BOOKS

In this pleasingly accessible book, inventor/author Clifford Pickover lifts 40 classic scientific laws from the textbooks and places them in the human contexts in which they were created. The names of many of his scientist subjects are forever hallowed: Newton, Kepler, Faraday, Curie, Heisenberg, Hubble, and Planck; but Pickover portrays these deep thinkers as real individuals who were often forced to battle their own demons. A smooth read for history of science enthusiasts.

Clifford A. Pickover is the author of forty books on such topics as computers and creativity, art, mathematics, black holes, human behavior and intelligence, time travel, alien life, religion, medical mysteries, and science fiction. Pickover is a prolific inventor with over forty patents, is the associate editor for several journals, and puzzle contributor to magazines geared to children and adults. He lives outside New York City.

Editorial Reviews

Review
"Pickover inspires a new generation of da Vincis to build unknown flying machines and create new Mona Lisas." -- Christian Science Monitor
"The ploymathic Clifford Pickover discusses 'landmark laws of nature that were discovered over several centuries and whose ramifications have profoundly altered our everyday lives and understanding.'" -- Kendrick Frazier, Skeptical Inquirer
"A perpetual idea machine, Clifford Pickover is one of the most creative, original thinkers in the world today." -- Journal of Recreational Mathematics
"The incomparable Clifford Pickover has written another rich science narrative that t once informs and entertains. There is no one writing today with such an encyclopedic knowledge of all things scientific, and Archimedes to Hawking covers the gamut of what is arguably the most important topic in all of science - the laws of nature. Are they discovered or invented? Do they correspond to things out in the world or only to thoughts inside our heads? These and numerous other tantalizing questions are answered as Pickover takes us through a brief history of nearly everything in the universe (and the universe itself)." -- Michael Shermer, Skeptic
"A ride through the history of world-changing scientific ideas. Pickover pays homage to the great minds who have laid bare the mathematical machinery whirring just beneath the skin of reality. An impressively researched tour de force." --Marcus Chown, author of The Quantum Zoo
"Clifford Pickover has brilliantly succeeded in a monumental task. He has explained, in his usual lucid style, some forty of the greatest laws of physics, and sketched the lives and often eccentric personalities of the geniuses who discovered them. Pickover's pages reflect his vast knowledge of physics and his firm conviction that mathematics has an awesome external reality." --Martin Gardner, author of The Colossal Book of Mathematics

Product Description
Archimedes to Hawking takes the reader on a journey across the centuries as it explores the eponymous physical laws--from Archimedes' Law of Buoyancy and Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion to Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle and Hubble's Law of Cosmic Expansion--whose ramifications have profoundly altered our everyday lives and our understanding of the universe.
Throughout this fascinating book, Clifford Pickover invites us to share in the amazing adventures of brilliant, quirky, and passionate people after whom these laws are named. These lawgivers turn out to be a fascinating, diverse, and sometimes eccentric group of people. Many were extremely versatile polymaths--human dynamos with a seemingly infinite supply of curiosity and energy and who worked in many different areas in science. Others had non-conventional educations and displayed their unusual talents from an early age. Some experienced resistance to their ideas, causing significant personal anguish. Pickover examines more than 40 great laws, providing brief and cogent introductions to the science behind the laws as well as engaging biographies of such scientists as Newton, Faraday, Ohm, Curie, and Planck. Throughout, he includes fascinating, little-known tidbits relating to the law or lawgiver, and he provides cross-references to other laws or equations mentioned in the book. For several entries, he includes simple numerical examples and solved problems so that readers can have a hands-on understanding of the application of the law.
A sweeping survey of scientific discovery as well as an intriguing portrait gallery of some of the greatest minds in history, this superb volume will engage everyone interested in science and the physical world or in the dazzling creativity of these brilliant thinkers.

BEFORE THE BEGINNING

Our Universe and Others

Martin Rees

Foreword by Stephen Hawking

$29.90 including postage Before the beginning

“If you haven’t read a single cosmology book, this is a good place to start.” – John D. Barrow in New Scientist

BARNES & NOBLE WEBPAGE

OVERVIEW

Synopsis

In this landmark book, one of the twentieth century’s greatest astronomers presents scientific evidence that our vast universe may be only a grain of sand on the infinite cosmic shore.It is now widely accepted that our universe exploded around 15 billion years ago from an unimaginably energetic initial event: the big bang. As the primordial material expanded and cooled, it evolved into the exquisite patterns of stars and galaxies we now observe. The mix of energy and radiation that characterizes our universe was imprinted in that initial instant—as were the binding forces of nuclear physics and gravity that controlled our universe’s evolution.The experimental triumphs and theoretical insights of recent years—from the detection of neutrinos from exploding stars to the search for extraterrestrial life—offer the most dramatic enlargement in our concept of the universe since astronomers first realized the sun’s true place among the stars. In this illuminating work, Sir Martin Rees,

Britain

’s Astronomer Royal and one of the most creative and original of contemporary scientists, draws these advances together with up-to-the-minute research on black holes, dark matter, and nucleosynthesis of the elements. He also sheds light on some of the personalities behind the science, offering first-hand impressions of Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, Stephen Hawking, John Archibald Wheeler, and Fred Hoyle, among others.With stunning clarity, Professor Rees argues that a family—even an infinity—of universes may have been created, each by its own big bang, and each acquiring a distinctive imprint and its own laws of physics. These baby universes willeither live out their immense cosmic cycle, or die because those laws do not allow them to achieve longevity.Our ”home universe,” then, is just one element in a cosmic archipelago where impassable barriers prohibit communication between the islands. But, as Rees demonstrates, our universe is an exceptional member of this infinite ensemble, for it is still near the beginning of a fascinating evolutionary process that will end either in the heat-death of external expansion, or in what scientists call a ”big crunch.” Most remarkable of all, our universe contains creatures able to observe it. The multi-universe revolution in cosmological thought limned by Rees casts a piercing light on man’s place in the cosmos, and argues that the conditions permitting the evolution of life stand on the razor’s edge between a dead universe and one filled with living beings.

Biography

Martin Rees is a leading researcher on cosmic evolution, black holes, and galaxies. He has himself originated many key ideas, and brings a unique perspective to themes discussed in this book. He is currently a Royal Society Research Professor, and

Great Britain

’s Astronomer Royal. Through based in Cambridge University for most of his career, he travels extensively, and collaborates wit many colleagues in the

U.S.

and elsewhere. He is an enthusiast for international collaboration in research, and is a member of several foreign academies.

Kirkus Reviews

Astrophysicists and cosmologists play their mind games on the biggest of all boards—the entire known universe. Now Rees, director of Cambridge's Institute of Astronomy, suggests that even that may be only part of a greater game.

Rees, who has swapped ideas at Cambridge with Stephen Hawking (who wrote the foreword to this book) and Roger Penrose, has an apt appreciation for the historical development of his discipline. Most of what we know about the inner workings of stars and the early days of the universe has been formulated in very modern times—essentially since Einstein's General Relativity Theory of 1915. Rees was a graduate student when quasars where first discovered, and he deftly describes this and other important cosmological discoveries of the last four decades. But the major focus of this book is on the new model of cosmology that has been developed since the Big Bang theory became the standard explanation of how the universe began. Several of the key variables of physics as we know it seem quite arbitrary, including the average density of matter (which determines whether the universe will continue to expand or ultimately collapse) and the ratio of ordinary matter to photons. At the age of one second, the universe seems to have settled upon the specific values of these quantities, though no one can say why. Matter took precedence over antimatter as the central component of the material part of creation. Rees suggests that other universes may well have evolved with different ratios and values, and speculates interestingly on the nature of space, time, and other physical constants in such alternate universes. At the same time, he fills in the history of modern cosmology in vivid detail, with clear explanations of some of the more erudite questions addressed in the last few decades.

A strong and entertaining introduction to modern cosmology, by someone who has been close to the center of the debate.

"There is a difference between those who want to feel we already understand the big picture and are upset by anything that doesn't fit in, and those who are excited by anything fundamentally new that might show up. I'm in the latter camp." -- Sir Martin Rees in The Guardian

"Martin [Rees] is a scientific magician: he leaves you wondering: 'Where did he get that idea from?'"
-- George Efstathiou, cosmologist, Oxford University, in The Sunday Telegraph

"Rees is to be commended for telling the unadorned story of the latest developments in cosmology in a forthright and compelling manner."-- Joseph Silk in Nature

PRODUCT DETAILS

“The man knows how to make science interesting.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer

“With his lucid and wry style, [he has a] knack for bringing the most ethereal ideas down to earth.”—The Wall Street Journal

Beyond Einstein takes readers on an exciting excursion into the discoveries that have led scientists to the brightest new prospect in theoretical physics today -- superstring theory. What is superstring theory and why is it important? This revolutionary breakthrough may well be the
fulfillment of Albert Einstein's lifelong dream of a Theory of Everything, uniting the laws of physics into a single description explaining all the known forces in the universe. Co-authored by one of the leading pioneers in superstrings, Michio Kaku, and completely revised and updated with the newest groundbreaking research, the book approaches scientific questions with the excitement of a detective story, offering a fascinating look at the new science that may make the impossible possible.

Dr. Kaku engagingly chronicles the discoveries that have led scientists to the brightest new prospect in theoretical physics. One of the leading pioneers in superstrings, Kaku approaches scientific questions with the excitement of a detective, making science not just a quest but an adventure.

Recently, the ``superstring'' theory, which asserts that all physical matter consists of extraordinarily minute vibrating strings, has been touted as the route to the long-sought unified theory of forces; some proponents call it a ``theory of the universe'' that will bring fundamental physics research to a closure. The first author of the present book is a researcher in the field who offers here one of the earliest superstring presentations for lay readers. The beginning chapters offer a not-very-good history of early 20th century physics, but the remainder of the work becomes livelier and more convincing as it approaches Dr. Kaku's own area of expertise. On the whole this is a fairly successful introduction to a new and exciting scientific area. Jack W. Weigel, Univ. of Michigan Lib., Ann Arbor

"Deeply satisfying ... [An] engrossing blend of theory, history, and anecdote." - WALL STREET JOURNAL

Every since Einstein's general theory of relativity burst upon the world in 1915, some of the most brilliant minds of our century have sought to decipher its mysteries. Some of them - like black holes and time machines - are so unthinkable that Einstein himself rejected them.

The renowned physicist Kip S. Thorne has been in the thick of the quest. Now in this compelling account he describes these phenomena and explains what they tell us about the universe.

"Among the best of [its] genre to appear in recent years." -- Malcolm W. Browne, front page review NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW

"Readers seeking to go beyond todays headlines will not find a higher authority (or a better storyteller) to disucss the cosmos's most bizarre features ... Masterful and intriguing." - Marcia Bartusiak, WASHINGTON POST

:"Superb. It is what many other books about the subject ought to have been and were not .. I think the book itself will be a stong force." - Carl Sagan

In this masterfully written and brilliantly informed work, Dr. Rhorne, the Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at Caltech, leads readers through an elegant, always human, tapestry of interlocking themes, answering the great question: what principles control our universe and why do physicists think they know what they know? Features an introduction by Stephen Hawking.

Thorne, the Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at CalTech, here offers an accessible, deftly illustrated history of curved spacetime. Covering developments from Einstein to Hawking, he takes his readers to the very edge of theoretical physics: straight through wormholes--and maybe back again--past hyperspace, ``hairless'' wormholes and quantum foam to the leading questions that drive quantum physics. He even addresses the tabloid taunt that has tantalized him since 1988: Do quantum laws allow time travel? (In his foreword, Hawking suggests, ``Maybe someone will come back from the future and tell us the answers.'') Thorne is rigorous, modest and, true to the spirit of science, determined that readers move beyond the appeal of exotic answers and grasp the significance of quantum questions. This volume, a model of style, format and illustration, will speak eloquently to the readership, ranging widely in scientific literacy and interest, that such theoretical physics writers as Hawking and Feynman have established. (Mar.)

Which of these bizarre phenomena, if any, can really exist in our universe? Black holes, down which anything can fall but from which nothing can return; wormholes, short spacewarps connecting regions of the cosmos; singularities, where space and time are so violently warped that time ceases to exist and space becomes a kind of foam; gravitational waves, which carry symphonic accounts of collisions of black holes billions of years ago; and time machines, for traveling backward and forward in time.

Kip Thorne, along with fellow theorists Stephen Hawking and Roger Penrose, a cadre of Russians, and earlier scientists such as Oppenheimer, Wheeler and Chandrasekhar, has been in the thick of the quest to secure answers. In this masterfully written and brilliantly informed work of scientific history and explanation, Dr. Thorne, the Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at Caltech, leads his readers through an elegant, always human, tapestry of interlocking themes, coming finally to a uniquely informed answer to the great question: what principles control our universe and why do physicists think they know the things they think they know? Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time has been one of the greatest best-sellers in publishing history. Anyone who struggled with that book will find here a more slowly paced but equally mind-stretching experience, with the added fascination of a rich historical and human component.

This book's subtitle explains it all. Virtually all astrophysicists accept the fact that Einstein's theory of general relativity is the best model of physical reality that we have. In other words, it is essentially correct. Yet the model requires the existence of physical phenomena beyond one's wildest imagination. One of the investigators attempting to fathom the depths of the theory, Thorne here describes the people who have done the work and the trails, both false and fruitful, they have followed. He brings us up-to-date on the state of the art in black hole research and the attempts to find definitive proof of their existence. Even with the mathematics removed, his explanations can be pretty heavy going. Nevertheless, the payoff is worth the work. For academic and larger public library science collections.-Harold D. Shane, Baruch Coll., CUNY

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LOOK AROUND: from the cars we drive to the planes we fly … from the movies we watch to the recordings we love … from the TV set to the TV dinner … we live in a world that is largely a creation of the human mind. Now the editors of TIME invite you to take a fascinating journey of discovery, as we explore the great inventions that have shaped our lives.

Here are the defining breakthroughs that transformed yesteryear’s party lines and Victrolas into today’s email and CD players. Here are Bell’s telephone, Edison’s light bulb, the Wright bothers’ airplanes, Ford’s Model T. And here are scores of less familiar breakthroughs: the first radio telescope, the first milking machine, the first motorcycle, even the first ice-pop (created, of course, by an 11-year-old).

From the mighty Saturn V rocket to the humble but oh-so-essential zipper, here is the story of human innovation, divided into chapters that encompass every aspect of life: how we live, how we explore, how we communicate, how we record, move and think. And don’t forget how we play and how we eat: in these pages, you’ll meet George Ferris—whose mighty wheel is still good for a thrill—and W.K.Kellogg, Snap and Crackle’s pop.

Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of vintage photographs and archival prints, Great Inventions also features revelatory new graphics that bring science to life in the great TIME tradition, from the inner workings of today’s plasma TVs to the secrets of Hollywood’s supersized movies.

A dazzling journey through time, space and the mind, Great Inventions will fascinate anyone who has ever driven a car, taken a snapshot, booted up a computer or simply turned the lights on in a dark house—and paused, briefly, to wonder.

From the Publisher

From the way we communicate...to the way we travel....from the way we entertain ourselves to the way we do business in every aspect of our lives...it is all so radically different from the time of our grandparents. Now, the editors of TIME tell the fascinating stories behind the most important innovations of the past 100 years, from computers, space shuttles, and cell phones, to zippers, Teflon and the Internet. Here is a celebration of ingenuity in every form, from the kitchen to the garage, from the multiplex to the mousepad. Here are intriguing portraits of the brilliant scientists, oddball inventors and shadetree mechanics who created our modern world.

In this thrilling journey into the mysteries of our cosmos, bestselling author Michio Kaku takes us on a dizzying ride to explore black holes and time machines, multidimensional space and, most tantalizing of all, the possibility that parallel universes may lie alongside our own.

Kaku skillfully guides us through the latest innovations in string theory and its most recent iteration, M-theory, which posits that our universe may be just one in an endless multiverse, a singular bubble floating in a sea of infinite bubble universes. If M-theory is proven correct, we may perhaps finally find an answer to the question, “What happened before the big bang?” This is an esciting and unforgettable introduction to the cutting-edge theories of physics and cosmology from one of the preeminent voices in the fields.

In Parallel Worlds, world-renowned physicist and bestselling author Michio Kaku—an author who “has a knack for bringing the most ethereal ideas down to earth” (Wall Street Journal)—takes readers on a fascinating tour of cosmology, M-theory, and its implications for the fate of the universe.

In his first book of physics since Hyperspace, Michio Kaku begins by describing the extraordinary advances that have transformed cosmology over the last century, and particularly over the last decade, forcing scientists around the world to rethink our understanding of the birth of the universe, and its ultimate fate. In Dr. Kaku’s eyes, we are living in a golden age of physics, as new discoveries from the WMAP and COBE satellites and the Hubble space telescope have given us unprecedented pictures of our universe in its infancy.

As astronomers wade through the avalanche of data from the WMAP satellite, a new cosmological picture is emerging. So far, the leading theory about the birth of the universe is the “inflationary universe theory,” a major refinement on the big bang theory. In this theory, our universe may be but one in a multiverse, floating like a bubble in an infinite sea of bubble universes, with new universes being created all the time. A parallel universe may well hover a mere millimeter from our own.

The very idea of parallel universes and the string theory that can explain their existence was once viewed with suspicion by scientists, seen as the province of mystics, charlatans, and cranks. But today, physicists overwhelmingly support string-theory, and its latest iteration, M-theory, as it is this one theory that, if proven correct, would reconcile the four forces of the universe simply and elegantly, and answer the question “What happened before the big bang?”

Already, Kaku explains, the world’s foremost physicists and astronomers are searching for ways to test the theory of the multiverse using highly sophisticated wave detectors, gravity lenses, satellites, and telescopes. The implications of M-theory are fascinating and endless. If parallel worlds do exist, Kaku speculates, in time, perhaps a trillion years or more from now, as appears likely, when our universe grows cold and dark in what scientists describe as a big freeze, advanced civilizations may well find a way to escape our universe in a kind of “inter-dimensional lifeboat.”

An unforgettable journey into black holes and time machines, alternate universes, and multidimensional space, Parallel Worlds gives us a compelling portrait of the revolution sweeping the world of cosmology.

Well-known physicist and author Kaku (Hyperspace) tells readers in this latest exploration of the far reaches of scientific speculation that another universe may be floating just a millimeter away on a "brane" (membrane) parallel to our own. We can't pop our heads in and have a look around because it exists in hyperspace, beyond our four dimensions. However, Kaku writes, scientists conjecture that branes-a creation of M theory, marketed as possibly the long-sought "theory of everything"-may eventually collide, annihilating each other. Such a collision may even have caused what we call the big bang. In his usual reader-friendly style, Kaku discusses the spooky objects conjured up from the equations of relativity and quantum physics: wormholes, black holes and the "white holes" on the other side; universes budding off from one another; and alternate quantum realities in which the 2004 elections turned out differently. As he delves into the past, present and possible future of this universe, Kaku will excite readers with his vision of realms that may exist just beyond the tip of our noses and, in what he admits is a highly speculative section, the possibilities our progeny may enjoy countless millennia from now; for instance, as this universe dies (in a "big freeze"), humans may be able to escape into other universes. B&w illus. Agent, Stuart Krichevsky. First serial to Discover. (On sale Dec. 28) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Increasingly, it seems that whatever can be imagined, even in wildest speculation, is possible in modern astrophysics. As a case in point, Kaku (Henry Semat Professor of Theoretical Physics, Graduate Ctr., CUNY; Hyperspace) considers serious theoretical possibilities of the existence of parallel and/or multiple universes. He begins by covering the historical background of cosmology (familiar territory to fans of this genre) and discussing the evidence gathered from recent satellite data regarding the age of the universe; theorists, he notes, are only beginning to make sense of this information. The text becomes more engaging in Part 2, "The Multiverse," as Kaku explores how parallel universes might be created, how they might interact with our own, and how new ones might be created all the time. Finally, in Part 3, "Escape into Hyperspace," future scenarios for this and other universes are entertained, including their effect upon the civilizations of intelligent beings within them. The acknowledgments listed in this well-researched book read like an honor roll of contemporary astrophysicists and the best science writers. Be prepared to exercise your imagination as you read. Highly recommended.-Gregg Sapp, Science Lib., SUNY at Albany Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

Cutting-edge physics for a popular audience. This time out, Kaku (Physics, CUNY; Hyperspace, 1994, etc.) takes us through the broad outlines of what physicists call "Theories of Everything." The hottest new flavor here is M-Theory, a derivative of string theory in which our universe is considered to be one of innumerable parallel universes separated by tiny distances in eleven-dimensional space. While apparently counterintuitive, such theories arise from the solid twin pillars of modern physics: quantum theory and general relativity. Kaku dutifully steers the reader through the key formulations of physics, with brief glimpses of the scientists behind the big ideas: not only Newton, Einstein and Hawking, but the playful George Gamow, who did as much as anyone to make the Big Bang respectable, and the wisecracking Richard Feynman, who cheerfully admitted that nobody really understands quantum theory. We also get a look at the hardware of today's science, from the atom-smashers that generate new particles to the giant telescopes that peer back toward the origins of the universe. Kaku clearly enjoys speculating about the broader implications of his subject, and he cites several SF novels with obvious familiarity. His concluding chapters offer a discussion of some ways an advanced civilization might escape the heat death of the universe by tunneling into a parallel universe where the stars still shine. Unfortunately, though, Kaku sometimes stumbles when he strays beyond physics. Errors creep into his historical summaries (Copernicus wrote his astronomical treatise well before his deathbed), and analogies sometimes fall flat: he states that plucking a musical string harder produces a differentnote (it just becomes louder). His final chapter looks for meaning in the structure of the cosmos, seeking a compromise between the Copernican principle (we are not special) and the anthropic principle (we can hardly be accidental). Ambitious and thought-provoking. Agent: Stuart Krichevsky/Stuart Krichevsky Agency

Dr. Michio Kaku is professor of theoretical physics at the City University of New York and a co-founder of string field theory. He is the author of several widely acclaimed books, including Visions, Beyond Einstein, and Hyperspace, which was named one of the best science books of the year by the New York Times and the Washington Post. He hosts a nationally syndicated radio science program and has appeared on such national television shows as Nightline, 60 Minutes, Good Morning America, and Larry King Live.

"In Parallel Worlds, Michio Kaku brings his formidable explanatory talents to bear on one of the strangest and most exciting possibilities to have emerged from modern physics: that our universe may be but one among many, perhaps infinitely many, arrayed in a vast cosmic network. With deft use of analogy and humor, Kaku patiently introduces the reader to variations on this theme of parallel universes, coming from quantum mechanics, cosmology, and most recently, M-theory. Read this book for a wonderful tour, with an expert guide, of a cosmos whose comprehension forces us to stretch to the very limits of imagination." —Brian Greene, Professor of Theoretical Particle Physics, Columbia University, and author of The Fabric of the Cosmos and The Elegant Universe

"Kaku covers a tremendous amount of material ... in a clear and lively way." --Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Kaku employs an amiable style that does much to make the story accessible even for those of us who have trouble telling the difference between superstring theory and Silly String aerosol...Fascinating and sometimes downright boggling." -- SCI FI Magazine

"Those who might enjoy a tour of cosmology, time travel, string theory, and the universe in 10 or 11 dimensions will find no better guide than Michio Kaku, a rare individual who has undertaken research in these subject areas yet also knows well how to present this intriguing, complex material in an engaging and easily assimilable style." — Donald Goldsmith, author of The Runaway Universe and Connecting With the Cosmos

“A roller-coaster ride through the universe — and beyond — by one of the world’s finest science writers. Michio Kaku shows that the surface familiarity of the physical world conceals a wonderland of weird entities — dark matter and energy, hidden dimensions of space, and tiny loops of vibrating string that hold the cosmos together. In the universe according to Kaku, reality is as mind-bending as the most exhilarating science fiction.” —Paul Davies, Australian Centre for Astrobiology, Macquarie University, Sydney, and author of How to Build a Time Machine

"Michio Kaku has done it again. In Parallel Worlds, he deftly transforms the frontier of physics into a kind of amusement park, where you actually have fun while reading about Einstein's relativity, quantum mechanics, cosmology, and string theory. But the real story here is how Kaku invokes these powerful tools to speculate about multiple universes and their philosophical implications for our perceptions of God and the meaning of life." — Neil deGrasse Tyson, Astrophysicist and Director of the Hayden Planetarium, NYC Author of "Origins: Fourteen Billion years of Cosmic Evolution"

A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel

“[Kaku explores] what we still do not quite understand, those grey areas that are surely the most fascinating part of physics.”—New Scientist

A fascinating exploration of the science of the impossible - from death rays and force fields to invisiblity cloaks - revealing to what extent such technologies might be achievable decades or millennia into the future

One hundred years ago, scientists would have said that lasers, televisions, and the atomic bomb were beyond the realm of physical possibility. In Physics of the Impossible, the renowned physicist Michio Kaku explores to what extent the technologies and devices of science fiction that are deemed equally impossible today might well become commonplace in the future.

From teleportation to telekinesis, Kaku uses the world of science fiction to explore the fundamentals - and the limits - of the laws of physics as we know them today. He ranks the impossible technologies by category - Class I, II, and III - depending on when they might be achieved, within the next century, millennia, or perhaps never. In a compelling and thought-provoking narrative, he explains:

* How the science of optics and electromagnetism may one day enable us to bend light around an object, like a stream flowing around a boulder, making the object invisible to observers "downstream"

* How ramjet rockets, laser sails, antimatter engines, and nanorockets may one day take us to the nearby stars

* How telepathy and psychokinesis, once considered pseudoscience, may one day be possible using advances in MRI, computers, superconductivity, and nanotechnology

* Why a time machine is apparently consistent with the known laws of quantum physics, although it would take an unbelievably advanced civilization to actually build one

Kaku uses his discussion of each technology as a jumping-off point to explain the science behind it. An extraordinary scientific adventure, Physics of the Impossible takes readers on an unforgettable, mesmerizing journey into the world of science that both enlightens and entertains.

Michio Kaku is the Henry Semat Professor Theoretical Physics at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and a cofounder of string field theory. He is the author of several widely acclaimed books, including Visions, Beyond Einstein, and Hyperspace, which was named one of the best science books of the year by The New York Times and The Washington Post.

"A genuine tour de force, skillfully delivering cogent descriptions of everything from subatomic structure to the laws of the universe." -- KIRKUS REVIEWS (starred)

Teleportation, time machines, force fields, and interstellar space ships—the stuff of science fiction or potentially attainable future technologies? Inspired by the fantastic worlds of Star Trek, Star Wars, and Back to the Future, renowned theoretical physicist and bestselling author Michio Kaku takes an informed, serious, and often surprising look at what our current understanding of the universe's physical laws may permit in the near and distant future.

Entertaining, informative, and imaginative, Physics of the Impossible probes the very limits of human ingenuity and scientific possibility.

In this latest effort to popularize the sciences, City University of New York professor and media star Kaku (Hyperspace) ponders topics that many people regard as impossible, ranging from psychokinesis and telepathy to time travel and teleportation. His Class I impossibilities include force fields, telepathy and antiuniverses, which don't violate the known laws of science and may become realities in the next century. Those in Class II await realization farther in the future and include faster-than-light travel and discovery of parallel universes. Kaku discusses only perpetual motion machines and precognition in Class III, things that aren't possible according to our current understanding of science. He explains how what many consider to be flights of fancy are being made tangible by recent scientific discoveries ranging from rudimentary advances in teleportation to the creation of small quantities of antimatter and transmissions faster than the speed of light. Science and science fiction buffs can easily follow Kaku's explanations as he shows that in the wonderful worlds of science, impossible things are happening every day. (Mar. 11)

Michio Kaku is the Henry Semat Professor of Theoretical Physics at the CUNY Graduate Center, a leader in the field of theoretical physics, and cofounder of string field theory. He is the author of several widely acclaimed science books, including Parallel Worlds, Visions, Beyond Einstein, and the bestseller Hyperspace. His books have been translated all over the world. He has written for Time, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Discover Magazine, The London Daily Telegraph, New Scientist Magazine, and other periodcals.

In the writings of theoretical physicist Michio Kaku, science doesn't tiptoe into the realm of science fiction; it leaps with awesome bounds. The author of Hyperspace foresees a time when the enhanced MRI devices may make it possible for us to read minds. Like a new-millennium Jules Verne or H. G. Wells, he plots a future where we might be able to simulate invisibility or travel in time. Physics of the Impossible describes how the laws of physics relate to the possibility of teleportation and telekinesis. Fellow physicist Fritjof Capra lauded this book as "extremely well researched, lively, and tremendously entertaining."

The best science fiction writers strive to render even their most fanciful visions of future technologies consistent with known physical facts. But, in some ways, the history of science shows that what is impossible must frequently be reconceived as new discoveries are made. Physicist and renowned science popularizer Kaku (Hyperspace) classifies the impossible into three categories. "Class I Impossibilities" are those believed impossible today but violate no known laws of physics, including force fields, invisibility, teleportation, psychokinesis, intelligent robots, and starships. Accordingly, "Class 2 Impossibilities" are technologies at the far boundaries of what we know of the physical world-e.g., time travel, parallel universes, and faster-than-light travel. "Class 3 Impossibilities," those that violate known laws of the universe, constitute the smallest category and include precognition and perpetual motion machines. In these discussions, Kaku not only explores impossibilities but, in doing so, elucidates some basic physics, so this book both teaches and challenges. Finally, in the epilog, the author concedes that nobody may yet have even imagined tomorrow's impossibilities. This tour de force of science and imagination is for advanced high school students and up. [See Prepub Alert, LJ10/1/07.]

Establishing the laws of universal gravity and the fundamental laws of motion, Newton's momentous 1687 essay stands as one of the most important works in physics, and it revolutionised the way scientists investigate and prove their theories.

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Establishing the laws of universal gravity and the fundamental laws of motion, Newton's momentous 1687 essay stands as one of the most important works in physics, and it revolutionized the way scientists investigate and prove their theories. In Principia, Newton used mathematical terms to present the principles of time, force, and motion, which have been instrumental in the development of modern physics. In his introduction, the famed physicist and bestselling author Stephen Hawking shows how his work built on that of his predecessors, Nicolaus Copernicus and Johannes Kepler.

Newton uses mathematical terms to present the principles of time, force, and motion, which have been instrumental in the development of modern physics. In his Introduction, the famed physicist and bestselling author Stephen Hawking shows how his work built on that of his predecessors, Nicolaus Copernicus and Johannes Kepler.

Renowned physicist and author Stephen Hawking offers a compilation of the writings of some of the world's greatest thinkers in the fields of physics and astronomy. Covered are Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, Johannes Kepler, Sir Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein. Hawking first discusses the life and work of each thinker, followed by the text (or a selection) of his major work. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Biography

Stephen Hawking made black holes palatable for the masses with his 1988 book A Brief History of Time, which had The New York Times pointing out that he is “bravely taking some of the first, though tentative, steps toward quantizing the early universe.”

From Barnes & Noble

The words of the title derive from a famous passage in a letter by scientist Isaac Newton. "If I have seen further," Newton wrote, "it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants." Theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, himself a renowned far-sighted thinker, has compiled an anthology of the seven great classics in astronomy and physics. To each of these masterworks, Hawking adds an introductory essay that shows how each was built on previous discoveries. In addition, the author of A Brief History of Time provides penetrating biographies of Copernicus, Kepler, Galileo, Newton and Einstein.

From the Publisher

World-renowned physicist and bestselling author Stephen Hawking presents a revolutionary look at the momentous discoveries that changed our perception of the world with this first-ever compilation of seven classic works on physics and astronomy. His choice of landmark writings by some of the world's great thinkers traces the brilliant evolution of modern science and shows how each figure built upon the genius of his predecessors. On the Shoulders of Giants includes, in their entirety, On the Revolution of Heavenly Spheres by Nicolaus Copernicus; Principia by Sir Isaac Newton; The Principle of Relativity by Albert Einstein; Dialogues Concerning Two Sciences by Galileo Galilei with Alfonso De Salvio; plus Mystery of the Cosmos, Harmony of the World, and Rudolphine Tables by Johannes Kepler. It also includes five critical essays and a biography of each featured physicist, written by Hawking himself.

Publishers Weekly

Acclaimed physicist Hawking has collected in this single illuminating volume the classic works of physics and astronomy that in their day revolutionized humankind's perception of the world. Included are Copernicus's On the Revolution of Heavenly Spheres, Galileo's Dialogues Concerning Two New Sciences, Kepler's "Harmony of the World," Newton's The Principia and selections from The Principle of Relativity by Einstein. Taken together, these writings document the evolution of our conception of the universe from a pre-Copernican cosmos with a stationary earth at its center to one in which the very weave of time and space are relative. The editor's ability to step back and view the sweep of his subject was first showcased in his bestselling A Brief History of Time and confirmed in his The Universe in a Nutshell. In an essay introducing each work here, he gives a short and sweet biography of its author and an explanation of its significance, as well as the occasional gem, like Galileo's handwritten renunciation of his beliefs before the Inquisition. To read the works themselves is to feel the thrill and mystery of intimacy with oft-cited source documents. Despite the volume's heftiness, Hawking has given these works a setting that is elegantly simple and, in its simplicity, effectively broadening. (Oct.) Forecast: With a 100,000 first printing and $25,000 marketing campaign, Running Press won't let the book's heft discourage them from getting the word out. And with the fair price for this behemoth, their effort should pay off. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Product Details

"The ultimate nature of the universe is a question that has intrigued some of the greatest minds of the twentieth century -- including the man the Los Angeles Times say, "may be the smartest person on the planet"; astrophysicist Stephen Hawking. Here, in easy prose and simple explanations, we get a firsthand glimpse of what Stephen Hawking's universe is all about -- the incredibly huge and powerful black holes at the centers of glaxies; the reasons astronomers think the universe is filled with a mysterious kind of matter no one has seen; the bizarre events that occurred in the first microsecond of time; and why the universe may have not just three of four dimensions, but eleven. The companion to the popular PBS series, Steven Hawking's Universe is a voyage of discovery that takes us to the very frontiers of scientific knowledge about the basis of our existence and of everything around us. Featuring a wonderful selection of mesmerizing, full-colour photographs of the cosmos and a foreword by Stephen Hawking himself, Stephen Hawking's Universe is a great way to learn about our universe without going back to school."

DAVID FILKIN is an internationally known documentary filmmaker, and was, until 1994, the head of BB television's Science Department.

More than 9 million people around the world bought Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time, making it one of the most widely read scientific titles every published, but many simple couldn't understand the complex concepts of space and time it discussed. Now the producer of the public television series Stephen Hawking's Universe present the companion book to that series, which explains, in simple layman's terms, the origin of the universe, the meaning and nature of time, the properties of other galaxies, and many other subjects of Professor Hawking's fascinating research.

Synopsis

The companion to the popular PBS series. For everyone who bought A Brief History of Time (9 million so far) but had trouble understanding it, this is a simple, easily accessible explanation of the same ideas—and an introduction to the people behind them.

Biography

David Filkin is the producer of Stephen Hawking’s Universe in collaboration with the independent production company Uden Associates. He is a science documentary maker of international repute and was until 1994 head of BBC Television’s Science Department. He lives in Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, England.

From the Publisher

Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time has sold over 9 million copies worldwide. Now, in everyday language, Stephen Hawking’s Universe reveals step-by-step how we can all share his understanding of the cosmos, and our own place within it. Stargazing has never been the same since cosmologists discovered that galaxies are moving away from each other at an extraordinary speed. It was this understanding of the movement of galaxies that allowed scientists to develop a theory of how the universe was created—the Big Bang theory. Working with this theory, Stephen Hawking and other physicists felt challenged to come up with a scientific picture that would tackle the fundamental question: what is the nature of the universe? Stephen Hawking’s Universe charts this work and provides simple explanations for phenomena that arouse our curiosity. This work is a voyage of discovery with an astonishing set of conclusions that will enable us to understand how matter can be produced from nothing at all and will provide us with an explanation for the basis of our existence and that of everything around us.

Product Details

Pub. Date: October 1998

Publisher: Basic Books

Format: Paperback, 304pp

Sales Rank: 366,434

Series: Art of Mentoring Series

ISBN-13: 9780465081981

ISBN: 0465081983

Edition Number: 1

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THE ELEGANT UNIVERSE: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions and

the Quest for the Ultimate Theory

Brian Greene

Elegant universe $23.95 including postage

ABOUT THIS BOOK

"[Greene] develops one fresh new insight after another .. In the great tradition of physicists writing for the masses, The Elegant Universe sets a standard that will be hard to beat." - George Johnson, The New York Times Book Review

In a rare blend of scientific insight and writing as elegant as the theories it explains, Brian Greene, one of the world's leading string theorists, peels away the layers of mystery surrounding string theory to reveal a universe that consists of 11 dimensions where the fabric of space tears and repairs itself, and all matter - from the smallest quarks to the most gargantuan supernovas - is generated by the vibrations of microscopically tiny loops of energy.

Green uses everything from an amusement park ride to ants on a garden hose to illustrate the beautiful yet bizarre realities that modern physics is unveiling. Dazzling in its brilliance, unprecendented in its ability to both illuminate and entertain, The Elegant Universe is a tour de force of science writing - a delightful, lucid voyage through modern physics that brings us closer than ever to understanding how the universe works.

PRAISE

"The Elegant Universe is compulsively readable.... Greene threatens to do for string theory what Stephen Hawking did for black holes."  -New York

"[An] important book.... The Elegant Universe presents the ideas and aspirations-and some of the characters-of string theory with clarity and charm."  -Scientific American

"As good as it gets.... [A] thrilling ride through a lovely landscape."  -Los Angeles Times

"[Greene] writes with poetic eloquence and style.... [He] does an admirable job of translating a wholly mathematical endeavor into visual terms."  -The Washington Post Book World

"[Greene's metaphors often provide beauty and power.... The Elegant Universe is a rewarding read."  -Discovery Magazine

"String theory is the hottest idea to emerge in physics since Stephen Hawking gazed into a black hole.... [Greene] explain[s] it in terms that anyone can understand."  -San Francisco Chronicle

Synopsis

A new edition of the New York Times bestseller-now a three-part Nova special: a fascinating and thought-provoking journey through the mysteries of space, time, and matter.

Biography

Brian Greene is a professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia University. He lives in New York City.

From Barnes & Noble

Take a mind-blowing new theory in physics presented by a charismatic scientist and you've got the recipe for a bestselling science book. In this excellent introduction to string theory (in its simplest form, the theory describes the ultimate matter of the universe as being more like vibrating strings than points of matter), Greene explains clearly its potential to alter our understanding of the universe -- perhaps revealing, for example, the existence of hidden extraspatial dimensions.

Publishers Weekly

One of the more compelling scientific (cum-theological) questions in the Middle Ages was: "How many angels can dance on the head of a pin?" Today's version in cutting-edge science is, "How many strings... ?" As posited by s tring theory physics, strings are furiously vibrating loops of stuff. The concept of strings was devised to help scientists describe simultaneously both energy and matter. The frequency and resonance of strings' vibration, just like those of strings on an instrument, determine charge, spin and other familiar properties of energy — and eventually the structure of the universe: a true music of the spheres. There's a chance that strings are themselves made up of something still smaller. But scientists can prove their existence only on the blackboard and computer, because they are much too tiny — a hundred billion billion times smaller than the nucleus of an atom — to be observed experimentally. Brian Greene, professor of physics and mathematics at Cornell and Columbia universities, makes the terribly complex theory of strings accessible to all. He possesses a remarkable gift for using the everyday to illustrate what may be going on in dimensions beyond our feeble human perception. Just when we might be tempted to dismiss strings as grist for the publish-or-perish mill, Greene explains how they have demonstrated connections between mathematics and physics that have helped solve age-old conundrums in each field. This book will appeal to astronomy as well as math and physics fans because it probes the important insights string theory gives into hotly debated issues in cosmology. Later chapters require careful attention to Greene's explications, but the effort will prepare readers to follow the scientific advances likely to be made in the next millennium through application of string theory.

Library Journal

These days, physicists are bubbling over with talk of strings--tiny, vibrating loops of matter, seen as the building blocks of nature, that may serve to unite the divergent theories of quantum mechanics and relativity. For the rest of us, wunderkind Columbia professor Greene provides just the sort of nervy, imaginative metaphors that make understanding snap into place. (LJ 2/15/99) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.

Booknews

Greene, originator of groundbreaking discoveries in superstring theory, describes exciting new research in the field and discusses implications for the future of science. Using plain language with no math or technical jargon, he tells how superstring theory identifies nature's fundamental building blocks, which turn out to be, not subatomic particles, but vibrating strands whose vibrational patterns account for all of nature's forces. He combines everyday examples, b&w diagrams, and a sense of fun to illustrate complicated concepts. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

The London Review of Books - Ellis

...I can only say that Greene's book is an explanatory tour-de-force...It would be hard to imagine anyone producing a clearer account than this of the difficult ideas involved, and Greene even brings out something of the actual excitement of scientific discovery...

The New York Times Book Review - George Johnson

Greene...explor[es] the ideas and recent developments with a depth and clarity I wouldn't have thought possible. He has a rare ability to explain even the most evanescent ideas in a way that gives at least the illusion of understnding.He developes one fresh new insight after another....In the great tradition of physicists writing for the masses, The Elegant Universe sets a standard that will be hard to beat.

Scientific American - Chris Quigg

Beautifully told...The Elegant Universe presents the ideas and aspirations — and some of the characters — of string theory with clarity and charm...a thoughtful and important book.

Kirkus Reviews

Superstring theory may provide the long-sought unification of physics for which Einstein sought in vain. Here is a look at the current state of the quest. Greene (a professor of physics and mathematics at Columbia and Cornell) begins by pointing out the central problem of modern physics. Quantum mechanics and general relativity both work perfectly, and they cannot both be right. Relativity works for large, massive objects; quantum theory for tiny ones. Normally, the two realms can be kept separate. Yet increasingly, physics deals with phenomena such as black holes, where the conflicts are impossible to avoid. Out of the search for a more complete explanation came string theory. Its foundations were laid down some 30 years ago by Gabriele Venizano, who found that a two-century-old formula by Leonard Euler described subatomic particles more elegantly than existing theory. The relationships would make sense if elementary particles were not pointlike, but elongated and vibrating, like tiny musical strings-in one sense, a modern version of the ancient metaphor of the music of the spheres. It took a while for physicists to embrace string theory; for one thing, it seemed to predict things nobody had ever seen. And despite its formidable explanatory power, its mathematical expressions were often even more formidable-Greene describes some of the equations as nearly impossible to understand, let alone solve. Still, it has the right look about it, and two waves of enthusiasm (one in the mid-1980s, the other ten years later) have convinced many physicists of the theory's probable validity. Greene deftly summarizes these findings, in areas from subatomic-particle theory to cosmology, with occasionalforays into deeper waters such as the ten-dimensional structure of the universe, with several dimensions folded undetectably back into themselves. A final chapter forecasts that string theory will become the standard physical model in the next century. Entertaining and well-written-possibly the clearest popular treatment to date of this complex subject.

What People Are Saying

Michio Kaku
Greene does a masterful job in presenting complex materials in a lively, engaging manner. Highly recommended.
— Author of Hyperspace

Edward Witten
Everyone who is curious about the horizons of theoretical physics — past, present, and future — will greatly enjoy this book
— Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton University

Product Details

Pub. Date: February 2000

Publisher: Random House Inc

Format: Paperback, 464pp

Sales Rank: 4,782

Series: Vintage Series

ISBN-13: 9780375708114

ISBN: 0375708111

Edition Description: Reissue

Top of Page

THE FABRIC OF THE COSMOS: Space,

Time and the Texture of Reality

Brian Greene

$34.55 including postage The fabric of the universe

"The best exposition and explanation of early twenty-first century research into the fundamental nature of the universe as you are likely to find anywhere." -Science

From Brian Greene, one of the world's leading physicists and author of the Pulitzer Prize finalist The Elegant Universe, comes a grand tour of the universe that makes us look at reality in a completely different way.

Space and time form the very fabric of the cosmos. Yet they remain among the most mysterious of concepts. Is space an entitiy? Why does time have a direction? Could the universe exist without space and time? Can we travel to the past? From Newton's unchanging realm in which space and time are absolute, to Einstein's fluid conception of spacetime, to quantum mechanics' entangled arena where vastly distant objects can instantaneously coordinate their behaviour, Greene takes us all, regardless of our scientific backgrounds, on an irresistible and revelatory journey to the new layers of reality that modern physics has discovered lying just beneath the surface our of our everyday world.

"I recommend Greene's book to any non-expert reader who wants an up-to-date account of theoretical physics, written in colloquial language that anyone can understand." -Freeman Dyson, The New York Review of Books

Synopsis

Greene (physics and mathematics, Columbia U.) strips away the mathematics and speaks in metaphors, analogies, stories, and illustrations to explain to general readers with little or no formal training in the sciences some of the complex concepts scientists are now grappling with. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The New York Times

… [Greene's] excitement for science on the threshold of vital breakthroughs is supremely contagious. The Fabric of the Cosmos is as dazzling as it is tough, and it beautifully reflects this theoretician's ardor for his work. In interviews he is sometimes asked where the next generation of physicists will come from. One clear answer: from the brain-teasing, exhilarating study of books like this. — Janet Maslin

Biography

Brian Greene received his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and his doctorate from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He joined the physics faculty of Cornell University in 1990, was appointed to a full professorship in 1995, and in 1996 joined Columbia University where he is professor of physics and mathematics. He has lectured at both a general and a technical level in more than twenty-five countries and is widely regarded for a number of groundbreaking discoveries in superstring theory. He lives in Andes, New York, and New York City.

From the Publisher

From Brian Greene, one of the world’s leading physicists, comes a grand tour of the universe that makes us look at reality in a completely different way.

Space and time form the very fabric of the cosmos. Yet they remain among the most mysterious of concepts. Is space an entity? Why does time have a direction? Could the universe exist without space and time? Can we travel to the past?

Greene uses these questions to guide us toward modern science’s new and deeper understanding of the universe. From Newton’s unchanging realm in which space and time are absolute, to Einstein’s fluid conception of spacetime, to quantum mechanics’ entangled arena where vastly distant objects can bridge their spatial separation to instantaneously coordinate their behavior or even undergo teleportation, Greene reveals our world to be very different from what common experience leads us to believe. Focusing on the enigma of time, Greene establishes that nothing in the laws of physics insists that it run in any particular direction and that “time’s arrow” is a relic of the universe’s condition at the moment of the big bang. And in explaining the big bang itself, Greene shows how recent cutting-edge developments in superstring and M-theory may reconcile the behavior of everything from the smallest particle to the largest black hole. This startling vision culminates in a vibrant eleven-dimensional “multiverse,” pulsating with ever-changing textures, where space and time themselves may dissolve into subtler, more fundamental entities.

Sparked by the trademark wit, humor, and brilliant use of analogy that have made TheElegant Universe a modern classic, Brian Greene takes us all, regardless of our scientific backgrounds, on an irresistible and revelatory journey to the new layers of reality that modern physics has discovered lying just beneath the surface of our everyday world.

Publishers Weekly

String theory is a recent development in physics that, by positing that all which exists is composed of infinitesimally small vibrating loops of energy, seeks to unify Einstein's theories and those of quantum mechanics into a so-called "theory of everything." In 1999, Greene, one of the world's leading physicists, published The Elegant Universe (Norton), a popular presentation of string theory that became a major bestseller and, last fall, a highly rated PBS/Nova series. The strength of the book resided in Greene's unparalleled (among contemporary science writers) ability to translate higher mathematics (the language of physics) and its findings into everyday language and images, through adept use of metaphor and analogy, and crisp, witty prose. The same virtues adhere to this new book, which offers a lively view of human understanding of space and time, an understanding of which string theory is an as-yet unproven advance. To do this, Greene takes a roughly chronological approach, beginning with Newton, moving through Einstein and quantum physics, and on to string theory and its hypotheses (that there are 11 dimensions, ten of space and one of time; that there may be an abundance of parallel universes; that time travel may be possible, and so on) and imminent experiments that may test some of its tenets. None of this is easy reading, mostly because the concepts are tough to grasp and Greene never seems to compromise on accuracy. Eighty-five line drawings ease the task, however, as does Greene's felicitous narration; most importantly, though, Greene not only makes concepts clear but explains why they matter. He opens the book with a discussion of Camus's The Myth of Sisyphus, setting a humanistic tone that he sustains throughout. This is popular science writing of the highest order, with copious endnotes that, unlike the text, include some math. (Feb. 16) Forecast: With a first printing of 125,000, Knopf clearly hopes this title, a main selection of BOMC, will at least match the sales of The Elegant Universe. Greene, a charismatic speaker, is going all out for the book, with a 14-city author tour and much major media, including an appearance on Letterman. Simultaneous Random House Audio editions will extend the book's reach: expect high interest and big sales. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Library Journal

Greene, the critically acclaimed author of The Elegant Universe and one of the world's leading string theorists, has written yet another thought-provoking account of where we are in our understanding of the universe. He tells the story of how generations of physicists have searched for the holy grail of physics, i.e., the single set of universal laws that govern the universe. However, the principal characters are not the physicists themselves but the theories that they developed, in particular, general relativity and quantum mechanics. Greene explores the string theory-mating dance between the two in simple but elegant language that titillates the mind. Frogs in bowls, falling eggs, loaves of bread, pennies on balloons, ping pong balls in molasses, and babushka dolls are just some of the analogies used to explain complex concepts cleverly. After reading this book, you will never look at a starry night sky the same way again. Strongly recommended for most science collections. [Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 10/1/03.]-James A. Buczynski, Seneca Coll. of Applied Arts & Technology, Toronto Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Product Details

Pub. Date: February 2005

Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

Format: Paperback, 592pp

Sales Rank: 17,041

Series: Vintage Series

ISBN-13: 9780375727207

ISBN: 0375727205

Edition Description: Reprint

Top of Page

The Future of Spacetime

Stephen W. Hawking

Kip S. Thorne

Igor Novikov

Timothy Ferris

Alan Lightman

Introduction by Richard Price

The future of spacetime $26.95 including postage

"What a story! What a test! This is story making that lifts the human spirit out of our sometimes petty terrestrial concerns and places us amomg the stars." -- Chet Raymo, Scientific American

"Where the science of black holes, gravitational waves, and time travel will likely lead us, as reported by spacetime's most important theoreticians and observers.

Our minds tell us that some things in the universe must be true. The new physics tells us that they are not, and in the process it blurs the line between science and science fiction. Here are six accessible essays by those who walk tht line, moving ever further out in discovering the patterns of nature, aimed at readers who share their fascination with the deepest mysteries of the universe. The basic concepts of the new notion of space and time, those of Einstein's general theory of relativity, are introduced by theoretical phsicist Richard Price, and are the unifying theme of the five essays that follow:

- Stephen W. Hawking: Chronology Protection

- Igor Novikov: Can We Change the Past?

- Kip S.Thorne: Specualations about the Future

- Timothy Ferris: On the Popularisation of Science

- Alan Lightman: The Physicist as Novelist" ---Back cover

Synopsis

Where the science of black holes, gravitational waves, and time travel will likely lead us, as reported by spacetime's most important theoreticians and observers.

Booknews

Price (theoretical physics, U. of Utah) introduces five essays based on popular talks given on June 3, 2000 honoring California Institute of Technology physicist Kip Thorne. Novikov, Hawking, Thorne, Ferris, and Lightman speculate about time travel, trends in linking quantum theory with relativity, and popularizing science in fact and fiction. Includes explanatory figures, photos, and a glossary. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Biography

A science writer with a gift for making complex principles accessible to general readers, Timothy Ferris has advanced our understanding of the sciences -- particularly cosmology and astronomy -- and how they have contributed to the way we live today.

From the Publisher

Our minds tell us that some things in the universe must be true. The New Physics tells us that they are not, and in the process, blurs the line between science and science fiction. Here are six accessible essays by those who walk that line, moving ever further out in discovering the patterns of nature, aimed at readers who share their fascination with the deepest mysteries of the universe.

Product Details

Pub. Date: May 2003

Publisher: Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.

Format: Paperback, 220pp

Sales Rank: 372,346

ISBN-13: 9780393324464

ISBN: 039332446X

Edition Description: Reprint

Top of Page

THE NATURE OF SPACE AND TIME

HAWKING AND PENROSE

The nature of space and time $34.55 including postage

Synopsis

Einstein said that the most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible. But was he right? Can the quantum theory of fields and Einstein's general theory of relativity, the two most accurate and successful theories in all of physics, be united in a single quantum theory of gravity? Can quantum and cosmos ever be combined? On this issue, two of the world's most famous physicists--Stephen Hawking (A Brief History of Time) and Roger Penrose (The Emperor's New Mind and Shadows of the Mind)--disagree. Here they explain their positions in a work based on six lectures with a final debate, all originally presented at the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences at the University of Cambridge.How could quantum gravity, a theory that could explain the earlier moments of the big bang and the physics of the enigmatic objects known as black holes, be constructed? Why does our patch of the universe look just as Einstein predicted, with no hint of quantum effects in sight? What strange quantum processes can cause black holes to evaporate, and what happens to all the information that they swallow? Why does time go forward, not backward?In this book, the two opponents touch on all these questions. Penrose, like Einstein, refuses to believe that quantum mechanics is a final theory. Hawking thinks otherwise, and argues that general relativity simply cannot account for how the universe began. Only a quantum theory of gravity, coupled with the no-boundary hypothesis, can ever hope to explain adequately what little we can observe about our universe. Penrose, playing the realist to Hawking's positivist, thinks that the universe is unbounded and will expand forever. Theuniverse can be understood, he argues, in terms of the geometry of light cones, the compression and distortion of spacetime, and by the use of twistor theory. With the final debate, the reader will come to realize how much Hawking and Penrose diverge in their opinions of the ultimate quest to combine quantum mechanics and relativity, and how differently they have tried to comprehend the incomprehensible.

Publishers Weekly

This volume contains a series of lectures delivered in 1994 by Hawking (A Brief History of Time) and Penrose (The Emperor's New Mind), renowned professors at Cambridge and Oxford, respectively. The overall topic is how mathematical physics might best represent the realities of the universe. The lectures assume a rather sophisticated knowledge of physics and mathematics. The authors present alternative views on approaching a formulation that fully accommodates both quantum and gravitational (general relativity) theories in physics. One question, for example, is whether parameters in a quantum description of matter can have definite ("real") values before they are measured. The issues extend to cosmological implications and have intriguing philosophical as well as technical aspects. Although well done, the treatment in this book is not for the general reader. Illustrations. (Feb.)

Biography

Biography

In the universe as a whole, the nature of black holes may be one of the most puzzling mysteries. No less puzzling, in the slightly smaller universe of book publishing, is the astounding popular success of Stephen Hawking's 1988 book on the matter, or anti-matter, as it were: A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes.

Clocking in at just over 200 pages, it was, indeed, brief, but it was hardly the easy read its marketers promised. Nor did it stray much beyond the tone of a scholarly lecture, though at times it did take quick autobiographical peeks into Hawking's personal life. Still, it is just the author's persona that may have been the selling point prompting more than 10 million people worldwide to pick up a copy -- and to have it translated into more than 40 languages in the 10 years since its release.

For Stephen Hawking is an instantly recognizable public figure -- even for those who haven't delved into his so far unprovable theories about black holes. Stricken by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) -- or Lou Gehrig's disease, as it is called in the States -- while he was working toward his doctorate at Cambridge University, this Englishman is known for the keen wit and intellect that reside within his severely disabled body. He uses a motorized wheelchair to get around and a voice synthesizer to communicate -- a development, he complains, that has given him an American accent. He has guest-starred, in cartoon form, on an episode of The Simpsons and has appeared in the flesh on Star Trek: The Next Generation, using the benefits of time travel to play poker with Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton. (He has said he doesn't believe in the theory himself, noting that the most powerful evidence of its impossibility is the present-day dearth of time-traveling tourists from the future.)

The son of a research biologist, Hawking resisted familial urging that he major in biology and instead studied physics and chemistry -- as a nod to his father -- when he went to Oxford University as a 17-year-old. In academic writing, Hawking had an extensive career pre-History, starting with The Large Scale Structure of Space-Time, coauthored with G.F.R. Ellis in 1973. But in the late 1980s, faced with the expenses incurred by his illness, he took up Bantam Books' offer to explain the mysteries of the universe to the lay public.

"This is one of the best books for laymen on this subject that has appeared in recent years," The Christian Science Monitor wrote in 1988. "Hawking is one of the greatest theoretical cosmologists of our time. He is greater, by consensus among his colleagues, than other expert authors who have written good popular books on the subject recently. And he is greater, by far, than the ‘experts' who have ‘explained' quantum physics and cosmology in terms that support a religious agenda." And The New York Times in April 1988 said, "Through his cerebral journeys, Mr. Hawking is bravely taking some of the first, though tentative, steps toward quantizing the early universe, and he offers us a provocative glimpse of the work in progress."

Since then, A Brief History of Time has been republished in an illustrated edition (1996) and as an updated and expanded 10th anniversary edition (1998). In Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays, a collection of 13 essays and the transcript of an extended interview with the BBC, Hawking turned more autobiographical, mixing stories about his studies in college and the beginning of his awareness that he had ALS with thoughts on how black holes can spawn baby universes and on the scientific community's efforts to create a unified theory that will explain everything in the universe. And in The Universe in a Nutshell, his sequel to A Brief History of Time, Hawking takes the same approach as he did in his first bestseller, explaining to the lay reader such ideas as the superstring theory, supergravity, time travel, and quantum theory.

A common current in Hawking's writing -- aside from his grasp of the complexities of the universe -- is a sharp wit. In one of the rare personal reflections in A Brief History of Time, he said he began thinking about black holes in the early 1970s in the evenings as he was getting ready for bed: "My disability makes this rather a slow process, so I had plenty of time." In life, he has a reputation for quickly turning his wheelchair away of a conversation that displeases him, even running his wheels over the toes of the offending conversant.

Even questions about his muse are likely to draw an answer tinged with pointed humor. When Time asked Hawking why he decided to add explaining the universe to a schedule already taxed by his scholarly writing and lecture tours, he answered, "I have to pay for my nurses."

Good to Know

Hawking worked 1,000 hours in his three years at Oxford, roughly an hour a day. "I'm not proud of this lack of work," he said in Stephen Hawking's a Brief History of Time: A Reader's Companion. "I'm just describing my attitude at the time, which I shared with most of my fellow students: an attitude of complete boredom and feeling that nothing was worth making an effort for."

Despite his science degrees, Hawking has no formal training in math and has said he had to pick up what he knows as he went along.

Product Details

Pub. Date: September 2000

Publisher: Princeton University Press

Format: Paperback, 142pp

Sales Rank: 139,741

Series: Princeton Science Library Series

ISBN-13: 9780691050843

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THE PHYSICS OF STAR TREK

Lawrence M. Krauss

With a foreword by Stephen Hawking

Fully revised and updated

$28.50 including postage The physics of star trek

HOW DOES THE STAR TREK UNIVERSE STACK UP AGAINST THE REAL UNIVERSE? Find out what the series creators got right–and wrong–about science in this fascinating guide. In this newly revised and updated version of his international bestseller, renowned theoretical physicist Lawrence Krauss boldly goes where STAR TREK has gone—and beyond. From Newton to Hawking, from Einstein to Feynman, from Kirk to Archer, Krauss leads you on a voyage to the world of physics as we now know it and as it might one day be.

Stephen Hawking(in the foreward)
"Today's science fiction is often tomorrow's science fact. The physics that underlies Star Trek is surely worth investigating. To confine our attention to terrestrial matters would be to limit the human spirit."

“A fascinating way to learn more about physics.” –St. Petersburg Times

“One of the year’s best gifts for a science-fiction fan.” –Cleveland Plain Dealer

“The Physics of Star Trek is a fun, readable little book by an eminent physicist that boldly goes where few serious scientists have ever gone before.” –Tampa Tribune

Synopsis

What warps when you’re traveling at warp speed? What is the difference between a wormhole and a black hole? Are time loops really possible, and can I kill my grandmother before I am born? Anyone who has ever wondered “could this really happen?” will gain useful insights into the Star Trek universe (and, incidentally, the real world of physics) in this charming and accessible guide. Lawrence M. Krauss boldly goes where Star Trek has gone-and beyond. From Newton to Hawking, from Einstein to Feynman, from Kirk to Picard, Krauss leads readers on a voyage to the world of physics as we now know it and as it might one day be.

Annotation

Are you a Trekker, Trekkie, or a scientific type who likes to nitpick about technical details missed by Star Trek's writers? If you fit into one of the three categories it's likely that you'd enjoy this book. Dr. Krauss points out many scientific impossiblities in the four incarnations of Star Trek, such as the result that moving a craft the size of the Enterprise at even one half the speed of light is simply not practical. However, this book is not a just a 'nitpicker's' guide to the Star Trek genre. He also highlights phenomena, seen on the shows, that are in fact possible according to what we understand about the universe. For instance, time travel is a completely valid solution to Einstein's gravitational field equations. So you might enjoy this book if you're the type that likes to investigate the science that is in science fiction.

Washington Post

The essential tubeside companion for the fans of the venerable 'Star Trek' series.

Biography

Lawrence M. Krauss is Ambrose Swasey Professor of Physics and Professor of Astronomy and Director of the Center for Education and Research in Cosmology and Astrophysics at Case Western Reserve University. He is the only physicist to have received the top awards by the American Physical Society, the American Institute of Physics, and the American Association of Physics Teachers. He lives in Cleveland, Ohio.

New York Times Book Review

This book is fun, and Mr. Krauss has a nice touch with a tough subject...Readers drawn by frivolity will be treated to substance.

Publishers Weekly

Even those who have never watched an episode of Star Trek will be entertained and enlightened by theoretical physicist Krauss's adventurous investigation of interstellar flight, time travel, teleportation of objects and the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Case Western Reserve professor Krauss maintains that Star Trek's writers were sometimes far ahead of scientists-and famed astrophysicist Stephen Hawking's foreword, endorsing the possibilities of faster-than-light travel and journeying back in time, supports that notion. On the other hand, Krauss also argues that the show is riddled with bloopers and huge improbabilities, as when the Voyager's crew escapes from a black hole's interior. This informal manual for Trekkers offers a porthole on the wonders of the universe as it ponders the potential existence of aliens, ``wormholes'' that allow astronauts to tunnel through space, other dimensions and myriad baby universes. $75,000 ad/promo; BOMC and QPB alternates; Astronomy Book Club dual main selection; Library of Science, Natural Science Book Club and Newbridge Computer Book Club alternates. (Nov.)

VOYA

One does not have to be a Trekkie to find this book fascinating, nor does one need to have a scientific bent to understand its concepts. The introduction by Stephen Hawking throws one immediately into the text: "Today's science fiction is often tomorrow's science fact." The everyday concepts of the Star Trek world, such as warp, transporter beams, antimatter, etc., all are discussed, and their possible use in the future reviewed. For example, the author considers warp as a feasible means of traveling vast distances within our conception of the time. The idea of transporting, and the question of whether one transports the information from the person or the atoms that make up the person, cause one to pause. Where does antimatter come from in the first place, since the universe seems to be made up of matter? The scientific explanations for what within the Star Trek world is plausible and what is bogus are presented clearly and simply. The reader learns important physics laws and concepts without even being aware of doing so. The possibilities of technology that mirrors what exists in the TV series will fascinate any reader. The title alone will cause the book to be picked up, but the text will keep them reading. Index. Illus. Source Notes. VOYA Codes: 4Q 5P M J S (Better than most, marred only by occasional lapses, Every YA (who reads) was dying to read it yesterday, Middle School-defined as grades 6 to 8, Junior High-defined as grades 7 to 9 and Senior High-defined as grades 10 to 12). 1996, HarperPerennial, Ages 12 to 18.

Product Details

ISBN: 0060977108

ISBN-13: 9780060977108

Format: Paperback, 174pp

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Pub. Date: September 1996

Edition Description: Older Edition

Series: Harper Perennial

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THE ROAD TO REALITY

A COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE LAWS OF THE UNIVERSE

ROGER PENROSE

“A comprehensive guide to physics’ big picture, and to the thoughts of one of the world’s most original thinkers.”

-The New York Times

The road to reality $44.50 including postage

Synopsis

From one of our greatest living scientists, a magnificent book that provides, for the serious lay reader, the most comprehensive and sophisticated account we have yet had of the physical universe and the essentials of its underlying mathematical theory.

Since the earliest efforts of the ancient Greeks to find order amid the chaos around us, there has been continual accelerated progress toward understanding the laws that govern our universe. And the particularly important advances made by means of the revolutionary theories of relativity and quantum mechanics have deeply altered our vision of the cosmos and provided us with models of unprecedented accuracy.

What Roger Penrose so brilliantly accomplishes in this book is threefold. First, he gives us an overall narrative description of our present understanding of the universe and its physical behaviors–from the unseeable, minuscule movement of the subatomic particle to the journeys of the planets and the stars in the vastness of time and space.

Second, he evokes the extraordinary beauty that lies in the mysterious and profound relationships between these physical behaviors and the subtle mathematical ideas that explain and interpret them.

Third, Penrose comes to the arresting conclusion–as he explores the compatibility of the two grand classic theories of modern physics–that Einstein’s general theory of relativity stands firm while quantum theory, as presently constituted, still needs refashioning.

Along the way, he talks about a wealth of issues, controversies, and phenomena; about the roles of various kinds of numbers in physics, ideas of calculus and modern geometry,visions of infinity, the big bang, black holes, the profound challenge of the second law of thermodynamics, string and M theory, loop quantum gravity, twistors, and educated guesses about science in the near future. In The Road to Reality he has given us a work of enormous scope, intention, and achievement–a complete and essential work of science

The New York Times - George Johnson

Penrose's new effort, The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe, is his most ambitious yet, more than twice as long as ''The Emperor's New Mind'' and exponentially more demanding. Starting from scratch with Pythagoras and Plato, he dismantles what is known about the nature of the universe and then puts it back together again. The result -- if you can make your way through -- is a comprehensive guide to physics' big picture, and to the thoughts of one of the world's most original thinkers.

Biography

Roger Penrose is Emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics at Oxford University. He has received a number of prizes and awards, including the 1988 Wolf Prize for physics, which he shared with Stephen Hawking for their joint contribution to our understanding of the universe. His books include The Emperor’s New Mind, Shadows of the Mind, and The Nature of Space and Time, which he wrote with Hawking. He has lectured extensively at universities throughout America. He lives in Oxford.

From Barnes & Noble

Has a book title ever been more inclusive? But despite first impressions, Roger Penrose's The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe lives up to its claim. This massive tome does provide a lucid, comprehensive guide to the laws of the physical universe in a mere 1,120 pages. The distillation of a life's work by one of the world's leading scientists, this paperback reveals what is currently known about the underlying mechanisms of the physical world, from the wonders of calculus to advanced string and M theory. Penrose covers relativity theory; notions of infinity; quantum mechanics; particle physics; cosmology; the Big Bang; black holes; the Second Law of Thermodynamics; loop quantum gravity; twisters; and more. The book contains nearly 400 explanatory illustrations that help elucidate cutting-edge scientific concepts. A major intellectual achievement.

Library Journal

From an emeritus professor of mathematics at Oxford: everything you ever wanted to know about the laws that govern the universe-and what makes them so appealing. With a six-city author tour. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Product Details

Pub. Date: January 2007

Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

Format: Paperback, 1136pp

Sales Rank: 39,007

Series: Vintage Series

ISBN-13: 9780679776314

ISBN: 0679776311

Edition Description: Reprint

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1	How We Explore
	The Unseen World: Wilhelm Rontgen and the discovery of X rays	4
	Secret Signals: Radar, atomic clocks and navigation systems	6
	The Lower Depths: Creating machines to explore the oceans	8
	In Pursuit of Particles: E.O. Lawrence and his "proton merry-go-round"	10
	Big Eyes (and Big Ears): Telescopes, radio telescopes and orbiting scopes	12
	Going Up?: Robert Goddard launches the first rockets	14
	Profile: Blast from the Past: The two-stage life of Wernher von Braun	16
	First Steps to the Stars: From Sputnik to Apollo 11 ... to other galaxies?	18
2	How We Move
	Speed You Can Straddle: How the humble bike became the mighty motorcycle	24
	Prime Movers: Titans (and tinkerers) jump-start the first automobiles	26
	2020 Vision: Two decades from now, what will you be driving?	29
	Spanning and Delving: Grand old bridges, nifty new bridges and tunnel tech	30
	Riding Motors to the Sky: How the Wright brothers built the first airplane, how planes evolved into jets--and a peek into the future	32
	Up, Up and Away! Ferdinand von Zeppelin's wonderful airships and the evolution of the helicopter	38
	They Waived the Rules: Three geniuses, three new ships: the turbine-powered engine, the nuclear submarine and the hovercraft	40
	Taming the Iron Horse: Learning to control the railroad's mighty momentum	42
	Glide Path: Elevators, escalators and the Segway Human Transporter	44
	Profile: Tilting with Windmills: Meet Dean Kamen, the anti-Ford	46
3	How We Communicate
	The First World Wide Web: Busy signals: Alexander Graham Bell and Elisha Gray race to invent the telephone	50
	Profile: Teacher of the Deaf: How Alexander Graham Bell turned words into electricity	54
	The Wonderful Wireless: Radio began as an updated telegraph, then evolved into the first broadcast medium	56
	The Image Dissectors: Three fascinating figures struggle to create the television	60
	The Write Stuff: It made offices jingle and fingers tingle: once a necessity, the typewriter is almost an antique	64
	Gutenberg's Grandchildren: Speeding up printing and putting pictures on the page	66
	To Write with Light: The father of neon light, Georges Claude, marries illumination and communication	68
	Nothin' but Net: Happy birthday, World Wide Web! Born in 1993, you've changed our world in only 10 years	70
4	How We Record
	The Unblinking Eye: How Daguerre, Eastman and Land developed photography	74
	Profile: Double Vision: Edwin Land cooks up instant photography, instantly	78
	Reality on Sprockets: The story unreels, from kinetoscope to cinematographie to today's IMAX	80
	First Family of Film: Auguste and Louis Lumiere made cinema a spectacle	84
	The Sound of Music: Capturing voices on wax, shellac and vinyl--or in bytes	86
5	How We Eat
	Harvest of Change: How innovation has made agriculture thrive, and a look at how genetic science is helping feed the world	92
	Profile: Merlin of the Soil: George Washington Carver was the Edison of edibles	96
	Cooking Up the New: With microwave ovens, Teflon and Tupperware, kitchens meet the modern world	98
	Food of Thought: We don't usually think we're having inventions for dinner, but have you ever seen a Spam plant?	102
	Profile: Snap & Crackle's Pop: The good news: W.K. Kellogg invented cold cereal. The bad news: his taste tester was C.W. Post	104
	Fast, Faster, Fastest: Accelerating food service and shrinking meals	106
6	How We Live
	This Little Light of Mine: Thomas Edison illuminates our world with the incandescent bulb	110
	Profile: Sweating the Details: Edison's Incredible "Invention Factory"	112
	High-Tech Home Ec.: A host of hands-on devices makes housework easier	114
	Chill Out, Daddy Cool: Three cheers for Willis Carrier, father of air conditioning	116
	Ready to Wear: From zippers to Velcro, convenience changes clothes	118
	Up Close and Personal: Personal hygiene: secret tales from your medicine cabinet	120
	All Around the House: Who invented Scotch tape? Bubble wrap? Aerosol spray?	124
7	How We Think
	Downsized Dynamo: The transistor: master invention of the 20th century?	128
	Shrinking the Colossus: The story of computers, from massive ENIAC to today's miniature masterpieces	130
	Profile: Homeward Bound: Steve Jobs and Steven Wozniak took the computer out of the office and into our living rooms	134
8	How We Work
	Power Struggle: Edison's and Tesla's great battle: Should electric current be alternating or direct?	138
	Profile: Alternating Currents: Nikola Tesla was a genius ... and a crank	140
	Target: Cleaner Energy: Farewell, fossil fuels. Scientists work to harness the power of wind and the potential of hydrogen	142
	"All Hail, King Steel" Bessemer and Siemens refine the steelmaking process	144
	Plastic Planet: It's Leo Baekeland's world; we only live in it	146
	Of Men and Machines: Henry Ford perfects the assembly line	148
	Workhorses: Paper clips and calculators add up to an office revolution	150
	Attention, Shoppers! New and improved: the reimagining of retail sales	152
9	How We Play
	Merry, Scary Machines: Mr. Ferris takes Chicago for a spin on his wonderful wheel	156
	Fun and Games: From Hula Hoops to Slinky to Barbie: toy stories	158
	Gravity Grooves: Duke Kahanamoku is sitting on top of the world	160
	"Music from the Ether" Leon Theremin tunes up his oscillating instrument	162
	Pastimes of the Parlor: Meet the man who acquired a monopoly on Monopoly	164
	Profile: Picasso of the Pixel: Shigeru Miyamoto dreams up the modern video game	166
	Index	168

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ASTRONOMY & SCIENCE BOOKS

Editorial Reviews

BEFORE THE BEGINNING

Our Universe and Others

Martin Rees

Foreword by Stephen Hawking

$29.90 including postage

“If you haven’t read a single cosmology book, this is a good place to start.” – John D. Barrow in New Scientist

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From the Publisher

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Good to Know

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Annotation

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