Y: The Descent of Men

Book Description

In his highly entertaining and enlightening book, the acclaimed geneticist and author Steve Jones offers a landmark exploration of maleness. With effervescent wit, Jones argues that men, biologically speaking, are the true second sex. Here he lays out the cases for and against masculinity -- exploring every biological aspect from the genesis of the Y chromosome onward -- based on the recent explosion of biological research. Along the way, he offers pithy commentary on topics such as male hormones, hair loss, and the hydraulics of man's most intimate organ. Fascinating and often surprising, Jones's evidence offers fresh fuel for the battle of the sexes.

Customer Reviews:

Sensationalism at its worst.......2005-08-31

This book would have been convincing if it had relied on hard facts
and better research of human evolution. However like many before him Mr. Jones deviates from rational argument and shows his prejudice in this work which relies solely on a sometimes poorly interpreted meaning of what we have learnt about the human DNA.

One area in which Jones argument displays a clear lack of knowledge ( for a suppposed scientific writer of repute). Is in his paragraph about the reproductive system of men vs women. Here Jones states that men have an inefficient system due to the millions of sperm men produce vs the comparatively small amount of offspring that is resulted. What Mr Jones doesn"t realise is that not all sperm are designed to impregnate, as research has proven that the majority of sperm are in fact soldier sperm designed to seek out a rival males sperm present in a woman and prevent it from fertilizing her egg, much like a game of american football. Thus is the competeive nature of humans (by nature the strongest do indeed survive).

There is nothing inefficient about this ...in fact men continue to produce large amounts of sperm well into their 70s and onwards and can continue a very healthy reproductive life well into a very ripe old age. Women in comparison have a very limited (finite)supply of eggs and their reproductive usefulness is relatively speaking short lived.

Jones also goes on about how the Y chromosome is smaller and full of foreign material, plagued by impurities compared to the X chromosome.This may be true
due to a single chromosome not being able to recombine, however, maleness as its been termed in the Y chromosome isnt solely determined by the Y chromosome. X and Y = male, therefore the X chromosome is also part male( being the primary chromosome shared in all humans) and the Y merely acts as a powerful switch to activate what is carried and useful solely for the male species. The Y chromosome has reduced in size the author claims due to its degeneration. Well this may be partly true, however the Y chromosome has become efficient because it doesn't need to carry or duplicate the genetic information already present in the X thus it carries only that which is needed to activate maleness from the X this can account for the size reduction.

If two xx chromosomes are present and even a hint of Y is imprinted on an X then the result will be a male. It is a small and sometimes slightly more vulnrable chromosome in some ways but it is a dominant gene in that when presnt the result will always be male no matter how many X chromosomes there are. Thus thius is scientifiuc proof on how powerful the Y chromosome really is.

We also know from research that the X chromosome has just as many impurities and in fact the better portion of X chromosome data that was gathered and could be used to effectively decode it came from men, can we generalise and claim that the X chromosomes that are passed onto men are of better quality?
The only great thing about the X is not the X chromosome itself but in the fact that since 2 Xs are present in a female it can recombine and negate the defective gene thereby reducing the odds of flaws being passed on to female offspring, but it's far from perfect.

We do know that in the beginning of the DNA decoding project that the many samples of Y chromosomes were taken from a poor selection of male candidates, in fact to complete the sequence very good samples were supplied from Mediteranean and asian countries, what hasnt been explained is why the male DNA of mediterranean and in some cases asia are of better quality than the Y chromosomes from Britain or some parts of the U.S.A?

Could this be a sign that men in The USA and Britain have suffered far more DNA damage? and is this due to drugs and environmental pollutants?

My point being that the book is full of generalisations and suppositions resulting in the authors conclusions that really when examined fall very short of being conclusively convincing.

Are we still in an age where one sex must be superior? We know the sexes are equal(on the whole) but in different ways each has an advantage over the other. To state that one is the first sex and the other the second is a pretty backward form of thinking. And scientific research has no definite verdict on this, even today although we can hear all kinds of argument.

Men and women Xy or XX chromosomed peoples have equal imperfections -that is the only fact gathered from DNA research.

Both have very clear strengths and weaknesses...

Unfortunately this book doesn't stick to fact, and refuses to balance the argument.

At one point Mr. Jones makes reference to mens genital size and supports his argument by stating that it is reported from a Japanese brothel that the average size is around 5.5 inches?

I live in japan and I've never heard of a brothel here measure or keeping stas on anyone, Japanese are very discreet, also how accurate can a brothel in japan be? Is this a method of good science? Actually on Japanese TV they claimed that the average size here was a mere 5 inches, thats way smaller than that of people of European or African descent. But what's Jones point anyway apart from trying to cash in on a bit of man bashing?

This book is a disappointing read overall, it's too general, makes some very wild assumptions and really leaves out so much data that shows that the Y chromosome is in fact quite an efficient and important chromosome in the evolution of mankind.Men share both X and Y drawing on two forms of chromosomes , women only have a pair of the same chromosome. Draw your own conclusions as to what that means, but it's definitely no handicap.In fact in many ways there are clear advantages of the male Y chromosome over the X which the Author refuses to even acknowledge or explore in this publication.

Relies too much on supposition like it's fact.......2005-06-21

He claims stone tools show our teeth became less apelike before we made tools. Jones, we have proven nothing about early man other than he is related to apes and monkeys (through DNA study we did this).

An odd mixture of the interesting and the tedious.......2005-05-02

With its deliberate echo of the title of Charles Darwin's book The Descent of Man (in which "man" means humanity), Y: the Descent of Men is a study of the biology of men (as opposed to women) and maleness. Y is the Y chromosome, which contains the very small proportion of genetic information that men have and women do not. There is much interesting information, but the lack of structure -- a long series of facts stated one after another with very little to link them together -- makes it difficult to read more than a few pages at a time. Likewise the nudging and doubles entendres rapidly become tedious: for example, when we are told that "man's most basic attribute also has a strong tendency to wilt" we are clearly expected to think of erectile dysfunction, though the context tells us that the sentence refers to the tendency of the Y chromosome to lose genes progressively in the course of evolutionary time.

In the Preface Steve Jones tells that he does not plan to compete with other people with the same name -- the lead guitarist of the Sex Pistols, for example, or the champion golfer, etc. -- but will stick to what he knows, the biology and evolution of males. In genetics his expertise cannot be questioned, but there is more to biology than genetics, and the biochemistry in the book is journalistic in style, with starry-eyed references to "special enzymes" that make oestrogen, nitric oxide, and so on, or "special sequences" of DNA that with affinity for particular proteins. The objection here is to the word "special", which adds nothing because the great majority of enzymes are highly specific (the exceptions are mostly involved in digestion and detoxification, and even these are much more specific than the sort of catalysts used by chemists), and many sequences of DNA are likewise specific: in a world where everyone is exceptional, no one is exceptional.

The editing is often careless, as for example in the passage where we are told (apparently) that Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic Games, forbade athletes' wives from watching the events, with violations punished by being thrown over a cliff. This is clearly not what Jones meant to say, but only because we know that it is absurd can we deduce what he did mean to say. Or what are we to make of the following pair of sentences: "The lowest [sperm] counts were in Copenhagen, followed in turn by Paris, Edinburgh and Turku (which came a clear top). The citizens of Edinburgh should be proud of their cells' ability to swim, which takes the European gold medal"? Does the author think that Turku is not in Europe? (No, as he told us at the beginning of the paragraph that it was a European city). Is he making a distinction between sperm count and swimming ability? (Hard to believe, as this is the first mention of swimming ability in this context). Why would it be a matter of pride, anyway?

More seriously, the whole book encourages a confusion between maleness and possession of a Y chromosome, even though the author is perfectly well aware (and explains in the first chapter) that the system for sex determination used by most mammals is only one of several that exist in nature. The Y chromosome is slowly losing genes, and may conceivably retain none at all after some more millions of years of evolution, but so what? There is no necessary implication that the male sex will disappear and that humans will adopt parthenogenesis.

The human male; Is he really privileged?.......2004-08-17

This is definately an interesting, witty and informative book, if your interested on why half of this worlds population is male and not a quarter or less, considering our potency.
Biologically only a fraction of us are actually necessary to keep mankind going- so why are we that many then?
It covers all spectrums of male live including medically unnecessary circumcisions, quite interesting, as the Western world looks upon female genital mutilation with discontent, but tolerates it on their males, often not even old enough to decide for themselves.

The first chapter can be quiet a turn off, as it tends to be very scientific, but if you get past that, you will have a hard time putting this book down.

Interesting and fun.......2004-06-25

I feel puzzled to see that this book has invoked sharp hostilities among some (mainly US) readers, ascribing "Feminist propaganda at its finest" or "Written by Chicken Little?"
I don't believe Dr Jones "deserves" such fanatical labeling. What he is talking about is how a mollusk biologist views the human (or mammal in general) reproduction mechanism, and nothing more, nothing less.
IMHO, the book is simply interesting and fun as a bedtinme reading (like his other books.)
Or is it that the authour's British writing style never catches on in the US?

Sex on the Brain: The Biological Differences Between Men and Women

Average customer rating:

Definitely not a tight plot
dont let this one be your first read
Journalistic not scientific
sex on whose brain?
Tedious

Sex on the Brain: The Biological Differences Between Men and Women
Deborah Blum
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Anatomy | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Physiology | Basic Science | Medicine | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0140263489

Amazon.com

For centuries, links between biology and behavior have been mined for ammunition in the gender wars. Western science has often tainted the discussion by skewing the norm toward men so that the biological underpinnings of their weaknesses and strengths are applauded while those of women are denigrated. Sex on the Brain is a chatty, fairly evenhanded report on a broad range of animal and human studies intended to provide insight into hot-button issues such as aggression, nurturing behavior, infidelity, homosexuality, hormonal drives, and sexual signals. According to one researcher, "We inherit the behavior essentially of our past." Morning sickness, for example, which steers some women away from strong tastes and smells, may once have protected babes in utero from toxic items. Infidelity is a way for men to ensure genetic immortality. Interestingly, when we deliberately change sex-role behavior--say men become more nurturing or women more aggressive--our hormones and even our brains respond by changing, too.

Book Description

Go beyond the headlines and the hype to get the newest findings in the burgeoning field of gender studies. Drawing on disciplines that include evolutionary science, anthropology, animal behavior, neuroscience, psychology, and endocrinology, Deborah Blum explores matters ranging from the link between immunology and sex to male/female gossip styles. The results are intriguing, startling, and often very amusing. For instance, did you know that. . .
*Male testosterone levels drop in happy marriages; scientists speculate that women may use monogamy to control male behavior
*Young female children who are in day-care are apt to be more secure than those kept at home; young male children less so
*Anthropologists classify Western societies as "mildly polygamous" The Los Angeles Times has called Sex on the Brain "superbly crafted science writing, graced by unusual compassion, wit, and intelligence, that forms an important addition to the literature of gender studies."

Customer Reviews:

Definitely not a tight plot.......2005-06-26

Deborah Blum was "raised in one of those university-based, liberal-elite families" and as such, was raised to believe that there were no differences between men and women. It wasn't until she had her own career, a husband, and two boys that she actually realized there were basic biological differences between male and female behaviour. Her son was playing dinosaur and "I looked down at him one day as he was snarling around my feet and doing his toddler best to gnaw off my right leg, and I thought, This is not a girl thing-- this goes deeper than culture."

So begins her book. Much of the evidence that is presented is done as studies of sex in other animals (the birds and the monkeys- yes, literally) and her lines of reasoning as to "how this happened" are based along lines of possible biological evolutional forces- things that she admits are really little more than educated guesses dressed up as theories.

The chapter on the differences between male and female brains was interesting in that she spent about 90% of the time either denying the validity of the studies or minimizing the verified physical results. (Sure, that spot is bigger, but we don't know that it does anything.)

Occasionally, you come across a gem of the absurd. This one is a good example:

"One leading French scientist of the nineteenth century sought to prove the existence and potency of this magical male stuff [testosterone] by injecting himself with pureed dog testes. He insisted that the extract boosted his energy and sex drive and enabled him to pee in a higher arc, a major issue for men, obviously, in contrast to women." (pg. 158, beginning of chapter six)

She is quite open and forthright about her own left of center feminist viewpoint on the whole subject, and freely gives her opinion on what she WANTS to be true (and making it clear that it IS her opinion).

One basic concept to follow underneath it all is that if evolution has made us "this way" (biologically), there is no reason to conclude that it has stopped now... and since we have the ability to change our culture, we may tap into evolutionary pressures to change the biology of our race in regards to the basic makeup of our sexes. At the end of the book, she admits she has no idea if this is really possible, but it's obvious that she feels it certainly ought to be. Given her basic premises, it is a logical conclusion. If you look at the past as having created this current biology from something else, why should the process stop now?

But to sum it up, I have to agree with the comments about tediousness, in particular towards the end. The last third or so of the book was read simply so I could be satisfied that I had read it, not because it still had my riveted and interested attention. It would have benefited either from a better organization of the material into a coherent overall development (aka a plot, if this were fiction) or of simply dropping the last third of the book.

dont let this one be your first read.......2005-06-04

Having read six books on this exact subject in the past week, I feel information is poorly presented in this one. Sometimes misleading, and sometimes even contradictory.

I highly suggest that you read other books and/or papers on the subject before braving this one. Even then, take this read with a grain of agenda-salt.

Journalistic not scientific.......2005-03-11

Blum's style is horrendous. She traipses from one anecdote about her son to the findings of scientists she has interviewed without the blink of an eye. She does not so much advance arguments or conclusions as much as merely advance dumbed-down versions of scientific studies. Matters such as which questions underlie the research and what the research reveals are interspersed with bad puns and Blum's own opinion as to whether something is insulting or disgusting. Her attempts to lighten the fare are patronizing and distracting.

She wrote way too much about non-humans. This or that primate species is simply not the human species. The differences between them are so great that their relevance for the human species does not seem to be established.

Most of the research she chose was physiological, behavioral, and anthropological. Evolutionary biology (a.k.a. sociobiology) gets only occasional treatment, despite its recent progress in explaining male and female differences.

Note also that the book was published in 1997. I write in 2005, so the book is eight years old. Try to find something more up to date on the subject.

Overall, the book's faults can most easily be attributed to the fact that the author is a journalist and not a scientist. She sarificed too much to appealing to the general readership and is not well-schooled in the science of human sex differences herself.

sex on whose brain?.......2005-02-07

I gave this one one star, but it might rate two. If you're looking for a chatty, rambling, disorganized treatise on gender and biology, and think that you can really learn something valuable about humans from the animal kingdom, then this book is for you. I bought this book because I thought it was going to be about the brain. It's more about gender behavior. You're left to draw you own concllusions about what's going on in the brain. There's gotta be a better book than this.

Tedious.......2004-05-18

It as only recently I was aware that Deborah Blum had written a book called the Monkey Wars, about the animal rights/ vivisectionist's debate. I was not aware of that previous book whist I was reading this one. But it comes to no surprise, that her obvious slant or justification would be on the vivisectionist side. Again I read Sex on The Brain without any prior knowledge of her other writings. The first three chapters relating to hormonal, and testosterone and oestrogen studies, and female male brain size - involved nearly every page describing how cats, monkeys, and rodents had been sliced up, been castrated, cells extracted, brought up in cruel studies (ie cat forced to never see daylight). To access a possible link to human equivalent mind and hormonal changes, ie brain size observation, and testosterone and hormonal levels changes. But as any advocate of valid and proper testing would argue, that animal testing is unnecessary and cruel and non conclusive. Within the first two chapters from pages 18 to 63, she trys to convince the reader that there is some validity in accessing mood changes and brain changes from animal testing (and applying to human brains) - but fails to but conclude the chapter with, and I quote " The contrast (human brains) are too tiny and still far too mysterious". Point one for anti vivisectionist's argument

Sex on the Brain is a tedious book, with an arduous writing style. There are however some interesting points raised in the book, regarding male aggression, risk taking and cognitive skills of both men and women. Unfortunately they end up contradiction each other. Yes men are aggressive due to high levels of testosterone, but female chimpanzees are just as aggressive. Deborah Blum doesn't really explain in detail the correlation to human aggression, and why men and women share similarities.
I found segments in the book that talked about risk taking and why men and women are different in that sense, but it came across in somewhat of sexist overtone. That men take unnecessary risks and women sit and ponder a collective solution - which is? Never explained in any biological sense. The questions would be asked, why do huge portions of women smoke cigarettes, and take unnecessary risks to their own health. How does it differ from male posturing in regards to male personal risk, ie drinking, excess etc. Or biologically does it assume that we take the risk to show some social adequacy?

Also other confusing segments in the book regarding male female attraction, eg women choose men on immune systems similar to them, through possible similarities in appearance. Yet early stages in the book describe how it would be wise for a evolving specie (humans) to mix up their genes, to create stronger offspring. Indifference, not a similarity. So what is it?
Sex on Brain also doesn't go into enough detail research on cultural influence and evolution, in which cultural influence has far out weighed evolution biology, consider the declining western birth rates, women are now having children into their 30's, increasing the risk of down syndrome.

Amazon.com

Michael Ghiglieri studies the roots of male violence from a unique vantage: he's a former combat soldier and longtime primate researcher, a protégé of Jane Goodall. In The Dark Side of Man: Tracing the Origins of Violence, Ghiglieri uses this background, accompanied by copious scientific and statistical evidence, to construct an explanation of male violence that is often at odds with popular preconceptions.

Central to Ghiglieri's argument is that violence is a deeply entrenched behavioral strategy--especially among males--that simply emerges when other strategies fail, a thesis he reinforces convincingly with both anecdotes and hard numbers. And while he recognizes that culture and socialization play important roles in encouraging violence, he maintains that ignoring the powerful biological and evolutionary forces at work is "the single most useless--and dangerous--approach one could take in trying to explain human violence."

With extensive sections on rape, murder, war, and genocide, Ghiglieri methodically details our grim heritage, from wilding New Yorkers to wild gorillas. Some of his conclusions are surprising but persuasive--that the goal of rape is actually copulation, not control, for instance. But Ghiglieri's assessment is ultimately a hopeful one: he believes that by understanding and admitting to the biological origins of violence, we are better prepared to deal with it. --Paul Hughes

Book Description

"This book should be read by anyone concerned about violence-that is, by everyone."
-George B. Schaller, author of The Last Panda, The Serengeti Lion, and The Year of the Gorilla

"Michael Ghiglieri takes on a topic-male aggression-that many researchers try to avoid, and he takes it on with honesty, with grace, and with a real sense of hope. And it's a startlingly good read; Ghiglieri is a natural storyteller in addition to being a fine researcher."
-Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Sex on the Brain

Customer Reviews:

Mean People evolved to be that way........2007-06-01

Explains a lot of the behaviors that humans repeatedly resort to, all based on the survival pressures of our geologic past. Supports the idea of evolution, but not in a way that would please everyone.

Throwing Light on the Darkness?.......2007-04-19

This is an 'in your face' look at male violence from an author who has clearly had direct experience of human male violence eg in Vietnam and Africa.

The first section is 'Roots' in which he explains how violence is a male reproductive strategy ie it is a trait that can lead to more offspring for males. He discusses sex differences, which he exaggerates a little, but he particularly recognizes the massive significance both of males staying in their birth groups and the unnatural enforcement of female monogamy.

The second section covers rape, murder, war and genocide. Though there is an argument as to whether rape is about power or sex the answer seems to be sex - but with men getting turned on by the humiliation of females in all sexual situations and not only in rape. It seems that domination of females is part and parcel of male sexuality and so, rather than arguing between sex and power as the true motive for rape, we are now faced with the fact that male power, aggression, domination, sadism IS sex. Andrea Dworkin and Co. were right after all though the clue was always there when men talk about their sexploits as 'conquests' or the conquering of countries as rape. Sex/reproduction is the motive but the male sexual emotions are those of domination and power.

As so often happens in these type of books we get a little bit about how women prefer violent men as mates. And as also happens in this argument, the evidence provided for this female preference is a female character in a novel written by a male!!! Ghiglieri is right, though, in recognizing how a woman might need a violent man as a mate to protect her from outside male violence. It's a Hobson's choice for women, though - just like female gorillas and their infanticidal mates.

In the chapter on war the author importantly recognizes how female exogamy and male relatedness is rare in nature and opens up a Pandora's Box of male violence. It 'sets the stage for exotic adaptations in the macho male sexual selection arms race' - male bonding, war, nepotism, sexism, xenophobia, infanticide, murder.....'Instincts are coded in the male psyche that they must win against other males'. The author does point out that many men do avoid killing and avoid many of the extremes but he does not explore this enough in my opinion.

The last section is meant to provide some answers but I found it far from doing so. Punishment seems to be an important answer. Ghigieri also brings in the human moral instincts but again, this has come rather late in the story and is not explored enough. The family gets some of the blame - as if the natural dark side of man turns out to be the fault of single mothers after all!!

Though the author accepts the lack of monogamy, especially in human males, as a major force behind the dark side of man he does not explore how greater equality between males could reduce polygyny (whether literal or in the form of serial monogamy or marriage plus adultery/mistresses). He does not explore how men only accepting their fair share of female fertility could improve all this violent competition, and perhaps men could concentrate more on parenting behavior than mating competition. This requires looking at sex as less positive for males - as it obviously is often very negative for females - rather than again blindly overlooking the obvious if devastating conclusion that sex itself is the root of all evil. Ahhh!!!

Are men ever going to be able to see that sex is not about long-term happiness and see it for what it really is? Or are the genetic puppet-masters just far too powerful? Sexual rejection, as a very real experience for males who therefore potentially face personal genetic extinction, gives sex a very powerful hold over men and driving force behind pretty much everything they do.

We cannot deny that there are some very powerful truths in this book. There are also other sides that have not been explored including the fact that those other humans - ie females - are gradually undermining male domination and may change the picture with time. The natural female had to go undercover when she became men's property and had to concentrate on survival rather than challenging the bonded male kin-groups and the subsequent excesses of male behavior. Who knows what her emergence from the shadow of the human male may bring.

Oh my goodness, say its not so!.......2007-03-24

Many will find this book disturbing, but I loved it. The best thing about this book is that Ghiglieri went right to the core issues and questions about violence -- deals with it all from rape to genocide -- nothing left out. While I do not think he has the full and final word on the subject, anyone who is serious about dealing with violence MUST read this book or they are automatically out of the loop and cannot be taken seriously. This means all anthropologists, sociologists, anyone in public adminstration, crime control (i.e, all justice/police/law enforcement departments), the Department of Defense and ESPECIALLY everyone who works in the State Department. Without exposure to the real roots of human violence, how can anyone deal with it? Note to the PC crowd: you just had your idealistic notions about human nature thoroughly and justifiably trashed. What say you now?

Violence is Man's Original Sin Says the Good Doctor.......2004-10-03

Because it reaches deep inside the dark soul of man, this is a book that has aroused a great deal of controversy. Michael Ghiglieri has tackled a very difficult subject - the origins of male violence. Emerging from the field of anthropology and evolutionary psychology is the argument that male violence is deeply entrenched, that it is part and parcel of being male, not largely due to social factors. This idea makes people uncomfortable because if violence is a largely immutable male characteristic, than utopian social schemes won't be able banish it, to throw it on the dust heap of history. The author is an anthropology professor who toiled as a field biologist in Africa and Asia, where he worked with chimpanzees, the most intelligent of the great apes and man's closest animal relation. This work with the great apes - once thought to be peaceful animals - has contributed to his conviction that violence - while varying by degree from individual to individual - is an immutable human trait as it is among the chimpanzees. Ghiglieri is an advocate of evolutionary psychology and believes that most traits make sense when viewed through the prism of reproduction. He argues that male violence is largely a reproductive strategy.
Ghiglieri begins by citing the ever-larger body of scientific evidence that indicates just how different men and women are and why their reproductive goals fundamentally diverge. Then, he begins to address the spectrum of male violence - warfare, genocide, warfare, murder and rape - and begins each chapter with real world examples before segueing into a recitation of his evidence as to which reproductive and biological imperatives are fulfilled by that behavior.
One of the most controversial chapters of the book is about rape. While campus feminists have repeated the mantra that "rape is about power, not about sex" so many times that it has become part of the conventional wisdom, others have long questioned this certainty from purely logical viewpoint. After all, in a rape, the victim is not simply subjugated and beaten, but sexually violated. Now, Ghiglieri explains rape in the animal world and how it fulfills a mating strategy and then methodically marshals his evidence to prove that it is a disturbing but entrenched human mating strategy as well.
In a bold move, the author has a number of prescriptions - strategies - that he advocates in order to minimize the effects of male violence. In addition to our violent traits, he cites mankind's attributes, his ability to cooperate, to channel behavior, which will allow us to cope with man's innate aggression. Ghiglieri wants us to be appropriately tough on criminals, to eliminate those who are most violent, to encourage self-defense and advocates a criminal justice system that is almost biblical in its sense of retribution. According to him, these actions would reduce the damage done my male violence as they channel the protective strategies that are innate to me.
So, to Ghiglieri, there is no font of primitive happiness, no ideal society that so many anthropologists have sought. Man simply has a dark, aggressive side that is programmed into his DNA and so while it may be challenged, it can never be eliminated. With its disturbing anecdotal examples of male violence and its conviction that male aggression is an immutable reality, "The Dark Side of Man" is a disturbing book, but instead of looking away from some dark questions, it addresses them head-on. While the outlook for the world will forever be grim if man's baser instincts are hard-wired into us, it is probably better to be realistic about them so that we can develop effective countermeasures.

not a nice way to hundle evolutionary biology........2004-04-07

I
This book says that biology is solid science.Really?
Social biology ,ebolutionary biology,evolutionary psychology are very fragile science and have been abused for sexism,racism biological determinism,etc
And if one theory has the ring of the truth,it is possible to assert that that is truth,by using every fragile logic,biased indirect evidence .and the atmosphere(I myself have done so).
And considering such facts ,Scientists have to be humble.
But History repeats itself.
I'm not surprised that his theory sounds plausible to people who don't know the field well.I myself feel so about guns.
His tactic goes like this
When there are good data,he uses them perfectly and says a is --%,b is --% etc.And he doesnft note what unbiased people usually note.And maybe he doesnft know the field he looked down.
When there are controversial data or theories,he uses the part of data what are convenient for him( if he wants 'crime is not casused by the poor environment,'he sites only criminal's son tend to be a criminal ,and ignores the fact that criminal's son became criminal much less frequently when brought up by normal family.or goes like 'most authority agree with that'.or something like that.
And when there are obvious unconvinient facts ,data,construals or whatever ,he ignores that ,masks that.and instead uses ,illogical thinkings,personal quotations,and rare cases.and atmosphere.
For example,men kill men for pride and women love such dangerous,with low intelligence,and wanton vilonent guys.And it is an adoptation.according to him.
If men kill men, he earns the reputation that he is violent and he robs the resource easily when in need.And as an evidence he cites Yanomamo tribe's case or mafia and a woman who was attracted by the mafia.He uses this logic again and again,some rich men also do rape ,so most men...some rich men also do kill ,so most men...Yanomamo tribe and mafia are so,so most men...
But with evolutionary logic anyone can conclude opposite theory.
As he says , ,in evolutionary history,men act in union and if he breaks the harmony,he gets the penalty(this holds true to most societies.).Or maybe gets the revenge.violent?so what ? human got the equalizer(the authority also says eequalizerf put the leader in different position) .Or maybe he was excluded from the community.
And so how about women? according to the social psychology's experiment,when men are picked a fight by another man,this kind of violent reaction was very unpopular to women.
and if you teachs women that one man is criminal his appearance appeal became lower.And criminal type face was unpopular to women.
And what kind of men ,do women hate most?according to Bass's reserch all over the world he also quoted,typical killer type men ,violent ,low inteligence and can't constrain him,is one of the worst types.You're surprised? but not so surprised if you think well.
And the time that physical power counts much ends before the age of 10 in our world.
So typical killing was not adopted action ,or say worst action .So ?what happened ?human evolves the frontal cortex and among many of the human's brains high noble abilities (which are all very pppular to women,men,human and as a result are chosen),'brake is included .and no matter men became angry ,normal men don't kill and in a well contorolled society ,to meet a killer is hundreds times more difficult than many obviously unadopted actions.
And as a whole Killers have problems in frontal cortex and mineral balance.Which indicate they just couldn't express the abilities they have in themselves and not completely non problem guys as he try to indicate.

And to solve the problem ,we have to fully blossom our noble abilities,not eeye for eyef.
Ob course this is also very biased.
But this is evolutionary biology.I can fabricate another theories if his tactic is allowed.
He said one friend pointed out 1000 places to correct.. But still there were another 1000 to improve.Itfs not an exaggeration.I was tired to read this because of this.
And I reccomend to all the readers that they don't swallow all the stories written in this book.Though some of them are interesting ,They may be just his personal briefs,or ideologies..What kind of ideology he has ,I donft have to say..
Though I canft say his theories(or maybe any other theories) were definitely wrong.The fact that he has to use assertive ways again and again indicats his were in many cases unlikely.

The Last Men Out: Life on the Edge at Rescue 2 Firehouse

Average customer rating:

awesome
A good way to scratch the surface...
great book
A Good Read
So glad to be an American!

The Last Men Out: Life on the Edge at Rescue 2 Firehouse
Tom Downey
Manufacturer: Owl Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

History of Technology | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books

Firefighting & Prevention | Civil Service | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0805078444
Release Date: 2005-04-14

Book Description

rooklyn's Rescue 2 has long been known as one of the country's top firehouses, a model for departments nationwide. Recognized for their expertise and commitment, Rescue 2's men handle only big blazes where civilians and their fellow firemen are in danger. Beginning in 1996 with legendary Captain Ray Downey's promotion, the story follows the trials of his replacement, Phil Ruvolo, as he works to win over his headstrong men. A new Rescue 2 is forged through changes in firefighting methods and blazes that quickly become legend. Through the crisis of 9/11 and the subsequent rebuilding, Ruvolo triumphantly fills the late Downey's boots, heading Rescue 2 toward a future worthy of its past, its heroes, its city.

Customer Reviews:

awesome.......2007-07-09

the most moving book I have ever read.It takes the good with the bad. No sugar coating, all honesty.

A good way to scratch the surface..........2007-03-29

I should know: I'm a firemen's daughter. In fact, I'm a Rescue 2 firemen's daughter (we're a special breed) and have spent my entire life in the wacky world of Rescue firemen. Although it's really hard to capture the type of insanity and devotion these guys have for their jobs - Tom does a really good job. If someone you love is a fireman: read this book. It'll help you understand them better. Hey, even if you don't know anyone whose a firemen you should read this book. I just have 1 bone to pick with you Mr. Downey: Captain Ruvolo's daughters are not what I would call "pampered" (p.62). He loves them and they love him just as much.

great book .......2006-03-25

Amazing stories in this book. You get the feel of the life of a member of the famed FDNY RESCUE 2. It is the kind of book that you read one chapter, and say..."Just one more chapter and I will put it down." But you cant put it down. After I finished the book, I said "I wish there could be more stories." Highly recomend this book to anyone interested in the life of those crazy enough to run in where the rest of the world runs out!

A Good Read.......2005-08-20

A very good documenary about Res2cue. It really captures the lifesyle of firefighters and how they enteract with one another in good and bad times.

It further discribes the hours of vigorous training and education needed to perform rescue work in NY city, from a child impaled on a wrought iron fence to rescuing one of their own from a collapsed building, to the 9-11 collapse of the Twin Towers.

An excellant book for fire service leaders and those who wish to be.

So glad to be an American!.......2005-07-29

What a fantastic book! It gives you just a glimpse of some of the former and present day men of Rescue 2. It's a look into the daily life of a firefighter while also getting to know the personalities of these brave men. I didn't want to put the book down. I laughed and cried throughout the book. I'll always have a high respect for firefighters. This book just reinforced my conviction. Well done Tom Downey!

The First Men on the Moon: The Story of Apollo 11 (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration)

Average customer rating:

The Perfect Beginners Guide
Excellent condition
An excellent account of Apollo 11
Same Story base, new pictures and information
The latest, but is it the greatest?

The First Men on the Moon: The Story of Apollo 11 (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration)
David M. Harland
Manufacturer: Praxis
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Aeronautics & Astronautics | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Astronomy | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

Astrophysics & Space Science | Astronomy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

All Deals | Blowout Books | Stores | Books

Science | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Accessories:

ASIN: 0387341765

Book Description

The First Men on the Moon offers a lively definitive account of the Apollo 11 mission based on the in-flight transcripts post-flight debriefing, with illustrative contextual pictures, especially featuring recent scans of the original Hasselblad film and including conversations among the crew in the spacecraft that were not transmitted. The introductory chapters review the motivation to land on the Moon by the end of the 1960s, the development of the Saturn V rocket and the Apollo spacecraft as the means of doing so, the selection of potential landing sites, the precursor missions, and the backgrounds of the three men who were to fly Apollo 11. The final chapters will discuss what was learned of the moonrocks, and review the follow-on missions. In addition to having many â€~smallâ€™ in-line black-and-white illustrations with the text running around them, the book features the high-resolution scans recently produced by NASA from the original Hasselblad film, reproduced in a substantial color section. David Harland's impressive expertise in, and considerable experience wriring about, the Moon landings shines through and seemlessly unites the myriad details

From the reviews of Harland's Exploring the Moon:

"A detailed guide to what the astronauts did during their stays on the lunar surface. Walk(s) the reader through the prospecting excursions and then incorporate(s) decades of subsequent analysis to put the explorations of dust, rocks, craters, and rilles into geologic context."
SKY & TELESCOPE

"Very well illustratedâ€¦ All aficionados of the Apollo program will find much to appreciate in [this book].â€

"â€¦this is an interesting account of one of the most extraordinary decades in historyâ€¦a very different book. David Harland probably knows more about the nuts and bolts of the Russian and American space programs than any other author and it shows.â€

LUNAR & PLANETARY INFORMATION BULLETIN

Customer Reviews:

The Perfect Beginners Guide.......2007-09-12

If you are new to the Apollo programme, and want a concise chronological account of the Apollo 11 mission, here's the perfect book.

The story is all here: Astronaut biographies, preparations, launch, lunar traverse, orbit, landing, ascent, and recovery. The beauty of this book is the narrative is a mixture of the authors research, NASA transcripts, and historical archives.
There is liberal use of b&w and colour photographs, and diagrams from NASA flight plans.

All this added together gives the reader the mission from the more important viewpoints, and you can imagine yourself right in the middle of all the unfolding drama.

Highly recommended.

Excellent condition.......2007-09-04

This book was in excellent condition. I gave it as a gift. Delivery was prompt.

An excellent account of Apollo 11.......2007-06-12

I worked on the Apollo 11 launch at Kennedy and therefore have a more than passing interest in the subject. This is the first book I have found that is (as far as I can tell) technically perfect. I was sorry when I ran out of book. I especially enjoyed the way Harland included the on-board voice transcripts interspersed with his explanations of what was going on. Lots of good photos and explanatory diagrams. I would rate this 10 stars if it were possible.

Same Story base, new pictures and information.......2007-03-30

My review is similar, in part, to the first reviewee from California. I had seen this one listed but did not purchase it immediatley. I read and collect books on the Mercury to Apollo space program but I had to weigh the price-to-new-presentation format factor of this book before deciding to aquire it.
The first review was enough to make me want to get it and add it to my collection. Some new pictures, in color, were good to see. (Also noted was the fact that there are pictures of Neil Armstrong on the moon. This seems to be mis-represented in other books. The two pictures are of him in the background and not a "tourist" style shot.)
What I liked the most was the commentary between the astronauts and Mission Control. I had not read as complete of a dialoge from lift off to splash down as I had in this book. This type of material may have been covered in other books that I have not yet discovered or read, such as the NASA Mission Report book series by Robert Goodwin.
I enjoyed the layout and informative interpretation of the material. I thought that it was another good version of an "old" story.

The latest, but is it the greatest?.......2006-12-15

I just picked this one up at the book store yesterday, so have not yet finished reading it. Since nobody else has yet reviewed this book, I'll volunteer to go first to make a few first observation comments.

First, this new book is quite factual and chronologically accurate. It is also very well organized, with an uncustomary, but fully detailed ToC. Atypical for such books, it has LOTS of full page photos, and illustrative figures (mostly B&W, but one whole section devoted to color of this Apollo mission). Many of the pictures are unusual in that I have yet to see them published elsewhere in similar books on the same subject. For this reason alone I recommend this new book by David Harland, "The First Men on the Moon: The Story of Apollo 11".

I'm sure it is somewhat repetitive of other books on this and other Apollo Moon Missions, but still appears much more focused on this specific amazing and most historic spaceflight. It is seemingly much more technically detailed with factual information as well. The bibliography listed references is impressive, so the author must have thoroughly researched Apollo 11 in preparing this book.

I have read (and reviewed on this website) several other excellent books on Project Apollo, particularly those written by the Astronauts and key players within Mission Control, plus watched all the currently available (DVD) videos as well. This one may turn out to surpass all other sources of information, including NASA's archives, with respect to the first Moon landing. However, I will have to return to update my review at a future date, after reading it to completion.

So far, the only criticism I have of this and other related space exploration books published by Springer Praxis, is that they are quite expensive, especially in paperback. Nevetheless, my first impression is you get what you pay for, and though paperback, this book just may DELIVER on its lofty price as an authoritative and exhaustive work, infused with much technical (and accurate) information, yet easy to read. Certainly, the wealth of picture content serves a useful purpose in complementing the actual reading material, so that it becomes more meaningful and interesting to the average reader, non-rocket science types, such as myself.

Stay tuned . . .

Of Molecules and Men (Great Minds Series)

Average customer rating:

Of Molecules and Men (Great Minds Series)
Francis Crick
Manufacturer: Prometheus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Evolution | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1591021855

Book Description

There is probably no one who has a deeper understanding of life's biochemical basis than Francis Crick (b. 1916). In 1962 he jointly won the Nobel Prize (with James D. Watson and Maurice H.F. Wilkins) in physiology/medicine for breakthrough studies on the molecular structure of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). In 1966 he published this collection of popular lectures in which he explained the importance of this discovery in layman's terms, emphasizing its wide-reaching implications.

Crick begins with a critique of vitalism, the notion that an intangible life force beyond the grasp of biology distinguishes living organisms from inanimate things. In his second lecture he explores the borderline between the organic and inorganic, presenting an elegantly clear description of DNA's basic structure and function in relation to RNA and myriad enzymes.

In his third lecture Crick anticipates events and trends that have in fact come to pass in the past four decades, including the increasing use of computer technology and robotics in mind-brain research, explorations into right-side versus left-side uses of the brain, and controversies surrounding the existence of the soul.

amazon.com

Bryan Sykes follows up The Seven Daughters of Eve with the equally challenging and well-written Adam's Curse. This time, instead of following humanity's heritage back to the first women, Sykes looks forward to a possible future without men. The seeds of the book's topics were sown when Sykes met a pre-eminent pharmaceutical company chairman who shared his surname. Using the Y chromosome, which is passed nearly unchanged from father to son, the author found that he shared a distant ancestor with the other Sykes. Along the way, he discovered that the Y chromosome was worth examining more closely. The first third of Adam's Curse is devoted to a clear and comprehensive lesson about genetics, the second narrates several fascinating stories of tracing ancestry via the Y chromosome, and the last chapters explore the history of male humanity and its future. Some readers will eagerly skim until they reach Chapter 21, where Sykes gets to the heart of the matter--why and how the Y chromosome has created a world where men overwhelmingly own the wealth and power, commit the crimes, and fight the wars. He uses the structural puniness of the Y chromosome to demonstrate that men are as unnecessary biologically as they are dominant socially. Sykes' provocative and quite personal book is likely to be unpopular among science readers who prefer their biology divorced from sociology, but his points taken in context will be difficult to refute. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

The inside story of the Y chromosome's fatal flaw, as told by one of the world's leading geneticists.

Male reproductive fragility has been the subject of much highly publicized recent research. Is it possible, asked the New York Times, that men face extinction? Bryan Sykes examines the validity of these shocking reports, focusing on the defining characteristic of men: the Y chromosome in their DNA. Guiding his readers through chapters like "The Blood of Vikings" and "Ribbons of Life," Sykes masterfully blends natural history with scientific fact, elucidating the biology of sexual reproduction, modern genetics, and evolutionary biology. He reveals that, while the Y chromosome makes man's existence possible, it also carries within it the seeds of his destruction. Timely and fascinating, this major work covers a wealth of controversial topics, including whether there is a genetic cause for male greed, aggression, and promiscuity; the possible existence of a male homosexual gene; and what, if anything, can be done to save men from a slow, but certain, extinction.

Customer Reviews:

So true!.......2007-06-27

After reading this book, I have a whole new view of the male of our species. So many things about males became clear. The aggression, the laziness, the superior attitude which is so misplaced. Ladies! A must read!

Disappointing.......2007-04-20

OK, I loved Sykes' book "The Seven Daughters of Eve." So I wanted to read this one as well. Very disappointing. For one thing, I couldn't care less about the mating and reproductive habits of insects. For another, while I understand his wish to clarify things scientifically, I thought some of his opinions about women and homosexuality were pretty outlandish. There were a few interesting things in the book. The parts about Ghengis Khan would be one example.

But my biggest issue with the book is that Sykes seems to have gotten way too full of himself and way too focused on "being a writer." Please! Do I really care what the weather was like or what the library looked like when he got idea XYZ? What made the other book so engaging was that he was just telling about the excitement of the discovery process and some of the possibilities for these women who many of us are descended from.

The demise of males.......2007-01-10

An excellent, well-written book on the genetic consequences of sex. Written in such a way that the basic genetic ideas are easily grasped by persons with no prior knowledge of DNA and the way it operates. A fascinating glimpse of the consequences of a genetic mechanism for sex determination and a time-frame for the loss of the Y chromosome and the end of males for all time. Essential freading!

Very readable...great mix of geneology, genetics, and folklore.......2006-09-14

The author does a nice job of mixing science, history, story telling, and predictions. I don't think this is aimed at the scientific crowd, that should explain some of the negative reviews. This book gives the layperson an introduction to some of the genetic knowledge that has been learned in the last 30 years, as well as many misconceptions held by scientists before that time. There is quite a bit of biology here too, comparing human reproduction with the rest of nature. I was fascinated by some of the ways in which gender is determined in turtles (tempurature of the beach), or a fish that changes its gender when its male partner dies, or some animals that have evolved into not needing male/female separation at all! The end of the book has some interesting ideas on how long until Y chromozome decay might make men extinct, or ways we might evolve to avoid this. Overall, a great read.

Mada-bout the bo Y.......2006-07-17

The punchline is that the Y chromosome is doomed - but this applies to pretty much all mammals - so what's the news? We occupy the same playing field don't we?

Before the punchline Sykes explores why the Y chromosome in humans may be especially at risk. Point the finger at the rabid dispersion of gender bending chemicals into the environment such as pthalates from plastics and oestrogen type chemicals including vast amounts of contraceptive hormones that leak into sewage and don't break down affecting fish and perhaps us? Sperm counts are going down apparently, but this is not necessarily associated with the punchline, which is on the basis of the Y chromosome not undergoing chiasma formation with the X - leading to an accumulation of mutant mistakes.

Overall the book is good at answering from the secular selfish gene point of view such obvious questions as "Why does sex exist? Why are there two sexes?". Sykes believes in William Hamilton's theories popularised by Dawkins that the gene is the ultimate unit of selection.

Despite the "triumph" of this idea according to Sykes, scientists still debate about whether it is the gene, the individual or the species that is selected. There is in fact evidence for all three. In this book, one sort of also realises that chromosomes too can be units of selection. American evolutionists generally don't like the gene centric approach. The war between mitochondrial DNA and the Y as described in this book seems to be somewhat hollow.

I don't agree that agriculture per se led to a diminution of the status of women and the establishment of a patriarchal set of civilisations epitomised by the masculinisation of the figures of the divine as men seemed to realise that they had an upper hand in procreation.

The most interesting observations of this book is facts about how the Y chromosome spreads and how it can help trace your line of decent - and how this may contradict the line of decent through the female line.

Better still is the evidence suggesting strong assymetry in the natal balance of the sexes in some families leaving aside the obvious cultural bias (in some countries) of sons over daughters. In short, certain families have skewed tendencies to have too many boys or girls which does not add up statistically. But is the explanation presented correct? There is here food for thought.

This book is fascinating though weak in places. I'm not too worried about the punchline and not sure if it is true but I have been somewhat enlightened by reading this book in that it clarifies points raised in books like the Selfish Gene. I feel the truth overall is not as clear cut as the book tries to show and therefore am not going to end up story telling about why exactly there are two sexes. There is plenty here to have conversations with for sure.

Does the gay gene exist? Is it to do with your older brothers training the mother's pregnant body to attack your masculinity if you are a younger brother? There is now some evidence for this just out.

A good read, attacking men, unfairly at times, but a good read none the less.

Moondust : In Search of the Men Who Fell to Earth

Average customer rating:

Four and a half stars...
The moon men
Moondust
A Lovely Retro Pastiche of Nostalgic Nonfiction
Nothing more human than walking on the Moon

Moondust : In Search of the Men Who Fell to Earth
Andrew Smith
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

History of Technology | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books

Astronauts | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | History | Bargain Books | Stores | Books

United States | History | Bargain Books | Stores | Books

Science & Nature | Bargain Books | Stores | Books

General | Biography | Bargain Books | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000GG4LV2

Customer Reviews:

Four and a half stars..........2007-09-21

It's hard to review this book. Everyone agrees that it offers a fascinating insight into the astronauts who walked on the moon. This book isn't really asking "what was it like?" because that's been done too many times. Instead, it asked "what was it like for you?" to each astronaut, and got some interesting answers.
The remainder of the book is mostly about the journey of discovery that the author takes as he realizes that it had a relatively profound effect on his own life. Some reviewers (myself included) buy into this concept and found it made the whole package very engaging. Others (including some of my friends) found it annoying and distracting.
So, if you would rather just read biographies of astronauts, try the book about Pete Conrad. If you ever wondered, "gosh, whatever happened to those guys?" or "well, what did it mean for the US to go to the moon anyway?" I think this is an entertaining, engrossing and ultimately enlightening read.
I only gave it four and a half stars because it's not the best book I've ever read, merely one of the most memorable.

The moon men.......2007-09-14

Interesting, but a bit boring in places. Not what I expected, however, moon landing junkies like myself will enjoy it.

Moondust.......2007-08-24

Great update to true American heroes. Of course most of us are envious of being able to walk on the moon, but these guys were in the right place and at the right time. They were mentally and physically of "the right stuff!" I am proud of their accomplishment. Some added photos of THEN and NOW would be a nice addition.

A Lovely Retro Pastiche of Nostalgic Nonfiction.......2007-07-26

I think the premise of this book needs some explaining, because it's not simply about the nine remaining spacewalkers. On the surface, the book documents Andrew Smith's journey as he tracks down the nine remaining (of 12) men who walked on the moon - but along the way he recounts insider information and other interviews from every facet of the 1960's space era that you can imagine; historical data, societal commentary, presidental scoop, NASA gossip, hoax theories...everything comes into play, not the least of which includes Andrew Smith's own take on everything including his emotional reactions to the interviews he undertakes.

One of the main critiques of the book from other reviews I've read is Smith includes himself too much in the story...but as someone who doesn't particularly like non-fiction, I thought Smith's descriptions and feelings were what gave the story its life, and its purpose. The ending was essentially a big summary/recap/understanding for Smith and what this journey meant to him, which I suppose is a tad bit of a letdown...but at the same time, I really found myself relating to him as a *writer* in that I would have finished my book off the same way he does, with a sense of growth and reflection.

Overall I thought this was a fantastic book, really well-written, interesting etc. My only complaint would be that sometimes it leaps all over the place so you can lose track of who he is talking about or what each chapter is supposed to focus on (each chapter is more or less about a different astronaut but there is sooooooo much more included as well). Still I thought the book did an excellent job tackling a very complex, rich subject by trying to address as many facets of the Apollo program as possible. The emotions Smith was feeling and the questions he was asking were very realistic and matched what I would expect myself to feel in the presence of someone who has left our humble planet.

If you have any interest in the space program of the 1960's, then do yourself a favour and read this fantastic book! I loved it and would highly reccommend it.

Nothing more human than walking on the Moon.......2007-07-13

An interesting book from a uniquely different perspective. It "tries" to answer the question what it felt like to walk on the Moon, from those that actually did it. In this objective, it does not succeed, but then those men (9 still living) are not all that open about their "feelings" or they would never been allowed in a high explosive fueled spaceship, let alone astronauts explorers of the Moon.

This book does succeed in allowing us to get to know these Moonwalkers better than they themselves or NASA ever allowed. Most have simply faded away from the spotlight in some rather mundane form of normal human existence. I enjoyed what little time the spotlight was focused on each of them and what they had to say for the sake of future generations and readers of this book. Some certainly were more colorful and outspoken or controversial than others, but all had something to say of a personal nature either before or after their missions in space. Sadly, most had far less to say about their actual missions in space. I suspect the author intentionally deemphasized this aspect, since many other books have been written on those missions, several of which by the astronauts themselves.

They all seem to share a one common view, and what a pity, that NASA, or more accurately, the United States government and its taypayer citizens, gave up on space travel, just when Apollo enabled the astronauts to reach for the stars. It is almost inconceivable that mankind has not seen fit to revisited the Moon in nearly 35 years, (Apollo 17 was the last in December of 1972), nor commission and/or fund a new manned mission to Mars. What are we waiting for?

With something that adventurous (and dangerous) still held in abeyance, seemingly indefinitely (or in the words of one Moonwalker, probably will not happen for at least another 100 to 150 years), all we have till then is plenty of time to study the past. These men were and still are the first real hero representative of planel Earth; their accomplishments are and will forever be legendary. With a quarter of them already gone, we are fortune to still have most of them with us and all too briefly to have shared their extraordinary lives in such a delightful book as this, Moondust by Andrew Smith.

Average customer rating:

Great book
Superb overview of the development of QED...
Thorough Coverage of the Pinaccle of 20th Century Physics

QED and the Men Who Made It
Silvan S. Schweber
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

History of Science | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

Quantum Theory | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0691033277

Book Description

In the 1930s, physics was in a crisis. There appeared to be no way to reconcile the new theory of quantum mechanics with Einstein's theory of relativity. Several approaches had been tried and had failed. In the post-World War II period, four eminent physicists rose to the challenge and developed a calculable version of quantum electrodynamics (QED), probably the most successful theory in physics. This formulation of QED was pioneered by Freeman Dyson, Richard Feynman, Julian Schwinger, and Sin-Itiro Tomonaga, three of whom won the Nobel Prize for their work. In this book, physicist and historian Silvan Schweber tells the story of these four physicists, blending discussions of their scientific work with fascinating biographical sketches.

Setting the achievements of these four men in context, Schweber begins with an account of the early work done by physicists such as Dirac and Jordan, and describes the gathering of eminent theorists at Shelter Island in 1947, the meeting that heralded the new era of QED. The rest of his narrative comprises individual biographies of the four physicists, discussions of their major contributions, and the story of the scientific community in which they worked. Throughout, Schweber draws on his technical expertise to offer a lively and lucid explanation of how this theory was finally established as the appropriate way to describe the atomic and subatomic realms.

Customer Reviews:

Great book.......2002-10-27

Love it so far. Brilliant insight into not just the men behind the theories - but also physics itself.

Superb overview of the development of QED..........2001-09-11

This book is a superb overview of the development of QED. The slant is geared towards the major personalities involved in it's development. The key players of course were: Feynman, Schwinger, Dyson, and Tomonaga. The text is quite detailed and is directed towards the academic community and assumes a cursory knowledge of quantum mechanics. That being the case, I got lost in much of the math. However, I kept at it and got much out of the book. If you are a physics major then this book will be a jewel to own. What an experience to "see" the human mind come up with ideas which at first glance seem impossible but later turn out to be perfectly true. The writing is quite turgid as is the case with books put out by Princeton, but the material is just fantastic. If the math overwhelms you, as it did me, just get the main idea down and forge on. Later, if time and patience permits re-visit the portion that got you lost and try again. I did this but still am lost in many areas. Nevertheless, a great read!!

Thorough Coverage of the Pinaccle of 20th Century Physics.......1999-11-25

This is a very technical and historical review of the creation of the 20th Centuries most accurate of all physics, QED. The work is very complete and besides the mathematics, it provides excellant yet terse backgrounds of the 4 major players: Tomonaga, Schwinger, Feynman and Dyson. The backgounds of these personalities is weaved into their astounding developments leading to QED. This book should not only serve as a historical timepiece, but I beleive it could serve very well as an adjunct to even graduate level physics.

Average customer rating:

A little too bigoted...
Big on inspiration (for boys), short on facts
the lives and the math behind each mathematician
Never read this book before...so please ignore the rating.
Classic biographical sketches of mathematicians

Men of Mathematics (Touchstone Book)
E.T. Bell
Manufacturer: Touchstone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Scientists | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0671628186

Book Description

Here is the classic, much-read introduction to the craft and history of mathematics by E.T. Bell, a leading figure in mathematics in America for half a century. Men of Mathematics accessibly explains the major mathematics, from the geometry of the Greeks through Newton's calculus and on to the laws of probability, symbolic logic, and the fourth dimension. In addition, the book goes beyond pure mathematics to present a series of engrossing biographies of the great mathematicians -- an extraordinary number of whom lived bizarre or unusual lives. Finally, Men of Mathematics is also a history of ideas, tracing the majestic development of mathematical thought from ancient times to the twentieth century. This enduring work's clear, often humorous way of dealing with complex ideas makes it an ideal book for the non-mathematician.

Customer Reviews:

A little too bigoted..........2007-05-15

Apart from the glaring historical inaccuracies (mathematically speaking) with which E. T. Bell embellished his book, I must say that I found the pervasive anti-Christian sarcasm to be very offensive and tiresome. E. T. Bell seems to reserve a special disliking for Blaise Pascal and Augustin-Louis Cauchy... Pascal is made out to be a mentally ill religious lunatic and Cauchy to be an eccentric and bigoted religious fanatic. Bell sacrifices truth on the altar of propaganda especially in the section on Evariste Galois - here he takes particular pains to portay the great mathematician Cauchy to be a fool and a religious bigot while Galois (a very unstable, self-destructive character if there ever was one) is made out to be the martyred hero!

Big on inspiration (for boys), short on facts.......2004-06-14

Bell's book has been an inspiration to several generations of mathematicians, encouraging them to pursue the creative discipline of mathematics. For that, he has done a great service to mathematics.

Unfortunately, that is the only good thing I can say about this book. E.T. Bell was a respected Caltech mathematician, who dabbled in writing books about mathematical history. He was a great writer with style, which has led many to believe he was also an eminent scholar of history of mathematics. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Bell manages to perpetrate fiction in almost every other line, mangling known facts, making unwarranted judgments and characterizations of personalities and motives. Whatever he needs to do to construct an entertaining story, he does. His name is universally cursed by historians of mathematicians.

Making up stuff for a good story might not ordinarily be bad. After all, a lot of people do it, and certainly encouraging youngsters to study mathematics is not a bad goal. But there are several ways in which this book is insidious. One is the negative potrayal of women mathematicians. As the astute reader will have noted, the title is *Men* of Mathematics. (On my paperpack edition, the word "men" is even set off by a different color than the rest of the title!) The forgiving reader may be willing to forgive this; after all, the book was written in less politically correct times, and certainly most of the famous and well-documented mathematicians are men. Gauss? A man. Euler? A man also. Etc. On the other hand, there are notable examples of great mathematicians who happened to be women. Emmy Noether and Sonja Kowalewski, for example. Women who are mentioned in Bell's book, but are either paid little attention to or treated rather badly, in a way that clearly highlights Bell's own prejudices. Some readers will be struck by sentences like "Sonja's sex had got the better of her ambitions and she had been living happily with her husband." Rather than list more examples, let me stop by adding that this kind of sentence is typical of Bell, and doesn't stand out much. What is perhaps the most revealing is that Chapter 22, "Master and Pupil", which is about Weierstrass and Kowalewski, spends undue amount of time discussing Kowalewski's sexual attributes and their effect on her mathematical colleagues and teachers, and little explaining her contributions to mathematics.

Bell also shows prejudice when he explains that the dispute between Cantor and Kronecker was due, in part, because:

"Rightly or wrongly, Cantor blamed Kronecker for his failure to obtain the coveted position at Berlin. The aggressive clannishness of Jews has often been remarked, sometimes as an argument against employing them in academic work, but it has not been so generally observed that there is no more vicious academic hatred than that of one Jew for another when they disagree on purely scientific matters or when one is jealous or afraid of another. Gentiles either laugh these hatreds off or go at them in an efficient, underhand way which often enables them to accomplish their spiteful ends under the guise of sincere friendship. When two intellectual Jews fall out they disagree all over, throw reserve to the dogs, and do everything in their power to cut one anothers' throats or stab one another in the back."

This quote was later modified (I think it might have been after Bell's death) to be about styles of academic infighting, rather than a commentary about Jews and Gentiles.

Bell typically exaggerates or just plain makes things up in order to make for a better story, but I think such a false potrayal of mathematicians cannot be good. The chapter on Galois, the most famous part of the book, is replete with historical errors and omissions, including rearranging order of events, leaving out the less savory aspects of Galois' personality, and basically saying Galois invented Galois theory the night before the duel, even though parts of his work were published and known by that time to other mathematicians.

Bell consistently paints Galois as misunderstood and his older mathematical colleagues as buffoons. This is a seductive thought to some, but the reality is that great mathematical ideas don't have to be suppressed in order to be dormant. Truly great ideas can sometimes take years to sink in. Not a romantic viewpoint perhaps, but I think Galois' greatness is enhanced, not diminished, by this realization. (Of course, Galois's inability/unwillingness to better communicate his ideas didn't help!)

This book is certainly inspirational for some, but especially for today's audience, I think it'll be glaringly biased and I doubt very inspiring for young girls in particular. The worst thing you can do is give this book to your child to read. There have been many books since then that are more accurate and less prejudiced in flavor.

the lives and the math behind each mathematician.......2004-02-01

This book is a wonderfully detailed account of all the men who made mathematics - from their personal biographies to the math they invented or took a step further. Definitely a classic, Bell elegantly explores the lives from birth to death of each mathematician paralleled by their proofs and conjectures.

It is also a great resource for classic proofs and their derivations. In this way, Men of Mathematics may also be read like an encyclopaedia, by turning to any page that catches your interest. Highly recommended for anyone (even 10 year olds) who show unsatiable interest in mathematics.

Never read this book before...so please ignore the rating........2003-10-20

I just wanted to mention that this was the book that mathematical genius John Nash read in highschool. In case you didn't know, John Nash was the winner of the 1994 Nobel Prize in Economics for his development of the Nash Equillibrium he discovered for Non-cooperative games. There is a famous biographical movie about his life, which, apparently like the lives of the mathematicians in this book, is quite eccentric. The movie is "A Beautiful Mind". Check it out.

Classic biographical sketches of mathematicians.......2003-08-29

This is a classic for a number of reasons. It is a one source book of mini biographies of great mathematicians. It has been continously in print and popular since it was published about 1937. It has a vigourous prose and is amusingly, engagingly and memorably opinionated in assessing how these mathematical personalities dealt with life's vicissitudes. It probably has provided an inspiration to delve further into mathematics for many teenagers, by dramatizing the life and intellectual sojourns of mathematicians. Drama, adventure, amusement, suspense, tragedy, conflict, amazing discoveries and achievements, and writing that pulls you in. What more could you ask for? If you know a teenager interested in maths or sciences, this is a good bet.

The book is such an enduring icon in popular mathematical books, who was E T Bell? He was an Englishman transplanted to California who was a professor of mathematics, and wrote, under a pseudonym, some successful science fiction. In 1993, a biography of E T Bell written by Constance Reid, called The search for E.T. Bell :also known as John Taine, was published. Constance Reid is famous as the biographer of the great mathematicians David Hilbert, and Hilbert's student, Richard Courant. Interesting guy.

Books: