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“A landmark book in the science of emotions and its implications for ethics and human universals.”—Library Journal, starred reviewIn this startling study of human emotion, Dacher Keltner investigates an unanswered question of human evolution: If humans are hardwired to lead lives that are “nasty, brutish, and short,” why have we evolved with positive emotions like gratitude, amusement, awe, and compassion that promote ethical action and cooperative societies? Illustrated with more than fifty photographs of human emotions, Born to Be Good takes us on a journey through scientific discovery, personal narrative, and Eastern philosophy. Positive emotions, Keltner finds, lie at the core of human nature and shape our everyday behavior—and they just may be the key to understanding how we can live our lives better. 60 photos ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

A bit 'pie-eyed' but thought provoking
I am happy to see Keltner's efforts in print to emphasize the positive in human nature.However, I don't believe that humans are 'born to be good'.I believe what matters is that humans are born with choice to 'be good'.The ability to choose is what ultimately matters, a choice that can easily be tampered with or eliminated through the devastating effects of severe infant-child abuse and neglect that changes brain growth and development.I have spent many hours working to understand Keltner's work and his perspective.Please read my post for a broader description of how I relate to Keltner's views:

+A LONG, THOUGHTFUL LOOK AT VERBAL ABUSE AS MALIGNANT TEASING

found at

[...]

Psychology and Sociology come together
Keltner has done a masterful job of showing us how socialization really works.We are not entirely a blank slate and not entirely not one.We have a hard-wired capacity to learn language, pretty much everyone knows this by now, but we also have a hard-wired capacity to create community solidarity, and culture.We are far more inclined to attach and bond than to fight -- within our small community, at least.Keltner nails down exactly how this manifests bio-chemically.How the rational part of our brain develops, and can only develop, through social interaction, how it produces chemical rewards when we get it right, and how incredibly adaptive to our environment this makes us.He hints at, but does not quite explore the idea that when one community dominates and exploits another (where "others" are concerned, the drive to bond competes about equally with the drive to out-survive -- another theme Kelter hints at and might have explored in more depth), the dominators may quite cleverly institute policies that disrupt community connectivity among the dominated.For example, Puritans proscriptions against hugging, kissing, dancing and singing surely enhanced the ability of controlling elites to manage somewhat demoralized masses.But the book including this kind of speculation, and many others implied by recent discoveries in attachment and brain plasticity researchremains to be written.Maybe Kelter will do it

Evolutionary Arrows Point to Being Good
Darwin's theory of evolution says that through a process called "natural selection" those that cannot adapt to the environment eventually become extinct. Fossils around the globe confirm this. In light of this theory, one might think that the strong will always survive and overpower the weak out of existence. Genes by their nature, therefore, are selfish because all they want to do is propagate.

Since we are all made from genes, some believe that we, too, as a species are selfish by nature. As the book states, our every action is designed to maximize wealth. We help others expecting we would in turn receive help someday. We would satisfy the "pleasure centers" of our brains through sex, drug, money, self-interest, or any other means anytime we could. "Thou shalt not kill" implies that murder is in our blood and therefore the need for such a commandment in the first place. In the greater scheme of an evolutionary wilderness, acts of kindness toward others are simply aberrations or misfires in the brain.

The book disagrees.

Darwin himself observed that sympathetic communities are more likely to produce healthier offspring than cruel ones. Human history shows that compassion always pulls through in times of war. And new studies of our body's physiology show that caretaking emotions are wired within our nervous systems.

As a species, we evolved at some point to walk on two feet. In doing so, the female's birth canal narrowed. Our babies therefore have to be born small in order to pass through the smaller opening. In comparison to other animals whose newborns can walk upright the moment they're born, our babies need a long time of nursing -- at least eighteen months and continually at that all throughout the day -- before they can survive on their own. As a result, caregiving for the human species became a way of life.

Emotion has often been downplayed, restrained, indeed even belittled, in comparison to intellect. We must suppress emotion and let intellect roam free if we are to discover new things, solve life's riddles, and survive in an increasingly competitive and academic business world. Excitement, it is said, kills. Although true and essential when, say, doing a heart bypass, maneuvering a crippled jetliner into safe landing, or simply driving down the highway, we should not forget that -- as the book so plainly states -- had it not been for our emotions, we as a species might not be here today.

Renown Scientist Proves It Again
Dacher Keltner is renown for his groundbreaking research on emotions and social psychology.He was a post-graduate student of Paul Ekman who is one of the fathers of facial expressions recognition.
Born to Be Good is well researched, much was done in the author's U.C. Berkeley laboratory and with collaborations.This book has been cited by many other psychologists and other authors as well.
Human evolution has instilled the need for high jen ratios, cooperation amongst family and community, gratitude, awe.Learning and doing what makes us happy enhances our lives.
I highly recommend this book and any work by Dacher Keltner.

Goodness was Built-In by Someone
When I start reading a book, I usually just dive right into the middle and if I find something interesting, I go back to the beginning to read the whole book. I happened to land on page 58 which shows us a monkey evolving into a woman, and yes she was naked. This is where evolution has a problem. There are no other beings on this Earth that wear clothes besides humans. I wonder why it is that humans do not walk around naked like apes do and go up to strangers and hump like they do in the animal kingdom. Why is it looked down upon as immoral for random men and women to have sex? Could it be that we are a special creation who did not in fact evolve from animals but were designed by a creator?

This author makes it clear that thoughts like this are not allowed in his mind. He says "There are many books I would love to read, but alas, never will" on page 55. This is, in a nutshell, the reason why people have rigid beliefs that never change. They fail to go out and seek information from the other side because they believe they already have the truth so why bother. I agree with the premise of the author that goodness is inherent in all humans, but I am confident that it was hardwired into us by an intelligent designer. Goodness did not come out of thin air as the author believes.

There is a story in the book on page 226 of a young girl who was found alive under a pile of bodies during the Nazi regime. A doctor covered her with his coat when he saw her and the Germans thought about helping her and hiding her. But sadly, they ended up shooting her in the head. After reading this I immediately thought what kind of animals could do such a thing. Notice I said "animals." The Nazis believed in Eugenics. Hitler was a fan of Darwin just like this author is and he thought highly of Darwin's survival of the fittest theory.Darwinian research did not support the killing off of the weaker species but Darwin introduced the world to Natural Selection and Hitler came along and put it to work on humans.I recommend everyone readFrom Darwin to Hitler: Evolutionary Ethics, Eugenics, and Racism in Germany by Richard Weikart to learn more about the "goodness" that Darwin and evolution has given us.
... Read more

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The Third Edition of Biology: Science for Life continues to draw students into biology through engaging stories that make difficult topics more accessible and understandable.

Colleen Belk and Virginia Borden strive to make teaching and learning biology a better experience from both sides of the desk. The authors draw from their teaching experiences to create a text with a flowing narrative and innovative features that require students to become more active participants in their learning. Each chapter presents the material through a story that draws from real life examples, making the reading more engaging and accessible to today’s students. These stories strive to demystify topics found in biology. 

The Third Edition of this book features a completely re-designed art program and uses the authors’ teaching experiences to create student-centered features such as the new Savvy Reader, Visualize This, and Stop and Stretch to motivate and encourage student learning. The new A Closer Look allows instructors the opportunity to expand on certain important biological topics.

For instructors who would like to cover Animal Structure and Function and Plant Biology, an alternate edition of this book, Biology: Science for Life with Physiology, is also available.

Customer Reviews (1)

One day delivery
I paid a lot of money so my daughter would have her book on time and the book came 1 day late. I was ripped off by Amazon for paying for one day delivery and it took 2 days to get here. I live in dover DE., and it was shipped from New Castle DE., to Baltimore to Harrington DE., WHY? ... Read more

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A gripping new scientific biography of the revered Nobel Prize–winning physicist (and curious character).Perhaps the greatest physicist of the second half of the twentieth century, Richard Feynman changed the way we think about quantum mechanics, the most perplexing of all physical theories. Here Lawrence M. Krauss, himself a theoretical physicist and best-selling author, offers a unique scientific biography: a rollicking narrative coupled with clear and novel expositions of science at the limits. An immensely colorful persona in and out of the office, Feynman revolutionized our understanding of nature amid a turbulent life. Krauss presents that life—from the death of Feynman’s childhood sweetheart during the Manhattan Project to his reluctant rise as a scientific icon—as seen through the science, providing a new understanding of the legacy of a man who has fascinated millions. An accessible reflection on the issues that drive physics today, Quantum Man captures the story of a man who was willing to break all the rules to tame a theory that broke all the rules. ... Read more

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A giant of nineteenth-century natural history study, Louis Agassiz made major contributions to modern knowledge of geology, paleontology, and zoology. Agassiz's fame in America was largely as a popularizer of natural history and teacher of advanced students. Founding the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard was his lasting teaching and research achievement, and the Smithsonian Institution and National Academy of Sciences benefited from his impulse to professionalize science. A life-long opponent of the theory of evolution. Agassiz affirmed the magnificence of God's plan to all who would "study nature, not books". ... Read more

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All Worksheets contained in Chapter Resource FilesAll Answer Keys ... Read more

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Questioning many concepts of life and consciousness, the visionary biologist describes his innovative theory of morphic resonance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Keep Looking for Signs of Life
I think there might be some very good ideas buried somewhere in this dense, pompous prose.The book's writing style is very archaic and inaccessible for the average reader ... think academic audience here.The editors didn't do Sheldrake any favors here by letting him run amok with his thesis project. Fine, if I had picked up this book in the University's book store ... but not mainstream Amazon.

BLAH.DOUBLE BLAH

IF THIS GUY HAD ANYTHING TO SAY HE WOULDN'T NEED TO USE A FULL PAGE

OF BIG WORDS TO SAY THAT PUTTING YOUR FINGER IN HOT WATER MAY FEEL

DIFFERNT THE SECOND TIME THAN IT DID THE FIRST TIME.


I STRUGGLED HALF WAY THE BOOK BEFORE GIVING UP. DON'T BE TEMPTED

TO WASTE YOUR TIME.

An interesting hypothesis...
There's really not much to say about the content of the book that others haven't covered just as well.It's an extremely interesting, unorthodox, and provocative idea that may hold promise in cracking some tough nuts in developmental biology, and as an evolutionary biologist I respect Sheldrake's work and his willingness to explore non-mainstream concepts.However, he makes it clear, and I want to emphasize, that what he's putting forth here is a hypothesis, NOT a theory in the 'philosophy of science' sense.A hypothesis is a possible explanation for a pattern of natural phenomena; a scientific theory is a hypothesis that's been supported by experimentally-derived evidence.Calling Sheldrake's hypothesis a theory is utterly incorrect.No evidence for a morphic field has ever been found, and their existence is not established.No faith should be put in their existence or in the theory's applicability to real life.Sheldrake's hypothesis is interesting and warrants further exploration, but do not make the mistake of regarding it as equivalent to the established fact of a scientific theory.

Beneficial Paradigm Shift of Science - Formative Causation
This is an excellent book, a hypothesis on an unconventional theory that just as well can be completely acknowledged as science, as many of the conventional science theories always started with unproven hypothesis, such as Newton's gravitational fields until proven at a later time. Quantum physics, relativity, and many other ideas are true science without fully documented mechanistically determined answers all tested in line with Karl Popper. If your a science reader and interested in biology, physics and evolution, then this book is a must to read. It is the conventionalists and those who are unable to allow a paradigm shift that have attacked this theory as pseudo science. This bookis from 1981 and since then there have been more experiments regarding this theory and also Sheldrake has another book from 1995 on the same with more details called The Presence of the Past.

The theory consists of an addition to the chemical and physical properties of materialism, something in addition to the DNA code in random mutations and non-random natural selection, an additional force what many vitialists have always acknowledged; the idea of higher organizational states. And here it is the theory of morphogenetic fields and formative causation. The idea of morphogenetic fields first developed by embryologists such as Conrad Waddington and later mathematically by theoreticians such as Rene Thomas.

The ideas starts with no answer to what causes the first change, but continues with a theory as to subsequent developments. As each thought is created, enlarged, elaborated on, taught, as each experience develops a certain particular field in a particular person, animal, and all organic and inorganic matter and energy, there is a change in that particular morphogenetic field. As each change takes place in this field, an accumulation takes place and an average is taken as a composite from the whole. Anotherwards each new idea that is learned in a human becomes part of the whole where other humans can now learn this thought much easier as it now exists in the same human morphogenetic field. Rats in London taught will now increase the percentage of other rats around the world completely removed with no contact from those in London. Each morphogenetic field takes in the formation, the ideas, the properties of the whole, where as all those connected in this field experience morphogenetic resonance or the effects that have now been contributed to this field. This is what Sheldrake calls causative formation.

Each cell, each atom, all are formed from these morphogenetic fields in addition to the energy fields, and the chemical and biological properties of mechanistic and causal definitions taught by conventional science. Like a radio receiver that tunes into a particular radio wave, the radio itself acts as a receiver and yet the energy waves that operate it is not the same as the radio waves and can also affect the properties of the sound from these waves. The radio itself can also affect the properties of the sound emitted from radio signals, however both the energy fields and the radio instrument are not the same as the radio waves. And such it is with morphogenetic fields. The mechanics of the biological properties that make up physical being, our cells, bodies, brains, act as receivers to the morphogenetic fields that we connect with. It is here we are changing and choosing to various different morphogenetic fields regarding body motor movement, thought contents and so forth. As each field is affected by others and as we make changes in these fields, all connected with these fields are affected in a composite nature. Past forms affect the current forms.

The last chapter of the book is what brings it on all home with four possible conclusions;one - a modified materialism, two - the idea of the conscious self that interacts with these morphogenetic fields in using the body, which is totally apart from materialism. And this idea is not simply a ghost in a machine with energetic fields/causation but the addition of morphogenetic/formation fields.Three - the idea of creative agencies apart from our conscious selves, which can be defined as inspiration as Plato suggested a tapping into a higher source or creative fields with goals. And four - a transcendent realty or tapping into fields that have no purpose or goals but rather the wholeness of organisms at all levels of complexity as a reflection of a transcendent unity on which they depend and are derived from. This idea then affirms the conscious self and the existence of a hierarchy of creative agencies immanent within nature and the reality of a transcendent source of the universe.

The end of the book appendix has both positive and negative reviews on the book and a enlightening conversation between Sheldrake and David Bohm, Wholeness and the Implicate Order.

Also read Penrose, Emperor's New Mind
I strongly recommend mathematician and physicist Roger Penrose and his book "The Emperor's New Mind" for a completely different approach to the conclusion that Mind, at least human sapience, is non-mechanistic in nature, and that current science does not have the facts or theory to explain consciousness at this point in time. He feels, and builds a very strong case for the idea, that quantum physics plays a role in the operation of the brain. I suspect that quantum physics will play an increasing role in the exploration of morphic resonance as well, and that we discover DNA-controlled processes are affected by quantum mechanics.

Penrose's book is interesting in that he does not have a bit of "New Age" orientation about him, yet he comes to some very similar conclusions about the operation of Mind that Sheldrake finds with the processes of Life.

I feel the two books should be read in tandem. ... Read more

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Traditionally, the natural sciences have been divided into two branches: the biological sciences and the physical sciences. Today, an increasing number of scientists are addressing problems lying at the intersection of the two. These problems are most often biological in nature, but examining them through the lens of the physical sciences can yield exciting results and opportunities. For example, one area producing effective cross-discipline research opportunities centers on the dynamics of systems. Equilibrium, multistability, and stochastic behavior--concepts familiar to physicists and chemists--are now being used to tackle issues associated with living systems such as adaptation, feedback, and emergent behavior.

Research at the Intersection of the Physical and Life Sciences discusses how some of the most important scientific and societal challenges can be addressed, at least in part, by collaborative research that lies at the intersection of traditional disciplines, including biology, chemistry, and physics. This book describes how some of the mysteries of the biological world are being addressed using tools and techniques developed in the physical sciences, and identifies five areas of potentially transformative research. Work in these areas would have significant impact in both research and society at large by expanding our understanding of the physical world and by revealing new opportunities for advancing public health, technology, and stewardship of the environment.

This book recommends several ways to accelerate such cross-discipline research. Many of these recommendations are directed toward those administering the faculties and resources of our great research institutions--and the stewards of our research funders, making this book an excellent resource for academic and research institutions, scientists, universities, and federal and private funding agencies. ... Read more

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2005 has been designated "World Year of Physics" to celebrate the publication of Einstein's Theory of Relativity one hundred years ago.In commemoration of this landmark anniversary, Oxfor University Press brings Abraham Pais' major work on Einstein's life and work to a whole new generation of readers. Since the death of Albert Einstein in 1955 there have been many books and articles written about the man and an numbe of attempts to "explain" relativity.Throughout the preparatio of this book, Pais has had complete access to the Einstein Archives and the invaluable guidance of the late Helen Dukas--formerly Einstein's private secretary Written with Pais' intimate and incomparable knowledge of Einstein, Subtle is the Lord will delight an dinspire anyone fascinated by the man whose revolutinary ideas have defined modern physics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Subtle is the Lord and physics is not easy
I glanced quickly through this book some years ago at an airport book store. Somehow an impression of beauty and excellence settled in my mind. Finally I bought the book, just before a 6-week holiday period. Full of anticipation I started to read. Yes this is an excellent book and I agree with all the jubilant comments on the backcover. Pais takes his readers on a journey. A journey with beautiful vistas on the life and works of the great Albert Einstein. It is not an easy journey with just beautiful vistas though; I got often stuck in quagmires of physics concepts, mysterious formulae, historical dates and hundreds of names of physicists. Sometimes I first had to drain the marsh (i.e. go to other resources to find clarification on certain ideas of some physicist; fortunately such resources are now readily available thanks to Internet and Wikipedia) before being able to move on to the next vista point. In conclusion: this book is for physicists and for those that like to be taken on a tough but rewarding journey.

A good scientific biography
This is a scientific biography written by a physicist and friend of Einstein's.Only about 20% of the book is non-technical biography, the rest being a very technical discussion of Einstein's physics, the prior work that influenced it, and its impact.Being a friend of Einstein's, the author puts him in the best possible light. For instance, missing is any reference to the daughter he fathered with his first wife Mileva before they were married, the reasons for their divorce, the events surrounding his relationship with his second wife, etc.(To be fair, before the unsealing of many of Einstein's personal papers, the existence of this daughter was a well-kept secret; one almost definitely unknown to the author of this book.)Of more concern is a lack of very much discussion of most of his non-physics related interactions, so if you want the personal Einstein there are better, more modern, books.However, if you want to know more about Einstein's physics, its development and its impact, then this book is a very good choice, providing that you have the necessary background. The book contains a very extensive timeline of Einstein's life, especially of the events that had a bearing on his technical work. This timeline should be a great reference for Einstein's life as most of the events are referenced to specific days, not just to the year of its occurrence.

As noted the author is a physicist and the book is written from that perspective.He goes into Einstein's physics in considerable detail so a physics background is necessary to get the most from this book.For the most part, there is no attempt to provide the necessary scientific background for these discussions, so if you are completely ignorant of thermodynamics, statistical mechanics or theoretical physics in general, you will likely find yourself having to skip over large portions of the text.There are a lot of sentences that contain "it is well known from ...that ...", so if this is not well known to you, you may have to skip over that portion of the text, and perhaps the rest of the chapter.There is also a lot of mathematical notation that is not explained or developed, so you may be lost if you are unfamiliar with it.However, the book is very good for those with the necessary background because it describes how Einstein developed his physics and what influenced this development.

I recommend this book for people with some background in physics; the more the better.This might be a five star book for a theoretical physicist, but only a one or two star book for someone with little or none of the necessary background.On average, I rated it as a four star book because, while I do not have all of the necessary background, I had enough to follow the discussion.I am also very interested in the development of Einstein's ideas, so this book was a natural for me.I only wish that I had a better background, because then, for me, it might have been a five star book, so please consider this rating from that perspective.

A great portrait.
A scientifically sophisticated but also highly sensitive portrait of the great man. It is a biography written for physicists or students of physics, among whom I count myself fortunate to be. Strongly recommended.

Writing in Honey
I had to skip over most of the mathematical formulas in this book other than to note that there was a little fine tuning going on in crunching the numbers that all physicists have to do in the course of their research.

I appreciated Einstein's concept that philosophizing was like *writing in honey: it all turns to mush.* Perhaps modern science has been too Westernized to find a unified field theory without have to revert to a grand unifier such as Spinoza intimated. I was glad to see that Einstein was attracted to Spinoza, who was known as a God-intoxicated atheist.

A good read for those who want to learn more of the Divine Man.

An excellent read if you love physics
This is a well-written and entertaining biography of one of the world's greatest and most famous physicists: his life, his times, and especially his science.As other reviewers have correctly emphasized, this book does not shy away from mathematical formulas and details of the physics.While it does contain a lot of "traditional biographical" information, there is a heavy emphasis on the science -- which is great if you love physics and have the background, but I doubt many would enjoy that part.

The author (Pais) was an eminent theoretical physicist who knew Einstein near the end of Einstein's life.

Among the interesting tidbits I learned:Contrary to the lore I had always heard, Einstein was a top-notch student.Also, back in his day it was much harder than today to get a job in physics research, and university positions didn't pay well either.Even Einstein had trouble initially finding an academic job !Of course, when he (working at a patent office) published a series of ground-breaking papers on theoretical physics, his academic career took off.It was also interesting to learn how little he knew about the scientific literature and how much he invented and re-invented physics on his own, especially when he was in isolation in the patent office.It seems all the great ones work that way, R. Feynman being another example that comes to mind. ... Read more

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This series is designed to help educators teach scientific concepts as well as develop students' appreciation and understanding of the work done by generations of curious scientists. The complete library includes 300 tested lessons and over 600 reproducible fact sheets, worksheets, homework assignments, and review quizzes. ... Read more

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Despite the popular view of medieval Europe as a Dark Age of intellectual stagnation, scientific and technological achievement thrived during this time.As any vacationer to Europe knows, churches and castles remain lasting testaments to the ingenuity of that period in history.Through carefully chosen examples which are presented in easily accessible thematic chapters, Science and Technology in Medieval European Life demonstrates how these two aspects of human achievement, far from being ivory-tower enterprises, impacted the daily life of people in medieval Europe. These topics will also resonate with modern readers in their own daily lives.

This reference work begins with an historical introduction that situates medieval science and technology into its social, intellectual and religious context.Among the varied topics found in the chapters are: armor making, waterwheels and waterpower, chimneys, stained glass, communication technology, ship building, medicine both academic and village, mechanical clocks, calendar creation, and astrology.For those interested in pursuing further research into this area of history, the book concludes with a chronology of events, a suggested list of further reading and a glossary.

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"Calculus for Business, Economics, and the Social and Life Sciences, Brief Edition" introduces calculus in real-world contexts and provides a sound, intuitive understanding of the basic concepts students need as they pursue careers in business, the life sciences, and the social sciences. Students achieve success using this text as a result of the authors' applied and real-world orientation to concepts, problem-solving approach, straightforward and concise writing style, and comprehensive exercise sets. More than 100,000 students worldwide have studied from this text! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

ACalculusbookthatmademefallforCalculus
I have always wanted to gain a degree of mastery over the subject of Calculus, knowing the power and elegance of this topic of mathematics. I had searched in vain for a text that made the subject matter comprehensible, fearing no such beast existed.I stumbled onto this book virtually by accident and to my great surprise and delight, I found the text easy to read, with the subject material presented in a sequential manner that aided complete understanding.At no stage of the text did I suffer the pangs of not knowing where some pertinent information had arisen. Further, many of the examples in the book had a practical application of Calculus to the real world, making the subject even more rewarding to learn. In short, this Calculus Book has made the Calculus a pleasure to learn. My enduring and hearthelt thanks to MR. HOFFMANN and MR BRADLEY for their wonderful gift to me

Very useful
For those who need to see this course in college, this is the book to have. It's very explicit, and offers a very useful Algebra review at the end; extremely important to refresh our memory from highschool. Highlyrecommended!! ... Read more

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Up to date edition offers a concise, broadly based survey of the panoramic sweep of the life sciences from the speculations and observations of the ancient Greeks to the latest advances in molecular biology. ... Read more

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Author keeps History in mind
I skimmed this book for background information, and was impressed that Magner's did not interpret and judge ancient history on a modern science basis, but rather presented and evaluated each scientist as he dealt with the information he had, answering the questions presented to him by the culture in which he lived.Magner also did very well explaining scientific ideas to me -- a somewhat scientifically educated, but non-science major. ... Read more

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How does modern science bear upon such ultimate questions as the origin of the universe and the existence of God? "Cosmos, Bios, Theos" is a portfolio of opinions and arguments from 60 scientists, including 24 Nobel Prize winners, on the relationshiip between the scientific enterprise and the religious view of reality. "Cosmos, Bios, Theos" makes no claim to being a representative survey - the scientists were chosen because they were believed to be at least open to the possibility of a religious view of reality. But their specific views turned out to be surprisingly diverse, and often both original and persuasive. All but a few of the contributions take the form of the scientist's sometimes detailed - replies to the following six questions - what do you think should be the relationship between religion and science?; what is your view on the origin of the universe - both on a scientific and - if you see the need - on a metaphysical level?; what is your view on the origin of life - both on the scientific level and - if you see the need - on a metaphysicla level? what is your views on the origin of "Homo sapiens?"; how should science - and the scientist - approach origin questions, specifically the origin of the Universe and the origin of life? Many prominent scientists - including Darwin, Einstein and Planck - have considered the concept of God very seriously. What are your thoughts on the concept of God and on the existence of God? The contributors are astronomers, mathematicians, physicists, biologists, chemists, and philosophers. They include - Sir John Eccles, Antony Flew (in a debate with H.D.Lewis and Hugo Meynell), Robert Jastrow, b.D.Josephson, Henry Margenau, Sir Neville Mott, Arno Penzias, Ilya Prigogine, Abdus Salam, Arthur Schawlow, George Snell, Victor Weisskopf, and Eugene Wigner. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A Matter of Faith, Yes, But...
As one reviewer stated, the reviewer who criticized this book on the basis of his antagonism to religious faith missed the point.I would go further and state that he showed the weakness of his own thinking process.True science is religious faith neutral.To conduct good scientific experiements, the question of God is left out of the process.This by no means implies that the scientist does not hold a personal opinion on the subject, either for or against.It merely means he or she suspends personal belief in the interest of conducting good experiments.Further, the number of people who hold to a certain position regarding faith, neither makes that faith valid nor makes it invalid.The professor's personal faith is atheism.That is a religious faith, every bit as much as is theism, creationism, or any other of the many isms of this world.This is very adequately demonstrated by his intollerant review.He takes an extreme position that is on the opposite side of the radical creationists, but is no more defensible then the radical creationists' views.He even goes so far as to suggest that the scientists (some of whom are Nobel Prize winners) who seem to think that a belief in God is not unreasonable, are not intelligent.

Now to the book itself.I find it very fascinating to look at the process of how many of the world's great scientific minds approach the questions addressed in this book.The people questioned take positions across the spectrum of belief/disbelief.The book includes a number of answers by those who do not believe in a god.I found the process and approach to be very well done, and to ask reasonable questions.

This book I think is worth reading no matter whether you believe in God or don't.The thinking process is never hurt by hearing opinions that differ from your own.

A Scientific Debate on: Comology, Biology, and Theology

"The idea of a universal mind or Logos would be, I think, a fairly plausible inference from the present state of scientific theory." Sir Arthur Eddington

"Then we shall be able to take part in the discussion of the question of why it is that we and the universe exist. If we find the answer to that, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason - for then we would know the mind of God." Stephen Hawking



The Questionnaire:
Although the idea of the book is not new and may have been motivated by the initiator faith, yet it presented scientists' unedited responses, which are uniquely stated, thoughtful, and revealing. It is said that the questions that deserve be asked are those which could not be answered.
Those metaphysical inquiries were about theological/natural sciences, the cosmological question on origins of the universe, life, and Homo sapiens, and their approach to these quizzes, and thought on the concept of God.

The Responses:
In his introduction which summarizes the spectrum of responses, Roy Varghese quotes Einstein, Plank, Heisenberg, and Hawking.
"Stranger than the strangest concepts and theories of science is the appearance of God on the intellectual horizon of twentieth century science,' deducts Varghese with reference to their statements. In 'A brief history of Time' Hawking declared, "We ought to know the mind of God', while Paul Davies is quoted to argue that, "the very fact that the universe is creative, and that the laws have permitted complex structures to emerge and develop to the point of consciousness- in other words, that the universe has organized its own self-awareness, is for me powerful evidence that there is 'something going on' behind it all."

Universe, Life and Deity:
In Paul Davis terminology, this is an inquiry in the mind of some very prominent scientists. It is a matter of great relevance to inquire how contemporary scientists visualize the relation between religion and science; the origin of the universe, life, and the existence of God. the 'Time Magazine' nominated the book as; "the year's most intriguing book about God was produced not by theologians but by 60 world-class scientists, 24 Nobel Prize-winners among them."

Eccles' conclusion:
according to sir John Eccles the origin of consciousness is relevant to the origin of Homo sapiens: "The only certainty we have is that we exist as unique self-conscious beings, each unique, never to be repeated. This I regard as outside the evolutionary process. the evolutionary process gives rise to my body and brain but, dualistically speaking, that is one side of the transaction...So that brain and body are in the evolutionary process but yet not fully explained in this way. But the conscious self is not in the Darwinian evolutionary process at all."

The Beginning of All Things: Science and Religion

An excellent review..
As someone who's interested both in Science and Religion, I have enjoyed this book tremenodously. It is a purley scientific and unbiased review of many leading scientist's views on the subject of God, the origin of life, and the origin of the universe.
24 of these scientists are Nobel Prize winners. I found it interesting that many of these reputable scientists, by their views, challenge the widely acceptable notion, that Creation is a religeous myth, and the Big Bang/Evolution is the only scientific answer...definetley worth reading.

one (sort of) agnostic's take on this book
This book is a thought-provoking collection of essays exploring issues relating to science and theology. Or, in other words, life, the universe, and ... never mind. This book is probably not going to appeal to those with set, rigid, doctrinaire views on either science or religion. Nor is there an effort to convert you to anything, really. The essays are varied, interesting, and you can probably take a lot of different thoughts away from this book. I didn't take it as an attempt to prove that science can or should point to a god. Certainly, a number of the writers recognize that science does not (and cannot) rule out a god. That, in my opinion, is true agnosticism (as applied to both religion and science!). Just as some religions have properly abandoned views inconsistent with provable scientific facts (darn that Galileo!), scientists ought to be willing to discuss and acknowledge the limits of science. Perhaps some scientists critical of this book don't like the same skepticism and desire for proof that they would place on religion being applied to their own domain. Oh well. For those intimidated by any critic's intimations regarding their degrees, for the most part, the essays, while sophisticated, don't require a Ph.D. in physics. I enjoyed this book, it made me think, and that's not bad.

Excellent Book about the opinions of scientists
Unlike the other reviewer who missed the point of the book, the authors were only reflecting the views of the scientists questioned.There is no attempt to prove the existence of God.The book is well written, with highranking scientists from several fields providing valuable insight intotheir beliefs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Workbook desciption by author Joan S. Gottlieb
This workbook was written for middle school and high school slow learners.It is also effective for grades 3-5 and adult and second-language groups.The independent seatwork exercises can be used with limited teacher supervision.The more difficult science words are in bold print when first
introduced and are defined in the glossary.This worktext is written at a third grade reading level.

Contents by Chapter:

Unit 1 Water Environments
Unit 2 Water Plants
Unit 3 Invertebrate Water Animals
Unit 4 Fish
Unit 5 Water Reptiles
Unit 6 Water Birds
Unit 7 Water Mammals
Unit 8 Conservation ... Read more

Product Description
A science journalist brings to life one of the greatest scientific frauds of our times with the story of the two obscure researchers who claimed to have discovered a clean, no-fuss method for harnessing the energy of a hydrogen bomb. 20,000 first printing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Muddled account, overly long
You won't get a memorable account of what happened around the 1989 fake "discovery" of cold fusion from this book. Taubes doesn't even bother to explain what cold fusion really is, why it's significant, and how it differs from regular fusion or fission, for example. Instead, without making clear what's at stake, he launches breathlessly into what he hopes will be an engrossing account of the personalities involved in this folly - for hundreds and hundreds of pages. He might as well be talking about angels dancing on the head of a pin, and adds to the general, erroneous impression that it's easy for "scientists" to fudge their results and pull the wool over an uninformed public's eye. Taubes has done nothing to encourage the lay reader to get more informed about scientific progress. There's almost no science in here that would be in the least comprehensible to even an informed reader. Bad Science Writing would be a better title. I suspect the only people who made it through this book were insiders wanting bitchy details about their colleagues. Very disappointing.

Gary Taubes Has A Lot of Explaining To Do
Well, now it's 2004, eleven years after Gary Taubes eulogy to Cold Fusion, "Bad Science : The Short Life and Weird Times of Cold Fusion". Unfortunately for Mr. Taubes, science eventually sorts things out and figures out what's real and what's not real.Well, now fifteen years after the big Pons & Fleischmen announcement, it turns out that Cold Fusion is on the cusp of regaining legitmacy in the scientific community.Not only has the U.S. Navy revealed a decade of clandestine Cold Fusion research, but numerous reputable labs around the world have verified that the Cold Fusion is real.

While a well written, and fairly well researched book, Mr. Taubes' burial of Cold Fusion is going to more of a historical artifact in the long saga of Cold Fusion than the definitive last word for this controversal field of science.Seems like Mr. Taubes is going to have to update this book soon, with an admission that he missed the mark in 1993.

The History of Cold Fusion -- In Depth
This book is excellent.It describes in amazing detail the events leading up to and following the "Cold Fusion" news conference.It's the story of how two scientists fooled themselves into believing that they were onto something so big that they had to claim credit for it -- fast.And it's the story of how the least qualified researchers quickly "confirmed" Cold Fusion, and how the best qualified researchers found nothing.If you're interested in how science is done, both well and poorly, read this book.

revealing, witty
I strongly recommend this book.Taubes carries the reader through complex issues with wit and clarity.Some of his deadpan observations are hilarious.(Even though Pons and Fleischmann hadn't tried to measureneutrons, they should have known their apparatus wasn't producing enough ofthem to be consistent with their claims of nuclear fusion. "Theyweren't dead, for instance.")

Although it's primarily written in thestyle of fly-on-the-wall journalism, "Cold Fusion" is also ameditation on human frailties and on the differences between good and badscience.But fundamentally, it is a tragic story of people getting lost incircumstances beyond their control.

Mr. Taubes' book is seriously truncated and misleading
When the original Cold Fusion press conference was held on 3-23-89, the reaction of the physics establishment in the first world was immediate , orchestrated and highly hostile. Mr. Taubes book is an effort tospin-doctor an entire area of emerging global science out of exisitence .As of 3-23-99 there are over 3000 peer reviewed scientific papers availablein this area of science with nearly every institution connected withnuclear phenomena having checked in. Mr. Taubes confines himself withattacking Drs. Fleischmann and Pons during the begining few years of thiscontroversy and ignoring the mountain of officialreplications:EPRI, USNaval Weapons Lab China Lake,U of Minnesota, MITI et al... If you want tosee how "black propaganda" works read this tome. I recommend itto anyone getting involved in the "new Energy" movement to get atemper of the opposition.As Lord Macaulay put it over a century ago" If a big enough commercial interest were threatened, even Newton'slaw of Gravity would be called into question". Dana Rotegard,Minnesota Cold Fusion Alliance Former technical consultant Janes SpaceMarkets, Asst. Ed., Futurics, Future Trends Newsletter ... Read more

Product Description
Based on the best-selling Calculus and Its Applications by Marv Bittinger, this new text is appropriate for a two-semester calculus course for life science majors. With four new chapters and two new co-authors, Calculus for the Life Sciences continues the Bittinger reputation as one of the most student-oriented and clearly written Applied Calculus texts available. The exercises and examples have been substantially updated to include additional relevant life science applications and current topics. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent Service
The book arrived promptly and in great condition! Although, it is an absolutely awful text book as far as learning calculus goes. Too bad my teacher chose it as the required text for my class.

calculus textbook
Amazing service.Fastest ever. Ordered on Monday night and had the book Thursday.. Amazing. Thanks for your prompt service.

Well. Done.
Book arrived fantastically fast and is in wonderful condition. Has served me so much already. ... Read more

Product Description
Brand New! ... Read more