Product Description
The adventures of young Jedi Nuru Kungurama and the newly formed Breakout Squad continue as they take an unexpected and very dangerous detour and find themselves overwhelmed by space pirates. This series is written by acclaimed writer Ryder Windham, who has authored over 50 Star Wars books. ... Read more

Product Description
Vagus nerve stimulation is the only FDA approved long term treatment option for chronic or recurrent depression. After twenty years of chronic depression, countless antidepressants, electroconvulsive therapy, the author was included as a study subject in the investigational trial of vagus nerve stimulation as a treatment for chronic depression. The treatment completely changed his life and inspired him to write Out of the Black Hole to help other patients who suffer from the grips of this agonizing disease. This all inclusive book prepares you to make an informed decision about the procedure by providing an easy-to-understand explanation about the ninety-minute out patient procedure, the side effects and benefits, insurance codes and the reimbursement process. Vagus nerve stimulation is not related to ECT or brain surgery and is more effective than traditional antidepressants drugs.Neurostimulation is the next frontier in the treatment of depression. If you or a loved one suffer from chronic or recurrent depression, this book will guide you through this remarkable, life-saving, life-altering procedure. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (29)

THank God for This Book
I have suffered from depression from the age of 4. I am now 42. I had run out of alternative to treat my depression and ECT was not an option for me personally. The VNS procedure was a new option that gave me hope. Out of the Black Hole was extremely helpful in making my decision to go forward with the procedure. It was a combo of his personal experience and the publication of information on the VNS that served me. Thanks Mr. Donovan for the book!! I have my VNS implant and look forward to a happy life.

I WONDER IF CHARLES DONOVAN GETS A KICK BACK FROM CYBERONICS...
I bought this book when my psychiatrist suggested this implant 2.5 years ago. I was reluctant, as usual because nothing up to that point had worked.I was diagnosed with Major Depression when I was 17.I am now 38.My depression is now classified as refractive or treatment resistant.So, after reading this bright shiny missive, I HAD SO MUCH HOPE.I agreed to the procedure, the insurance agreed, etc.2 years post op, with the stimulator on full blast, I have been suicidal for the past six months, and am back on multiple medications at high doses, my doctor telling me to consider ECT...my absolute last resort. My doctor reports than none of her patients have received benefit from this device, with one actually returning to the surgeon that implanted it to have it removed. She was told they could only remove half of it.Mr. Donovan's account seems, in hindsight, not objective, and unrealistically positive.But then, at that point in my life I was desperately grasping at any tiny piece of hope that I could find, and there was limited personal accounts of this procedure and device out there. I find myself at that point once again. Desparate. I only know the story he put in the book, and if it is true ( in light of all of the fictional biographies ala James Frey)and this device was a miracle for him, then blessings to him.I'm just wondering where that leaves the rest of us stuck with this hunk of metal implanted in our chests that DO NOT WORK.Still grasping...
I would suggest that if a psychiatrists suggests this procedure to anyone, if you read this book, read it with a huge grain of salt beside you. And research the hell out of it and ALL possible alternatives, such as Eastern Medicine. Be informed and be objective, as much as one can be in "the black hole" of depression. At least the "Black Hole" part in the title was accurate.

Excellent information ... hope
People with treatment-resistant depression need to explore all their options. _Out of the Black Hole_ presents one of those options in a way laypeople can understand. Charles E. Donovan's story will be familiar to many people who have suffered from chronic depression. It can also help the friends and families of people with depression to better understand the illness. No one should have to struggle with an illness that can be treated, even if the treatment might seem extreme. There is nothing in this world that compares to the feeling of lifting depression after decades of suffering. Whatever it takes to achieve that relief is worth the time, effort, money and risk. I hope VNS will become a more common treatment option for those who can't be pulled out of the pit by other means. Thank you for writing this book.

Great Resource for Anyone Considering VNS
I am a candidate for VNS and am pursuing the surgery avidly.

The good thing about the book is it collects a lot of information that a person could find on his/her own and puts into a "handbook" format.

For example, I did a lot of research on VNS prior to reading this book and only in Mr. Donovan's book did I learn that the battery needs surgical replacement after a period of time.

I think it is an excellent resource for amyone who has drug resistant depression.

As more information about the efficacy of VNS for depression becomes available, I hope Mr. Donovan will update his book.

Clearly, VNS as an adjunct treatment for major depression is in its infancy.It is very new and there may be contraindications that will not appear for years post implant.

So I hope that Mr. Donovan will continue to publish more material as more material becomes available.

He writes for the average person like me; in other words, you do not have to be a vascular surgeon or psychiatrist to benefit from this book.

Mr. Donovan's story is on the current DVD that Cybertronics produced for individuals considering VNS.

His story was very well told and gave me a ray of hope that I might benefit from VNS given that my HMO will underwrite the expenses of this procedure.

VNS is not an inexpensive treatment; therefore, some people may be turned down again and again.

The good thing is a VNS nurse case manager arbitrates and advocates for the individual who is a candidate for VNS.

My advice to anyone considering this surgery is to read this book, participate in the bi monthly teleconferences and request the information from Cybertronics.

Donovan understands depression. He gets it. Very few do.
Mr. Donovan articulated wonderfully and insightfully what all depression sufferers are only able to barely explain or even share. This is a story that marries a very personal subject, with this new FDA approved treatment. Buy his book and don't leave home with out it. ... Read more

Product Description
A creatively experimental laboratory, comprising a collection of freeflowing stream-of-consciousness gags, strips, and drawings that slowlycoalesce into an unexpectedly compelling and complex narrative.Monologues for Calculating theDensity of Black Holes takes up where theartist's first volume, Monologues for theComing Plague, left off. Like theComing Plague, Black Holes isa creatively experimental laboratory, comprising a collection of free flowingstream-of-consciousness gags, strips, anddrawings that slowly coalesce into anunexpectedly compelling and complex narrative.The hints of story that came together inComing Plague are extrapolated andexpanded upon and grow to incorporate some ofNilsen's other outre strips from the anthologyMOME, two of which are reprinted herein expanded form. The book is an audaciousinvestigation into the rhythms of storytelling,the blurring of media, and an exercise inreconciling contrasts. It is playful,provocative and serious all at once—anothertour de force by Anders Nilsen, impeccably anduniquely designed, in black and white andcolor. ... Read more

Product Description
Black holes are the most mysterious and misunderstood elements in the universe. Although no one has ever seen a black hole, Black Holes explains and depicts these mystifying objects. A recurring topic in the news, Black Holes offers the most recent information on this topic--complete with vivid reconstructions and illustrations of what it would be like to travel in a black hole. Full color. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Fascinating and accessible to all
My 7yo has been fascinated by space since he was a toddler and this book is one of his favorites. I've managed to peek in it once in a while and it is truly well done. The ideas and theories are explained clearly and with gorgeous illustrations.
I wonder though if the information in this book will not be outdated very soon once the particle collider experiment actually takes place since many of these theories may or may not be disproven by that. For the moment though the explanations and illustrations in this book make it a wonderful addition to any child's library.
I also strongly recommed Henbest's book 'To the Ends of the Universe" which is equally good and twice as thick :)

As a 10-year-old who is studying black holes, this book...
As a 10-year-old who is studying black holes, this book is a good resources. It has lots of good info, although it is a bit confusing at some points. I have gotten TONS of black hole stuff, but I think this is thebest book on black holes for my age level. Black holes are an interestingsubject, and I love studying them. They are a huge mystery, one of many inthe universe. I think the most interesting fact I have found about BlackHoles is that they can warp you to another universe. One of the reasonsthat I like to study them is because me and my partner, Cody, can make manypredictions, such as if they actually DO warp you. This book basiclly hasmost of the info you need on Black Holes.

Very informational - able to be understood by all ages.
This book is very well done.The information is invaluable to anyone who wishes to know anything about black holes.The descriptions are thourough and the illustrations compliment the information very well.I'd recomendthis to anyone who has a beginning interest in black holes or someone who'salready started. ... Read more

Product Description
When Commander Toad and the intrepid crew of the spaceship Star Warts encounter a black hole while leapfrogging across the galaxy, Commander Toad must resort to a secret weapon from his past to save the Star Warts from "toad-al" destruction. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A huge disappointment
I bought this book for my science-oriented 4yr old grandson who is fascinated by "black holes" in space.This book is a huge disappointment as the illustrations are unattrative, the story is silly and it teaches nothing.The back cover states it is a "space spoof."I wish I had known that before I bought it.Nowhere in any reviews was that made clear.Additionally, my copy had 8 pages missing text.It certainly is not for a 4 year old, nor was there anything in it for his grandmother.

Brave and bright, bright and brave, Commander Toad
I totally loved these books when I was a kid! I really wish I still had this one. :D It has that eerie quality that most kids just love.. not scary at all, just strange, it will stick with a kid. It's that indefinable magic that shows up so much stronger when you're young, and maybe reading books like this will keep it alive later on. :D The characters are great too, this is how all kid's books should be!

The BEST intergalactic toad book I have ever read.
This book really fills a big black hole in modern literature. The subject of toads in space has been constantly avoided, mishandled, and disregarded since the publication of Ivan Rabinavski's "Why Toads could never make it on the moon." Jane Yolen places the space-toad in its proper perspective in a beautiful and meaningful manner, pulling no punches and using no foul language. I loved it ... Read more

Product Description
Los Angeles rock generally conjures memories of surf music, The Doors, or Laurel Canyon folkies. But punk? L.A. s punk scene, while not as notorious as that of New York City, emerged full-throated in 1977 and boasted bands like The Germs, X, and Black Flag. This book explores how, in the land of the Beach Boys, punk rock took hold.

As a teenager, Dewar MacLeod witnessed firsthand the emergence of the punk subculture in Southern California. As a scholar, he here reveals the origins of an as-yet-uncharted revolution. Having combed countless fanzines and interviewed key participants, he shows how a marginal scene became a mass subculture that democratized performance art, and he captures the excitement and creativity of a neglected episode in rock history.

Kids of the Black Hole tells how L.A. punk developed, fueled by youth unemployment and alienation, social conservatism, and the spare landscape of suburban sprawl communities; how it responded to the wider cultural influences of Southern California life, from freeways to architecture to getting high; and how L.A. punks borrowed from their New York and London forebears to create their own distinctive subculture. Along the way, MacLeod not only teases out the differences between the New York and L.A. scenes but also distinguishes between local styles, from Hollywood s avant-garde to Orange County s hardcore.

With an intimate knowledge of bands, venues, and zines, MacLeod cuts to the heart of L.A. punk as no one has before. Told in lively prose that will satisfy fans, Kids of the Black Hole will also enlighten historians of American suburbia and of youth and popular culture. ... Read more

Product Description
Two phenomena keep people from reaching their creative potential: black holes — unconscious patterns, expectations, and beliefs — and energy pirates — the maneuvering and dodging required to disguise these patterns and beliefs. Together, black holes and energy pirates imprison and deplete creative energy. Using her personal story as a starting point, the author explains how to reverse the process of undermining one’s inner resources. Recognizing and understanding human energy fields — and how people are sometimes drained by them — is the key to achieving personal and professional fulfillment. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Energy Dynamics
Simple yet engaging presentation of psychological energy dynamics. Focuses on author's life experiences. Timeless principles updated for today's understanding. A fun, insightful, empowering read.

Insightful and sensitive...
A very powerful book that causes the reader to examine behavior patterns that drain energy.I could identify with this author's "energy pirate" patterns more than the ones identified in the Celestine Prophecy.The author has an engaging and simple style - a fast read, and a book that I will continue to read again. ... Read more

Product Description
The author of Zero explains the scientific revolution that is transforming the way we understand our world

Previously the domain of philosophers and linguists, information theory has now moved beyond the province of code breakers to become the crucial science of our time. In Decoding the Universe, Charles Seife draws on his gift for making cutting-edge science accessible to explain how this new tool is deciphering everything from the purpose of our DNA to the parallel universes of our Byzantine cosmos. The result is an exhilarating adventure that deftly combines cryptology, physics, biology, and mathematics to cast light on the new understanding of the laws that govern life and the universe. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (36)

Fascinating, and superbly written
This is by far my favorite popular science book. No, I do not have a PhD in Physics, which is probably why I found it so informative. To the other reviewers criticizing the book for being too "light" and "for the layperson": that's it's target audience!

Insight into contemporary physics
This book is packed with very interesting and intriguing information and "information" is the cornerstone of this book anyway. The author explains, assuming limited scientific background of his readers, how laws of thermodynamics/entropy and information manifest themselves in various forms through the realm of information theory, genetics, quantum mechanics, quantum information and eventually black holes and multiverses. A de-mystified concentrate drawn from diverse domains make a captivating reading even for someone who has read some of these subjects in detail in past.
My reason for taking off one star from this very good book is that it is not paced right for my taste. The author spends of a lot of time on statistical mechanics and basic information theory in the beginning (which is a good thing), he then acclerates when reaches the quantum realm, gives some reasonable treatment to quantum computing, debunks quantum brain almost in a paragraph and then almost reaches speed of light as he nears the end!
I wish he had given more details around Hooft's work on holgraphic principle and even more explanation around Everetts alternative to Copenhagen interpretation. The final chapter is squeezed into 24 paltry pages (like a black hole) where the book culminates all the thoughts built over all the previous chapters, almost abruptly.

Perfectly pitched for the lay reader
The longer reviews give a good overview of the contents.Although this book's main topic is information theory, the author lays a solid foundation by thoroughly and clearlyreviewing some of the basics of quantum theory and relativity (and thermodynamics). Ihavea very limited knowledge of these matters and I found this introduction perfectly pitched to my level of understanding.Many topics were explained more clearly than I have ever found before. The world is so much stranger than we could imagine!I would just add that this is an excellent introduction to some very advanced ideas in physics, and the lay reader with an interest in the fundamentals of science should not hesitate to give it a try.I would like to read it again.

good intro.
Though good as an intro. primer to information theory, the main thesis point of this book seems to be that information theory is the grand, ultimate essence beneath everything in the universe, all of quantum mechanics, biology, psychology etc. - as indicated from the title of the book. However, the book reads as a very general intro. to information theory, and makes glib arguments that this is profoundly behind everything. Perhaps information theory is in fact behind it all, but this is going to take a much longer and scientifically detailed book than this. It seems like he was trying to get too much done in this book, or just wanted to give it a provocative title to sell the book, knowing that it was a gross over statement given the layman level content. Also, I find it annoying that the author keeps using gloom and doom language about how it may be so grim and gloomy if in fact we are just information machines. I have no problem at all with being nothing more than an organic computer, so spare me the stupid cliche language already!! Moron!

A decent introduction for the unexposed layman
A brave attempt to explain all of theoretical physics through the lens of information theory, without any math.Information theory itself is fascinating.Unfortunately, without math, there seems little point in the effort.The viewpoint is fresh, and the author is enthusiastic, but there's not much new material here.Most of the concepts were distillations of relativity and/or quantum mechanics that will already be familiar to a scientifically interested layman.If you can handle a tiny bit of algebra and are comfortable thinking numerically, then a better introduction is Pierce's An Introduction to Information Theory. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
A fourth of all B2B marketing and sales resources are wasted on misguided initiatives and activities. As much as 80 to 90 percent of the content produced by marketing is considered useless by salespeople. And only 29 percent of a B2B salesperson?s time is actually spent on selling. Companies who sell complex products and services struggle with the growth in the raw volume of content, the constant change, and the number of contributors. This often leads to significant duplication, inconsistent information, and a dilution of the message that complicates the sales process - confusing prospects and sales reps alike. Written by sales and marketing expert Bob Schmonsees, this enlightening book aligns marketing and sales organizations, putting everyone companywide - from the CEO to the assistant - on the same page. The last decade saw an increasing misalignment between marketing and sales, as well as allowed inefficiencies to creep into the marketing and selling model. Schmonsees reveals the secrets to bridging the gap, cutting the clutter, and eliminating the waste. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Insightful, useful and probably still ahead of its time
Fellow Virginian Schmonsees effectively describes the disconnect between the marketing and sales functions and why this disconnect exists in the first place. He then prescribes the cure.

The cure is contained in his conceptual framework of managing core intellectual assets much like Work In Process in a manufacturing environment.Imagine if you will defining every benefit, every value statement and every bit of information about your products and services in bite-sized chunks and keeping these in an inventory silo.Then imagine being able to pull, combine and deliver these assets to prospects and customers at the very moment these assets are best able to demonstrate the value you can deliver to your customers -- and doing it all in the most compelling way based on how each specific customer prefers to make purchasing decisions.Marketing creates the customer value and creates all the supporting materials and arguments in an a la carte, standardized and sanctioned fashion and then combines, compiles and delivers these materials to Sales exactly when and how they need them to make the most compelling case of how your firm will deliver value to your customers.Part marketing, part branding, part sales, part information technology, part inventory management but 100% focused on delivering value to your customers in a systematic way.

That is the essence of this book.

This is an invaluable resource for managers and executives in all mid- to large-sized companies.I highly recommend it.

--Review by the author of the e-book, "How to Build and Manage Your Brand (in sickness and in health)."

The most practical, actionable book I have ever read on the subject
I met Bob Schmonsees recently when he and I were both speaking at an industry event.Before ever reading this book, it was clear from our conversation that Bob is an extremely experienced and bright marketing mind.This book proved it.

Over the last decade, we have been bombarded with tons of useless charges like, "We need to become customer-focused", "We need to focus on solving our clients' business problems", and other meaninglessly lofty corporate platitudes.Furthermore, we all have bookshelves full of tomes that lay out elegant strategies for acheiving those goals - books that philosophize more than instruct.

This book takes those strategic objectives down to the tactical level where most of us in the business world live.It provides actionable, step-by-step advice on how marketing managers can create tremendous value for their salespeople by giving them the information and guidance that they have desperately needed since the advent of consultative selling.If you follow the processes in this book, your customers will breathe a sigh of relief as your salespeople begin to sound smarter about their business issues and provide more value as trusted problem-solvers.

Other reviewers will give detailed accounts of what is inside this book, but let me offer that I have spent years helping clients struggle with these issues, and this is the most useful and practical book I have seen on the subject.

If your salespeople are missing the mark with your customers, 'Escaping the Black Hole' will provide you with a means to help them ask the right questions, uncover the real problems, propose the right solutions, impress more customers, and close more deals.

A Must Read For Marketing & Sales Executives
I found this book to be very on-point to the vast chasm's that exist between marketing and sales organizations. Especially helpful for companies with over 100 sales people who sell a diverse portfolio of goods and services in a value-based selling model. To which my company is now evaluating a number of vendors who specialize in what is also known as Enterprise Sales Enablement. One vendor in particular, The SAVO Group, www.savogroup.com stands alone. If you're serious in improving sales effectiveness and aligning your marketing organization with top line revenue production, this book is for you and you should check out The SAVO Group.

Must Read
I have been trying to put my hands around a specific set of deliverables between Sales and Marketing.This book has done more than any other to create a framework for that.

Visionary as well as prescriptive
This book is simultaneously visionary and prescriptive. It's must reading in our organization.

The author's assertion that fixing the marketing/sales disconnect will become as important in the next decade as quality and customer focus has been in the last couple of decades is compelling. He lays out strong explanations for the problems as well as their impact on businesses.

This book provides a compelling vision for implementing solution selling, methods for aligning marketing and sales, and prescriptions for specific actions to improve business-to-business selling effectiveness.

We have begun implementing specific recommendations such as "value mapping", and found them extremely useful. We see this as a key instrument to get marketing and sales aligned to the best common messages, all centered on how we provide value to customers.

The idea of "institutionalizing the organization's understanding of customer needs" is powerful, as is the consideration that the facts, insights, and opinions behind the value messages and best sales practices are "the marketing and sales dna of the enterprise".

The only thing missing are more examples of company experiences implementing these compelling ideas. ... Read more

Product Description
Black holes, White Dwarfs, and Neutron Stars The physics of Compact Objects Compact objects—black holes, white dwarfs, and neutron stars—are fundamental constituents of the physical universe. They are born when normal stars die. This book is a product of the recent explosion of scientific activity centering on these objects. This self-contained work is a rigorous, yet understandable, references on the latest theoretical and observational developments. It is at once an outstanding text for graduate and advanced undergraduate students in physics, and a practical self-study guide for scientists in other disciplines and scientifically-oriented laypersons. No prior knowledge of astrophysics or relativity theory is required. Compact objects provide unique cosmic laboratories for testing physics and astrophysics under extreme conditions. They interact via all four of the fundamental forces of nature: electromagnetism, strong and weak nuclear forces, and gravitation. As a result, the book brings together topics from such diverse areas as solid state physics, nuclear and particle physics, relativity and hydrodynamics. In the text, the authors first analyze the physical properties of compact objects in their simplest states. Next, they investigate the effects of rotation, magnetic fields, X-ray and neutrino emission, the generation of gravitational waves, and so on. The theory is assessed in light of the most recent observational data. Numerous practical features to make teaching and learning easier include:

• a road map for using the book effectively
• over 250 exercises, including several small-scale computer problems
• extensive references
• boxes summarizing major points
• carefully constructed and attractive tables and illustrations.

Customer Reviews (4)

About this edition --- Poorly made.
I am not going to talk about the subject of the book. If it has been around for those many years (in spite of the so many observational advances in the subject) is because the quality. I just want to say that this edition is poorly built physically. The words are printed with an inject-type-low-quality machine, so if you have a good eye you can see that the letters have irregular borders. You don't see that in old editions.After one month the pages are starting to falling apart. The chapter 2, which is about the equation of state in a degenerate gas and to which you have to come back to it often, have the extremes of the pages off so now I have to be very careful with the book if I don't wanna lose the pages.This is very annoying, specially if you remember that you paid about a $100 for this poorly built edition. It is a disappointment too, the book is very good, but is not made to last.

2004 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim
printing: Strauss Gmbh, Morlenbach
bookbinding: Litges & Dopf Buchbinderei GmbH, Heppenheim

Last things...
There are few things in the universe as apocalyptic in scope as the death of a star -- generally speaking, the remnant of a star at the end of its lifespan will turn into one of three objects:a white dwarf, a neutron star, or a black hole(there are a few other variations or extensions, but this is the primary end).

This particular book is designed for the advanced undergraduate in physical sciences, or the beginning graduate student.It presumes no specific astrophysical education, although few without an interest in astrophysics will seek out this text, and thus readers will probably know a thing or two.It does assume a good degree of knowledge of physics, including electromagnetism, mechanics (both classical/Newtonian and quantum), special relativity, and thermodynamics.It also assumes a good proficiency with integral and differential calculus; the higher the mathematical training the better for understanding this text.

Compact objects are the core fragments or remnants of stars -- as such, they differ from stars in significant ways.They are no longer burning fuel in fusion reactions, which is what supports much of the mass of regular stars against gravitational collapse.The three objects of the title are different degrees of the same type of object, and what a collapsing star becomes depends upon how much mass still remains at the exhaustion of nuclear energy processes.The collapse of such large objects impacts matter at the very smallest levels -- hence, the study here is not simply one of gravitational pull versus surface area and small size relative to stars, but also of the distortions that occur at the smallest of levels due to the tremendous warping.

The book begins with a broad overview of what is known and not known, and what will be studied.For instance, the dividing lines between objects is blurry, particularly when it comes to determining the line between neutron star and black hole formation.Similarly, there are other methods of forming black holes (accretion of materials onto neutron stars, supermassive star collapse, or primordial black holes) that are theoretically possible but still (as of the publication of this text) still very speculative.

Compact objects are important in the universe for many reasons.Many galaxies seem to have such compact objects both at their centre and scattered through the stellar populations.They produce various x-ray sources (pulsars) as well as other interesting objects in the sky.

This is not a book for the casual, back-yard astronomer.It can be used by the advanced amateur, however, who has sufficient mathematics and physics background.There are problems to be worked (this is a text book, after all) -- many of these are fairly elementary with computer programming now; at the time of publication, the regular use of computers was only beginning to become commonplace.One hopes that the text will be updated someday, particularly as some aspects of the field change sufficiently that various emphases have changed -- in thinking about popular astrophysics (if such is not an oxymoron), black holes tend to be attractive (if you'll forgive the pun!), and thus the literature is frequently updated.

The authors, both professors at Cornell, have interest in astrophysics, cosmology, stellar dynamics, and relativity.The text is solid and interesting, worthwhile even twenty years after original publication.

Excellent reference
I did not have this book as a graduate class text, but I used it extensively while studying for my candidacy exam.This book was invaluable for that purpose.It contains great insight and intuition for many of the physical phenomena described.Its theoretical description of neutron stars was better than any other I had seen.I highly recommend this book.

Please create an audio adaptation ...
To the publisher I would appreciate it if the publisher could produce an audio adaptation of this book. I would love to listen to this while I drive to work and to let my 16 month old son listen to it as a bedtime story.Arnold D Veness ... Read more

Product Description
From supernovae and gamma-ray bursts to the accelerating Universe, this is an exploration of the intellectual threads that lead to some of the most exciting ideas in modern astrophysics and cosmology. This fully updated second edition incorporates new material on binary stars, black holes, gamma-ray bursts, worm-holes, quantum gravity and string theory. It covers the origins of stars and their evolution, the mechanisms responsible for supernovae, and their progeny, neutron stars and black holes. It examines the theoretical ideas behind black holes and their manifestation in observational astronomy and presents neutron stars in all their variety known today. This book also covers the physics of the twentieth century, discussing quantum theory and Einstein's gravity, how these two theories collide, and the prospects for their reconciliation in the twenty-first century. This will be essential reading for undergraduate students in astronomy and astrophysics, and an excellent, accessible introduction for a wider audience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Clear, clean and concise
If you enjoy reading topics in astronomy and in particular stellar evolution, you will enjoy this book.I had gone to the library to pick up something else, saw this book there, and read it first.This is a straight forward factual discussion of "Cosmic Catastrophes" and other topics in astrophysics. Wheeler provides explanations of certain stellar events, some in a way I have not heard before, and were quite enlightening for me.An example is type 1b and 1c supernova. He leaves out all the dribble we have been treated to by some other recent authors and sticks to the state of the knowledge without pandering to the reader.For example, when dealing with worm holes he states, "The balloon serves as a two-dimensional analog of our three-dimensional space...", and using your two fingers to simulate a worm hole, "You would have to cut the rubber and attach the ends of the two cones; but cutting the rubber is the analog of cutting the very fabric of space...".So many other writers have written entire books on the subject carefully ignoring this and a plethoria of issues because it makes for more popular reading. For dark energy he does not forget to let the reader know, "... dark energy is neither predicted nor described by current theories of physics. Understanding dark energy is one of the great challenges to modern physics."I appreciated the concise factual treatment of these and other subjects.I highly recommend this book, and even though I have already read it, will probably buy a copy for my own bookshelf.

The fate of stars
This is quite an excellent book about stars in general, but it goes into more details concerning the eventual fate of stars, whether it be supernova, neutron stars / pulsars, or black holes. Most of the time, it is easy to read but it is still a notch higher than an introductory textbook, so it better fits the needs of an interested audience, such as amateur astronomers. For example, the author probably assumes you already have a basic understanding before reading the book of the great variety of the nature of light, how it varies from radio waves to infrared, to visible light, to ultraviolet, X-rays and gamma rays, and about the level of energy associated with each wavelength. It is important to understand basic spectroscopy concepts since the chapters about pulsars and gamma-rays revolves a lot around that and there is no real introduction about the nature of light and wavelengths in the book.

The best parts are the ones regarding supernova types and their characteristics, and the fascinating part about the features of black holes. The illustrations showing in 2D how these cosmic phenomenons behave are extremely helpful to understand their complex nature. I would put more of those illustrations for the 3rd edition if I would be the author.

I would have given it 5 stars, but I felt the last 2 chapters were kind of thrown out in there and did not fit the whole thing. These chapters about wormholes and string theories are interesting but they try to cover too much ground in too few many pages. So I gave it 4 stars. But overall, this is a very good book about the fate of stars and how they end their lives. You will like it.

Excellent book
This book probably has some of the best descriptions for novae and supernovae, that I have seen, for non-scientists.

Cosmic catastrophies by J. Craig Wheeler
Highly recommended for the cosmically curious who does not have the mathmatical background.It is easy to understand and well written.

How stars work
I found this book a complete surprise. From the title, I expected only a story about explosions and collisions but this book is much, much more. It provides really brilliant descriptions of how all kinds of stars evolve and how they regulate their energy production. After reading this book I fully understood why aging stars produce more energy but are cooler than they were in their youth. A minor complaint might be that the content is not well organized. A type 1A supernova is explained here and a type 2 there and later some more about 1A etc. But, I shouldn't dwell on a quibble. This is a terrific book. After reading it I'll never think of iron or nickel in quite the same way again. ... Read more

Product Description
While maintaining surveillance over a black hole, the crew of the space craft Palomino locates a long-lost ship now manned by one human and an army of robots. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

"In... through... and beyond!"
This is essentially a pictures-and-story book, the text being mainly a run-through of the film with bits of dialogue slightly modified in order to condense the story.

The photos are full-colour and plentiful, several of which are printed over 2 pages, including a beautiful letterbox-style shot of the "planets" being worked on by the robots on the Cygnus' bridge.

For fans of the film, the most interesting part of this book will be pages 53-55, a section describing a deleted scene which occurs after the meteor storm (1h21m into the film, or Chapter 15 on the DVD). In this sequence, Holland, Pizer, and McCrae are faced with crossing a narrow catwalk over the power center of the Cygnus, which is leaking huge clouds of gas. V.I.N.C.E.N.T. carries Pizer across, B.O.B. carries McCrae, and Holland tries to walk over the catwalk, which breaks and collapses beneath him, but he is saved by the two robots. This scene also appears in the baseball card set.

There are nice photos of the entire cast on the inside covers, and some nice close-ups of the "robot funeral". Disappointingly, there are no photos of the internal, red-lava-esque whirlpool inside the black hole, while the same shot of the outer blue whirlpool is used *3* times.

Overall, this is an interesting find for a fan of the film, and seeing as how the going rate seems to be just a few dollars, what've you got to lose?

As for me, I still have my copy from over 20 years ago, and no, it's definitely NOT for sale. ... Read more

Product Description

Product Description
A pedagogical introduction to the physics of black holes. The membrane paradigm represents the four-dimemnsional spacetime of the black hole's "event horizon" as a two-dimensional membrane in three-dimensional space, allowing the reader to understand and compute the behavior of black holes in complex astrophysical environments. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Mixed Feelings
The idea of a pedagogical introduction to the membrane paradigm is a good one. However, the authors' treatment is
far from self-contained; I was disappointed. My particular interest was in the treatment of electrodynamics outside the black hole. Unfortunately, the key equations (Maxwell's equations) were not derived but were referenced to another paper. I obtained the reference paper (with some difficulty) and found that again key results were simply stated based on an earlier reference. Now I have to put all this together, coping with the changes in notation and conventions. Not fun! ... Read more