Book Description
A refreshingly humorous but thorough ancillary guide to general chemistry from the author of the bestselling The Cartoon Guide to Physics and The Cartoon Guide to Genetics.
The Cartoon Guide to Chemistry, a collaboration between pre–eminent scientist Professor Craig Criddle of Stanford University and cartoonist Larry Gonick, is a complete and up–to–date course in college level chemistry. In an engaging and humorous graphic style, the book covers both the history and the basics, including early ideas and techniques, electrochemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, environmental chemistry, physics as chemistry; and much more.
o Ideal for advanced high school students, university students and independent learners.
o o Larry Gonick's bestselling Cartoon Guide series, comprised of eleven books, have sold more than a half a million copies and been translated into more than a dozen languages.
o Teachers, researchers, and students around the world have embraced Larry Gonick's unique ability to make difficult subjects fun, interesting and easy–to–understand while still relaying the essential information in a clear, organized and accurate format. In 2003 Larry Gonick won the Harvey Award for the year's best graphic album of original material for The Cartoon History of the Universe III. The prestigious award, named for Mad pioneer Harvey Kurtzman is considered to be the Oscar of the comic–book world.
Customer Reviews:
The Cartoon Guide to Chemistry.......2007-08-11
I used this book in conjunction with a textbook in my general chemistry course over the summer. This book helped illustrate things left unclear in my textbook and give a better intuitive feel for what I was doing. On its own its probably not spectacular since there are gaps to be filled but as a supplement it is amazing.
Great for supplements.......2007-07-25
I found that this book works well when used with an introductory textbook. The cartoons are great fun for everyone.
A Lot To Cover.......2007-01-29
This is the first edition of "The Cartoon Guide to Chemistry" by Larry Gonick and Craig Criddle and was published in 2005. It is another of the series of Cartoon Guides which Larry Gonick has co-authored with scientists in the field of choice. Craig Criddle is a professor of environmental engineering and science at Stanford University.
The book has 12 chapters, and like the other guides it covers a history of the subject, as well as a good overview of the subject, and there is a lot to cover with Chemistry. From the early days of alchemy, through the discover of the atom, through reactions, states of matter, solutions, acids and bases, thermodynamics and electrochemistry and finishing up with a chapter on organic chemistry, Criddle and Gonick try to give a little taste of everything to the reader.
This book serves well as an introduction, overview, history of the subject, or a refresher. This guide works well when combined with the Physics and Genetics guide, as there are certainly areas of crossover between the books. Because of the wide variety of topics contained in this book, if you are using it as an introduction, you may want to break it apart and use it to introduce a few topics, then spend some more in depth time on those topics, before moving on to some more sections of this book.
Great for re-learning.......2007-01-29
I got this book to help me with my AP chemistry course. The information presented in the book is easy to understand and, strangely enough, great for studying. All this from a cartoon book!
nice learning deep understanding.......2006-02-17
The book has many good ideas in order to ilustrate every chemical concept and make the learning easy.
Book Description
Stimulating account of development of mathematics from arithmetic, algebra, geometry and trigonometry, to calculus, differential equations and non-Euclidean geometries. Also describes how math is used in optics, astronomy, motion under the law of gravitation, acoustics, electromagnetism, other phenomena. 147 illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
Almost a Humanities Course on Mathmatics.......2007-06-13
This book is excellent! Have you ever wondered, where did math come from? What caused/ how has math to developed? If so this book will hit the nail on the head for you. Dr. Kline is fabulous in this book, he explains things very clearly and gives the reader an overview of some of the more practical uses of math. After reading this book you will look at the world with a much better understanding of how math is used in the real world.
Kline also explains why math is so abstract (think of the way American schools teach math). Along with this he explains why math is so precise (due to it's being limited to using inductive reasoning only).
In fact, this book is a humanities course mixed in with the practical usage of mathematics, which all add up to a brilliant text. But don't be mislead, the book is not absent of the actual equations to help you understand some of the math. It's just simplified so as to be short of a textbook on how to do mathematics.
If this review is not helpful to you, or you think it could be improved please email your thoughts to:
HappyReaderTrueReview@yahoo.com
I want my reviews to be helpful to my fellow bookworms.
I wish this had been my physics textbook ..........2007-03-24
I still have a hard time deciding if this is a book about math or physics, but actually, it's about both. Kline follows the history of physics beginning with the Greeks as a way to describe the evolution of mathematics up to the 20th century, and he does it brilliantly.
Kline is a master teacher, and his enthusiasm for his subject is evident. This is probably the clearest writing on mathematics (and physics) that I have ever seen. His chapters on the differential and integral calculus make their basic principles understandable to anyone with a high-school mathematics education -- not an easy task.
He shows how again and again through history, problems in physics led to mathematical discoveries which not only allowed the physical problems to be solved, but also advanced mathematics itself. And yet nowhere in the book is anything beyond simple algebra and geometry required to understand what he's saying. A remarkable achievement.
Mathematics and the Physical World by Morris Kline.......2004-01-18
This work is an excellent reference for the history of
mathematics. It begins describing some ancient numbering
systems. i.e. The Hindus utilized negative numbers. There was
an evolution in geometry. The development and refinement of
curves were set forth into equations. Newton's laws were
formulated . i.e. F= MA
The motion of projectiles evolved into the use of the sine and
cosine to describe curvilinear motion. The laws of gravity,
motion and oscillations were refined further into a multiplicity of uses in mathematics and theoretical physics. Many of the fundamental
laws and processes of the earlier mathematics have evolved into
important applications in theoretical and practical engineering.
Examples are Newton's Laws, the Bernoulli equations and a host
of other scientific achievements.
A Journey In Time.......2001-12-30
What a journey! This book will never age with time. A must read for those interested in the humanistic value of a subject concider cold and forbiding by some who are disallusioned about what mathematics really is and its purpose in the history of mankind. A book that could only have been written by Morris Kline,an educator who saw the beauty of the subject. I can say no more.
Still the BEST basic review of Applied Mathematics.........2001-01-25
This book is geared to the general reader who has a cursory knowledge of mathematics. The chapters are organized around physical phenomena and the math behind their explanation. The result is a charming and VERY useful book. I have the 1970 edition which is quite worn from frequent use. The chapter titled, Differential Equations - The Heart Of Analysis, is exceptionally beautiful and pertinent. Reading this book is akin to a treasure hunt. There is page after page of mathematical discovery. Reading the chapter on Motion Of Projectiles made me terribly angry at the banal way in which this topic is handled in high school texts. Things such as quadratic equations and the law of gravitation are explained very well. I sincerely believe that this book should be a required text for High School math students. Highly recommended. The Dover edition is very affordable so even if it means foregoing a meal, do it. Buy this book! Well worth your time.
Average customer rating:
- Especially recommended for public and high school library shelves.
- Must read for understanding electrical phenomena
- Great book, must take it for a grain of salt at times
- most unconventional way to learn about electricity
- Fantastic approach to understanding electricity
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There Are No Electrons: Electronics for Earthlings
Kenn Amdahl
Manufacturer: Clearwater Publishing
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Joy Writing
ASIN: 0962781592 |
Book Description
An off-beat introduction to the workings of electricity for people who wish Richard Brautigan and Kurt Vonnegut had teamed up to explain inductance and capacitance to them. Despite its title, it's not wild ranting pseudo-science to be dismissed by those with brains. Rather, Amdahl maintains that one need not understand quantum physics to grasp how electricity works in practical applications. To understand your toaster or your fax machine, it doesn't really matter whether there are electrons or not, and it's a lot easier and more fun to start with the toaster than with quarks and calculus. The book is mildly weird, often funny, always clear and easy to understand. It assumes the reader doesn't know a volt from a hole in the ground and gently leads him or her through integrated circuits, radio, oscillators and the basics of the digital revolution using examples that include green buffalo, microscopic beer parties, break-dancing chickens and naked Norwegian girls in rowboats. OK, it's more than mildly weird.
The book has been reprinted numerous times since 1991 and has achieved minor cult status. Reviewed and praised in dozens of electronics and educational magazines, it is used as a text by major corporations, colleges, high schools, military schools and trade schools. It has been studied by education programs at colleges across the United States. This book was making wise cracks in the corner before anyone thought of designing books for dummies and idiots; some say it helped to inspire that industry.
It may be the only "introduction to electronics books" with back cover comments by Dave Barry, Ray Bradbury, Clive Cussler, and George Garrett, as well as recomendations from Robert Hazen, Bob Mostafapour, Dr. Roger Young, Dr. Wayne Green, Scott Rundle, Brian Battles, Michelle Guido, Herb Reichert and Emil Venere. As Monitoring Times said, "Perhaps the best electronics book ever. If you'd like to learn about basic electronics but haven't been able to pull it off, get There Are No Electrons. Just trust us. Get the book."
Customer Reviews:
Especially recommended for public and high school library shelves........2007-09-03
There Are No Electrons: Electronics for Earthlings is an engaging and educational introduction to the science of electronics for lay readers. Written in a narrative, storytelling style, There Are No Electrons covers basic electron theory (and why it's the "Easter Bunny" of science), voltage, current, resistance, magnetism, and much more. Written to be accessible to readers of all ages, from high school science students to the fortysomething who wonders how his computer is really powered, There Are No Electrons blends entertainment with solid information into a clear winner. Especially recommended for public and high school library shelves.
Must read for understanding electrical phenomena.......2007-08-15
My physics/chemistry teacher in high school recommended this book over ten years ago. I read it during college and it helped demystify all the mathematical descriptions by giving me an understandable picture. It's a bit more difficult to visualize electron behavior in electrical components than it is to picture a bunch of wild, crazy green people doing stuff. Highly recommended for physics or engineering students for improving conceptual grasp of basic electrical theory.
Great book, must take it for a grain of salt at times.......2007-05-31
I bought this book because of a review in Make magazine at the time. It really is a cute book that offer some entertainment into learning about electronics and electricity.
Pros: Easy to read, fun and entertaining. The book teaches you about electronics in a away that is easier to understand than most other book out there. A real outside the box book.
Cons: The book can be difficult to follow at times and may require a go back and read again in some instances.
All in all the book is a good book (really good for beginners) and is worth picking up for a read if you are interested in electronics and how they work.
most unconventional way to learn about electricity.......2006-11-06
I am a mechanical engineer who is still trying to find a reasonable model to apply it electrical phenomena. this book has help me a lot.
One thing, I lived in the US from 1974 to 77, so a bit of the lingua spoke of those years was there in my subconcious. If you were not there in the 70s and definitvely, if english is not your mother language, I can also guess at the difficulties of following the little man who speaks 70s groove to explain electricity.
Still, its a wonderful story that will make you think and re-think about how to go around this electrical stuff. Is it complete? can any analogy refreing to electricity be? maybe if all complex phenomena were to be explained by storytellers like Mr. Amdahl, our students would be much brighter.
PS- Mr . Amdahl once replied and e-mail I sent him thanking him for the book.
Fantastic approach to understanding electricity.......2006-07-27
This book brought the concept of electricity to life. It made the subject easy to understand and if you can forgive the title it could go a long way in helping people who are new to the subject get a better grasp of the concept. This book would make a great introduction to the fundamentals of electricity for a young reader or a person with little background in the subject. they could then use this new found knowledge to expand their understanding.
Book Description
An irresistibly illustrated treasure of Americana no one can afford to be without
The universal appeal of The Vanishing American Outhouse hardly needs stating. Privately published, its single-copy sales through word of mouth have reached 50,000 and garnered rave reviews in periodicals ranging from The Old-House Journal to The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and The Washington Post.
This history of this "necessary house," an endangered species, addresses every aspect of its development and nature as a fundamental of folk architecture. Rich in technical detail (including blueprints for building your own outhouse, should the need arise), it ranges from the most rudimentary wooden structure to a turreted wonder with multiple doors. Brimming with amusing anecdotes, traditional verses, and rare postcards, a superlative gift or coffee-table item, The Vanishing American Outhouse is destined for pride of place on the bathroom bookshelf.
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful book.......2007-07-29
I bought this book when it came out as a gift for my father's birthday, he always talked about the outhouse outside his school, from when he was growing up.
The book is humorous, but also a very interesting, and a touching look back at a different time in our history. My father got a kick out of it, but really, everybody that picked it up to thumb through it, couldn't put it down.
A unique, fun guide........2000-07-03
Privy plans, photos, poetry and folklore are collected in The Vanishing American Outhouse, an intriguing memoir of an early American fixture, the outhouse. Many photos are in full color and accompanying details cover construction, changes in design and features, and still-standing antiques around the country. A unique, fun guide.
Great Bathroom Reading.......2000-05-22
No, seriously. Very humerous, very cute book. Great for history buffs. Makes at great gift, I enjoyed it immensely.
Average customer rating:
- Personally engaging!
- Fun and silly
- Fun gift for the math geek in your life
- Math Made Fun!
- cute and clever
|
Geek Logik: 50 Foolproof Equations for Everyday Life
Garth Sundem
Manufacturer: Workman Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0761140212 |
Book Description
Here for the geek in all of us are fifty foolproof equations that take the guesswork out of life—and the funniest twist on an idea since Richard Smith’s The Dieter’s Guide to Weight Loss During Sex. Call it the algebra oracle: By plugging in the right variables, GEEK LOGIK answers life’s most persistent questions. It covers Dating and Romance, Career and Finance, and everyday decisions like Should I get a tattoo? Can I still wear tight jeans? Is it time to see a therapist? How many beers should I have at the company picnic?
How does it work? Take a simple issue that comes up once or twice a week: Should I call in sick? Fill in the variables honestly, such as D for doctor’s note (enter 1 for “no,” 10 for “yes,” and 5 for “yes, but it’s a forgery”), R for importance of job (1-10, with 10 being “personally responsible for Earth’s orbit around Sun”), Fj for how much fun you have at work (1-10, with 10 being “personal trainer for underwear models”), N for how much you need the money (1-10, with 10 being “I owe the mob”), then do the math, and voilà—if the product, Hooky, is greater than 1, enjoy your very own Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.
Includes a pocket calculator so that prospective geeks can immediately solve the equation on the back cover: Should I buy this book?
Customer Reviews:
Personally engaging!.......2007-08-28
The easiest refresher of introductory algebra I've ever seen. No cold-turkey review of numerous rules, this! Geek Logic introduces a mnemonic indicationg the order of arithmatic functions, then the fun begins--readers assign numerical values to formulae and calculate personal answers to hilarious life quandries. It's so entertaining, I forgot I was "studying." I hope the sequel delves into more advanced algebraic functions.
Fun and silly.......2007-07-01
As a high school (and later college) student, I always struggled with the utility of algebra, asking the ages old question, "When am I going to use this stuff in life?" Sundem's _Geek Logik_ finally answers that question with 50 equations that provide a mathematical answer to such burning real-life questions as "Should I get a tatoo?" or "Am I over qualified for my job?" The answers may surprise you. Certainly its not the sort of book one takes too seriously, but the process of crunching through the formulae is both entertaining and (to me) fascinating to see how the equations were put together.
Fun gift for the math geek in your life.......2007-03-09
Very witty/fun book. Geve this to my husband, who's a senior level statistical analyst, and he took it to work and had a ball with it. The other analysts were asking to borrow it over the weekend.
Math Made Fun!.......2007-01-20
I haven't had this much fun with math since I calculated my latest tax refund! This book not only gives good, useful information, but it is a great way to review some basic algebra. Better for the brain than crosswords. I loved it!
cute and clever.......2007-01-16
Overall, not a terribly useful book, but very cute and clever. A good gift for the geek in your life.
Book Description
The authors of The Science of Superheroes now reveal the real genius of the most evil geniuses
Ever wonder why comic book villains, such as Spiderman's bionic archenemy Dr. Octopus or the X-Men's eternal rival Magneto, are so scary and so much fun? It's not just their diabolical talent for confounding our heroes, it's their unrivalled techno-proficiency at creating global mayhem that keeps comic book fans captivated. But is any of the science actually true? In The Science of Supervillains, authors Lois Gresh and Bob Weinberg present a highly entertaining and informative look at the mind-boggling wizardry behind the comic book world's legendary baddies. Whether it's artificial intelligence, weapons systems, anti-matter, robotics, or magnetic flux theory, this fun, fact-filled book is a fascinating excursion into the real-world science animating the genius in the comic book world's pantheon of evil geniuses.
Lois Gresh (Scottsville, NY) and Bob Weinberg (Oak Forest, IL) are the authors of the popular Science of Superheroes (cloth: 0-471-0246-0; paper: 0-471-46882-7)
Download Description
The authors of The Science of Superheroes now reveal the real genius of the most evil geniuses
Ever wonder why comic book villains, such as Spiderman's bionic archenemy Dr. Octopus or the X-Men's eternal rival Magneto, are so scary and so much fun? It's not just their diabolical talent for confounding our heroes, it's their unrivalled techno-proficiency at creating global mayhem that keeps comic book fans captivated. But is any of the science actually true? In The Science of Supervillains, authors Lois Gresh and Bob Weinberg present a highly entertaining and informative look at the mind-boggling wizardry behind the comic book world's legendary baddies. Whether it's artificial intelligence, weapons systems, anti-matter, robotics, or magnetic flux theory, this fun, fact-filled book is a fascinating excursion into the real-world science animating the genius in the comic book world's pantheon of evil geniuses.
Lois Gresh (Scottsville, NY) and Bob Weinberg (Oak Forest, IL) are the authors of the popular Science of Superheroes (cloth: 0-471-0246-0; paper: 0-471-46882-7)
Customer Reviews:
Awesome Superhero-Fantasy to Reality Science Book.......2007-08-14
I am a student of science and a big fan of sci-fi and comic book superheroes. This book is the link I have been looking for that ponders big questions as to how in reality can a comic book scenario come true if some one had the ability to make it happen. Science fiction and superheroes help stimulate our imaginations to create amazing new scientific and engineering marvels that can do allot to help mankind.
Warp on Star Trekkies, fly on Supermen, mutate more X-Men, and flame on to the Fantastic Four!
Science Supervillains and Superteens.......2007-01-28
I am blessed with a superteen, a teenage son who is just coming into his superpowers! I am usually stumped by what to give him as a present but this book was a big hit, especially as he is deep in the City of Villains video game. The game is not related to this book, but I think I got bonus points for actually realising what he was playing! I'd recommend parents of teens to buy this book!
Boff - Pow - Zap.......2005-09-20
I liked the book. I have several others that are similar (The Science of Christmas). I find it interesting how science can explain super powers and gadget and even how science mirrors them in some way. Good book.
Science good........2004-11-16
This is a nice - light - book that hopefully gets people thinking about science in a fun and painless way.
I would like to see more volumes in this series.
"An insightful look into the diabolical villains of comics.".......2004-10-22
Reviewer: Brian Wilkinson, for ComiX-Fan.com
Overall Rating: Great!
In a book that bills itself as the Science of the Supervillains readers have to feel right from the first page that this is an all-or-nothing kind of book. Thankfully writers Robert Weinberg and Lois H. Gresh have stepped up to the plate to deliver a funny and insightful look into the mind and heart(less?) of some of the greatest villains that have graced the pages of our beloved funny book medium for more than 70 years.
This is a project that could have easily gone astray or been caught up in the many nuances of cunning and deceit that the countless villains have put our heroes through. Instead they take the cream of the crop, including baddies like Magneto, Lex Luthor, Doc Octopus and several others to show some of the more interesting attempts they've made to make the world a worse place to live.
The Luthor chapter starts the book off with a decent look at the man who would become Superman's main villain. That's really saying a lot if you think about it considering how powerful and unstoppable the Man of Steel really is. Yet everything Luthor has tried has failed. Instead of really getting into why Luthor sucks or how Superman may have just gotten lucky, Gresh and Weinberg dissect the science the villains used in the books.
Intentionally or not, this may be a bit of a nod in the direction of the writers and editors behind the book. Back in the day, the two major companies, Marvel and DC, both had their own approaches to how science was used in the comics. Julius Schwartz over at DC maintained that the science had to be believable no matter what. It didn't necessarily have to exist, but so long as an attempt was made to reveal how things were being done, that seemed enough.
Enter Luthor's weather machine. Apparently Lex thought he'd be able to manipulate the weather over Smallville and sent the little town into a deep freeze. Rather than take the typical comic fan stance of disbelief, Gresh and Weinberg actually talk to top scientists and do the research behind whether or not such a contraption is possible. Not surprisingly, they find out it isn't something that Lex could have done in real life, but rather than take the typical fan standpoint of "look how smart I am because I know it can't be done" they take the extra step towards proving it.
The diabolical nature of this book isn't so much in the characters that it discusses as it is in the clever methods the authors use to trick their audiences into reading a science textbook. It doesn't matter that subjects like magnetism, nuclear science and more are covered in very specific and scientific terms as the humour and subject matter work so brilliantly to disguise it. This is the kind of book kids across North America are liable to pick up in their local library for the fun colors and then shock their parents at the dinner table with a basic knowledge of nuclear fission. Heck, if I was a kid I'd read it just to look smart.
Beyond the unbelievable and the humour, this is an overall package that serves to delight and entertain without getting bogged down in minute details. Like the first volume, The Science of Super Heroes, this book delves into the mysteries of comic book lore without taking away the fun and excitement that it's meant to generate in the first place. Think of this book as the perfect companion piece to kids just getting into comics, or for older readers who think they know it all.
The book isn't without a few cursory flaws, however. The narrative device used by the pair have them stating things like "We don't think this is possible" or "We have a theory." While it's generally acknowledged that there are two voices here it begins to feel a little like the royal `we' and becomes distracting from the information it's trying to convey.
Fans may also raise an eyebrow or two at the inclusion of Silver Surfer, the current hero and one-time herald of the planet-eater, Galactus. It's the latter rather than the former that our intrepid authors are focusing on but it raises an interesting question in terms of modern-day heroes that often blur the line between who is a hero and who is a villain. This is more of a philosophical question and would take the book off course, so it isn't dealt with in the book. It's more food for thought, really.
The book features an introduction by legendary comic book writer Chris Claremont (Uncanny X-Men) who gives a little of the back history about what it means to be a writer and to tackle the great villains of comic books. It's a nice addition and can only serve to add up the appeal to casual readers interested in some hard core comic science.
At its heart, The Science of Supervillains is a book full of winks and nods. But much like the popular novel at the moment, The Da Vinci Code it seems like the characters or stories are just loose wrapping around incredibly interesting research. I devoured Dan Brown's novel because of his interesting facts and finds, much like Weinberg and Gresh have provided a feast of comic book goodies for readers of all ages.
It's not your typical book, but it's not to be ignored either. Pick both this volume and its sequel up as soon as you can. You won't be disappointed, and if you are, there's enough information in here for you to begin plotting some diabolical deed of your own. (Don't actually do this, it's generally not a good idea.)
(...)
Book Description
"A profusely illustrated, bemusingly unorthodox introduction to math."—Booklist
A book for the eternally curious, Coincidences fuses a professor's understanding of the hidden mathematical skeleton of the universe with the sensibility of a stand-up comedian, making life's big questions accessible and compelling. Each chapter opens with a surprising insight—not a mathematic formula, but a common observation. From there, the authors leapfrog over math and anecdote toward profound ideas about nature, art, and music. Coincidences is a book for lovers of puzzles and posers of outlandish questions, lapsed math aficionados and the formula-phobic alike. 160 illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
What they said ... making light of weight ideas!.......2007-06-02
What a wonderful motto for learning! To understand deep things simply, investigate simple things deeply. In "Coincidences, Chaos and All That Math Jazz", Burger and Starbird take that motto to heart and bless their readers with an entertaining, irreverent, always amusing yet eminently readable and completely understandable exploration of some of the frontiers of mathematics.
In the opening chapters, real-life numbers - the roulette wheel, nature vs nurture studies of twin's characteristics, e-mail stock picking scam and spam artists, air safety standards, HIV testing and the puzzle of coincident birth dates at a party - are used to put meat onto the bones of the familiar saying "lies, damned lies and statistics" and to introduce the modern concept of mathematical chaos.
A simple straightforward chapter on the nature of numbers that almost effortlessly leads us into a basic understanding of much more complex topics such as cryptography, the Goldbach and the Twin Prime conjectures closes with the interesting comment, "... our instinctive desire to wonder about the world of numbers has paid enormous practical dividends in the past - abstract ideas about primes and factoring unexpectedly led to public key cryptography and security in Internet commerce. Somehow human curiosity about numbers from ancient times to the present seems to be in synchronicity with the universe."
Counting spirals on pineapples and sunflowers and the simple act of folding and unfolding a strip of paper is used as a springboard to take the reader, who is now thoroughly engrossed in the enjoyable style of the book, to a basic understanding of the Fibonacci sequence, the golden ratio, chaos and fractals.
But for me personally, the most interesting section was the last one. Burger and Starbird used extremely simple notions of counting, matching and a hotel with an infinite number of rooms to guide the unsuspecting reader to a brilliant "aha" moment - a concise, clear understanding of Cantor's ideas regarding the cardinality of infinity, the completely counterintuitive idea that some infinities are bigger than others.
Mathematics is fun and beautiful and this wonderful little book will show even the most math-phobic reader why! Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
This book = Great Fun + Great Insight!.......2007-02-06
Who says math is boring or irrelevant?
Certainly not someone who's read this book and seen the many ways math serves as the skeleton key to life and the mysteries of the universe itself!
At the beginning of each chapter the authors skillfully say what they're going to prove in simple English and then by the end of the chapter end up proving it not only in English but math as well.
Starting simply with the subject of coincidences, the authors show how and why even in very small groups you may share a birthday with someone else. From coincidences the authors discuss choas, the reverse of coincidence where small differences ultimately make for...well...even bigger differences. Why is this so? They tell you.
Later they tackle cryptography and show how the patterns of running a lottery are in the end very similar to the patterns that govern the forms life takes. Amazingly, in twenty pages they manage to cover the same ground covered in the book "The Golden Ratio" (which by the way, is also very, good book but just a longer discussion).
Moving from the mysteries of life to the mysteries of the universe, the authors ACTUALLY MAKE YOU UNDERSTAND what the 4th dimension would be like. In this way, they manage through a brief treatment what the longer work "Flatterland" by Ian Stewart (also, by the way, a very good book, just longer) manages to do.
Finally, they plum that ultimate mystery of mathematics and creation -- infinity. Here again, they also manage in a brief treatment that which is also dealt with in a longer book, "Zero" by Charles Seife (again, also a very, good book but again just longer).
As both an introductory work to all the other books cited in this review or merely as a book read on its own, this book delivers both great fun and great insight.
Buy it now!
Add a healthy dose of humor and you have a very accessible inquiry........2007-01-07
Math professor Edward Burger and teaching professor Michael Starbird blend forces in a guide lay readers will find readily accessible, COINCIDENCES, CHAOS, AND ALL THAT MATH JAZZ: MAKING LIGHT OF WEIGHTY IDEAS. Nearly two hundred illustrations and diagrams supplement scientific 'trivia' questions about everything from an infinite motel's occupants to a sexy rectangle's origins. Yes, there's math here - but also hard science and an imaginative lively dialogue which draws even reluctant math readers to learn. Add a healthy dose of humor and you have a very accessible inquiry.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Math is a numerical representation of life ... no doubt about it ! .......2007-01-03
I am not a math freak ! I have always awed math and admired mathematicians for the ability they have ! so i got this book because all reviews said this was a light hearty read .... and none of those reviews were wrong .
The chapter on chaos theory was the best I read ... made me think so much about how human life and its eventual end can be put into context by studying the chaos theory of math.
Its definitely a good book to have for now and for future generations so they dont grow up fearing math but rather enjoying its magic !
Entertaining and simple.......2006-06-05
Great book on recreational mathematics that you can actually curl up in bed with! Very few books on mathematics, let alone chaos and complexity will let you read it laying down in bed at midnight. I think the fact that one of the author (Edward Burger) is a stand up comedian as well as professor of mathematics has something to do with making the book approachable and fun to read.
Book Description
It’s the twenty-first century and let’s be honest—things are a little disappointing. Despite every World’s Fair prediction, every futuristic ride at Disneyland, and the advertisements on the last page of every comic book, we are not living the future we were promised. By now, life was supposed to be a fully automated, atomic-powered, germ-free Utopia, a place where a grown man could wear a velvet spandex unitard and not be laughed at. Where are the ray guns, the flying cars, and the hoverboards that we expected? What happened to our promised moon colonies? Our servant robots?
In Where’s My Jetpack?, roboticist Daniel H. Wilson takes a hilarious look at the future we always imagined for ourselves. He exposes technology, spotlights existing prototypes, and reveals drawing-board plans. You will learn which technologies are already available, who made them, and where to find them. If the technology is not public, you will learn how to build, buy, or steal it. And if doesn’t yet exist, you will learn what stands in the way of making it real. With thirty entries spanning everything from teleportation to self-contained skyscraper cities, and superbly illustrated by Richard Horne (101 Things to Do Before You Die), Where’s My Jetpack? is an endlessly entertaining, one-of-a-kind look at the world that we always wanted.
Customer Reviews:
The book that asks "why not?".......2007-08-30
And it gives you an answer too, although not always the one you want to hear. Wilson looks at inventions that have been "just around the corner" or an accepted part of future life for decades and lays out just why they haven't come about... or at least not in the form originally envisioned. The jetpack is a perfect example: it looked like it was real, cutting-edge technology when it appeared in films and TV shows in the 1960s and 1970s, but in reality it is a dead-end technology because of noise, fuel consumption, etc. etc.
Who explains all this? No one that I know of, other than Wilson.
A good book to read at your leisure. Look for the futuristic, shiny blue book!
Science humor.......2007-08-14
Carnagie Mellon University PhD, degree in robotics, author of "How to Survive the Robot Uprising" = Daniel Wilson. Wilson takes another foray into the world of books by giving us the ever important question of 'Where's My Jetpack?'. Science fiction of the past predicted so many ideas for our future on surefire technologies that would come to pass... but didn't. Wilson looks into a plethora of these ideas and just how far they have progressed to feasibility and marketability. The answer is a big fat zero. Wilson keeps it simple for the mass audience, meaning we don't require PhDs ourselves to get the jist of what the author is conveying. Wilson gives us updates on projects and shows us the close-to-completion, won't-happens, and the looming-on-the-horizon of the old futurama ideas.
There's plenty of light humor mixed into the writings and some are pretty bad jokes. It's a light and fanciful book to read and will only take a few hours to complete. He covers topics ranging from jetpacks, flying cars, hoverboards, robot servants, smart houses, underwater and lunar cities, civilian space travel, ray guns, holograms, cloaking devices, food & no-sleep pills, cryogenics, and more. The book itself has blue foiled page edges and cover; the illustrations are largely silhouettes and simple line drawings but satisfactory. Overall, it's quick to read and will make you think of all the missed opportunities of the past science fiction world proposed by the likes of Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein, and Tomorrowland.
A very brief overview of pseudo-futuristic inventions.......2007-07-15
This could have been an excellent book. The idea is great, an overview of how real-life science has dealt with supposedly futuristic inventions such as flying cars, underwater hotels and jetpacks. The author who has a PhD in Robotics is obviously qualified to write such a book. The problem is that this book is written as a comedy book not a science book. Instead of interestng details relating to the subject, the reader is given bad jokes and only minimal scientific discussion. Although the book is nearly 200 pages in length, it is more like a short pamphlet with its giant print and plentiful illustrations. Overall, it was still interesting reading, but it could have been so much better.
The dream is a live.......2007-07-05
This book is nice look into the evolution of a revolution.
The book focuses on the notion that changes in near future is over estimated and the far future is under estimated. The examples of Self-Steering Car, Moving Sidewalk and others show how the revolution which changed it's form into evolution is today taken for granted.
Potential Unrealised.......2007-05-23
I had great hopes of this. Wilson tries too hard. He's not
as funny as he thinks he is or wants to be. A (very) few of
his short chapters do hit the nail on the head. But not
enough of them.
It was a good idea for a book. It still is.
Book Description
The literary debut of the funniest and most incisive new voice to come along since Michael Moore-and the acclaimed director of the film phenomenon of the year.
Can man live on fast food alone? Morgan Spurlock tried to do just that. For thirty days, he ate nothing but three "squares" a day from McDonald's as part of an investigation into the effects of fast food on American health. The resulting documentary won him resounding applause and a worldwide release that broke box-office records. Audiences were captivated by Spurlock's experiment, during which he gained twenty-five pounds, his blood pressure skyrocketed, and his libido all but disappeared.
But this story goes far beyond Spurlock's good-humored "Mc-Sickness." He traveled across the country-into schools, hospitals, and people's homes -to investigate school lunch programs, the marketing of fast food, and the declining emphasis on health and physical education. He looks at why fast food is so tasty, cheap, and ultimately seductive, and what Americans can do to turn the rising tide of obesity, hypertension, and diabetes that have accompanied its ever-growing popularity. He interviewed experts in twenty U.S. cities-from surgeon generals and kids to lawmakers and marketing gurus-who share their research, opinions, and "gut feelings" on our ever-expanding girth and what we can all do to offset a health crisis of supersized proportions.
In this groundbreaking, hilarious book, "benevolent muckraker" Morgan Spurlock debuts a wry investigative voice that will appeal to anyone interested in the health of our country, our children, and ourselves.
Customer Reviews:
Wow! This is a great book!.......2007-08-20
Morgan Spurlock is either a very good, honest, wholeheartedly courageous man, or he's just another fraud. I'd like to believe he is not the latter, because I'm so used to frauds nowadays. If anything, his book is nothing short of a masterpiece. That may seem rather dramatic a thing to say, but I truly think this book is one of THE most important books ever to be written in the history of modern mankind. Anyone who can argue with its points has to be evil in some ways; you just cannot justify all of these big companies who are influencing our nation (and children) to eat junky food without being evil. You also cannot justify the cruel "farming" or meat industries without having a touch of badness to you. As for the writing itself, Spurlock has a gift for words and sometimes occasional humour that is refreshing. I HIGHLY recommend this book!
Very Educational, and Very Funny........2007-07-26
In the summer of 1970, my doctor said I was overweight and needed to lose about 30 pounds. I was 35 and weighed 195. He prescribed diet pills to curb my appetite. It worked. In two months I was down 30 pounds, and the diet pills were a fun experience. Of course, when I went off the pills and back to my normal lifestyle my weight went right back up. At that point, I became interested in nutrition and fitness and started reading books along those lines. Adelle Davis and Carlton Fredericks pop into my mind. There were others. Later, I read "The Fat of the Land" by Michael Fumento. I had developed a taste for books that muckraked through the American way of life, particularly that part which centers on food, nutrition and physical fitness. It's been a worthwhile education.
A couple years ago, I greatly enjoyed Morgan Spurlock's wonderful documentary movie/DVD "Supersize Me." It should be required viewing for all Americans. Then about a month ago, while browsing through the bargain bins of a large bookstore, I stumbled upon Spurlock's "Don't Eat This Book" for only $5.98. It's well worth it at twice the price. I bought it in an instant. This book, of course, is the companion to the "Supersize Me" movie/DVD.
All of the books or DVDs say about the same thing, but they say it in very different ways. Americans eat too much and they don't get enough exercise. Thus 2/3 of Americans are significantly overweight and the problem is getting worse every decade. Just look around you. In addition, the typical American diet is overloaded in fats, sugars. salt and deficient in fiber, whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables. Everyone seems to know this but solving the problem is another matter. Morgan Spurlock dips his oar into the murky water. I don't know that he sets forth anything that's new and startling, but he comes across as an excellent spokesman and provides information of which every American should be aware.
It's a good book. It's well written. He has good knowledge of nutrition. Plus, he's very funny while being deadly serious. The book is very entertaining at the same time as very educational. It's an unusaul combination. Spurlock takes on "big food," "fast food," congress, the USDA, the FDA and a host of other organizations that tend to rule our lives in one way or another. Read his account and then think about what he says. It may change your lifestyle for the better. Then read it again and again over the years just to maintain your lifestyle in a reasonible direction.
As a major part of the movie/book, Spurlock spent a month eating at the "Golden Arches." Every meal. If anyone suggested supersizing, he went along. Then he and a group of doctors/nutritionists chronicled what happened to him over that month. If you eat in any fast-food restaurants, or any restaurants for that matter you should read this account. It's eye opening, plus it's funny. Mickey D comes in for most of the pointed criticism, but the same thing could be applied to all. Personally, I think he came down a little too hard on Subway. After all, if you're knowledgeable you can get a perfectly acceptable meal there. Plus, it you really have to have a hamburger now and then he could have mentioned that In-and-Out makes theirs out of all fresh ingredients. But he was an easterner, and that's mostly in California.
Ugh! I'm lovin' it.......2007-07-13
This book is entertaining and informative. If you enjoyed Supersize Me the movie, you'll be equally satisfied by Don't Eat this Book. It goes into gory detail on Spurlock's 30 day McDonald's binge, and includes a wealth of other information such as -
- the often creepy workings of the food industry and its lobbyists
- disturbing trends in eating habits, both in the US and internationally
- the obesity epidemic, most importantly the danger to children
- the incredibly pervasive influence of McDonald's on global eating habits and nutrition
I listened to Don't Eat the Book unabridged on audio, narrated by the author. Spurlock is incredibly funny in his tone, inflections and enthusiasm. He's the perfect reader for this material, bringing it to life in a way that underscores the serious danger of consuming too much fast food, while being upbeat and entertaining.
Look Out Mickey-Ds!.......2007-03-22
There was in recent years an attempt by some obese people to take McDonalds to court, along with Burger King, Wendy's, and many other fast food establishments. So in stepped "Big Brother", in this case our government to put a stopto this foolishness. The result the McDonalds law.
I am not sticking up for McDonalds, or any other fast food joint, but I do say that I believe it to be the basic responsibility of us as consumers to know what we are putting in our mouths, and what if anything said effects will results. There is no gun at our heads, but it has been reported some additives are placed in these fast foods to cause addiction. The biggest of these is "High Fructose Corn Syrup", which hides in everything from soft drinks, to ice cream, and because of the way this substance is processed, has become a number one cause of diabetes.
When they say "Have It Your Way", that is a death bell ringing loud, and clear. Obesity is out of hand, and food producers are railing aganist "Eat Less Exercise More". The deadly combination of white bread, and deep fried foods, fried by the way in "Hydrogenated Vegetable Grease", is a Cardiologist dream, because he/she can now buy that new Benz he/she has been eyeballing. Then there is the international 4 billion dollar a day 'diabetes industry', and wow.
First we go to Mickey-Ds, and then the doctor's office, and then the graveyard. How's that?
These companies have only one intent, their bottom line, no concern for you or your family. Seems we as individuals care little about our own well being, because few of us have taken the time to educate themselves. What this dead food is doing to our health, and just how much the existance of these fast food joints is costing our society as a whole. Instead of cheers when the report came out that Russia and China had opened fast food outlets in their nations, we should have been shedding tears.
This book is a good place to start to educate one's self, and how to improve the quality of one's life. Too many of us take for granted nursing homes must be in our futures, as a fact of life. Truth is we through our own actions, or inaction write that ticket. The information exists, we need to look for this life extention knowledge. Not to say we will live to be 100, but even when we do age, there can be quality to life in general.
Many facts exist here, and many lies in the media are passed on, and few of us question the print ads, or the commericals on TV and radio. Question everything the media presents, and read books such as the one here, there is a lot from both sides of the fence, and one side has never met a lie it would not tell on behalf of the bottom line.
This is a revealing book to say the least, and too many fast food outlets are selling death on a bun. If you have children, first read, and then share this book with your children. Help them to make good choices when it comes to food.
Talk About Muckraking!.......2007-02-04
A tragic-comic and enlightening account of the making of the filmmaker-author's McDonalds restaurant marathon, during which he ate every meal for a month at the fast-food giant, with deleterious health results. This grisly read inspired my husband to try to replicate the never-decaying cheeseburger experiment, which Spurlock describes in the book (a cheeseburger left on a high shelf will simply dessicate, not rot, because it is so full of chemicals). Baskin-Robbins' heir John Robbins wrote a similarly eye-opening, stomach-churning book "Diet for a New America", which throws bright light onto the corporatization of mega-farm, mega-food practices. Highly recommended.
Book Description
Click and Clack share some of their favorite calls from and about moms. They cover the gamut of motherly conundrums--and they're not all about cars. Moms have served honorably in the minivan wars. Negotiated conflicting advice between husbands and fathers. Even extracted sticky sippy cups from under countless seats. Now brothers (and sons) Tom and Ray Magliozzi give mothers their due in this new collection of calls from Car Talk. Among the featured callers: their own long-suffering mother, Elizabeth, who lets us in on the travails of raising two time-wasting hellions, says "Lipstick" when she means "Dipstick", and reveals that infectious, maniacal laughter runs in the Magliozzi family. Selections include "The Sleek Black Beauty," "How to Talk Sense into a 16-year-old," "Outing Mom," and "What Smell, Hon?" All are gloriously unrehearsed original radio broadcasts. 1 hour on 1 cd
Customer Reviews:
There's Only One Mom.......2007-01-01
I guess you either love these guys or you hate them. My wife finds them incredibly annoying when she hears them on the radio. After hearing this, you know their mother loves them!
Myself, I love them, too. Their accents are not off-putting to me, and I love how they laugh together.
What I've learned over time, though, is that the 'straight' answers they provide are actually pretty authoritative. They actually know what they're talking about, based not only on their extensive formal education but also based on their hands-on work with many, many cars.
If I personally found anything annoying, it's only their constant self-referencing which gets old. However, it's a part of their "shtick" which we would not want to do without...
Car Talk Maternal Combustion:.......2005-09-07
Was a real pick me up on a recent road trip. Lost my Mom 8 months ago and it was nice to hear how other mothers delt with the everyday problems we all experiance with our cars.
Fans and newcomers of CAR TALK won't be disappointed.......2005-06-11
The Magliozzi brothers (a.k.a. the Tappet Brothers) here answer calls about and from mothers, giving funny advice on cars in their latest issue Car Talk: Maternal Combustion. In case you don't know them or their show, the brothers narrate the award-winning 'Car Talk' radio broadcast weekly on National Public Radio stations across the nation, accepting call-in questions addressed with a heavy dose of humor. Fans and newcomers of CAR TALK won't be disappointed in the one hour program of hilarity offered on Maternal Combustion: Calls About Moms And Cars.
Books:
- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
- The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America
- The Friars Club Encyclopaedia of Jokes: 2,000 One-Liners, Straight Lines, Stories, Gags, Roasts, Ribs and Put-Downs
- The Good Husband of Zebra Drive (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency 8)
- The Kissing Hand
- The Little White Horse
- The Master Cleanser
- The Nanny Diaries: A Novel
- The Simplest Path to Personal and Planetary Awakening, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND: 10 Keys for Unlocking Your Personal Potential, Achieving Spiritual Awakening, ... of Humanity's Ultimate Cosmic Destiny
- The Soul of Baseball: A Road Trip Through Buck O'Neil's America
Books Index
Books Home
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- The New Smart Approach to Bath Design
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- The Post-Birthday World
- The Supernatural Ways of Royalty: Discovering Your Rights and Privileges of Being a Son or Daughter
- Subwasserflora Von Mitteleuropa: Bacillariophyceae
- Business Owner's Guide to Accounting and Bookkeeping
- The End of Laissez-Faire: The Economic Consequences of the Peace
- Nonlinear Dynamics, Chaos, and Instability: Statistical Theory and Economic Evidence
The Cartoon Guide to Physics
The Cartoon Guide to Genetics (Updated Edition)
Cartoon Guide to Statistics
Cartoon History of the Universe 1 Vol. 1-7 (Cartoon History of the Universe) (Cartoon History of the Universe)
Cartoon History of the Universe 2: Volumes 8-13
