Book Description
The famous physicist's timeless lectures on the promise and limitations of computers
When, in 1984-86, Richard P. Feynman gave his famous course on computation at the California Institute of Technology, he asked Tony Hey to adapt his lecture notes into a book. Although led by Feynman, the course also featured, as occasional guest speakers, some of the most brilliant men in science at that time, including Marvin Minsky, Charles Bennett, and John Hopfield. Although the lectures are now thirteen years old, most of the material is timeless and presents a "Feynmanesque" overview of many standard and some not-so-standard topics in computer science such as reversible logic gates and quantum computers.
Customer Reviews:
A Feynman look at computers and computing.......2007-08-05
There is an amazing amount of material in this small volume, and it is presented in Feynman's
very clear style. It covers to some depth many of the topics of a computer science education,
but also includes a lot of material from physics and engineering related to how semiconductor
chips of the early eightys operate.
The early chapters explain how a computer does a few simple operations, and how longer and longer
sequences of simple operations accomplish more complex tasks. Feynman continues with a look at
the details of the operations, as implemented in gates, decoders, flip flops, and other bits of
hardware. He continues with several topics from computer science, such as finite state machines,
Turing machines, computability, and a little bit about computer languages. Then he jumps back to
bits and the representation of information, including data compression, error detection and error
correction.
The last sections deal with physics, such as the thermodynamics of computation, and quantum mechanics
of computation.
I suspect most readers will find some sections much more interesting than others. Some places I
wished there was a way to give six or seven stars. A few times I wondered if I should skim the
remainder of the chapter or just skip it entirely. I read on and found a section I was glad I
had not missed.
Mostly brilliant.......2006-05-09
Of course, 'brilliant' is what you'd expect from Feynman. These lectures, originally presented in 1983-6, capture a number of the most fundamental, esoteric concepts in computing. Since Feynman is doing the explaining, however, the ideas come across clear and strong.
Chapter 3, on the basic theory of computation, introduces not only the Turing machine, but also the basic idea of what things can and can not possibly be computed and why. He also explains the "universal" machine, and the meaning of universality that mathematically steps up from any one machine to all machines. The next chapters discuss coding theory. That has body of knowledge has since become pervasive in our every-day lives, even if it's never visible. After that two chapters present the physical limits to computation, and how computation can approach those limits using quantum mechanics.
This includes the superfically odd idea of reversible computation. I say odd because, for example, knowing that two numbers add up to six doesn't tell you whether the two were five and one, zero and six, or some other combination. You normally can't run addition backwards from the sum to the summands, so standard addition is said to be irreversible. Reversibility gives amazing properties to a system, however, and things like the Toffoli gates show how it can be implemented.
The only disappointments in this book come from the very beginning and very end. The beginning describes what a computer is, as if the reader had never heard of computers before. I guess that basic level is still needed, but is no longer needed at the college level. The very end describes silicon technology, as it was known in the early 1980s. Despite some fascinating bits of device physics and some heavy editing, that discussion has aged with the rapidity you'd expect from Moore's law. And in a few places, the older discussions of biological systems have aged poorly.
Still, his explorations of the physical limits to computation as just as fresh and salient as ever. I recommend this to anyone with a beginner's interest in the foundations of coding, computing, and quantum computation.
//wiredweird
I like this book.......2004-11-10
Yes, I think you can teach the theory of computation from this book. And you can learn it from this book. Some of the material isn't all that recent, but much of it doesn't need to be.
35 years ago, if one were teaching a course on the theory of computation, I'd have recommended Minsky's book (it came out in 1967). That was a great text. Nowadays, there are numerous choices. But one could still use books that originally came out well before Feynman's notes, such as Lewis & Papadimitriou or Hopcroft, Motwani, and Ullman.
The question boils down to the quality of what is in the book, as well as what material it has that other books do not, and what material it is missing that most other texts have.
This book is quite readable and preserves much of Feynman's teaching style. So let's look at what it is missing. First, it doesn't talk much about real neurons. Of course, even Minsky doesn't dwell much on that, and other computation books avoid that topic too. But now, there's a more serious omission. Feynman spends something like two pages on grammars! If you were using Lewis and Papadimitriou (first edition) there would be a chapter of over 70 pages on context-free languages alone. As a teacher or a student, would you really want to miss all that?
No, as a student, you would have to read up on all that material elsewhere. And as a teacher, you would have to use another book or write your own notes. That material is too much a part of most required curricula.
But that doesn't take away from the value of the book when it comes to the rest of the material. And the final four chapters, which discuss coding and information theory, reversible computation and the thermodynamics of computing, quantum mechanical computers, and some physical aspects of computation, are all useful material that you often won't see in other computation texts.
As a student, I'd read the book. As a teacher, I'd recommend it to my students. But as either, I wouldn't expect to use it as the only textbook.
Dissapointing is correct.......2004-02-19
We physicists want a readable book on computability, degrees of computational complexity, and the like. Feynman would have been the writer to provide us with that. We're fortunate to have anything at all of what Feynman thought about the subject, but this book (taken from Feynman's rough lecture notes) does not do the job. E.g., in the first chapter we're presented with a description of RPF's joy in discovery and corresponding philosophy of how to understand anything: don't read about it, just work it out by yourself in umpteen different ways (nothing new about Feynman there!), but the examples provided of how Feynman actullally worked it out can be compared with some of Arnol'd's presentations of how he worked out mechanics problems in his text on Classical Mechanics (state the problem, then state the final result). So we still need a SYSTEMATIC 'written-for physicists' text on computability. Neverthless, we can be grateful to Hey and Allen for putting together these stimulating Feynman fragments for us, especially since they stem from his last days of life as a physicist.
By the way, Feynman certainly would not have agreed with S. Weinberg's extreme reductionist philisophy that asserts that once we've understood quantum theory and quarks then we've understood physics/nature, that 'the rest is mere detail'. On the other hand, he surely would have horselaughed the holists who proclaim that reductionism is dead, that physics will become more like 'poetry'. The lie in the latter nonsense is exposed by the entire field of genetics and cell biology, which is where the 'real' complexity in nature is to be found. Every physics student should be required to take a good class in molecular biolgy these days, a subject that's a lot more important and a lot more interesting than string theory (which, as Feynman more or less said, has degenerated into mere philosophy in the absence of experiments to test the ideas) .
Dissapointing.......2003-11-29
I find this book dissapointing. It doesn't compare with the insight, clarity, and beauty found in the famous "Feynman lectures in physics". Basically what Feynman does in this book is simplify and coaches one though complex Computer Science/ Information Theory Concepts. The book may have the small size of a novel, but I find it to be more like a textbook; because it has many equations (even exercises in the first chapter), and also one has to be quite attentive while reading. I'm not saying this is a bad book, only that, if you liked the "Feynman lectures in physics" it doesn't automatically mean you'll like this book. This book is different, obviously in the sense that it doesn't deal much with physics, and secondly in the fact that it is not passionatly written, I think. Why is this book so expensive anyways?
Now that you got my warning. I can definitely recomend this book for people intereseted in things like:
-theoretical limits of computers (enthropy, energy)
-physical realizations of logic gates (transistors)
-quantum computers
Book Description
A step-by-step action plan to quick and lasting recovery after personal bankruptcy. Indexed.
Customer Reviews:
The Book Is Actually An Ad For His $497 Course.......2007-09-12
This book is FULL of commercials but void of any specific information you can apply to your life. His advice on everything from getting credit cards, auto loans, installment loans, mortgages, what ever, is to research everything out there and interview every loan officer, credit mangager etc out there, and find the best deal.
This book, his internet site, and his "free" seminar are all in effect teases to get you to buy his "Increase Your Credit Scores - Improve Your Lifestyle" course which costs $497. Presumably, some actually utilizable information is in that.
Bankruptcy.......2007-03-22
There is a moderate amount of useful information about life after bankruptcy. Probably half of the information can be found on the internet. However, the author should not have used the bankruptcy information as a cover for preaching his religious beliefs. I felt mislead.
Bankruptcy.......2007-01-12
This is a good book for someone who filed bankruptcy this book has given me a lot of insight on thing
Waste of money.......2006-12-23
You can find all this information on line. There is nothing new here for a post bankruptcy person. Also, he has a RELIGIOUS BENT so be careful.
light at the end.......2006-11-08
I am seeing light at the end of the bankruptcy tunnel
Book Description
Updated to reflect latest changes in bankruptcy law, this book explains which debts are discharged by bankruptcy and shows readers how to determine the worth of their property before filing for bankruptcy. An overview of the bankruptcy system and bankruptcy court is followed by guidance in typical bankruptcy procedures in states where filing can be done without an attorney. There is advice on subsequently reestablishing credit, and seeking out alternatives to bankruptcy. Approximately 60 pages of the book are devoted to legal blank forms. Barron's Legal Ease books guide users through business details that are often put in the hands of lawyers, but which can be dealt with by practical men and women who have no formal legal training. Legal-Ease titles present advice and instruction from accredited legal and business experts, and serve as reliable guides for owners of small-to-mid-sized business firms and private individuals. They also make good supplementary texts for business students.
Customer Reviews:
Good job........2004-05-10
The author did a good job organizing the information in this book.
I would also recommend Surviving Financial Disasters by Tiffany R. Love which comes with a CD ROM and actual sample court documents from someone who has been there and done that.
Book Description
The ONLY thing standing between you and good credit after bankruptcy is not knowing what steps YOU should take next. Whether you are looking for immediate credit after bankruptcy or you never want to see another credit card as long as you live, this book will show you how to rebuild financially after bankruptcy.
Get details on how to buy a car after bankruptcy, including how and where to get an auto loan after bankruptcy without paying sky-high interest. Find the best credit card after bankruptcy, and determine whether a secured credit card or an unsecured credit card is your best choice. Discover how to get the best interest rates on a personal loan after bankruptcy, how to rent an apartment, buy a home, or even refinance after bankruptcy.
Unlike other books that teach you how to get new credit after bankruptcy so you're right back in debt again, this book provides you with the tools you need to break the chains that keep you locked in an endless cycle of debt. You CAN have a second chance, financially after bankruptcy. This book shows you how.
Customer Reviews:
Very useful. A must have for credit rebuilding........2006-03-02
I haven't finished reading all of it but so far, it has been very informative and useful. I have started on her recommended steps which she makes very easy to understand based on her own experiences. This is great resource for a very good price.
This probably won't be the only book I buy about bancruptcy but I am very glad I bought this one.
Well worth the price!.......2004-07-01
well i've purchased quite a few books on this subject since filing and this is one of the most informative i've read so far. It is jam packed with information on where to go to get a good secured credit card. She even gives websites and toll free numbers! All i can say for spooge-monkey is look at his name, it says it all! I purchased the book he refers to and found it to be "lame and cheesy" with no useful information at all!
There are some interesting points made here.......2003-07-05
I really enjoyed her idea about how to get a gas card. very creative.
this is the only book u need after bankruptcy.......2002-11-27
I filed bankruptcy a couple of years ago and by following the steps in this easy to understand, straight forward book, I now have $70,000.00 saved, an unsecured credit card, a fica score in the 700's and last week was aproved for a mortgage at 61/2%!!!
this is all the information you will need for any issue you can think of after a bankruptcy. Not only does it show you how to repair your credit, it shows you how not to get in the same situation again. I also had a question and the author e-mailed me back within a couple of days! Increadibly helpful.
BAD BAD BAD.......2002-11-26
This book is [inexpensive] and cheesy, and offers little of use. In addition, the information provided is often dead wrong.
Average customer rating:
- Highly recommended
- the worst read in years
- Great Tips
- Tells you everything you need to know.
|
After Bankruptcy : Simple Steps to Rebuilding Your Credit and Your Life
Anne Whiteley
Manufacturer: Solstice Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Credit Ratings & Repair
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ASIN: 0967536154 |
Book Description
Successful bankruptcy attorney Anne Whiteley shares her knowledge and savvy, gathered over 15 years of working with people facing bankruptcy. Learn step-by-step how to re-establish credit, obtain credit cards and buy a house. Find answers to your questions about cleaning up your credit report, traveling, renting apartments, starting a new business and talking to prospective employers. Most importantly, you will learn that anyone can start over and build up a significant amount of wealth.
Customer Reviews:
Highly recommended.......2002-01-14
My husband and I found out everything we needed to know from this book. Our lawyer didn't know half of this stuff. The book is short but it tells you everything. It has names, addresses and phone numbers for companies that will give us a credit card. We don't want to use credit cards but we do want one for emergencies. Also, I found out that we will be able to buy a home without too much trouble. We had no choice but to file bankruptcy but we were afraid that our lives would be over. Now we realize that this is not so. Another nice thing about this book is that the author tells stories about how her own clients have recovered after bankruptcy. With a little work, we can recreate a new credit record for ourselves and we will be able to borrow at good interest rates in the future. My husband and I sat down and drew up a plan for ourselves to save money and get ahead. I highly recommend this book.
the worst read in years.......2001-10-11
i've read the three most popular books on this subject. this book is paper thin. promises the world, but delivers little. this book is basic 101 stuff that anyone with a brain could figure out. don't waste your money on this. keep looking!
Great Tips.......2001-04-27
This book gives lots of good advice on steps to take after a bankruptcy to rebuild your credit. One of the most useful items is a list of credit card companies and their addresses for secured and unsecured credit cards with good rates who will accept those who have filed bankruptcy. She also lists the kinds of credit accounts that are helpful and those to avoid when reestablishing your credit. The book is an informative read and is realistic for those who have gone thru the pain of bankruptcy and feel there is no hope in ever having decent credit.
Tells you everything you need to know........2001-03-24
This is a great book. The author is an attorney so I am confident that she knows what she is talking about. She made me feel better because she understands how hard it is to have to file bankrutpcy. It was the last thing I ever thought I would have to do! The book tells you how to get unsecured credit cards, car loans and how to buy a house. Also, she tells you how to clean up your credit report and how to get hotels, rental cars and airline tickets without a credit card, if you want to. She answers questions I didn't even think of. Plus, she tells you how to start over and get ahead financially. For the first time, I feel like I can finally get ahead. I used to think that that would be hopeless, but now I am sure I can do it. Very good book. Plus its interesting and not too long.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Westchester County Business Journal, published by Thomson Gale on April 17, 2006. The length of the article is 1011 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Cash-flow problems: 3 steps to return to financial health.(banking & finance focus)
Author: Norman G., Jr. Grill
Publication:
Westchester County Business Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 17, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 45
Issue: 16
Page: 23(2)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Trial, published by Association of Trial Lawyers of America on January 1, 1995. The length of the article is 2100 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
From the supplier: Lawyers representing clients on a contingency basis whose clients are about to file for bankruptcy relief must gain bankruptcy court approval to continue handling a case or they risk being not being paid. Contingent fee contracts are executory contracts which the bankruptcy trustee, subject to court approval, may either assume or reject. The trustee or debtor may hire the attorney based on a new contract, assume the original contract, reject the contract and hire another attorney or the original attorney may withdraw from the case for good cause.
Citation Details
Title: Client bankruptcy endangers contingent fee; take steps to protect your rights.
Author: Robert G. Miller
Publication:
Trial (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 1995
Publisher: Association of Trial Lawyers of America
Volume: 31
Issue: n1
Page: 50(2)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
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Breach of Trust
Manufacturer: Hart Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
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ASIN: 1841131741 |
Book Description
Recent leading cases have demonstrated the urgent need to modernize the learning on breach of trust. This book, written by a team of leading trust lawyers from a number of common law jurisdictions, investigates all the principal aspects of the subject.
Average customer rating:
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Remedies for Torts and Breach of Contract
Andrew Burrows
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0406977267 |
Book Description
Now in its third edition this popular text has been comprehensively rewritten to take account of all new developments in the law, as well as Law Commission reports and academic writings. The book has also been restructured and divided into parts which correspond to the primary functions of
the remedies for torts and breach of contract, namely compensation, restitution and punishment, compelling performance or preventing (or compelling the undoing of) a wrong, and declaring rights.
Reflecting their increased importance in practice, and the considerable recent academic attention devoted to them, there is also a new chapter on remedies for equitable wrongs such as breach of fiduciary duty and reach of confidence.
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Damages in contract and tort would-have-beens and would-have-dones.(British Columbia, Canada): An article from: The Advocate
Joost Blom
Manufacturer: Vancouver Bar Association (Canada)
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Binding: Digital
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ASIN: B000ALT6FO
Release Date: 2005-07-25 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Advocate, published by Vancouver Bar Association (Canada) on May 1, 2005. The length of the article is 7088 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Damages in contract and tort would-have-beens and would-have-dones.(British Columbia, Canada)
Author: Joost Blom
Publication:
The Advocate (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 2005
Publisher: Vancouver Bar Association (Canada)
Volume: 63
Issue: 3
Page: 391(12)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Florida Bar Journal, published by Florida Bar on May 1, 1999. The length of the article is 3806 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Planning ahead: some tips for the complaint drafter dealing with the economic loss rule.(Florida)
Author: Nancy C. Wear
Publication:
Florida Bar Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 1, 1999
Publisher: Florida Bar
Volume: 73
Issue: 5
Page: 57
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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Animal Life-Cycle Feeding and Nutrition (Animal Feeding and Nutrition)
Tilden Wayne Perry
Manufacturer: Academic Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0125520603 |
Books:
- First Nights: Five Musical Premiers
- Grid Computing: Practical Guide To Technology & Applications (Programming Series)
- Hacking Video Game Consoles: Turn your old video game systems into awesome new portables (ExtremeTech)
- Handbook For English Concertina
- Hardcore Java
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Piano Selections
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
- History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
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