5 comments about The Electric Life of Michael Faraday.

1. This book succeeds on many levels:
   
   It's an indelible portrait of Faraday and shows how his personality affected his pursuit of science.
   
   It illustrates the importance of the inevitable "mistakes" that scientists encounter in their tortuous paths to understanding the nature of the universe. (One of the many insightful quotes that the author includes is from Einstein: "Science is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.")
   
   It gives us insight into the politics of science in early 19th century England--politics that are very similar to those that affect the careers of scientists in the 21st century.
   
   We learn that science was a hot topic in London at this time--perhaps more so than it is today. The general public flocked to evening lectures by scientists. Faraday was particularly adept at using demonstrations that delighted a wide audience (including even children)--demonstrations that helped them to understand complex ideas in practical terms.
   
   The book shows how much can be learned about the universe from experiment alone, but how a deeper understanding can be gained only by relating experiment to theory and mathematics (fields that Faraday acknowledged were beyond his reach).
   
   The author's descriptions of Faraday's experiments are understandable without being patronizing. Physics students at all levels will gain a deeper insight into the nature of electromagnetism than they can get from most textbooks.
   
   I've never read a better book on the history of science.



2. "The Electric Life of Michael Faraday" by Alan Hirshfeld
   [Hirshfeld is also author of "Parallax: the Race to Measure the Cosmos"]
   
   From the dust jacket of this book, a photograph of Michael Faraday's looks out toward us. His face is the very depiction of human kindness and his eyes show forth a tenderness that is almost maternal. It is a compelling face, and in a social setting, one would feel drawn to stand toe to toe with such a man.
   
   Hirshfeld has authored an endearing view of 19th Century English life through Faraday's eyes, a life characterized by the snobbery of class distinctions, combined with the imminent discoveries of science in many fields.
   
   In scarcely a century and a half, mankind went from the Voltaic Cell to Nuclear Power, and the discoveries of both and everything in between are linked, and the scientific work of Faraday is the key to all. It is Faraday's pursuit of the idea of magnetic "fields" that showed the way. James Clerk Maxwell employed his mathematical talents to put Faraday's ideas into the form of equations. Albert Einstein would later use these equations to arrive at E=MC (squared), opening the door to the Nuclear Age.
   
   Until I read this biography, I was not clear on who or when or how our knowledge and identification of Elements came to be. It was the use of the Voltaic Cell, a battery, whose electro-chemical process separated any compound into its basic elements that served as the tool of discovery. Faraday was in hot pursuit of the science of electricity and magnetism, which led him to approach Humphry Davy of the Royal Institute concerning employment. Davy was at the forefront of the use of the Voltaic Cell for discovery.
   
   Nitrous Oxide was an early gas to fall prey to Davy's efforts, and these early scientists, including Faraday, would sometimes engage in "laughing gas" parties, from which there were no harmful effects.
   
   Faraday was not a mathematician, and didn't have much in the way of credentials as a THEORIST. He was respected as an EXPERIMENTER. Faraday had to try all the harder to confirm, by experimental proof, his intuitive idea that magnetism existed as a field of curved lines, and also that magnetism was not a different energy, unconnected to electricity; but a counterpart of a common, electromagnetic force.
   
   The account of Faraday's experiments with electricity, to see if it affected light, and then magnetism to see if it affected light, is one of the book's high points. That was close to the end of Faraday's career, when he was experiencing some occasional memory loss and worked constantly.
   
   The hight point of the book comes when Faraday has passed the peak of his career, and Scotsman James Clerk Maxwell researches Faradays writings on FIELD THEORY.
   
   When I got to the final pages, and the account of Faraday's funeral, I found I had tears in my eyes.



3. A remarkable and compelling biography in the clear words of this author. How important was Faraday to science, shaping the study of electricity and electromagnetism with his experiments. Also, the life of Faraday is so interesting since, as a person lacking normal education, show us that anyone can improve his knowledge by just reading good books, as faraday did, and also show us that the best way to learn a subject is by seing it working. An inspiring book.



4. In 1791 when Michael Faraday was born, England was very much a class oriented society. And Faraday was not born to the upper classes. Instead he was apprenticed as a bookbinder. It must have been an unusually enlightened boss who encouraged Faraday to read/study/understand the science books that were passing through their hands. But that is what happened. Of particular importance was the 127 page entry on electricity in the 1797 edition of the 'Encyclopaedia Britannica.'
   
   From this beginning Faraday was to go on to basic discoveries in physics, particularly electricity. He made the basic discovery that a magnet moving across a wire generated an electric current in that wire. From this came the basic understanding to build electric generators and motors. This was at at eime whent he basic nature of electricity were being investigated. Faraday is honored today by the adaption of a shortened version his name, to the basic measure of capacitance -- the farad.
   
   This book represents a new trend in the publishing of biographies, a smaller size, both the physical page size and the number of pages to produce a book easier to read than the massive tomes common a few years ago.
   
   This is a well researched and clearly written book that is an easy, injoyable read.



5. 
   You wouldn't be reading this if it weren't for Michael Faraday. In this excellent book, the man whose name many of us remember from our physics or electronics texts and who made possible the Internet by which these words come to you, is brought to life as a real person with a truly engaging life story.
   
   Hirschfeld's book is a highly-readable biography of the man who started the world on the path to radio, electronics, and computers. Wireless pioneers Marconi, Fessenden, deForest and others built their technology on the scientific foundation laid by Michael Faraday and James Clerk Maxwell and Heinrich Hertz, both of whom credited Faraday's work as the basis of their own.
   
   Faraday's contributions to electrical science were numerous and far-reaching. Among others, he discovered electrical induction (making the world's first transformer), made the first electric motor, made the first electric generator. and was the first to show that magnetic effects could change the polarization of light (what now is called Faraday rotation). Faraday's later speculations about electric fields were, according to Maxwell, what spurred the latter to begin the work that led to Maxwell's famous equations describing electromagnetic radiation. When Hertz first produced radio waves in his laboratory, he also acknowledged that he was following on the work of not only Maxwell but of Faraday. In telling the story of these discoveries by Faraday and his successors, Hirshfeld, a physics professor, is careful to put their work in the context of our modern understanding.
   
   Faraday entered the world of science through the back door. The son of a blacksmith, Faraday became an apprentice bookbinder. Inspired by some of the scientific texts he was binding, he began experimenting in his spare time. Self-taught in science through his reading and his experiments, Faraday began his scientific career as a menial assistant to famed British scientist Humphrey Davy. Eventually, he rose to the directorship of a research institute, fellowship in Britain's Royal Society and acclaim as one of the world's leading scientists. Hirshfeld's account of Faraday's career gives us an intriguing glimpse into the sociology and politics of 19th-Century science.
   
   Readers who enjoy electronic tinkering will relate well to this story of a scientist whose first love was his laboratory, and who could readily lose track of time while building and experimenting with new apparatus. Faraday's approach to science was completely "hands-on." When he built the first Faraday cage, he crawled inside it himself to prove that it worked. Occasionally, Hirshfeld relates, Faraday's wife had to pick glass shards from her husband's skin after an experiment inadvertently exploded.
   
   In his later years, Faraday became an avid proponent of science education and of promoting scientific literacy among the public. His thoughts on those subjects, related by Hirshfeld, are as relevant today as when Faraday wrote them.
   
   Hirshfeld's book shows how all of electronics really got its start in Faraday's laboratory, and tells in fast-paced, readable fashion the fascinating story of one of history's greatest scientists.

5 comments about The Wizard of Menlo Park: How Thomas Alva Edison Invented the Modern World.

1. I did not realize how little I knew about Thomas Alva Edison - until reading this book. This is a good biography of Edison, but deals more about his rise to fame and how that whole process happened. The author weaved in and out of a good biography with some editorial tangents, but overall this is a good book.
   
   Coming out of reading this book I really appreciate Edison, and realize that he should have stuck to inventing and left the leadership and management of his companies to people who were good and leadership and management. Classic micromanager who was not good at leading and managing. But, one heck of an inventor.
   
   JVD



2. This enjoyable biography focuses on:
   1.) Thomas Edison's various achievements as an inventor.
   2.) How Edison's inventions led to an ostensible raise in the standard of living in the United States and eventually Europe.
   3.) How Edison became and lived as a celebrity because of his achievements.
   
   If you like reading about heroic producers of the industrial revolution, then I highly recommend adding this book to your reading list.
   
   Even the anecdotes about Thomas Edison's (initial) failures are fun to read. For example, I particularly liked the story of how J.P. Morgan volunteered to have his study be one of the first rooms to be wired with electricity. Eager to bask in his latest highly anticipated investment, Morgan turned on the incandescent light next to his desk to do a little evening reading. Unfortunately for him, as he began to read, his study caught fire, eventually leading to his house suffering substantial damage.
   
   Did J.P. Morgan divest himself of Thomas Edison? Absolutely not! He merely invited Thomas Edison over to witness the charred remains of his study and firmly inquired if he could install the wiring correctly the second time. Such was the earned reputation of Thomas Edison. J.P. Morgan knew he was investing in something big. Also, this story also revealed a great deal about his character. Instead of dwelling on his serious mistake, Thomas Edison focused on how he could rectify the situation and improve his invention. But I digress.
   
   A great read!



3. We all heard about Edison's story. However, most of them are probably more colorful version from the media. This book provides a more complete view.
   
   Author Randall has done a thorough study from the preserved documents of Edison's lab as well as archived newspapers. The book is full of annotations with references at the end of the book. If there is any bias in this book, most likely it is because our minds have long been receiving Edison's prettier' side rather than all aspects of his life. We should welcome and applaud for any whisle blower and fact digger when media is trying to beautify his lesser admirable side.
   
   Edison is an very good inventor, there is no need to model or sculpture him into a saint or an all time sage. He said it himself (hopefully, not another write up from the media) : "Invention is 1 percent of inspiration and 99 percent of perspiration".
   
   Regardless of Edison's personality (if someone happens dislike it) or his serious misjudgement on business or other subject matters, he is, by all accounts, a very important figure in late 19th and early 20th century. While he is not the first person to invent light bulb, he is however, the person to light up the world.
   
   I believe we all appreciate him one hundred percent. :-)



4. I totally enjoyed this book. The author keeps you turning pages as he provides interesting fact after fact about Thomas Edison and his life as the world's most famous inventor. Inside you will learn what made Edison tick and how he impacted the world around him including his family, employees and close friends. As a phonograph buff I particularly enjoyed reading about Edison's beliefs regarding musicians, music and the promotion and sale of phonographs and cylinders (records). The Wizard of Menlo Park is well researched and well written. The author obviously has experience taking readers on enlightening journeys. This book will find a permanent place on my home bookshelf.



5. I've read a number of biographies and biographical sketches of Thomas A. Edison. Most of these concentrate on the man's inventive genius and often provide many interesting technical details on his inventions and on the related technical problems. However, this biography has a rather different twist: it focuses mainly on Edison the businessman and his many shortcomings in this aspect of his life. He is portrayed as a genius with an insatiable passion for laboratory work but desperately lacking the necessary flair for how to succeed in the business world. Edison's private life is briefly discussed, including his relationships with his wives and his sons. The writing style is clear, friendly and engaging, thus making this book difficult to put down. This book is quite successful in depicting the ways in which Edison's instincts were often seriously at odds with the public's way of thinking during these times of mind-boggling new technological innovations. This book can be enjoyed by anyone. But those with a passionate fascination for this period and its greater-than-life figures are in for a particular treat.

5 comments about Symmetry and the Monster: The Story of One of the Greatest Quests of Mathematics.

1. Full of stories and simplified explanations of very deep material, this is one of the best math books I have read. One needn't be a professional mathematician to enjoy or understand it.



2. While it is simple enough to conceive an object in one, two or three dimensions, adding just one more dimension can be mind-bending. The four dimensional cube - or tesseract - cannot be truly perceived, but we can at least get a glimmer of it when we look at its projection, which appears like a cube within a cube. Five dimensions are even harder to perceive. The Monster, the subject of Mark Ronan's Symmetry and the Monster, has 196,884 dimensions. It seems appropriately named.
   
   What is the Monster, however? This takes a while to describe, and it all begins with the brilliant Galois, a mathematical genius who would be dead by 20 after being on the losing side in a duel. Galois would make some major strides in the field of algebra known as group theory. A group is really just a self-contained set of numbers (or other components) with an operation (such as addition) and certain properties (such as closure, the idea that when you do the operation on two members of the set, you get another member of the set; for example, with the whole numbers and addition, adding any two positive integers gets you another positive integer).
   
   Groups can be both finite and infinite, and among finite groups, there are so-called simple groups (or what Ronan calls atoms of symmetry). These are not simple as in easy, but simple as they cannot be deconstructed into simpler groups, just as when you factor a number, you cannot factor any further when you reach the prime factors. Most simple groups fit into certain families, but there also 26 exceptional groups (or sporadic groups). Determining that the number was 26 and finding all these groups is what Symmetry and the Monster is all about. The final group would be the biggest, by far: the Monster.
   
   Perhaps the best book dealing with the solution of a tough problem is Simon Singh's Fermat's Enigma, dealing with the proof of Fermat's Last Theorem. Ronan's book is not as easy of a read, but then again, he has a tougher row to hoe: while Fermat's Last Theorem is relatively easy to understand (though difficult to prove), the concept of symmetry groups is a bit more esoteric. Operating within this constraint, Ronan does a good job, writing clearly, with both a sense of history and sense of humor. This is not an easy subject to really grasp, but it may be ultimately rewarding to those who stick with it.



3. Interesting reading. The description of the lives of the mathematicians who contributed to the development of group theory helps create a basis of understanding for the topic. As a student, I wanted a different point of view than that of the text, and this book has done just that.



4. This is an interesting read in general but the author doesn't include enough examples to illustrate idea (e.g. some graphical examples of different rigid geometric transformaion of solids will be great at the beginning of the book). The author also introduce mathematical concepts without enough explanation. While some of the concepts are simple enough to be understood without clarification, some of the more complicated ones in the later chapters are not. So the readers who are not already familiar with the subjects might find it difficult to follow the author's arguments.



5. According to the blurb on the back, the American Mathematical Monthly described this book as "truly a page-turner". I have to say it is not.
   
   Mark Ronan's task is to take us through the history of group theory culminating in the recently-completed project to classify the finite simple groups. This has taken decades of work by large numbers of highly-skilled mathematicians, with proofs so long and abstruse that there is a genuine concern that no future generation of mathematicians will be able to comprehend them.
   
   How do you communicate this to a lay audience? The key decision for the writer is to gauge his audience. Ronan's view is a readership which knows no group theory. He therefore can't even define a simple group: "a simple group is a group which is not the trivial group and whose only normal subgroups are the trivial group and the group itself" - Wikipedia.
   
   The reader, lacking help in engaging with the subject matter, is instead entertained by concise and amusing mini-biographies and anecdotes about the many participants in the quest. Ronan is a little dry as a writer, but in general this works well enough, although he is too indulgent of such monstrous personages as Sophus Lie. The final milestone in the classification project was confirmation of discovery of the mathematical Monster, the largest of the 26 sporadic groups. This was big news even on conventional news outlets, such as the BBC.
   
   In conclusion, this book will work for mathematicians who know some group theory and who like the historical context spelled out. I don't think many people not educated in mathematics will make it through to the end. With this in mind, Ronan could have profitably added a chapter at the beginning (or even an appendix) where he took the reader through normal subgroups, quotient groups and on to simple groups. He would then have been able to use correct terminology (his own merely irritates) and the journey would have been a lot more satisfying. Perhaps for the second edition?

No comments about Motherhood, the Elephant in the Laboratory: Women Scientists Speak Out.

5 comments about The Radioactive Boy Scout: The Frightening True Story of a Whiz Kid and His Homemade Nuclear Reactor.

1. This is an excellent non-fiction quick read at just under 200 pages. It is a true story about a teenager, David Hahn, who ventured to build a nuclear breeder reactor with little protection from radioactivity. He used a potting shed as a laboratory and a few old college textbooks from his dad for knowledge on radioactive materials. David became increasingly secluded at school as he continued to experiment with dangerous chemistry. His grades dropped, and no one believed he could do anything to raise eyebrows. He ignored laws and cautions, obtaining many radioactive materials like beryllium, radium, polonium (210!), and americium to recreate the Curie couple's feats. He succeeded in creating a nuclear reactor but could not stop the increasing radioactivity, resulting in catastrophe. Finally, the federal government had to dismantle his reactor, as it was a great danger to people who lived near David.
   
   I think this book is a worthy read. It is a fascinating story with great description. The author, Ken Silverstein, was very good at highlighting facts and things that happened in David's life that were related to his inspiration of building a nuclear reactor. However, I think Silverstein put a little too much history of atomic energy into the book. He is also slightly biased against nuclear power.
   
   Overall, I think this book could have been written better, but still deserves a thumb up.



2. I was David's scoutmaster when he was preparing for his Eagle Scout Board of Review. I was to contact five registered adult Scout leaders, who would comprise the Board. One prospective adult told me he could not sit on the Board, because "something happened".
   
   I learned that David and some friends were stopped by the cavaliering Clinton Township (Michigan) Police, who were randomly stopping teens and searching their cars for stolen tires.
   
   David was not allowed to keep his experiments in his stepmother's home, so he kept everything in his car trunk. The cops found no tires, but saw his stuff and overreacted.
   
   Days later, David's father phoned and said that David would no longer pursue the Eagle Scout rank.
   
   A month or so later, a man claiming to be a reporter phoned my home, wanting to do a telephone interview about David. After a few moments, I refused. There was something negative about the line of questioning.
   
   As a Scout, David was always clean-cut, polite, and well-liked by the other boys. My take is that David had the scientific curiosity of a Tesla or Edison; not of an evil prankster.
   
   David's father, like so many divorced and re-married men, walked a tightrope between caring for his son and appeasing a new bride.
   
   As for Mr. Silverstein, he should keep his story factual, and keep his opinions about Scouting to the editorial pages.



3. There's something not quite serious about The Radioactive Boy Scout. The book jacket has a cartoonish design and each page has a little atomic symbol by the page number. It's a small book, almost like a children's reader. It seemed to me as if it would be a quick, fun read.
   Well, it was quick, all right. Author Ken Silverstein originally wrote this as an article for Harper's Magazine, according to the blurb. The article has been padded with several chapters on nuclear power, chemistry, and the history of the Boy Scouts. But The Radioactive Boy Scout is hardly a cartoon or a fun little story.
   
   Although this is a story about how one teenager nearly built a nuclear reactor in his back yard, Silverstein wants us to know it is more than that. He emphasizes how David Hahn, the teenager, was neglected by his parents and not taken seriously by his teachers. If only someone had taken the time to take this boy under his wing, perhaps a near-disaster could have been averted. Certainly the fact that there was no disaster takes the edge off the story, but we already know what can happen when teenagers don't get the attention they need.
   
   I enjoyed the main story as well as the chapters on science and the Boy Scouts. Silverstein describes how radium-based products were sold in the early 20th century as tonics, lotions, and even suppositories, to improve one's health. He recalls filmstrips (remember?) and pamphlets that cheerfully told us to "duck and cover" in the event of a nuclear explosion. He uses a hilarious passage from P.G. Wodehouse to illustrate a common view of the Boy Scouts in their early days.
   
   Although I share most of Silverstein's opinions on federal government, the nuclear power industry, the Boy Scouts, and inattentive parents, I think the story would have been more effective if he had left his editorial comments out. Describing David's father as "pathologically oblivious" is unnecessary. True, but unnecessary.



4. I found this book to be an enjoyable quick read. The science was well explained for those who don't know about nuclear physics and chemistry. There was a good progression of the story with interruptions that you wanted to read to get the background science information on what exactly David was doing. I think everyone should read this book to get a realistic view of how people can have an influence on one life. I will digress a great deal if I start to point out the many life lessons packed into this book so I'll just leave with a recommendation. Read not to get a balanced viewpoint for we all have our slants; read to get another viewpoint and figure out what you are going to do with that new perspective.



5. The *story* is very interesting, but the author repeatedly annoyed me. As others have said, if he had stuck to the story, the book would have been much, much shorter. There was some useful background information about nuclear history and research, but there was also absolutely useless information thrown in as well. [...].
   
   The author was also rather condescending toward David (the boy), his parents, and virtually anyone else who knew him, it seemed. I felt bad for David in particular. The author clearly interviewed him and got to know him somewhat, then he took quotations and used them in ways that David didn't intend for them to sound. And the general tone toward David seemed rather uncharitable. I think he realized this and tried to remedy it a bit in the epilogue, but it doesn't undo the rest of the book. I think that a better author could have conveyed the obvious, that David needed better direction, without the condescending tone.
   
   In the end, I'm definitely glad that I read the book, but I find the author distasteful. I would have preferred to have read the book from someone who left less of their own personality stamped on the story. I would definitely like to know what David is doing now. He should start a blog.

5 comments about Isaac Newton.

1. How can you sum up the life of Newton in roughly 190 pages. This is nothing but a pamphlet of one of the greatest lives of discovery the world has ever known. If your IQ is below 130 and you are looking for good reading go for it, but if you need meat and deeper substance about Newton, this is not where you look.



2. This book is comprehensive in addressing the themes of Newton's life, though the introversion of the subject limits the detail which the author could provide. More simply stated, this book is well versed and written, so enjoy!



3. I really wish I had liked this book, but I didn't.
   First thing that I noticed is the small volume, I had just read IKE's bio by Ambrose and in comparison this book seemed more like a brochure than an inclusive biographical work.
   What I hated the most was the style. Too pompous for my taste, the author gets in lengthy descriptions on the period and the landscape that surrounded Newton while only giving Isaac himself a mere sentence here and there. I think the author was trying to appeal to a public that doesn't know who Newton was and did, and therefore finds it appropriate to remind us, on multiple occasions that 'yes, Newton is the one that invented calculus and before him there was darkness'. I gave the book away to somebody that could appreciate it, hopefully. Fortunately now I know not to buy "Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman" by the same author, I would have been much more upset to read it instead of this book since I've been a Feynman fan for years.
   Numerous repetition in the descriptions of the era and in the contributions on Newton, I could not force myself to keep on reading. I do not consider this book a serious read, not on the subject Isaac Newton anyway.



4. The shape of the world we live in has been mostly determined by a few hundred people. Newton is one of those. This is a concise, readable, entertaining bio of one of history's really great thinkers. Anyone who uses gravity should read it.



5. Most of the reviews of this book seem to be reviews of Newton, not the book. To be sure, Newton is one of the most influential scientists who ever lived, but that is not the point. Rather, the point is how good is this book? I liked the book, but not as much as I had hoped to. I found the book to be somewhat flat and un-exciting, the same impression it gives of Newton's life. There are areas of Newton's life that could have been presented more dramatically, most specifically his conflict with Robert Hooke. The author paints Hooke as one of those people who claim to have done everything before anyone else. In this book, he is depicted as a blowhard, but in other accounts his claims are given much more weight. (For instance, see "The Scientists" by John Gribbin.) Another point of contention is exactly how indispensable was Newton. Had he not lived, how long would it have taken for others to discover what he did? Being a biography of Newton, it is not surprising that he is painted as being indispensable. Again, this is a point of contention, not hinted at in this book. Much of what Newton did was also done by others (calculus was developed at the same time by Leibniz and it is his version that we use today, not Newton's). Newton could not have formulated gravity without the work of Kepler, Galileo, and Descartes. Gribbin believes that within a decade of Newton's death others could have used this same background to develop "Newton's laws". The point is not whether Gleick or Gribbin is right, but that Gleick does not even acknowledge that this controversy exists.
   
   All in all, the book lays out the scope of Newton's life (including the fact that he spent much of the latter part of his life as an alchemist), but in a rather unexciting manner. The important areas of controversy, which aim to evaluate Newton's position in the pantheon of great scientists, are not even broached. I think that such a discussion would have enriched the book and broadened the outlook of the reader, so that Newton would not be just "the man", but rather a man among many.

5 comments about Dancing Naked in the Mind Field.

1. My conclusion upon reading this book is that the author somehow, by some miracle, stumbled upon something at the right time and the right place that enabled him to win the Nobel Prize. Certainly, there's nothing in this book to suggest he has the wit, the discipline, or the creativity to be a successful garbageman, let alone a scientist. His contempt for ethics, in particular, is troublesome.
   
   I write this as a scientist (and a surfer) who grew up in the same part of the world that Mr. Mullis did. Lord, what an embarrassment.



2. This is a great book. I keep getting a copy and giving it away. You may not agree with his views, but he does make you think. Science has been compromised by dollar signs, and that includes "environmentalists", who make a lot of money studying "global warming."
   
   To bad our schools do not teach, what science truly is or people wouldn't have blind faith in "global warming." "Where has science gone?" is a good chapter in the book.Kary is not politically correct, which is why some people hate him.
   
   This book is so funny. I love the part where he gets bitten by a brown recluse spider. To avoid amputation he begs his doctor friend for help. The cure is in the book. Kary is gutsy and brave.
   
   The story about his chemical experiments that nearly blinded his grandma were hilarious. If you don't think this book is funny, you are definitely taking life too seriously.
   
   Dr. Kary has two qualities I love in a person: a sense of humor and intelligence. He is also creative and thinks for himself. Dr. Kary, write another book soon.



3. I can dig it. The world can use more people like Mr. Mullis.
   
   He will tick you off.
   
   The part that bugs me are the contradictions. Global warming is junk science...yet astrology, the astral plain and ESP are fields that warrant more serious research. Riiiiiight.
   
   In general, I think Mr. Mullis is a thoroughly honest, imperfect man that has done a lot of great work to help mankind. That's about the best anyone can do.



4. This is just a great read from cover to cover. Mullis can go on a rant now and then but they are fun to read. You do not have to be interested or educated in science to enjoy this book. I have given it repeatedly as a gift.



5. If it wasn't for a couple of hilarious anecdotes including the encounter with Swedish king and surfing episode after he got the Nobel prize, this would have been a very boring book with a title "Rambling of a rummie with a PhD". Mullis is eager to share his opinion on almost anythng and he should stick to surfing and molecular biology as he is not doing too good with almost anything else. He should have hired a decent ghostwriter as his writing is still "work in progress". And it was so easy to notice that his effort dwindled down in last couple of "chapters" that it became pathetic at times. Better luck with his next book, but I am definitely not going to read it.

5 comments about Newton's Gift: How Sir Isaac Newton Unlocked the System of the World.

1. Why this throwaway book exists is anyone's guess. Maybe Free Press was being told to publish conservative authors. Maybe Berlinski had a contract to write a book in record time. Whatever the reason, there's no reason for the average reader to bother with it.
   
   As popular science history, it fails miserably. The science is too math-dense to be understandable by the average numerophobic reader. Worse, the book doesn't provide enough cultural/intellectual context for the average reader to appreciate Newton's huge scientific achievements. Even as Vanity Fair-style biography, the book barely gets a passing grade. We do learn tidbits about Newton: He may have been gay! He had a mania for Biblical esoterica! He had an authoritarian streak! Unfortunately, the writing is too rushed and the narrative too lacking in texture and detail to communicate a feel for the life of a great man and the age he lived in.
   
   Bottomline: "Newton's Gift" has too much math to be read at the beach yet too little substance to be worthy of serious study. Not recommended.



2. The author did a marvelous job in trying to explain and simplify great mathematical concepts in order to be understood by a "normal" person.
   
   The book also shows that Newton, although a man with one of the most powerful minds in history, was still a human, with very "pedestrian" weaknesses. That only enhance the greatnes of the man.
   
   The book is very fast to read, and a great companion in the metro



3. Newton's Gift: How Sir Isaac Newton Unlocked the System of the World, written by David Berlinski, is a very informative novel that seems to let you see views of the world through Newton's eyes. While it was very informative and showed great appreciation for Newton's accomplishments, the author tends to ramble. While talking about one topic, he will go off on a tangent for quite a while, before going back to his original topic. The author tries to be funny, but often assumes what was taking place at certain times in Newton's life. He might mention what the weather was probably like or pointless details about how Newton was probably sitting in his bed reading with the window closed to keep out the cold air.
   
   Berlinski does cover important aspects of Newton's life and discoveries. He mentions his influences and inspirations, ranging from being struck on the held by an apple, to Euclid and Descartes, whose works spurred his imagination. Also, Berlinski covers what was going on in the world of science during the time period that Newton was making his famous discoveries and working diligently on new ideas. The author also explores challenges that Newton faced, as well as adversaries that tried to stand in his way or beat him to his goal. Since Sir Isaac Newton, scientific history has changed and has not been the same. Berlinski talks about how Newton's Principa has affected the scientific community, and helped it evolve into how it is today.



4. Personally, I am infuriated when an author deliberately writes obtusely to show off how "artsy" he is, or how vast a vocabulary he has. The author here does that throughout this book. Here's one example- "the halter of specificity has been imposed on heretofore disorderly concepts."
   
   My other strong objection to this book is how the author takes an active voice asserting his own (incorrect, in my opinion) philosophy. He does this in numerous ways in numerous places throughout the book. For example, he indicates Aristotle's philosophy as something that Newton needed to overcome, instead of recognizing Aristotle's role as the originator of the scientific method. As another example, the author states that Newton's religion, Arianism is "heresy." He says this despite the fact he admits that Newton kept his religious views to himself. How did the author determine Newton's religion? For that matter how did the author determine anything? The book has no bibliography, much less footnotes.
   
   Finally even Newton's scientific work is undercut by the author's poor views on this subject. For example, the author sees an arbitrariness in the fact that Newton's laws "favor" a straight line. The author asks "why a straight line?" and claims Newton had no answer.



5. David Berlinski's portrayal of Isaac Newton is very informative. In his note to the reader Berlinski explains that the goal of his retelling of Newton's story is to give the reader a sense of Newton without becoming tedious and getting caught up in the mundane. This book sheds light onto influential factors in Newton's career and the adversity that he had to overcome within the scientific community. The math explaining Newton's concepts and conclusions about science is relatively simple and easy to understand for people who don't have a doctorate in physics, which is quite welcome to the average person. Berlinski also endeavors into Newton's personal life as well as his close friendships and bitter rivals. These personal interactions shed some light as to Newton's temperament and personality quirks that succeed in Berlinski's goal to inform the reader about Newton, not just Newton's ideas and discoveries. All in all a good read.

5 comments about Never Suck A Dead Man's Hand: Curious Adventures of a CSI.

1. This woman is quite adorable. I found myself surprised at how, even though I picked the book up because I like crime nonfiction, I found it wasn't really a story about crime work at all. Some of the stories were very amusing but the deeper understanding I carried away was what a funny life it is. I greatly enjoyed the story of her parent's reaction to her crime stories and them not wanting to visit her work. I enjoyed the stories about her getting quite a rude introduction to being a crime worker who isn't a police officer and I loved the story of her sneaking home to take care of her dogs and accidentally pressing the panic button that allowed the whole department to hear her dog cooing. If you are looking for a hardcore crime solving book then this might be a little soft for you. If you're looking for a story of how ridiculous the actuality of crime is through the eyes of a quirky young mom then this is probably right up your alley.



2. Dana Kollman is hilarious, and very to the point. True forensics is nothing like it is on TV. Please read this if you are considering! Stories can be somewhat nauseating, don't read during dinner like I did.



3. I LOVED every part of this book. It's fantastically written and incredibly entertaining from start to finish. She has a way with words and is an excellent story teller! She was also my Forensics Professor at Towson University, so I may be a bit biased but I still think that this is probably one of the most entertaining books I've read in a long time.



4. Irreverent (only because we attach such hushed tones to death) and extremely informative for those of us who have only learned about death's aftermath from CSI, Ms. Kollman's book resonates with the writer's personality. It is to be hoped that the relatives and friends of the deceaseds mentioned in the book do not take umbrage with the light-hearted style of Never Suck A Dead Man's Hand. Once or twice I thought the humor was carefully cultured. This is a really useful handbook for writers, beginner CSI operatives or even those who simply like learning about the technical difficulties of collecting evidence from the dead.



5. This book is going to make a celebrity out of Dr. Kollmann. I can see her on Letterman or The Tonight Show, getting the best of both hosts. This book is possibly the best book I have ever read. If you want to know how the real CSIs work and sweat under terrible conditions, give it a shot. Yes, it is gorey and crass and downright hilarious, but as you finish the book, you realize that all crime fighters have an inner sense of what is right and wrong, and although they joke about the filth and gore and death, they are still very sensitive to the families that are victims of horrible crimes. If you choose not to read this book, you will miss a chance of a lifetime. Look for Dana Kollmann on the talk show circuit. It is bound to happen.

5 comments about Driving Mr. Albert: A Trip Across America with Einstein's Brain.

1. ...I must report with envy that I had to keep inturrupting the story to comment on how very much I was enjoying the writing. I rank this craftsman on a level with Charlie Pellegrino and David Guterson. I also publish and edit and I'm a wrtiting coach so I don't have a lot of read time these days, but this is one writer I brake for. The odd characters pop right off the page and run around the room and get you to thinking, "but don't I know this guy?"...and make you realize that they are living people just like Uncle Jake and grandad, and perhaps in some of the same ways, and this is what a really good wrtiter does-- make you see your own life with clarity. You drive this book like the author drove the car with the tupperware treasure (?) in the trunk, and the country materializes outside the windshield and in the diverse living-rooms where they sat and shared meals with typical Americans... all different, all slightly dysfunctional or dissatisfied or disturbing, again, like life... and the various aspects of living and questioning and trying and losing take form, with this journey as the alarm-clock, the wake-up call. Read it and don't be in so much of a hurry.



2. I first picked up this book about three years ago, but with so little time to read, it just sat on my overcrowded bookshelf. I always joke to friends that I am a Book Buyer, not a Book Reader, and as a result my shelves are full of interesting tales just waiting for my life to slow down a bit so I can enjoy them.
   
   I regret that I let this one sit idle for so long!
   
   As a writer myself, I always appreciate a fresh story, and it has been a long time since I read a book that was this original. What began as an article in Harper's Weekly has been magnificently transformed into a real page-turner.
   
   Author Michael Paterniti became interested in a story, an urban legend actually, about a pathologist named Dr. Thomas Harvey who was charged with performing Albert Einstein's autopsy and subsequently absconded with the genius's brain in 1955. For over 40 years, he has been preparing a study on his specimen, causing controversy at every turn. At best, some believe he is unqualified for such an important scientific task. At worst, he is accused of stealing something that did not rightfully belong to him.
   
   Eventually Michael tracks him down, they become friends, of sorts, and ultimately embark on a road trip from New Jersey to California to meet with Einstein's granddaughter Evelyn.
   
   The unlikely pair begin the cross-country journey of a lifetime, visiting museums and friends along the way, taking in the scenery, and trying to figure each other out. Michael is at a crossroads in his relationship with girlfriend Sara, and he uses the time to think about what she means to him, what their future might hold, and what he really wants out of life.
   
   They stop at a strange cement sculpture museum called the Garden of Eden, created by "American maverick" Samuel Perry Dinsmoor. The museum's deceased founder's body is the grand finale of their tour, as they are led into a dark mausoleum with a coffin specially designed by Dinsmoor himself.
   
   Michael and Dr. Harvey also stop at the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library & Museum, and a small place called the Bradbury Science Museum in Los Alamos, site of the infamous Manhattan Project that developed the atomic bomb.
   
   I was struck by Michael's observation that "The museum...is most glaringly defined by what its curators seem to have forgotten about the bomb." He goes on to describe how the exhibits never mention the Enola Gay, the horrific aftermath of the explosions, or the scores of Japanese civilian casualties. It made me think about how powerful we curators are as the "editors" of history, how what we choose to leave out is sometimes as important as what we choose to include.
   
   At times, the book is a bit repetitive, especially when the duo repeatedly orders their food in some slice of Americana diner, or when Dr. Harvey yet again dismisses Michael's request to see the brain for himself. But such episodes are not common in the pages of this book. (At times, the scientific explanations were a bit over this historian's head, but that is to be expected from someone who never set foot in a physics class - not even in high school!)
   
   Seamlessly woven into the story, the author shares biographical snapshots of Einstein's life, insights from people who knew Dr. Harvey, and all kinds of tidbits to delight the trivia aficionado.
   
   Michael's sense of humor really resonates. His writing style is readable, yet full of depth. His similes are original and his words are fresh. I wholeheartedly agree with the Boston Globe, who wrote, "In a world in which it seems that all the good ideas have been taken, it is singular."
   
   I couldn't put it down. I'm only sorry I didn't pick it up sooner!



3. In Walter Isaacson's new biography, Einstein: His Life and Universe, he recommends Driving Mr. Albert: A Trip Across America with Einstein's Brain by Michael Paterniti. This book is filled with interesting facts, great observations, but above all, it's a fun read. Driving Mr. Albert reminds me of the oddball travelogues I've come to enjoy written by Tony Horwitz (Confederates in the Attic, Blue Latitudes, etc.).
   
   When Einstein died in Princeton Hospital in 1955, the pathologist who performed the autopsy, Dr. Thomas Harvey, took the brain for himself. He did it without the permission of the family, but when it was discovered, the family allowed him to keep the brain provided that any results were to be published in scientific journals. Harvey rationalized his actions by saying that he wanted to research the brain to discover the key to Einstein's brilliance. Unfortunately, Harvey was not a neurologist and didn't really have the knowledge to perform a proper study of any brain, let alone Einstein's. He gave out parcels of the brain to various scientists, but until many decades after Einstein's death, nothing definitive was able to be determined. In the meantime, Harvey switched jobs, moved around the country, and all the while, he kept Einstein's brain with him.
   
   A young writer, Michael Paterniti, became fascinated by the story of the brain and befriended Thomas Harvey when the doctor was 85 years old. Harvey mentioned that he'd like to travel to California to meet Evelyn Einstein, Einstein's step-granddaughter. So Paterniti volunteered to be his chauffeur, and they set out from New Jersey with pieces of Einstein's brain in tow. The main story is not the destination but the things that happen along the way. Some of the stops (like Los Alamos) have ties to Einstein, while others (Las Vegas) do not. Throughout the journey, Dr. Harvey remains almost as much of a mystery as the brain. Not only does he not reveal any secrets, but he is also reluctant to show the brain to Paterniti. Paterniti hopes for a glimpse of the brain--perhaps when Harvey falls asleep. He writes "I want to touch the brain. Yes, I've admitted it. I want to hold it, coddle it, measure its weight in my palm...Does it feel like tofu, sea urchin, bologna? What exactly? And what does that desire make me? One of the legion of relic freaks?"
   
   Driving Mr. Albert is a great compliment to Isaacson's more serious and in-depth biography. Paterniti writes that "having Einstein's brain in the trunk rearranges the way you see everything." Reading Mr. Paterniti will rearrange the way you perceive Albert Einstein.



4. As Paterniti remarks in the prologue to the book, "Desire is a tricky thing." It can make even the most mundane activity the first step in a journey of unimaginable unraveling discovery, or it can just simply prolong the mundane. When a stalled career and a dissolving romantic situation left the author in a state of malaise and boredom, he was willing to try anything just to break the stagnation. What better cure, when the opportunity bizarrely presented itslef, than to take a cross country drive with the doctor who had performed the autopsy on Albert Einstein and who had absconded with the great scientist's brain; that the brain was still in the possession of this doctor and would make the same road trip, only made the desire more pronounced.
   
   Thus was the unlikely partnership of Michael Paterniti, Dr. Thomas Harvey and Albert Einstein's pickled brain formed. Ostensibly, the purpose of this trip was so that Dr. Harvey could present what was left of Einstein's brain (there had been numerous pieces and bits sent out to brain experts over the years) to the scientist's granddaughter who was living at the time in Berkeley; and in performing this hadj, perhaps, absolve himself from all the criticism and guilt that Harvey had been living with ever since the autopsy. In spite of some very interesting characters encountered along the road (William Burroughs, literally on his last legs, makes a cameo appearance) the trip never lived up to a life transforming event for the three pilgrims, and slowly dwindled into the realm of the mundane: motels, greasy meals, and endless stretches of road, the by-products of any cross country drive.
   
   Because even the most bizarre situation (like driving across America with Einstein's brain sloshing around in a Tupperware container) is only a temporary reprieve from the mundane, any book describing such freakish events shares the same danger. The book reads something like a Seinfeld episode, where nothing really happens but is so well presented that the audience is enthralled nevertheless. Paterniti has a nice style and in some descriptions even reaches the poetic, and throughout the book manages to keep the reader's interest. I don't, however, share some of the reviewers positive opinions of the author as a "travel writer." Paterniti makes too many mistakes. For example, he describes approaching Santa Fe, NM as zagging "through saguaro and scrub, in the shadow of the Jemez Mountains." Apparently the author and his editors need to do some research. There is not a saguaro anywhere (except maybe in a desert museum) on I-40, and the Jemez Mountains form the western backdrop for Santa Fe, not the eastern. Then again, this book deals quite a bit with relativity and just perhaps ....



5. This book is first of all a research project of Albert Einstein and second a biography of Mr Harvey who saved Albert's brain for over 40 years. Then it's a memoir and philosophical rant of the author's feelings toward his girfriend Sara. The travel came in fourth as a backdrop to all of the above. Still, it's a very good read with a unique angle.
   
   The book is well-written and well researched but at times during the read the author jumps from present to future or even the past and throws the reader off course. He'll write about a conversation with Harvey in the car and then jump with something like "after this trip I did some research on what Harvey said and discovered that..." which was unnecessary for the reader. It kept me from truly experiencing the STORY of the trip with Einstein's brain. He should have kept those comments for the end of the story.
   
   I learned a lot about Einstein from reading this book, though. I learned that Einstein had little respect for women and had therefore trouble keeping a relationship. He had an illigitimate child. He seemed self-absorbed. And what truly fascinated me was how much Einstein was hounded by the FBI, both while alive and also post mortem. But how could a man with some proclaimed genius be so scatter-brained? He died at the age of 76 with signs of dymensia. His brain only weighed 2.7 pounds, which is no means a record.
   
   I was hoping this book would be more of a travelogue, obviously, because I love traveling, both vicariously and in reality. On the first day together on the road with Mr Harvey, there is very little description of the landscape passing the passengers by. The New Jersey Turnpike gets mentioned on page 32, Philadelphia on page 39, The Susquehanna River on page 40, Columbus, OH on page 44, and the Indiana-Illinois border on page 59 as "two states conjoined like Siamese twins." If you haven't traveled I-70 as often as I have, then all this means nothing to you because nothing more gets mentioned of the surroundings during the trip. Those places are merely mentioned to pinpoint the reader on a map.
   
   Things do wrap up better once the two reach Kansas and the trip really begins from there to California.