Science: general issues Books
Princeton University Press Lowly Origin Where When and Why Our Ancestors
Book SynopsisExplains the sources and consequences of bipedalism. Following the evolution of two-legged creatures from our earliest lowly forebears, this book concludes with future options for the last surviving biped.Trade Review"[A] remarkable new book... [I]n Kingdon we find a primate who is unafraid to give the establishment a good hard shake, and whose keen powers of observation and reasoning make him impossible to summarily dismiss... Indeed so packed with novel ideas is Lowly Origin that it presents us with a picture of human evolution quite unlike anything that has come before it."--Tim Flannery, New York Review of Books "Lowly Origin is brimming with information, insight, experience and speculation about how we became human... [A] comprehensive and evocative rendition of who we are and how we fit in to the natural world."--Donald Johanson, Los Angeles Times Book Review "Elegant and thoughtful... Jonathan Kingdon commands a unique position at the interface of science and art ... Whether or not [he] manages to convince you of his larger thesis, you will be provoked along the way by the many connections he makes. And just as important, Lowly Origin is a landmark for its thoroughness in integrating the story of human evolution (which he brings up to the present day) with that of the evolving landscapes and habitats of the African continent."--Ian Tattersall, Natural History "Lowly Origin ... provides much new food for thought for lay readers and specialists alike."--Osbjorn M. Pearson, Journal of Anthropological Research "Naturalist-artist Kingdon is well known for his books on African mammals and his beautiful illustrations of them... [This] book is well written and charmingly illustrated."--Choice "Every so often ... a new concept comes into being. In Lowly Origin, Jonathan Kingdon puts forward just such a new concept... Lowly Origin is full of insights and displays the profound knowledge of African geography and ecology that is the hallmark of all Kingdon's work."--Peter Andrews, Times Literary Supplement "Jonathan Kingdon is a subtle amalgam of artist and scientist. He has a deep and up-to-date knowledge of human prehistory, and of the topology and geography of Africa, the continent where most of human prehistory happened. But he is also our leading zoological artist, and I think it must be his artist's eye that gives his writing style its vividness... Kingdon is a wonderful example of a "Third Culture" writer: a scientist who communicated his original ideas to fellow scholars in books that can be read--and enjoyed--by any educated person."--Richard Dawkins, Times Literary Supplement "Lowly Origin is an evocative book that highlights one of the key factors that makes us human--our bipedality... Kingdon's writing is lucid and his illustrations are beautiful in showcasing just how this important component of human evolution took place... A must read. A must have."--Ann Haley MacKenzie, American Biology Teacher "Jonathan Kingdon is ... singularly well equipped to cast an eye over the thorny problem of human origins... Kingdon has read widely and wisely... [He] does not claim to have found the answer to human origins. The real message of the book is the rich contextual evidence it provides. Wise students of human evolutionary history would be well advised to think carefully about that message."--Bernard Wood, Bioscience "There are people who will authoritatively disagree ... however, any subsequent account will have to parry Kingdon's version with equally explicit consideration of ... equally vivid pictures of ways of life."--Alison Jolly, London Review of Books
£37.80
Princeton University Press Plasma Physics for Astrophysics
Book SynopsisIntroduces plasma physics from the ground up, presenting it as a comprehensible field that can be grasped largely on the basis of physical intuition and qualitative reasoning, similar to other fields of physics. This book is intended for graduate students as well as for working astrophysicists.Trade Review"Any graduate student or researcher interested in plasma physics, in either the laboratory or in astrophysics, should consider adding this book to their library."--D.B. Melrose, Australian Physics "Plasma Physics for Astrophysics will have a life beyond the classroom as a reliable friend and trusted consultant on the shelf and in the hands of the practicing astrophysicist."--Physics Today
£78.20
Princeton University Press Evolutionary Ecology of Parasites Second Edition
Book SynopsisParasites have become a powerful model system for the study of ecology and evolution, with practical applications in disease prevention. This work presents an evolutionary framework for the study of parasite biology, combining theory with empirical examples for a broader understanding of why parasites are as they are and do what they do.Trade Review"What a wonderful book! ... I can heartily recommend this volume for all parasitologists, regardless of their specific research interests, and whether students or teachers. I would also strongly recommend this book for the 'non-parasite' ecologist and evolutionary biologist because it will provide them with a concise picture of how parasites fit into the general scheme of ecology and evolution, something about which they really should know a lot, but many times do not! Poulin does, and explains it well."--Gerald Esch, Journal of ParasitologyTable of ContentsPreface ix Chapter 1 Introduction 1 1.1 The Evolutionary Ecology Approach 2 1.2 Scope and Overview 4 Chapter 2 Origins of Parasitism and Complex Life Cycles 8 2.1 Transitions to Parasitism 8 2.2 Specialization of Parasites 11 2.3 Complex Life Cycles: Historical Contingency or Adaptation? 14 2.3.1 Increases in Life-Cycle Complexity 14 2.3.2 Abbreviation of Complex Life Cycles 21 2.4 Evolutionary Consequences of Complex Life Cycles 25 2.4.1 Transmission and Infection 26 2.4.2 Sexual Reproduction 35 2.5 Conclusion 40 Chapter 3 Host Specificity 41 3.1 Measuring Host Specificity 41 3.2 Host-Parasite Coevolution and Host Specificity 48 3.2.1 Macroevolutionary Patterns 48 3.2.2 Microevolutionary Processes 54 3.3 Determinants of Host Specificity 60 3.4 Observed Patterns of Host Specificity 63 3.5 Conclusion 69 Chapter 4 Evolution of Parasite Life-History Strategies 70 4.1 Phenotypic Plasticity and Adaptation 71 4.2 Parasite Body Size 73 4.2.1 Changes in Size as Adaptations to Parasitism 73 4.2.2 Correlates of Body Size 79 4.2.3 Sexual Size Dimorphism in Parasites 85 4.3 Parasite Age at Maturity 87 4.4 Egg Production in Parasites 88 4.4.1 Correlates of Fecundity 89 4.4.2 Trade-offs and Strategies of Egg Production 90 4.5 Conclusion 95 Chapter 5 Strategies of Host Exploitation 96 5.1 The Evolution of Virulence 97 5.1.1 The Theory 98 5.1.2 Empirical Tests 102 5.2 Parasitic Castration and Host Gigantism 110 5.3 Manipulation of Host Behavior by Parasites 114 5.3.1 Adaptive Manipulation? 115 5.3.2 Evolution of Host Manipulation 121 5.3.3 Host Manipulation in a Multispecies Context 126 5.4 Manipulation of Host Sex Ratio by Parasites 130 5.5 Conclusion 132 Chapter 6 Parasite Aggregation: Causes and Consequences 134 6.1 Measuring Parasite Aggregation 135 6.1.1 Indices of Aggregation 135 6.1.2 Problems with the Measurement of Aggregation 139 6.2 Natural Patterns of Aggregation 141 6.3 Causes of Aggregation 144 6.4 Consequences of Aggregation 150 6.4.1 Effective Population Size and Genetic Diversity 151 6.4.2 Sex Ratio 154 6.4.3 Macroevolutionary Phenomena 158 6.5 Conclusion 159 Chapter 7 Parasite Population Dynamics and Genetics 160 7.1 Models of Parasite Population Dynamics 161 7.2 Density-Dependent Regulation 166 7.3 Selected Examples of Population Studies 172 7.3.1 The Cestode Bothriocephalus acheilognathi 172 7.3.2 The Nematode Cystidicola cristivomeri 173 7.3.3 The Nematode Cystidicoloides tenuissima 174 7.3.4 The Acanthocephalan Acanthocephalus tumescens 175 7.4 Patterns of Parasite Abundance 177 7.5 Genetic Structure of Parasite Populations 179 7.6 Conclusion 186 Chapter 8 Interactions between Species and the Parasite Niche 188 8.1 Numerical Responses to Competition 189 8.2 The Parasite Niche 194 8.3 Functional Responses to Competition 195 8.4 Evolutionary Niche Restriction 203 8.5 Conclusion 207 Chapter 9 Parasite Infracommunity Structure 209 9.1 Species Richness of Infracommunities 210 9.2 Nestedness in Infracommunities 215 9.3 Species Associations among Infracommunities 220 9.4 Species Recruitment and Infracommunity Structure 224 9.5 Species Abundance and Biomass in Infracommunities 227 9.6 Conclusion 231 Chapter 10 Component Communities and Parasite Faunas 233 10.1 Richness and Composition of Component Communities 234 10.2 Evolution of Parasite Faunas 241 10.3 Species Richness of Parasite Faunas 245 10.4 Biogeography of Parasite Diversity 253 10.5 Host Specificity and the Composition of Parasite Faunas 257 10.6 Conclusion 260 Chapter 11 Conclusion 262 11.1 Environmental Changes and Parasite Evolutionary Ecology 263 11.2 Parasite Control and Parasite Evolutionary Ecology 265 11.3 Future Directions 267 References 271 Index 325
£63.00
Princeton University Press The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein Volume 9.
Book SynopsisSet in the turbulent post-World War I period, this volume finds Einstein awaiting news of the 1919 British eclipse expedition to test the general relativistic prediction of the deflection of starlight by the sun. It reveals facets of Einstein as he constructively participated in German and European scientific, academic, and cultural life.Trade Review"This is a real treat. The letters in the latest, brilliantly edited volume of his correspondence here were written around the time the 40-year-old Einstein blossomed from superstar physicist to global celebrity almost overnight, after his general relativity theory was apparently verified. It is fascinating to read how he coped with sudden hounding by press"riff-raff,' with scoffing anti-Semitic critics, as well as divorce, remarriage and his mother's death. What an extraordinary time, what revealing correspondence."--Graham Farmelo, New Scientist
£55.80
Princeton University Press On Gaia A Critical Investigation of the
Book SynopsisTrade Review"Tyrrell's story is very informative and the reader will learn many fascinating stories of an organism's adaptation to an environment (rather than an environment conforming to an organism's need)."--Jonathan DuHamel, Arizona Daily Independent "A systematic, dispassionate, retrospective examination of Gaia... Tyrrell makes it very clear where he stands on Gaia, but the path of his journey is well reasoned--not a diatribe."--William Schlesinger, Nature Climate Change "It is timely to present a systematic review of how Gaia theory looks in the light of ... new information. Not too well is Toby Tyrrell's conclusion in this clear summary of the evidence to date... Persuasive."--Jon Turney, Times Higher Education "In On Gaia: A Critical Investigation of the Relationship between Life and Earth, Dr. Toby Tyrrell, for the first time, conducts a lengthy analysis of the scientific data for and against the Gaia Hypothesis. He concludes that the Gaia Hypothesis does not have enough scientific data to support it. He write eloquently, clearly, and succinctly describing how the Gaia Hypothesis lacks sufficient scientific evidence... A fair and reflective analysis."--Gabriel Thoumi, MongaBay.com "Tyrrell examines alternative arguments about the long-term characteristics of the Earth, considering geological and coevolutionary effects. He provides a detailed examination of how and why the environment cannot be affected by natural selection and how diverse physical factors affect living things... Overall, a useful examination of the changing nature of Earth and the biologic/physical factors that affect the planet's organisms."--Choice "His theory is not as grandiose as Gaia, but it is far more compelling. The conclusion is worth reading by itself if you are pushed for time, but for those who really want a good insight into Gaia in the context of natural systems, I would recommend reading the whole book."--Gillian Gibson, Environmentalist "If you've had your curiosity piqued by the Gaia Hypothesis before, you'll appreciate this well-organized and comprehensive assessment of it. Tyrrell doesn't have an axe to grind, and his discussion is fair and focused on the evidence. If you want to grapple with Gaia, this book is a good way to do it."--Scott K. Johnson, ArsTechnica "One third of this well argued book consists of end notes, many of which are as readable as the main text. By questioning the arguments for and against the Gaia hypothesis, Tyrrell has done a great service to enriching the ongoing discourse on making our planet hospitable for all life forms, now and in the future."--Sudhirendar Sharma, Cover Drive "On Gaia is a rewarding read for the knowledgeable reader. The book is an easy read and accessible to a broad audience. Unlike some science books intended for popular audiences, the book is sophisticated enough to keep the interest of graduate students."--GeoQ "It is ... Valuable for a variety of reasons: as a good natural history brief; as a good introduction to modern ecology (the one that considers the biota as a whole); and as a cautious reflection on what makes a theory gain or lose respectability. Therefore, it will be useful at different academic levels, from teaching at secondary school (it is an excellent starting point for serious debate) to highly specialized climate scientists."-- Chemical EngineerTable of ContentsPreface ix 1. Gaia, the Grand Idea 1 2. Good Citizens or Selfish Genes? 14 3. Life at the Edge: Lessons from Extremophiles 47 4. Temperature Paces Life 67 5. Icehouse Earth 88 6. Given Enough Time ... 113 7. Evolutionary Innovations and Environmental Change 130 8. A Stable or an Unstable World? 145 9. The Puzzle of Life's Long Persistence 171 10. Conclusions 199 Notes 219 Further Reading 273 References 277 Acknowledgments 299 Index 301
£33.25
Princeton University Press Volta Science and Culture in the Age of
Book SynopsisSets us within the cosmopolitan cultures of Enlightenment Europe to tell the story of Alessandro Volta - the brilliant man whose name is forever attached to electromotive force. This work depicts Volta as an inventor who used his international network of acquaintances to further his quest to harness the power of electricity.Trade Review"This is by far the best book about Volta in English... It is contextual, unawed, and enriched by new manuscript material. It is also far more than just a biography. Based on this study of one individual's electrical activities, Pancaldi makes general arguments about the culture of science at the end of the Enlightenment."--Patricia Fara, Times Literary Supplement "In this detailed and ambitious book, Volta's life and the fascinating and complicated patterns that led to the battery are beautifully described... Every chapter has an interesting and original thesis, shows detailed and painstaking knowledge of manuscripts and adds to our knowledge of Volta and his time."--Fabio Bevilacqua, American Scientist "An insightful chronicle of an individual genius riding global tides of cultural transformation... A fascinating mix of science and biography."--Booklist "Giuliano Pancaldi's engaging book contributes substantially to a reappraisal of the sciences of the Enlightenment, as well as providing a wealth of information about Volta's life and accomplishments... [I]t is an impressive accomplishment that significantly advances the historiography of the sciences in enlightened Europe."--Jan Golinski, American Historical Review "This is a remarkable study of Alessandro Volta's science of electricity in its social and cultural context, one that adds significantly to the scholarship on Enlightenment science and technology. The first monograph on Volta to appear in English, it offers an in-depth contextual analysis of his experimental practice founded on Guiliano Pancaldi's detailed knowledge of the sources."--Massimo Mazzotti, Technology and Culture "This is by far the best book about Volta in English... It is also far more than just a biography. Based on this study of one individual's electrical activities, Pancaldi makes general arguments about the culture of science at the end of the enlightenment."--Patricia Fara, Chemical Heritage "Giuliano Pancaldi's study of Alessandro Volta reveals the vast international trade in scientific knowledge that, by the end of the eighteenth century, had transformed the promotion of experiment. Pancaldi's treatment of Volta as a major figure in the revolutionary world of the late eighteenth century is an important addition to studies of a scientific public."--Larry Stewart, Business History ReviewTable of ContentsIllustrations xi Acknowledgments xiii Abbreviations xvii Introduction 1 Chapter 1 THE MAKING OF A NATURAL PHILOSOPHER From Amateur, to Expert, to Public Servant 7 The Town 9 The Family 12 Lifestyle 14 Education 15 "A More Enlightened Age" 19 Literary Interests 21 Views on Religion and Secularization 22 From Amateur, to Expert, to Public Servant 27 Emotional Life 33 Investigative Style 39 Conclusion 41 Chapter 2 ENLIGHTENMENT SCIENCE SOUTH OF THE ALPS The Italian Scientific Community in the Age of Volta 44 The Soil and the Institutions 48 The Scholars: Provenance and Fields of Interest 52 Prosopography 56 The Circulation of Enlightenment Literature 62 Views from the Outside 65 Conclusion 70 Chapter 3 THE ELECTROPHORUS Theory, Instrument Design, and the Social Uses of Scientific Apparatus 73 Fire, Magnetism, Electricity 76 "Vindicating Electricity" 83 Attraction and the Atmospheres 86 Disenchanted Theorist 90 Scientific Instruments and Their Social Uses 91 The Path to the Electrophorus 95 Instrument Design 100 Publicizing Discovery 104 Conclusion 108 Chapter 4 VOLTA'S SCIENCE OF ELECTRICITY Conception, Laboratory Work, and Public Recognition 110 Reluctant Theorist 110 Midrange Conceptualization and a New Machine: Capacity, Tension, "Actuation," and the Condensatore 112 Natural Philosopher or Inventor of Amusements Electriques? 121 Explanatory Models and Presentation Strategies: True Causes vs. Instrumentalism 125 Volta's Laboratory: Measuring Electricity 129 Volta on Coulomb 137 Conclusion 141 Chapter 5 THE COSMOPOLITAN NETWORK Volta and Communication among Experts in Late Enlightenment Europe 146 Overcoming Isolation 149 Exploring the Republic of Letters: The Neighborhoods 153 Facing the Peers: Paris in 1782 156 Anglophilia 160 Continental Europe and the German-Speaking Countries 164 After 1789 168 Conclusion 172 Chapter 6 THE BATTERY Invention, Instrumentalism, and Competitive Imitation 178 Galvanism, Electrometer in Hand 179 The Hunt for Weak Electricity 186 The Electricity of Animals 190 Nicholson's Contribution to Volta's Discovery 196 Building the Battery 202 Conclusion: Invention, Instrumentalism, and Competitive Imitation 207 Chapter 7 APPROPRIATING INVENTION The Reception of the Voltaic Battery in Europe 211 Spreading the News 212 Replicating the Instrument 221 Appropriating the Battery 224 A Name for All Purposes 246 From Philosophic Instrument to Patented Device 248 Conclusion 250 Chapter 8 THE SCIENTIST AS HERO Volta and the Uses of Past Science in the Industrial Era 257 Admitted to "Galileo's Tribune" 258 Secular Saint in the Positivist Calendar 259 "The Triumph of Science" 261 In the Nobel Laureates' Era 263 Conclusion 270 Chapter 9 CONCLUSION: SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND CONTINGENCY Enlightenment Legacies 273 Invention 273 "Useful Knowledge" and Unintended Consequences 275 "The Quantifying Spirit" 278 Investment 279 Value Assessments 280 Contingency 283 Enlightenment Legacies 286 Notes 291 Bibliography 337 Index 367
£37.80
Princeton University Press Hidden Worlds Hunting for Quarks in Ordinary
Book SynopsisThough the quarks that make science headlines are typically laboratory creations generated under extreme conditions, most quarks occur naturally. They reside in the protons and neutrons that make up almost all of the universe's known matter. This work explains what these quarks are, how they act, and why physicists believe in them.Trade Review"Smith gives us a series of extremely readable and well-chosen analogies to explain the science. His relaxed style makes for an enjoyable read... [A] useful addition to the popular literature on particle physics."--Alan Martin, New Scientist "Hidden Worlds is a satisfying account of the physics of quarks... Smith, a practicing nuclear physicist, conveys a clear picture of contemporary research and gives a well-articulated perspective from which to view modern nuclear and particle physics. Particularly noteworthy is the fine balance between the discussions of theory and experiment... Although the science background needed to understand the material is slight, this is a rather more sophisticated book than many popular accounts of modern physics... A thoughtful book for undergraduates or interested laypersons."--ChoiceTable of ContentsLIST OF FIGURES ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS xi CHAPTER ONE: Hidden Worlds: The Search for Quarks in Ordinary Matter 1 CHAPTER TWO: The Rise and Fall (for the right reasons) and Rise Again of the Quark Hypothesis 15 CHAPTER THREE: The Players and the Stage 33 CHAPTER FOUR: The Nature of the Evidence 51 CHAPTER FIVE: Measuring a Rainbow 68 CHAPTER SIX: Particle Taxonomy and Quark Soup 90 CHAPTER SEVEN: The Shape of Things 109 CHAPTER EIGHT: Three Quarks Plus 131 CHAPTER NINE: Digging a Little Deeper 148 CHAPTER TEN: A New Age of Exploration within the Hidden World 161 GLOSSARY 165 INDEX 175
£28.50
Princeton University Press Why Men Wont Ask for Directions The Seductions of Sociobiology
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£31.50
Princeton University Press Information Science
Book SynopsisFrom cell phones to Web portals, advances in information and communications technology have thrust society into an information age that is far-reaching, fast-moving, increasingly complex, and yet essential to modern life. Now, renowned scholar and author David Luenberger has produced Information Science, a text that distills and explains the most important concepts and insights at the core of this ongoing revolution. The book represents the material used in a widely acclaimed course offered at Stanford University. Drawing concepts from each of the constituent subfields that collectively comprise information science, Luenberger builds his book around the five E''s of information: Entropy, Economics, Encryption, Extraction, and Emission. Each area directly impacts modern information products, services, and technology--everything from word processors to digital cash, database systems to decision making, marketing strategy to spread spectrum communication.Trade ReviewWinner of the 2006 Award for Best Professional/Scholarly Book in Computer & Information Science, Association of American Publishers "This is a fascinating and enjoyable book to read. It is clear throughout the book that David Luenberger is an experienced teacher who has put careful thought into his writing. He wrote and uses this book for a course in the Dept. of Engineering--Economic Systems and Operations Research at Stanford University. The students range from sophomores to graduate students, and the book is very readable for students at all of these levels."--Susan Kelly, The UMAP JournalTable of ContentsPreface xiii Chapter 1: INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Themes of Analysis 2 1.2 Information Lessons 4 Part I: ENTROPY: The Foundation of Information Chapter 2: INFORMATION DEFINITION 9 2.1 A Measure of Information 10 2.2 The Definition of Entropy 12 2.3 Information Sources 14 2.4 Source Combinations 15 2.5 Bits as a Measure 16 2.6 About Claude E. Shannon 17 2.7 Exercises 18 2.8 Bibliography 19 Chapter 3: CODES 21 3.1 The Coding Problem 21 3.2 Average Code Length and Entropy 27 3.3 Shannon's First Theorem 30 3.4 Exercises 33 3.5 Bibliography 34 Chapter 4: COMPRESSION 35 4.1 Huffman Coding 35 4.2 Intersymbol Dependency 40 4.3 Lempel-Ziv Coding 44 4.4 Other Forms of Compression 48 4.5 Exercises 52 4.6 Bibliography 53 Chapter 5: CHANNELS 55 5.1 Discrete Channel 56 5.2 Conditional and Joint Entropies 57 5.3 Flipping a Channel 60 5.4 Mutual Information 62 5.5 Capacity* 65 5.6 Shannon's Second Theorem* 66 5.7 Exercises 68 5.8 Bibliography 69 Chapter 6: ERROR-CORRECTING CODES 70 6.1 Simple Code Concepts 71 6.2 Hamming Distance 73 6.3 Hamming Codes 75 6.4 Linear Codes 77 6.5 Low-Density Parity Check Codes 78 6.6 Interleaving 79 6.7 Convolutional Codes 80 6.8 Turbo Codes 82 6.9 Applications 83 6.10 Exercises 85 6.11 Bibliography 86 Summary of Part I 89 Part II: ECONOMICS: Strategies for Value Chapter 7: MARKETS 93 7.1 Demand 94 7.2 Producers 97 7.3 Social Surplus 99 7.4 Competition 100 7.5 Optimality of Marginal Cost Pricing 101 7.6 Linear Demand Curves 102 7.7 Copyright and Monopoly 103 7.8 Other Pricing Methods 107 7.9 Oligopoly 108 7.10 Exercises 111 7.11 Bibliography 113 Chapter 8: PRICING SCHEMES 114 8.1 Discrimination 114 8.2 Versions 116 8.3 Bundling 119 8.4 Sharing 124 8.5 Exercises 127 8.6 Bibliography 128 Chapter 9: VALUE 130 9.1 Conditional Information 131 9.2 Informativity and Generalized Entropy* 133 9.3 Decisions 135 9.4 The Structure of Value 135 9.5 Utility Functions* 139 9.6 Informativity and Decision Making* 140 9.7 Exercises 141 9.8 Bibliography 142 Chapter 10: INTERACTION 143 10.1 Common Knowledge 144 10.2 Agree to Disagree? 146 10.3 Information and Decisions 149 10.4 A Formal Analysis* 150 10.5 Metcalfe's Law 153 10.6 Network Economics* 155 10.7 Exercises 159 10.8 Bibliography 160 Summary of Part II 161 Part III: ENCRYPTION: Security through Mathematics Chapter 11: CIPHERS 165 11.1 Definitions 166 11.2 Example Ciphers 166 11.3 Frequency Analysis 169 11.4 Cryptograms 169 11.5 The Vigenere Cipher 171 11.6 The Playfair Cipher 174 11.7 Homophonic Codes 175 11.8 Jefferson's Wheel Cipher 176 11.9 The Enigma Machine 177 11.10 The One-Time Pad 181 11.11 Exercises 183 11.12 Bibliography 184 Chapter 12: CRYPTOGRAPHY THEORY 186 12.1 Perfect Security 186 12.2 Entropy Relations 188 12.3 Use of a One-Time Pad* 193 12.4 The DES and AES Systems 196 12.5 Exercises 197 12.6 Bibliography 198 Chapter 13: PUBLIC KEY CRYPTOGRAPHY 200 13.1 A Basic Dilemma 200 13.2 One-Way Functions 201 13.3 Discrete Logarithms 202 13.4 Diffie-Hellman Key Exchange 203 13.5 Modular Mathematics 205 13.6 Alternative Puzzle Solution 208 13.7 RSA 209 13.8 Square and Multiply* 211 13.9 Finding Primes* 213 13.10 Performance* 214 13.11 The Future 215 Appendix: The Extended Euclidean Algorithm 216 13.12 Exercises 217 13.13 Bibliography 218 Chapter 14: SECURITY PROTOCOLS 220 14.1 Digital Signatures 220 14.2 Blinded Signatures 223 14.3 Digital Cash 225 14.4 Identification 226 14.5 Zero-Knowledge Proofs 228 14.6 Smart Cards 231 14.7 Exercises 234 14.8 Bibliography 235 Summary of Part III 237 Part IV: EXTRACTION: Information from Data Chapter 15: DATA STRUCTURES 241 15.1 Lists 241 15.2 Trees 244 15.3 Traversal of Trees 247 15.4 Binary Search Trees (BST) 248 15.5 Partially Ordered Trees 252 15.6 Tries* 254 15.7 Basic Sorting Algorithms 255 15.8 Quicksort 257 15.9 Heapsort 260 15.10 Merges 261 15.11 Exercises 262 15.12 Bibliography 263 Chapter 16: DATABASE SYSTEMS 264 16.1 Relational Structure 264 16.2 Keys 267 16.3 Operations 267 16.4 Functional Dependencies 271 16.5 Normalization 271 16.6 Joins and Products* 277 16.7 Database Languages 279 16.8 Exercises 281 16.9 Bibliography 282 Chapter 17: INFORMATION RETRIEVAL 284 17.1 Inverted Files 285 17.2 Strategies for Indexing 287 17.3 Inverted File Compression* 291 17.4 Queries 293 17.5 Ranking Methods 294 17.6 Network Rankings 296 17.7 Exercises 299 17.8 Bibliography 299 Chapter 18: DATA MINING 301 18.1 Overview of Techniques 301 18.2 Market Basket Analysis 303 18.3 Least-Squares Approximation 306 18.4 Classification Trees 310 18.5 Bayesian Methods 314 18.6 Support Vector Machines 319 18.7 Other Methods 323 18.8 Exercises 325 18.9 Bibliography 327 Summary of Part IV 327 Part V: EMISSION: The Mastery of Frequency Chapter 19: FREQUENCY CONCEPTS 331 19.1 The Telegraph 334 19.2 When Dots Became Dashes 335 19.3 Fourier Series 338 19.4 The Fourier Transform 339 19.5 Thomas Edison and the Telegraph 342 19.6 Bell and the Telephone 342 19.7 Lessons in Frequency 345 19.8 Exercises 347 19.9 Bibliography 349 Chapter 20: RADIO WAVES 350 20.1 Why Frequencies? 350 20.2 Resonance 354 20.3 The Birth of Radio 354 20.4 Marconi's Radio 355 20.5 The Spark Bandwidth 357 20.6 The Problems 359 20.7 Continuous Wave Generation 360 20.8 The Triode Vacuum Tube 361 20.9 Modulation Mathematics 363 20.10 Heterodyne Principle 365 20.11 Frequency Modulation 367 20.12 Exercises 369 20.13 Bibliography 372 Chapter 21: SAMPLING AND CAPACITY 373 21.1 Entropy 373 21.2 Capacity of the Gaussian Channel 376 21.3 Sampling Theorem 378 21.4 Generalized Sampling Theorem* 380 21.5 Thermal Noise 383 21.6 Capacity of a Band-Limited Channel 384 21.7 Spread Spectrum 385 21.8 Spreading Technique 387 21.9 Multiple Access Systems 388 21.10 Exercises 391 21.11 Bibliography 392 Chapter 22: NETWORKS 393 22.1 Poisson Processes 394 22.2 Frames 395 22.3 The ALOHA System 396 22.4 Carrier Sensing 398 22.5 Routing Algorithms 399 22.6 The Bellman-Ford Algorithm 400 22.7 Distance Vector Routing 401 22.8 Dijkstra's Algorithm 402 22.9 Other Issues 404 22.10 Exercises 405 22.11 Bibliography 406 Summary of Part V 407 Index 409
£87.20
Princeton University Press Geochemical Kinetics
Book SynopsisExplores geochemical kinetics - the application of chemical kinetics to geological problems. This book examines advanced theories developed by geochemists, such as nonisothermal kinetics and inverse theories, including geochronology (isotopic dating), thermochronology (temperature-time history), and geospeedometry (cooling rates).Trade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2009 "This is the most comprehensive, authoritative account of geochemical kinetics published to date. Writing in a remarkably accessible style, considering the complexity of the subject, Zhang, one of the leading experts in the field, covers every conceivable area of geochemical kinetics."--B. Ransom, Choice "[T]his is a very good textbook, which I would recommend to anyone wanting to be informed about the kinetic aspects of geochemistry. The book is well organized and well written--Professor Zhang's English style makes it easy to read. Interesting sets of carefully thought-out problems at the end of each chapter contribute to making this an excellent introductory text, one that may be used in teaching. The book is remarkably free of errors, which is impressive given the extensive mathematical formulation throughout. The publisher is also to be commended for the easy-to-read font size and the clarity and simplicity of the figures. This book has a nice 'feel' about it."--Terry M. Seward, ElementsTable of ContentsList of Figures xi List of Tables xvii Preface xix Notation xxii Physical Constants xxv Chapter 1: Introduction and Overview 1 1.1 Thermodynamics versus Kinetics 3 1.2 Chemical Kinetics versus Geochemical Kinetics 6 1.3 Kinetics of Homogeneous Reactions 7 1.3.1 Reaction progress parameter x 11 1.3.2 Elementary versus overall reactions 12 1.3.3 Molecularity of a reaction 13 1.3.4 Reaction rate law, rate constant, and order of a reaction 14 1.3.5 Concentration evolution for reactions of different orders 19 1.3.6 Dependence of reaction rate constant on temperature; Arrhenius equation 25 1.3.7 Nonisothermal reaction kinetics 29 1.3.8 More complicated homogeneous reactions 31 1.3.9 Determination of reaction rate laws, rate constants, and mechanisms 32 1.4 Mass and Heat Transfer 36 1.4.1 Diffusion 37 1.4.2 Convection 46 1.5 Kinetics of Heterogeneous Reactions 47 1.5.1 Controlling factors and"reaction laws" 48 1.5.2 Steps in heterogeneous reactions 55 1.6 Temperature and Pressure Effect on Reaction Rate Coefficients and Diffusivities 58 1.6.1 Collision theory 59 1.6.2 Transition state theory 61 1.7 Inverse Problems 66 1.7.1 Reactions and diffusion during cooling 66 1.7.2 Geochronology, closure age, and thermochronology 71 1.7.3 Geothermometry, apparent equilibrium temperature, and geospeedometry 77 1.7.4 Geospeedometry using exchange reactions between two or more phases 81 1.7.5 Concluding remarks 83 1.8 Some Additional Notes 83 1.8.1 Mathematics encountered in kinetics 83 1.8.2 Demystifying some processes that seem to violate thermodynamics 84 1.8.3 Some other myths 86 1.8.4 Future research 87 Problems 88 Chapter 2: Kinetics of Homogeneous Reactions 95 2.1 Reversible Reactions 97 2.1.1 Concentration evolution for first-order reversible reactions 97 2.1.2 Concentration evolution for second-order reversible reactions 99 2.1.3 Reversible reactions during cooling 104 2.1.4 Fe-Mg order-disorder reaction in orthopyroxene 113 2.1.5 Hydrous species reaction in rhyolitic melt 122 2.2 Chain Reactions 130 2.2.1 Radioactive decay series 131 2.2.2 Chain reactions leading to negative activation energy 144 2.2.3 Thermal decomposition of ozone 145 2.3 Parallel Reactions 147 2.3.1 Electron transfer between Fe2yFE and Fe3yFE in aqueous solution 147 2.3.2 From dissolved CO2 to bicarbonate ion 148 2.3.3 Nuclear hydrogen burning 150 2.4 Some Special Topics 155 2.4.1 Photochemical production and decomposition of ozone, and the ozone hole 155 2.4.2 Diffusion control of homogeneous reactions 157 2.4.3 Glass transition 160 Problems 167 Chapter 3: Mass Transfer: Diffusion and Flow 173 3.1 Basic Theories and Concepts 175 3.1.1 Mass conservation and transfer 175 3.1.2 Conservation of energy 183 3.1.3 Conservation of momentum 183 3.1.4 Various kinds of diffusion 183 3.2 Diffusion in a Binary System 189 3.2.1 Diffusion equation 189 3.2.2 Initial and boundary conditions 190 3.2.3 Some simple solutions to the diffusion equation at steady state 192 3.2.4 One-dimensional diffusion in infinite or semi-infinite medium with constant diffusivity 194 3.2.5 Instantaneous plane, line, or point source 205 3.2.6 Principle of superposition 207 3.2.7 One-dimensional finite medium and constant D, separation of variables 209 3.2.8 Variable diffusion coefficient 212 3.2.9 Uphill diffusion in binary systems and spinodal decomposition 221 3.2.10 Diffusion in three dimensions; different coordinates 224 3.2.11 Diffusion in an anisotropic medium; diffusion tensor 227 3.2.12 Summary of analytical methods to obtain solution to the diffusion equation 231 3.2.13 Numerical solutions 231 3.3 Diffusion of a Multispecies Component 236 3.3.1 Diffusion of water in silicate melts 238 3.3.2 Diffusion of CO2 component in silicate melts 245 3.3.3 Diffusion of oxygen in melts and minerals 249 3.4 Diffusion in a Multicomponent System 251 3.4.1 Effective binary approach 252 3.4.2 Modified effective binary approach 254 3.4.3 Multicomponent diffusivity matrix (concentration-based) 255 3.4.4 Multicomponent diffusivity matrix (activity-based) 263 3.4.5 Concluding remarks 263 3.5 Some Special Diffusion Problems 265 3.5.1 Diffusion of a radioactive component 266 3.5.2 Diffusion of a radiogenic component and thermochronology 267 3.5.3 Liesegang rings 270 3.5.4 Isotopic ratio profiles versus elemental concentration profiles 271 3.5.5 Moving boundary problems 273 3.5.6 Diffusion and flow 280 3.6 Diffusion Coefficients 284 3.6.1 Experiments to obtain diffusivity 285 3.6.2 Relations and models on diffusivity 298 Problems 317 Chapter 4: Kinetics of Heterogeneous Reactions 325 4.1 Basic Processes in Heterogeneous Reactions 331 4.1.1 Nucleation 331 4.1.2 Interface reaction 342 4.1.3 Role of mass and heat transfer 350 4.1.4 Dendritic crystal growth 361 4.1.5 Nucleation and growth of many crystals 362 4.1.6 Coarsening 366 4.1.7 Kinetic control for the formation of new phases 371 4.1.8 Some remarks 372 4.2 Dissolution, Melting, or Growth of a Single Crystal, Bubble, or Droplet Controlled by Mass or Heat Transfer 373 4.2.1 Reference frames 375 4.2.2 Diffusive crystal dissolution in an infinite melt reservoir 378 4.2.3 Convective dissolution of a falling or rising crystal in an infinite liquid reservoir 393 4.2.4 Diffusive and convective crystal growth 406 4.2.5 Diffusive and convective bubble growth and dissolution 412 4.2.6 Other problems that can be treated similarly 417 4.2.7 Interplay between interface reaction and diffusion 417 4.3 Some Other Heterogeneous Reactions 418 4.3.1 Bubble growth kinetics and dynamics in beer and champagne 418 4.3.2 Dynamics of explosive volcanic eruptions 423 4.3.3 Component exchange between two contacting crystalline phases 426 4.3.4 Diffusive reequilibration of melt and fluid inclusions 430 4.3.5 Melting of two crystalline phases or reactions between them 434 4.4 Remarks About Future Research Needs 439 Problems 441 Chapter 5: Inverse Problems: Geochronology, Thermochronology, and Geospeedometry 445 5.1 Geochronology 447 5.1.1 Dating method 1: The initial number of parent nuclides may be guessed 449 5.1.2 Dating method 2: The initial number of atoms of the daughter nuclide may be guessed 461 5.1.3 Dating method 3: The isochron method 468 5.1.4 Dating method 4: Extinct nuclides for relative ages 480 5.1.5 Requirements for accurate dating 483 5.2 Thermochronology 485 5.2.1 Closure temperature and closure age 486 5.2.2 Mathematical analyses of diffusive loss and radiogenic growth 490 5.2.3 More developments on the closure temperature concept 505 5.2.4 Applications 512 5.3 Geospeedometry 516 5.3.1 Quantitative geospeedometry based on homogeneous reactions 517 5.3.2 Cooling history of anhydrous glasses based on heat capacity measurements 529 5.3.3 Geospeedometry based on diffusion and zonation in a single phase 531 5.3.4 Geospeedometry based on diffusion between two or more phases 541 5.3.5 Cooling history based on other heterogeneous reactions 547 5.3.6 Comments on various geospeedometers 553 Problems 555 Appendix 1 Entropy Production and Diffusion Matrix 561 Appendix 2 The Error Function and Related Functions 565 Appendix 3 Some Solutions to Diffusion Problems 570 Appendix 4 Diffusion Coefficients 580 Answers to Selected Problems 587 References 593 Subject Index 623
£80.75
Princeton University Press Stellar Spectral Classification
Book SynopsisDiscusses both the foundations and techniques of MK and other spectral classification systems. This book introduces the astrophysics of spectroscopy, reviews the entire field of stellar astronomy, and shows how the well-tested methods of spectral classification are a tool for graduate students and researchers working in astronomy and astrophysics.Trade Review"Anyone interested in learning about the classification of stellar spectra will be well served if they begin by consulting a new book entitled Stellar Spectral Classification. Beautiful illustrations and examples are given at every turn... We can confidently say that this is not only a superb text but is probably the most comprehensive single-volume text currently available on the fascinating subject of stellar spectral classification. A valuable resource for the astronomical community, it exudes authority. This is no surprise for the book's authors and contributors are amongst foremost authorities in this field. Summing up, we can say that our first look at this book made us really excited."--Current Engineering PracticeTable of ContentsPreface xi Important Note on Terminology and Units xv Chapter 1. The History and Philosophy of Stellar Spectral Classification 1 1.1 Early History 1 1.2 Later Developments 10 1.3 The MK Process 17 Chapter 2. An Overview of the Normal Stars 32 2.1 Introduction 32 2.2 The Spectral Sequence 32 2.3 Multicolor Photometry and Stellar Classification 44 2.4 Physical Principles Underlying the MK Sequence 50 Chapter 3. The OB Stars--Nolan R. Walborn 66 3.1 Introduction 66 3.2 The Optical 66 3.3 The Ultraviolet 75 3.4 The Infrared--Margaret M. Hanson 81 3.5 Peculiar Categories 89 3.6 X-Ray Line Spectra 102 3.7 Calibration and Astrophysical Modeling 105 Chapter 4. The B-type Stars 115 4.1 Introduction 115 4.2 Optical Classification 115 4.3 The Ultraviolet 120 4.4 Chemically Peculiar B-type Stars 123 4.5 Be Stars and B Shell Stars 135 4.6 Other B-type Emission-line Stars 143 4.7 B-type Stars in Advanced Evolutionary States 147 Chapter 5. The A-type Stars 160 5.1 Introduction 160 5.2 Optical Spectral-type Criteria 160 5.3 Ultraviolet and Infrared Classification Schemes 169 5.4 Chemically Peculiar Stars 176 5.5 Herbig Ae/Be Stars 200 5.6 A-type Stars in Advanced Evolutionary Stages 207 5.7 A-type Shell Stars 213 Chapter 6. The F-type Stars 221 6.1 Introduction 221 6.2 Optical Classification 221 6.3 Classification in the Ultraviolet and Infrared 227 6.4 Population II F-type Stars 236 6.5 Chemically Peculiar F-type Stars 244 6.6 F-type Stars in Advanced Evolutionary Stages 249 Chapter 7. The G- and K-type Stars 259 7.1 Introduction 259 7.2 Optical Classification 259 7.3 The Infrared 265 7.4 The Search for a Solar Twin; Chromospheric Activity 270 7.5 T Tauri Stars 275 7.6 Chemically Peculiar G- and K-giants 278 7.7 Population II and III Stars 281 7.8 The High Luminosity, Yellow Variables 283 Chapter 8. The M-type, S-type, and Carbon Stars 293 8.1 Introduction 293 8.2 The M-type Stars 293 8.3 The Carbon Stars 306 8.4 The S-type Stars 321 8.5 Symbiotic and Algol Stars 331 Chapter 9. M Dwarfs and L Dwarfs--J. Davy Kirkpatrick 339 9.1 Introduction 339 9.2 The Discovery of M Dwarfs and L Dwarfs 339 9.3 Spectroscopic Classification 341 9.4 Physical Interpretation of Types 362 9.4 Peculiar Objects 372 Chapter 10. The T-type Dwarfs--Adam J. Burgasser 388 10.1 Introduction 388 10.2 Recognition of the T Dwarf Class and Early Discoveries 389 10.3 T Dwarf Spectral Characteristics 391 10.4 Near-Infrared Classification 396 10.5 Optical Classification 417 10.6 Mid-Infrared Classification 425 10.7 Additional Considerations for T-Dwarf Classification 428 10.8 Beyond the T Dwarfs 434 Chapter 11. Wolf-Rayet Stars and the Luminous Blue Variables 441 11.1 The Wolf-Rayet Stars 441 11.2 Luminous Blue Variables 465 11.3 Evolutionary Connections 468 Chapter 12. Endpoints of Stellar Evolution 472 12.1 Proto-Planetary Nebulae and Planetary Nebula Nucleus Stars 472 12.2 White Dwarf Stars 472 12.3 Novae 482 12.4 Supernovae 497 Chapter 13. Further Techniques 507 13.1 Introduction 507 13.2 Composite Spectra 507 13.3 Classification Systems in the Thermal Infrared 515 13.4 Other Classification Systems 522 13.5 Automated Methods of Spectral Classification 525 13.6 Low Dispersion Techniques and Natural Groups 529 Glossary 541 Appendix A: MK Standard Stars 555 Appendix B: Calibrations of the MK System 565 Appendix C: The Book Website 571 General Index 573 Object Index 585
£73.80
Princeton University Press Our Affair With El Nino
Book SynopsisUntil 1997, few people had heard of the seasonal current that Peruvians nicknamed El Nino. This book discusses the scientific, political, economic and cultural developments that shaped our perceptions of this force of nature. It outlines the history of El Nino, an innocuous current that appears off the coast of Peru around Christmas time.Trade Review"George Philander provides [an understanding of El Nino] simply and authoritatively. He does so, not by losing the reader in elaborate descriptions of data acquisition and mathematical modeling, but by the apt use of analogies drawn from the viewpoints of the poet, musician and painter."--Richard Shelton, Times Literary Supplement "Our Affair with El Nino is a very readable, entertaining and instructive book that will appeal to scientists and non-scientists alike... [Philander] writes with the enthusiasm of an eye-witness and the authority of an expert. The book skillfully weaves together descriptions of El Nino physics, the historical backdrop that led to widespread interest in El Nino, and the philosophical perspectives on the role of scientific research in addressing present-day environmental problems."--Michael J. McPhaden, Nature "[Philander] presents the current scientific understanding of El Nino concisely, explaining the details of circulation in the ocean and atmosphere with lucid analogies and thoughtful examples. He describes the broad outlines of how this understanding emerged, piecemeal, along complex and tangled paths. It is as a work in the history of science that the book makes its greatest contributions."--Benjamin S. Orlove, American ScientistTable of ContentsACKNOWLEDGMENTS ix PROLOGUE: Assessing Our Affair as It Approaches a Critical Juncture 1 PART 1: WHO IS EL NINO? 1 A Mercurial Character 11 2 A Fallen Angel? 28 3 A Construct of Ours 34 4 A Matchmaker 40 PART 2: OUR DILEMMA 5 Two Incompatible Cultures 65 6 "Small" Science versus "Big" Science 81 PART 3: COMMON GROUND 7 The Perspective of a Painter 93 8 The Perspective of a Poet 118 9 The Perspective of a Musician 129 10 A Marriage of the "Hard" and "Soft" Sciences 139 11 The Cloud 151 PART 4: A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE SCIENCE 12 Predicting the Weather 161 13 Investigating the Atmospheric Circulation 177 14 Exploring the Oceans 189 15 Reconciling Divergent Perspectives on El Nino 213 16 Taking a Long-Term Geological View 227 PART 5: COPING WITH HAZARDS 17 Famines in India 237 18 Fisheries of Peru 240 19 Droughts in Zimbabwe 244 EPILOGUE: Becoming Custodians of Planet Earth 251 NOTES AND REFERENCES 259 INDEX 273
£33.25
Princeton University Press Do Animals Think
Book SynopsisDoes your dog know when you've had a bad day? Can your cat tell that the coffee pot you left on might start a fire? Could a chimpanzee be trained to program your computer? This book debunks some commonly held notions about our furry friends. It argues that it may be romantic to ascribe human qualities to critters, but it's not very realistic.Trade Review"[An] enjoyably written exploration of recent discoveries of modern animal behavior... Wynne is clearly arguing against the view of animal rights advocates such as Peter Singer and Jane Goodall who ascribe human attributes to animals. But Wynne is no reactionary--he strongly sympathizes with those who wish to improve the treatment of animals... It helps his arguments that Wynne is often as entertaining as he is erudite."--Publishers Weekly "In this critical account of selected research, Clive Wynne takes aim at over-sentimental anthropomorphism, particularly on the part of animal-rights advocates. He argues that the degree to which animals are like us cannot be the measure of how much they are worthy of our respect and protection... All this material is presented in a clear informal and entertaining way, enlivened by historical asides."--Sara J. Shettleworth, Nature "Wynne has a pleasant writing style and a knack for engaging the reader... [H]is book offers many insightful descriptions of animal behavior... He seems to take delight in animals, and possesses great knowledge about them, yet he prefers them at arm's length. The constant message is that animals are not people."--Frans B.M. de Waal, Natural History "Wynne's new book provides a timely corrective to many myths about animal minds, without detracting from the wonders of the natural world."--Nicola S. Clayton, Science "[Wynne] is a lively writer with a congenial sense of humor, an obvious passion for truly understanding the minds of animals, and a sincere desire to come to terms with what all this means for the larger philosophical and ethical questions about the place of man and animals in the world."--Stephen Budiansky, Cerebrum: The Dana Forum on Brain Science "A fun read ... packed with clever experiments, intriguing anecdotes, and a delight in the diversity of animal behavior."--Sy Montgomery, Discover "Readers will delight in this insightful, well-referenced book."--Choice "Lucid and witty... Mr. Wynne makes a compelling case against true rationality in animals, but he resists the temptation to reduce animals to mere 'machines,' as Descartes famously did; he is too seized with wonder at the marvels of animal behavior to adopt so barren a model. In the end, Mr. Wynne prefers to accept our fellow animals for what they are, as they are."--Eric Ormsby, New York Sun "An intelligent and balanced discussion of our attitudes towards other species and what (if anything) animals think... A refreshingly skeptical and pugnacious investigation."--P.D. Smith, The Guardian (UK)Table of Contents1 What Are Animals? 1 2 The Secrets of the Honeybee Machine 13 3 How Noble in Reason 46 4 What Is It Like to Be a Bat? 84 5 Talk to Me 106 6 The Pigeon That Saved a Battalion 139 7 Monkey See, Monkey Do? 162 8 Dolphins Divine 195 9 Sandwiches to Go 222 References 245 Acknowledgments 261 Index 263
£25.20
Princeton University Press Nature An Economic History
Book SynopsisFrom humans to hermit crabs to deep water plankton, all living things compete for locally limiting resources. This work offers an exploration of the facts and theories of biology, economics, and geology to show how processes common to all economic systems govern evolution as surely as they do the human economy.Trade ReviewWinner of the 2004 Award for Best Professional/Scholarly Book in Geology and Earth Science, Association of American Publishers "Novel and intriguing... [Nature: An Economic History] offers a distinctive point of view and an insightful synthesis that promises to provide the basis of much future work."--Douglas H. Erwin, Science "Vermeij is one of the master naturalists of our time, and his command of the subtleties of animal interactions is exceptional. I think anyone can learn a great deal from this book."--Richard K. Bambach, American Scientist "Vermeij, a well-known paleontologist and observer of nature writ large, has written a marvelously interdisciplinary work that makes an important contribtuion to the literature of complex adaptive systems... [R]eaders who are interested in multidisciplinary issues will benefit from Vermeij's impressive breadth of knowledge. It is a pleasure to follow his articulate and synthesizing trek across the boundaries of conventional academic subjects."--Eric J. Chaisson, Quarterly Review of Biology There are clear analogies between economics and biological evolution, but the thesis of this articulate essay is that both fields can and should be described in exactly the same terms in a single theoretical framework... In successive chapters describing consumption of resources, competition, organization, environment and geography, evolutionary biologist Vermeij illustrates, with copious examples from paleontology, ecology, and economic history, the overarching common description of competition for locally scarce resources and differential success based on variation, leading to evolving adaptations and descent with modification."--Choice "Geerat Vermeij ... has taken economic reasoning even further, arguing in Nature: An Economic History that economists and natural scientists are asking the same kinds of questions in their seemingly disparate fields... Vermeij makes a convincing case that thinking about large swaths of the natural world in terms of competition for scarce resources is both accurate and useful."--Andrew P. Morriss, Books & Culture "Vermeij presents a natural history written in what he considers economic terms and argues that biologists should know more about economics. While the exchanges between economics and biology can sometimes be hazardous and misleading, quite a bit could be learned by economists from reading this book."--Joel Mokyr, Journal of Economic LiteratureTable of ContentsPreface vii CHAPTER ONE: Economy and Evolution: A Road Map 1 CHAPTER TWO: The Evolving Economy 13 CHAPTER THREE: Human and Nonhuman Economies Compared 38 CHAPTER FOUR: The Economics of Everyday: Consumption and the Role of Enemies in Nature 59 CHAPTER FIVE: The Economics of Everyday: Production and the Role of Resources 92 CHAPTER SIX: The Ingredients of Power and Opportunity: Technology and Organization 121 CHAPTER SEVEN: The Ingredients of Power and Opportunity: The Environment 145 CHAPTER EIGHT: The Geography of Power and Innovation 169 CHAPTER NINE: Breaking Down and Building Up: The Role of Disturbance 204 CHAPTER TEN: Patterns in History: Toward Greater Reach and Power 246 CHAPTER ELEVEN: The Future of Growth and Power 292 Appendix 1: Abbreviations 317 Appendix 2: The Geological Time Scale 319 Notes 321 Literature Cited 371 Index 431
£33.25
Princeton University Press Richters Scale Measure of an Earthquake Measure
Book SynopsisBy developing the scale that bears his name, Charles Richter not only invented the concept of magnitude as a measure of earthquake size, he turned himself into a household word. This work takes the reader into Richter's life story, setting it in the context of his family and interpersonal attachments, and the history of seismology.Trade Review"The true value of Richter's Scale resides in its unspoken commemoration of a nearly extinct mode of scientific endeavor."--Claudio Vita-Finzi, Times Literary Supplement "One thing this book, written by one professional scientist about another, communicates very clearly, is what it is actually like to be a scientist--a welcome contribution."--Roger M. W. Musson, Times Higher Education Supplement "[An] illuminating biography."--Emily Banham, Nature "[This book] reveals an unfamiliar side of the scientist famous for developing the first magnitude scale for earthquakes in 1935... Most of [Richter's] colleagues remained unaware of the scope of his thoughts and interests. Richter's Scale will change this. It reveals Richter to be an individual with more than his share of flaws, but also as an iconoclastic scientist worthy of his fame and of our admiration."--Gregory C. Beroza, Nature "Hough draws on a wealth of documents left behind by Richter ... to chronicle his rise to fame and explain his place in the history of seismology... The author describes Richter's tumultuous upbringing, his penchant for nudism, and his prolific writing of poems--many included in the book."--Science News "Written by a seismologist about the most famous seismologist, this biography of Charles Richter (1900-85) is the first researched from Richter's papers... Hough's inspections of Richter's psyche may expand her readership beyond that interested in earthquakes... Richter, however difficult to like in life--he had few friends, according to Hough--proves to have had the turbulent inner life and struggles with the external world of which compelling biographies are made."--Gilbert Taylor,Booklist "This is very much a behind-the-headlines portrait of the private man... The portrait that emerges is that of a scientist who was initially far more interested in astronomy and stargazing than seismology; who possessed powerful poetic longings, and, above all, abiding decency."--Steven Carroll, The Age "This thoughtful, well-researched book explores a central question: why Richter--an admittedly quirky, plainspoken scientist--became so much better known than some of his more accomplished colleagues... Richter's ability to communicate his findings with a general audience through the press, Hough demonstrates, gave him the kind of public profile that cemented his position in the popular lexicon."--Juliet Eilperin, Washington Post Book World "By developing the scale that bears his name, Charles Richter not only invented the concept of magnitude as a measure of earthquake size, he also turned his name into a household word. This behind-the-scenes look at Richter, the man, is an artful interweaving of the stories of Richter's life with the history of earthquakes exploration and seismology."--Natural Hazards Observer "Richter's Scale will last as long as this earth lasts and so will this story by Susan Hough Her exemplary work the like of which we do not see often, both in terms of content and humane and conscious approach, is of great importance to our present times. While it should have been written earlier, it could not have been written better. One almost falls in love with Susan Hough for this remarkably successful attempt to bring Richter back to life and make him stand before us. Many thanks, Susan Hough! We shall remember you for this wonderer gift to the scientific-minded and to most many others less so minded."--Current Engineering Practice "Susan Hough has done her job extraordinarily well, turning a tangled-up story of a man hardly understood by others into a very fascinating biography."--Pawel Wiejacz, Pure and Applied GeophysicsTable of ContentsPreface ix CHAPTER 1: The Magnitude of the Problem 1 CHAPTER 2: Formative Years 9 CHAPTER 3: Margaret Rose 25 CHAPTER 4: Harnessing the Horses 36 CHAPTER 5: Earthquake Exploration 51 CHAPTER 6: The Kresge Era 62 CHAPTER 7: Beno Gutenberg 82 CHAPTER 8: Earthquake! 102 CHAPTER 9: Richter Scale 112 CHAPTER 10: Charlie 132 CHAPTER 11: Lillian 153 CHAPTER 12: Richter's Women 181 CHAPTER 13: Autumn 192 CHAPTER 14: Asperger's Syndrome 212 CHAPTER 15: Here It Comes Again 241 CHAPTER 16: Predicting the Unpredictable 253 CHAPTER 17: Sizing Up Earthquake Hazard 269 CHAPTER 18: Hazard in a Nuclear Age 276 CHAPTER 19: Supernova 286 APPENDIX A Belated Farewell 309 Bibliography 313 Acknowledgments 325 Index 331 Earthquakes by Date 337
£19.80
Princeton University Press Fly Me to the Moon
Book SynopsisIntroduces readers to advances in American space exploration. This book discusses ways to capture and redirect asteroids; presents research on the origin of the Moon; weighs in on discoveries like 2003 UB313, a dwarf planet detected in the far outer reaches of our solar system - and, more.Trade Review"[This book] will truly excite anyone interested in the future of space travel... Grounded in real physics, Belbruno's ideas will tantalize the space audience."--Gilbert Taylor, Booklist "A small group of scientists has worked on new orbits that take into account the inherently chaotic motion of object in a multibody system... One of the innovators in what is known as 'capture dynamics', Ed Belbruno, provides a basic and eminently readable introduction to the topic in Fly Me to the Moon."--Jeff Foust, The Space Review "This book does for mathematics what The Double Helix did for biochemistry, without the gossip and diatribe that made The Double Helix so controversial...Overall, this book is a superb introduction to the life of a real mathematician, and a gentle introduction to some very complex mathematics."--Jeff Suzuki, MAA Review "Fly Me to the Moon provides a fast, very readable account of new developments in chaotic celestial mechanics, especially low-fuel space travel, at a level appropriate for a general audience. By the end, nonmathematicians will have gained some intuition about one of the hallmarks of chaos, sensitive dependence on initial conditions, and how chaos can be harnessed to good purpose. All readers will walk away thinking differently about the cosmos. Far from being a clockwork, it will seem more dynamic, more turbulent, and full of diverse possibilities."--Shane Ross, Notices of the American Mathematical Society "Belbruno beautifully describes his novel low-fuel concept in Fly Me to the Moon, using copious sketches to explain his theory without resorting to a single equation... The author has laid out the book very well--a teaser of an introduction with just enough details of the Hiten rescue to whet the appetite, but leaving you hungry for more. The language is friendly yet enticing, with nice snappy chapter lengths and informative illustrations in just the right places. There is a good story line running through the book with little surprises like the author being granted a patent for his special route to the Moon in 2003, with many more patents to follow for routes to other destinations."--Gerard McMahon, Astronomy and Space "[A] wonderfully informative book... For anyone with an interest in this remarkable development in spaceflight the book is a must."--Colin Keay, Australian PhysicsTable of ContentsForeword by Neil deGrasse Tyson ix Preface xiii Acknowledgments xvii Chapter 1 A Moment of Discovery 1 Chapter 2 An Uncertain Start 5 Chapter 3 Conventional Way to the Moon 9 A Fuel Hog 14 Chapter 4 A Question 17 Chapter 5 Chaos and Surfing the Gravitational Field 29 What Is Chaos? 31 Chapter 6 Using Art to Find Chaotic Regions 37 An Oil Painting Unveiling Dynamical Processes 37 Chapter 7 WSB--A Chaotic No-Man's-Land 41 Chapter 8 Getting to the WSB--Low Energy Transfers 49 Chapter 9 Rescue of a Lunar Mission 55 Skepticism, Politics, and a Bittersweet Success 63 Chapter 10 Significance of Hiten 69 Chapter 11 Salvage of HGS-1, and a Christmas Present 77 Chapter 12 Other Space Missions and Low Energy Transfers 83 LGAS Reincarnated: SMART 1 83 Europa Orbiter and Prometheus 85 A Lunar Transportation System 91 Chapter 13 Hopping Comets and Earth Collision 95 Potential Earth Collision 108 Lexell 109 Jupiter-Hopping Earth-Crossing Comets Present a Danger 111 Kuiper Belt Objects and Neptune Hopping 113 Ballistic Escape from the Earth-Moon System, and Asteroid Capture 115 Chapter 14 The Creation of the Moon by Another World 119 Chapter 15 Beyond the Moon and to the Stars 129 Pluto to Alpha Centauri 129 Comets Moving between the Sun and Alpha Centauri 133 Chapter 16 A Paradigm Shift and the Future 137 Bibliography 141 Index 147
£15.29
Princeton University Press The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein Volume 10
Book SynopsisPresents letters written by Einstein's sons, the adolescent Hans Albert and little Eduard, and numerous letters written by Einstein to his cousin and future second wife Elsa Einstein. Combined with correspondence with his close friend Heinrich Zangger, this supplementary correspondence provides details of Einstein's private life.Table of ContentsPUBLISHER'S FOREWORD ix LIST OF TEXTS xi SELECTED TEXTS Supplementary Correspondence, 1909-1920 3 Correspondence, May-December 1920 149 INDEX 349
£55.80
Princeton University Press Conversations on Electric and Magnetic Fields in
Book SynopsisOffers advanced graduate students and researchers with a text that discusses the dynamic electromagnetism of the cosmos - that is, the vast magnetic fields that are carried bodily in the swirling ionized gases of stars and galaxies and throughout intergalactic space.Trade Review"I shall strongly recommend my students to read this book in addition to their standard reading ... not only to clarify their understanding of cosmic magnetism but also to learn how to present their ideas in a clear and understandable way."--Dimitri Sokoloff, Journal of Geophysical and Astrophysical Fluid DynamicsTable of ContentsList of Illustrations xi Acknowledgments xiii Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.1 General Remarks 1 1.2 Electromagnetic Field Equations 3 1.3 Electrical Neutrality 7 1.4 Electric Charge and Magnetic Field Dominance 12 Chapter 2: Electric Fields 15 2.1 Basic Considerations 15 2.2 Definition of Charge and Field 16 2.3 Concept of Electric Field 17 2.4 Physical Reality of Electric Field 20 2.5 Electric Field Pressure 22 Chapter 3: Magnetic Fields 25 3.1 Basic Considerations 25 3.2 Experimental Connection 26 3.3 Differential Form of Ampere's Law 27 3.4 Energy and Stress 29 3.5 Detecting a Magnetic Field 32 Chapter 4: Field Lines 37 4.1 Basic Considerations 37 4.2 The Optical Analogy 39 Chapter 5: Maxwell's Equations 43 Chapter 6: Maxwell and Poynting 48 6.1 Poynting's Momentum and Energy Theorems 48 6.2 Applications 52 6.3 Electric and Magnetic Fields in Matter 52 6.4 SI Units 55 6.5 Systems of Units 59 6.6 Chaucer Units 63 Chapter 7: Moving Reference Frames 65 7.1 Lorentz Transformations 65 7.2 Electric Fields in the Laboratory 66 7.3 Occam's Razor and the Tree in the Forest 67 7.4 Electric Field in a Moving Plasma 68 7.5 Net Charge in a Swirling Plasma 71 Chapter 8: Hydrodynamics 74 8.1 Basic Considerations 74 8.2 Derivation of the HD Equations 76 8.3 The Pressure Tensor 79 8.4 Pressure Variation in Uniform Dilatations 82 8.5 Shear Flow 85 8.6 Effects of Collisions 86 8.7 Off-diagonal Terms and Viscosity 89 8.8 Summary 91 Chapter 9: Magnetohydrodynamics 92 9.1 Basic Considerations 92 9.2 Diffusion and Dissipation 96 9.3 Application of Magnetic Diffusion 98 9.4 Discussion 101 9.5 Partially Ionized Gases 102 9.6 An Electric Current to Satisfy Ampere 108 9.7 Particle Motion Along B 114 9.8 Time-varying Magnetic Field 119 9.9 Comments 121 Chapter 10: Singular Properties of the Maxwell Stress Tensor 123 10.1 Magnetic Equilibrium 123 10.2 Calculation of the Equilibrium Field 128 10.3 Equilibrium in Stretched Field 129 10.4 Resolving the Contradiction 132 10.5 Formation of TDs 133 10.6 Rapid Reconnection at an Incipient TD 137 10.7 Quasi-steady Dissipation at a TD 142 Chapter 11: Comments 147 11.1 Summary 147 11.2 Electric Circuit Analogy 148 11.3 A Simple Example of an Electric Circuit 149 11.4 Popular Electric and Magnetic Fields 154 Appendix A Electrostatically Driven Expansion of the Universe 157 Appendix B Relaxation of Electric Charge Inhomogeneity 159 Appendix C Imposition of a Large-scale Electric Field 162 Appendix D Electric Charge Density in an Electric Field 165 Appendix E The Transverse Invariant 167 Appendix F Blocking the Flow of Electric Current 169 References 173 Index 179
£63.00
Princeton University Press The Physics of Neutrinos
Book SynopsisThe physics of neutrinos - uncharged elementary particles that are key to helping us better understand the nature of our universe. This title shows how studies of neutrinos produced by such phenomena as cosmic rays in the atmosphere and nuclear reactions in the solar interior to provide striking evidence that neutrinos have mass.Trade Review'This is a very useful book written by notable experts in the field. It covers all aspects of the theory, phenomenology, experiment, and astrophysical implications of neutrinos."—Paul Langacker, professor emeritus, University of Pennsylvania"This book provides a comprehensive snapshot of the current state of neutrino physics, and is a useful reference for particle physicists and astrophysicists who are interested in learning what has been going on in the field. All three authors have played a major role in advancing our understanding of neutrino physics, and are very well positioned to write a book on the subject."—André de Gouvêa, Northwestern UniversityTable of ContentsPreface xi 1 Introduction 1 2 Neutrino Basics 11 2.1 Dirac and Majorana Neutrinos 11 2.2 Neutrino Counting 12 2.3 Neutrinos from Weak Decays 14 2.4 Neutrino Cross Sections 16 2.5 Neutrino Detectors 24 2.6 Neutrino Beams 28 3 Neutrino Mixing and Oscillations 33 3.1 Vacuum Oscillations 33 3.2 Matter Effects on Oscillations 36 3.3 Solar Neutrino Oscillations 38 3.4 Long-baseline Oscillations through the Earth 41 3.5 Matter Effects for Sterile Neutrinos 42 3.6 Decoherence 43 4 Solar Neutrinos 45 4.1 Origin of Solar Neutrinos 45 4.2 Solar Neutrino Experiments 46 4.3 KamLAND 49 4.4 Solar/Reactor Neutrino Parameters 49 4.5 Flux-independent Tests 53 4.6 Future Experiments 56 4.7 Geoneutrinos 57 5 Atmospheric Neutrinos 59 5.1 Atmospheric Neutrino Experiments 59 5.2 Matter Effects for Atmospheric Neutrinos 63 5.3 Long-baseline Neutrino Experiments 64 6 Global Three-neutrino Fits 68 7 Absolute Neutrino Mass 71 7.1 Beta Decay 71 7.2 Cosmological Limits 72 7.3 Neutrinoless Double-beta Decay 73 8 Long-baseline Neutrino Oscillations 76 8.1 Conventional Neutrino Beams 77 8.2 Reactor Experiments 80 8.3 Superbeams 85 8.4 Neutrino Factories 87 8.5 Beta Beams 91 8.6 Comparing Long-baseline Experiments 92 8.7 T and CPT Symmetries 97 9 Model Building 99 9.1 The Seesaw Mechanism 99 9.2 Patterns of Neutrino Masses and Mixings 102 9.3 GUT Models 105 9.4 Non-GUT-specific Models 107 9.5 Leptogenesis 114 10 Supernova Neutrinos 116 10.1 General Description of a Supernova 116 10.2 Neutrino Fluxes from the SN Core 118 10.3 Flavor Swapping from Collective Effects 119 10.4 MSW Conversions in a Supernova 120 10.5 Detection of Supernova Neutrinos 122 10.6 Supernova Relic Neutrinos 124 11 High-energy Astrophysical Neutrinos 126 11.1 Cosmogenic Neutrinos 126 11.2 IceCube 128 11.3 Waxman-Bahcall Flux 132 11.4 Ultra High-energy Neutrino Cross Sections 133 11.5 Z-burst Mechanism 134 11.6 Astrophysical Neutrino Flavor Content 135 11.7 Neutrinos from Dark Matter Annihilation 138 12 Beyond Three Neutrinos 147 12.1 LSND Experiment 147 12.2 MiniBooNE Experiment 152 12.3 Mass-varying Neutrinos 158 12.4 Neutrino Decay 161 12.5 Neutrino Decoherence 163 12.6 Lorentz Invariance Violation 164 12.7 Non-standard Neutrino Interactions 166 12.8 Heavy Majorana Neutrinos at Colliders 169 12.9 Neutrino Magnetic Moment 170 12.10 Fourth Generation Neutrino 171 13 Summary and Outlook 172 References 177 Index 221
£106.20
Princeton University Press Pollination and Floral Ecology
Book SynopsisCovers various aspects of pollination biology. This book describes how flowers use colors, shapes, and scents to advertise themselves; how they offer pollen and nectar as rewards; and, how they share complex interactions with beetles, birds, bats, bees, and other creatures. It also covers the ecology of these interactions.Trade ReviewOne of Choice's Outstanding Academic Titles for 2011 "In this accessibly written reference, Willmer provides a thorough, up-to-date review of floral biology and pollination... This book is comprehensive and well written, combining informative text and many helpful in-text figures and tables with 39 beautiful color plates. Additionally, the book contains a complete reference section and a useful glossary, which increases the utility of this resource for students or practitioners of pollination ecology."--Choice "[Pollination and Floral Ecology] is a big book that I unhesitatingly consider a 'must-have' reference for anyone working in this field or thinking about entering it... For now, there is nothing like it."--James D. Thomson, Quarterly Review of Biology "[T]he book should largely be used as a reference book, which, again, can be used by those with any level of experience. It is inexpensive relative to the amount of material covered. I commend Willmer for the presumably massive undertaking of the compiling of this vast subject into this relatively small volume. Like other reference books, the material will not become obsolete for many years, and it should be the companion of any pollination ecologist entering the field."--Plant Science Bulletin "Pollination and Floral Ecology is the most comprehensive single-volume reference to all aspects of pollination biology and the first fully up-to-date resource of its kind to appear in decades."--World Book Industry "In Pollination and Floral Ecology Wilmer has certainly achieved her aim, and has provided us with a comprehensive, easy to read summary of the subject, providing somewhat of a one-stop shop for background information on pollination ecology. This book should be recommended as essential reading for any postgraduate or undergraduate working anywhere within the realm of pollination ecology, and will also be an indispensable reference tool for established pollination researchers and ecosystem managers around the world."--Tobias Smith, Austral EcologyTable of ContentsPreface vii Acknowledgments ix Part I: Essentials of Flower Design and Function Chapter 1 Why Pollination Is Interesting 3 Chapter 2 Floral Design and Function 11 Chapter 3 Pollination, Mating, and Reproduction in Plants 55 Chapter 4 Evolution of Flowers, Pollination, and Plant Diversity 88 Part II Floral Advertisements and Floral Rewards Chapter 5 Advertisements 1: Visual Signals and Floral Color 105 Chapter 6 Advertisements 2: Olfactory Signals 134 Chapter 7 Rewards 1: The Biology of Pollen 154 Chapter 8 Rewards 2: The Biology of Nectar 190 Chapter 9 Other Floral Rewards 221 Chapter 10 Rewards and Costs: The Environmental Economics of Pollination 234 Part III Pollination Syndromes? Chapter 11 Types of Flower Visitors: Syndromes, Constancy, and Effectiveness 261 Chapter 12 Generalist Flowers and Generalist Visitors 288 Chapter 13 Pollination by Flies 304 Chapter 14 Pollination by Butterflies and Moths 322 Chapter 15 Pollination by Birds 337 Chapter 16 Pollination by Bats 356 Chapter 17 Pollination by Nonflying Vertebrates and Other Oddities 370 Chapter 18 Pollination by Bees 378 Chapter 19 Wind and Water: Abiotic Pollination 418 Chapter 20 Syndromes and Webs: Specialists and Generalists 434 Part IV Floral Ecology Chapter 21 The Timing and Patterning of Flowering 483 Chapter 22 Living with Other Flowers: Competition and Pollination Ecology 503 Chapter 23 Cheating by Flowers: Cheating the Visitors and Cheating Other Flowers 524 Chapter 24 Flower Visitors as Cheats and the Plants' Responses 542 Chapter 25 The Interactions of Pollination and Herbivory 554 Chapter 26 Pollination Using Florivores: From Brood Site Mutualism to Active Pollination 565 Chapter 27 Pollination in Different Habitats 575 Chapter 28 The Pollination of Crops 605 Chapter 29 The Global Pollination Crisis 620 Appendix 639 Glossary 643 References 663 Subject Index 751 Index of Animal Genera 768 Index of Plant Genera 771
£98.10
Princeton University Press Biodemography
Book SynopsisTrade Review"An accessible and practical overview of the demographic approaches that may offer insights into a range of important biological questions."---Marlène Gamelon and Hannah Froy, Trends in Ecology & Evolution"In their new book, [James R. Carey & Deborah A. Roach] provide an excellent introduction to the concepts and methods that form the foundation of biodemography."---Marlène Gamelon and Hannah Froy, Trends in Ecology & Evolution"Biodemography deserves to prove itself a useful resource for both those taking their first steps in biodemography as well as for more experienced researchers seeking to broaden their horizons or reference a single resource. . . . The success of the book is in relating those equations to modern life and, in doing so, describing how we might better understand the risks, challenges and opportunities of the ways in which populations change through time."---Thomas H. G. Ezard, Biometrical Journal"[An] excellent resource for demographers, population biologists, epidemiologists, and other professionals who study population-level outcomes."---K.R. Thompson, CHOICE
£55.25
Princeton University Press Code Red An Economist Explains How to Revive the
Book SynopsisProposes a set of healthcare solutions that address access, efficiency, and quality. This book focuses on the plight of the uninsured, and proposes a direction that promises to make premier healthcare for Americans a national reality. It is suitable for those trying to make sense of the thorny issues of healthcare reform.Trade Review"Code Red is one of the two or three best books on the economics of health care. It is especially strong on how the current mess evolved historically and what has been tried (or not tried) along the way. This is the place to go to understand PSROs or what happened to the HMO revolution...This book won't make anyone fully happy, but it is a must for fans of health care policy."--Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution "Many books and articles address improvements to the US health care system and the provision of health insurance to all citizens ... [Dranove's] goal ... is to review public sector efforts to deal with access, costs, and quality... [I]t is well written ... and does a good job of providing insights into the national debate... In the end, having a quality system requires an efficient public-private partnership."--R. L. Jones, Pennsylvania State University, College of Medicine, for CHOICE "With health care as a key issue in the presidential campaign, it is refreshing to read a balanced, well-reasoned essay on the ailments of our healthcare system, along with some possible remedies. Code Red is an excellent read for health care professionals and policy wonks: it is suitable for anyone interested in the debate, though it employs a modicum of vocabulary from Dranove's discipline, economics."--Michael P. Meacham, Centre Daily TimesTable of ContentsAcknowledgments vii PART 1: DIAGNOSING THE CONDITION 1 Introduction 3 Chapter One: An Accidental Healthcare System 8 Chapter Two: Paging Doctor Welby 30 Chapter Three: Therapy for an Ailing Health Economy 58 Chapter Four: The Managed Care Prescription 83 PART 2: SEARCHING FOR CURES 119 Chapter Five: Self-Help 121 Chapter Six: The Quality Revolution 147 Chapter Seven: Mending the Safety Net 176 Chapter Eight: Reviving the American Healthcare System 205 Appendix: An Alphabet Soup of Healthcare Acronyms 235 Notes 239 Bibliography 255 Index 269
£22.50
Princeton University Press Sneaking a Look at Gods Cards
Book SynopsisQuantum mechanics describes the behavior of subatomic particles. Since its inception, physicists and philosophers have struggled to work out the meaning of quantum mechanics. This book sets out what we know about the quantum world, how we came to this understanding, where we disagree, and where we are heading in our quest to comprehend it.Trade Review"From the earliest days of the theory, confusion about its interpretation engendered a continuing series of debates... Ghirardi's book provides a careful, evenhanded and well thought-out introduction to this timely topic."--Peter Woit, American Scientist "This is an excellent translation of a magnificent book... [T]he Italian physicist GianCarlo Ghirardi gives a non-technical and critical exposition of deep facts about the foundations of quantum mechanics."--Adonai S. Sant' Anna, Mathematical Reviews "[A] sweeping treatment of one of the most unfathomable yet important scientific frameworks of our time."--Cait Goldberg, Science News "A modern overview of the state of quantum theory... The breadth and depth are very impressive."--Choice "This remarkable book provides a careful and nontechnical introduction to the fundamental epistemological questions of quantum mechanics... [I]t sets out with an in-depth discussion of the conceptual revolution brought about by the transition from a classical to a quantum description of the physical world... All in all a marvelous and thought provoking book by one of the leading scientists in the field."--M. Kunzinger, Monatschefte fur MathematikTable of ContentsPreface xi Acknowledgments xvii Chapter One: The Collapse of the "Classical" World View 1 Chapter Two: The Polarization of Light 25 Chapter Three: Quanta, Chance Events, and Indeterminism 43 Chapter Four: The Superposition Principle and the Conceptual Structure of the Theory 79 Chapter Five: Visualization and Scientific Progress 111 Chapter Six: The Interpretation of the Theory 120 Chapter Seven: The Bohr-Einstein Dialogue 149 Chapter Eight: A Bolt from the Blue: The Einstein-Podolski-Rosen Argument 165 Chapter Nine: Hidden Variables 195 Chapter Ten: Bell's Inequality and Nonlocality 226 Chapter Eleven: Nonlocality and Superluminal Signals 261 Chapter Twelve: Quantum Cryptography 292 Chapter Thirteen: Quantum Computers 313 Chapter Fourteen: Systems of Identical Particles 331 Chapter Fifteen: From Microscopic to Macroscopic 344 Chapter Sixteen: In Search of a Coherent Framework for All Physical Processes 377 Chapter Seventeen: Spontaneous Localization, Properties, and Perceptions 416 Chapter Eighteen: Macrorealism and Noninvasive Measurements 437 Chapter Nineteen: Conclusions 448 Notes 455 Bibliography 473 Index 477
£999.99
Princeton University Press The Seven Hills of Rome
Book SynopsisFrom humble beginnings, Rome became perhaps the greatest intercontinental power in the world. This book demonstrates the important link between the history of Rome and its geologic setting. It contains chapters that are arranged geographically, based on the seven hills, the Tiber floodplain, the ancient creeks that dissected the plateau, and more.Trade Review"A detailed description."--Ingrid Rowland, New York Review of Books "Rome we know as a museum of empires and faiths, architecture and art collections: this fascinating little book shows how it may be a museum of the earth as well."--Greg Woolf, Times Literary Supplement "This is a truly unusual book of great interest to amateur geologists, historians, and travelers."--Library Journal "A very interesting book on the geology of Rome and how that geology has strongly influenced the city's geography, history, economics, and culture since its earliest settlement."--Choice "This is a book of delights. A volcanologist and two geologists unpick the fabric of Rome, from its roots of silts and gravels overlain by volcanic flows to the summits of the seven hills."--Maggie McDonald, New Scientist "Now here's a tourist guide to Rome with a difference...This isn't just a guide. The authors have also set out to awaken people to Rome's geological framework in the hope of making the city itself more sustainable."--Sarah Barnett, Geographical Magazine "This fascinating and easy-to-read guidebook shows how the geography and geology of Rome allowed it to grow into the great center of civilization that it became... This book is for travelers and readers interested in both history and geology."--Science News "The writing in this joint Italian-American volume is delightfully clear, and the book is full of helpful illustrations."--Ron Smith, Georgia ReviewTable of ContentsForeword, by Walter Veltroni vii Preface ix CHAPTER 1: A Tourist's Introduction to the Geology of Rome 1 Timelines 18 CHAPTER 2: Center of the Western World--The Capitoline (Campidoglio) Hill 27 CHAPTER 3: Palaces and Gardens--The Palatine (Palatino) Hill 37 CHAPTER 4: The Aventine (Aventino) Hill 51 CHAPTER 5: The Tiber Floodplain, Commerce, and Tragedy 59 CHAPTER 6: The Tiber's Tributaries in Rome--Clogged with Humankind's Debris 85 CHAPTER 7: The Western Heights--Janiculum, Vatican, and Monte Mario 110 CHAPTER 8: The Celian (Celio) Hill 123 CHAPTER 9: Largest of the Seven Hills--The Esquiline (Esquilino)153 CHAPTER 10: Upper Class--The Viminal (Viminale) and Quirinal (Quirinale) Hills 162 CHAPTER 11: Field Trips in and around Rome 174 The Seven Hills of Rome in Fifteen Stops 174 Panoramas, Piazzas, and Plateaus 195 A Field Trip to Rome, the City of Water 216 Acknowledgments 229 Further Reading 231 Index 237
£28.50
Princeton University Press The Grand Contraption The World as Myth Number
Book SynopsisTells the story of humanity's attempts through 4,000 years of written history to make sense of the world in its cosmic totality, to understand its physical nature, and to know its real and imagined inhabitants. This book is about the 'grand contraption' we've constructed through the ages in an effort to understand and identify with the universe.Trade ReviewFinalist for the 2006 Book Award in Science, Independent Publisher Book Awards "Through flood myths and daimones (guardian angels), and the interplay of the elements--earth, air, fire and water--Park lovingly charts the history of how we imagines Earth and out place in its surroundings."--Paul Nettleton, The Guardian "Bring Homer and Einstein, Aristotle and Columbus into one timeless room (with translators), and their conversation would likely turn to the themes of this astonishingly capacious history of cosmology... An exhilarating intellectual adventure."--Booklist "In this comprehensive and fascinating book, Park reviews how theologians, philosophers, and mathematicians have attempted to explain subjects ranging from the creation of life to the nature of matter and the structure of the universe... Park gives a comprehensive and readable overview of the 'grand contraption' that is the universe."--Science News "The Grand Contraption is a masterful presentation of the long timelines in the history of cosmology. It is a remarkable book on the development of the worldview from chaos to cosmos, and from the most ancient cultures to modern time."--Helge Kragh, Physics Today "There is no practical way, of course, to pack all human understanding into a single volume, and Park doesn't try. Instead, he traces our evolving lines of reasoning, at least those emerging in the Western world, from early myth through the emergence of modern philosophy to the establishment of scientific method... From person to person, period to period, Park threads together how myths were jettisoned for fact, how fact turned out to be more fabulous than myth."--Scott LaFee, San Diego Union-Tribune "[A] well-written history of human thought."--Herbert E. Kasube, MathDL "This book celebrates the formation of ideas based on myth, religion, aesthetics, logic and mathematics as they have evolved over the past four thousand years... David Park is a fabulous guide through the history of these ideas and the minds of the great participants."--B. I. Henry, Australian Physics "By abandoning any attempt to construct a neat plot, Park has avoided the temptation to trace out a progressive line leading inexorably toward modern science, and the book's meandering structure itself recalls the nondirectional pattern of scientific change... Park's decision to be guided by personal choice and serendipity has led him to construct a meta-commentary on science's history."--Patricia Fara, IsisTable of ContentsList of Illustrations ix Preface xiii CHAPTER ONE: Voices from the Sands 1 1.1 The Biblical Universe 1 1.2 Tales from Sumer and Egypt 6 1.3 Two More Worlds 15 1.4 Deluge 18 1.5 The Twisted Axle 22 CHAPTER TWO: Managing the World 26 2.1 Dramatis Personae 27 2.2 The Lower Tier 31 2.3 The Shape of the World 35 2.4 Fortune-Telling 40 2.5 The Stars Move Westward 44 2.6 Guiding Hands 47 CHAPTER THREE: Guesswork 54 3.1 A Mass of Rock 54 3.2 Ionians 57 3.3 Earth, Sun, Moon, and Law 60 3.4 A World Made of Numbers 62 3.5 Change and Eternity 68 3.6 Theories of Matter 72 3.7 Atoms and the Pursuit of Happiness 78 CHAPTER FOUR: Earth and Heaven 83 4.1 Law and Nature 83 4.2 Measuring Months and Years 87 4.3 Plato's Fantasy 88 4.4 Aristotle's Optimism 96 CHAPTER FIVE: Beginnings and Endings 107 5.1 Time and Space 107 5.2 Creation 111 5.3 The Universe Recycled 116 5.4 The End of Everything 120 CHAPTER SIX: Philosophy Continued 126 6.1 The Stars in Motion 126 6.2 Stars, Earth, and Numbers 132 6.3 Omens and Demons 136 6.4 Remembrance of Things Past 142 6.5 Motes of Dust 148 6.6 The Great Design 153 INTERLUDE: The World Map 161 I.1 Earth and Cosmos 162 I.2 Explorers and Traders 164 I.3 The Christian Earth 168 I.4 Travelers' Tales 172 I.5 The Age of Exploration 180 CHAPTER SEVEN: Toward a New Astronomy 190 7.1 The Sun Stands Still 191 7.2 The Mathematical Plan 197 7.3 The World Observed 204 7.4 A World Invented 210 7.5 Isaac Newton 217 CHAPTER EIGHT: What Is the World Made Of? 225 8.1 Atoms Reborn 226 8.2 Transformations 228 8.3 A Theory of Matter 231 8.4 Atoms and Numbers 233 8.5 Ether and the Nature of Light 239 CHAPTER NINE: The Universe Measured 245 9.1 Surveyors at Work 245 9.2 The Age of the Earth 251 9.3 The Long Descent of Man 255 CHAPTER TEN: The Exploding Universe 269 10.1 The Cosmos in Motion 269 10.2 The Big Bang 272 10.3 What's Out There? 279 CHAPTER ELEVEN: The View from Here 283 11.1 Is There Anyone Else? 283 11.2 The Best of All Possible Worlds? 286 11.3 Will It Ever End? 289 11.4 Reflections 292 References and Further Reading 297 Bibliography 311 Index 327
£28.80
Princeton University Press The Essential Einstein
Book Synopsis
£27.00
Princeton University Press Mutualistic Networks
Book SynopsisMutualistic interactions among plants and animals have played a paramount role in shaping biodiversity. Making a case for why we should care about mutualisms and their complex networks, this book offers a perspective on the study and synthesis of this growing area for ecologists and evolutionary biologists.Trade ReviewWinner of the 2016 BES Marsh Christian Trust Book Award, British Ecological Association "[A]ll ecologists will benefit from reading [Mutualistic Networks], giving this audience a better understanding of the network perspective on mutualism."--Choice "Making a case for why we should care about mutualisms and their complex networks, this book offers a new perspective on the study and synthesis of this growing area for ecologists and evolutionary biologists. It will serve as the standard reference for any future work on mutualistic interactions in biological communities."--Biotechnology, Agronomy, Society and Environment "Mutualistic Networks is a book that presents a highly dynamic field in its entire breadth and historic development. [A]nyone interested in a passionate layout of a multifaceted and ecologically exciting research area will want to read it."--Carsten F. Dormann, Basic and Applied Ecology "[T]his excellent and unique book provides novel insights into ecological and coevolutionary dynamics of interacting species."--Wesley Dattilo, Journal of Complex Networks "Bascompte and Jordano ... logically and thoroughly guide the reader through the theories and tools used to understand, and the importance of understanding, the complexity of mutualistic networks."--Luke S. O'Loughlin, Austral EcologyTable of ContentsPreface xi Chapter 1. Biodiversity and Plant-Animal Coevolution 1 Historical Overview 1 A Bit of Natural History 6 Coevolution in Multispecific Mutualisms 12 Summary 14 Chapter 2. An Introduction to Complex Networks 15 A Network Approach to Complex Systems 17 Measures of Network Structure 21 Models of Network Buildup 31 Ecological Networks 32 Summary 41 Chapter 3. The Structure of Plant-Animal Mutualistic Networks 42 Degree Distribution 42 Nestedness 44 Small World 48 Modularity 50 Weighted Networks 54 Comparisons with other Ecological Networks 60 Summary 62 Chapter 4. Ecological and Evolutionary Mechanisms 64 Single Ecological Traits 67 Phylogenetic Effects 77 Summary 85 Chapter 5. Mutualistic Networks in Time and Space 87 Network Dynamics 88 Spatial Mosaics 98 Sampling and Robustness 102 Summary 106 Chapter 6. Consequences of Network Structure 107 Coextinction Cascades 108 Dynamic Stability 113 Global Change and Mutualistic Networks 120 Coevolutionary Implications 126 Implications for Nonbiological Systems 132 Summary 134 Chapter 7. Epilogue 136 Appendix A. Indices Used in Mutualistic Network Analyses 139 Appendix B. Fitting Degree Distributions 143 Appendix C. Measures of Nestedness 147 Appendix D. Measures of Modularity 150 Appendix E. Phylogenetic Methods and Network Analysis 154 Appendix F. Null Models for Assessing Network Structure 160 Appendix G. An Analytical Theory of Mutualistic Networks 167 Fixed Points and Local Stability 167 Effects of Network Structure on Competition and Biodiversity 169 Appendix H. Software for the Analysis of Complex Networks 175 Bibliography 179 Index 201
£40.50
Princeton University Press The Galactic Supermassive Black Hole
Book SynopsisThe closest galactic nucleus in the universe, Sagittarius A* can provide us with a realistic expectation of learning about the physics of strong gravitational fields. This book provides an overview of the ideas and discoveries pertaining to the supermassive black hole at the galactic center known as Sagittarius A*.Trade Review"Combining large scale astronomical observations with the careful reasoning of physics leads to the widely encompassing field of astrophysics. Apparently, the physical laws that rule interactions on Earth also rule the actions across our university. Fulvio Melia takes this consideration to task in his book The Galactic Supermassive Black Hole. Within the book, the equations bring reason to some very murky observations and sharpen our view of the heavens."--Universe Today "Melia has prepared his book as a logically arranged and comprehensive compilation of our current knowledge...For those who wish to become familiar with the current thinking, this is the book to read; it is the only complete overview of the subject."--A. Spero, ChoiceTable of ContentsForeword vii Preface xiii CHAPTER 1: The Galactic Center 1 1.1 Discovery of Sagittarius A* 2 1.2 Radio Morphology of the Central Region 5 1.3 X-ray Morphology of the Central Region 10 1.4 Sagittarius A East 17 CHAPTER 2: The Radio Source Sagittarius A* 25 2.1 Position of Sagittarius A* 27 2.2 Proper Motion 32 2.3 Structure as a Function of Frequency 37 CHAPTER 3: Sagittarius A*'s Spectrum 42 3.1 The Radio Spectrum 42 3.2 Linear and Circular Polarization 46 3.3 Infrared Observations 55 3.4 X-ray Observations 58 3.5 Observed High-Energy Characteristics 65 CHAPTER 4: Variability 71 4.1 Short-Term Variability in the IR and X-rays 71 4.2 Long-Term Variability in the Radio 81 CHAPTER 5: The Central Star Cluster 86 5.1 The Stellar Cusp Surrounding the Black Hole 87 5.2 Stellar Constituents and Dynamics 101 5.3 Stellar Orbits and the Enclosed Mass 109 CHAPTER 6: The Four-Dimensional Spacetime 114 6.1 The Flat Spacetime Metric 114 6.2 Relativistic Transformation of Physical Laws 126 6.3 Accelerated Frames 132 6.4 General Relativity 137 6.5 Particle Orbits and Trajectories 140 6.6 The Kerr Metric 149 CHAPTER 7: Mass Accretion and Expulsion 156 7.1 Sagittarius A*'s Gaseous Environment 158 7.2 Bondi-Hoyle Capture from Distributed Sources 162 7.3 Accretion Close to Sagittarius A* 165 7.4 Magnetic Field Dissipation 167 7.5 A Compact Magnetized Disk 176 7.6 Expulsion of Matter 204 CHAPTER 8: Flares 226 8.1 Flare Physics 226 8.2 Periodicity 234 8.3 General Relativistic Flux Modulations 240 CHAPTER 9: Strong Field Physics 245 9.1 Spin-Induced Disk Precession 246 9.2 Microlensing 251 9.3 Imaging the Shadow of the Black Hole 259 References 265 Index 287
£67.50
Princeton University Press Food Webs
Book SynopsisArguing that various classical food web theories can be looked at collectively and in a consistent and testable way, this book synthesizes modern and classical perspectives into a general unified theory. It brings together outcomes from population, community, and ecosystem-level approaches under the common currency of energy or material fluxes.Trade Review"This is a must-read for ecologists interested in ecosystem dynamics."--Choice "This is potentially an indispensable book for ecologists and paleoecologists alike, synthesizing food-web theory and outcomes from population-level up to whole-ecosystem-level approaches. McCann offers clear explanations of the dynamics of food webs using a mathematical approach, and while the book will be of particular use to graduate students, it may also be of substantial use to undergraduate students as an advanced but very thorough introduction to the subject."--Jo Hellawell, Priscum "Food Webs is an imaginative but very concise book in terms of methodology and selection of concepts. It is extremely coherent, though some may think extremely selective in the models and concepts used. But to build a food web theory across different scales of organization, from single populations to real multispecies interaction networks, this selectivity is needed, and the unifying concept of stability makes it fascinating."--Jose M. Montoya, Ecology "[T]his is a very exciting book that communicates theoretical concepts to a broad ecological audience. In addition, the overview over the countless seminal studies by McCann and co-workers make this book unique and a highly recommended read for all ecologists."--Ulrich Brose, Basic & Applied EcologyTable of ContentsPreface xi Part 1: THE PROBLEM AND THE APPROACH Chapter 1. The Balance of Nature: What Is It and Why Care? 3 1.1 Balancing a Noisy System 3 1.2 Ecosystem Stability and Sustainability 6 1.3 Of Food Webs, Stability, and Function 9 1.4 Ecological Instability and Collapse 10 1.5 A Theory for Food Webs 17 Chapter 2. A Primer for Dynamical Systems 20 2.1 Qualitative Approaches to Complex Problems 20 2.2 Dynamical Systems 22 2.3 Case Study: Hopf Bifurcation in an Aquatic Microcosm 42 2.4 Summary of Key Points 45 Chapter 3. Of Modules, Motifs, and Whole Webs 47 Part 2: FOOD WEB MODULES: FROM POPULATIONS TO SMALL FOOD WEBS Chapter 4. Excitable and Nonexcitable Population Dynamics 53 4.1 Continuous Resource Dynamics 53 4.2 From Nonexcitable to Excitable Population Dynamics 56 4.3 Stage-Structured Resource Dynamics 61 4.4 Empirical Evidence for Excitable Dynamics 63 4.5 Summary: The Dual Nature of Population Growth Rates 65 Chapter 5. Consumer-Resource Dynamics: Building Consumptive Food Webs 67 5.1 Interaction Strength 67 5.2 Consumer-Resource Interactions: Two Qualitative Responses to Changes in a Parameter 71 5.3 Summary 79 5.4 Further Assumptions about the C-R Model 80 5.5 Some Nonequilibrium Thoughts 83 5.6 C-R Dynamics in Nature 84 5.7 Summary 88 Chapter 6. Lagged Consumer-Resource Dynamics 89 6.1 Discrete Consumer-Resource Interactions 90 6.2 Stage-Structured Consumer-Resource Dynamics 94 6.3 Stage-Structured Interactions and Alternative States 97 6.4 Empirical Results 100 6.5 Summary 101 Chapter 7. Food Chains and Omnivory 103 7.1 A Familiar Modular Example: Food Chains 105 7.2 Omnivory 110 7.3 Stage Structure and Food Chain Stability 116 7.4 Empirical Results 118 7.5 Summary 121 Chapter 8. More Modules 123 8.1 Generalists and Food Web Dynamics 123 8.2 The Diamond and the Intraguild Predator 132 8.3 Empirical Results 137 8.4 Summary 140 Part 3: TOWARD WHOLE SYSTEMS Chapter 9. Coupling Modules in Space: A Landscape Theory 145 9.1 Variability, Space, and Food Webs 145 9.2 Individual Traits and a Landscape-Scale Module 147 9.3 Mobile Adaptive Consumers 151 9.4 Food Webs in Space 155 9.5 Asymmetric Flux Rates through Food Webs 160 9.6 Dynamical Implications on the Landscape 162 9.7 Empirical Evidence 164 9.8 Summary 169 Chapter 10. Classic Food Web Theory 170 10.1 The Classic Approach 170 10.2 Matrices and Local Stability 172 10.3 Gershgorin Discs for Community Matrices: An Intuitive Approach to Eigenvalues 172 10.4 A Controlled Approach to Food Web Matrices 175 10.5 Some Classic Whole-Matrix Results 178 10.6 Recent Whole Community Approaches 184 10.7 Summary 188 Chapter 11. Adding the Ecosystem 189 11.1 Grazing Food Webs and Whole Ecosystems 189 11.2 The N-R-D Module 192 11.3 Detritus and C-R Interactions 194 11.4 Nonequilibrium Dynamics and Detritus as a Distributor 197 11.5 Discussion 199 11.6 Summary 199 Chapter 12. Food Webs as Complex Adaptive Systems 201 12.1 Searching for Empirical Signatures 201 12.2 Adaptive Behavior, Changing Food Web Topology, and Ecosystem Size 202 12.3 Empirical Results for Canadian Shield Lake Ecosystems 206 12.4 Subsidies, Opportunists, and Homogenization 213 12.5 Humans in the Food Web 215 Bibliography 219 Index 235
£49.50
Princeton University Press Physics and Technology for Future Presidents An
Book SynopsisHow practical are alternative energy sources? Can satellites really read license plates from space? And how much should we fear a terrorist nuke? This book empowers students possessing any level of scientific background with the tools they need to make informed decisions and to argue their views persuasively with anyone - expert or otherwise.Trade ReviewOne of Choice's Compilation of Significant University Press Titles for Undergraduates for 2010-2011 "'Physics for Future Presidents' is a course, yes (with the professor's best seller, and soon its sequel, serving as textbook), but it is really more a tour de force. Richard A. Muller presents an astonishing amount of information on atoms, antimatter and other subjects. But since these are actual lectures, recorded in a hall on the Berkeley campus... It's all highly entertaining and educational, although it's hard to imagine being able to absorb it all. The course is geared for nonscientists, billed as being long on concepts and short on math, and covers topics like radioactivity, climate change and waves of all kinds. Yet it doesn't spare details."--Henry Fountain, New York Times "[I]t's a great textbook for a physics course for non-scientists, and there's plenty of stuff in there to interest scientists as well."--Brian Clegg, Popular Science "Muller does a very good job of comprehensively describing the physics base of the technological infrastructure of our social world."--Choice "[T]his handsome volume merits a very wide readership if we are to make the most of it and of everything else for that matter."--Arthur B. Shostak, European LegacyTable of ContentsPreface ix Physics Is the Liberal Arts of High- Tech ix An Ideal Student x Physics for the Future Leader xi CHAPTER 1: Energy and Power and the Physics of Explosions 1 Explosions and Energy 2 Power 19 CHAPTER Review 31 CHAPTER 2: Atoms and Heat 38 Quandaries 38 Atoms and Molecules and the Meaning of Heat 39 Temperature 43 Chapter Review 65 CHAPTER 3: Gravity, Force, and Space 72 Gravity Surprises 72 The Force of Gravity 73 Push Accelerates--Newton's Third Law 75 Orbiting the Earth, and Weightlessness 75 Escape to Infi nity 81 Air Resistance and Fuel Efficiency 83 Momentum 89 Rockets 92 Airplanes, Helicopters, and Fans 95 Convection--Thunderstorms and Heaters 98 Angular Momentum and Torque 99 Chapter Review 101 CHAPTER 4: Nuclei and Radioactivity 108 Radioactivity 108 Fission 138 Fusion 138 Back to the Beginning 143 Chapter Review 143 CHAPTER 5: Chain Reactions, Nuclear Reactors, and Atomic Bombs 152 A Multitude of Chain Reactions 152 Nuclear Weapons Basics 165 Nuclear Reactors 176 Nuclear Waste 182 Chapter Review 193 CHAPTER 6: Electricity and Magnetism 201 Electricity Is ... 201 Magnetism Is ... 201 Electricity 202 Electric Power 209 Magnets 212 Electric and Magnetic Fields 216 Electromagnets 217 Electric Motors 221 Electric Generators 221 Transformers 225 Magnetic Levitation 226 Rail Guns 227 AC versus DC 228 Chapter Review 231 CHAPTER 7: Waves Including UFOs, Earthquakes, and Music 239 Two Strange but True Stories 239 Waves 241 Chapter Review 272 CHAPTER 8: Light 282 High- Tech Light 282 What Is Light? 283 Color 286 Images 292 Mirrors 295 Slow Light 299 Lenses 305 Eyes 306 Telescopes and Microscopes 309 Spreading Light-- Diffraction 310 Holograms 311 Polarization 312 Chapter Review 316 CHAPTER 9: Invisible Light 324 An Opening Anecdote: Watching Illegal Immigrants Cross the Border in Darkness 324 Infrared Radiation 326 UV--"Black Light" 336 The Ozone Layer 338 Electromagnetic Radiation--an Overview 341 Medical Imaging 346 Ultrasound--Sonar (Bats and Submarines) 351 Chapter Review 353 CHAPTER 10: Climate Change 363 Global Warming 363 Solutions 390 Chapter Review 397 CHAPTER 11: Quantum Physics 404 Electron Waves 405 Laser--a Quantum Chain Reaction 409 The Photoelectric Effect 416 Quantum Physics of Gamma Rays and X-Rays 419 Semiconductor Transistors 420 Diode Transistors 421 Transistors 423 Superconductors 425 Electron Microscope 426 Deeper Aspects of Quantum Physics 427 Tunneling 433 Quantum Computers 435 Chapter Review 436 CHAPTER 12: Relativity 443 A Dialogue 443 Events--and the "Fourth Dimension" 444 Time Dilation 445 Lorentz Contraction 448 Relative Velocities 448 Energy and Mass 450 General Relativity-- a Theory of Gravity 458 Questions about Time 459 Chapter Review 460 CHAPTER 13: The Universe 467 Puzzles 467 The Solar System 467 Galaxies 469 Looking Back in Time 474 Expansion of the Universe 474 Dark Energy 476 The Beginning 476 Theory of Everything 481 Chapter Review 482 Epilogue (a poem) 489 Index 493
£67.50
Princeton University Press Quantum Mechanics in a Nutshell
Book SynopsisEmphasizing the use of quantum mechanics to describe actual quantum systems such as atoms and solids, and rich with interesting applications, this book proceeds from solving for the properties of a single particle in potential; to solving for two particles (the helium atom); to addressing many-particle systems.Trade Review"Praises in no way can do full justice to the strength and detail of Mahan's well crafted and superb nutshell book. I found the book fascinating, stimulating and convincing and one can easily observe that the book is bursting with intellectual energy and ambition. I am not a rated scientist but as a student and follower of science and scientific projects since the beginning of my academic career, I have come across several books of topical interest but this time I enjoyed Quantum Mechanics in A Nutshell as a whole for its intelligence and manner of treatment of topics. All said and done, it is a book that can be enjoyed by any science student interested in quantum mechanics."--Uwe C. Tauber, Current Engineering Practice "[A] comprehensive and up-to-date exploration of quantum mechanics."--Nature Physics "This book, in spite of 11 chapters densely written, consists of a quick and very readable presentation of basic principles and an impressive number of applications of quantum mechanics. It can be profitably used in courses for beginning, intermediate and, in some cases, advanced students of physics."--Valter Moretti, Zentralblatt MATHTable of ContentsPreface xi Chapter 1: Introduction 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Schrodinger's Equation 2 1.3 Eigenfunctions 4 1.4 Measurement 8 1.5 Representations 8 1.5.1 Schrodinger Representation 9 1.5.2 Heisenberg Representation 10 1.6 Noncommuting Operators 11 Chapter 2: One Dimension 14 2.1 Square Well 14 2.2 Linear Potentials 26 2.3 Harmonic Oscillator 29 2.4 Raising and Lowering Operators 34 2.5 Exponential Potential 39 2.5.1 Bound State 40 2.5.2 Continuum State 42 2.6 Delta-Function Potential 45 2.7 Number of Solutions 48 2.8 Normalization 49 2.8.1 Bound States 49 2.8.2 Box Normalization 50 2.8.3 Delta-Function Normalization 51 2.8.4 The Limit of Infinite Volume 54 2.9 Wave Packets 56 Chapter 3: Approximate Methods 62 3.1 WKBJ 62 3.2 Bound States by WKBJ 68 3.2.1 Harmonic Oscillator 71 3.2.2 Morse Potential 71 3.2.3 Symmetric Ramp 73 3.2.4 Discontinuous Potentials 74 3.3 Electron Tunneling 76 3.4 Variational Theory 77 3.4.1 Half-Space Potential 80 3.4.2 Harmonic Oscillator in One Dimension 82 Chapter 4: Spin and Angular Momentum 87 4.1 Operators, Eigenvalues, and Eigenfunctions 87 4.1.1 Commutation Relations 88 4.1.2 Raising and Lowering Operators 89 4.1.3 Eigenfunctions and Eigenvalues 90 4.2 Representations 95 4.3 Rigid Rotations 100 4.4 The Addition of Angular Momentum 102 Chapter 5: Two and Three Dimensions 108 5.1 Plane Waves in Three Dimensions 108 5.2 Plane Waves in Two Dimensions 112 5.3 Central Potentials 114 5.3.1 Central Potentials in 3D 114 5.3.2 Central Potential in 2D 118 5.4 Coulomb Potentials 119 5.4.1 Bound States 119 5.4.2 Confluent Hypergeometric Functions 121 5.4.3 Hydrogen Eigenfunctions 121 5.4.4 Continuum States 125 5.5 WKBJ 126 5.5.1 Three Dimensions 126 5.5.2 3D Hydrogen Atom 127 5.5.3 Two Dimensions 128 5.6 Hydrogen-like Atoms 130 5.6.1 Quantum Defect 131 5.6.2 WKBJ Derivation 132 5.6.3 Expectation Values 134 5.7 Variational Theory 134 5.7.1 Hydrogen Atom: n 1 135 5.7.2 Hydrogen Atom: l 1 136 5.7.3 Helium Atom 137 5.8 Free Particles in a Magnetic Field 143 5.8.1 Gauges 143 5.8.2 Eigenfunctions and Eigenvalues 144 5.8.3 Density of States 146 5.8.4 Quantum Hall Effect 147 5.8.5 Flux Quantization 150 Chapter 6: Matrix Methods and Perturbation Theory 157 6.1 H and H0 157 6.2 Matrix Methods 158 6.2.1 2 x 2 160 6.2.2 Coupled Spins 160 6.2.3 Tight-Binding Model 163 6.3 The Stark Effect 166 6.4 Perturbation Theory 170 6.4.1 General Formulas 170 6.4.2 Harmonic Oscillator in Electric Field 174 6.4.3 Continuum States 176 6.4.4 Green's Function 180 6.5 The Polarizability 181 6.5.1 Quantum Definition 182 6.5.2 Polarizability of Hydrogen 183 6.6 Van der Waals Potential 188 6.7 Spin-Orbit Interaction 194 6.7.1 Spin-Orbit in Atoms 195 6.7.2 Alkali Valence Electron in Electric Field 199 6.8 Bound Particles in Magnetic Fields 202 6.8.1 Magnetic Susceptibility 204 6.8.2 Alkali Atom in Magnetic Field 205 6.8.3 Zeeman Effect 207 6.8.4 Paschen-Back Effect 209 Chapter 7: Time-Dependent Perturbations 213 7.1 Time-Dependent Hamiltonians 213 7.2 Sudden Approximation 215 7.2.1 Shake-up and Shake-off 216 7.2.2 Spin Precession 218 7.3 Adiabatic Approximation 220 7.4 Transition Rates: The Golden Rule 222 7.5 Atomic Excitation by a Charged Particle 226 7.6 Born Approximation to Scattering 231 7.6.1 Cross Section 232 7.6.2 Rutherford Scattering 235 7.6.3 Electron Scattering from Hydrogen 236 7.7 Particle Decay 237 Chapter 8: Electromagnetic Radiation 244 8.1 Quantization of the Field 245 8.1.1 Gauges 246 8.1.2 Lagrangian 250 8.1.3 Hamiltonian 253 8.1.4 Casimir Force 256 8.2 Optical Absorption by a Gas 258 8.2.1 Entangled Photons 268 8.3 Oscillator Strength 269 8.4 Polarizability 273 8.5 Rayleigh and Raman Scattering 278 8.6 Compton Scattering 283 Chapter 9: Many-Particle Systems 288 9.1 Introduction 288 9.2 Fermions and Bosons 289 9.2.1 Two Identical Particles 290 9.3 Exchange Energy 291 9.3.1 Two-Electron Systems 291 9.3.2 Parahelium and Orthohelium 293 9.3.3 Hund's Rules 293 9.4 Many-Electron Systems 295 9.4.1 Evaluating Determinants 295 9.4.2 Ground-State Energy 297 9.4.3 Hartree-Fock Equations 299 9.4.4 Free Electrons 301 9.4.5 Pair Distribution Function 303 9.4.6 Correlation Energy 304 9.4.7 Thomas-Fermi Theory 304 9.4.8 Density Functional Theory 307 9.5 Second Quantization 309 9.5.1 Bosons 309 9.5.2 Fermions 312 9.6 Bose-Einstein Condensation 313 9.6.1 Noninteracting Particles 313 9.6.2 Off-Diagonal Long-Range Order 314 Chapter 10: Scattering Theory 320 10.1 Elastic Scattering 320 10.1.1 Partial Wave Analysis 323 10.1.2 Scattering in Two Dimensions 326 10.1.3 Hard-Sphere Scattering 328 10.1.4 Ramsauer-Townsend Effect 330 10.1.5 Born Approximation 332 10.2 Scattering of Identical Particles 333 10.2.1 Two Free Particles 333 10.2.2 Electron Scattering from Hydrogen 335 10.3 T-Matrices 337 10.4 Distorted Wave Scattering 340 10.5 Scattering from Many Particles 343 10.5.1 Bragg Scattering 343 10.5.2 Scattering by Fluids 344 10.5.3 Strong Scattering 346 10.6 Wave Packets 347 10.6.1 Three Dimensions 347 10.6.2 Scattering by Wave Packets 348 Chapter 11: Relativistic Quantum Mechanics 352 11.1 Four-Vectors 352 11.2 Klein-Gordon Equation 354 11.2.1 Derivation 354 11.2.2 Free Particle 354 11.2.3 Currents and Densities 355 11.2.4 Step Potential 356 11.2.5 Nonrelativistic Limit 356 11.2.6 -Mesonic Atoms 357 11.3 Dirac Equation 360 11.3.1 Derivation 361 11.3.2 Current and Charge Density 364 11.3.3 Gamma-Matrices 364 11.3.4 Free-Particle Solutions 366 11.3.5 Spin-Projection Operators 369 11.3.6 Scattering of Dirac Particles 371 11.4 Antiparticles and Negative Energy States 374 11.5 Spin Averages 377 11.6 Nonrelativistic Limit 379 11.6.1 First Approximation 379 11.6.2 Second Approximation 380 11.6.3 Relativistic Corrections for Hydrogenic States 382 11.7 Relativistic Interactions 384 11.7.1 Photon Green's Function 384 11.7.2 Electron Green's Function 387 11.7.3 Boson Exchange 387 11.8 Scattering of Electron and Muon 388 Index 397
£73.60
Princeton University Press Handbook of Metaanalysis in Ecology and Evolution
Book SynopsisMeta-analysis is a powerful statistical methodology for synthesizing research evidence across independent studies. This is the first comprehensive handbook of meta-analysis written specifically for ecologists and evolutionary biologists, and it provides an invaluable introduction for beginners as well as an up-to-date guide for experienced meta-anaTrade Review"[T]his is a comprehensive and up-to-date compendium of all relevant aspects for meta-analysis conduction in ecology, evolution, and related topics. Scientists from these areas who already have some knowledge on meta-analysis will find valuable guidance."--Daniela Vetter, Quarterly Review of BiologyTable of ContentsPreface xi SECTION I: Introduction & Planning 1.Place of Meta-analysis among Other Methods of Research Synthesis 3 Julia Koricheva & Jessica Gurevitch 2.The Procedure of Meta-analysis in a Nutshell 14 Isabelle M. Cote & Michael D. Jennions SECTION II : Initiating a Meta-analysis 3.First Steps in Beginning a Meta-analysis 27 Gavin B. Stewart, Isabelle M. Cote, Hannah R. Rothstein, & Peter S. Curtis 4.Gathering Data: Searching Literature & Selection Criteria 37 Isabelle M. Cote, Peter S. Curtis, Hannah R. Rothstein, & Gavin B. Stewart 5.Extraction & Critical Appraisal of Data 52 Peter S. Curtis, Kerrie Mengersen, Marc J. Lajeunesse, Hannah R. Rothstein, & Gavin B. Stewart 6.Effect Sizes: Conventional Choices & Calculations 61 Michael S. Rosenberg, Hannah R. Rothstein, & Jessica Gurevitch 7.Using Other Metrics of Effect Size in Meta-analysis 72 Kerrie Mengersen & Jessica Gurevitch SECTION III : Essential Analytic Models & Methods 8.Statistical Models & Approaches to Inference 89 Kerrie Mengersen, Christopher H. Schmid, Michael D. Jennions, & Jessica Gurevitch 9.Moment & Least-Squares Based Approaches to Meta-analytic Inference 108 Michael S. Rosenberg 10.Maximum Likelihood Approaches to Meta-analysis 125 Kerrie Mengersen & Christopher H. Schmid 11.Bayesian Meta-analysis 145 Christopher H. Schmid & Kerrie Mengersen 12.Software for Statistical Meta-analysis 174 Christopher H. Schmid, Gavin B. Stewart, Hannah R. Rothstein, Marc J. Lajeunesse, & Jessica Gurevitch SECTION IV: Statistical Issues & Problems 13.Recovering Missing or Partial Data from Studies: A Survey of Conversions & Imputations for Meta-analysis 195 Marc J. Lajeunesse 14.Publication & Related Biases 207 Michael D. Jennions, Christopher J. Lortie, Michael S. Rosenberg, & Hannah R. Rothstein 15.Temporal Trends in Effect Sizes: Causes, Detection, & Implications 237 Julia Koricheva, Michael D. Jennions, & Joseph Lau 16.Statistical Models for the Meta-analysis of Nonindependent Data 255 Kerrie Mengersen, Michael D. Jennions, & Christopher H. Schmid 17.Phylogenetic Nonindependence & Meta-analysis 284 Marc J. Lajeunesse, Michael S. Rosenberg, & Michael D. Jennions 18.Meta-analysis of Primary Data 300 Kerrie Mengersen, Jessica Gurevitch, & Christopher H. Schmid 19.Meta-analysis of Results from Multisite Studies 313 Jessica Gurevitch SECTION V: Presentation & Interpretation of Results 20.Quality St&ards for Research Syntheses 323 Hannah R. Rothstein, Christopher J. Lortie, Gavin B. Stewart, Julia Koricheva, & Jessica Gurevitch 21.Graphical Presentation of Results 339 Christopher J. Lortie, Joseph Lau, & Marc J. Lajeunesse 22.Power Statistics for Meta-analysis: Tests for Mean Effects & Homogeneity 348 Marc J. Lajeunesse 23.Role of Meta-analysis in Interpreting the Scientific Literature 364 Michael D. Jennions, Christopher J. Lortie, & Julia Koricheva 24.Using Meta-analysis to Test Ecological & Evolutionary Theory 381 Michael D. Jennions, Christopher J. Lortie, & Julia Koricheva SECTION VI: Contributions of Meta-analysis in Ecology & Evolution 25.History & Progress of Meta-analysis 407 Joseph Lau, Hannah R. Rothstein, & Gavin B. Stewart 26.Contributions of Meta-analysis to Conservation & Management 420 Isabelle M. Cote & Gavin B. Stewart 27.Conclusions: Past, Present, & Future of Meta-analysis in Ecology & Evolution 426 Jessica Gurevitch & Julia Koricheva Glossary 433 Frequently Asked Questions 441 References 447 List of Contributors 487 Subject Index 489
£67.50
Princeton University Press Disarmed The Missing Movement for Gun Control in
Book SynopsisBased on historical archives, interviews, and a survey evidence, this title suggests that the gun control campaign has been stymied by a combination of factors, including the inability to secure patronage resources, difficulties in articulating a message that resonates with supporters, and strategic decisions made in the name of effective policy.Trade Review"Goss has written an excellent book, useful to all students of lobbying... This thoughtful, well-documented book should be read and examined by would-be gun control activists and other advocates for social reform."--Choice "Rarely does a book make a significant contribution to two separate fields, but this work by Kristin Goss does. Readers interested in social movements and social movement theory will find an interesting case study of a movement that never happened--efforts to strengthen gun control laws in the United States. Those who study gun control will encounter a unique perspective on the interest group politics and policy making of firearms regulation. Well-researched and clearly written, the book is insightful and informative. Goss's journalistic background is evident, both in her prose and in the relative brevity of the book. Her arguments are clearly elucidated in a first chapter that should serve as a model."--Harry L. Wilson, Political Science QuarterlyTable of ContentsList of Figures ix List of Tables xi Acknowledgments xiii CHAPTER ONE: The Gun Control (Participation) Paradox 1 CHAPTER TWO: A Movement in Theory 31 CHAPTER THREE: Socializing Costs: Patronage and Political Participation 73 CHAPTER FOUR: Personalizing Benefits: Issue Frames and Political Participation 105 CHAPTER FIVE: Changing the Calculation: Policy Incrementalism and Political Participation 145 CHAPTER SIX: Mobilizing around Modest Measures: Three Cases 176 CHAPTER SEVEN: Conclusion: Politics, Participation, and Public Goods 190 Appendix A: Gun-Related Trends 201 Appendix B: Brief Case Studies of Other Social-Reform Movements 204 Appendix C: Survey of Million Mom March Participants 208 Notes 215 References 249 Index 271
£28.50
Princeton University Press Is Pluto a Planet A Historical Journey through
Book SynopsisTells the story of how the meaning of the word 'planet' has changed from antiquity to the present day, as new objects in our solar system have been discovered. This title provides the historical, philosophical, and astronomical background that allows us to decide for ourselves whether Pluto is indeed a planet.Trade Review"David Weintraub sets the debate in its full context, and his views will be of interest to anyone who wants to know how our view of the universe around us has changed over time."--Martin Ince, Times Higher Education Supplement "Vanderbilt astronomer Weintraub places the Pluto controversy in context in his judicious, lively account of the development of our solar system and the evolution of the meaning of the word planet... Weintraub effectively shows that Pluto is a planet by most definitions, but so are several other objects in the Kuiper asteroid belt. Weintraub's provocative, engaging study points to the richness and complexity of our solar system and its many possible planets."--Publishers Weekly "Well told... "Is Pluto a Planet?" ... provides a readable historical account of our knowledge of the Solar System and the concept of what has been considered to be a planet... Towards the end of this interesting book, Weintraub surprisingly concludes, despite the close analogy between the discovery of the asteroid and Kuiper belts, that we should retain Pluto as a planet by using three physical parameters of orbital characteristics, mass and roundness."--Stuart Ross Taylor, Nature "Weintraub discusses how the concept of planet has changed. He describes the rises and falls in the number of planets recognized in our solar system--changes that lead him to term Pluto 'the fourth ninth planet.' Although readers may not accept Weintraub's answer to the titular question, they will find his thought-provoking account provides ample information for supporting a variety of positions in the continuing debate."--Science "A fascinating, accessible, and eminently readable historical introduction to the development of the planetary ideal."--David W. Hughes, Observatory "This book takes a sensible historical (rather than hysterical) perspective... Is Pluto a Planet? is a comprehensive and desperately needed exploration of the subject and accessible to those without a prior knowledge of astronomy."--Steve Ringwood, Astronomy Now "Few topics in planetary science have ignited as much public debate and outright acrimony as the recent decision by the International Astronomical Union to revoke Pluto's planetary status...This kind of fervor makes David A. Weintraub's Is Pluto a Planet? particularly timely in that it provides some much-needed perspective on the battle over the meaning of the term 'planet,' a battle that, as we often forget, has been going on as long as astronomy itself...[T]here is much to recommend in Is Pluto a Planet? Weintraub's history of the term 'planet' is well told and interesting, and the narrative successfully walks readers through many of the pros and cons of different planet definitions. It puts the current debate into context and demonstrates how the acceptance of the new over the old in astronomy is driven or deterred as much by human foibles as by new information."--William F. Bottke, Physics Today "Weintraub's discussion of planetary discovery and categorization puts the brouhaha over Pluto's planetary status into perspective."--Carolyn Collins Petersen, Sky & Telescope "David W. Weintraub's Is Pluto a Planet? A Historical Journey through the Solar System ... traces the history of how 'planet' has been defined over the centuries."--Library Journal Book Blog "Its status ambiguous ever since its discovery in 1930, hapless Pluto received an insult to its dignity when the International Astronomical Union (IAU) demoted it from planethood in August 2006. Weintraub, though, will not be stampeded as he methodically considers the historically evolving definitions of a planet... His survey of planetary discovery in hand, Weintraub delivers his answer to the title's question to cap an accessible, informative presentation of planetary astronomy."--Gilbert Taylor, Booklist "Is Pluto a Planet? is ... [an] exceptional new book...The writing is both lively and precise, conveying both historical detail and scientific explanation in clear, understandable terms. His style respects the reader's intelligence without being either didactic or superior, and the exploration of discovery remains compelling chapter after chapter."--Howard Shirley, BookPage "Weaving the history of our thinking about planets and cosmology into a single, remarkable story, this book is for all those who seek a fuller understanding of the science surrounding both Pluto and the provocative recent discoveries in our outer solar system."--Lunar and Planetary Information Bulletin "This excellent exploration of the history of planetary astronomy provides readers with enough information to attempt their own answer. The IAU will undoubtedly consider the definition of planet in 2009; all those voting in 2006 should have considered the issues in this book... Highly recommended."--Choice "Weintraub argues that Pluto, and many of those objects, should be called planets. He lost that argument, but that doesn't take away from the book. He lays out in clear details the history of the discovery of the solar system. He discusses the mathematics in clear and concise detail so we don't get lost. And he covers all the arguments and gives a clear picture of learned humans struggling to understand the world around them."--Terry England, Santa Fe New Mexican "Students and friends used to ask, 'What do you really know about UFOs?' Now they ask, 'What about Pluto?' Weintraub explains not only how such things are decided, but also how we have come to understand the structure of our solar system...For an investment in a well-written solar system and intellectual history, we recommend Is Pluto a Planet?"--Bruce L. Dietrich, Planetarian "The author concentrates on providing a detailed historical background to the Pluto issue by tracing the way our view of what constitutes a planet has evolved since the Mayans and the Babylonians began to observe the heavens... Readers who enjoy immersing themselves in the history of astronomy, however many times they've read of Aristotle, Copernicus, and Kepler, will like this book."--Mark Williamson, Space TimesTable of ContentsPREFACE ix Chapter 1: What Is a Planet? 1 Chapter 2: Seven Perfect Planets Made of Aether 6 Chapter 3: The Earth Becomes a Planet 36 Chapter 4: Sixteen Planets 59 Chapter 5: Not Everything That Orbits the Sun Is a Planet 71 Chapter 6: Uranus! 82 Chapter 7: The Celestial Police 95 Chapter 8: Neptune, the Thirteenth Planet 107 Chapter 9: Easy Come, Easy Go 121 Chapter 10: Pluto, the Fourth Ninth Planet 130 Chapter 11: Hidden Secrets of the Outer Solar System 148 Chapter 12: The Plutinos 167 Chapter 13: Is Pluto a Planet? 179 Chapter 14: Goldilocks 185 POSTSCRIPT: Current Thoughts by Other Astronomers 222 APPENDIX: What We Know about Pluto 232 NOTES 243 INDEX 249
£25.20
Princeton University Press The Balance of Nature Ecologys Enduring Myth
Book SynopsisThe idea of a balance of nature has been a dominant part of Western philosophy since before Aristotle, and it persists in the public imagination and even among some ecologists today. This book demonstrates that nature in fact is not in balance, nor has it ever been at any stage in Earth's history.Trade Review"The author conveys his message in a clear writing style without using highly technical concepts or terminology."--B.R. Shmaefsky, Choice "Kricher's book is of interest to environmental historians and historians of science not only on account of the information it contains, but also because within it there is so little of the scholarship of the history of the environmental sciences with which we, in the humanities and social sciences, are familiar."--Jane Carruthers, Environment and History "With The Balance of Nature, John Kricher has done us the favor of producing the book our non-ecological parents should read. In a scant 200 pages of accessible prose, Kricher weaves together three themes about which any literate citizen should be aware... The Balance of Nature hits its mark. Buy a copy for your parents, your students, and your children today."--Aaron M. Ellison, Ecology "The relationship between science and non-science belief systems especially religious belief system has always been an uneasy one. Even though this book clearly sides with science in disclaiming the notion of the 'balance of nature', it is still relevant to people who hold to the Judeo-Christian creation belief and of other religious backgrounds who are interested in the workings of the natural world."--Richard S. Mbatu, International Journal of Environmental StudiesTable of ContentsPreface ix CHAPTER 1: Why It Matters 1 CHAPTER 2: Of What Purpose Are Mosquitoes? 8 CHAPTER 3: Creating Paradigms 20 CHAPTER 4: Ecology B.C. ("Before Charles") 40 CHAPTER 5: Ecology A.D. ("After Darwin") 53 CHAPTER 6: The Twentieth Century: Ecology Comes of Age 67 CHAPTER 7: A Visit to Bodie: Ecological Space and Time 84 CHAPTER 8: Ecology and Evolution: Process and Paradigm 97 CHAPTER 9: Be Glad to Be an Earthling 113 CHAPTER 10: Life Plays the Lottery 128 CHAPTER 11: Why Global Climate Is Like New England Weather 140 CHAPTER 12: Taking It from the Top--or the Bottom 155 CHAPTER 13: F or the Love of Biodiversity (and Stable Ecosystems?) 170 CHAPTER 14: Facing Marley's Ghost 186 Epilogue 203 Acknowledgments 207 Notes 209 Index 229
£25.20
Princeton University Press Resource Strategies of Wild Plants
Book SynopsisDescribes the five major strategies of growth for terrestrial plants, and details how plants succeed when resources are scarce. This book explains how plants attain available nutrients, withstand the immense stresses of drying soils, and flourish in the race for light.Trade Review"This work would be excellent for a seminar/discussion-style course for undergraduate and especially graduate students."--Choice "Joseph Craine provides an excellent synthesis of current work and a detailed historical perspective... [T]his is a ... very useful resource for anyone interested in the topic... One of the strengths of this book is that ... it also suggests the next crucial steps for fully understanding resource strategies of plants."--Marko Spasojevic, Journal of Vegetation ScienceTable of ContentsPreface xi Acknowledgments xv Abbreviations xvii CHAPTER 1: The Basis for Plant Strategies 1 Assessing Natural Selection 1 From Single Traits to Multitrait Strategies 5 Quantifying Plant Traits and Strategies 8 Ranking Strategies 9 Synthesis 13 CHAPTER 2: The History of Plant Strategies 15 Nutrients and the History of Plant Strategies 15 Grime 19 Chapin 26 Tilman 33 Laying the Foundation of Plant Strategies 41 CHAPTER 3: Stress and Disturbance 45 Defining Stress and Disturbance 45 Major Causes of Stress and Disturbance 48 How Herbivory Works 50 Growth in the Face of Stress and Disturbance 55 Responding after Stress and Disturbance 61 The Links to Resource Availability 62 Summary 62 CHAPTER 4: Resource Limitation 64 The Concept of Single-Resource limitation 65 History of the Nitrogen Cycle Concept 68 Pulses or Slow Bleeds? 75 Primer on the Phosphorus Cycle 79 Co-limitation in a Post-Liebigian World 80 Evaluating Costs in a Co-limited World 84 Trade-offs in Use Efficiency in a Co-limited World 87 Summary 89 CHAPTER 5: Competition for Nutrients and Light 91 Definitions and Types of Competition 92 Competition for Nutrients under Uniform Supplies 94 How Much Root Length? 104 Interference Competition 106 Competition for Nutrients under Heterogeneous Supplies 107 Competition for Light 109 Synthesis 114 CHAPTER 6: Comparing Negative Effects 119 Comparing Negative Effects 120 How to Measure the Importance of Stress and Disturbance in Environments 122 How to Measure the Importance of Stress and Disturbance in the Natural Selection of a Species 130 Importance of Factors at Low Nutrient Supply 132 Importance of Factors at High Nutrient Supply 139 The Relative Importance of Factors 145 Synthesis 146 CHAPTER 7: The Low-Nutrient Strategy 149 Physiological Traits 151 Whole-Plant Traits 169 Effects on Nitrogen Cycling 171 Revising the Low-Nutrient Strategy 173 Significance of Traits in Strategy 187 Synthesis 199 CHAPTER 8: The High-Resource Strategy 202 The Scope of This Chapter 204 Physiological Traits 205 Whole-Plant Traits 212 Effects on Nutrient Cycling 213 Revising the High-Resource Strategy 213 Significance of Traits in Strategy 217 Why the Race Ends 223 Synthesis 224 CHAPTER 9: The Low-Light Strategy 227 Physiological Traits 229 Whole-Plant Traits 233 Effects on Nutrient Cycling 236 Traits under High Light 236 Why These Patterns 239 The End of the Second Stage of Competition 246 Synthesis 248 CHAPTER 10: The Low-Water and Low-CO2 Strategies 251 Water 251 Carbon Dioxide 268 Summary 279 CHAPTER 11: A Synthesis of Plant Strategies 282 Application and the Way Forward 285 Genetics, Pleiotropy, and Plasticity 286 Limitation 287 Competition 289 Defense and Herbivory 290 Mechanisms of Coexistence 292 Biogeographic Patterns and Invasions 293 Global Change 295 Tree of Life 298 Bibliography 301 Index 327
£55.25
Princeton University Press Natures Compass
Book SynopsisWe know that animals cross miles of water, land, and sky with pinpoint precision on a daily basis. But scientists have learned how these astounding feats of navigation are actually accomplished. This book explores the methods by which animals find their way both near home and around the globe.Trade ReviewLonglisted for the 2013 Society of Biology Book Awards in General Biology "Though animals are the book's stars, animal-navigation scientists come a close second. The innovation and sometimes pure cheek of experiments contrived to learn about nature's compasses are fun to read about."--Barbara J. King, Times Literary Supplement "What the Goulds have written is both an absorbing tale of biological discovery and a tantalizing scientific cliffhanger."--Laurence A. Marschall, Natural History "Nature's Compass provides a wonderful account of efforts to unravel the mysteries of animal migration. Effectively drawing on their own experiences and the extensive scientific literature in the field, the Goulds explain what we currently know about how animals locate their positions. Their survey also offers an accessible starting point for those who might wish to improve our understanding of the topic."--Homare Yamahachi, Science "James L. Gould and science writer Carol Gould explain the amazing ways in which animals orient themselves and make their way through the world. Scientist James details biology experiments that reveal how animals measure time, locate landmarks, and direct themselves across the globe, while writer Carol eloquently shows readers the beauty of the monarch butterfly's trip across the United States and into Mexico, the complex dance of honey bees, and homing pigeons' internal GPS system. Throughout the book, the authors combine their strengths to demonstrate both the scientific wonder and beauty of the internal compasses in animals. With an eye toward larger issues, the Goulds also examine the ways in which global warming and habitat destruction affect and endanger these magnificent and complex animals... Recommended."--Susan E. Brazer, Library Journal "Nature's Compass: The Mystery of Animal Navigation is an excellent resource for interested arm-chair ecologists and also undergraduate students who wish to understand the scientific history of analysis of how animal navigation occurs. At the same time, Nature's Compass: The Mystery of Animal Navigation is also an excellent book describing how sometimes it is difficult for Home sapiens to accept the cognitive intelligence and capacity of others who reside in our animal kingdom even when we are presented with the bare facts supporting these obvious assertions."--Gabriel Thoumi, MongaBay.com "Research on animal navigation sits at the interface of physics, biology, and many different cultures, and has seen many heated debates, past and present. Nature's Compass is an excellent introduction to the field and hopefully will serve as inspiration for new research... I found it enjoyable and would recommended it to anyone interested in the subject."--Anders Hedenstrom, Times Higher Education "This scholarly and engaging book is the first in more than twenty years to summarize for the layman the latest research on the wonders of animal navigation... Comprehensive and fascinating, the book cites extensive research, including a significant amount conducted by the authors themselves. While illuminating, the book also raises many questions that it cannot yet answer. We have much to learn from these wondrous creatures but, as this book makes clear, much of their mystery remains."--Kristen Rabe, Foreword Reviews "Nature's Compass is as much about navigation as it is about animals' abilities to navigate. Biologist James Gould and science writer Carol Gould fully describe the information needed for navigation, accurately pointing out that this applies equally to a diversity of organisms ranging from butterflies to humans. Their description serves the work well since readers gain an appreciation of the challenges and mysteries surrounding animal navigation... Overall, this is a fascinating treatment of animal navigation. Readers will gain insight into how animals manage to navigate in three dimensions, including a profound appreciation of their ability to 'solve' complex problems."--Choice "While this is certainly a book for birders, beekeepers, and lovers of the natural world, it's also a book for sailors, pilots, and anyone who has ever had trouble finding their car in the parking lot."--Susan Meadows, Santa Fe New Mexican "I found this to be an enjoyable and informative read. I would recommend it to any biologist interested in animal navigation and I would make it part of any curious student's reading list."--Verner P. Bingman, Quarterly Review of BiologyTable of ContentsPreface ix Acknowledgments xiii 1 Navigating Problems and Strategies 1 2 When and Where 19 3 A Matter of Time 35 4 Insect Compasses 69 5 Vertebrate Compasses 117 6 Piloting and Inertial Navigation 155 7 The Map Sense 185 8 Migration and the Future: Conservation and Extinction 227 Bibliography 245 Illustration Credits 281 Index 289
£22.50
Princeton University Press Principles of Laser Spectroscopy and Quantum
Book SynopsisSuitable for graduate students studying the interaction of optical fields with atoms, this book provides an introduction to the prototypical problems of radiation fields interacting with two- and three- level atomic systems.Trade Review"Berman and Malinovsky's book can be recommended to graduate students and workers transferring from other areas."--D.G.C. Jones, Contemporary Physics "This high-quality, well-written book is a fine addition to the literature of modern optics... The general style is lucid and entirely fitting for a textbook... In all, this is a splendid book and I am confident that it will be widely received with considerable enthusiasm."--David L. Andrews, Optics & Photonics NewsTable of ContentsPreface xv Chapter 1: Preliminaries 1 Chapter 2: Two-Level Quantum Systems 17 Chapter 3: Density Matrix for a Single Atom 56 Chapter 4: Applications of the Density Matrix Formalism 83 Chapter 5: Density Matrix Equations: Atomic Center-of-Mass Motion, Elementary Atom Optics, and Laser Cooling 99 Chapter 6: Maxwell-Bloch Equations 120 Chapter 7: Two-Level Atoms in Two or More Fields: Introduction to Saturation Spectroscopy 136 Chapter 8: Three-Level Atoms: Applications to Nonlinear Spectroscopy-Open Quantum Systems 159 Chapter 9: Three-Level Atoms: Dark States, Adiabatic Following, and Slow Light 184 Chapter 10: Coherent Transients 206 Chapter 11: Atom Optics and Atom Interferometry 242 Chapter 12: The Quantized, Free Radiation Field 280 Chapter 13: Coherence Properties of the Electric Field 312 Chapter 14: Photon Counting and Interferometry 339 Chapter 15: Atom-Quantized Field Interactions 358 Chapter 17: Optical Pumping and Optical Lattices 402 Chapter 18: Sub-Doppler Laser Cooling 422 Chapter 19: Operator Approach to Atom-Field Interactions: Source-Field Equation 453 Chapter 20: Light Scattering 474 Chapter 21: Entanglement and Spin Squeezing 492 References 506 Bibliography 507 Index 509
£87.20
Princeton University Press Whats Eating You People and Parasites
Book SynopsisRecounts the true and harrowing tales of the author's adventures with parasites, and in the process introduces readers to the intimately interwoven lives of host and parasite. This title leads readers on a journey into the bizarre yet oddly beautiful world of parasites.Trade Review"Dip into Kaplan for a rich dose of disgust."--Anne Hardy, Times Literary Supplement "Engrossingly gross: A paean to parasites ... Kaplan is a master raconteur. What's more, he has an almost comical knack of contracting every parasitic infection going, which serves to bring his stories to life all the more vividly. This is gonzo parasitology writing at its finest."--Clint Witchalls, New Scientist "[What's Eating You?] takes the prize for most eww-inducing book title of the week. Ever want to know about hirudin, the anticoagulant in leech saliva? This is the book for you."--San Francisco Chronicle "[This] book has its squirmy pleasures... [Kaplan's] approach is often lurid, sometimes humorous vignettes on different parasites, each story culminating in a page of scientific drawings that illustrate the intersecting paths of parasites and hosts."--Nina Ayoub, Chronicle Review "[Kaplan] simply conveys a vast amount of information painlessly... He has a lively sense of story."--Michael Sims, Washington Post "You can't go wrong with a book about the disgusting, utterly gross organisms that set up shop in and on the human body. Think tapeworms, flukes and leeches. Seriously high yuck factor. Still, these alien invaders are so bizarre they're fascinating. In his riveting, if often revolting, book Eugene H. Kaplan regales with tales from his life as a parasite taxonomist... Lurid and charming in equal measure."--Leigh Dayton, The Australian "In two decades I have not had the pleasure of appraising such a repulsive volume as What's Eating You? I heartily commend it... The thirty chapters of Professor Eugene H. Kaplan's study all read like punchy little fables about different aspects of parasitology."--David Profumo, Literary Review "Over many years of teaching parasitology, Eugene Kaplan found a way to keep students awake: lurid stories. Now the retired biology professor and researcher from Hofstra University on Long Island, New York, has a new book, What's Eating You?, that tucks in the science about both rare and common parasites along with the tales."--Nancy White, Toronto Star "Kaplan's gory stories, fun though they are, are simply gateways into a fascinating aspect of biology: symbiosis... Kaplan dazzles with a wealth of knowledge about worms, live, and bed bugs. His colourful descriptions of their biology and life cycle are bolstered by evolutionary explanations... Kaplan is a good writer, but it is his brilliantly uninhibited sense of humour that really makes the prose zing with life."--Priya Shetty, The Lancet "Not for the queasy or faint of heart. But if you're the least bit curious about the creatures that can inhabit humans, I promise you'll be fascinated."--Scott Shalaway, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Take a rousing romp through the zoo of beasties that make a living invading our bodies. Kaplan, a professor of parasitology and himself a victim of amebic dysentery and 8-inch roundworms, gives a raucous crash course that blends surprising biology with macabre stories."--Discover Magazine "[A] real cracker of a page-turner... [O]ne of the books of the season that will appeal to professionals or anyone who's ever doubted whether it's a good idea to wash your hands or cook food properly."--Paul O'Doherty, Life Science Review "The greatest strength of this book lies in its personal touch... Through all manner of disgusting and even frightening details, Kaplan makes attractive and easy to follow what is usually soporific in other books."--Frederic Thomas,PLOS Biology "What we don't know hurts us most, and thus Dr. Eugene Kaplan's well-illustrated mini-encyclopedia of parasites, their modes of entry into our bodies, and the damage they do is a must-read for all adventurous and scientifically curious travelers... What's Eating You is totally readable and rich in historical asides and social notes."--Foreword Magazine "People who enjoy travel adventures in near and far exotic places may want to read this clearly written, beautifully illustrated book about parasites... Kaplan describes the bizarre, frightening, and even disgusting ways of parasites in entertaining language. For each story, he explains the biology of the interwoven lives of host and parasite along with the social consequences resulting from parasitic diseases."--Choice "Although this book serves up what can basically be described as 'Parasitology 101' for the masses, it is quite a feast with an incredible variety on the menu! It's 'full' (30 chapters) of parasites, from microscopic protistans to 12-m-long tapeworms. You're going to want to wash your hands before you eat (although you should already) and really do your homework before schlepping off overseas to try the local fare."--Charles K. Blend, Journal of ParasitologyTable of ContentsPreface: Personal Parasites ix Acknowledgments xi Apologia xiii On the Sacredness of Life xv Introduction. The Saline Solution--An Inner Sea 1 Chapter 1: Land of Smiles 6 Chapter 2: An Encounter with Jordan Rose 15 Chapter 3: I Had a Farm in Africa 25 Chapter 4: Death of a Mouse 33 Chapter 5: Intimate Relationships 40 Chapter 6: A Peek into the Anus of--My Child 48 Chapter 7: The Well-Hung Dog 58 Chapter 8: Fiery Serpent 69 Chapter 9: It Hardly Ever Happens 75 Chapter 10: The Anti-Semitic Tapeworm 82 Chapter 11: Mother Always Wanted Me to Be a Real Doctor 91 Chapter 12: Missus Murphy's Baby 98 Chapter 13: The Day I Flunked the Macho Test 109 Chapter 14: The Biblical Plagues 117 Chapter 15: Alley Cats and Seagulls 127 Chapter 16: A Better Mousetrap 137 Chapter 17: Scandals and Ghosts 144 Chapter 18: Spiny-Headed Monsters 155 Chapter 19: Bloodsucking Beasts 165 Chapter 20: Ode to a Cockroach 174 Chapter 21: Bats, Bugs, and Bloody Bites 184 Chapter 22: Little Fleas Have Littler Fleas 195 Chapter 23: How to Get Rid of Crabs 203 Chapter 24: Wild Virgins 211 Inexplicable Behavior: Some Relationships Are More Intimate Than Others 221 Chapter 25: Topsy-Turvy Worlds 224 Chapter 26: A Day in the Caribbean 235 Chapter 27: Tit, Tit, Tittie--Cuckoo 245 Chapter 28: The Game of Life: Name That Category 251 Chapter 29: Paean of Praise 257 Chapter 30: Tips for Travelers 268 Epilogue 277 Glossary 281 Selected References 293 Illustration Sources 295 Index 297
£19.80
Princeton University Press Introduction to Modeling Convection in Planets
Book SynopsisProvides readers with the skills they need to write computer codes that simulate convection, internal gravity waves, and magnetic field generation in the interiors and atmospheres of rotating planets and stars. This book describes how to create codes that simulate the internal dynamics of planets and stars.Trade Review"This book provides readers with the skills they need to write computer codes that simulate convection, internal gravity waves and magnetic field generation in the interiors and atmospheres of rotating planets and stars. It is very useful for readers having a basic understanding of classical physics, vector calculus, partial differential equations, and simple computer programming."--Claudia-Veronika Meister, Zentralblatt MATHTable of ContentsPreface xi PART I. THE FUNDAMENTALS 1 Chapter 1 A Model of Rayleigh-Benard Convection 3 1.1 Basic Theory 3 1.2 Boussinesq Equations 10 1.3 Model Description 13 Supplemental Reading 15 Exercises 15 Chapter 2 Numerical Method 17 2.1 Vorticity-Streamfunction Formulation 17 2.2 Horizontal Spectral Decomposition 19 2.3 Vertical Finite-Difference Method 21 2.4 Time Integration Scheme 22 2.5 Poisson Solver 24 Supplemental Reading 25 Exercises 25 Chapter 3 Linear Stability Analysis 27 3.1 Linear Equations 27 3.2 Linear Code 29 3.3 Critical Rayleigh Number 30 3.4 Analytic Solutions 31 Supplemental Reading 34 Exercises 34 Computational Projects 34 Chapter 4 Nonlinear Finite-Amplitude Dynamics 35 4.1 Modifications to the Linear Model 35 4.2 A Galerkin Method 36 4.3 Nonlinear Code 38 4.4 Nonlinear Simulations 43 Supplemental Reading 48 Exercises 49 Computational Projects 49 Chapter 5 Postprocessing 51 5.1 Computing and Storing Results 51 5.2 Displaying Results 51 5.3 Analyzing Results 54 Supplemental Reading 57 Exercises 57 Computational Projects 57 Chapter 6 Internal Gravity Waves 59 6.1 Linear Dispersion Relation 59 6.2 Code Modifications and Simulations 62 6.3 Wave Energy Analysis 66 Supplemental Reading 66 Exercises 67 Computational Projects 67 Chapter 7 Double-Diffusive Convection 68 7.1 Salt-Fingering Instability 69 7.2 Semiconvection Instability 72 7.3 Oscillating Instabilities 74 7.4 Staircase Profiles 76 7.5 Double-Diffusive Nonlinear Simulations 79 Supplemental Reading 80 Exercises 80 Computational Projects 80 PART II. ADDITIONAL NUMERICAL METHODS 83 Chapter 8 Time Integration Schemes 85 8.1 Fourth-Order Runge-Kutta Scheme 85 8.2 Semi-Implicit Scheme 87 8.3 Predictor-Corrector Schemes 89 8.4 Infinite Prandtl Number: Mantle Convection 91 Supplemental Reading 92 Exercises 93 Computational Projects 93 Chapter 9 Spatial Discretizations 95 9.1 Nonuniform Grid 95 9.2 Coordinate Mapping 97 9.3 Fully Finite Difference 98 9.4 Fully Spectral: Chebyshev-Fourier 102 9.5 Parallel Processing 108 Supplemental Reading 112 Exercises 112 Computational Projects 112 Chapter 10 Boundaries and Geometries 115 10.1 Absorbing Top and Bottom Boundaries 115 10.2 Permeable Periodic Side Boundaries 117 10.3 2D Annulus Geometry 122 10.4 Spectral-Transform Method 130 10.5 3D and 2.5D Cartesian Box Geometry 133 10.6 3D and 2.5D Spherical-Shell Geometry 135 Supplemental Reading 162 Exercises 162 Computational Projects 164 PART III. ADDITIONAL PHYSICS 167 Chapter 11 Magnetic Field 169 11.1 Magnetohydrodynamics 170 11.2 Magnetoconvection with a Vertical Background Field 173 11.3 Linear Analyses: Magnetic 179 11.4 Nonlinear Simulations: Magnetic 182 11.5 Magnetoconvection with a Horizontal Background Field 184 11.6 Magnetoconvection with an Arbitrary Background Field 187 Supplemental Reading 189 Exercises 190 Computational Projects 191 Chapter 12 Density Stratification 193 12.1 Anelastic Approximation 194 12.2 Reference State: Polytropes 207 12.3 Numerical Method: Anelastic 214 12.4 Linear Analyses: Anelastic 219 12.5 Nonlinear Simulations: Anelastic 222 Supplemental Reading 227 Exercises 227 Computational Projects 228 Chapter 13 Rotation 229 13.1 Coriolis, Centrifugal, and Poincare Forces 229 13.2 2D Rotating Equatorial Box 233 13.3 2D Rotating Equatorial Annulus: Differential Rotation 241 13.4 2.5D Rotating Spherical Shell: Inertial Oscillations 247 13.5 3D Rotating Spherical Shell: Dynamo Benchmarks 259 13.6 3D Rotating Spherical Shell: Dynamo Simulations 264 13.7 Concluding Remarks 275 Supplemental Reading 277 Exercises 278 Computational Projects 279 Appendix A A Tridiagonal Matrix Solver 283 Appendix B Making Computer-Graphical Movies 284 Appendix C Legendre Functions and Gaussian Quadrature 288 Appendix D Parallel Processing: OpenMP 291 Appendix E Parallel Processing: MPI 292 Bibliography 295 Index 307
£999.99
Princeton University Press An Einstein Encyclopedia
Book SynopsisThis is the single most complete guide to Albert Einstein's life and work for students, researchers, and browsers alike. Written by three leading Einstein scholars who draw on their combined wealth of expertise gained during their work on the Collected Papers of Albert Einstein, this authoritative and accessible reference features more than one hunTrade ReviewOne of Symmetry magazine's Physics Books of 2015 "This is the most comprehensive book on Einstein published to coincide with the centenary of his general theory of relativity. Coauthored by Calaprice, Daniel Kennefick, and Robert Schulman, three leading Einstein scholars, it covers the Nobel Prize winner's life (1879--1955) and work in detail, with entries on his influence on science and society. Photographs and illustrations--cartoons of the great inventor, for example, and scientific diagrams--enhance the presentation, which further offers meticulous documentation and carefully chronicles Einstein's academic output."--Henrietta Verma, Library Journal "An Einstein Encyclopedia is an invaluable companion to the serious Einstein researcher. A comprehensive collection of the theories, concepts, friends, collaborators and romantic interests in Einstein's life."--Bill Condie, Cosmos Magazine "[An Einstein Encyclopedia] is full of fascinating information about Einstein... This is an extremely well-organized and user-friendly reference title, thoroughly researched and accessible to the general public, students, and scholars alike."--Lyndsie Robinson, Booklist "What causes me to recommend this book so highly is that in one single volume, the authors have compiled an enormous amount of diverse yet detailed information about the life of Einstein and his accomplishments and contributions to the world in which we live in now. They make the material relevant as well as accurate, and anyone wanting to dip into any single facet of this man's life can find something to quench their curiosity."--David Brock, NTSA Recommends (National Science Teachers Association) "Three Einstein scholars cover in exquisite detail the scientific, public and private lives of Einstein... The accessibility and detail make An Einstein Encyclopedia an important entry in any Einstein collection."--Mike Perricone, Symmetry MagazineTable of Contents*Frontmatter, pg. i*Contents, pg. vii*Preface, pg. xiii*Chronology, pg. xv*Credo: "What I Believe", pg. xxi*Vital Information: Certificates in Facsimile, pg. 3*Birth Information, pg. 9*Archives, pg. 10*Awards, Honorary Degrees, and Honorary Memberships in Foreign Societies, pg. 13*Career, pg. 17*Citizenships and Immigration to the United States, pg. 22*Domiciles, pg. 26*Education and Schools Attended, pg. 28*Einstein Papers Project (EPP) and The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein (CPAE), pg. 30*Fame, pg. 37*Family, pg. 44*Friends, pg. 65*Health, pg. 80*Myths and Misconceptions, pg. 81*Pastimes, pg. 89*Romantic Interests: Actual, Probable, and Possible, pg. 98*Secretaries, pg. 107*Teachers, pg. 107*Travels and Travel Diaries, pg. 109*Death, pg. 122*Annus Mirabilis, pg. 135*Assistants, pg. 135*Collaborators, pg. 138*Colleagues, pg. 146*Concepts, pg. 159*Doctoral Dissertation, pg. 197*Influential Scientific Forebears and Contemporaries, pg. 197*Lectures, Major Scientific, pg. 200*Nobel Prize, pg. 201*Patents and Inventions, pg. 202*Philosophy of Science (contributed by Thomas Ryckman, Stanford University), pg. 203*Quantum Theory, pg. 205*Relativity Theory, pg. 208*Rivals, pg. 216*Scientific Papers, pg. 219*Scientific Sidelights, pg. 219*Solvay Conferences, pg. 221*Thought Experiments, pg. 222*Unified Field Theory, pg. 224*Civil and Human Rights, pg. 231*Education: Einstein's Views, pg. 232*Jewish Identity and Ties, pg. 234*Organizational Ties, pg. 241*Political Contexts, pg. 246*Political Philosophy, pg. 263*Religion, pg. 268*Appendix A. Select Books and Documentaries, pg. 271*Appendix B. Copyright, Licensing, and Permissions, pg. 281*Appendix C. Select Annotated Bibliography, pg. 283*References, pg. 327*Index, pg. 333
£35.00
Princeton University Press The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein Volume 11
Book SynopsisOffers access to a compilation of documents and information concerning Einstein's work and correspondence for the first half of his life. This volume provides a Cumulative Index to the first ten volumes of the collected papers, and the first complete bibliography of Einstein's scientific and nonscientific writings until 1921.Trade ReviewWinner of the 2009 Wheatley Medal, Society of Indexers "For a team indexing project, the consistency of the indexing is excellent. The volumes are multidisciplinary, calling on a wide knowledge of subject matter, all of which was handled with considerable skill. The editorial team is to be congratulated on producing outstanding indexes to such a complex work."--Jill Halliday, Society of Indexers, Writers NewsTable of ContentsVolumes Published to Date VOLUME 1: The Early Years, 1879-1902 edited by John Stachel, David C. Cassidy, and Robert Schulmann (1987) VOLUME 2: The Swiss Years: Writings, 1900-1909 edited by John Stachel, David C. Cassidy, Jurgen Renn, and Robert Schulmann (1989) VOLUME 3: The Swiss Years: Writings, 1909-1911 edited by Martin J. Klein, A. J. Kox, Jurgen Renn, and Robert Schulmann (1993) VOLUME 4: The Swiss Years: Writings, 1912-1914 edited by Martin J. Klein, A. J. Kox, Jurgen Renn, and Robert Schulmann (1995) VOLUME 5: The Swiss Years: Correspondence, 1902-1914 edited by Martin J. Klein, A. J. Kox, and Robert Schulmann (1993) VOLUME 6: The Berlin Years: Writings, 1914-1917 edited by A. J. Kox, Martin J. Klein, and Robert Schulmann (1996) VOLUME 7: The Berlin Years: Writings, 1918-1921 edited by Michel Janssen, Robert Schulmann, Jozsef Illy, Christoph Lehner, and Diana Kormos Buchwald (2002) VOLUME 8: The Berlin Years: Correspondence, 1914-1918 edited by Robert Schulmann, A. J. Kox, Michel Janssen, and Jozsef Illy (1998) VOLUME 9: The Berlin Years: Correspondence, January 1919-April 1920 edited by Diana Kormos Buchwald, Robert Schulmann, Jozsef Illy, Daniel J. Kennefick, and Tilman Sauer (2004) VOLUME 10: The Berlin Years: Correspondence, May-December 1920 and Supplementary Correspondence, 1909-1919 edited by Diana Kormos Buchwald, Tilman Sauer, Ze'ev Rosenkranz, Jozsef Illy, and Virginia Iris Holmes (2006) VOLUME 11: Cumulative Index, Bibliography, List of Correspondence, Chronology, and Errata to Volumes 1-10 compiled by A. J. Kox, Tilman Sauer, Diana Kormos Buchwald, Rudy Hirschmann, Osik Moses, Benjamin Aronin, and Jennifer Stolper (2009) VOLUME 12: The Berlin Years: Correspondence, January-December 1921 edited by Diana Kormos Buchwald, Ze'ev Rosenkranz, Tilman Sauer, Jozsef Illy, and Virginia Iris Holmes (2009)
£135.15
Princeton University Press The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein Volume 12
Book SynopsisDocuments Albert Einstein's visible public persona in his correspondence, honors and prizes, lectures and travels, articles, and the many solicitations asking him to join public initiatives.Table of ContentsList of Texts xiii List of Illustrations xxv INTRODUCTORY MATERIAL Introduction to Volume 12 xxvii Editorial Method of the Series lxi Acknowledgments lxx Note on the Translation lxxiii Location Symbols lxxiv Descriptive Symbols lxxvi TEXTS 1 Alphabetical List of Texts 405 Calendar 419 Appendixes 489 Literature Cited 549 Index 569 Index of Citations 604
£135.15
Princeton University Press The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein Volume 12
Book SynopsisEvery document in "The Collected Papers of Albert Einstein" appears in the language in which it was written. This book presents the English translations of non-English materials.Trade Review"The 600-page volume, the 12th compiled so far by the editors of the Einstein Papers Project, pulls all of the letters and related documents together in a way that allows us now to see, even more clearly than Einstein did at the time, the political and emotional struggle he stumbled into."--Walter Isaacson, AtlanticTable of ContentsPUBLISHER'S FOREWORD ix LIST OF TEXTS xi SELECTED TEXTS 1 INDEX 215
£55.80
Princeton University Press The Great Ocean Conveyor
Book SynopsisWhat were the repercussions of past climate shifts? How do we know such shifts occurred? This book shows how Earth scientists study ancient ice cores and marine sediments to probe Earth's distant past, and how they blend scientific detective work with the technological advances to try to predict the future.Trade Review"Wally Broecker is one of the great pioneers of paleoclimatology, the study of past climate changes in Earth's history. He introduced the term global warming and, in the 1980s, proposed the global ocean-circulating system, which he dubbed the Great Ocean Conveyor... In The Great Ocean Conveyor, Broecker offers a history of his thinking on the topic. Relating his breakthroughs and setbacks, he portrays science as a 'continual struggle to understand more fully and more accurately how the world really works.'"--Nature "As U.S. climate scientist Wally Broecker ... discovered, the planet's climate has abruptly flip-flopped many times. The culprit is the Great Ocean Conveyor, a planet-wide system of ocean currents known to the cognoscenti as the thermohaline circulation. [I]t's an entertaining personal tale of pulling the scientific pieces together."--Leigh Dayton, Australian "In his latest book, prolific author and noted scientist Broecker investigates how the ocean's vast network of currents drives abrupt climate change. The author explores the science behind ocean current models such as the Great Ocean Conveyor Belt as a trigger to explain the mystery of the Earth's intermittent pattern of global ice ages... Anyone who has walked on a beach, thrown a snowball, or flown over the ocean will be fascinated by this excellent book geared to undergraduate scientists and the general public."--Choice "I strongly recommend the book to all the students interested in climate change but also to active researchers... One of the biggest advantages for young researchers may be to find in Broecker's book not only answers but also clear statements about important open questions. They may serve in my opinion as a good guide stimulating future research."--Witold Szczucinski, Geologos "This is an outstanding lesson of how things in the scientific community should be! Broecker's book is recommended as a must read for professionals and graduate students specialized in the late Cenozoic palaeoclimatology and palaeoceanography."--Dmitry A. Ruban, Zentralblatt fur Geologie und PalaontologieTable of ContentsPreface vii Chapter 1 . The Setting 1 Chapter 2 . A Surprise 19 Chapter 3 . The Villain 35 Chapter 4 . Puzzles 51 Chapter 5 . Hot Clues 66 Chapter 6 . The Solution 77 Chapter 7 . A Confirmation 88 Chapter 8 . The Last Hurrah 102 Chapter 9 . Holocene Wobbles 113 Chapter 10 . The Anthropocene 126 Glossary 139 Figure Credits 145 Supplementary Readings 147 Index 149
£28.80
Princeton University Press Vesuvius A Biography
Book SynopsisCapricious, vibrant, and volatile, Vesuvius has been and remains one of the world's most dangerous volcanoes. In its rage, it has destroyed whole cities and buried thousands alive. In its calm, its ashes have fertilized the soil, providing for the people who have lived in its shadows. This book tells the story of this natural phenomenon.Trade Review"In his latest book on volcanoes (after La Catastrophe, Vulcan's Fury, and Savage Earth), Scarth (formerly at Univ. of Dundee) confronts the legendary Vesuvius. A veritable eruption of words is required to do the story justice, and Scarth is up to the task... Recommended to both general and academic readers."--Walter L. Cressle, Library Journal "Now and again a book appears that offers a different perspective on volcanic eruptions. Alwyn Scarth's Vesuvius: A Biography is one such book, and it takes the reader on a fascinating journey through Vesuvius' history seen through the eyes of the people who witnessed the eruptions and who were often directly affected by them... A gripping book."--Lucia Gurioli, Times Higher Education "Scarth has successfully combined a chronicle of a famous volcano's eruptions with a discussion of the history of the eruptions in human terms--daily living, recreation, commerce, art, religion, and the destiny of civilizations... Vesuvius is unmatched for its integration of the scientific, historical, and cultural aspects of a world-famous volcano that must be reckoned with."--Choice "True to its name, Vesuvius: A Biography covers the history of one of Italy's most famous volcanoes, from its birth to its infamous eruption in A.D. 79 that buried Pompeii to what the future holds--with dozens of eruptions in between. Vesuvius will captivate volcano experts with its discussion of how the volcano has affected Italy's history and culture, and will educate novices about the basics of volcanology."--Earth Magazine "Vesuvius is filled with science, in such sidebars as 'the role of pyroclastic flows in 1631.' But Scarth cleverly keeps his narrative flowing with juicy gobbets of gossip."--Peter Birnie, Vancouver Sun "[H]ighly readable and fascinating... [A] well-illustrated book of history and science, and not the least of its virtues is a splendid J. M. W. Turner painting on its dust jacket."--Charles Stephen, Lincoln Journal Star "Pacific Circle members should delight in the way that this internationally renowned center has embraced both traditional and nuanced styles of the writings of a life story... [A] truly fine, authoritative, readable, and enjoyable work."--Philip K. Wilson, Bulletin of the Pacific Circle
£22.50
Princeton University Press High Energy Radiation from Black Holes Gamma
Book SynopsisAn exposition of black-hole astrophysics and general relativity that help you to understand how gamma rays, cosmic rays, and neutrinos are produced by black holes. It presents a mathematical description of fundamental astrophysical radiation processes, including Compton scattering of electrons and photons.Trade Review"Filling an important gap in a topical and fast-evolving area, this interesting book will be a valuable addition to the astrophysics literature. The scientific content is of a high quality, and includes a notable level of rigor in the derivations."—Peter Mészáros, Pennsylvania State University"There is definite need for a book on this topic. Dermer and Menon have gathered together a wide range of useful results and the book's rigorous and comprehensive coverage of high-energy processes will be valuable to the advanced researcher in the field. Astronomers working on black-hole processes, jets, AGN, and gamma-ray bursts will want to have this for reference."—Andrew Fabian, University of CambridgeTable of ContentsPreface xix Chapter 1. Introduction 1 Chapter 2. Relativistic Kinematics 14 Chapter 3. Introduction to Curved Spacetime 25 Chapter 4. Physical Cosmology 36 Chapter 5. Radiation Physics of Relativistic Flows 50 Chapter 6. Compton Scattering 70 Chapter 7. Synchrotron Radiation 117 Chapter 8. Binary Particle Collision Processes 160 Chapter 9. Photohadronic Processes 187 Chapter 10. delta Pair Production 227 Chapter 11. Blast-Wave Physics 258 Chapter 12. Introduction to Fermi Acceleration 314 Chapter 13. First-Order Fermi Acceleration 327 Chapter 14. Second-Order Fermi Acceleration 351 Chapter 15. The Geometry of Spacetime 379 Chapter 16. Black-Hole Electrodynamics 417 Chapter 17. High-Energy Radiations from Black Holes 452 Appendix A: Essential Tensor Calculus 473 Appendix B: Mathematical Functions 488 Appendix C: Solutions of the Continuity Equation 492 Appendix D: Basics of Monte Carlo Calculations 497 Appendix E: Supplementary Information 499 Appendix F: Glossary and Acronym List 505 Bibliography 509 Index 531
£85.00
Princeton University Press The First Galaxies in the Universe
Book SynopsisSuitable for students and researchers on early galaxies, this title offers an introduction to frontiers in astrophysics: the quest to understand how the oldest and most distant galaxies in our universe first formed. It bridges the gap between theory and observation.Trade Review"Loeb and Furlanetto, highly respected experts in the field, have written an up-to-date book that explores the early stages of the universe from the big bang through the formation of the first stars and galaxies."--Choice "[R]eaders who are genuinely into the subject will take pleasure in reading this book, even if they already know some of the analyses presented in the more basic chapters."--B. Ishak, Contemporary Physics "Everybody who is interested in the topics such as formation and evolution of the first Galaxies, black Holes, Sun and Earth in the Universe will benefit from this book."--Gasanbek T. Arazov, Zentralblatt MATH "[G]raduate students or senior undergraduates will find The First Galaxies in the Universe a thorough introduction to the topic. Interested professionals will find it a helpful entry point to the specialist literature on one of the most exciting frontiers in astrophysics."--Jason Tumlinson, Physics TodayTable of ContentsPreface xi PART I. FUNDAMENTALS OF STRUCTURE FORMATION 1 Chapter 1 Introduction and Cosmological Background 3 *1.1 Preliminary Remarks 3 *1.2 Standard Cosmological Model 5 *1.3 Milestones in Cosmic Evolution 15 *1.4 Most Matter Is Dark 20 Chapter 2 Linear Growth of Cosmological Perturbations 25 *2.1 Growth of Linear Perturbations 25 *2.2 The Thermal History during the Dark Ages 35 Chapter 3 Nonlinear Structure and Halo Formation 41 *3.1 Spherical Collapse 41 *3.2 Cosmological Jeans Mass 45 *3.3 Halo Properties 51 *3.4 Abundance of Dark Matter Halos 56 *3.5 Halo Clustering in Linear Theory 65 *3.6 The Nonlinear Power Spectra of Dark Matter and Galaxies 68 *3.7 Numerical Simulations of Structure Formation 78 Chapter 4 The Intergalactic Medium 92 *4.1 The Cosmic Web 92 *4.2 Lyman-alpha Absorption in the Intergalactic Medium 95 *4.3 Theoretical Models of the Lyman-alpha Forest 100 *4.4 The Metagalactic Ionizing Background 114 *4.5 The Helium-Ionizing Background 120 *4.6 Metal-Line Systems 121 *4.7 The Lyman-alpha Forest at z > 5 125 PART II. THE FIRST STRUCTURES 131 Chapter 5 The First Stars 133 *5.1 From Virialized Halos to Protostars 136 *5.2 From Protostars to Stars 144 *5.3 The Second Generation of Stars: "Population III.2" 157 *5.4 Properties of the First Stars 163 *5.5 The End States of Population III Stars 168 *5.6 Gamma-Ray Bursts: The Brightest Explosions 170 Chapter 6 Stellar Feedback and Galaxy Formation 174 *6.1 The Ultraviolet Background and H2 Photodissociation 174 *6.2 The X-ray Background: Positive Feedback 184 *6.3 Radiative Feedback: Mechanical Effects 186 * 6.4 Galactic Superwinds and Mechanical Feedback 192 *6.5 Metal Enrichment and the Transition to Population II Star Formation 201 *6.6 The First Galaxies 211 Chapter 7 Supermassive Black Holes 217 *7.1 Quasars and Black Holes: An Overview 217 *7.2 Basic Principles of Astrophysical Black Holes 222 *7.3 Accretion of Gas onto Black Holes 225 *7.4 The First Black Holes and Quasars 232 *7.5 Black Holes and Galaxies 237 * 7.6 Black Hole Binaries 244 *7.7 Gravitational Waves from Black Hole Mergers 247 Chapter 8 Physics of Galaxy Evolution 251 *8.1 High-Redshift Galaxies 251 *8.2 Gas Accretion 253 *8.3 Halo Mergers 255 *8.4 Disk Formation 256 *8.5 Star Formation in Galaxies 258 *8.6 Black Hole Growth in Galaxies 263 *8.7 Feedback and Galaxy Evolution 264 *8.8 From Galaxy Model to Stellar Spectra 266 *8.9 Signatures of the Interstellar Medium 269 *8.10 Gravitational Lensing 275 Chapter 9 The Reionization of Intergalactic Hydrogen 283 *9.1 Propagation of Ionization Fronts 283 *9.2 Global Ionization History 288 *9.3 The Phases of Hydrogen Reionization 291 * 9.4 The Morphology of Reionization 293 *9.5 Recombinations inside Ionized Regions 302 *9.6 Simulations of Reionization 308 *9.7 Statistical Properties of the Ionization Field 315 *9.8 Reionization by Quasars and Other Exotic Sources 319 *9.9 Feedback from Reionization: Photoheating 326 PART III. OBSERVATIONS OF THE COSMIC DAWN 335 Chapter 10 Surveys of High-Redshift Galaxies 337 *10.1 Telescopes for Observing High-Redshift Galaxies 337 *10.2 Methods for Identifying High-Redshift Galaxies 340 *10.3 Luminosity and Mass Functions 350 *10.4 The Statistics of Galaxy Surveys 357 Chapter 11 The Lyman-alpha Line as a Probe of the Early Universe 367 *11.1 Lyman-alpha Emission from Galaxies 367 *11.2 The Gunn-Peterson Trough 375 *11.3 IGM Scattering in the Blue Wing of the Lyman-alpha Line 376 *11.4 The Red Damping Wing 382 *11.5 The Lyman-alpha Forest as a Probe of the Reionization Topology 388 *11.6 Lyman-alpha halos around Distant Sources 390 *11.7 Lyman-alpha Emitters during the Reionization Era 396 Chapter 12 The 21-cm Line 408 *12.1 Radiative Transfer of the 21-cm Line 410 *12.2 The Spin Temperature 412 *12.3 The Brightness Temperature of the Spin-Flip Background 420 *12.4 The Monopole of the Brightness Temperature 428 *12.5 Statistical Fluctuations in the Spin-Flip Background 432 *12.6 Spin-Flip Fluctuations during the Cosmic Dawn 439 *12.7 Mapping the Spin-Flip Background 446 Chapter 13 Other Probes of the First Galaxies 459 *13.1 Secondary Cosmic Microwave Background Anisotropies from the Cosmic Dawn 459 *13.2 Diffuse Backgrounds from the Cosmic Dawn 470 *13.3 The Cross-Correlation of Different Probes 484 *13.4 The Fossil Record of the Local Group 488 Appendix A Useful Numbers 495 Appendix B Cosmological Parameters 497 Notes 499 Further Reading 509 Index 513
£78.20
