Book Description
Despite the differences of their subject matter, science and theology have a cousinly relationship, John Polkinghorne contends in his latest thought-provoking book. From his unique perspective as both theoretical physicist and Anglican priest, Polkinghorne considers aspects of quantum physics and theology and demonstrates that the two truth-seeking enterprises are engaged in analogous rational techniques of inquiry. His exploration of the deep connections between science and theology shows with new clarity a common kinship in the search for truth.
The author identifies and explores key similarities in quantum physics and Christology. Among the many parallels he identifies are patterns of historical development in quantum physics and in Christology; wrestling with perplexities such as quantum interpretation and the problem of evil; and the drive for an overarching view in the Grand Unified Theories of physics and in Trinitarian theology. Both theology and science are propelled by a desire to understand the world through experienced reality, and Polkinghorne explains that their viewpoints are by no means mutually exclusive.
Customer Reviews:
brief history of quantum physics and theology.......2007-06-19
In this slim well written volume Polkinghorne gives us a succinct comparison of the rational processes of inquiry required in both quantum physics and Chistian theology. As he says in his preface if you're looking for a book on quantum physics he has written a different work treating that subject specifically. He has also written elsewhere about his Christian faith and theology. This book's real value lies in its encouragement towards further reading.
Polkinghorne reaffirms his commitment to "critical realism" largely derived from Michael Polanyi. He then takes us on a fascinating journey of the intellectual history of quantum physics and theology. He draws a series of parallels in the two disciplines. Starting with a discussion of how science uses experience and understanding in the process of discovery he explains how the relationship between theory and experiment played a part in Einstein's development of the theory of relativity. That is paralleled by a discussion of how Christology is shaped by the historical record of Christ found in the Gospels. That supports his adoption of "bottom up" theology. This format is followed throughout the book - first discussing an aspect of the history of science and quantum physics followed with a history of some aspect of theology. Overall, this makes for some fascinating reading, if at times a little confusing as to exactly how these different histories are paralleled.
Some of the scientific subjects covered are: the development of relativity, quarks, atomic structure, waves and particles, quantum indeterminacy and quantum field theory. The theological subjects include Christology, the historical Jesus, the incarnation, the doctrine of two natures, doctrine of the Trinity, miracles and eschatology. Polkinghorne finishes up with a discussion of some human aspects of intellectual inquiry such as the role of genius, insight, imagination, thought experiments and how the choice of words influences conceptual formulation.
Polkinghorne's aim is to get scientists to appreciate the rational inquiry demanded of theological reflection and perhaps to do some reading in theology. Likewise, he encourages theologians to appreciate the intellectual rigor of scientific inquiry and to study science to see what that might add to their own theological formulations. I think this book succeeds in stimulating the reader in those directions.
A champion of the Word.......2007-05-10
John Polkinghorne is one of the most complete theologians in the Anglican Communion - if not in the whole Christian Church. Using the Church's long established three way approach to understanding scripture, he reads his bible, considers,seriously, the history of its interpretation and thinks profoundly about what it all can mean. All though the essay uses complex issues im both physics and theology it provided me a major helping of food for thought. It is one of those texts that can be read again and again.
Book Description
Facing the Unexpected presents the wealth of information derived from disasters around the world over the past 25 years. The authors explore how these findings can improve disaster programs, identify remaining research needs, and discuss disaster within the broader context of sustainable development.
How do different people think about disaster? Are we more likely to panic or to respond with altruism? Why are 110 people killed in a Valujet crash considered disaster victims while the 50,000 killed annually in traffic accidents in the U.S. are not? At the crossroads of social, cultural, and economic factors, this book examines these and other compelling questions.
The authors review the influences that shape the U.S. governmental system for disaster planning and response, the effectiveness of local emergency agencies, and the level of professionalism in the field. They also compare technological versus natural disaster and examine the impact of technology on disaster programs.
Customer Reviews:
A moving meditation by a deeply poetic observer of the natural world .......2006-09-29
There are a number of writers of works for the general public on scientific subjects ( Oliver Sachs, Lewis Thomas, Alan Lightman come first to mind) who in exploring their subjects provide profound and poetic insight into human nature and the human situation. Eiseley is such a writer also , and at times he writes passages of exquisite beauty. He often takes off from his own personal observation and in the course of reflection teaches truths about the natural world and the overall development of mankind.
He is no naive optimist and his brilliant essay in this volume comparing two of his great naturalist heroes, Darwin and Thoreau he speaks about the cruel and wasteful sides of the natural world. Even more he emphasizes the surprises the close observer of the natural world is often confronted by, the 'Unexpected Universe' of his title. Eiseley sees the mystery that is constantly the byproduct of close observation of nature.
"The evolution of a lifeless planet eventually culminates in green leaves. The altered and oxygenated air hanging above the continents presently invites the rise of animal apparitions compounded of formerly inert clay.
Only after long observation does the sophisticated eye succeed in labeling these events as natural rather than miraculous. There frequently lingers about them a penumbral air of mystery not easily dispersed.We seem to know much, yet we frequently find ourselves baffled.Humanity itself constitutes such a mystery, for our species arose and spread in a time of great extinctions. We are the final product of the Pleistocene period's millenial winters, whose origin is still debated.Our knowledge of this ice age is only a little over a century old, and the time of its complete acceptance even less. Illiterate man has lost the memory of that huge snowfall from whose depths he has emerged blinking."
In this context many of the best passages of this book relate to Eiseley's musings on prehistoric life and development of mankind. Some might find in this emphasis a hindrance to religious faith, but in one exceptionally telling passage of the book he shows the kind of friendly connection between scientific observation and religious faith which many of us would like to affirm.
"It is not sufficient any longer to listen at the end of a wire to the rustlings of the galaxies;it is not enough even to examine the great coil of DNA in which is coded the very alphabet of life. These are our extended perceptions.But beyond lies the great darkness of the ultimate Dreamer, who dreamed the light and the galaxies. Before act was, or substance existed, imagination grew in the dark. Man partakes of that ultimate wonder and creativeness. As we turn from the galaxies to the swarming cells of our own being, which toil for something , some entity beyond their grasp, let us remember man, the self- fabricator who came across an ice age to look into the mirrors and the magic of science. Surely he did not come to see himself or his wild visage only. He came because he is at heart a listener and search for some transcendent realm beyond himself."
Compassion--Our Last Great Hope.......2002-09-15
The title of this review is from Leo Bustad, DVM, PhD. Please read the essay "The Star Thrower" for a wonderfully poetic discussion of what sets us apart from "animals" and what connects us. For anyone who has ever thought about how we should act in relation to other species, this essay will provide an intriguing viewpoint. For anyone who is a caregiver to animals, this essay is required reading. Throw away the rest of the book if you want, but you MUST read this essay!
Somber essays from an outstanding writer.......2000-07-13
Loren Eiseley's dark, brooding prose is unique in the annals of nature writing. "The Unexpected Universe" features some of what are considered Eiseley's best essays. Heavily autobiographical and deeply personal, these essays are not cheerful ramblings on the joy of communing with nature. They are bleak, lonely musings on the human condition. Sometimes, Eisely's scholarly style gets the best of him - his penchant for expounding upon the works of obscure authors taints some of his work with a pompous air. But his best moments more than make up for his bad ones. Eiseley's universe can be profound, ethereal, and dreamlike. Life, Eisely shows, is a journey of discovery filled with moments of awe, fear and sorrow, and occasionally, even with moments of joy. His writings rekindle our sense of wonder for a universe whose intricacies and secrets extend far beyond the boundaries of human understanding.
Title is in appropriate.......1999-09-14
There are some observations worthy of consideration and perhaps even remembering hence 1 star. It can be said that Loren Eiseley writes very well indeed, mostly about himself. This book goes far beyond being a "highly personal" book and comes very close to be an autobiography. If Mr. Eiseley intended to convince the reader that he had read a lot of books he succeeded. Whether or not he asimilated the information or just quotes from them is not so clear. He was not the first or only person to be intrigued by the so called alphabet shell but he is the only one, so far as I can determine, to assume it contained an important message from the universe. This man who sees messages of great import from the universe in a sea shell undertakes to explain both Darwin and Thoreau for the dolts of the world incapable of understanding what they read. I can see no other reason for him to explain so carefully what they meant by what they wrote. We are mighty beholden to him. Someone once said " Naturalists and Biologists are strange fellow or they would not be Naturalists and Bioligists". Even with that as a given it is hard to reconcile the personal observations of the Author with the Title of the book. He may have found them enthralling because they were his and feels everyone will be simply thrilled and dutifully impressed. All careful observers as they journey through life have seen as much or more but in the main they do not try to foist there observations or personal feelings on the public. A more appropriate title, I suspect, would have been, "I, Loren Eiseley". One thing can be said with certainty. He is really full of himself.
You cannot miss with Loren Eiseley.......1999-04-12
I think every book this man ever wrote is a masterpiece. His style is thoughtful, haunting, and beautiful. They are all good. Theodosius Dobzhansky described him as "...a Proust miraculously turned into an evolutionary anthropologist..." and Ray Bradbury wrote glowing reviews of many of his books including this one.
Here he writes from a naturalist's perspective on the unexpected and symbloic aspects of the universe. Read about seeds, heiroglyphs on shells, the Ice Age, lost tombs, city dumps and primative Man. The underlying theme is the desolation and renewal of our planet's history and experience.
Book Description
In September of 1859, the entire Earth was engulfed in a gigantic cloud of seething gas, and a blood-red aurora erupted across the planet from the poles to the tropics. Around the world, telegraph systems crashed, machines burst into flames, and electric shocks rendered operators unconscious. Compasses and other sensitive instruments reeled as if struck by a massive magnetic fist. For the first time, people began to suspect that the Earth was not isolated from the rest of the universe. However, nobody knew what could have released such strange forces upon the Earth--nobody, that is, except the amateur English astronomer Richard Carrington.
In this riveting account, Stuart Clark tells for the first time the full story behind Carrington's observations of a mysterious explosion on the surface of the Sun and how his brilliant insight--that the Sun's magnetism directly influences the Earth--helped to usher in the modern era of astronomy. Clark vividly brings to life the scientists who roundly rejected the significance of Carrington's discovery of solar flares, as well as those who took up his struggle to prove the notion that the Earth could be touched by influences from space. Clark also reveals new details about the sordid scandal that destroyed Carrington's reputation and led him from the highest echelons of science to the very lowest reaches of love, villainy, and revenge.
The Sun Kings transports us back to Victorian England, into the very heart of the great nineteenth-century scientific controversy about the Sun's hidden influence over our planet.
Customer Reviews:
A Superb History of Observational Solar Astrophysics.......2007-08-03
Although this excellent book's subtitle mentions "modern astronomy", the book is really about the sun and how certain key individuals, the "sun kings", have made important discoveries towards our better understanding of some aspects of our nearest star and how the earth can be directly affected. In particular, the role that sunspots and solar flares play in producing auroras and magnetic storms on earth is historically explored. The author weaves his remarkable tale from the mid-nineteenth to the early twenty first century. Everything is brought together in the last couple of chapters in which our current understanding of solar astrophysics is presented. Also discussed is modern research on the observed relationship between the number of sunspots and the earth's climate - another possible contributing factor to climate change. The writing style is clear, very engaging and quite friendly; this book is very difficult to put down, in part because the author skillfully includes details of individuals' personal lives intermingled with the science that they were pursuing. The book can be enjoyed by everyone since the author was very careful in avoiding scientific jargon and in meticulously explaining scientific matters. I definitely look forward to reading more of this author's books.
A Great Historical Education.......2007-08-01
This book is real history. It is well written, covers the important points of the history being written about, and is very informative. Clark has written a history of the discovery of the nature of the sun, and of how its magnetic field effects the earth. Clark does a very thorough job describing the lead researchers and how they operated. The basic science is discussed very clearly. I learned a lot.
This book is highly recommended for anyone even remotely interested in history.
Brilliant Book.......2007-05-17
I read this book after hearing Seth Shostak's great interview with Stuart Clark on the SETI podcast. It is a fabulous tale of astronomy in Victorian times, complete with tragic motifs and quirky insights into what amateur astronomers and gentleman scientists thought about the Sun in those times. Great book.
Best Solar Book ever.......2007-05-12
I have been an amatuer Solar observer for twenty years and own an extensive library of volumes dedicated to Solar Physics and the history of Solar observation."The Sun Kings:The Unexpected Tragedy of Richard Carrington and the Tale of How modern Astronomy began" by Stuart Clark is one of the best that I have ever read.I was amazed that on allmost every page was a jewel of history that that I was previously unaware of.Mr Clark's writing was easy to follow and a joy to read.I highly recomend this book to anyone interested in the history of Solar observation.
Amazon.com
James Burke, author and public television star, returns with another quirky look at the way history works. In Twin Tracks, Burke connects "trigger events" with unexpected outcomes. For instance, the invention of the lens-grinding lathe leads to hairdressing, and the debut of Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro connects to development of the stealth fighter jet. These events are tied together via two tracks, one written along the book's left-hand pages, and one along the right. The narratives meet up in the end, giving readers a clear idea that the lines of history can be quite subjective. Some of the examples even run backward, as when Burke explains the connections between smallpox and the Big Bang. While Burke is justifiably famous for linking historical events, the paths he takes, especially those involving lots of unfamiliar names, can be tricky to follow:
In 1710 the art collection was sold to Philip, regent of France, in a deal brokered by Benedetto Luti, the best painter in Rome at the time.... That year Luti took on an assistant.... By 1714 William Kent was painting originals.... His patron in all this was the trillionaire Earl of Burlington.
The best way to read Twin Tracks, as with any of Burke's lovely books, is one chapter at a time, taking thinking breaks in between so as not to become overwhelmed by detail. The networks he describes form a more accurate, if more challenging, picture of history's motion than any linear sequence. --Therese Littleton
Book Description
Twin Tracks is a landmark book of real-world stories that investigates the nature of change and divines as never before the unlikely origins of many aspects of contemporary life. In each of the work's twenty-five narratives, we discover how the different outcomes of an important historical event in the past often come together again in the future.
Each chapter starts with an event -- such as the U.S. attack on Tripoli in 1804 -- that generates two divergent series of consequences. After tracking each pathway as it ranges far and wide through time and space, Burke shows how the paths finally and unexpectedly converge in the modern world.
Twin Tracks pinpoints the myriad ways the future is shaped, whether by love, war, accident, genius, or discovery. For instance, in "The Marriage of Figaro to Stealth Fighter," Burke's twin tracks start with the composer of the opera and the French spy from whose play he stole the plot. The tracks then encompass, among other things, freemasonry, the War of Independence, Captain Cook, jellyfish, Jane Austen, and audio tape. Ultimately, the convergence of the two Figaro tracks sets the stage for the development of Gulf War Stealth aircraft.
Wonderfully accessible and lucidly written, Twin Tracks offers an amusing and instructive new view of the past and the future.
Customer Reviews:
Six Degrees of Connections.......2006-02-21
Although enjoyable, this is not James Burkes best work. This does indeed seem more like "Six Degrees of Connections" at times. Without revealing any sequences here, there are cases that demonstrate Burke's "Trigger Effect". Unfortunately there are too many (for my taste anyway) cases of Mr. X was working on this invention and then he was walking on the sidewalk across from Mr. Y who became famous for something completely different. Because this work concentrates on torturously linking together people rather than connecting the innovations the narrative tends to blend together.
Not an exercize in degrees of freedom.......2004-12-02
Burke is an excellent source for people getting an introduction to what is interesting about the history of ideas- in particular the history of techological and scientific ideas.
The reviewer Loveridge suggests that the connections are something like a superficial hopping about, and that really everything is related to everything using the principle of 6 degrees of freedom. This is a superficial analysis and unfair. Without giving away sequences in this book, consider a well known sequence of Burke's related in his popular Connections series. Use of the water wheel in medieval europe employed a cam to lift hammers for use in things like beating metal. This mechanism of cams as used by complicated bell ringing instruments that used a rotating drum with pegs to trip the bell at the correct time. This system of using trips recorded on a passing pattern of "0"s and "1"s, (do something or don't do something) was used in the Jaccard loom to create complicated patterns in woven cloth. Punched cards were used as an innovation and later were used by tabulating machines to conduct the 1890 US census. The tabulating company created by Hollerith later evolved into IBM. It was a simple matter to jump from storing numbers to storing instructions in these binary patterns.
Is the sequence an exercize in 6 degrees of freedom? Not at all. Just because there is no linear causality or intended outcomes between these innovations, does not mean that they are not an accurate recording of a complicated stream of dependencies between these events. The way we came to computers was dependent on the development of the cam. It is possible that we would have come to it by an different avenue, but that is not the point. This is the way it happenned, and it was cirucuitous, and like following a bouncing ball.
Six degrees between ANY two events.......2004-04-10
The unexpected origins of the modern world. If you've ever played the game of "Six degrees from Kevin Bacon" you'll at least understand this book. Whether you enjoy it or not depends on how much you can focus your attention because this is one hop, skip, and jump book. The author takes an event and shows how it is connected to another event much later in time by a series of meetings, mentors, friends, coincidences, etc. Then another such series is also described with the same start and end point. Wow! Isn't that amazing! And he does this again and again and again. Like "six degrees" you find that almost anything in this world is related to almost anything if you draw our the relationships thin enough. After the third or fourth thread I was exhausted at trying to follow the bouncing ball and gave up on the book.
Average customer rating:
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Unexpected Links Between Egyptian and Babylonian Mathematics
Joran Friberg
Manufacturer: World Scientific Publishing Company
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ASIN: 9812563288 |
Product Description
Mesopotamian mathematics is known from a great number of cuneiform texts, most of them Old Babylonian, some Late Babylonian or pre-Old-Babylonian, and has been intensively studied during the last couple of decades. In contrast to this Egyptian mathematics is known from only a small number of papyrus texts, and the few books and papers that have been written about Egyptian mathematical papyri have mostly reiterated the same old presentations and interpretations of the texts. In this book, it is shown that the methods developed by the author for the close study of mathematical cuneiform texts can also be successfully applied to all kinds of Egyptian mathematical texts, hieratic, demotic, or Greek-Egyptian. At the same time, comparisons of a large number of individual Egyptian mathematical exercises with Babylonian parallels yield many new insights into the nature of Egyptian mathematics and show that Egyptian and Babylonian mathematics display greater similarities than expected.
Book Description
In 1989 Michael Bishop and Harold Varmus were awarded the Nobel Prize for their discovery that normal genes under certain conditions can cause cancer. In this book, Bishop tells us how he and Varmus made their momentous discovery. More than a lively account of the making of a brilliant scientist, How to Win the Nobel Prize is also a broader narrative combining two major and intertwined strands of medical history: the long and ongoing struggles to control infectious diseases and to find and attack the causes of cancer.
Alongside his own story, that of a youthful humanist evolving into an ambivalent medical student, an accidental microbiologist, and finally a world-class researcher, Bishop gives us a fast-paced and engrossing tale of the microbe hunters. It is a narrative enlivened by vivid anecdotes about our deadliest microbial enemies--the Black Death, cholera, syphilis, tuberculosis, malaria, smallpox, HIV--and by biographical sketches of the scientists who led the fight against these scourges.
Bishop then provides an introduction for nonscientists to the molecular underpinnings of cancer and concludes with an analysis of many of today's most important science-related controversies--ranging from stem cell research to the attack on evolution to scientific misconduct. How to Win the Nobel Prize affords us the pleasure of hearing about science from a brilliant practitioner who is a humanist at heart. Bishop's perspective will be valued by anyone interested in biomedical research and in the past, present, and future of the battle against cancer.
Customer Reviews:
Noble Work.......2004-12-15
This is, of course, not a how-to on winning the Nobel Prize. Rather it is Bishop's personal account of what happened when he won the Nobel Prize in "physiology or medicine" in 1989. This is told in a rather light-hearted, self deprecating way that is at once amusing and informative--he provides plenty of background on the prize itself, as well as the logistics of the ceremony of the presentation.
Actually the book is something of a grab-bag of topics. It is partly autobiographical, partly historical accounts of cancer research, and partly a commentary on the issues of the public's perception and misperceptions on science and society. And partly about the discovery that he and Harold Varmus made--the first oncogene.
Although I much enjoyed the other parts, it was to learn something of the discovery itself that brought me to buy the book. And here I must say I was a little disappointed. Basically, they found that one of the four genes carried by the Rous sarcoma virus is also found in the dna of many species of animals, including man. In fact it is found in normal cells, as well as those that are cancerous, and is expressed in both. I found this all a bit confusing. Is it the over-expression of the SRC gene responsible for some cancers, or is it a damaged form of the gene that is responsible? Is it an oncogene or a proto-oncogene? What does it do?
The current paradigm for cancer causation is that one of a few oncogenes and/or tumor supressor genes malfunction to give rise to cancer. I had hoped for a clearer statement of this rather dogmatic idea, and perhaps even some pros and cons for it. What makes a gene qualify for oncogene status? This is never made clear. What has become of SRC? What has been found out in the 30 years since the discovery? Has anyone ever seen a cancer in which only the supposed oncogene is different from that seen in the normal cell? I don't think so.
An opposing theory to this is that the fundamental event in cancer is aneuploidy: the cancer cell contains an abnormal number of chromosomes, thereby over-expressing some thousands of genes at once. Surprisingly, Bishop does not mention this alternative at all. Maybe the oncogene hypothesis is just plain wrong after all. And Peter Duesberg's paradigm is closer to the truth.
Bishop's last chapter covers some of the public controversies: stem cells and cloning, genetic testing and evolution. He gives us his two cents worth on all of them, and I can't help but think he is right on most of what he says. He's got a lot of common sense, and expresses it pretty well.
Book Description
For millennia the mighty giant tortoises lived in isolation on remote oceanic islands such as the Galapagos, Seychelles and Mauritius. Then in the sixteenth century sailors discovered that they were good to eat, and their strategic location led to a wholesale plunder of their population by passing ships. Later, many Victorian scientists became fascinated with these creatures, directly inspiring the first understanding of ecology and biogeography and Darwin's theory of natural selection. The giant tortoise was also the subject of the world's first conservation fight in the 1870s. Indeed many people's lives have been touched by these gentle giants. The French were happy to surrender the island of Mauritius in 1810, but baulked at handing over their mascot tortoise, and the British and American governments were forced to concede the tortoises in a major Cold War incident. The twentieth century saw the establishment of wildlife reserves in the Galapagos and elsewhere, but it has been too late for many species. However, modern genetics has been able to track down members of what were once believed to be extinct populations. A Sheltered Life is a fascinating look at one of the world's strangest and most wondrous animals--whose significance in modern science and culture cannot be underestimated.
Customer Reviews:
An exciting natural history adventure book.......2006-05-05
Paul Chambers writes well. He is also an exceptional researcher and storyteller. I had heard Chambers speak on one of the BBC's NakedScientists podcasts and not only enjoyed his profound knowledge but also his sense of restrained drama.
Yet I picked up this book twice before making the purchase. How could a feminist and museologist find something of interested in a natural history history of the giant tortoise. Something told me to take the plunge and make the purchase. Within the first page I was captivated, Chambers draws us into the scenario of the young Mr Darwin arriving at the Galapagos and being asked by his host, "you will, of course, stay for lunch? [...] I can offer you goat, pig or tortoise?"
As a reader I enjoyed the way Chambers organised each of the chapters, balancing out the stories of the Indian Ocean and Galapagos tortoises, elaborating in careful detail the story of Charles Darwin, Albert Gunter one of the earliest ecology environmentalists, a taste of Victorian collectomania as demonstrated by the fervour of Walter Rothschild and the period of the great scientific expeditions (aka raiding parties) by leading universities of the time.
Interspersed throughout the chapters was a story of the early whalers, trade routes, colonisation, territorial protection and later, DNA modelling.
In essence, this book was a riveting read with a well hammered environmental message. And with numerous mentions of the word 'museum' I now wonder how I could have hesitated to read this book in the first place.
I'm off to read Chambers first book now, Bones of Contention.
Concise, comprehensive, yet thorough history of the worlds giant tortoises.......2006-02-09
I am ashamed. I knew little about giant tortoises except that Darwin had one named Harriet and that there are some that live in the hills of the Galapagos that go into warm volcanic soil to lay their eggs. Had I chanced upon this book before my visit to the Mascarene Islands, I would've given these ancient, magnificent, and awe-inspiring reptiles their deserved attention when I met them.
Paul Chambers has done a remarkable job in recognising the characters of his audience as he has delivered a wonderfully entertaining recount of the discovery, torment, exhaltation, recognition, then conservation of the giant tortoises of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans. Be convinced that Chambers' knack at story-telling, served by intricate and exhaustive research processes, is that which has made this book a success. No doubt, the history of the giant tortoises is itself a truly fascinating topic, however, it is a long history and Chambers knits it tightly into just over 300-pages.
Complimented with thought-provoking illustrations and guiding maps, Chambers also supplements readers with archived photographs where available and enchanting excerpts from the journals of renowned naturalists including Darwin and Wallace (whom, when you read this book, aren't as significan't characters to the story as you think!).
Chambers has inspired curiosity and instilled amazement in this group of animals that has come so close to being decemated by development. A well-paced read, that is acutely balanced and finely structured, be prepared to journey back into the ages of the sea-faring colonists, and discover as they did, the unique giant tortoises that have for millenia, led a sheltered life.
Nifty Journey with Very Large Turtles!!!.......2006-01-27
This is a flawless study of how huge tortoises were at first discovered, then eaten, then sold for their oil and shells, bred, and analyzed by a lot of top zoologists, including Darwin himself! Also, a nice look at the human and biological history of the Galopagos Islands, where the author claims that tortoises and their evolution were as important to Darwin's ideas as the more famous finches. One tortoise still living has been said to be a survivor of Darwin's menagerie, and the author studies the geneological background of this large,elderly lady! He is very skeptical that the animal has lived to be over 170, since the 1830's, but gives a strong case of birth in the 1870's, still very elderly in her 130's!! With some nice drawings , and general large turtle history in islands in the Indian ocean ,this book is a fairly easy, and very interesting page turner, especially for so heavy and old a subject!
Book Description
"Not the least unexpected thing about Mathematics and the Unexpected is that a real mathematician should write not just a literate work, but a literary one."—Ian Stewart, New Scientist
"In this brief, elegant treatise, assessable to anyone who likes to think, Ivar Ekelund explains some philosophical implications of recent mathematics. He examines randomness, the geometry involved in making predictions, and why general trends are easy to project (it will snow in January) but particulars are practically impossible (it will snow from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the 21st)."—Village Voice
Customer Reviews:
A Literate Popularization of Some Surprising Results.......2003-01-02
This fascinating little book -- originally published in French with the subtitle "The Figures of Time from Kepler to Thom" -- deals generally with discoveries related to dynamic systems. The first chapter recounts the history of results related to the granddaddy of dynamic systems: celestial spheres and their orbits. It's a gripping account that places Kepler's and Newton's breakthroughs in context, so that their importance is all the more appreciated. By the end of the 19th century, scientists believed they could accurately predict the location of any planet at any point in time, past or future.
But as Ekeland so well conveys, the haughty hopes of scientism would soon be dashed. The second chapter describes the difficulty -- nay, the impossibility -- of making the required calculations to any accuracy. This is perhaps the most startling part of the book. Even if you have a math and physics education, you may not be aware of the results of Henri Poincaré, who showed among other things that there is no closed-form equation or non-divergent series for expressing the positions of three orbiting bodies in space (the so-called "three body problem"). Ekeland also describes Poincaré's qualitative results, which demonstrated the fractal character of planetary orbits. He then goes on to describe Lorenz's discovery that dynamic systems modeled by even a few simple differential equations exhibit chaotic behavior: a small perturbation in the initial conditions can lead to a vastly different outcome over time. This result re-enforces Ekeland's point that dynamic systems cannot be simulated computationally with any accuracy.
The third chapter describes the results of René Thom's catastrophe theory, which explains why a small change to the configuration of a system can cause it to change states rather dramatically (Thom calls such shifts catastrophes). Ekeland is careful to point out that catastrophe theory applies only to dissipative systems, that is, systems in which stable equilibria are reached due to the dissipation of energy (usually through friction). He also uses a somewhat skeptical tone in describing the more far-fetched areas to which catastrophe theory has been applied by Thom and its other proponents. Nonetheless, catastrophe theory is certainly interesting and does make intuitive sense.
This book is an all-too-rare literate popularization of mathematical ideas. Indeed, literary references abound, especially in the final chapter, which is a long analogy between dynamic systems and Homer's epics The Iliad and The Odyssey. Although I found this analogy a bit strained, I highly recommend the book's first three chapters. In addition to clearly describing a wide variety of mathematical results (using relatively few equations and copius illustrative figures), it also contains a number of surprising little gems. The foreword by Felix Browder is also excellent, putting the rest of the book into appropriate context. Finally, Ekeland has included two fascinating appendices describing other results related to the book's theme, but in slightly more detail.
All in all, this relatively short book (138 pages) packs quite a whollup! I strongly recommend this book to anyone with even the least bit of interest in mathematics or physics. ...
Deceptive Simplicity and Powerful Insight.......2002-05-20
Occasionally you encounter a book about a subject that you know reasonably well, or least think you do, only to discover that you had little understanding after all. When I first read Ivar Ekeland's "Mathematics and the Unexpected", I was absolutely startled. I knew some physics and math, and I had always assumed that differential equations and physics accurately described nature. Differential equations and physics seemed to go together like bread and butter. Ekeland quickly showed me that I had not really thought about the way differential equations are used in physics.
Ekeland has written a book about mathematics, not a mathematics book. "Mathematics and the Unexpected" does not require familiarity with advanced mathematics and celestial mechanics, and yet Ekeland discusses both topics. The thoughtful reader, rather than becoming confused, will come away with insight into some of the most exciting work in mathematics in the last thirty years. I suspect, however, that the reader knowledgeable of more advanced mathematics will be even more appreciative of Ekeland's achievement.
This is not a new book. Ekeland received the Jean Rostand Prize in 1984 for this outstanding work of scientific popularization. He discusses classical determinism, impossible calculations, deterministic but random systems, unstable but stable systems, and dissipative dynamic systems as he positions us to understand catastrophe theory. In the 1980's catastrophe theory was more controversial as some early proponents had either applied the theory inappropriately or exaggerated its capability. Ekeland concludes with a thoughful critique of catastrophe theory.
I encourage anyone interested in pursuing more recent works (popular or technical) on chaos theory, fractals, or nonlinear dynamics to first read "Mathematics and the Unexpected". Ivar Ekeland has produced "a cultured text with the rare combination of deceptive simplicity and powerful insight" that provides a solid foundation for exploring many contemporary topics in mathematics. The phrase in quotes is from the London Times. This is definitely a five-star book.
The Best Popular Math Book I Have Read.......1999-11-24
As a mathematician who doesn't generally enjoy popular math books, I found Mathematics and the Unexpected to be quite pleasant reading. Instead of being a treatise on the enjoyment of puzzles, I think it conveyed much of how mathematics is integral towards human understanding of the world around us. I have recommended it to my non-mathematician friends, to the point that my copy is on permanent loan.
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