Handbook of Heat Transfer

Book Description

This wholly revised edition of a classic handbook reference, written by some of the most eminent practitioners in the field, is designed to be your all-in-one source book on heat transfer issues and problem-solving. It includes the latest advances in the field, as well as covering subjects from microscale heat transfer to thermophysical properties of new refrigerants. An invaluable guide to this most crucial factor in virtually every industrial and environmental process.

Customer Reviews:

Not a handbook for 'rule of thumb' engineering.......2006-12-16

This book is a resource for understanding/solving complex heat transfer. There are no pages wasted on useless information, just vital information pertinent to the topic. The book is well laid out and well referenced. The chapter on heat pipes is a bit lacking. Overall an excellent heat transfer reference.

Where's the useful stuff?.......2005-08-28

You could spend the rest of your life reading this book! It would be useful for any professor or A student or other intellectual studying the material in depth. But for a practicing engineer who has little available time to ponder the specifics, it would take a "lot" of effort to find material that could be put to work in this text. If you are interested in deriving the equations you need yourself, or if you're analysing a unique design, then this is the book for you. But if you are busy with standardized systems and technology, find another reference.

A Misleading Description.......2004-12-16

I was expecting more tables and equations especially for natural convection external flow. There is also very little useful information about forced convection external flow. I also would have liked to see some sample calculations to demonstrate how to use this book better.

There is plenty of theory despite the product's description and most of it is probably unnecessary for a handbook. It's more like a big, expensive text for heat transfer than a handbook. A person would have to be an engineer, mathematician, or physicist to deal with the level of mathematics presented in this book.

There is a fair amount of information about internal flow for both forced and natural convection, but this book's value is quite limited. I am dissappointed with this book and would not purchase it again if I lost it.

Reference book for engineers.......2004-04-02

This is not an introductory book on heat transfer! Instead it is a thorough treatment on heat transfer in a stringent an extensive manner. This book places greater emphasis on correctness than "easy-to-understand-ness". However, if you do read it, you gain a lot compared to most introductory heat transfer books. If you are interested in forced convection heat transfer, this book gives well documented equations and charts for a great number of shapes, though mostly internal flow. This is a very serious book for serious engineers!

A very useful reference.......2001-06-29

I found very useful the way thermal conductivity was approached. I was used to solve simple problems by means of "Temperature response charts". Now it is possible to use formulas instead of graphs.

Average customer rating:

Focuses mainly on quantum effects and applications
QM primer for the pure layman
If you know motion is discontinuous and random, you may finally understand quantum mechanics.
Quantum Physics: A Beginner's Guide
The Perfect Book for the Quantum Curious

Quantum Physics: A Beginner's Guide
Alastair I. M. Rae
Manufacturer: Oneworld Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1851683690

Book Description

Of all modern scientific theories, quantum theory has perhaps done more than any other to change the way we think about basic structure of the universe. This clear and accessible introduction covers quantum physics in theory and in practice, and explains why it has become known not just as a theory, but as a revolution.

Customer Reviews:

Focuses mainly on quantum effects and applications.......2007-06-22

Focuses mainly on quantum effects and applications. A relatively small book, it's a pretty easy read, though it does get somewhat technical at times. Simplified math is typically put in as optional sidebars. It is written in a fairly straight forward way. I felt it tended to "jump around" a bit, on occasion mentioning an unexplained term or fact, which might or might not be expounded on later, though this was rather minor. It has one chapter on underlying reality interpretations.

QM primer for the pure layman.......2007-05-31

In pop science literature on quantum mechanics (QM) this booklet is a bit of an oddity. Rae really does address "beginners", i.e. readers with very little or no background in mathematics and physics. However, unlike most pop science writers he does not shy away from simple mathematics, even though all the math is contained in seperate "math boxes" which one can easily skip without loss of continuity. Rae does an excellent job explaining the basics of QM, but still IMO - given the targeted audience -not as good as J.P. McEvoy and Oscar Zarate's "Introducing Quantum Theory" (Icon Books).

Many readers are probably attracted to this kind of book in search of an explanation of the "weirdness" of QM. Although Rae splendidly epitomizes the many interpretations of QM in the last chapter, there are more comprehensive books out there covering this particular topic, including Rae's own "Quantum Physics: Illusion or Reality?" !

The main strength of this beginners's guide really is the way he explains the many manifestations of QM in our daily lives, from chemistry, power generation and climate change to computing and cryptography. As Rae is the first to admit, in such a short text he can do little else but scratch the surface, but nonetheless his descriptions are very lucid, well illustrated, and above all founded on a deep understanding of the essentials of QM. The biggest miracle of all is perhaps that he manages to convey this essence to readers who otherwise would probably never have dreamed of opening a book containing a single equation.

All in all, the definite primer on QM for the pure layman. For those who already have some background in physics and/or mathematics, the chapters on semiconductors, superconductivity and cryptography are a nice and simple introduction to these vast and fascinating subjects.

PS: my edition does contain two bizarre mistakes: Joule was an English and not a French physicist (p. 9), and Schrodinger was an Austrian and not a German physicist (p. 24). Not that it matters much.

If you know motion is discontinuous and random, you may finally understand quantum mechanics........2007-05-27

Rae's book is helpful for one to study quantum mechanics. But it cannot answer how to really understand QM. In fact, this is still a puzzle for everyone. For example, it is still unclear what on earth the wave function describes and whether or not the wave function really collapses.

As indicated by the well-known double-slit experiment, the solution hides in the real form of quantum motion in all probability. A recent analysis, which is given in the book Quantum Motion - Unveiling the Mysterious Quantum World, implies that quantum motion is actually the random discontinuous motion of particles, and the microscopic and macroscopic motions are both the displays of such quantum motion. As a result, what the wave function describes is the random discontinuous motion of microscopic particles. This picture makes quantum mechanics comprehensible for both physicsts and laymen.

When we realize that motion is discontinuous and random in reality, we may finally understand the mysterious quantum world, where an electron can pass through two slits at the same time. A popular introduction of quantum motion can be found at the website given by my name.

Quantum Physics: A Beginner's Guide.......2007-05-13

This is a very good basic book, however, not as simplified as I had hoped. I'm in a study group studying it so we are able to help each other get through it but at times I still feel lost. I would, however, recommend it to someone who knows a little about Quantum Physics and wants some additional basic information. I'm not finished with it yet so possibly as we go along it will get easier. I think what I really needed was 'Quantum Physics for Dummies' in order to get real basic.

The Perfect Book for the Quantum Curious.......2007-05-13

I don't have a Physics or Math background, and if you'd told me 10 years ago, that I'd buy AND read a book on Quantum Physics, I'd have chuckled. You, of course, would have been right, because I did. I loved it and whipped through it pretty quickly.

I bought this book to learn more about quantum theory. I wanted a book that wasn't going to beat me senseless with heavy theoretical math, physics or formulae. I wanted a more complete understanding of the possibilities that quantum physics theory hints at, which is exactly what I got with this book. This book offers the Open-minded a fascinating overview of some of the more controversial quantum theories, the experiments that "proved" some of them, and what might be just over the horizon for quantum physics and for us.

I found this book really worthwhile, with a positive slant that worked for me. What quantum physics seems to be demonstrating these days, according to the author, is that much of the information that we "knew" to be true, may very well not be. Which really does open up a world of possibility for all of us.

This short meaty book is ideal for the quantum-curious. I highly recommend it.

Mathematical Methods of Classical Mechanics (Graduate Texts in Mathematics)

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A unique, masterful and enjoyable book for graduate student in physics
I would recommend foundations of mechanics by Marsden
Best book on CM
Encyclopedic
The best, but challenging for not-mathematicians

Mathematical Methods of Classical Mechanics (Graduate Texts in Mathematics)
V. I. Arnold
Manufacturer: Springer
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0387968903

Book Description

In this text, the author constructs the mathematical apparatus of classical mechanics from the beginning, examining all the basic problems in dynamics, including the theory of oscillations, the theory of rigid body motion, and the Hamiltonian formalism. This modern approch, based on the theory of the geometry of manifolds, distinguishes iteself from the traditional approach of standard textbooks. Geometrical considerations are emphasized throughout and include phase spaces and flows, vector fields, and Lie groups. The work includes a detailed discussion of qualitative methods of the theory of dynamical systems and of asymptotic methods like perturbation techniques, averaging, and adiabatic invariance.

Customer Reviews:

A unique, masterful and enjoyable book for graduate student in physics.......2007-02-08

The book is full of little enjoyable details (jewels). Arnold is one of the few mathematicians which approaches problems with a very geometric point of view. In his interview with S.H. Lui he mentions how algebraic picture has dominated the research in mathematics and how he has tried to counter that. One can see the trace of his ingenuity all over this book. What some may call as handwaving in math circles is indeed called as physical (or geometric) intuition in physics community and is being actively encouraged.

The chapters on oscillations (chap. 5) and perturbation theory (chap. 10) are very instructive. For example, parametric resonance is discussed concisely in chapter 5 which you won't be able to find it anywhere else. where can you learn about "Arnold's tongues" better than in Arnold's book?

There are so many appendices at the end of the book. They are often very specialized and I don't recommend you to read them on your first read.

In conclusion, I recommend this book to any physics graduate student. In fact, I hope one day it will be used as a text book for courses in classical mechanics.

I would recommend foundations of mechanics by Marsden.......2006-01-07

I have to admit that I haven't thoroughly read through this text. But judging from the first 10 pages, there is a lot of mathematical handwaving. In contrast, foundations of mechanics (hereafter FOM) is far superior in that it provides all the necessary background beyond calculus and linear algebra to the reader, and is logically consistent so far in my reading. I want to mention that there are certainly complete and excellent texts out there on functional analysis, differential geometry, and topology, but many texts include way more stuff than you would want to know. In particular, it is my humble opinion that once you get to a certain point of knowledgeability of a subject like algebraic topology, you have enough of a taste for it that to learn more of the subject would only help if you were to go into research. Therefore a book like FOM provides a concise and practical treatment of those various advanced mathematics topics.

Best book on CM.......2004-02-26

Best book on CM (based most on symplectic formulation). Extremely clear if one has enough patience to follow exactly the author's way and to work out the proposed stimulating problems. Contains an original way of introducing differential forms, integration of differential forms and homology/De Rahm's thm.: you fully get in the subject in few pages ! The first part does not make use of symplectic formalism but is also quite original and stimulating. The level is last yr. undergr. 1st yr. graduate. Very useful if used with E. ott (Chaos in Dynamical Systems) for studying nonlinear dynamics.

Encyclopedic.......2002-05-08

Extremely stimulating, uses Galileo to motivate Newton's laws instead of postulating them. Treatment of Bertrand's theorem is beautiful, but contains one error (took me 2 years before I realized where..). However, I know of only one physicist who successully worked out all the missing steps and taught from this book. I know mathematicians who have cursed it. I used/use it for inspiration. The treatment of Liouville's integrability theorem, I found too abstract, found the old version in Whittaker's Analytical Dynamics to be clearer (Arnol'd might laugh sarcastically at this claim!)--for an interesting variation, but more from the standpoint of continuous groups, see the treatment in ch. 16 of my Classical Mechanics (Cambridge, 1997). In my text I do not restrict the discussion of integrability/nonintegrability to Hamiltonian systems but include driven dissipative systems as well. Another strength of Arnol'd: his discussion of caustics, useful for the study of galaxy formation (as I later learned while doing work in cosmology). Also, I learned from Arnol'd that Poisson brackets are not restricted to canonical systems (see also my ch. 15). I guess that every researcher in nonlinear dynamics should study Arnol'd's books, he's the 'alte Hasse' in the field.

The best, but challenging for not-mathematicians.......2001-10-21

Arnold shines for clarity, completeness and rigour. But, at the same time, he requires a remarkable intellectual effort on the part of the reader (at least a physicist or an engineer). Some readers might see this as a book of math rather than physics, but that would not be fair: Arnold always stresses the geometrical meaning and the physical intuition of what he states or demonstrates. You can take full advantage from the effort of reading this book only if you master a wide range of mathematical topics: essentially differential geometry, ODEs and PDEs and some topology. That's not always true for engineer or physics students at the beginning graduate level. For that kind of readers, Goldstein is a much better fit. Arnold can (and maybe should) be read afterwards.
On the other hand, the exercises, although not very numberous, are very well conceived and help a lot to deepen the comprehension of the text. Also, the order of the topics is linear and very effective from a didactic point of view. The exposition is clear, concise and always goes straight to the point. Thanks to these features, it is one of the most effective books for self-teaching I ever happened to read.
From a physical point of view, the domain of applications is essentially limited to discrete systems. Furthermore, the electromagnetism and relativity are not even cited, although they can be viewed as the logical completion of classical mechanics (see, for example, Goldstein). But the extreme generality of the approach largely balance the more restricted physical domain. In my opinion, the best book you can read on the topics.

Quantum Physics: Illusion or Reality? (Canto)

Average customer rating:

For those with a little background a great book
Don't tell God what to do
Long review for a good short book
Thank you, Alastair Rae
Quantum Physics

Quantum Physics: Illusion or Reality? (Canto)
Alastair I. M. Rae
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521467160

Book Description

Albert Einstein’s celebrated remark that ‘God does not play dice’ was his response to a set of new scientific ideas now known as quantum physics. These theories threatened the ordered determinism of the Newtonian universe, presenting the radical challenge of an unstable world disturbed by our very attempts to measure or observe it. One of the prime fascinations of quantum physics is precisely the great conceptual leap it requires us to make from our conventional ways of thinking about the physical world. It introduces instead the alarming possibilities that the observer’s mind is the only reality, or that there may be parallel universes. Alternatively, its very contradictions may suggest that despite its manifest successes, quantum physics still leaves us in need of a further revolution in thought and the final complete theory of the physical universe. Alastair Rae’s introductory exploration has been hailed as ‘a masterpiece of clarity’, and offers an engaging guide to the theories on offer.

Download Description

Albert Einstein's celebrated remark that "God does not play dice" was his response to a set of new scientific ideas now known as quantum physics. These theories threatened the ordered determinism of the Newtonian universe, presenting the radical challenge of an unstable world disturbed by our very attempts to measure or observe it. Quantum physics introduces the alarming possibilities that the observer's mind is the only reality, or that there may be parallel universes. Alternatively, its contradictions may suggest that despite its manifest successes, quantum physics still leaves us in need of a further revolution in thought and the final complete theory of the physical universe. Alastair Rae's introductory exploration has been hailed as "a masterpiece of clarity," and offers an engaging guide to the theories offered.

Customer Reviews:

For those with a little background a great book.......2007-01-16

Be warned, this book assumes you know a little about quantum physics to begin with. It's not going to walk you through all the basics of the field. But for those who've had an introduction to the concepts of quantum physics, it's a great examination of the conceptual problems of quantum physics. Don't be fooled by its short length -- this is a book to be read slowly, re-read, an digested. The discussion of the EPR paradox and Bell's Theory is especially good, because it's more technical and mathematical than those in other intro books, and while therefore more difficult, it's also more rewarding.

Don't tell God what to do.......2004-05-31

A. Rae struggles with the conceptual and philosophical implications of quantum physics (qf).
His book contains excellent explanations of the destruction of determinism, because uncertainty and indeteterminism are built into qf's very foundations. He also rejects the 'hidden variables' solution to solve qf's apparent contradictions. He shows also the fundamental opposition between Einstein and Bohr.
Unfortunately, this book contains a comment on the out-of-date Popper-Eccles discussion on the body/mind problem and their statement that the mind is not subject to the laws of physics. This problem has been resolved (see V. Ramachandran's linguistic solution in 'Phantoms in the brain', or G. Edelman's 'A universe of consciousness').
But I found certain flaws in the author's reasoning due mainly to the choice of bad examples.
Firstly, let me state one fundamental specification: reality is a process, not a fact (L. Smolin).
That is the reason why his ultimate question 'If reality is only what is observed ...' is not a good one.
A qf measurement does not create the 'only' reality. Protons, electrons, dead or alive cats, DNA mutations exist, even if they are not observed. A qf measurement is part of the universal process. In qf we only measure complementarities (properties) as Bohr stated.
Secondly, A. Rae states that macroscopic processes are irreversible (the second law of thermodynamics) and microscopic ones reversible.
For reversibility he chooses as example the collision of two molecules. I doubt firmly that in our universe after the collision the molecules can (without an exterior intervention) go back to their initial states. Those interactions are 'theoretically' reversible.
On the other hand, the life or death of a cat is a macroscopic event. The cat example is a good 'figure' to explain the qf theory, but it is a bad one to build a conceptual or philosophical theory on it. Nobody will calculate the outcome of a certain event based on a dead/alive scenario if a simple look at the cat's condition can eliminate 50% of the possibilities. The same goes for the DNA mutations.
The theory of I. Prigogyne (his books are difficult) is certainly a step in the good direction. As reality is a process, indeterminism should also be the fundamental cornerstone for classical physics, but naturally not in our daily Euclidian life.
In the case of the 'many worlds' question, I prefer Rudolf Peierls's solution where he proposes to speak of many world 'possibilities' (see P. Davies' 'The ghost in the atom').
This is a thought-provoking book. Not to be missed.

Long review for a good short book.......2002-03-31

Since the formulation of quantum theory in the 1920s the Copenhagen Interpretation of reality has been the mainstream view among physicists. But this interpretation has been uncomfortable for many, because it raises a number of paradoxes. The lack of cause and effect, (indeterminism), the so called "observer effect (quantum measurement problem), and non-locality, are among them.
Waisting no time in this 118 page book, Alastair Rae grabs the reader in the very first sentence of the book by quoting Albert Einstein's famous pronouncement: "Does God play dice [with the universe]?"
Using impeccable logic and only a bit of mathematical jargon, which can be circumvented by the reader, Rae sets out to solve many of these paradoxes. Citing experiments with polarized photons of light, he asks: What exactly constitutes a measurement? Does a measurement occur when a record is made? Or does it take consciousness to collapse the wave into a definitive particle? Is there a resolution to the Schrodinger's Cat paradox? How can we explain nonlocality?
Rae systematically entertains and rebuts in a convincing and objective way many different philosophies put forward to make sense of quantum reality. Some have claimed, most notably Niels Bohr, that it's the interaction of the partilce with a macor-measuring device that instigates the collapse. Others believe that it takes a consciousness to create reality. Still others, looking for a way to save determinism, and circumvent the measurement problem latch on to Hugh Everett's many-world interpetation.
Ironically as Rae points out most scientists claim to be "positivists", believing that it is meaningless to speculate on unobservable quantities. yet, they apparently have no problem believing in a myriad of unobservable and unmeasureable universes, completely and irreversibly cut off from our own.
In the final two chapters Rae objectively entertains what he believes is the most likely resolution of the quantum measurement problem. His idea was first proposed by Ilya Prigonine who won the Nobel Prize for his work in the field of irreversible chemical thermodynamics. The classical idea put forward by Prigonine states that there is an irreversible arrow of time and the second law of thermodynamics is never violated. Citing Prigonine's work, Rae explains: If no measurement is made of a quantum system no impression has been made on the universe, and the information which could have been obtained can be reversed and destroyed. If, however, a measurement is made, a change of some sort has occurred, either in the measuring device or our brain. The measurement has impacted the universe in some manner, and as a result the macro system must now follow the second law of thermodynamics, which has and arrow of time and hence is irreversible.
Rae states that "if we follow Prigogine's approach, indeterminism becomes an implicit part of classical physics.
Has Alastair Rae accomplished what he set out to do in this Book? Not quite. At the beginning of the book he states that he will tackle the problem of indeterminism, yet he spends most of his time attempting to explain the quantum measurement problem which is something quite different. And when he does address determinsim it falls short on several points.
First, a Prigogine macro system is indeed unpredictable, but it is not indeterminate as Rae seems to imply. Rather, it is a determinate and irreversible system having and arrow of time and an initial cause, no matter how subtle.
Secondly, he fails to address the process of nuclear decay, and the jump of the electron from one orbit to another--both of which are "real" and indeterminate.
Finally, in regard to the quantum measurement problem. Rae does not take into account recent experiments done with photons as cited in Scientific American (November 1991). In this particular experimental set-up at the Universtity of Rochester, researchers demonstrated that "The mere possibility that the paths can be distinguished is enough to wipe out the interference pattern." There is no measurement made, no record made, and no interaction with a macro system. Yet, the collapse of the wave happens without interacting with a macro sytem. Therefore, it seems that Ray's explanation of a resolution to the problem by creating a record in a classical Prigogine system is invalid.
This is still a very well written, concise, and provacative book and I would recommend it for those who want to understand the basic principles and paradoxes of quantum reality. This review written by: Quantum Reality1, author of "Quantum Reality: A New Philosophical Perspective."

Thank you, Alastair Rae.......2001-04-13

It has only been once in a great while that a thin little tome has taught me so much, and been so much fun. Before Quantum Physics by Alastair Rae, the last one I remember was Richard Feynmann's QED. I now feel like I have at least a near understanding of Bell's Theorem, EPR, SQUIDS, and an assortment of things and concepts that were tantalizing but vague until now. Thank you, Alastair, you're a good teacher. And, the little surprise at the end, Prigogine's possible answer. I'd always found him intriguing. Now I know why.

Quantum Physics.......2000-05-21

I'm not a math physics person, but I enjoy learning what I can about them, which is why I purchased this book. I almost put it aside as I felt some of the first few pages were over my head, but I decided to look upon it as stretching exercises for the mind, and managed to reach a tolerable comprehension of the material. Thereafter the book was both understandable and thoroughly readible. I found intriguing the philosophical implications of quantum physics. Particularly interesting was the author's discussion of Popper and Eccles's concepts of the 3 worlds of reality: the world of objects, of the human mind and of the products of the human mind. The implication of human consciousness in cetain physical interactions and the possiblity that consciousness actually creates reality itself was the topic of several pages. The author also briefly touches upon artificial intelligence, multiple-world hypothesis, the effect of size on expected theoretical outcomes, and time and its direction. It was a thoroughly enjoyable book.

Portable TA: A Physics Problem Solving Guide, Volume I

Average customer rating:

Great book!
Missing a Topic?
He explains the principles clearly but
Excellant commentary but get a magnifying glass
You should get this book.

Portable TA: A Physics Problem Solving Guide, Volume I
Andrew Elby
Manufacturer: Benjamin Cummings
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0132317133

Customer Reviews:

Great book!.......2005-04-26

I'm taking AP Physics C in high school and this has proven to be a valuable book. It takes time to do the problems and read his solutions. But it's worth the time. Helps you built intution.

Missing a Topic?.......2000-12-05

This book was great. Elby's explanations of physics are uncomparable with textbooks'. However, I was really surprised at the fact that a whole topic was omitted from both volumes of his book. He seemed to have omitted "THERMODYNAMICS," a hardcore topic of physics. I thought that was unbelievable, but hey what can I say? Only 1/3 of my upcoming physics final will be on THERMODYNAMICS. Blah!

He explains the principles clearly but.......2000-05-02

At times the font size for an equation appears to be about the half the font size of the other equations on the page. This happens sporadically in the book. Also, some of the labeling of the diagrams have an even SMALLER font size. This is annoying. Very annoying when you end up looking at the equation several times. The irony is that I took this physics course while I was in the navy via correspondence. The above was on the syllabus of thing not to do! In the end I can say this book helped me pass the course with a "B". He does show you how to approach a problem different ways. And the tests he has on the book ... excellent.

Excellant commentary but get a magnifying glass.......2000-04-18

The commentary is very good. The author shows different approaches to solve physics problems and which approach is better (and why). What is the downside? You will see an equation with a smaller font size. There is an inconsistency in how the smaller font size is applied. The commentary may be a page long with several equations. Usually one equation has the smaller font size. It appears to decrease to a #8 font. It does not stop there. Some of the labeling of the drawing is smaller. Looks like #6. This type of activity would not endear you to the TA or Prof. as they grade your exams. Hopefully, the next edition comes enclosed with a magnifying glass.

You should get this book........2000-03-01

This explained things much more clearly than my textbook. If you're taking physics you should get it.

Average customer rating:

Excellent Primer
Lively supplement to any course on atomic or nuclear physics

The Quantum Dice
L.I Ponomarev , and I.V Kurchatov
Manufacturer: Taylor & Francis
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

"Real black magic calculus" is how Albert Einstein described quantum mechanics in a letter in 1925. Quantum mechanics is now rather more widely understood by physicists, but still many "outsiders" are unaware of what quantum mechanics is, how it has changed the course of development of physics and how it affects their everyday lives. This book gives a fascinating account of the evolution of the ideas and concepts of quantum theory and modern physics, written by an "insider" but aimed specifically at the general science reader. Many anecdotes from famous past physicists give an insight into their work and personalities. The many illustrations are an important and attractive feature of the book. Leonid Ponomarev is a leading theoretical physicist. His deep understanding of the subject is allied with his wide knowledge of history, literature and philosophy to produce this history of the development of modern physics and its impact on our lives.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Primer.......2001-05-31

This is an excellent primer on the history and make-up of quantum physics. I don't know why it's [so expensive] but it may be due to the unique format and high quality of the CONTENT, which is so often difficult to find in books of this area.... ;)

Lively supplement to any course on atomic or nuclear physics.......2000-05-26

Dr. Ponomarev has here presented an original history and discussion of Modern Physics. The subject is the development of Quantum Mechanics from atomic through nuclear physics. The book is obviously the fruit of years of reading in many areas of science, literature, and philosophy. It is enlivened with many entertaining quotes from famous pundits of all kinds, and by attractive, unusual pen-and-ink drawings by Olga Levenok.(Okay, her drawings of famous physicists are not always good likenesses--but her other designs, some of them whimsical and surrealistic, more than make up for it.)

The author is a himself a nuclear physicist, and chapters 12-18 reflect this expertise: he succeeds in making nuclear physics interesting--yes, nuclear physics, that notorious, grundgey step-child of QM --by retelling the history of its development. And because he is a research physicist, his account has a level of detail, accuracy, and authenticity that is usually missing in popularizations of Physics. (Whenever I could check his numbers, I found they were accurate--a most refreshing contrast to many science popularizations, where the numbers are few and far between, being either regarded as trivia, an unwelcome distraction, or else side-stepped altogether to avoid alienating a non-numerate public. It was only in Ch. 18, his review of astrophysics, that I detected several factual errors.)

The book does contain a few equations--even Schrodinger's eq'n makes a brief appearance. But there is nothing that should overwhelm the person with a few physics courses under his belt.

A minor problem is that sometimes the translation and/or the author's mode of expression turns clumsy or wooden. A bigger annoyance--and the reason I cannot give 5 stars--is the complete absence of an index.

Book Description

The third edition of Theory of Simple Liquids is an updated, advanced, but self-contained introduction to the principles of liquid-state theory. It presents the modern, molecular theory of the structural, thermodynamic interfacial and dynamical properties of the liquid phase of materials constituted of atoms, small molecules or ions. This book leans on concepts and methods form classical Statistical Mechanics in which theoretical predictions are systematically compared with experimental data and results from numerical simulations.

The overall layout of the book is similar to that of the previous two editions however, there are considerable changes in emphasis and several key additions including:

up-to-date presentation of modern theories of liquid-vapour coexistence and criticality
areas of considerable present and future interest such as super-cooled liquids and the glass transition
the area of liquid metals, which has grown into a mature subject area, now presented as part of the chapter ionic liquids

Provides cutting-edge research in the principles of liquid-state theory
Includes frequent comparisons of theoretical predictions with experimental and simulation data
Suitable for researchers and post-graduates in the field of condensed matter science (Physics, Chemistry, Material Science), biophysics as well as those in the oil industry

Customer Reviews:

A Classic Book.......2004-08-12

This is a classic book on the theory of simple liquids. It covers brilliantly both the statics and dynamics of the liquid state.
A must have book for those who are serious to learn this
challenging subject.

A great book.......2002-11-17

This book contains everything of the classical statistical mechanics for liquids.

Selected Works of A.N. Kolmogorov: Volume I: Mathematics and Mechanics (Mathematics and its Applications)

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Selected Works of A.N. Kolmogorov: Volume I: Mathematics and Mechanics (Mathematics and its Applications)

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 9027727961

Ideas and Methods of Supersymmetry and Supergravity: Or a Walk Through Superspace, Revised Edition (Series in High Energy Physics, Cosmology and Gravitation)

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Ideas and Methods of Supersymmetry and Supergravity: Or a Walk Through Superspace, Revised Edition (Series in High Energy Physics, Cosmology and Gravitation)
I.L Buchbinder , and Sergio M. Kuzenko
Manufacturer: Taylor & Francis
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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String Theory in a Nutshell (In a Nutshell)

ASIN: 0750305061

Book Description

Ideas and Methods of Supersymmetry and Supergravity: Or a Walk Through Superspace provides a comprehensive, detailed, and self-contained account of four dimensional simple supersymmetry and supergravity. Throughout the book, the authors cultivate their material in detail with calculations and full discussions of the fundamental ideas and motivations. They develop the subject in its superfield formulations but where appropriate for illustration, analogy, and comparison with conventional field theory, they use the component formulation. The book discusses many subjects that, until now, can only be found in the research literature. In addition, it presents a plethora of new results. Combining classical and quantum field theory with group theory, differential geometry, and algebra, the book begins with a solid mathematical background that is used in the rest of the book. The next chapter covers algebraic aspects of supersymmetry and the concepts of superspace and superfield. In the following chapters, the book presents classical and quantum superfield theory and the superfield formulation of supergravity. A synthesis of results and methods developed in the book, the final chapter concludes with the theory of effective action in curved superspaces. After studying this book, readers should be well prepared to pursue independent research in any area of supersymmetry and supergravity. It will be an indispensable source of reference for advanced graduate students, postdoctoral faculty, and researchers involved in quantum field theory, high energy physics, gravity theory, mathematical physics, and applied mathematics.

Mathematical Aspects of Classical and Celestial Mechanics (Encyclopaedia of Mathematical Sciences)

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Mathematical Aspects of Classical and Celestial Mechanics (Encyclopaedia of Mathematical Sciences)
Vladimir I. Arnold , Valery V. Kozlov , and Anatoly I. Neishtadt
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 3540282467

Book Description

This work describes the fundamental principles, problems, and methods of classical mechanics. The main attention is devoted to the mathematical side of the subject. The authors have endeavored to give an exposition stressing the working apparatus of classical mechanics. The book is significantly expanded compared to the previous edition. The authors have added two chapters on the variational principles and methods of classical mechanics as well as on tensor invariants of equations of dynamics. Moreover, various other sections have been revised, added or expanded. The main purpose of the book is to acquaint the reader with classical mechanics as a whole, in both its classical and its contemporary aspects. The book addresses all mathematicians, physicists and engineers.

From the reviews of the previous editions: "... The book accomplishes the goals it has set for itself. While it is not an introduction to the field, it is an excellent overview. ..." American Mathematical Monthly, Nov. 1989.

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