Product Description
These lecture notes are the content of an introductory course on modern, co-ordinate-free differential geometry which is taken by first-year theoretical physics PhD students, or by students attending the one-year MSc course, "Fundamental Fields and Forces" at Imperial College. The book is concerned entirely with mathematics proper, although the emphasis and detailed topics have been chosen bearing in mind the way in which differential geometry is applied to modern theoretical physics. This includes not only the traditional area of general relativity but also the theory of Yang-Mills fields, nonlinear sigma models and other types of nonlinear field systems that feature in modern quantum field theory. This edition of the text contains an additional chapter that introduces some of the basic ideas of general topology needed in differential geometry. A number of small corrections and additions have also been made. The volume is divided into four parts.The first provides an introduction to general topology, the second covers introductory co-ordinate-free differential geometry, the third examines geometrical aspects of the theory of Lie groups and Lie group actions on manifolds, and the fourth provides an introduction to the theory of fibre bundles. In the introduction to differential geometry the author lays considerable stress on the basic ideas of "tangent space structure", which he develops from several different points of view - some geometrical, others more algebraic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good, with problems
Wow! What a great Table of Contents.It has all the stuff I've been wanting to learn about.So I bought the book in spite of seeing only one review of it.After one day, I'm now only at page 26, but I already have read enough to make some comments about it.
The main point about this book is that it is, as the author specifically states, LECTURE NOTES, not, I repeat, not a textbook. What are the implications of this (outside of a somewhat more chatty style than a textbook)?["chatty" isn't quite what I mean; "smooth" might be a better word'] There are two which are noticable to me.1) A lot of math knowledge is taken for granted.2) It has a somewhat sloppy style to it.

Regarding point one, make sure you have a lot of math under your belt before picking up this book.By page 18 the author uses these terms without defining them: Differentiable Manifold,semigroup, Riemannian Metric, Topological Space, Hilbert Space, the "" notation, vector space, and Boolean Algebra.Fortunately for me, I have a fairly extensive math education, and self-studied Functional Analysis, so I wasn't thrown for a loop;but for many others -- brace yourselves!

Regarding point two, Here are two examples:
1) Here is a quote: "The collection of all open sets in any metric space is called the topology associated with the space."Sounds like a definition to me!Fortunately the author gives a (sloppy) definition a few lines later.By the way, the only thing the reader learns about what an 'open set' is, is that it contains none of its boundary points.All the topology books I have read define open sets to be those in the topology.This is another point of confusion for the reader.In fact, points of confusion abound in that portion of the book.
2) On page, 17, trying somewhat haphazardly to explain the concept of a neighborhood, the author defines N as "N := {N(x) | x is an element of X}"This is already a little disconcerting: x is already understood to be an element of X.So he is saying that N is defined as N(x) (which he defines to be a collection of subsets of X).This is all he has to say on the matter until, on page 26, he writes "each N, an element of N(x)".Now N isn't bothN(x) and an element of N(x).This is a point which the author does not clear up.He then starts using N all over the place, yet the reader isn't sure of what he's refering to.

A couple of other things:
-When he defines terms, they is not highlighted, and are embedded in a sentence, making it difficult to find them later.
- The index is pitifully small. Typical for English texts, I know; but this *is* the 3rd millinium!

On the other hand, I have good things to say about the book, too.
I like his style of writing. If it were just more precise, it would be fine for me.I like it better than the normal higher math texts, which tend to be too laconic for me. Notice that I make a distinction between the somewhat chatty style, which I like, and the sloppiness, which is confusing. One can be chatty, yet clear. So far, the undefined math terms which I listed above were not central to the text; and one would not miss much by just reading past them. The author includes many 'comments' sections throughout the book.These are wonderful so far. They are full of comments and examples which really clear up a lot of points.His examples are very good, too, although he is very terse in stating them.The paperback is nice looking.The paper, font, etc. make for easy reading (except for the sub/super-script font, which is too small for me).

To wrap this review up, I had already pretty much learned the stuff covered in the book so far, but judging from what I have read, I will be able to learn a lot from the rest of it; and, unlike some other math books I have studied, the experience won't be too painful.
p.s. See other reviews of it on the UK Amazon site.

Very readable presentation of diff. geometry
I have found Isham's treatment of differential geometry very clear, while maintaining quite an abstract nature. Ishamtakes care to motivate hisdefinitions and include comments where comments are due. No problems areincluded but the book sometimes omits the simpler results and lets you workthem out by yourself. A very readable introduction indeed. ... Read more

Product Description
Practical, readable volume offers advanced undergraduates and beginning graduate students the essential mathematical tools required for thorough comprehension of their disciplines. Topics cover elementary vector calculus, special functions of mathematical physics, calculus of variations, curve fitting and numerical approximation methods, and much more. Rather than aiming at complete mastery of these complicated subjects, the text focuses on the fundamental applied mathematics needed by students to deal with physics and engineering problems. An excellent self-contained study resource. 1968 ed.
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Customer Reviews (1)

A very helpful book
This book presents to the lector in acomprehensive way the necesary mathematical methods needed by any physicist, engineer or student. It includes themes such as elementary vector calculus, matrix algebra andtransformations, a very extensive study of boundary value problems,elementary applicationsof the Laplace Tansform, Integral Transforms,Variation and Perturbation Methods, Elements of Probability Theory, amongothers.Each point is well exposed, with many explamples and problems(although it doesn't provide the answers). A defect may be the fact thatsome points (although few) are not fully developed, and in some cases onewill probably have to read a more basic-level book on those points (As afreshman, it happened to me that to understand chapters 7 and 8, aboutfunctions of a comples variable and calculus of residues, I had to read anintroductory book on complex variable). It's develop of many math topicsand it's application to Physics and Engineering and the independance ofmany chapters from the others, makes this book a very helpful one. ... Read more

Product Description
This textbook explains the fundamental concepts and techniques of group theory by making use of language familiar to physicists. Application methods to physics are emphasized. New materials drawn from the teaching and research experience of the author are included. This book can be used by graduate students and young researchers in physics, especially theoretical physics. It is also suitable for some graduate students in theoretical chemistry. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Good book
Though not introductory, a great book for learning the essential mathematics. It forms an excellent supplement to any mathematical physics course at the sophomore level (Physics/Engineering). The discussions in the book are very deep and sufficiently elaborate to help strengthen the student's understanding of the subject. The best part about the book is that with very few exceptions, one can just pick up the book and start reading it from the topic that he/she is most interested in without worrying about the other sections in the book/pre-requisites.

new material
For physics students, Appel's book should be a pleasure to read. It instructs you in the essential maths tools. At a level of rigour suitable to physicists, without going unnecessarily into the full epsilon-delta approach of pure maths.

Some sections are advanced. Like differential geometry. However, for those of you going into General Relativity or dynamical systems, a knowledge of this can be vital. While the section on Legesgue integration can be used when applying the use of fractals. As in calculating the approximate fractal dimension of some iterated system. Indeed, some 30 years ago, before fractals were discovered by Mandelbrot, Lebesgue integration would have been unlikely to be included in a book of this nature. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is aimed at graduate students in physics who are studying group theory and its application to physics. It contains a short explanation of the fundamental knowledge and method, and the fundamental exercises for the method, as well as some important conclusions in group theory.

The book can be used by graduate students and young researchers in physics, especially theoretical physics. It is also suitable for some graduate students in theoretical chemistry. ... Read more

Product Description
For Amit Goswami, Ph.D., a leading quantum physicist and featured expert in the hit-movie What the Bleep Do We Know, medicine is a timely area of application for the new science based on the primacy of consciousness. This new science has a spectacular ability to integrate conventional science, spirituality, and healing. If any field needs integration, says Goswami, it is medicine and healing. The Quantum Doctor boldly reinterprets the leading methods of alternative medicine—homeopathy, Chinese medicine and acupuncture, and Ayurveda—and of conventional medicine from the viewpoint of quantum physics. He shows that these seemingly different models can be integrated into a new multi-tiered system based on the new "science within consciousness." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Background Needed For This Book
One should have considerable background in Eastern mind and body work; as well as lay reading in quantum consciousness theory. Given that, there are good expositions and theories (with the clearest diagrams I have seen)on the subject of quantum healing. Not for the uninformed or the New Age skeptic. Once I got past some of the "jargon" I got a much clearer idea of what the author's presentations of the concept of "collapsing consciousness" of the body in the same way observation of quantum collapse in particle theory occurs in quantum physics. This is pretty much cutting edge new age thinking. A fascinating area of inquiry (the mind/brain quantum generator idea) and one on which a lot more is to said/tested/explained.

This book could use some healing itself ...
I'm a physicist during the day, but one of those guys who believes that a science can at some point find common ground with spirituality.

Eventually.

But this is not the book for it.First, Goswami is not what you would call a gifted writer, and let's face it, this is one case where you can't just toss a bunch of words together.He centers the action on himself, and writes more to get you to believe him as a teacher, and then "authoritatively" put forth a bunch of propositions, rather than drawing you into a convincing argument.

Hats off to the effort, but it sort of falls short from both directions.Scientists are NOT going to be convinced by his arguments (it's certainly not but together in that fashion), but correspondingly, experienced energy healers aren't going to learn much about physics, or the natural world from that viewpoint, either.

The title's great ... but it's sort of downhill from there.

Quantum Yoga
It is a wonderful gift from Dr.Goswami, presenting key concepts of Spirituality in light of Quantum Physics. It is interesting read for all the Intellectual readers as it provides Scientific validations for the Spiritual concepts. Dr.Goswami also shows how to apply those concepts practically in our daily life to lead a Healthy life in all its aspects i.e Physical,Mental and Spiritual.

Dr.Goswami's integral approach of various systems including Allopathy,Homeopathy,Ayurveda and Chinese Methods is quite appealing and informative. It gives us a new context to understand various philosophies of both eastern and western civilizations. Dr.Goswami coins the new form of yoga "Quantum Yoga", which I think is unique perspective to look at Spirituality.

Dr.Goswami provides lot of References for various Research projects, concepts and personalities. In fact so many references that it can be distracting for the reader, as one can easily get diverted from the point that he is trying to make. But I believe that is expected style for any authors who are also Scientists,PhD's.

For those who are further interested in the Topics mentioned in this book , may I also suggest valuable Book by Dr.David Hawkins "Healing and Recovery"
Regards,

Thought Provoking
I have read this book twice over a span of two years. As a person who has been interested in alternative medicine for the past 30 years, I find the book to be very much on the cutting edge of current research findings and Goswami to be well versed in many areas relating to medicine, philosophy,religion,etc. He takes some liberties in his explanation of the hierarchy of our spiritual being and how it works, but the explanation seems plausible and logical. Good Read.

Confirmation
It's really a great feeling to have your views confirmed. Amit Goswami's book the Quantum Doctor surely did that for me .. confirmed my already developing world view of "who I am, where I came from and where I'm going". Don't miss reading this one! ... Read more

Product Description

One of the greatest thinkers of all time, Isaac Newton gave the world an accurate understanding of forces and motion throughout the universe. He went to college but learned much about science on his own, by observing, experimenting, and thinking carefully. Newton’s laws of motion explain, in a few sentences, how and why things move, or don’t move, when forces act on them. He also studied and described gravity and the makeup of light, and he created a kind of math known today as calculus. For more information, read Forces and Motion, another book in the Mission Science series.

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Customer Reviews (1)

Very interesting life
Luis Alvarez was likely the best American experimental physicist of the 20th century who lived a full and interesting life from the bitter winters of Wisconsinto San Francisco Bay where he began.
He invented radar for instrument flight landing, discovered new elements, invented new accelerators, invented clever optical devices, built the big bubble chambers of particle physics, x-rayed the pyramid at Giza with cosmic rays, used elementary physics to conclusively solve all the unknowns of the Kennedy assassination in Dallas in 1963, looked in Moon rocks for magnetic monopoles, and hypothesized the cause of the disappearance of the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.
He was an observer on the plane that dropped the first nuclear bomb on Japan, kept a few Moon rocks on the mantle in his living room where he hosted weekly gatherings of students and physicists, and "did physics" until he died of esophogeal cancer.
This book is a joy for a physicist to read, but anyone who is curious about what physicists really do and how they approach problems both large and small, this book is a treasure. ... Read more

Product Description
With more and more physicists and physics students exploring the possibility of utilizing their advanced math skills for a career in the finance industry, this much-needed book quickly introduces them to fundamental and advanced finance principles and methods.

Quantitative Finance for Physicists provides a short, straightforward introduction for those who already have a background in physics. Find out how fractals, scaling, chaos, and other physics concepts are useful in analyzing financial time series. Learn about key topics in quantitative finance such as option pricing, portfolio management, and risk measurement. This book provides the basic knowledge in finance required to enable readers with physics backgrounds to move successfully into the financial industry.

* Short, self-contained book for physicists to master basic concepts and quantitative methods of finance
* Growing field-many physicists are moving into finance positions because of the high-level math required
*Draws on the author's own experience as a physicist who moved into a financial analyst position ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

needs revisions
I'm also a physicist and larval quantitative finance geek. I bought this book upon my last round of job hunting. This book is pretty obviously the "crib notes" that Dr. Schmidt took in preparing himself for Wall Street interviews, and, IMO, it is a pretty good example of this. I myself have a very similar volume, though I did not have the foresight to do it all in LaTeX as he probably did; I stuck mine in a little moleskine notebook as I was reading other books. I encourage anyone looking for a job outside their original field to construct their own version of such a notebook. This is particularly useful in learning the basics of a complicated field like quantitative finance.

I did not find it a particularly valuable pedagogical tool. There are many useful chapters, and knowing everything in them would be very useful (and impressive) on a job interview. But the chapters were too sparse, and the problem sets too narrow to actually learn from. You can read the words and get the basic idea, but, there isn't enough in the way of examples and "meaty dialog" to really absorb the information. One will need supplimental texts on virtually every useful chapter to actually cover the material presented. Of course, if you already know it, this book is a convenient and useful reference to thumb through to refresh your memory.Also, some things which I at least consider important are not emphasized as much as some things which I consider trivia. One of the difficulties with studying this stuff is knowing what is important.

I also disagree with some of his chapters being included at all. Agent based models seem unlikely to come up in an interview, unless you're interviewing for a very innovative and cutting edge position. In the latter case, the chances are pretty good that you already are very conversant in agent-based models and some kind of statistical physics, and you don't need his introduction. I suppose it might make a good talking point to have seen the idea somewhere, even in a brief explanation. The same applies for the section on chaos theory. Maybe someone out there has some models which touch on the physics of chaos. Will his chapter help you to get such a job? No, it will not. "Chaos theory" (and nonlinear dynamics, as the chapter is called) is a vast subject, and he barely defines it here, let alone shows how it might be useful in quantitative finance. What might have been interesting is a treatment of how chaotic models might be modeled in the ARIMA or GARCH time series frameworks he introduces in previous chapters. Finally, he included a chapter on Fractals which is probably even more useless than the chapters on chaos and agent models.

That said, it is a valuable slim reference. It would be more valuable if it included commentary on the subjects I mentioned and/or more and deeper problem sets. I suppose it could go in a more pedagogical direction, or more of a reference book direction in future editions. I look forward to reading them, and using them to keep my own personal version of "the physicist's compleat notebook on finance" up to date.

useful reference
This is a good introduction for a Science major who is willing to grasp the basic concepts in Econophysics and Mathematical Finance. This concise book can prepare a reader to the MBA-level text-books on finance.Two chapters, on scaling in finance and agent-based modeling, are of particular interest being the balanced reviews of recent research dispersed in periodic literature. This material describes the dynamic and exciting field of Econophysics where the most important results may be yet waiting to be found. I recommend this books to my students and they, too, find it very useful.
Joseph Malinsky, Professor of Physics, Graduate Center CUNY

Questionable value
I found many errors in the book. It is far from being mathematically rigorous. Good as a general overview.

Nicely Crafted Econophysics
WHAT amazes me most in this nicely crafted presentation of hot topics in econometrics, mathematical finance, econophysics, and agent-based modeling is how the selection of topics is well-informed and how these pour out smoothly.
I will recommend this book to my own financial economics students as an up-to-date, quick-reference companion to classes and the lab.

The author holds a PhD in Physics, as one might presume.And he needed a manual like this one when he first got a job of financial data analyst. So he later on decided to write a book primarily intended to reach the audience of "physicists who want to work on Wall Street yet have not bothered to read anything about finance".Yet I think the book should be of interest to the financial community at large, academics and practitioners.Great stuff.
... Read more

Product Description

Einstein's gravity theory—his general theory of relativity—has served as the basis for a series of astonishing cosmological discoveries. But what if, nonetheless, Einstein got it wrong?

Customer Reviews (21)

Paradigm Shift?
From a physicist's standpoint, this is not a bad book, so long as your general sentiment of the current state of physics is of a Kuhnian flavor.As one of such a sentiment, I cannot say that this work is correct, but I can say that this is the direction in which physics must proceed in order to make progress.

The theory of gravity is broken, and desperately needs fixing.Reading Verlinde's paper on arXiv from January 2010 is an accurate gauge of this.The frustration of anomaly after anomaly has demonstrated, exactly, how little we really know about gravity.While I think that modifying our current conception of gravity simply will not do, I do appreciate that this book is an attempt to open up dialogue, and, given that Moffat is a notable physicist, this book might prove to be the initiation of said dialogue.

Reasonable Dissent
Created in 1915, Einstein's General Theory of Relativity is one of the crown jewels of human thought and quickly became the standard model for understanding gravity. Within the last few years, however, data has begun to accumulate that the theory cannot account for. As an example the speed of the rotation of galaxies is much greater than the theory predicts. To try and fit these latest findings into the present theory scientists have postulated the existence of dark matter. The hunt for dark matter has become the cause celeb of physics and yet to date no one has been able to find it. Within the pages of this book Dr. Moffat argues that the reason that dark matter hasn't been found is that it doesn't exist and that instead it is the theory that is wrong. If he is right in his modified gravity ideas then many things we now take for granted just aren't so. Maybe the speed of light can vary under certain circumstances, maybe there are no black holes, and maybe dark matter and dark energy really do not exist.

He did his best to keep it simple but remember that this is a physicist's idea of simple. Still all in all he did a pretty creditable job. For science history buffs his recap of the history of gravitation theory is worth a look all by itself. In defending his theory he takes you through all the latest findings, experiments, and theories. If you are interested in physics but know little about it this book is a nice place to start. Weather his modified gravity theory has any merit I am not qualified to say. But in raising the question he reminds us that nothing in science is sacrosanct and that the quest for knowledge never ends

And now, it's time for something completely different.
Where to begin?

I've been reading a lot of these sorts of books lately.Moffat is very good at presenting the way things are, and the way he wishes they could be.It is a bit of a stretch, though, to propose a fifth force, variable speed of light, and variable gravity all in one go.Not to mention an as yet undiscovered repulsive force that would prevent the formation of gravitational singularities.Oh, and he proposes a sort of steady state universe - no big bang.Just a universe that winds down to thermal equilibrium, then, through quantum perturbations and his fifth force, builds back up into an ordered cosmos with understandable and consistent physical characteristics.Maybe I missed the part about accounting for the CMB, but I'm sure it's in there somewhere.

The whole point of the book is to account for everything as it has been observed without the need for dark matter or dark energy.It's a very inventive look at the universe, explained very well.It will make you think.I found myself, in spite of myself, saying to myself "That would explain a lot if it were true" many times while reading.Moffat is nothing, if not an original thinker.MOG is very worrying in some circles, and not explained away entirely by the currently accepted lambda cold dark matter model.

Read it, if not for any other reason, just to use it as a comparison for more "acceptable" ideas.Lately, while reading Einstein's Telescope, I found I was thinking "You know, MOG has a more elegant way of accounting for this" several times.If you get nothing else out of this book than the idea that our current understanding of the universe may not be entirely correct, then it is probably worth the read.

I gave it five stars for originality and the clarity of the explanation.I like a guy who is willing to make the effort to swim against the tide to make others view their own work more critically.

Idiosyncratic narrative that may present challenges to physicists and non-physicists alike
Personal background: I took general relativity as a grad student something over thirty years ago. Even at that time there were questions about extending general relativity, and various theories floating about for doing so. (The issue of quantizing gravity was, of course, also open, as it has remained.) Since those days a variety of theories have come and gone. I have read some on the MOND theory mentioned in the book, but not much on Moffat's own MOG theory.

Moffat takes his own, somewhat quirky, approach to laying out the physics and astrophysics background to his theory. I had no trouble following it, but it was all material I already knew. How successful his approach is in informing a non-physicist is hard for me to judge. I will take the liberty of laying in--from my viewpoint--some history for those considering this book:

For several centuries physics was built, very successfully, upon the coordinate transformations Galileo developed for adjusting how motion is viewed by two observers moving relative to each other, and upon the laws of dynamics and gravity put forth by Newton. But in the nineteenth century problems began to arise. On a large scale, the equations of electromagnetism proposed by Maxwell were inconsistent with the transformation of Galileo, and the motion of the planet Mercury was not quite as described by Newton's laws. On a smaller scale, the emission of electrons from a surface with a bright light shining on it didn't make sense based on classical physics, and attempts to calculate the emission of heat (light) from of a warm object failed to give a finite answer. Clearly some adjustments needed to be made.

The solution to both problems lay in papers Einstein published in 1905. His special theory of relativity explained motion at high velocities but with small accelerations (or gravitational force); his general theory of 1915-16 extended the understanding to include acceleration (which is equivalent to gravity in the the general theory). His paper on the photoelectric effect led to the development of quantum mechanics. Eventually the special theory and quantum mechanics were merged into a relativistic theory of quantum mechanics; general relativity, however, has never successfully been combined with quantum theory.

Over the years various issues with general relativity have arisen: It allows for mathematically singular solutions (as at the center of black holes); the hope is that quantum mechanics will somehow solve this problem. The isotropy of the universe requires an early, rapid "inflation" of space, which has no obvious cause. The recently observed accelerating expansion of the universe requires large amounts of dark matter and dark energy, no source for which is known. And some observations of spacecraft leaving the solar system seem slightly at odds with general relativity.

Whew! What now? Many physicists think this will all be sorted out by string theory or brane theory, once someone figures out how to tease any prediction from them. At the moment they seem to be pliable enough to predict anything, which means they predict nothing; not very "sciency"!

Another approach is to modify general relativity. MOND was an approach to this that looked promising, but an observation of colliding galaxies has dimmed it star (so to speak). Moffat has his own theory of modified gravity (MOG), which aims to finally untie the cosmological knot. And his narrative in this book does offer interesting hints as to what his theory might offer. Unfortunately, that's all the book offers.

Because he's aimed the book at a general audience, there is none of the math or physics detail that would allow a physicist to evaluate his theory. And while he'll pull the general reader along thinking he's on to something, most readers will lack the background in general relativity and cosmology to critically evaluate his claims.

This is an interesting book, and when I have time I hope to find some papers on MOG and learn more. But the level of detail in the book is of little value to a physicist, and the appealing, folksy tone is likely to lull non-physicists into believing they understand things they really don't.

Because I found the level of detail in the book frustrating it took me a while to finish it. The average reader may find it more interesting and informative than I did, but please don't close the cover thinking you know the whole story.

Articulate and Unassuming
I have just finished reading this book. It was a great read and invites the reader to think on key issues in astronomy today.

I would wholeheartedly agree with the review of Parmenides, but I would not hesitate to give this book a 5 out of 5. For a book that suggests that we should investigate possible alternatives to dark matter and that we should (perhaps) consider modifying Newtonian and Einsteinain gravity (slightly) in order to deal with astrophysical phenomena such as flattened galactic rotation curves and galaxy clusters that seem to rotate too fast to stay together, I felt that the author presented his suggestions very fairly and in a strikingly unassuming, non-antagonistic manner. It shows the wisdom of this author's years - a true old-school "gentleman" physicist interested in the real pursuit of science. Whether his theory of modifed gravity is right or wrong (and who can honestly tell at this point until we get more convincing data), I got the feeling throughout the text that the author was more interested to add to the dark matter/dark energy debate and to the ultimate pursuit of truth, than to necessarily promulgate a single point of view. I give him very high marks for his approach throughout the text.

I also give the author very high marks for how clearly he was able to convey his thoughts in a very straight-forward manner. As Parmenides says, there was no mathematics included in the text. But I found this quite re-freshing all-in-all. Too often I have found that scientists seem to fall back into mathematics, unable to express an idea coherently enough to convey their ideas to an educated person interested in science. Rarely do you see a physicist so able to express himself or herself in non-mathematical terms as this author has been able to do in this case. No doubt mathematics is the language of science, but language itself is the method of mass communication of new ideas. I really give the author very high marks for how he articulated his theory (right or wrong).

I believe that anyone would enjoy reading this book, but it probably would help to have at least a passing familiarity with current astronomical issues.

... Read more

Product Description

The papers collected in this hugely useful volume cover the principle physical and biological aspects of radiation therapy and in addition, address practical clinical considerations in the planning and delivering of that therapy. The importance of the assessment of uncertainties is emphasized. Topics include an overview of the physics of the interactions of radiation with matter and the definition of the goals and the design of radiation therapy approaches.

Customer Reviews (2)

A unique book with a focus on knowledge rather than information
I am a medical physicist working in proton therapy in Switzerland, and I know the author because he frequents the institute where I work, because his wife (a radiation oncologist), and I work on the same project, and because my specialty (ocular proton therapy) happens to be a field the author co-pioneered. Our relationship is probably best characterized by the fact that I am mentioned in the book as a source for a couple of pictures, but with my name misspelled.

However, I do not write this (positive) review to please the author or my colleague, but because the concept of this book excited me AND the only available review at amazon for some time now really does not do it justice.

As the product description states the author was a pioneer "in the development of image-based treatment planning and has been responsible for developing and putting into clinical practice such widely used tools as: digitally reconstructed radiographs, dose-volume histograms, and beam's-eye view and has been a leader in the development of proton beam therapy." This is one reason why this book is one of its kind. Michael Goitein writing a book on radiation oncology it is not unlike Henry Kissinger writing a book on US foreign policy. The author not only has much experience in the field, he stood at the basis of many concepts and techniques that are so established today that it is hard to imagine what the field was like without them.

But the anecdotes born from his long experience, that are offered in small doses throughout the work, are not what makes this book one of its kind. Unlike a text book, with its focus on information, this work provides 'processed information' or knowledge. The author's obvious fundamental grasp of the matter (allowing him not just to ask 'why?' but more, and more intriguingly, 'why not?'), combined with a tone that is often so conversational that I can't help but hear the author's voice, often shed a new light on topics I personally considered rather boring. This is what I found most compelling about this book: it enables the reader to look at everyday topics with the enthusiastic and knowledgeable eyes of the author, and it is this that makes this book different from (and more enjoyable than) hundreds of standard text books (several of which the author recommends in his own book).

The book, 300+ pages, 13 chapters, covers the fundamentals of radiation oncology and, besides 'conventional' radiotherapy with photons, also includes two chapters on proton therapy (proton therapy in water, and in the patient). Two chapters on Uncertainty (ch. 2, "central to the conduct of radiation therapy") and Confidence (ch. 13, "the flip side of uncertainty") reflect the crucial role the author attributes to these concepts that play a role in basically all important components of radiation therapy: "One can never ignore the uncertainties; one must deal with them." The book contains plenty of clear drawings and images that, combined with the clarity of the text, make it practically impossible not to understand the topic that is being addressed.

Throughout the book the author points at a certain technique's or process' strengths and/or limitations, pitfalls, or promises, as applicable. In the afterword the author does the same with radiation therapy and writes "Radiation therapy is a blunt and rough tool. It will not turn out to be the ultimate cure. It can, at best, only solve the problem of local, and not metastatic, disease. Its side effects are far from negligible. Our therapeutic gains, the fruit of much hard work over long years, are largely incremental in nature." After this honest assessment the author continues to state why he believes radiation therapy will continue to play a vital role in the treatment of cancer for a long time to come, that there's much to be done, a lot to be gained by a much better understanding of why radiation therapy works so well (and sometimes doesn't), and plenty of opportunities to be enjoyed. In a field in which high technology is brought in 'at an almost alarming rate' the role of the individual is likely to become more important. With increased complexity and automation and hence increasing risks comes a need for 'critical eyes of experts with simple common sense'.

This book, written by an expert with plenty of common sense, will guide the reader in looking more critically and apply common sense more persistently in the field of radiation oncology. I sincerely hope that this book will turn out to be as big an influence on the future of radiation oncology as any of the author's achievement of the past decades.

Which leaves the reader of this review with the mundane matter of whether it is worth its (considerable) price (check amazon.co.uk for, potentially, other offerings). The book does not try to be a text book, but rather provides an overview and tries'to whet the reader's appetite for more detailed information'. Consequently it may not be what you are looking for (as was the case with the first reviewer). On the other hand, a book that manages to (almost) entertain when discussing treatment planning, is, quite figuratively, priceless.

Little ado about a lot
This book is a bit dissapointing. It might just be me, but I was expecting something close to, well, physics. What I found instead was a bunch of musings by a veteran of the field with very little concrete information I could sink my teeth into. This is more of a popular science level book (think companion to the TV series Nova); as such it is grossly overpriced. Nicely printed, though. ... Read more

Product Description
Werner Heisenberg was a pivotal figure in the development of quantum mechanics in the 1920s, and also one of its most insightful interpreters. Together with Bohr, Heisenberg forged what is commonly known as the 'Copenhagen interpretation'. Yet Heisenberg's philosophical viewpoint did not remain fixed over time, and his interpretation of quantum mechanics differed in several crucial respects from Bohr's. This book traces the development of Heisenberg's philosophy of quantum mechanics, beginning with his positivism of the mid-1920s, through his neo-Kantian reading of Bohr in the 1930s, and culminating with his 'linguistic turn' in the 1940s and 1950s. It focuses on the nature of this transformation in Heisenberg's thought and its wider philosophical context, which have up until now not received the attention they deserve. This new perspective on Heisenberg's interpretation of quantum mechanics will interest researchers and graduate students in the history and philosophy of twentieth-century physics. ... Read more

Product Description
From the most practical point of view, we really are "star children": the iron in the blood of our veins originated in a stellar explosion billions of years ago. How likely is it that all the myriad conditions for life would come together so precisely? Without positing or denying the existence of a creator behind it all, the answer to that question is humbling and fascinating. Along the way, Michael Mallary summarizes the latest findings in cosmology - including string theory, high-energy physics, and relativity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Some very interesting numbers
Read the book and let the numbers speak for themselves. I see some other reviewers didn't like some of Mallory's commentary, but so what?Just look over the numbers, and see if they don't amaze you.I am a scientist, and to the best of my knowledge his numbers are correct.I can't imagine anyone reading those numbers and not feeling a sense of awe over the staggering odds against our world being here. The lottery we won was stunningly astronomical.

God's existence proved based on the presence of Nuclear Weapons?
A friend of mine who has a science background was interested that I read this so that we could discuss it.This is one wild roller-coaster ride of a book.The first seven chapters which cover the origins of the universe and of life on our planet are both fascinating and somewhat challenging especially for someone like myself who never studied chemistry.Still, I am an enthusiastic reader of popular science magazines such as Discover, and most of the writing is in the range of someone who likes that sort of thing.Previous reviewers seem a bit confused as to what the author is trying to do.Basically, this is an argument for the existence of God based on the idea that the existence of intelligent humans is highly improbable.The first chapter is a nice summary of the best aspects of the book.Mallary gives "fourteen stepping stones" that get us to intelligent life.Each is on his view highly improbable.When added together, the improbability increases. One example is that there had to be just the right amount of lumpiness in the big bang to provide for the possibility of galaxy formation.The second half of the book is much more essayistic, showing that the author has left his area of expertise.Mallary is quite weak in philosophy, my own area of expertise.He references something he calls "Descartes's Square" on pg. 178.There is no such thing.Try Googling it. Nothing comes up.As far as I can tell, he just made it up.Since he provides no footnote for the idea, there is no way to check it.My hypothesis is that he got Descartes confused with Pascal and constructed his "square" based on Pascal's dilemma, a well-known proof for God's existence based on a gambler's perspective.Also confusing is Mallary's use of the term "anthropic principle."Usually this term is used to refer to a premise in a proof for the existence of God based on design, although some have argued that the so-called fine-tuning of the universe for human intelligence does not imply God's existence.So it would seem that Mallary is an adherent of the anthropic argument for God's existence.However, he seeks to distinguish himself from the anthropic principle in that he takes it to mean the position that the fine-tuning can be explained better by the notion of multiple universes than by the notion of a designing God.Once this is sorted out, Mallary's position begins to make sense.However, his reasoning is fallacious.First, if you win the lottery you might well think:how could this have happened, it was so improbable the result must have been willed by God! That would be bad reasoning.The truth is, someone has to win the lottery.You were just lucky.Second, we know of only one intelligent species so far (humans) and we have a good theory about how it came about: physical and biological evolution.According to modern science it took billions of years of evolution to give rise to humans.But before the Big Bang there was no time for evolution, and so there was no time for the development of an intelligent being capable of shaping the universe.To imagine such a Being and project Him back to the origins of the universe is sheer anthropomorphism.The reader should also be warned that although the first few chapters seem to be on solid ground, the last few wander off into pretty flaky territory.In Chapter 13 Mallary looks for God's signature (as in, the artist's signature) and finds it in the fact that we have just the right amount of Ur235, not so much that anyone could construct a nuclear weapon, and not so little that we would just have to live in a universe in which Nazi philosophy prevails and there are endless wars (I won't even try to explain this one) but only just enough that we could learn how to control ourselves and not blow ourselves up.I would think, rather, that our current perilous position with respect to nuclear proliferation is an argument against the existence of God.At the end of Chapter 13 Mallary even suggests that the very existence of atheists in the universe supports God's existence, as a universe without atheists would be less creative than one with them.There is no clear signature because atheists are needed to complete the picture.As an atheist, I say, thanks but no thanks.There is also a strange argument for the existence of ETs which banks on the idea that they do not show themselves to us because they are so much more advanced.This seems to tie in, in some way, with Mallary's theism.Despite its drawbacks, this book really is a fun read and provided much stimulus for discussion between myself and my friend.

Too much page-filler and lack of evidence
Dr. Michael Mallary, a graduate of M.I.T. and Caltech, and former physics professor of Northeastern University has written an interesting book. I liked some parts of this book in that it showed how naturalists contradict themselves. Example? Note the title of the book first "Our IMPROBABLE Universe". The author does a poor job of giving any of this improbableness, the improbabilities of various things occurring, like the beginning of life, are in the impossible range. You would never gamble at casino offering you the same odds.

In contradiction to the title of his book, he says, "The oldest evidence of life is found in rocks that are 3.8 billion years old." And what is his evidence? Here it is, "This is only a few hundred million years after the oldest rocks formed after the Earth's surface solidified." and "This amount of time is less that 12% of the universe. Therefore the introduction of life here seems to have been a very probable event." In other words,

"When the universe was young life probably started by chance, life probably started by chance, because it started when the universe was young, it started when the universe was young, because life probably started by chance" and on and on and on. And again, I thought this was an improbable universe, yet it's a "very probable event" he says in the book.

On page 78 he says that the Miller Experiment (which evolutionists often claim is evidence for evolution, despite that it was shown to be invalid) "has two major problems as a model of the genesis of life on Earth. One modern theory of the Earth's [sic] early atmosphere does not allow for very much ammonia or methane [which the Miller Experiment used]. Another problem with placing this type of chemical system at the genesis point [in other words just before life began and after Earth solidified] is that protein based chemistry may in fact be a relatively late development [meaning proteins weren't in lifeforms until after they were already alive and replicating]. This is because proteins do not have the very fundamental ability (fundamental to all life) to self-replicate."

And "...how the complex the chemical environment of our infant planet was able to produce life is still obscure. Many hypothesis have been proposed but none have acquired the support necessary to develop a scientific concensus. [In other words no theory of how life began has very much support by any scientists for it.]

On page 85 he said, "Just how PNA, RNA, and DNA got together with fatty acids [by chance] to make the first primitive cells may remain the subject of speculation forever. However, as with the details of the Big Bang, there are fragments of information which allow enough perception to appreciate the magnitutde of the complexity of the occurrence."

So the author goes from the universe's existence being "improbable" to life being "very probable" to having a huge "magnitude of... complexity". This is why creationists have no faith in evolutionary theory and why naturalists can't and will never win: they can't get their story straight.

He also gave this interesting evidence that the universe was deliberately made rather then being an accident:

"Is the existence of fissionable materials [in other words materials that can be used to make nuclear explosions (for bombs)] in this universe such a sign post [in other words a sign / evidence that the universe was made]? ... Is it necessary for life to evolve? Is it likely to be in any universe [out of others that could have biological life] merely by accident? In my view the existence of semi-stable uranium and thorium is very suspicious. It looks a lot like a signpost. ... Naturally occurring fissionable material elements do not appear to be necessary for life."

He goes on to explain how if there were a universe where there was a lot stable fissionable material, that life-forms like humans would have destroyed themselves too quickly to get anywhere.

Fascinatingly comprehensive- a "must read"
This is an impressively comprehensive treatise on the extraordinary evolution of our universe- not just the cosmos, but our planet, our species, and our collective consciousness.In a mere 200 pages, Dr. Mallary walks us through the instantiation of the universe we know, from the first unimaginably short eras of the big bang all the way up to the challenges mankind has been presented in dealing with what that singular bang hath wrought billions of years later.This unified look at the physics of "how" and the philosophy of "why" is an expansion of both fields into a thought-provoking realm beyond the horizons of either, a realm that may catalyze epiphanies about the incredible value of our remarkable home.

The physics in the book is fascinating and presented in language comprehensible to the general public. The philosophic aspects are grounded in common-sense reasoning backed up by science and mathematics.The result is a book that can and should be enjoyed by readers of all mindsets, from physicists to philosophers, including anyone who's ever asked "why are we here?".
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Short and Sweet.
Selove's memoir is short and sweet. I especially liked the style of writing, which seems to match and convey her nonchalant but passionate outlook on life. The book is short and to-the-point. It's honest and thought-provoking.

The obstacles that she faced as a physicist may not be as pertinent today, but they still do exist. The book would provide an excellent read for male and female students and faculty members at major science institutions, especially physics departmental personnel.

I recommend the book to anyone who has the chance to read it!

An extraordinary holocaust survivor and scientist
Fay Ajzenberg-Selove first proves herself extraordinary in her ability to talk her way past a Nazi in her escape from Germany.The remarkable force of her personality carried her past bad physics grades and blatant sexism into a successful academic & scientific career.

The book is well-written and enjoyable. ... Read more

Product Description
Presented here is a new and rapidly developing branch of kinetics - the kinetics of processes in structured systems. The book describes dynamic processes that occur in network-forming polymerization systems, in percolation, in the spread of a disease, and in the growth of a cancer. The dynamic processes in photoconductors are examined along with membrane-mimetic systems of micelles and vesicles, monolayers and membranes, polymer welding, and in chemical reactions that oscillate in space or time. It also develops systems in chemistry, biology, physics and materials science from the teaching level to that of the most recent research. The book uses both stochastic and deterministic models and keeps the language understandable, simplifying the more advanced mathematics but meeting the level required for practical application. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (9)

The Birth of Modern Physics
This book is based on a course Emilio Segre gave for nonspecialists at Berkeley and later delivered as lectures at the Academiea Nazionale dei Lincei in Rome.Segre published this in Italian and then translated it for this edition.

The period covered is from the 1890s to the mid 1970s.Segre was born in 1905 and died in 1989.He knew many of the Twentieth Century players and the Nineteenth Century material was fresh and interesting when he was a student.

He makes all this come to life and gives you an understanding of the experimental and theoretical basis for these developments.There are many illustrations and a sprinkling of formulas, with aditional derivations in appendices.

The chapters are essentially independent.You can skip around as you choose.Chapter 10, Enrico Fermi and Nuclear Energy is of particular interest because Segre was one of Fermi's students (as well as his biographer) and Segre worked on the plutonium and the Bomb.

In March of 1985 John Archibald Wheeler, then a professor at the University of Texas, Austin, sent Segre comments on this book, with a copy to me as editor at W. H. Freeman and Company.His letter said in part:

"... I have used this book ... in my course, Physics: Great Man Great Ideas.It is a course for undergraduates, most of whom are not science majors, but all of whom are attracted t the idea of learning something about 'how the world works.'Three factors led me to pick your book ... .First, it is written by someone who knows what he is talking about,Second, it focusses on what is important and tells the story of that something clearly.Third, people and pointed pictures give it life."

You can skip many of the formulas, but you will get more out of this book if you have seen derivatives and don't recoil from algebra.Perfect for the eager high school student or the scientist who wonders just how all these things were worked out.The book has a nice list of suggested readings.

See also, From Falling Bodies to Radio Waves by Segre and his lively autobiography A Mind Always in Motion.

Interesting Read
I found this book to be a very easy and fascinating read, although with a science training it maybe that I had some advantage.The style flows very well and is not as dry as might be expected from such a text. It is clear that the author has a very personal knowledge of the field which adds a great deal to the story.The early years from 1895 to 1945 are covered in the most detail and with a passion for the subject.I particularly enjoyed the vignettes of the main names in the development of Quantum Mechanics.Generally people are familiar with their names, most such as Einstein and Rutherford having become part of popular culture.But the fascinating part of the story is how many threads came together at the right time and more importantly in the right mind to lead to the advances in Physics we now accept as fundamental to our understanding of the world around us.I learned a great deal from this section and was able to put many parts I already knew into their correct historical context.

The chapters covering the period 1945 to the 1970's (I have the 1980 version) are much more disjoint and it is clear that the whole field had mushroomed beyond the ability of one person to completely document.So this period has less clarity, although it is still quite fascinating to understand some of the interactions between the masters of their domain.

The only part of the text that became annoying is the authors veneration of the Nobel Prize winners.In most cases the winners have either stood on the shoulders of their compatriotsor crushed others under their personality.Several times it is pointed out that some idea/result had been discovered well before those who are credited and honored with the discovery.The impression is given that Physicists are the only smart people in the world - there was only one Shakespeare but many people contributed to the field of Quantum Mechanics, some making big mistakes.So this may become a little irritating to readers in other fields.

Well worth the time I spent reading this book.

"From X-Rays to Quarks," by Emilio Segre
In my opinion, "From X-Rays to Quarks," by Emilio Segre is one of the greatest books that I have ever read. I believe that it should be "required reading" for every student of science, and particularly physics. It presents the lives of the great scientist of the past and present, who have made such tremendous contributions to mankind through their scientific achievements, lifts them from the dry pages of history books, and makes them "Live."After reading Segre's book, these scientist seem like great friends whom you have personally and intimately known for many years and whose achievements you can never forget. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

Raymond, J. Jerome --Author of "From Creation to Eternity' and "A Grand View of Existence."

A great book
In addition to reading this excellent book I recommend reading "Thirty Years That Shook Physic" by George Gamow too.

The Modern Physics Narative
What this book is not:
A text book
Written to explain some controversial theory
Promoting a world view or pseudo religious belief
An artful work of literature
Written for a general audience

What this book is:
A chronological narrative of the development of modern physics
A series of stories about scientist and the nature of their experiments
A tome that covers the most important physics discoveries for the era it covers

Why read this book?
I would recommend this book to anyone who studies the hard sciences
This book would nicely augment a modern physics course
Because knowing the history of science promotes real understanding
... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Further extension of Goswami's fascinating hypothesis!
This is a good book in that it attempts to expand the basic hypothesis detailed in Goswami's "The Self-Aware Universe" (his best work yet in my opinion) to include the materialistic field of biology. This book covers a lot, from orthodox Darwinism to 'heretical' ideas of maverick biologist Rupert Sheldrake on Morphogenesis, to Neurology and the philosophical problems associated with viewing consciousness as an epiphenomenon of the brain.

The notion that the observer is entangled with the observed is not new, but rather was seriously considered by intellectual greats like Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Eugene Wigner, John von Neumann and John Bell. The 'Observer Effect' is a disturbing paradox of quantum mechanics, that most physicists happily ignore and instead yell in frustration, "shut up and calculate".

But bold physicists are trying to resolve that paradox, the most popular of the ideas being the "multiverse" theory, popular because it retains the philosophical primacy of materialistic realism. To me the hypothesis is not only extravagant in its requirements of infinite universes and hidden dimensions, but it also leaves the hard problem of Consciousness still unanswered. We are thus forced to keep faith in what Karl Popper termed "Promissory Materialism" - that it will all be reduced to objects someday. Have faith in atheism, they tell us!

For me, the philosophy of Monistic Idealism is far more compelling! There are no "objects" out there, its all one Consciousness manifesting in various forms and creating the duality of reality (the subject/object split). Goswami's genius lies in the way he shows how Monistic Idealism easily resolves ALL of the current paradoxes in Quantum Mechanics (including the observer effect), if only we are willing to let go of our stubbornness in clinging to the idea of materialism. Its as simple as that.

For those new to Goswami's work, I recommend reading "The Self-Aware Universe" first before reading any of Goswami's other works. That way the reader will know clearly where Goswami is coming from.

Its worth five stars
Goswami's book is worth five stars, and his view of evolution is almost the same as my own; and I have studied evolution for years now (see my reviews). I present the following quotes.

Goswami (page 8) writes the following. "Every biologist must be painfully aware that biology is an incomplete science. It needs new organizing principles, ones that are nonphysical and nonmaterial, to explain three perennial mysteries: the difference between life and nonlife, the development of an embryo into an adult biological form, and, as emphasized here and by Eldredge and Gould, the discontinuous epochs of evolution. Unfortunately, it is not politically correct for biologist to admit these shortcomings in public."

Goswami (page 13) writes: "Any organizing principle that is nonmaterial is automatically excluded from science by definition. However, mainstream scientists themselves, biologists included, have a fundamental but unproven metaphysical assumption behind their work called scientific materialism."

Goswami notes that Darwin's theory of evolution is very incomplete, and he (page 15) writes: "According to theoretical predictions of Darwinism and its later versions, there should have been thousand upon thousands of reported cases of intermediates filling up most of the fossil gaps. That hasn't happened, and therefore the question of the fossil gaps cannot be refuted simply because a few cases of transitional fossils have been found."

Gaswami (page 23) writes: "The Nobel laureate Paul Dirac once said that the solution of great problems requires the giving up of great prejudices. Darwin had to give up the prejudice for Christianity and its doctrine of biblical creationism so that he could explain the data he and his contemporaries collected. In the twentieth century, physicists had to give up the great prejudices of causal determinism and continuity in favor of quantum indeterminancy and discontinuity. Today, the twenty-first century demands an equally revolutionary change in the mind-set of biologists. They must give up the prejudices of genetic determinism and the Darwinian continuity of all biological evolution."

Gaswami (page 32) gets to the heart of the issue, evolution by choosing: "We choose not from ordinary ego-consciousness, but from a nonordinary state of unitive consciousness - call it quantum consciousness. You can easily recognize, though, if you are familiar with esoteric spiritual traditions, that this unitive character of consciousness is widely recognized as God-consciousness. Quantum physics is introducing God-consciousness as the agent of downward causation."

Gaswami (page 33) writes: "In God-consciousness, we have total freedom to choose among the possibilities that quantum dynamics offers for the states of quantum objects. Conditioning limits this freedom of choice in favor of past responses to stimuli (learning). Eventually, we become conditioned to identify with a particular pattern of habits for responding to stimuli; this identification is the ego."

Gowami (page 49) defends vitalism, and asked some hard questions: "The truth is that molecular biology of a cell explains neither an experiencing self nor feelings. Could it be that the necessary organizing principles are missing? Could consciousness explain the experience of the self? Could the vital body explain the experience of feeling? The unfortunate truth is that when biologists are shoved against the wall, almost all resort to evolutionary adaptation as the solution. Consciousness? Of course it is the product of evolutionary adaptation, the biologists insist, forgetting conveniently the problem of the experiencing self."

Goswami (59) defends Rupert Sheldrake and the idea of morphogenetic fields, he writes: "The interaction of the morphogenetic field with physical matter is a resonance of sorts. It is nonlocal, requiring no exchange of signals through space. Such nonlocal interactions are instantaneous."

Goswami (page 62) writes: "When consciousness collapses its possibilities, two parallel correlated experiences occur. One we call an experience of the physical world; this one we sense (or perceive). The other we call an experience of the world of morphogenetic fields; this one we feel. The two worlds do not interact directly, and dualistic issues don't arise. Instead the two worlds go on in parallel, and consciousness nonlocally maintains their parallelism."

Goswami (page 77) writes: "With an understanding of the evolution toward complexity, the biological arrow of time is no longer a mystery. As organisms get more sophisticated as a result of evolution, they represent within themselves more and more sophistication. Over the course of this change, the organism become more sophisticated in processing feeling. And all this creation of complexity, this increasing order and sophistication, requires the involvement of creativity from consciousness."

Goswami (page 102) writes: "I submit that to produce both complexity and specificity we require both upward causation and downward causation. Upward causation is needed to give us randomness in the form of possibility waves that obey quantum probability calculus. Downward causation, via quantum collapse and conscious choice, is needed to give us specificity."

Goswami (page 147) ridicules Darwinism: "In the Middle Ages, when Ptolemy's Earth-centric theory of the world began to show disagreement with the growing observational data in astronomy, adherents of the Ptolemy paradigm busily invented a seemingly endless series of cycles and epicycles (circles within circles) to account for the movement of heavenly objects around the Earth, tweaks that allowed them to continue to justify the old paradigm. The same thing happened and continues to happen in biology. The Darwinists' response to any possible observational discrepancy is to propose a suitable modification of Darwinian ideas - shades of cycles and epicycles. Darwinism is so general that it can be reinterpreted to incorporate any data that contradicts it. It is not falsifiable."

Goswami (pages 203-203) corrects Darwin's theory: "In quantum thinking, genetic determinism gives only part of the answer - the possible variations. However, natural selection in Darwinian form cannot collapse these possibilities into an actual change; that requires consciousness. But if we reinterpret `natural selection' as choice by nature in the form of Gaia-consciousness according to the creative requirements of the situation, this selection can collapse the possibilities into actually."

Goswami (page 316) gives his vision of our evolutionary future: "Let those who can, see the point of the new science. Let those who can, take quantum leaps from negative to positive emotions with evolutionary intentions. Let those who can, live increasingly with positive emotions, making new brain circuits and changing the associated morphogenetic fields. Let those who can, spread positive emotions through relationships. We will be few at first, but our numbers will grow, especially as we create new institutions that facilitate this journey for others."

Not science
The author posits "mind" rather than matter as the creative force in
the universe but does not explain how this mind can exist apart from
matter or how it operates on matter to produce anything. What we have
here is merely religious opinion and speculation, and not science. And
it's not very good speculation either. But it's good junk food for the
fence straddlers who want both worlds or who are too ignorant to
figure out how to decide one way or another. Probably no amount of
scientific evidence would be good enough for this author or for those
who support him. Save your money and buy a book on real science.

Goswami Does It Again
Quantum physicist and former professor Amit Goswami again demonstrates his ability to convey complex concepts in an understandable fashion. I believe that the gap between science and religion needs to be closed and I applaud another effort by Goswami to heal the rift. ... Read more

Product Description
These notes are the contents of a lecture course given tothird year physics undergraduates at the Imperial College who aretaking the theoretical physics option. The subject of "Algebra andGroups'' is of considerable importance in a number of branches ofmodern theoretical physics, and therefore one major objective of thecourse is to introduce the students to the basic ideas on the subject,bearing in mind the potential applications to quantum theory. However,another equally important aim of the course is to introduce thestudent to the art of genuine "mathematical'' thinking. The notes aretherefore written in a more precise mathematical style than is usuallythe case in courses aimed at physics students. Quite apart from thegeneral educational value of such an exposure to abstract thinking, itis also the case that much modern theoretical physics draws onsophisticated ideas from pure mathematics and therefore it is mostimportant that a perspective graduate student can approach thesesubjects without experiencing a total culture shock! The course isdivided into three parts. The first is a short introduction to generalgroup theory, with particular emphasis being placed on the matrix Liegroups that play such a crucial role in modern theoreticalphysics. The second part deals with the theory of vector spaces, withparticular attention being paid to the theory of Hilbert spaces andthe basic analytical techniques that are needed to handle the infinitedimensional situation. The final part of the course is a shortintroduction to the theory of group representations and the associatedtheory of characters. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

EXCELENT INTRO to general group theory for physicists
The book has 3 parts: 50 pages of basic introduction to general group theory including matrix Lie groups, 50 pages on vector spaces including infinite dimensional Hilbert spaces, and 50 pages on group representations and characters. Also there are 40 problems (at the necessary beginner level to help you digest the new concepts) with detailed solutions. The material was selected as a preparation to group theory in Quantum Mechanics. It is NOT a discussion of the usage of groups in QM and Elementary Particles.

Amazingly, the book combines rigor (almost all theorems are proven, also you are asked to construct proofs in the exercises) with ahuman-language motivation of the definitions. Thus, the typical dryness of a mathbook or the typical hand-waving of a physics book have been avoided.

Before reading that book, I have had a one quarter course in group theory that covered approximately the same topics. Compared to the course, the book not only gives you the definitions but also makes you understand why a concept is important, thus beating the hell out of the course.

If you learned about Hilbert spaces from a Quantum Mechanics course and you think you know everything about them - you are deeply wrong - read and see ...

You can read that slim book and solve all the problems in a reasonable pace for one month - 3 times faster than a course and you will know the same material at better level.

I am amazed that nobody has written a review on that book before but as usually happens good things are not necessarily well known. ... Read more

Product Description

This is the first volume of a modern introduction to quantum field theory which addresses both mathematicians and physicists ranging from advanced undergraduate students to professional scientists. The book tries to bridge the existing gap between the different languages used by mathematicians and physicists. For students of mathematics it is shown that detailed knowledge of the physical background helps to motivate the mathematical subjects and to discover interesting interrelationships between quite different mathematical topics. For students of physics, fairly advanced mathematics is presented, which is beyond the usual curriculum in physics. It is the author's goal to present the state of the art of realizing Einstein's dream of a unified theory for the four fundamental forces in the universe (gravitational, electromagnetic, strong, and weak interaction).

From the reviews: "… Quantum field theory is one of the great intellectual edifices in the history of human thought. … This volume differs from other books on quantum field theory in its greater emphasis on the interaction of physics with mathematics. … an impressive work of scholarship." (SIAM Review 2008)

Customer Reviews (2)

Pretty good
If is not too unfair to say that quantum field theory is a kind of bag of tricks, but considering its monumental experimental success it is apparent that these tricks have worked. From a mathematical standpoint they are very suspect, and the professional mathematician who studies the formalism of quantum field theory will be aghast at its non-rigor, especially in the area of renormalization. That is not to say that no attempts have been made to put quantum field theory on a rigorous mathematical foundation. This has occupied the time of many researchers, but as of yet, such a foundation has not been found.

In spite of this, and justifiably so, quantum field theory goes on, and people taking up its study are faced at times with making choices between mathematical rigor and physical relevance. The author of this book, the first of a planned series of 4 volumes, realizes this and has attempted to give the reader a first glance of quantum field theory that emphasizes both the physics and the mathematical relationships that are part of its narrative. In general the author does a fairly good job, even though at times the details of certain subjects are left out, while others are developed to excess.

From selective chapters, this reviewer found that the following discussions stand out:

A Glance at Topology:
This chapter does not contain a whole lot of insights or material that cannot be found in other books. The author it seems wants to whet the reader's appetite but clearly wants to put off detailed discussion of the mathematics until Volume 3 or 4 of this series. There are a few places in the chapter though that deserves some comment:

- The concept of transversality is introduced for curves when discussing intersection theory but the author does not use the tangent space. Instead, he alludes to the `generic' property of transversality, namely that it can be obtained by sufficiently small perturbations which are `stable". Stability is a measure-theoretic concept and so the author explains this briefly by Sard's theorem.

- The first Chern class of the tangent bundle of the sphere is stated but not motivated. Readers will have to search intensely for this motivation in the original literature, and will find that it is relatively scant, as is the entire literature on characteristic classes in this regard. There are many books and monographs on the subject, but most, if not all, are purely formal and do not motivate the concepts in a way that they can be truly appreciated. If the author is able to pull this off in the later volumes, it would be a major advance in the education of quantum field theory.

- There is an interesting discussion of the Hopf fibration of the 3-dimensional sphere, but emphasizing the physics rather than the mathematics. The author uses the Hopf fibration to characterize the quantum states of a non-relativistic electron, but again defers the proof of the important results to Volume IV. Essential to his discussion is his claim that representing electron quantum states in this fashion is an indication of "nonlinearity."

Many-Particle Systems in Mathematics and Physics
- The author cannot resist relating the partition function of statistical physics with number theory and the Riemann zeta function. His discussion is fitting given the current work on proving the Riemann hypothesis using ideas from quantum field theory.
- Modular forms are briefly discussed here, which again is fitting because of the work of a few mathematical physicists who are attempting to show connections between the Langlands program in algebraic geometry and number theory and the notion of duality in gauge theories and string theory.
- The discussion on the Casimir effect is interesting, mainly because the author explains how physicists view the notion of convergence in a series. Physicists are actually more receptive to using divergent series, with the renormalization program in quantum field theory being the best example of this. Several summation methods for divergent series have been invented and used by physicists. The author gives a very detailed, superb discussion on the analytic number theory behind the Casimir effect.

Rigorous Finite-Dimensional Magic Formulas of Quantum Field Theory
- The title of this chapter is interesting, given the infinite-dimensional nature of quantum field theory. But apparently the author wants to build the reader's confidence and intuition using ordinary linear algebra of finite-dimensional Hilbert spaces (with a bit of Dirac calculus and discrete path integrals thrown in).
- One of most useful relations for calculations in quantum field theory, especially gauge theory, namely that DetA = Exp(Tr(Ln(A))) is discussed here in the context of Lie groups.
- The Dyson series, the bread-and-butter of perturbation calculations in quantum field theory is discussed and viewed as a consequence of the principle of superposition.
- The treatment of the functional calculus is rigorous, but this may mislead the newcomer to quantum field theory as being extendable to the full infinite-dimensional quantum field theory.

Rigorous Finite-Dimensional Perturbation Theory
- This chapter is very interesting in that it views the issues in the renormalization of quantum field theory as a problem in bifurcation theory. In fact the author makes the somewhat radical statement that this is similar to the problems in chaotic classical dynamics where the motions of asteroids for example are complicated because of the resonances that can occur. "The complexity of phenomena in quantum field theory is caused by resonances," he states. Readers more knowledgeable about quantum field theory, such as this reviewer may find this somewhat novel and will no doubt want to study the chapter in more detail than the others to see just how good this analogy is.In this regard, it must be remembered that this discussion takes place in finite dimensions, and so the analogy to bifurcation on second glance may not be too surprising.

Another Road to Reality
I'm in love with QFT. I noticed this planned monumental 6-volume work some time ago but I bought this book from Amazon UK after reading Quantum Field Theory Demystified and looking for more thorough ab initio treatment of QFT. Upon its arrival I immersed myself into it and in my opinion the first volume is like The Road to Reality book but more mathematically oriented with proofs, numerous examples, historical notes, generous citations and references.

Thanks,
Dmitry Vostokov
Founder of Literate Scientist Blog ... Read more