Good As Gold: An autobiography in three parts

Book Description

An affectionate tribute to the women who waged a cultural revolution, this book offers photos, profiles, and little-known details of the lives of 101 defining divas of the decade. Twiggy, Annette Funicello, Ann-Margret, Diana Rigg, Patty Duke, Janis Joplin, Mia Farrow, Marianne Faithfull, Cher, Jane Fonda, Edie Sedgwick, plus ninety more! Includes more than 300 photos.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent!.......2007-09-19

This book is great. It covers all the beautiful, swinging women from the late 50's-60's. On each girl is about 2 or 3 pics with about a 1 page bio on her. While this is nothing extraordinary, as you might've seen the pics of one of your fave star before, or the bio tells you nothing new, this book is great bcz it houses all these women into one book. There are many women you never knew about, & will discover in this book. Overall I enjoyed it & like it.

Good Book with many Photos.......2004-05-08

A good book and there are many photos and info about actresses and the best of the book is there are 3 photos of Barbara Eden in the book.

Far Out, Man!.......2002-05-30

Who says nostalgia ain't what it used to be? This book is a heart-warming experience for a survivor of the so-called Love Generation. It reinforces cherished memories that the Sixties was an era in which girls could be girls (or even chicks) and you could even get away with calling them that.

This book is not politically correct - and all the better for it. My only complaint is that it's not bigger. But the hundred chicks who grace its pages are treated with the worshipful respect they so richly deserve: colour illustrations, biographical notes, anecdotes - just about all you would want to know about such icons as Raquel Welch, Julie Christie, Natalie Wood, Twiggy, Britt Ekland, Ann-Margret, to name but a few.

The book is divided into categories and tends to rather heavily favour American girls, which is slightly unfortunate as the Sixties was the first truly international decade when it came to things like entertainment and glamour. And a couple of descriptions seem to be stretching a point - Jacqueline Bisset as a Bond Girl, for example, or Elizabeth Taylor as a British Babe. And everyone will have a few favourites who are not included - Charlotte Rampling, Susannah York, Gina Lollobrigida. Perhaps Chris Strodder is saving them for Volume Two. I hope so because this is a wonderful book - both for those of us who remember the Sixties and others who wish they had been there. And possibly also for those who were there but can't remember it.

A great chick book that even some chicks will enjoy - if only to marvel over the fashions.

One glaring omission.......2001-12-31

I've been stuck at the swinginchicks.com website all night, fascinating stuff. But how, how, did the author possibly leave out the stylish and trend-setting and beautiful Marilyn McCoo of the 5th Dimension, who won the Grammy for Album of the Year in '68???? Anyone out there agree?

Where has this book been all my life?.......2001-09-11

I remember looking at the author's Swingin' Chicks of the 60's web site in '98, and thinking, Man, this would make a great book, if it was handled right. This book has not only been handled right, it's been handled superbly.

The packaging and design of this book, a little over 200 pages, is perfect (hey, it's got Ann-Margret on the cover, so to me at least, it's perfect)- colorful, with those groovy 60's flowers all inside and out. It's also a great price for a paperback of coffee-table book quality. I may sound like a pimp saying that, but take a look at what other books of the same quality and size cost and you'll appreciate it.

Each chick has such a nice section devoted to them that if you're only really into, say, Barbara Eden and Julie Newmar, it's worth picking up just for that... and you'll probably find yourself reading the rest of the book anyway, discovering chicks you never knew about, or chicks you had only seen before but never found out their name. You liked that chick in the Elvis Movie Spinout , the tomboy drummer who fell for him? Here's everything you ever wanted to know about Deborah Walley (filed under "the beach girls" section of the book).
Nearly all of them get a two page spread.

Each swingin' chick's section includes photos (some of the chicks actually loaned the author personal photos from their collection) most in color, Her Swingin' 60's Credentials (briefly explaining why they've been included in the book), Workin' It, (describing their career) behind the scenes (their personal life) and important dates in the 60's for each chick. It also includes my favorite to read, Her 60's Look, describing their personal style. Most of them have bonus swingability sections including their real name (they get extra points for changing their name) and little known facts (Raquel Welch supposedly almost became a Bond Girl and signed for Thunderball, but bowed out). If you're really a fan of the chick, you might know most of them, but I consider myself pretty well informed about Sophia Loren, and never knew until I read the book that she was originally going to play the love interest in North by Northwest instead of Eva Marie Saint. If the chick has a web site, the URL is included-- you'd be surprised how many of them have official web sites and not just fan or tribute sites.

The 60's chicks are diced up into categories, by the way, so the book has sections for The Beach Girls, The Bond Beauties, The Elvis Girls! Girls! Girls!, The Look, The Movie Stars (a section for the all-americans such as Stella Stevens and another section for the British invasion)The TV Stars, and way more than I have the energy to type out. It's obvious that a lot of care went into this book; not only does the author genuinely care about each chick, and discuss them with the respect they deserve that is sorely lacking from many similar books, but it's incredibly well researched and documented. In most articles or features about Ann-Margret, I usually find a mistake. Here, I discover Ann-Margret and longtime husband Roger Smith's first date was to see Ike and Tina Turner show (talk about a date you wish you had double dated on). Though I thought I'd read most of the biographies and books about the area, there's a selected bibliography that included books I never knew existed that I'm gonna be running to the library with a list of.

Into Angie Dickinson? There's a great foreword where she answers 20 questions, and thank God, the author asked all the right ones (what was the best party she attended in the 60's, for instance) The interview, and the book itself, just make me feel everything I do when I immerse myself in that time: how incredibly cool everyone looked, how great the music was, how fun and entertaining the movies were, and the little bit of sadness I get knowing that the decade is over, and there'll never be another one like it, including the wake-up jolt that these women don't look like this anymore (though some of them, like Julie Newmar and Barbara Eden, come pretty damn close) and are in their late 50's or older. Angie Dickinson says she has a favorite 60's pink crocheted mini dress, which doesn't fit anymore but she loves to look at it.

The only omissions I can think of are Yvonne DiCarlo (Lily Munster) though it wouldn't surprise me if she's in there and I just spaced out and missed it, and Candy Johnson (main go-go girl from most of the beach party movies-- if you've seen her, you won't forget her), which I can't fault the author for because trust me, I've dug and dug and spent hours on the net trying to find info for and coming up with absolutely zip other than her filmography. I got all excited when the IMDB had some brief info on her, only to find out they had her mixed up with another actress of the same name.

Maybe one of the best compliments I can give this books is that, if someone asked me, 'so why are you so into the 60's?' I could hand them this book and all they'd have to do is flip through it briefly before saying, 'Oh. Okay." If you're at all into 60's pop culture, even mildly interested, this book is worth picking up. If you're really into 60's pop culture, you probably already have it. If you don't (shame!) go to your favorite online bookstore right now, and pick up a copy fast. You'll be blown away.

Groovy.

Swingin' Chicks of the 60's
Average customer rating:

A Swingin' Chick a Day...

Swingin' Chicks of the 60's
Cedco Publishing
Manufacturer: Cedco Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Calendar

Popular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
jp-unknown1 | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 0768338344

Book Description

The highest production standards and quality materials-heavyweight paper stock above all-ensure that this attractive 12" x 12" wall calendar will hang flat and remain durable throughout the year.

Customer Reviews:

A Swingin' Chick a Day..........2001-02-03

What a cool desk calender! The pages are varying shades of pink, with 60's flower shapes and decals. Every month there is at least one great black and white photo, and every day has a sillohuete of one of said chicks in darker pink. Since the sillohuetes don't always match the facts on each page, it's fun guessing who they are (Ann-Margret and Raquel Welch are pretty easy to pick out!)

Each page also has at least one fact about what happened that day in the 60's. For example, June 12th: "1965-the musical duo of Sonny and Cher appears on TV for the first time, singing 'I Got You Babe' on American Bandstand". Birthdates of all the Swingin' Chicks are also included. I have the calendar on my desk at work, and several times a day someone remarks on how cool it is.

Groovy, baby!

Customer Reviews:

insufficient coverage of betting tactics.......1999-02-14

This book provides the basic guidlines a golfer would use to gamble during the playing of one round of golf. The explaination of the gambling games and how they are played is most instructive. This instruction teaches the beginning golf gambler how to place bets and score specific games in a manner to allow the beginer to protect himslef from cheating or being decieved by a experienced charlatan. This book lacks coverage and discription of how golf gambling would be applied to a charity event sponsored by a golf course and jointly played by all golf club members.

Book Description

This book will cover advanced techniques for programming web parts and SharePoint Services. It will also cover advanced integration techniques with related products such as BizTalk Server 2004 and Content Server. Intended for advanced developers who already know all of the basic SharePoint Services, this book will aid them as they solve specific advanced problems.

Customer Reviews:

Best Sharepoint Developer Author.......2006-04-03

Scot Hillier is the best SharePoint author - period.

For example: developers need to write web parts. Web parts are custom controls. Can't view a custom control at design/development time, right? Need to install it into SharePoint, run it, test. Right?

Wrong! Scott shows you how to design, develop, and debug at design-time. This little tidbit alone is worth the price of the book.

All of his books will help you become the best SharePoint developer out there.

Finally the answers.......2005-11-07

Sharepoint is so confusing when you get into the backend and this book answered almost all of my questions. Best book I've found. You can tell the author spent a lot of time digging around in the guts of SP and was probably as frustrated as most of us are trying to figure out how to do the simplest of things. Small book, high price. WORTH IT.

Sharepoint Solutions for Advanced developers.......2005-05-07

"Advanced Sharepoint Services Solutions" is the second book by Scott Hiller, on Sharepoint Technologies. The first one was about building basic web parts. This book is for developers who have good knowledge of Sharepoint technologies. It is also assumed that you have already built some web parts and also have good understanding of .NET development. If you are looking for basic Sharepoint stuff, refer to his other book "Microsoft Sharepoint Building Office 2003 Solutions".

The Advanced book is not a complete reference on Sharepoint technologies. Instead it contains 8 chapters, which covers widely different areas. There are few chapters which are not covered by other Sharepoint books. This book is good source for CAML, Information Bridge Framework, Business Scorecard Accelerator, Sharepoint and BizTalk Integration, and for Sharepoint and Content Management Server Integration.
Since these topics are usually not covered in regular Sharepoint books, it becomes good source for these topics.

The book has good amount of source code (in C#) along with the text and provides some great ideas for system integrations. But as I said before it is not a complete reference book, just some great solutions for customizing and integrating Sharepoint technologies.

still often need programming for integration.......2005-02-22

Well, so Hillier's first book on SharePoint wasn't enough for some readers! Apparently, he found demand for explanations of broader, more advanced usages, that he furnishes here in this book.

Perhaps the more important of these are discussed in the second half of the book. Microsoft has developed several other intricate applications, independently of SharePoint. But consider how it integrated the various parts of its Office suite, so that you can easily go from Excel to PowerPoint, say. In similar wise, Hillier explains how SharePoint is compatible with Information Bridge Framework, Business Score Cards Accelerator, BizTalk Server 2004 and the Content Management Service. Granted, none of these is as successful and widespread as something like Excel. These packages are far more specialised and their usages might often involve some programming effort. Thus too, using SharePoint with them also necessitates programming.

Ok, there are parts where you might pass an XML data file to an application, where this file tells it much of what you want it to do. And the XML approach is declarative, not procedural, so it minimises your programming effort. But typically, there are places where you still need the latter.

My impression of what Hillier describes is that Microsoft is not done with further refining of this integration. There are simply too many low level programming steps to be currently dealt with. No fault of Hillier's, naturally. He's calling it as it is. But let us hope that Microsoft continues improving these products.

Average customer rating:

Advanced Sharepoint Services Solutions
Scot P Hillier
Manufacturer: Microsoft Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K75864

Book Description

A Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution is the first comprehensive account of every engagement of the Revolution, a war that began with a brief skirmish at Lexington Green on April 19, 1775, and concluded on the battlefield at the Siege of Yorktown in October 1781.

In between were six long years of bitter fighting on land and at sea. The wide variety of combats blanketed the North American continent from Canada to the Southern colonies, from the winding coastal lowlands to the Appalachian Mountains, and from the North Atlantic to the Caribbean.

Unlike existing accounts, A Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution presents each engagement in a unique way. Each battle entry offers a wide and rich-but consistent-template of information to make it easy for readers to find exactly what they are seeking.

Every entry begins with introductory details including the date of the battle, its location, commanders, opposing forces, terrain, weather, and time of day. The detailed body of each entry offers both a Colonial and British perspective of the unfolding military situation, a detailed and unbiased account of what actually transpired, a discussion of numbers and losses, an assessment of the consequences of the battle, and suggestions for further reading. Many of the entries are supported and enriched by original maps and photos. Fresh, scholarly, informative, and entertaining,

A Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution will be welcomed by historians and general enthusiasts everywhere.

Customer Reviews:

Utilitarian.......2007-10-02

This guide is a useful tool for a general overview of the development and progress of the war of American Independence. It does not go into much detail about strategies in the specific engagements, but does give valuable information to search out futher details. It was not all that I hoped it would be as a resource for the local histories of various locales of the war, but interesting to students of history and a good initial source for a broad scope review.

Affordable, accesssible, and invaluable........2006-12-06

Of the half dozen or so encyclopedic works on the American Revolution, two have stood out in their treatment of the war's military aspects.
One--Mark Mayo Boatner's 2006 revision of Encyclopedia of the American Revolution--is a magnificant achievement but its $345 retail price is formidable. And while Boatner's work is much broader in its coverage--describing even mere skirmishes--it does not describe all battles in the depth that the Savas and Dameron guide does. The Savas and Dameron guide does an outstanding job of setting the battles of the Revolution in their strategic and geographic context. Further, it does so in very clear, concise writing. For this reason, this book should be of interest not just to historians and college students but to general readers with more than a passing interest in their nation's history. Fortunately, thereasonable price will make it affordable to such readers.
Dr. Michael Hughes, military history editor

A new classic.......2006-10-21

Thousands of books are published every year. For some subjects like the American Civil War, it's been speculated that there's a new book every minute. Few, however, are ever accorded the status of classic. Classic are those timeless literary works that are as relevant today as the day it was written. They continue to be read long after the original author is gone. Classics set the watermark by which newer works are judged. For the American Revolution, students and scholars alike have long acknowledged that Mark Boatner's Encyclopedia of the American Revolution is one of those classics.

Theodore Savas and J. David Dameron's A Guide To The Battles Of The American Revolution is a new book that deserves a place alongside of Boatner's Encylopedia. Heavily research, the authors describe the battles of the American Revolution on this continent, on the high seas and aboard. Each battle provides the perspective of the belligerents, a table of organization, the outcome affect and an excellent map illustrating unit movement and terrain. Since the authors also describe the battle site as it is seen today, A Guide To The Battles of the American Revolution is an ideal travel companion for those disposed towards visiting historic sites.

Whether one is a casual reader of the American Revolution or a serious scholar, A Guide To The Battles of the American Revolution is destined to become a standard reference that will attain classic status. One can only hope that the authors collaborate to write on other American wars.

A very welcome addition.......2006-10-04

"A Guide To The Battles Of The American Revolution" is a 288-page, nicely illustrated, comprehensive, informed and informative history of every single engagement between American and British forces during the six year war of the American Revolution from first shots fired at Bunker Hill to the Siege of Yorktown in October 1781 resulting in the final defeat of the English and the emancipation of the colonies from British rule. Co-written by Theodore Savas (author and managing director of Sava Beatie) and David Dameron (author and historian), "A Guide To The Battles Of The American Revolution" is organized with each military engagement entry beginning with introductory details (date of the battle, location, commanders, opposing forces, terrain, weather, time of day), followed by both Colonial and British perspectives of the unfolding military situation, a detailed and unbiased account of what actually transpired, a discussion of numbers and losses, an assessment of the consequences of the battle, and suggestions for further reading. A work of impressive historical scholarship, "A Guide To The Battles Of The American Revolution" is thoroughly 'reader friend' and a very welcome addition to personal, academic, and community library American History collections in general, and American Military History collections in particular.

Joshua Keena.......2006-09-30

A Guide to the Battles of the American Revolution is a superior, thorough, and succinct work that illuminates the dawn of our country for future generations. The authors provide an unbiased and clearly formatted book that allows the reader to see the battles that shaped the Revolutionary War. This book can serve as a comprehensive review of the entire war, or can afford the reader with a reference for specific battles and leaders. The authors took great care to use current military terminology to add a modern context to events that occurred over 200 years ago. In this respect, I feel they are to be commended because readers of this outstanding book can relate our early struggles as a nation to events occurring today. Thoroughly enjoyable, great read, this book owns a special place on my bookshelf.

Book Description

The book explores the history and culture of the Miami Indians, who have fought for many years to gain tribal status from the U.S. government. This volume will appeal to a general audience as well as serious students of tribal history interested in the experience of a North American Indian tribal community over three and a half centuries.

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating Book.......2001-01-28

This book held my attention as it took me on a fascinating journey, I recommend this book to every american, it is a incredible insight in history.

Book Description.......1998-09-03

Now scattered in small communities in Northern Indiana, the Eastern Miami Indians have lived in undeserved obscurity since the 1840s. In 1791 Chief Little Turtle and the Miami inflicted the worst defeat ever of an American army by Indians. The Miami ceded most of Indiana in a series of treaties beginning after the War of 1812. Chief Richardville led Miami resistence to removal which finally took place in 1846. Half of the Miami tribe was exempted and many more returned from Kansas Territory to rebuild the home community. The Indiana Miami negotiated a new treaty in 1854 that guaranteed their way of life and slowly adapted to late 19th century American society. Hunting, fishing and casual labor continued as they had in the past, while some children were sent to far off federal Indian schools. Others began working for the many circuses that wintered in Peru, Indiana, beginning in the 1880s. Legal tragedy struck the tribe in 1897 when their treaty rights were abruptly terminated. Their effort to regain status under federal Indian law has involved them intimately in twentieth-century American Indian history. In recent years, the Indiana Miami have become more visible as they have again sought restoration of their treaty rights and have revitalized their culture. The first history of the Eastern Miami tribe, this volume is a fascinating combination of social, legal, and economic history, much enhanced by folklore and a rich series of maps and photographic images.

Stewart Rafert is adjunct professor of history at the University of Delaware.

The Prism and the Pendulum: The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments in Science
Average customer rating:

Beautiful Book

Wonderful science for non-scientists

Good Refresher/Introduction

Beauty prizes

Beautiful Book...Beautiful Minds...Beautiful Experiments

The Prism and the Pendulum: The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments in Science
Robert Crease
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Experiments & Projects | Experiments, Instruments & Measurement | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Science | Subjects | Books
History of Science | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Great Experiments in Physics: Firsthand Accounts from Galileo to Einstein

Newton's Gift: How Sir Isaac Newton Unlocked the System of the World

A Tour of the Calculus

The Pleasure Of Finding Things Out: The Best Short Works of Richard P. Feynman (Helix Books)

Thirty Years that Shook Physics: The Story of Quantum Theory

ASIN: 1400061318
Release Date: 2003-09-23

Book Description

Is science beautiful? Yes, argues acclaimed philosopher and historian of science Robert P. Crease in this engaging exploration of history’s most beautiful experiments. The result is an engrossing journey through nearly 2,500 years of scientific innovation. Along the way, we encounter glimpses into the personalities and creative thinking of some of the field’s most interesting figures.

We see the first measurement of the earth’s circumference, accomplished in the third century B.C. by Eratosthenes using sticks, shadows, and simple geometry. We visit Foucault’s mesmerizing pendulum, a cannonball suspended from the dome of the Panthéon in Paris that allows us to see the rotation of the earth on its axis. We meet Galileo—the only scientist with two experiments in the top ten—brilliantly drawing on his musical training to measure the speed of falling bodies. And we travel to the quantum world, in the most beautiful experiment of all.

We also learn why these ten experiments exert such a powerful hold on our imaginations. From the ancient world to cutting-edge physics, these ten exhilarating moments reveal something fundamental about the world, pulling us out of confusion and revealing nature’s elegance. The Prism and the Pendulum brings us face-to-face with the wonder of science.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Book.......2006-05-04

The thing which drew many people to science as children was the sense of wonder it evokes. The Prism and the Pendulum does a wonderful job of bringing out this sense in its discussion of beauty in science. The subject matter and Crease's writing style combine to show the beauty in ten historically famous scientific experiments.

He cites three characteristics of a beautiful experiment: that it "shows something deep about the world in a way that transforms our understanding of it"; that its "elements have to be efficiently arranged"; and that it "should be definitive, revealing its result without need for further generalizations of inferences." He cites ten experiments, chronologically ordered from Eratosthenes' determination of the Earth's circumference to Claus Joensson`s two-slit interference experiment with electrons.

Crease emphasizes science as an active, passionate endeavor, not as mechanical testing of hypotheses. He cites controversies in which scientists have heatedly opposed one another, as well as controversies between the artistic and scientific worlds. I love his rebuttal of Whitman's poem about the "learn'd astronomer."

At the same time, the book is free (apart from some unclear comments on "Science and the Sublime") of the mysticism found in some popularizations of science. Quantum physics is still lacking in solid epistemological underpinnings, so any discussion of it is laden with difficulties. Crease's account isn't fully satisfactory, but he correctly places the problem with the difficulty of applying macroscopic visualizations rather than with any self-contradictions in physical phenomena. In his words, "the activities of the quantum world cannot be pictured."

While the book is written for adults, it could be an excellent choice for a teenager with a developing interest in science. I think an intelligent thirteen-year-old could read it without much trouble.

Wonderful science for non-scientists.......2004-12-29

An easy to read and usually very comprehensible selection of ten crucial experiments in science, each pair interspersed with an "interlude" of science philosophy. The realities of choosing experiments were fairly presented, which is that the scientist(s) involved thought in advance that a certain relationship existed, then designed an experiment to verify. Good scientists admit it when the experiment does not confirm their notions. None of the idealized "hypothesis, experiment, theory, experiment, law" that we were taught in school. The judgment of the scientists on what data points to accept or reject, and their close relation with the apparatus was seen as most important. The importance of peer-review and replication was down-played.

The experiments were chosen by polling the authors contacts, and are Eratosthenes' measurement of the earth's circumference, Galileo's work on gravity by dropping things and by using inclined planes, Newton's analysis of colors by using two prisms on sunlight, Cavendish's determination of the mass of the earth, Young's double slit experiment showing the wave nature of light, Foucault's pendulum demonstrating the rotation of the earth, Millikan's oil-drop experiment to determine the charge of the electron, Rutherford's gold foil bombardment that showed the structure of the atom, and a team's experiment that showed the wave nature of single electrons.

All good choices, but the lack of Chemistry and Biology experiments is the biggest fault of the choices.

Crease visited a number of the sites where the experiments were done. The book also has a large number of endnotes to sources. The placement of the experiments in the context of their times was well done. Personalities of the scientsts were discussed. The public's reactions to the experiments was given. What makes an experiment beautiful and comparisons of art and science were well done. No other recent book of this type was found on searching www.Amazon.com.

My only complaints are that some of the diagrams that would have made comprehension easier were not presented. More was needed on Galileo's inclined planes to show F = M.a better; it was hard to see how Cavendish's experiment worked; and Rutherford's experiment sorely needed a picture of atoms in foil deflecting alpha rays as in any Chemistry text. Maybe to be done for a second printing, as this book should deserve.

Good Refresher/Introduction.......2004-07-20

Robert Crease is a professor at Stony Brook University in NY and writes the Critical Point column every month in Physics World magazine.

Any Top Ten list will spur discussion (?I can?t believe he included that/excluded this?) and this list is no different. Some are no-brainers and will be familiar to even casual science aficionados.

But the book isn?t about the most important experiments - it?s about the most ?beautiful? experiments. Crease explains the science but also gets into the people behind the science and the creativity and, yes, beauty of the process.

He starts with Eratosthenes 3rd century BC experiment that measured the circumference of the Earth with sticks, shadows and basic geometry.

Galileo has two experiments in the Top 10 - dropping the balls from the Leaning Tower of Pisa to show the same rate of fall even for different weights and his Alpha experiment involving the inclined plane that you may have duplicated in Physics 101.

We read about Newton?s splitting of light with prisms and Young?s slits and ripple tanks to show the wave nature of light (contradicting Newton). I remember more success with the ripple tanks than the slits in high school lab.

Foucault?s Pendulum had to be included and it is still a source of wonder when viewed at dozens of local Museums. Yes, it is we (on the Earth) that are constantly moving.

The later choices are less evident - dealing with the atom, electrons and quantum theory - than the classics of mechanics, but still good choices.

The book is a good introduction or refresher to some great science.

Beauty prizes.......2004-07-05

The "war" of the humanities against science has been long and arduous. According to Crease, the revelations of science in the 18th and 19th Centuries led the Romanticists to claim nature's wonders had been diluted or destroyed by the "mechanics". He refutes those assertions with an expressive study of ten "beautiful" experiments. Crease isn't arguing for a redefinition of "beauty" in this book. On the contrary, he shows how beauty's normally accepted role in human life can be suitably applied to science's accomplishments.

He admits outright to his own surprise at a researcher's exclamation over a "beautiful" experiment. The novelty of the assertion led him to query many scientists on which experiments might be so considered. The responses both surprised and gratified him. The result of his survey is this excellent book. The ten selected range from the means to first measure the earth to the realization that electrons can be in two places at once. A combination of good science and fine writing, coupled with an astute historical sense make this book a treasure.

What makes an experiment "beautiful"? Crease sets three criteria: depth, efficiency and definitiveness. "Depth" implies something fundamental about the world is revealed by the experiment. Certainly, measuring the globe using shadows in sunlight qualifies that criterion. "Efficiency" means the result is general enough to preclude having to do the experiment in a different manner to gain the same results. "Definitiveness" suggests that anyone can understand both the experiment and its value. Clearly, his ten choices show how these criteria work. Following the descriptive essay, Crease then explains the "beauty" aspect of it in the appropriate scenario, whether music, graphic art or theatre.

Of the ten, the two of the title are symbolic: Newton's breakdown and recombination of sunlight with prisms and Foucault's use of a pendulum to verify the Earth's rotation. Newton's demonstration has probably been castigated by the humanities more than anything else in science. "Unweaving the Rainbow" was the causus belli of the Victorian Romanticists their assault on science. Crease readily dismisses such obscurantism in explaining how valuable an exercise Newton's analysis of light proved. By extending the experiment from breaking down light to recombining it, Newton showed how research, like creating a painting, must reach beyond first results. There is, Crease notes, even a moral lesson in the exercise.

Foucault's pendulum conveys a reality about our world we cannot perceive otherwise. Awed by the realization that only our planet's rotation can force the pendulum to describe a circle while swaying from its mount, Crease applauds the teachers who bring their students to observe it. The experience is so profound, Crease describes it as a manifestation of "sublime beauty". It is clearly an experiment beyond an exercise in either pure mechanics or reasoning. Seeing the swinging orb successively tumbling a set of pegs forces a reconsideration of how we perceive the universe. What else, he asks, might greater perception have in store? This book challenges all who feel their perception of either science or beauty is complete. It is a worthwhile read for anyone asking, at any level, about the world they inhabit. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Beautiful Book...Beautiful Minds...Beautiful Experiments.......2004-04-03

+++++

The author, Robert Crease, a professor of philosophy and historian, sums up this entire book (that has ten chapters with a separate introduction and conclusion) by telling us to "think of this book as a special kind of gallery [of science experiments]." He goes on to say that "this gallery contains [ten experiments] of rare beauty, each with its own [experimental] design, distinct materials, and unique appeal. You will not like everything equally, for your background, experience, education, and personal taste will incline you to prefer some [experiments] over others."

These experiments were chosen by conducting a poll. The author asked readers of a certain international science magazine what they thought were the most beautiful science experiments. Then the author selected the ten most frequently mentioned candidates. (By the way, the author admits that his "poll, to be sure, was unscientific.")

The ten experiments, from oldest to more recent, are as follows:

(1) An ancient experiment that uses a shadow, a measuring tool, and junior high school geometry. ("It is so simple and instructive that it is reenacted annually, almost 2,500 years later, by school children all around the globe.")

(2) A 400-year-old experiment that was demonstrated on the surface of the Moon in August of 1971 by one of the Apollo 15 astronauts.

(3) "The first modern scientific experiment [done by the same person of (2) above], in which an investigator...planned, staged, and observed a series of actions in order to discover a mathematical law."

(4) A three-centuries-old experiment that the author describes as "a landmark in the history of science [since it reveals a new aspect of nature] and a sensational demonstration of the experimental method."

(5) "A measurement experiment that stood out by [its] extreme degree of precision." (The laboratory where this experiment was first performed was in the same lab where Watson and Crick discovered - many years later - the structure of DNA.)

(6) This experiment was "a classic example of the successful use of analogy in science."

(7) An experiment that uses "one of the simplest devices in science" and enables you "to watch the Earth turn."

(8) A century-old experiment (actually a series of experiments) that was "a defining moment in our electronic age." (This experiment, in my opinion, was rather messy and not really that beautiful.)

(9) An experiment that "marked the birth of modern particle physics." (This is my favorite experiment of these ten.)

(10) This experiment's result "is one of the most awesome and arresting human experiences." (This was the most frequently selected experiment in the poll.)

Throughout the book, two main questions are indirectly answered. These questions are as follows:

(i) "What does it mean for experiments, if they can be beautiful?"
(ii) "And what does it mean for beauty, if experiments can possess it?"

(Both these questions, as well, are given thorough treatment in the book's conclusion.)

Each of the book's ten chapters concludes with a short "interlude." Many of these interludes deal directly or indirectly with beauty in science. For example, there are interludes that have the following titles: "Why Science is Beautiful" and "Does Science Destroy Beauty?" But other subjects are covered in these interludes such as experiment versus demonstration and science & culture. Be sure to read the interlude entitled "The Newton-Beethoven Comparison."

The last chapter has a "Runners-Up" interlude. These are experiments that did not make it into the author's ten-best list.

The conclusion of this book is entitled "Can Science Still be Beautiful?" It details the author's "personal candidate for the most beautiful experiment" and, as already mentioned, gives comprehensive answers to the two main questions stated above.

This book is very easy to read (and the 25 illustrations throughout this book aid in that ease) and assumes no science background. You are given a wealth of historical and biographical information of all major persons involved in each experiment. The only prequisite, I feel, that's needed to read this book is inquisitiveness and curiosity.

What I especially enjoyed about this book is that throughout it we are given some examples of the actual writings of the experimenters (as well as those who admired them and those who did not). One of my favorite writings is as follows: "It was quite the most incredible event that has ever happened to me in my life. It was almost as incredible as if you fired a 15-inch (artillery) shell at a piece of tissue paper and it came back and hit you."

Finally, my only complaint is with the book's subtitle: "The Ten Most Beautiful Experiments in Science." Remember that the poll to obtain these ten experiments was unscientific. Thus, I feel that this subtitle is unjustified and perhaps misleading. Therefore, the book's subtitle should more accurately read "Ten Beautiful Experiments in Science."

In conclusion, this is somewhat of a unique book that attempts to explain how science can be beautiful and illustrates this idea with ten beautiful experiments. This book allows the reader to experience science's beauty, mystery, and wonderment. As well, the reader gets to experience the thrill of discovery!!

**** 1/2

+++++

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Parks & Recreation, published by National Recreation and Park Association on July 1, 2003. The length of the article is 1367 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: A most welcome sign: outdoor vertical banners can increase parks' attendance and funding.
Author: Roger Lepley
Publication: Parks & Recreation (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 1, 2003
Publisher: National Recreation and Park Association
Volume: 38 Issue: 7 Page: 56(4)

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