagle devouring the awareness at the point of death). All the different possible permutations and combinations , that exist as potential , do eventually get materialised (or 'made observable') and their exact details get recorded in this field. Thus both the being and the becoming are in there (as they would have to be if they exist as potential within the mind of god) ... BUT, here he seems to take the path of the materialist when he seems to suggest that these wave patterns ARE the very mind of god. There is something missing in this picture ... it is like having a cd and no listener.
The esoteric literature would appear to suggest that we may well be thoughts in the mind of god, and that we are exactly as immortal as this gods mind is - no less. We don the clothes of many etheric planes (giving us for example a mental body and an astral body as well as the outward physical body), but we remain that immortal spark, that static point in eternity. The creative forces of the universe are inherent in us as much as in any God - at the level of our eternal core, it is we ourselves (as one) who spin the web of the outer worlds, including the sheath known as the akashic field.
Why can't there be other 'higher' agents, such as the soul and the monad within what the author has termed the akashic field ? Why does he just dismiss the idea of the soul incarnating as 'unlikely', and instead postulate something far more requiring of a leap of faith - ie. the cd's without a listener ? It could be a case of bringing a bit of scientific scepticism to bear , just for the sake of it , in order to compensate for the giant step taken in the direction of spirituality - so as not to TOTALLY alienate himself from his peers.
Its still a great work though - just a pity he restrained himself from going the whole hog.
Esoteric literature on the otherhand seems to maintain that we ARE immortal ... that we form collectively the mind of god, and that these forms are structured in a certain way (for example the numbers 3 and 7 seem to feature pretty heavily in the picture, as well as recursivity (galaxies of galaxies type of thing). The personality is the agent of the soul, and the soul is the agent of the monad. The soul spawns many personalities over many lifetimes(these do dissipate back into the field) and collects the conscious experience of each (this is the eagle). After a while the soul no longer needs the experience of physical matter ... its agent (the personality) is a perfected instrument and carries out the souls purpose in matter - just as the sculptors art eventually takes form through the heavy medium of marble, the souls vibration achieves a true and faithful expression in the world of matter. The personality is dispensed with and you just have a soul operating in the world. Eventually in a similar manner the soul itself is absorbed back into the monad ... and so on as long as there is freedom of thought within the mind of god, the process goes on and on - it is eternity itself. The mortality or immortality of the self would appear to be a question of identification ... if i identify myself with my personality, then i get a different answer than if i identify myself with my soul. In the second case i (soul) will survive death, in the first case (personality) no. Similarly at another level you would need to identify with the monad to get the happy answer. i think jesus identified with the very force of life itself (the father) ... and thus knew for certain that he was exactly as immortal as the creative forces themselves. One thing that can't be created is creativity itself - it has to preceed the creation, and thus the creative forces of the universe are immortal.
Book Description
This book describes how understanding the structure of reality leads to the Theory of Everything Equation. The equation unifies the forces of nature and enables the merging of relativity with quantum theory. The book explains the big bang theory and everything else.
Customer Reviews:
The Real Deal.......2006-09-25
Although Mr. Wheatley is a little verbose in sections, his documentation of Zen Buddhistic Principles found throughout the disciplines of Mathematics, Physics, Theology, etc. forms a nice reference guide for anyone tuned into that wavelength. In particular, his explanation of how Godel's Theorem and Cantor's "Confusion" shed great light on the difference between GOD's Logic and Man's Logic should be a revelation to any undergraduate level math students who encounter these ideas for the first time. Curiously, Mr. Wheatley makes many misstatements about both Zen Buddhism Principles and the Bible, however. For example, by accepting the false biblical teaching of Original Sin, he misses the point that eating the proverbial apple gave Adam and Eve the ability to make Moral Discernments in fulfillment of GOD'S PERFECT PLAN. As proof, read Genesis 1 which states that Man and Woman were made in GOD's Image. Genesis 4 shows that Adam and Eve weren't the first humans on Earth at all, there were plenty of others by then. The allegorical meaning of the story of Eden, then, isn't that Adam and Eve were the first humans on Earth, but they were the first humans with the ability to make Moral Discernments (in GOD's Image). In fact, Moral Discernment is God's Unique Gift to Man, which is the basis of consciousness, not some Math Formula. But because the wages of the resulting, unavoidable sin are Death, many people foolishly try to return to Eden by: (1) living a sinless Life (2) by removing choice altogether by passing and enforcing strict Laws (3) by attempting to do away with Moral Discernment and the resulting consequences for our actions altogether by trying to remove Shame from Shameful actions. GOD is not some ethereal Man-In-Space, but is simply the Totality of all Real Things, The Set of All Real Sets. GOD's Love manifests itself from the amazing sub-atomic relationships that underly this magic Life all the way to the grandest of Macroscopic Scales, the Interconnected Totality itself. The Zen Buddhism connection can be found by simply superimposing the 0 symbol and the symbol for infinity (8 on its side) in Mr. Wheatley's supposedly "new" formulation that 1 = 0 x infinity. Superimposing them gives you the yin-yang symbol. A potential disadvantage of artificially separating the infinity from the zero, however, is that Mr. Wheatley is able to equate the entire expression to be equal to 1. This potentially might obscure the fact that the deepest meaning of the yin-yang symbol is that it is both 2 and 1 AT THE SAME TIME. His overall equation does preserve that important meaning by utilizing a single element on one side of the equation and two elements on the other side of his final TOE equation. This may be hard to see for some at first, however, which could potentially obscure the richest meaning of this beautiful symbol/equation. A much more GODLY TOE, in my opinion, comes from Euler, who discovered that e ^ (i * pi) - 1 = 0. When someone can explain that relationship, then they can say they know GOD.
A life changing experience??.......2005-06-13
This book is an easy read and does succeed in being somewhat thought-provoking. However, I am a little surprised at the awesome, "life changing" experience it apparently was for many of the readers. Wheatley's conclusions were interesting but nothing really new. All of his material should have passed through the mind of any thinking person without the aid of this book.
The reason I gave this book three stars is because he uses unneccessarily wordy ways of describing simple things. Also, the author and many other reviewers insist that Wheatley makes only one assumption. Wrong-his whole theory is one big assumption.
Overall though it was a very interesting and worthy book.
Should be Required Reading for everyone.......2004-06-26
This book will change your life. You will never think the same way you did before reading it.
I have a degree in chemistry and I think this book should be read by everyone in the sciences. Without a doubt, the best book I've ever read. Why and what are two of our best friends
A Very Important Book.......2004-01-26
I must preface my review by stating that I have never been so excited and moved by a book that I have wanted to contact the author. That is what I found myself doing upon reading this book. This book is just what its title says. The author does not "miss a beat" describing in great detail using practically every aspect of scientific knowledge from atomic structure through logic to quantum theory---we are even given a valuable explanation of Love. This text may be challenging to read for those unfamiliar with scientific terminology. And it can also be difficult for those with a science background, such as myself. However, for me it is well worth the work necessary to strive to understand the unfamiliar terminology. (I am continually learning from this book. I am presently on my third reread).
One of the author's main messages is "not" to believe anything without first verifying it with reality, as we know it. He calls it the "Personal Explanation Principle". He indicates that religions are just such belief systems that we as people "fall" victims of; because we do not verify the beliefs with the facts, as we know them, of reality. He gives a very detailed explanation of how the New Testament can be explored using his methodology.
The author methodically and meticulously walks us through his thought processes, which took 30 years to assimilate, of delineating the structure of reality and the nature of consciousness. Included in the "walk" are many of reality's phenomena made revelatory. An example of that, for me, would be the dual nature of light. It's particle/wave duality, which is explained as "functions". Also, when the author took me on the mental journey of "Setness" an exhilaration of the magnificence of life swelled up in me.
To me this is a very important book that should be read by all that are seekers of truth. It is for all those wanting to gain an understanding of the purpose for their existence, wanting to know where life is headed towards, and wanting to know who God is.
This book will enlighten and develop one's mind substantially. You will discover that this is our objective.
And yes, I contacted the author and he responded openly.
Illuminating!!!.......2002-12-30
This is a really great book. It combines philosophy and science in order to tackle a multitude of existential problems. The author's style of writing is fresh and alive, I recommend ths book to anyone interested in expanding the fronteirs of their understanding. Books I also liked are a Universe in an Nutshell by Steven Hawkings and Descent into Illusions by Paul Omeziri.
Average customer rating:
- Everyone is right
- Devoid of content
- Not the best of Ken Wilber's books.....
- Clear, Centered, Solid
- Suprised "A Theory of Everything" was a quick read
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A Theory of Everything: An Integral Vision for Business, Politics, Science and Spirituality
Ken Wilber
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ASIN: 1570628556
Release Date: 2001-10-16 |
Amazon.com
The spiritual intellectual Ken Wilber takes on the hottest theory in modern physics, known as the "M Theory," or the "The Theory of Everything." As Wilber explains, it is "a model that would unite all the known laws of the universe into one all-embracing theory that would literally explain everything in existence." Of course this new "M Theory" opens up a can of wormy, slippery questions, which Wilber addresses: "What does 'everything' actually mean? Would this new theory in physics explain, say, the meaning of human poetry? Or how economics work? Or the stages of psychosexual development?"
Being Ken Wilber, he couldn't resist answering these questions by folding the "Theory of Everything" into some of his own personal visions and theories. This overlay is presented in his signature straightforward, clearly written style. The upshot is that common readers can easily follow Wilber on a quantum journey and wind up with a lasting souvenir--a scientific and spiritual understanding of how the mind, body, soul, and universe all work together like a never-ending symphony. And that's just in the first four chapters. From there he shows readers the practical applications of this vision--explaining how it could lead to more integrative styles of business, education, medicine, ecology, and even how we address world conflicts. Wilber admits that this "holistic quest is an ever-receding dream, a horizon that constantly retreats as we approach it." Nonetheless, he can still take readers on an incredible journey--one that's well worth the price of the ticket. --Gail Hudson
Book Description
Here is a concise, comprehensive overview of Wilber's revolutionary thought and its application in today's world. In A Theory of Everything, Wilber uses clear, nontechnical language to present complex, cutting-edge theories that integrate the realms of body, mind, soul, and spirit. He then demonstrates how these theories and models can be applied to real-world problems in areas such as politics, medicine, business, education, and the environment. Wilber also discusses daily practices that readers take up in order to apply this integrative vision to their own everyday lives.
Customer Reviews:
Everyone is right.......2007-10-10
The thesis of this book is that we need an "integral" approach to everything. What is an integral approach? Well, it takes into account all levels and all quadrants. So there.
Here's what you do. Create a sort of Dewey Decimal System for reality. Slice it into chunks, cram the chunks into categories, nest concepts inside other concepts, then create lots of lists, levels, charts, graphs, diagrams, spirals, and hierarchies. Adopt a progressive color scheme to describe the levels of human progress, from beast to buddha. Make a four-quadrant diagram. Find a place for everything in one of the quadrants. In fact, make a bunch of four-quadrant diagrams to demonstrate that, with a little ingenuity, you can make everything fit.
Once you have performed this microscopic analysis, declare that the proper course for humanity in all things is to consider all the stuff in all the quadrants. There, now, isn't that helpful? As the author says, "In the Theory of Everything, I have one major rule: EVERYBODY is right. More specifically, everybody--including me--has some important pieces of truth, and all of those pieces need to be honored, cherished and included in a more gracious, spacious, and compassionate embrace, a genuine T.O.E." (Emphasis in original.)
Suppose you're willing accept that dubious but egalitarian sentiment. How do you distinguish the "important pieces of truth" from the nonsense. Now THAT would be helpful. Wilber can't be bothered with such messy business. He's already handled the hard part. He told you to be integral. Does he have to explain everything?
The book is filled with quirky words to describe trite concepts. Consider the "holon." His definition: "A holon is a whole that is part of other wholes. For example, a whole atom is part of a whole molecule; a whole molecule is part of a whole cell; a whole cell is part of a whole organism." What is the real analytical value of a word that describes everything in the universe? (Maybe Wilber's answer is that reality is holon's "all the way up and all the way down," as he says in the Notes. Cute, but of what use?) The concept of the "meme," when introduced by Richard Dawkins, was new and useful (even if it is stretched out of shape by Wilber). Not so with holons. Although by definition, a meme must be a holon, since everything else is.
Wilber has other distracting habits. As others have observed, he spends much of his time promoting his other books and dropping names. It all leads me to wonder why his writings and his ideas are so rarely cited, other than by himself. Some of his remarks, such as on evolution, would be shared with a fringe group, at best. It is apparent that he spends a great deal of time reading and pondering, but not enough time testing his ideas against those who would challenge him. He comes off as a wannabe guru.
I remember late nights in college during the 1970's, sitting around with friends, absorbed in deeply meaningful discussions that produced flashes of sudden insight, revelations so profound they simply must be preserved. I'd rush to my journal to record the epic moment for future generations. The next day I'd jump out of be and open my journal, eager to read what I knew had to be irrefutable proof of enlightened thought. Then I'd read it.
Reading A Theory of Everything reminded me of that.
Devoid of content.......2007-04-21
Nothing but an incoherent collection of allusions to other works, filled with trendy pop-philosophy terminology like "meme" and "holon". Over 23% of the book is simply the word "integral". There are no visions in this book, only "integral" visions; a hierarchy is not good enough, it must be an "integral" hierarchy. Avoid.
Not the best of Ken Wilber's books............2007-01-01
In this book Ken Wilber presents a concise overview of his basic ideas and how they can be applied to various areas such as medicine, education and business. This isn't a bad place to start reading Ken Wilber, but you would most likely be better served by reading A BRIEF HISTORY OF EVERYTHING. This latter book goes more in-depth, rambles less and is presented in an interview format. It goes much more deeply, is more interesting, persuasive and easy to follow.
What Ken is attempting to do in this book and others is to take the best ideas and common threads from many different areas including psychology, philosophy and the world's wisdom traditions and consolidate them into a coherent worldview that considers multiple ways of knowing and respects all domains of experience such as the interior (subjective) and exterior (objective) of both individuals and collectives e.g. various cultures.
Mr. Wilber argues that reality consists of holons which are wholes that are also parts of other more complex wholes. An example of this would be subatomic particles make up atoms, atoms make up molecules, etc. Each whole has four irreducible dimensions as described above and there is an increase in complexity as one moves upward toward more complexity.
Ken also brings up the point that each domain or quadrant has different criteria for validity claims. For example, their may be one set of criteria for studying molecules, but a quite different set for studying the interiors of individuals e.g. mystical experience, the personal experience of emotion, etc.
Another important point that Ken makes is that at each successive level of complexity, new properties emerge that can not be fully accounted for on the basis of the whole being the sum of the parts. One such emergent is consciousness.
It is difficult to capture the spirit and key concepts of this author in a small space, but I think his synthesis has considerable validity and value. He assumes no one can be completely wrong and his attempted synthesis across many worldviews is very appealing.
If you were only going to buy one book on Ken Wilber, this would not be my top choice. However, if you are looking for a simple fast read that introduces his ideas, this volume might be for you.
Clear, Centered, Solid.......2006-12-16
The author takes you where he has been and points you onward to where he is going with the reminder that we are all on this journey together and that there is no separation.
Suprised "A Theory of Everything" was a quick read.......2006-12-11
First off I have to state that I absolutely loved this book! Wilber's writing style caught my eye instantly. He intertwines thought-provoking theories which can be applied toward every aspects of ones life with the use of non-technical language. This allowed me as a reader to understand the book without having a large background in such ideas as shown in The Theory of Everything (TOE).
TOE is expressed throughout the book to simply be the understanding everything is intertwined with everything else. To me, while reading this book I began to think that the world could be viewed as a giant spider-web; everything and everyone is interlaced and integrated in all action all actions of their lives and that in and of itself is an amazing idea.
I appreciated the detail-oriented, complex graphs shown throughout the book and even though I got lost more then a few times looking them over, I felt it wasn't necessary to fully comprehend Wilber's theory.
I especially liked that Wilber addressed many problems within society; however, at the end of the book (p.138) he addresses how one would began to achieve the status of "all-level, all-quadrant" by beginning with the waves of existence within ones self and that initiating a transformation isn't as difficult as one would think.
Book Description
Theories for Everything highlights the rich, compelling stories behind science's greatest discoveries and the minds and methods that made them possible. Authoritative, entertaining, and easy to follow, it provides indispensable information on our current theories about the natural and physical world as well as a concise overview of how those ideas evolved.
Filled with illustrations, topical essays, and sidebars, these fascinating pages cover every major topic imaginable—astronomy, the human body and its inner workings, the nature of matter and energy, genetics and evolution, and the complex relationship between mind and behavior. Broken down by subject, the book provides readers with a thorough examination of each set of related theories as they are tested and refined and introduces all the major figures in the history of science, including Aristotle, Archimedes, Copernicus, Galileo, Descartes, Pascal, Newton, Edison, Pasteur, Darwin, Pavlov, Curie, Einstein, Freud, Feynman, and Hawking. The lives of more than 45 scientists are captured in special time lines that add depth and detail to the running narrative.
Each discovery is presented as a detective story: the narrative focuses on how inquisitive investigators posit, revise, and improve upon their descriptions of nature. And like any first-rate mystery, it entices its readers, inviting them to match wits with the scientific sleuths whose theories for everything have unraveled nature's riddles and reshaped how we see our world.
Amazon.com
With a title inspired as much by Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker series as Einstein, The Theory of Everything delivers almost as much as it promises. Transcribed from Stephen Hawking's Cambridge Lectures, the slim volume may not present a single theory unifying gravity with the other fundamental forces, but it does carefully explain the state of late 20th-century physics with the great scientist's characteristic humility and charm. Explicitly shunning math, Hawking explains the fruits of 100 years of heavy thinking with metaphors that are simple but never condescending--he compares the settling of the newborn universe into symmetry to the formation of ice crystals in a glass of water, for example. While he explores his own work (especially when speaking about black holes), he also discusses the important milestones achieved by others like Richard Feynman. Though occasionally an impenetrably obscure phrase does slip by, the reader will find the bulk of the text enlightening and engaging. The material, from the nature of time to the possibility that the universe has no beginning or end, is rich and deep and inevitably ignites metaphysical thinking. After all, Hawking is famous for his "we would know the mind of God" remark, which ends the final lecture herein. --Rob Lightner
Book Description
Based on a series of lectures given at Cambridge University, Professor Hawking's work introduced "the history of ideas about the universe" as well as today's most important scientific theories about time, space, and the cosmos in a clear, easy-to-understand way.
Customer Reviews:
Even if it is unofficial..........2007-10-02
Even if this product is unofficial, and unsanctioned by Stephen Hawking himself, I have to say I enjoyed it.
I liked how its topics were so clearly delineated into thematically cohesive lectures, I liked that the author read them himself using a computer, and I loved the clear and organized way that Hawking laid out topics as complex and unfathomable as black holes and time and the beginning of the universe.
Don't buy this, I suppose, since it's really not sanctioned by Hawking himself, but do buy his other work that basically repeats this same material.
Do buy this, though, if you're a Hawking completist, already have all his other books, and are looking for just a little bit more.
I loved it.
Phoenix Strikes Again.......2007-08-13
When Phoenix did a crummy job on their audio book production of A Brief History of Time, I thought "that seems kind of disrespectful, doing a hack job like that just so they can make money off of a famous book."
Ha! Do I feel like a fool now!
Oh yeah, and of course I am obligated to add this little bit from Hawking's website:
IMPORTANT NOTE
It has come to our attention that the book "The Theory of Everything: The Origin and Fate of the Universe" has been published. Professor Hawking would like to make it clear that he has not endorsed this book. The text was written by him many years ago, however the material has already been published in books such as 'A Brief History of Time'. A complaint was made to the Federal Trade Commission in the US in the hope that they would prevent the publication. We would urge you not to purchase this book in the belief that Professor Hawking was involved in its creation.
Question the publiser.........2007-07-05
IMPORTANT NOTE
It has come to our attention that the book "The Theory of Everything: The Origin and Fate of the Universe" has been published. Professor Hawking would like to make it clear that he has not endorsed this book. The text was written by him many years ago, however the material has already been published in books such as 'A Brief History of Time'. A complaint was made to the Federal Trade Commission in the US in the hope that they would prevent the publication. We would urge you not to purchase this book in the belief that Professor Hawking was involved in its creation.
In a nut shell.......2007-06-10
The toughts of the supposed beginings of the universe are thought provoking. The book was easy to read, in fact this book took me no time at all, but has left me with a life time of knowledge.
There is not comparison.......2007-04-27
This book PALES in comparison with A Brief History of Time and A Briefer History of Time.
I highly recommend either of those two books over this one.
Book Description
The concept of multiple unperceived dimensions in the universe is one of the hottest topics in contemporary physics. It is essential to current attempts to explain gravity and the underlying structure of the universe. The Great Beyond begins with Einstein’s famous quarrel with Heisenberg and Bohr, whose theories of uncertainty threatened the order Einstein believed was essential to the universe, and it was his rejection of uncertainty that drove him to ponder the existence of a fifth dimension. Beginning with this famous disagreement and culminating with an explanation of the newest "brane" approach, author Paul Halpern shows how current debates about the nature of reality began as age-old controversies, and addresses how the possibility of higher dimensions has influenced culture over the past one hundred years.
Download Description
The fundamental conundrum in physics today is the incompatibility of Einstein's theory of general relativity with quantum mechanics. To bridge the gap between the two theories, a number of physicists have posited novel solutions involving hyperspace dimensions beyond the four that we can perceive and, most recently, branes, or membranes that exist in the fifth dimension and beyond. This lively account describes, in plain language, the history of hyperspace theory.
Customer Reviews:
History of Multidimensional Theories.......2006-09-14
This is a book about the history of multidimensional theories. The focus of the book is not on the theories themselves, but on how they developed. It is very well written. It is entertaining, and has good rhythm. It was not what I expected, but anyway I enjoyed the book.
Curiously, the best part of the book, in my opinion, is the one that is farthest from the own subject of the book, where the development of the Relativity and Quantum theories are explained, in the context of multidimensional theories. It is just close to having five stars, but I think that the last part of the book is weaker; too many names, in comparison with the excellent first two thirds of the book, where a hard selection of scientists is done.
Big disappointment.......2006-07-28
I just bought this book and I have to be honest that it really disappointed me. All the material inside is already known and has been explained from some other book like "Hyperspace" by Michio Kaku. The book just repeats some fact about kaluza-klein, flatlanders, mobius strip, supergravity or relativity theory of Einstein. It does not even consider explaining in detail the latest advancement in theoretical physics that explore the possibility of higher dimension or theory of everything as its title would suggest.
If you are looking for some introduction to popular science of space-time, matter and the universe in general, MAYBE this book will be suitable for you (even though I would advice you to get it from another book such as "Hyperspace" or "Parallel Worlds" by Michio Kaku). But if you are looking for some "advance" information in these area or the latest information in theoretical physics concerning the development of the Superstring, M-Theory, Brane Worlds and so on, this book is definitely NOT for you.
Out of this world. And that one. And that one........2006-04-02
I don't know about you, but I'm getting freaked out. It's this new theory of parallel worlds. Imagine: infinite universes out there, many of them with near identical copies of you. They say every possible outcome in your life will occur in another universe.
So, you're a dismal failure who never achieved anything. Don't fret. In a parallel universe, you might be drinking expensive champagne on your yacht and talking shop with Donald Trump.
So, your wife ran off with your brother and took the truck and the dog to boot. Take heart. One universe over, the shrew is serving you drinks and vacuuming floors in your palatial estate. Your dog watches over your fleet of trucks and your brother is in prison.
So, the Red Sox finally win a World Series after 86 years of heartbreak. It's been year after year of thwarted hopes, for as long as you can remember. But somewhere in the multiverse, the Sox have won so many championships, it's sickening.
Every possible outcome. Those horrible mistakes you made here never happened there. You ate right, exercised and took vitamins every day in some other universe. You are buff and not ashamed to take your shirt off on the beach in another dimension.
The multiverse has its privileges. And it is scientists who claim it as fact, not tabloid writers drunk on cheap wine. To account for errors in the math of quantum physics, some say the existence of multiple universes is the only possible solution.
"The Great Beyond" was one of several books I read on the subject during a recent quantum binge. Halpern writes with a style that will be appreciated by non-PhDs like myself. He uses analogy and visuals to bring his ideas home. He explains the science calmly, without the hysterical, desperate lunge toward the theory of everything so many other physicists succumb to. By the time you read the last page, you'll be wondering what other versions of you are doing in other worlds.
So really, man. It's time to relax. String theory dictates that our time here is really not that important. We're just an insignificant speck in an infinitesimal bubble in the froth of a sea of universes. Stop hollering and worrying all the time. Chill out and let some other you do all the heavy lifting.
I'm getting carried away. I know I am. People who don't absolutely love books like "Parallel Worlds" back slowly away from me when I start talking about the multiverse. My wife doesn't allow words like singularity or participatory anthropic principal around the house. Not in this world, anyway.
-- Mark LaFlamme, author of "The Pink Room," about, what else? A leading physicist who attempts to use the science of string theory to bring his daughter back from the dead.
Elegant explanation of the theory of relativity.......2006-01-04
The physic community was confident with Einstein's theory of relativity.
Contributions and foundations for relativity:
Gauss provided the matrix rotation mathematics.
Reimannian Geometry provided a more flexible structure called a manifold. A manifold is a collection of points each characterized by a set of coordinates. If the manifold is two or three dimension then each point may have two or three coordinates. Manifolds described the notion of curvature and embedding. Einstein was able to construct a four-dimensional model of the theory of relativity.
William Clifford wondered if he use non-Euclidean geometry and higher dimensions expressed in terms of his matrix algebra and encompass both the physical and mathematical world.
Stringham's hypercube demonstrated the possibility of four-dimensional objects: 1. a point moving out from a point into space forms a line 2. A line segment parallel to itself with same length form a square. 3. Moving the square in similar manner produce a cube.
Maxwell turned his attention to electricity and magnetism. Maxwell thought about Faraday observations charges, currents, and magnetic dipoles. Maxwell set out to create a mathematical language to explain Faraday's experimental discoveries. Maxwell applied the theories of hydrodynamics of water to the structure of electric fields and the result was a technique describing magnetic fields as electric fields. Maxwell's field theory replaced Newton's force theory. Maxwell's four equations explained the how electric and magnetic fields affect each other and how electric currents produce magnetic fields. Maxwell discovered electromagnetic waves produced from electric and magnetic fields travel at the speed of light. Maxwell arrived at the conclusion that light was an electromagnetic wave.
Newtons law of motion required that the speed that an object appears to move depends on the speed of the person doing the observing. In 1887, Michaelson and Morely built a device to measure the speed of light over exactly same distances, oriented perpendicular to each other taking advantage of the speed of the earth moving through space. The discovery was that the light velocities were identical, no difference in the speed of light.
Einstein's theory of relativity did not sacrifice the constancy of light speed nor the notion that light speeds are relative. Time dilation stats that the faster the observer travels, as they approach the speed of light, the slower their clocks move relative to those set on the ground. Special relativistic effect suggests a spaceship traveling close to the speed of light might seem 30 yards long for those on board, but only 10 yards long according to someone on earth.
Minkowski rewrote the equations of special relativity into four dimensions in an amalgamation called space-time manifold, also known as the continuum. The space-time continuum includes everything that has ever happened or will ever happen through eternity. The basic units of relativity are events and each event represents the location and time of a physical occurrence (x,y,z,t) Minokowski reduced Maxwell's four equations into one called the electromagnetic field tensor described in a four by array. The entire spectrum of light and the full scope of electricity and magnetism are all expressed in the equation. Einstein began too ponder the role of four-dimensional geometries in helping to expand special relativity into a comprehensive theory of dynamics and Einstein came to realize he need to employ the power of higher mathematics. The general theory of relativity is extraordinarily elegant set of equations that describe gravity by relating the mass and energy in any region of the universe to the structure of space-time in that sector. Stress energy tensor describes the material properties at a certain point and the Einstein curvature tensor conveys information about the geometry of the space-time at the same location. Trajectory through space-time has different outcomes "space-time tells matter how to move and matter tells space-time how to curve".
Einstein rejected Weyl non-Riemannian rewrite of the theory of relativity because Weyl injected a gauge term into the metric of the theory of relativity. Einstein found these variations in length and time scales troublesome and unphysical. Kuluza became acquainted with Weyl.
Kuluza came to a startling conclusion that he could discover Maxwell's equations if he extended Einstein's theory of relativity to the fifth dimension. Einstein initially rejected Kuluza fifth dimension because it lack physical proof.
Einstein considered Klein to be brilliant and began pondering the possibility and acceptance of Klein/Kuluza five dimensional Universes. The particle accelerator has revealed more subatomic particles and the current M-model uses String theory and 11-dimension higher dimensional mathematics to explain the Universe. 3D space is called the 3-Brane. Between the 3-Brane and another 3-Brane spans a four dimensional space called the Bulk. In the bulk there are compactified regions called the Calabi Yau strings all twisted and beyond all possible detection. The Calabi Yau sector house symetries of the standard particle model. There are 6 Calabi Yau strings in the 3-brane; open string attach to the 3-brane; close strings are allowed to move freely through the Bulk; and Gavitons, the carriers of gravity are model by closed strings.
As Good As Elegant.......2005-09-07
If you like Brian Greene's `The Elegant Universe,' you should like this book too. Both books are very comparable in coverage and readability. While Greene's occupies 448 pages, Halpern's does it in 326 pages. Main differences between them are in the compassion toward and the coverage thoroughness of inspiring/taunting and for/against views, persons and incidents. In these respects, I enjoyed reading Halpern's more. Greene tends to write like a story of `String Theory & Einstein;' thus omitting a lot of views, persons and incidents that were or have been inspiring/taunting and for/against Einstein and/or string theorists. Those omitted by Greene; for examples, how Einstein came to think seriously about the four-dimensional space-time approach developed by Hermann Minokowski, and how several other scientists (in spite of Einstein) followed Kaluza-Klein theory in adding the fifth and more dimensions; are well covered in Halpern's − together with the `flesh & blood' stories of persons involved and their plights during Nazi's tyranny − even of Einstein. Compassionately, Halpern tells stories of Edwin Abbott Abbott, Nima Arkani-Hamed, Valentine Bargmann, Peter Bergmann, Niels Bohr, Louis de Broglie, Charlie Chaplin, William Klingdon Clifford, Eugene Cremmer, Stanley Deser, Bryce Seligman DeWitt, Savas Dimopoulos, Paul Dirac, Georgi (Gia) Dvali, Arthur Eddington, Paul Ehrenfest, Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman, Abraham Flexner, Carl Friedrich Gauss, Murray Gell-Mann, Howard Georgi, Sheldon Glashow, Michael Green, Werner Heisenberg, David Hilbert, Charles Howard Hinton, Banesh Hoffmann, Pascual Jordan, Bernard Julia, Theodor Franz Eduard Kaluza, Immanuel Kant, Oskar Benjamin Klein, Hendrik Kramers, Hendrik Lorentz, James Clerk Maxwell, Walther Mayer, Hermann Minokowski, Gunnar Nordström, Wolfgang Pauli, Lisa Randall, Georg Friedrich Bernhard Riemann, Abdus Salam, Joël Scherk, Erwin Schrödinger, John Schwarz, Julian Schwinger, Raman Sundrum, Richard Tolman, Steven Weinberg, H.G. Wells, Hermann Weyl, John Wheeler, Edward Witten, Chen Ning (Frank) Yang, Hideki Yukawa, Johann Zöllner, etc. Having gone through similar `publish or perish' experience, though likely in a much less fierce arena, I can imagine their - like stated by Einstein − "the years of anxious searching in the dark, with their intense longing, their alternations of confidence and exhaustion, and final emergence into the light." Ironically, Halpern even covers the first and second superstring revolutions better than Greene. But one should not overlook the fact that Halpern, writing after, had about five years to improve on Green's. Another major difference between these two books, that one may pick up as a criticism against Halpern's, is in the explicit mentioning of the successes of string theory, so far. Rather explicitly, Greene claims successes of string theory in: solving the conflict between Einstein's general relativity and quantum mechanics, settling that the fabric of space can tear, solving a central puzzle concerning Bekenstein-Hawking entropy of black holes, and rationally modifying the conclusions of cosmic origins. But, my guess is that Halpern - unlike Greene - apparently belonging to an impartial party needs not feel obliged to try hard to sell the product, string theory.
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- Thermodynamics and an Introduction to Thermostatistics, 2nd Edition
- Thermodynamics and an Introduction to Thermostatistics, 2nd Edition
- Timeless Reality : Symmetry, Simplicity, and Multiple Universes
- Understanding Molecular Simulation (Computational Science Series, Vol 1)
- University Physics with Modern Physics, 11th Edition
- Viscous Fluid Flow (Mcgraw Hill Series in Mechanical Engineering)
- Warped Passages: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Universe's Hidden Dimensions
- World of Warcraft Dungeon Companion
- Zapp! The Lightning of Empowerment: How to Improve Productivity, Quality, and Employee Satisfaction
- A Guide to Physics Problems: Part 2: Thermodynamics, Statistical Physics, and Quantum Mechanics (The Language of Science)
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