The Essential John Nash
by John Nash and Sylvia Nasar
"John Nash's creative work in game theory has had the most profound influence on both its mathematics and its practical applications in economics. In this book, his work in this area is joined with his other mathematical contributions in a single volume, to give a more rounded perspective." "These papers are among the most important original contributions to mathematics of the twentieth century. They have been extremely influential and their influence continues to grow." John Nash has attracted enormous popular interest over the past few years. In many ways, the notion of equilibrium in game theory that bears his name is the central concept in game theory, which has led to a revolution in the field of economics. This book, by bringing together Nash's work in game theory and in mathematics, will allow readers to appreciate the scope of his work."
$29.95
Feynman (2nd of 11 entries): Feynman's Lost Lecture : The Motion of Planets Around the Sun
by David and Judith Goodstein
This book/CD combo is a great historical presentation of the physics of Galileo and Newton's time. David and Judith Goodstein use fascinating historical notes, reminiscent of 'The Mechanical Universe', to prepare the reader for the Feynman lecture.
Feynman had spent his spare time proving Newton's law of elliptical planetary motion using only plane geometry. Originally delivered to an introductory physics class at Caltech in 1963, this 76-minute CD and book set contains everything the math-savvy listener needs to savor the pleasures of applied math. Caltech physicist David L. Goodstein and archivist Judith R. Goodstein found the notes and tape amid another professor's papers and set to work making sense of them; unfortunately, photographs of the blackboard drawings didn't survive. The book briefly covers their find and recovery work; then presents the proof as reconstructed--crucial reading if one is to follow the lecture. There's nothing easy about it, as Feynman acknowledges in the lecture:
He gives what he calls an elementary demonstration. "Elementary" means that very little is required to know ahead of time in order to understand it, except to have an infinite amount of intelligence. He means, instead, that he is strictly using geometrical methods to reach his destination, which explains why it was so difficult to reconstruct without his diagrams. His charming Brooklyn accent and good humor show through in this lecture, even if the material is quite a bit drier than his fans might expect. Still, those interested in adding a new dimension to their understanding of this brilliant scientist--and those with a deep interest in Newtonian physics--will find this book a rare and unexpected treat. Feynman's genius is obvious, but the best part of the CD is the Q-A portion at the end. Truly a genius, truly a great teacher. A wonderful book/cd combination. This book/CD combo is easily more advanced than Feynman's 'The Character of Physical Law' and so not recommended for the average non-technical reader. Lastly, be advised that the reader is strongly advised in the book to read the preparation for the lecture prior to listening to the lecture, else the reader will be thoroughly confused. For those with a more technical background, I recommend listening to the cd several times to see if you can follow, then go to the book. The proof will leap off the pages.
$19.95
Feynman (3rd of 11 entries): Richard Feynman : A Life in Science
by John R. Gribbin & Mary Gribbin
Richard Feynman was something of a rarity: a science superstar. Like another superstar who preceded him, Albert Einstein, Feynman's science was ahead of his time, but it was his qualities as a human being that caught the imaginations of ordinary people. A whole body of legend has grown up around the man--much of it promulgated by Feynman himself--and nearly 10 years after his death he remains a popular subject of memoirs, biographies, and even films. Respected science writers John and Mary Gribbin combine biography with popular science in this absorbing look at the great man's life and work. They do an exemplary job of explaining just why Feyman was such a giant among physicists. Quantum theory is the kind of subject that could give the average reader a raging headache, yet the Gribbins explain it so well that by the end of the book even the most non-scientific among us will be able to appreciate just what a singular contribution to our world this science superstar made.
$13.95
Feynman(4th of 11 entries): Meaning of It All: Thoughts of a Citizen Scientist
by Richard Feynman
In this series of lectures originally given in 1963, which remained unpublished during Richard Feynman's lifetime, the Nobel-winning physicist thinks aloud on several "meta"--questions of science. What is the nature of the tension between science and religious faith? Why does uncertainty play such a crucial role in the scientific imagination? Is this really a scientific age? Marked by Feynman's characteristic combination of rationality and humor, these lectures provide an intimate glimpse at the man behind the legend. "In case you are beginning to believe," he says at the start of his final lecture, "that some of the things I said before are true because I am a scientist and according to the brochure that you get I won some awards and so forth, instead of your looking at the ideas themselves and judging them directly...I will get rid of that tonight. I dedicate this lecture to showing what ridiculous conclusions and rare statements such a man as myself can make." Rare, perhaps. Irreverent, sure. But ridiculous? Not even close.
$14.00
Feynman (5th of 11 entries): No Ordinary Genius: The Illustrated Richard Feynman
by Richard Feynman and Christopher Sykes
This photo-album tribute presents a series of quick-but-intimate portraits through photographs of Feynman and friends and a selection of entertaining and revealing excerpts from interviews and conversations. The pictures and text are from the documentaries independent filmmaker Sykes made about Feynman's life and science. The supporting cast includes physicists Richard Davies, Freeman Dyson, David Goodstein, and John Archibald Wheeler as well as a couple of computer scientists, artists, musicians, and Feynman's children. The main events of Feynman's life: winning the Nobel Prize; working at Los Alamos; discoveries in superfluidity, diffusion, and radioactive decay; and investigation into the Challenger tragedy are all discussed, as is Feynman's gift for having fun
$19.95
Feynman (6th of 11 entries): Pleasure of Finding Things Out: The Best Short Works of Richard P. Feynman
by Jeffrey Robbins, Richard Feynman, & Freeman J. Dyson
Why do we do science? Beyond altruistic and self-aggrandizing motivations, many of our best scientists work long hours seeking the electric thrill that comes only from learning something that nobody knew before. This book is a collection of previously unpublished or difficult-to-find short works by maverick physicist Richard Feynman, and takes its title from his own answer. From TV interview transcripts to his acceptance speech for the Nobel Prize, we see his quick, sharp wit, his devotion to his work, and his unwillingness to bow to social pressure or convention. It's no wonder he was only grudgingly admired by the establishment during his lifetime--read his "Minority Report to the Space Shuttle Challenger Inquiry" to see him blowing off political considerations as impediments to finding the truth.
$15.00
Feynman (8th of 11 entries): Six Easy Pieces: Essentials of Physics Explained by Its Most Brilliant Teacher
by Richard Feynman, Paul Davies, Robert Leighton, & Matthew Sands
This is an excellent introduction to physics (or, rather, the basics thereof) and an essential resource to anyone thinking of getting involved in physics. In his characteristically lucid rhetoric, Richard Feynman teaches the beginning physicist how to think about things on his/her own - an essential in both the real world and science. He had the ability -and the patience- to try and explain things in different ways so he would make sure people understood him.
$14.00
Feynman (9th of 11 entries): Six Not-So-Easy Pieces : Einstein's Relativity, Symmetry, and Space-Time (Helix Books)
by Richard Feynman, Gerry Neugebauer, Roger Penrose
Six "easy" pieces were published in 1995. Now the publisher has dipped back into Feynman's three-volume to present these somewhat less accessible lectures. While the previous six-piece collection tackled various subjects, this volume deals only with Einstein's theory of relativity. Suitable for students and determined lay readers who want to learn from the master teacher, renowned not only for his scientific contributions, but for his wit, and the immediacy and clarity of his explanations.
$15.00
Feynman (10th of 11 entries): 'Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!' : Adventures of a Curious Character
by Edward Hutchings, Ralph Leighton, Richard Feynman, Albert Hibbs
A series of anecdotes shouldn't by rights add up to an autobiography, but that's just one of the many pieces of received wisdom that Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman (1918-88) cheerfully ignores in his engagingly eccentric book, a bestseller ever since its initial publication in 1985. Fiercely independent (read the chapter entitled "Judging Books by Their Covers"), intolerant of stupidity even when it comes packaged as high intellectualism (check out "Is Electricity Fire?"), unafraid to offend (see "You Just Ask Them?"), Feynman informs by entertaining. It's possible to enjoy this book simply as a bunch of hilarious yarns with the smart-alecky author as know-it-all hero. At some point, however, attentive readers realize that underneath all the merriment simmers a running commentary on what constitutes authentic knowledge: learning by understanding, not by rote; refusal to give up on seemingly insoluble problems; and total disrespect for fancy ideas that have no grounding in the real world. Feynman himself had all these qualities in spades, and they come through with vigor and verve in his no-bull prose. No wonder his students--and readers around the world--adored him. This book proves once again that it is possible to laugh out loud and scratch your head at the same time.
$14.95
Feynman (11th of 11 entries): Tuva or Bust! Richard Feynman's Last Journey
by Ralph Leighton
About Ralph Feynman's proposed last journey to Tannu Tuva , a remote mountainous area deep in Siberia. If you are a stamp collector, the name will be very familiar to you. Richard Feynman, brilliant physicist and inspirational teacher, wasn't much for coats and ties. He lived a life that the adjective "bohemian" doesn't begin to cover, scripting percussion scores for avant-garde ballet troupes, musing over life's imponderables, and delighting and annoying his many friends with odd-duck questions--all the while teaching generations of students at CalTech. Always adventurous, Feynman was also a careful planner, recounts his friend and fellow drummer Ralph Leighton in this affectionate memoir. When a chance remark happened to dislodge a long-dormant memory of a faraway Siberian land called Tannu-Tuva, Feynman and Leighton set about scheming to get there--a program that included learning the little-described Tuvan language, picking up the rudiments of throat singing, and reading the scattered, hard-to-find literature concerning a place that, in Feynman's fond view, was as close to paradise as the earth contained. It also involved corresponding with scholars in what was still the Soviet Union and wrangling with bureaucrats to secure the necessary papers--all for the sake of seeing a country that had to be interesting, Feynman insisted, just because its capital, Kyzyl, had such an odd spelling. These picaresque armchair adventures make up the bulk of Tuva or Bust, an unconventional mix of travelogue and scientific biography that's a pleasure to read at every turn. The book yields a memorable picture of Richard Feynman--who did not live to see Tuva, but whose memory is honored there today, thanks to Leighton's refusal to abandon their shared dream.
$13.95
Galileo's Commandment: An Anthology of Great Science Writing
by Edmund B. Bolles
"Science only knows one commandment: contribute to science." This line, spoken by the title character in Bertolt Brecht's The Life of Galileo,
inspired the title of this collection of science writing by 59 diverse authors. Most of the pieces collected by editor Edmund Blair Bolles are excerpted from
texts by working scientists or natural philosophers from George Smoot of NASA's Cosmic Background Explorer to Lucretius. Some of the scientists are
well-known authors: Richard Feynman, Stephen Jay Gould, and Carl Sagan. Also included are: Marie Curie, James Clerk Maxwell, Alfred Wallace,
Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier, and, of course, Galileo himself. The book spans 2500 years of great science writing. The table of contents reveals a raft of
scientific genius from 444 B.C. to 1994.
$16.95
Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 chapters
by Matt Ridley
Before embarking on the discussion, Ridley presents a quick, clear guide to the few words and concepts the reader will need as he translates the unreadable into the readable. There is one chapter for each chromosome, focusing on its role in our development and adult life. Within that chapter, he discusses those genes that a layman is most interested in: those genes associated with cancer, intelligence, sex and more. He also explores the implications of genetic research and our quickly changing social attitudes towards this information. If you're interested in the future of the body, this book will be very informative.
$14.00
Go Figure: Using Math to Answer Everyday Imponderables
by Clint Brookhart
A novel selection from mathematics and physics problems from which the appropriately equipped reader may learn. Carbon dating, factorial growth, pyramid schemes, and solar system mechanics are among the areas discussed, all in a lively fashion. Though some topics are advanced, many are presented in a suitably elementary fashion. This compilation of math puzzles contains explanations of curiosities such as the windchill equivalent temperature, carbon dating, lottery odds, predicting a child's height, baseball arithmetic, and synchronous satellites.
$15.00
The Lying Stones of Marrakech: Penultimate Reflections in Natural History
by Stephen Jay Gould
Gould was a renaissance man, a rarity today and his work reflects both the depth and breadth of his knowledge. The title essay refers to false fossils carved by Moroccans intent on making a few bucks from uninformed tourists. It discusses the case of Beringer's 18th-century fossil hoax, and ends with a plea for a stricter separation between commercial and scientific interests, reflecting the scope of his paleontological interests and thinking.
Whether you're an old-school fan of Gould's writings or a newcomer to Whether he's detailing the founding moments of palentology and geology or excavating Alfred Russel Wallace's forays into predicting the future, you know that you're going to get the real story, impeccably told, straight from the primary sources. Gould's impeccable scholarship and the quality and originality of his thinking make his writings a joy to read.
$15.00
Math Gene: How Mathematical Thinking Evolved & Why Numbers Are Like Gossip
by Keith Devlin
Devlin argues that we all possess the ability to cope with mathematics--if only we recognize what's required. He examines the evidence that we all possess, if not literally a gene, then at least an inherent ability not just for arithmetic but for real mathematics: algebra, calculus, and the rest (please notice the separation of arithmetic from mathematics.) Devlin even puts forward a Darwinian explanation for the origin of this ability, based on the idea that being able to handle abstract ideas and relationships confers key evolutionary advantages. Mathematics merely involves a relatively high level of abstraction but one we can all cope with, if we work at it. "Doing mathematics is very much like running a marathon," writes Devlin. "It does not require any special talent, and Ôfinishing' is largely a matter of wanting to succeed." The book's plain common sense about this most misunderstood of subjects is inspirational. Thoroughly recommended for anyone seeking to rid their intellectual closet of the skeleton of mathematical "incompetence".
$16.50
Mathematics: Human Endeavor: A Book for Those Who Think They Don't Like the Subject
by Harold R. Jacobs
One of the great introductory math texts -- especially for those who think they don't need to know or can't understand math. "He showers the student with so much real-life relevance and humor, that even a slight amount of curiosity about the subject bears delicious fruit. Working through this book will convince any human being, of almost any age, that he or she is a born mathematician" His choice of subjects provides the reader with a broad introduction to the mathematical sciences, including geometry, probability, combinatorics, statistics, topology and more. More importantly, his examples and explanations make it relevant and fun. His organization sweeps the reader right along. His writing is clear.
$19.95
Neutral Buoyancy: Adventures in a Liquid World
by Tim Ecott
Tim Ecott's love for diving comes through these pages in myriad ways. This book should be read by everyone interested in man's experience in the undersea world, from the beginning recreational diver to the experienced marine scientist. He traces the history, motivations, and science of our efforts to be free under the waves, from Aristotle's 4th century BC sponge divers, to the diving bells and barrels of three hundred years ago, through the development of scuba equipment in the 1900s and today's very modern technical and deep sea free divers.
Be warned: if you are already a diver, the book will heighten the sense that you are wasting far too much precious time on dry land. For the rest, even if your underwater ventures are largely confined to the bath, this book will have you contemplating a trip to your local swimming pool at the very least. Truly inspirational.
$14.00
The New World of Mr Tompkins
by George Gamow, Russell Stannard, Michael Edwards
Through the eyes of Mr Tompkins, the mild-mannered bank clerk with the short attention span and vivid imagination, the unknowledgable reader is introduced to the concepts of modern physics. This is a new edition has Mr. Tompkins returning to embark on a set of adventures that explore the extreme edges of the universe from the smallest, the largest, the fastest, to the farthest. Just by following the experiences and dreams of Mr. Tompkins, readers can discover and come to know: Einstein's theory of relativity, bizarre effects near light-speed, the birth and death of the universe, black holes, quarks, space warps and antimatter, and the fuzzy world of the quantum. Readers, young and old alike, will be both entertained and informed.
$17.00
Physics Lab in the Hardware Store
For grades 6 through 9. These books offer easy-to-follow explanations of how various tools and devices found in hardware stores rely on basic concepts of physics, such as the inclined plane, mass, buoyancy, and the lever. The presentation is great fun and illustrates how everyday tools must be designed with an appreciation of physical laws. Suggestions for demonstrations using various pieces of hardware equipment are also included. Clear, black-and-white drawings aid in explaining the physics concepts. Useful as an inexpensive resource for teaching Applied Physical Science to students who might be difficult to motivate to learn physics concepts.
$6.95
Physics Lab in the Housewares Store
For grades 6 through 9. These books offer easy-to-follow explanations of how various tools and devices found in housewares stores rely on basic concepts of physics, such as the inclined plane, mass, buoyancy, and the lever. The presentation is great fun and illustrates how everyday tools must be designed with an appreciation of physical laws. Suggestions for demonstrations using various pieces of hardware equipment are also included. Clear, black-and-white drawings aid in explaining the physics concepts. Useful as an inexpensive resource for teaching Applied Physical Science to students who might be difficult to motivate to learn physics concepts.
$6.95
Physics Lab in the Home
For grades 6 through 9. These books offer easy-to-follow explanations of how various tools and devices found in the home rely on basic concepts of physics, such as the inclined plane, mass, buoyancy, and the lever. The presentation is great fun and illustrates how everyday tools must be designed with an appreciation of physical laws. Suggestions for demonstrations using various pieces of hardware equipment are also included. Clear, black-and-white drawings aid in explaining the physics concepts. Useful as an inexpensive resource for teaching Applied Physical Science to students who might be difficult to motivate to learn physics concepts.
$6.95
Science in Ancient China
Great for anyone 10 and up. A superb and very enlightening series of 8 books chronicling the scientific achievements of previous cultures. When you finish reading them, you realize how much knowledge has been gained and lost, and gained and lost. The series of 8 reveals the large debt owed by modern scientists to the healers, mathematicians, stargazers, explorers, and thinkers of the ancient world. Certainly they should be in every school library.
$8.95
Science in Ancient Egypt
Great for anyone 10 and up. A superb and very enlightening series of 8 books chronicling the scientific achievements of previous cultures. When you finish reading them, you realize how much knowledge has been gained and lost, and gained and lost. The series of 8 reveals the large debt owed by modern scientists to the healers, mathematicians, stargazers, explorers, and thinkers of the ancient world. Certainly they should be in every school library.
$8.95
Science in Ancient Greece
Great for anyone 10 and up. A superb and very enlightening series of 8 books chronicling the scientific achievements of previous cultures. When you finish reading them, you realize how much knowledge has been gained and lost, and gained and lost. The series of 8 reveals the large debt owed by modern scientists to the healers, mathematicians, stargazers, explorers, and thinkers of the ancient world. Certainly they should be in every school library.
$8.95
Science in Ancient Islamic Culture
Great for anyone 10 and up. A superb and very enlightening series of 8 books chronicling the scientific achievements of previous cultures. When you finish reading them, you realize how much knowledge has been gained and lost, and gained and lost. The series of 8 reveals the large debt owed by modern scientists to the healers, mathematicians, stargazers, explorers, and thinkers of the ancient world. Certainly they should be in every school library.
$8.95
Science in Mesopotamia
Great for anyone 10 and up. A superb and very enlightening series of 8 books chronicling the scientific achievements of previous cultures. When you finish reading them, you realize how much knowledge has been gained and lost, and gained and lost. The series of 8 reveals the large debt owed by modern scientists to the healers, mathematicians, stargazers, explorers, and thinkers of the ancient world. Certainly they should be in every school library.
$8.95
Science in Ancient Rome
Great for anyone 10 and up. A superb and very enlightening series of 8 books chronicling the scientific achievements of previous cultures. When you finish reading them, you realize how much knowledge has been gained and lost, and gained and lost. The series of 8 reveals the large debt owed by modern scientists to the healers, mathematicians, stargazers, explorers, and thinkers of the ancient world. Certainly they should be in every school library.
$8.95
Science of the Early Americas
Great for anyone 10 and up. A superb and very enlightening series of 8 books chronicling the scientific achievements of previous cultures. When you finish reading them, you realize how much knowledge has been gained and lost, and gained and lost. The series of 8 reveals the large debt owed by modern scientists to the healers, mathematicians, stargazers, explorers, and thinkers of the ancient world. Certainly they should be in every school library.
$8.95
Science of Colonial America
Great for anyone 10 and up. A superb and very enlightening series of 8 books chronicling the scientific achievements of previous cultures. When you finish reading them, you realize how much knowledge has been gained and lost, and gained and lost. The series of 8 reveals the large debt owed by modern scientists to the healers, mathematicians, stargazers, explorers, and thinkers of the ancient world. Certainly they should be in every school library.
$8.95
Science of Aliens
by Clifford Pickover
Out-of-this-world speculation on extraterrestrial life that will fascinate fans of Star Trek, The X-Files, and sci-fi of all kinds. The author poses the question, "Can creatures dream of things beyond their sensory capacity?" He thinks humans can--to some extent, at least. To stimulate the reader's imagination, Pickover focuses on the characteristics of the earth's creatures--their appearance, their senses, their environments, their sexual behaviors--and argues that this diversity pales in comparison to the far wider possibilities in alien worlds. SF fans will enjoy this entertaining and thought-provoking book.
$12.00
Super Symmetry: Unveiling the Ultimate Laws of Nature
by Gordon Kane and Edward Witten
Call it a preview of coming attractions. The physical theory called "supersymmetry" is as yet unproven, but its proof will unite the four fundamental forces of nature--electromagnetism, gravity, and the strong and weak nuclear forces--and lead to the so-called Grand Unified Theory that physicists have long quested after. The theory underlying supersymmetry posits that every particle has a "superpartner" (a quark has a "squark," an electron a "selectron," and so on), whose existence can be adduced by observable behavior.The experimental proof required to validate supersymmetry will soon be available, when reconfigured particle accelerators at the Fermilab in Illinois and CERN in Switzerland come on line.
$17.00
There Are No Electrons
by Kenn Amdahl
This book definitely is a "readable book on an unreadable subject". It is a must-read for anyone interested in electricity, engineering, physics, computers, or anything of the sort! It is like reading a script for a really good episode of "X-Files", but the whole time you are learning about electronics. It's not a text book, but it explains electricity in a way that even if you have a short attention span, you will learn and be very entertained while reading it.
$12.95
Ubiquity: Why Catastrophes Happen
by Mark Buchanan
At the heart of the story, lies the discovery that networks of things of all kind - atoms, molecules, species, people, and even idea - have a marked tendency to organize themselves along similar lines. On the basis of this insight, scientists are finally beginning to fathom what lies behind tumultuous events of all sorts, and to see patterns at work where they have never seen them before. Read on.
$14.00
The Universe and the Teacup: The Mathematics of Truth and Beauty
by K. C. Cole
Mathematics, Cole explains, enables us to "translate the complexity of the world into manageable patterns," whether we're trying to comprehend the risks of smoking or the usefulness of DNA matches in criminal investigations. Cole also looks at how mathematical principles apply in unexpected fields. One chapter, for example, vindicates the theories on voting rights that cost Lani Guinier her Justice Department nomination in 1993. Without relying on a single equation, Cole's gently humorous prose helps make mathematics non-threatening to laypeople, enabling them to better understand the world in which they live.
$13.00
The Universe in a Nutshell
by Stephen Hawking
"While Hawking offers genuinely accessible context for such complexities as string theory and the nature of time, it's when he must translate equations to sentences that the limits of language get in the way. But Hawking has simplified the origin of the universe, the nature of space and time, and what holds it all together to an unprecedented degree, inviting nonscientists to share his obvious awe and love of the unseen forces that shape it all." Yes, it's difficult reading, but it's worth it. Hawking is one of the great geniuses of our time, a man whose life has been devoted to thinking in the abstract about the universe.
With his help, and lots of pictures we can seek to understand a bit more of the cosmos.
$35.00
When Things Start To Think
by Neil A. Gershenfeld
Neil Gershenfeld, director of MIT's Media Lab, joins the ranks of techno-prognosticators with this book, and his focus is on how the future of computing will fit into our physical realities. Gershenfeld explores such science fictional ideas as wearable computers, nanotech circuitry implants, as well as such concerns as emotions, money, and civil rights in the new age of artificial intelligence. Gershenfeld provides a historical overview of the development of computers and extrapolates a world in which we will be forced to deal with things that think all the time. This can't help but reshape our society in ways we must try to imagine. You may be surprised at how far along this road we are--Gershenfeld is in exactly the right place to tell this story, and it's a whole lot of fun (and a little scary) to ride this wave with him.
$14.00
Einstein's Miraculous Year
Powers of Ten 
Universal Foam: From Cappuccino to the Cosmos