Microbal Growth in Biofilms, Part B (Methods in Enzymology)

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This volume and its companion, Volume 337, supplement Volume 310. These volumes provide a contemporary sourcebook for virtually any kind of experimental approach involving biofilms. They cover bioengineering, molecular, genetic, microscopic, chemical, and physical methods.

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Geared to the layperson, a clear, concise, non-mathematical explanation of the "Theory of Everything" and its profound implications is followed by transcripts of interviews with most of the physicists involved in its development.

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Customer Reviews:

Unsatisfying.......2003-01-10

Following the introduction, each chapter is an interview with a string-theory advocate (and non-advocate: Feynman) recorded for the BBC in 1987. If Davies actually did the interviews, he plays the role of interested layman well.

But there is a limit to what you can do in words to convey mathematical ideas. A book on physics with no mathematics at all CAN work if the subject treatment is broad rather than deep, and good metaphors employed. By contrast, the focus of this book is narrow and shallow. There is no mathematics, and not too many metaphors to help us bridge the gap. Plus, on occasion, the interviewees sound pompous and patronizing. A major part of the problem seems to be that the interviews are mostly statements of personal position on the nature of strings, and personal role in their development, rather than an attempt to educate. Anyhow, I was left hungry and disappointed that I had not learned more.

I recommend the introduction (70-pages - presumably by Davies). It is a very well written and educative layman's survey of modern physics leading up to strings. The book may be worth buying just for that.

High standard radio program........2002-09-30

BBC program consisting of interviews with well known physicists about 'superstrings'.
This book contains a very good introduction of the quantum theory and of supersymmetry/superstrings for the layman.
Most of the interviewed (John Schwarz, Edward Witten, Michael Green, David Gross, John Ellis, Abdus Salam, Steven Weinberg) agree with the theory of superstrings, mainly because it is the only theory that could solve certain mathematical problems (infinities), without violating the laws of quantum mechanics and gravity.
Two disagree (Sheldon Glashow and Richard Feynman), mainly because the existence of strings in nature can not be tested.
For the moment (see among others, 'The elegant universe' by Brian Greene) it seems that superstrings is the only way to get forward in the search for a 'theory' of everything.
Not to be missed. Congratulations to the BBC.

Good introdution, a bit dated........2002-04-05

This little book is a must for those interested in superstring theory. Those who have read books like "the elegant universe" should complement with this one. It gives a historical prespective, but unfortunately is a bit dated, given that it was originally published in 1988. String theory moves real fast, and a lot of things viewed as problems in the book are now somewhat clarified.

The book starts with the best crash-course I have read of modern physics. In just 60 pages, you are introduced to supersymmetry, relativity theory, quantum mechanics, particle physics, superstrings, and other conceptual issues. The main body of the book however, involves interviews with various physicists concerning superstrung theory. Green, Gross, Witten, Feynmann, Salam, weinberg among others all give their points of view of this putative "theory of everything". They talk about the structure of the theory, its limitations in experimentation, its main obstacles, and their personal views of what lies in the future for superstrings.

Some main issues come up regularily, like the multidimensional aspect of the theory, the fact that there are various diferent superstring theories, and issues on topology. Unfortunately this was before some very interesting results that clarify some of these issues. For example, Calibi-Yau spaces were not in the spotlight, as they currently are. Also, all of this is pre "M-theory". That is, the 5 kinds of theory described (E8*E8 for example) are now linked through "M-theory", so there is no real problem of unification anymore (aty least one could see how it comes together, but this issues are still controversial).Also, current theories sometimes use 11 dimensions, whereas in the book 10 dimensions seemed to be the standard. Holographic principles could also enlighten some of the discussed problems in the book.

Another great aspect of the book is that it includes internal critics as well. Richard Feynmann for exaple, does not feel superstring is going to save physics, and does not share the same kind of enthusiasm as say, Edward Witten. The main points are the fact that superstring theory is so far from being directly testable (PLank lenght experiments would require 10 light year long particle accelerators!), and other philosophical issues. Of course, there is circunstancial evidence, but some see that superstring theory resembles pseudo-science in not being directly testable. This is certainly an issue.

Wether theory of everything or not, superstring theory is here to stay, so one might as well read this book to get a larger scale view of the field, before reading more modern or popular texts.

A step beyond "The Elegant Universe".......2002-02-28

A marvelous summary of varying viewpoints on Superstring Theory and the work that led up to it. I think many readers of "The Elegant Universe" by Brian Greene will find this a natural follow-up, because, though there are no math formulae, it is pitched at a somewhat higher level.

Unlike another reviewer, I would highly recommend this to Physicists, aspiring or otherwise, and lay readers with a strong exposure to Physics. Notwithstanding an excellent, lengthy essay by Paul Davies on the history of modern physics up to superstrings, the lay reader who hasn't already taken several runs at quarks, gluons, weak bosons, and the Standard Model of particle physics, is not ready for this. This book is valuable because it displays the creative principles that guide the endeavours of 9 outstanding Physicists.

The presence of speculation is not a defect but a stirling virtue of this account. How otherwise can we peer in on gifted minds as they attempt to appraise or develop a pioneering theory at the frontiers of knowledge? They have little to go by except their previous experiences in field theory and core principles such as elegance and self-consistency, or, for some of them, a distrust for wild flights untethered to experiment.

Only two of the nine (Glashow and Feynman) sound a strong note of caution and skepticism toward the theory. Feynman as usual is wonderfully thought-provoking, Glashow unexpectedly witty and acerbic, delivering many a shrewd observation. Though a numerical minority, they cast enough doubt to save the reader from uncritical worship at the altar of the pro-string ideology.

If you missed the show, read this.......2001-08-24

This book is the collection of interviews with famous individuals on this subject i.e String Theory. Narrative of the BBC show, all usual suspects are here and their responses on same or similar questions on the origins of the Spring Theory, status of the theoty and future of the theory. There is no mathematics, it is interview for general public. Although there are concepts or rather english words floating around and if you do not know what it is you do not understand the pohysics behind it but for layman this book gives a good insight into what is going on in new physics and who has what opinion. Suspects include geen, Feynman, Witten, Weinberg, Glashow, Salam and some more. Interesting reading.

The Search for Superstrings, Symmetry, and the Theory of Everything

Average customer rating:

Very little information about strings
Decent, but outdated and rambling
A good book but not for beginners
Overview of particle (not astro) physics since quantum
Well written and informative

The Search for Superstrings, Symmetry, and the Theory of Everything
John Gribbin
Manufacturer: Back Bay Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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General | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

Waves & Wave Mechanics | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0316326143

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While meeting luminaries from Einstein to Steven Weinberg, we are treated to clear explanations of what in the world they're talking about, whether it's the "collapse of the wave function" or "high-energy particle acceleration." This material is especially fascinating to those of us without much mathematical inclination, as Gribbin manages to show the state-of-the-art in modern physics without forcing us to go back to school for a few years. (There is an appendix, "Group Theory for Beginners," for interested parties.) Writers like Gribbin are helping us reclaim the time when a little learning was all it took to understand science--and The Search for Superstrings, Symmetry, and the Theory of Everything might just convince you that it's not so hard, after all. --Rob Lightner

Book Description

In days of yore, educated men and women would avidly follow new developments in the world of science; these days it seems to be too much trouble--relativity was bad enough, but "N-dimensional space"? Fortunately for those of us who have trouble visualizing parallel parking, much less quarks and gluons, John Gribbin is back with an up-to-date primer on subatomic physics. The Search for Superstrings, Symmetry, and the Theory of Everything refers as much to the reader's search for understanding as to the physicist's search for clever theories and experimental evidence to back them up, and Gribbin's prose is up to both tasks.While meeting luminaries from Einstein to Steven Weinberg, we are treated to clear explanations of what in the world they're talking about, whether it's the "collapse of the wave function" or "high-energy particle acceleration." This material is especially fascinating to those of us without much mathematical inclination, as Gribbin manages to show the state-of-the-art in modern physics without forcing us to go back to school for a few years. (There is an appendix, "Group Theory for Beginners," for interested parties.) Writers like Gribbin are helping us reclaim the time when a little learning was all it took to understand science--and The Search for Superstrings, Symmetry, and the Theory of Everything might just convince you that it's not so hard, after all. --Rob Lightner

Customer Reviews:

Very little information about strings.......2007-04-10

This book was a disappointment, while there is some excellent background on the structure of matter and quantum mechanics, there is very little on the topic of superstrings. In reading through it, I got the impression that the segments on strings were an afterthought, something that needed to be mentioned but in no great detail.
If you need some knowledge of quantum mechanics and the historical development of the understanding of matter, then this book is worth reading. However, if your interest is first and foremost that of the current theories of strings and superstrings, then quite frankly this book is not worth your time and money.

Decent, but outdated and rambling.......2006-05-16

If you are looking for an introduction to the newest theories in astrophysics, this is not the book for you. It has nearly the same brief intro to quantum mechanics as all the other books on the topic, then Gribbin simply wanders from topic to topic discussing weird phenomenon and theories and never really tying them together. He's got a ton of speculation about String Theory, but he never really provides any reason that you should believe in it other than that it sounds really cool.

He is also a bit behind the times (not necessarily his fault), for theoretical physics has (mostly) moved past the particular theories he presents, though they are helpful for understanding the most recent theories.

In all, this is not a book I would recommend. String Theory is beginning to collapse, and there are a few books coming out this year detailing the rise and fall of String Theory. One of these books would probably be a better introduction to String Theory that this one, even if you disagree with their conclusions.

Overall Grade: C-

A good book but not for beginners.......2005-06-14

Yes, perhaps a little slow on the introduction and a drag for those of who had a beginners course in quantum physics or a college physical science background. But the author does an excellent job, in my opinion, of explaining in detail WHY it is that we're searching for SUSY, not just the buzzwords of this science for the impressionable readers. It also keeps a good psychological reality check, and defends certain theories over others; a very honest and unbiased book, and an interesting one too. Thanks!

Overview of particle (not astro) physics since quantum.......2003-11-23

If you haven't had a solid introduction to quantum physics, this book is not the place to start -- Gribbin's excellent earlier book (Schroedinger's Cat) is the place to start. However, if you've read about the Cat and have a decent conceptual grasp, this book is a good update. Gribbin's strength is explaining the concepts, independent of the intense math that's involved in physics. The science is so complicated that this is clearly not an easy task, yet Gribbin is, in my opinion, quite good at bringing the concepts to a level that I can mostly, usually, get a grasp of. On this level, this book covers what's happened in physics from the quantum revolution up to the present. Superstrings, Symmetry, & TOE is really not the best title for it though, because I read the first half of the book waiting for Gribbin to get to any of the title concepts.

I don't think Superstrings is nearly as solid an effort by Gribbin as Cat was. I had a hard time grasping the symmetry concept. I was solid on the review of quantum mechanics (which was well done, but was not enough information to make me suggest skipping Schroedinger's Cat). I was right with him through the spin function, and I was doing pretty well all through quarks. When he (finally!) got to strings, I could understand again. Unfortunately, all through the discussion of symmetry -- which I read and re-read several times -- I just wasn't getting it.

All in all, I think this is a pretty solid book for covering the physics concepts of the last 70 years or so, but I recommend reading Schroedinger's Cat, or at least having a conceptual understanding of quantum mechanics first.

Well written and informative.......2001-08-05

If you are looking for more than " Oh, Golly" physics with some real mathematics, then this will be disappointing, but if you like Richard Feynman type informative lectures that name the names and give an understandable overview, then this is a well written book with history and facts and references. I got is as a gift from a friend who was trying to be of help! It was more help than some of my Google searches on the Internet!

Superstrings and the Search for the Theory of Everything

Average customer rating:

Just what I was looking for
Excellent Introduction!
For neither the scientist or the layman
Exposes frontier issues & jargon in particle physics
Should be called Roger Penrose attempt to expose his work

Superstrings and the Search for the Theory of Everything
F. David Peat
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

Quantum Theory | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0809242575

Book Description

"Peat grapples with these amazingly recondite notions and succeeds brilliantly in making them clear." --Publishers Weekly

Customer Reviews:

Just what I was looking for.......2007-08-03

Reading an overview about modern thoughts on unifying the physics of particles, relativity and the forces of nature has been on my to do list for a while. Mission accomplished, albeit based on 1988 physics. If there was a more recent follow-up book by F. David Peat I would buy it; there is a lot of content that only wet my appetite to learn more about the details behind the narrative and I have enjoyed the way the author wove this complicated story together.

Excellent Introduction!.......2004-01-22

I found this book to be an excellent introduction to some fascinating fields in theoretical physics. It is easy to read and was hard for me to put down. I am not a Mathematician or a Physicist but this book has done a lot to pique my interest and motivate me to tackle the Math required for a deeper inquiry into these fascinating subjects. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

For neither the scientist or the layman.......2000-06-16

As a scientist familiar with quantum theory, but not a physicist, this book was very frustrating to read. I felt satisfied neither as a layman or a physical chemist. The book quoted several key concepts of superstring theory but did not really explain them in a way that I felt gave me more than a very superficial overview of the field. The digression into twistors was made at a point where more space could have fruitfully been spent adding flesh to the concepts presented early in the book.

Exposes frontier issues & jargon in particle physics.......1999-08-03

This book is non-technical -- it has almost no equations, but is well-illustrated. Just having finished it, I feel it gave a good sense of the major issues involved in this still highly speculative and uncertain field. Readable summary of the state-of-the-art in 1988. Author condescends nicely to the reader: he takes pains to repeat over and over, in slightly varying words, the technical points; this made book wordy; but it was a good strategy since, w/o equations, these esoteric ideas come across vaguely at best. Repetition allows at least "ear knowledge" of the jargon. Please don't expect much more at this level.

Like another reviewer, I was not happy with one-third of the book being devoted to twistors, since these strike this outsider as higher on mathematical elegance than on physical content. I will not fault Peat, however, for doing this since: A) due to his friendship with the Penrose Twistor group he is specially qualified to popularise this subject, and B) the Twistor program, a child of Penrose's brain, is rich in guiding principles, and provides therefore a healthy antidote to the superstrings, which grew up higgeldy-piggeldy by a sequence of "accidental" discoveries -- "It seems to work, but, heck, we don't really know why." Twistors have been less a matter of trial and error. At least they work well for massless particles. (Sidelight: In a blackboard discussion w/ Penrose at Cal Tech that I chanced to overhear about 25 yrs. ago, Feynman told Penrose that no one had succeeded in making massless fields cohere together so as to act like massive fields.)

Should be called Roger Penrose attempt to expose his work.......1999-02-18

The book starts of good and in chapter 7 he breaks of completely from superstrings and starts talking about some new unheard of idea of things called twisters. This would not be bad but twisters are supposed to replace spiners. Spiners to the uninformed are just a very small part of superstring theory.An example is writing a book on a 1998 Corvette and writing about the car for 6 chapers, then the other chapters are about the plug wires. Very Disapointing. If you want to read about some real superstring theory buy any book by Michio Kaku, much, much better books. They actually stick to what they say their about.

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Superstrings and the Search for the Theory of Everything
F. David Peat
Manufacturer: Chicago: Contemporary Books, 1988
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NVLPAA

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Superstrings and the Search for the Theory of Everything
F. David Peat
Manufacturer: Contemporary Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MHLZAU

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THE SEARCH FOR SUPERSTRINGS, Symmetry, and the Theory of Everything
John (Like-new) Gribbin
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTTY9U

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The Search for Superstrings, Symmetry, and the Theory of Everything
John Gribbin
Manufacturer: Back Bay Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTUMOG

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MARCEL PROUST ON ART AND LITERATURE 1896-1919

Manufacturer: Meridian Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I0YPNK

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Marcel Proust On Art And Literature 1896-1919
Marcel PROUST
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000RJ41X6

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Marcel Proust on Art and Literature 1896-1919
Marcel Proust
Manufacturer: Dell Publishing Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GQ1FGG

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Marcel Proust on art and literature, 1896-1919
Marcel Proust
Manufacturer: Meridian Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Proust, Marcel | ( P ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Letters of Marcel Proust

The Complete Short Stories of Marcel Proust

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ASIN: B0007HRL0I

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On art and literature, 1896-1919 (Greenwich editions)
Marcel Proust
Manufacturer: Meridian Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Criticism & Theory | History & Criticism | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006AUZD6

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Marcel Proust on Art and Literature, 1896-1919.

Manufacturer: 0
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000ICROX6

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On Art and Literature 1896 - 1919
Marcel Proust
Manufacturer: Delta Book
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KTLIVQ

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