Editorial Review

If Albert Einstein were alive, he would have a copy of Read more

Reviews (113)

There's Much More than Physics Here!
Penrose's is a name I remember from reading Scientific American and NYT Book Reviews in the late '60s, which is most of the reason why I bought the book despite having never done any serious study of physics, and having recently been mildly disappointed by Lisa Randall's "Warped Passages".Surely someone who has dedicated so many years to the subject and been so influential will have something interesting to say!And I've always been a sucker for doing hard work in name of fun.I'm glad I did."The Road to Reality" will have a permanent place on my bookshelf between Stephen Hawking's delightful "A Brief History of Time" and Saunders Mac Lane's "Mathematics: Form and Function".
Whoa!
I am finding this book extremely challenging.Mostly, the problem is the huge number of new concepts.I would strongly recommend this book for the young math, (hard)science, or, perhaps?, engineering student/20 something.If you have not encountered quantum mechanics or complex analysis before, this probably ain't the place to start.As most know, freshman calculus is mostly memorization and skill training akin to puzzle solving. It bears little in common with mathematical thought in the early 21st Century.This book plunges you into that thought stream as Penrose believes it applies to "reality".As someone who always wondered about the asides my textbook authors made when talking about path integrals, spin quantum numbers, or separable equations, I find this book illuminating - if only I were 20 or 30 years younger so the new concepts would sink in faster... Anyway, it is not for the layman - I'd say that if you're unfamiliar with the names Godel, Dirac, Cantor, Leibnitz, Heisenberg then you will probably find this book a huge travail.
Could have been much better.
The biggest problem with this book is its attempt to cater to several disparate audiences at once. If you happen to be an interested layman there are much better options.First of all you should know that this book, although it proports in the introduction to be self contained starting from the basics and moving up, will be impossible to read unless you have previous familiarity with the concepts in question.Many customers have said that they were happy just to get a "feel" for the "jist" of the topics he covers.Realistically, I don't see how that is possible: his chapters are that layman unfriendly.I have had a lot of Calculus and when I read his sections on Real and Complex Analysis I was shocked to discover that he treats them from a very advanced point of view all in the space of 30 pages.This is mind-blowing!Literally everything that follows the chapters on real and complex analysis will rely on the information contained in those chapters, and yet the discussion therein is, bar-none, the worst introduction to the ideas behind Calculus I have ever read.You couldn't ask for a more backwards introductory presentation of the principle ideas, and I don't know that there is a worse one in print.I feel sorry for all the people who have or will attempt to read this book and, as a result, further convince themsleves that the topics included must simply be beyond their natural mental capabilities.
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Subjects:  1. Astrophysics & Space Science    2. Cosmology    3. General    4. Mathematical Physics    5. Physical laws    6. Physics    7. Science    8. Science/Mathematics    9. Science / Astrophysics & Space Science   

Reviews (93)

Headspinning Cutting-edge Physics
"Warped Passages" is a summary of some of the breakthrough theories in physics. And Lisa Randall, who's been at Princeton, MIT, and now Harvard, surely is the perfect person to be our guide. With her breezy, anecdotal, learn by example style, she takes some of the most (to me) arcane and mysterious facts about her areas of expertise--particle physics, string theory, and cosmology--and summarizes some theories that maybe will answer the questions of what is the (our? this particular?) universe like, and how is it structured?
Fascinating Read
For anyone with an inquiring mind as to what makes the universe tick, "Warped Passages", is a must read.No wonder this book is rated 4+ overall by 90 reviewers.
Tedious, makes a fascinating topic bo-ring!!!!
I picked up this book expecting to gain some new insights about the bleeding edge of scientific research, string theory, and model-building, but found it unbelievably tedious, self-congratulatory, and self-absorbed. There may be little doubt that author Lisa Randall is a brilliant physicist, but her explanations of the last 100 years of science and her theories are muddled and poorly written. I found myself longing for a writer such as Bill Bryson to explain half of these theories. In addition, one of most annoying features of this book is the way Randall tries to disguise her inability to explain advanced physics in straightforward terms that would appeal to the lay reader by starting each chapter with a pop culture reference, usually a lyric from a band such as Metallica, as if such a reference will be enough to goose the reader awake and take interest in the next muddled exposition. She even has footnotes that explain the American term "runway" is translated as "catwalk" in the United Kingdom -- oh, thank you, Ms. Randall, for such elucidation! Why not make this book more interesting and readable with a more engaging style that explains these fascinating theories in a clearer manner? Not to give away the ending, but many of these theories about extra dimensions cannot even be proven unless the universe demonstrates another massive outburst of energy almost equivalent to the Big Bang. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cosmology    2. Particle Physics    3. Particles (Nuclear physics)    4. Philosophy    5. Physics    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. String models    9. Science / Physics   

Reviews (6)

mediocre
I adopted this text for my first try at teaching intro astronomy. It has lots of pretty pictures but I was not impressed with the content. This includes the text, the organization and the question/problem sets. If this text is better than most of its competitors, I am in real trouble. =-)

So, so...
The delivery time was very quick, that was good, and the price was great.The condition of the book was very used and they said it was like new.Other then that I guess it was O.K.

Superb textbook - beautifully illustrated, clearly written!
This is the Eighth Edition of a truly superb textbook for an introductory astronomy course, or for anyone (amateur astronomers?)who is looking for a great and beautifully illustrated general reference source on astronomy. I've been teaching intro astronomy for many years and keep my eye on all the textbooks. Aimed primarily at non-science majors, Seeds' book is a hum-dinger and really the best I see out there at this time. Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy    2. Astronomy - General    3. Science    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Cosmology & the universe    6. Science / Astronomy   

Editorial Review

Stephen Hawking, one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists in history, wrote the modern classic Read more

Reviews (310)

A Masterpiece for the Patient
Stephen Hawking has crafted a masterpiece that requires only two qualities of the reader: patience and an open mind.For those willing to take the (often substantial) time required to digest the material and accept (or even challenge) it, a awe inspiring world awaits.This book is rightfully one of the best selling books of all time, and a must read for anyone who has any interest in the world around them.

I'm impressed
I must say my first reaction was to be surprised at how much better Hawking is at explaining modern physics than my college instructors were.Heisenberg's uncertainty principle was just an equation I learned.Hawking made it seem like common sense.
History of time
This book is a good history of time. My first real book on cosmology. Since then, there have many other discoveries in the field that make our understanding of things slightly difference. Still this is a really good first book at understanding cosmology. They're just a little too worried that readers won't understand it if they add something a little technical. It becomes a book good only for those who will never grasp anything more, or a first book for those who will graduate to more descriptive, technical books. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy - Universe    2. Cosmology    3. History    4. Science    5. Science/Mathematics    6. PHYSICS    7. Science / General    8. Science: General Issues   

Subjects:  1. Astronomy - General    2. Audio-visual aids    3. Heat    4. Mechanics    5. Physics    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Study and teaching (Higher)    9. United States    10. Astronomy, Space & Time    11. Science / Astronomy   

Reviews (5)

good condition and speedy delivery
item arrived in 2 days and was in perfect condition. completely satisfied. would recommend to others!

Way too expensive for a paperback
Attractive book but not a good value.All the information is available for free on the internet where it is periodically updated and can be referenced for free without wearing out.

Astronomy Text Book
Text book arrived in excellent condition (brand spankin' new) and in a timely manner (about 3 business days). I got a great deal too! No problems whatsoever. Thanks a bunch! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy    2. Astronomy (General)    3. Astronomy - General    4. Science    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Astronomy, Space & Time    7. Science / Physics   

Editorial Review

There is an ill-concealed skeleton in the closet of physics: "As they are currently formulated, general relativity and quantum mechanics Read more

Reviews (466)

Brilliant.
I absolutely loved this book. Greene explains the basic ideas of Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, of Quantum Mechanics, of particle physics, ect., and most importantly, String Theory to the layman. He does this in the most interesting and expressive way possible. It was easy to understand and a blast to read. I read this book falling asleep at night and dreamed of other dimensions....I even took it to the laundromat! This book is wonderful; I couldn't put it down.

An adventure in physics

Discover the 11 dimensions of our reality...
Although I am no particle physicist, Brian Green succeeds to give us a truly passionate account of how close Science is to resolve the problem of matter and what is all the fuss about string theory. Without any equation besides the now-popular E=mc2 but with a good deal of common sense and easy-to-understand examples, the author not only reviews the upmost important results found by Einstein's scientific family but also succeeds to give the reader an excellent feeling of what is a string, how come scientists dare to think there may be more than three spatial dimensions and even maybe more than one universe! On top of it, the author tries to keep a critical mind, noticing us that string theory is up to now "only" a beautiful mathematical object which, for the first time in history of Science, can almost explain everything but is still way, way ahead of experimentation. Thus, like any abstract thing not strongly tight to reality, string theory can still be toppled even by a light breeze... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy - Universe    2. Cosmology    3. General    4. Physics    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Superstring theories    8. Science / Physics    9. String Theory   

Reviews (24)

Briefer improves on brief
It is not as amazing as time being relative, but the authors did manage to explain things still more clearly, in an even smaller book. I spent much less time reading this second book but this time more light bulbs seemed to come on.

Welcome to our universe
A phenomenal description of the basics in physics and science. Hawkings new version is a tell all for Science beginners such as myself. After years of not understanding or not putting effort into understanding science I now have an excellent overview of why and how we exist. Definitely a great read!

Too Brief
"A Briefer History of Time" is a graceful summary of spacetime physics, written entirely for non-scientific readers; it contains no formulas, and can be understood by any bright teenager. Before you run out and buy a copy, though, you should know that - due to the book's very short length and intended readership for a general audience - it is very elementary and covers its field in only the briefest of ways. If the reader has read any other popular treatment of this subject in the last few years, there will not be anything new in the "Briefer History."
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Subjects:  1. Astronomy - Universe    2. Cosmology    3. Physics    4. Science    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Science / Cosmology   

Reviews (5)

Too difficult for the average reader
This book is a bit too professional for anyone who is just starting an astrophysics course.......the provided questions really screw up ur brain.....but if ur sure u have a good solid pure math and advanced physics backgroundthen go ahead and buy it otherwise check out other books.....

An introduction to modern astrophysics
The problems are very challanging, with out an instructor and a good foundation in pure math its nearly impossible for a self learner to solve the end-chapter questions from this book. Im currenlty stuck in many of these problems. If any one happens to have a complete solutions manual, I would give $250.00 for it.
Very difficult to teach from
After surveying available undergraduate texts in astrophysics and consulting colleagues, I settled on this as the best available despite qualms about its size and cost.My students are finding its size and sheer length overwhelming; we are forced to leave out so much material that they are questioning whether it's worth it.The system of units used (cgs) is becoming (if it is not already) obsolete in most areas of astrophysics.In every chapter there are references to material yet to be covered, requiring one to flip back and forth, often over hundreds of pages.Finally, with a 1996 publication date, much of the material is becoming dated (I know, a new edition will be even more expensive).Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy - General    2. Astrophysics    3. Astrophysics & Space Science    4. Physics    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Astronomy, Space & Time    8. Science / Physics   

Reviews (15)

Fantastic resource
This was a required test for a rocket propulsion class, but it has become an invaluable resource for many classes.Purchased for at least 20% less than other outlets.

A Must-Have Textbook for every Aerospace Engineer
This is the single best book on rocket propulsion systems, covering both liquid and solid rocket engines, hybrid rocket systems, and a dedicated chapter on electric propulsion. The authors include excellent illustrations and graphs to enhance the text, and practical examples which help the reader to grasp the theory. After loaning a copy of this book for over two years from my library, i finally bought it! Definitely recommended to all engineers and scientists who want to expand into the area of rocket propulsion.

Beware of Typographical Errors
The readability of this book makes it a good investment for aspiring rocket engineers.Read more

Subjects:  1. Aeronautics & Astronautics    2. Astrophysics & Space Science    3. Aviation - General    4. Rocket Propulsion    5. Rocket engines    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Technology & Industrial Arts    9. Aerodynamics    10. Aerospace & air transport industries    11. Aerospace & aviation technology    12. Engineering thermodynamics    13. Science / Astrophysics & Space Science   

Subjects:  1. Astronomy    2. Astronomy - General    3. Science    4. Science/Mathematics    5. Textbooks    6. Astronomy, Space & Time    7. Science / Astronomy   

Reviews (7)

Astronomy Today 5th edition
I have had a lifetime love of Astronomy but have lacked the mathmatical background for a thorough understanding.Most popular books on the subject rarely cover the field in the manner that I desire.Astronomy Today is a textbook for a beginning course in astronomy at the college level and does, in fact, cover a great deal of information without the need for mathmatical knowledge.The authors express their ideas and information in clear, concise language and clearly manifest an enthusiasm for their subject.I have enjoyed the book immensely.

A Paradox of Blind Astronomers!
This is an excellent textbook, but I deducted one star (from a possible five-star rating) because of the absurd comments made by the authors in the beginning of the book. In this fourth edition of Astronomy Today, a textbook published by Prentice Hall for college students, the authors open the very first chapter with the following statements:
A joy to read!
This book is really outstanding! It contains 757 pages of text (not counting the preface and appendix), about 480 (mostly quite smallish) photos, some 400 drawings/figures/illustrationsand almost 50 tables. The writing style is very clear, not at all dry or overtly technical. It is a joy to read this book.I know of no other book that clarifies all kind of astronomical subjects as thoroughly and understandably as this book (and I did read many books on astronomy.....). Highly recommended! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy    2. Astronomy (General)    3. Astronomy - General    4. Science    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Astronomy, Space & Time    7. Science / Astronomy   

Reviews (5)

The best book on graduate cosmology.
I am currently teaching graduate cosmology. Modern cosmology is an extraordinarily beautiful piece of physics that has allowed cosmologists to learn from observations fundamental facts about our universe. Graduate students want to understand this beautiful subject themselves.Dodelson's book is the one that delivers that understanding. Of the several graduate cosmology texts out there, this one is unquestionably the best.
Great text
I haven't used another cosmology text for comparison, but have been very pleased with this one.The text is everywhere clear, reasonably concise, and the author uses good judgment in determining which calculations to present as examples and which to reserve for practice, all of which make this a very easy text to read.My only reservations are that necessary assumptions and approximations do not always seem fully justified, and the reader is often asked to wait until later in the text for certain approximations to be justified, which at times disrupts the logical flow of the text.The text is also somewhat incomplete in the sense that Dodelson does not always start from first principles.In my case I considered this an advantage as it allowed for quicker reading and less overhead before important results are presented.The discussion of inflation was less complete than I had hoped, but sufficient to prepare me for the literature.

the BEST book on cosmology for the advanced student
Without question, Dodelson's book beats out a herd of books at the present redshift for the de rigeur text to be bandied about by grad students. I haven't looked back at Padmanabhan's Structure formation in awhile, but it was written before the COBE discoveries, and so it's a bit "old fashioned" now; there are a number of other books worth looking at, of course.
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Subjects:  1. Astronomy - Universe    2. Cosmology    3. Physics    4. Science    5. Science/Mathematics    6. Astrophysics    7. Cosmology & the universe    8. Science / Astronomy   

Reviews (55)

Awesome
If your into knowing more about the big picture this is the book/dvd to do it. Very scientific in nature but interesting to average folk.

The Special, and Intelligently Designed "Pale Blue Dot"
Co-authored by two Discovery Institute Fellows, astronomer Guillermo Gonzalez and philosopher Jay W. Richards, The Privileged Planet presents a new form of design argument which can be applied to the level of the cosmos. Design proponents have long held that the physical constants of nature and properties of our solar system appear finely tuned and specified to allow for advanced life.But Richards and Gonzalez take this argument to a new level by arguing that the same set of circumstances which permit advanced life are also optimized for a range of scientific discoveries.
Well written theories
This book examines the history of scientific discovery and scientific thought related to the cosmos, our place in it, and the origins of life, and argues that our presence on this planet is innately intertwined with our awareness of the cosmos at large.Specifically, the authors argue that the conditions that make a planet conducive to producing technologically advanced life forms such as ourselves are essentially identical to the conditions needed to explore the world and the space around it.These conditions include the type and age of star, the number, type and orbits of the other planets, the presence of a satellite (our Moon) of a specific size, composition, and orbit, a location within a specific area of the Milky Way Galaxy, being located within a galaxy of a specific type, age, and location in the universe, and being in a universe where the various physical constants (gravity, electron mass, electron charge, etc...) have just the right values.The book also examines the validity of various philosophies relating to man's and Earth's place in the heavens.This book is not a direct argument for the existence of God, or some grand creator.It is an argument for order, in that it shows that the geological and cosmological factors needed for technologically advanced life such as ourselves are not that common in our galaxy, and hence advanced life itself might not be that common.All in all a great book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cosmology    2. Discoveries in science    3. Earth    4. General    5. Philosophy & Social Aspects    6. Planets    7. Religion & Science    8. Science    9. Science/Mathematics    10. Solar systems    11. Popular astronomy    12. Popular science    13. Science / General   

Reviews (10)

A beautiful book to help plan your next lunar adventure
-This book is a beautiful complement to a photographic atlas or description.I was surprised to find how this graphically drawn atlas seems easier to use than a photographic one, even if the accuracy cannot be quite as good -- photos do not always look like the view in the telescope, they are far harsher, and the shading often affects your perception enough to confuse some features (the author did include photos of some of the more prominent features).The book obviously shows considerable love for the science and patience, which are terrific qualities for any observer to take to the eyepiece.
Awesome guide to have on hand!
Being a Moon-lover, this book is a treasure to me. The text and charts are all first class, my only complaint being that any distances and sizes are given in metric not standard notation.

The standard for lunar atlases
If you are a serious lunar observer, this book belongs on your shelf.An absolute must since so many other refferences rely on it.The problem of red ink has been corrected in this edition.Get two copies: one for scope-side use, the other as a desk refference. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy - General    2. General    3. Reference    4. Science   

Reviews (3)

Expensive, but worth it
This is a really expensive paperback, but it should have an honored place in your home, next to your dictionary, your atlas, your Roget's Thesaurus and your Holy Bible, Koran or any other book that is important to you.
A good college text for non-science majors
This book seems to have two goals. One is to teach the reader something about astrobiology. The other is to be a text for a science course for college undergraduates (in most cases, underclassmen majoring in something other than science).
A Very Delightful Book
This is the ONE Science Textbook I will keep forever and ever. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy - General    2. Exobiology    3. Life    4. Origin    5. Physics    6. Science    7. Science/Mathematics    8. Science / Physics   

Reviews (20)

Universe Review
What an excellent book ! Full of up todate information (this is pre-Pluto's demotion), graphics and pictures.The book is divided up in to easy to read sections, not overly technical and covers everything from the history of astronomy, the solar system, deep space, NASA expeditions,a section on night sky charts and lots more.
The fundamental knowledge and more....
Universe gives you a fundamental knowledge on the subject of astronomy, this book gives you more than just a repedative walkthrough about the inner and the outer heavenly bodies. This book goes all the way, by making the vast astronomical sciences accesible for everyone intersested on the subject.
UNIVERSE
The binding is typical DK which is less substantial than other books in the price range, but the content is incredible.No need for any other book on the subject. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Astronomy (General)    2. Astronomy - General    3. Astronomy - Universe    4. Astrophysics & Space Science    5. Children's 9-12 - Science    6. Cosmology    7. Planets    8. Popular works    9. Reference    10. Science    11. Science/Mathematics    12. Science / Astrophysics & Space Science   

Reviews (39)

Turn Left at Orion - Beginners Astronomy
The book was just what I wanted, reasonably priced, and promptly delivered.So far, reading it has been very informative and I want to dig into it more soon.

Excellent
Make this the first book you buy for anyone with a telescope. It is user friendly, well written and illustrated, and will ignite a passion for chasing the beautiful objects scattered through the night sky. Also useful is the guide on interesting Southern Hemisphere objects, including those in the LMC and SMC.
Turn left at Orion and you'll be right with the stars
I purchased this book and the Backyard Astronomers book at the same time.I use them both.......a lot!!This book is great because it gives you sky views (drawings not pictures) that really give you an idea of what to expect when looking up at the sky with unaided eye or through a telescope.The description that accompanies the objects of interest are well written and thought provoking. As a newbie to backyard astronomy I couldn't be more satisfied by the information I've received from this book. As others have stated, this book is a great astronomy starter book, but will inevitably be a life time companion for all of your night sky viewing. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amateurs' manuals    2. Astronomy    3. Astronomy - General    4. Astronom