Pacaritambo

THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE MYSTERY - SOLVED
by Lawrence David Kusche. B&W photos, maps, drawings. Condition: Very Good+ 1974 Harper & Row hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), first edition. Name inside loose endpage. Beautifully maintained pre-read book: interior clean & tight with NO tanning. Content: Reviewer: "To this day, the Bermuda Triangle is regarded by many as a mysterious zone of influence within which an unusual number of ships and planes disappear without a trace. At the very least, its reputation as a region associated with some unspecified danger remains. Why this is so, after the first publication of Mr. Kusche's book more than twenty years ago, is perhaps a more interesting question than whether or not the Bermuda Triangle's reputation is deserved. Regardless, it is this latter question that Kusche attempts to answer. His approach is simply to do the necessary research-- whenever and wherever he encounters an account or tale of tragedy in the Bermuda Triangle, he looks up the relevant accounts and finds the facts. If the facts leave the fate of the ship or plane(s) ambiguous, he says so. If his research turns up a likely explanation, he is forthright and direct in proposing it. What Kusche finds, in sum, is that the Bermuda Triangle is essentially a myth." Still intresting after all these years. [1 copy available]
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BREAKTHROUGHS IN MATHEMATICS
by Peter Wolff. B&W charts, math "problems," and drawings. Condition: UNREAD 1963 Signet Science Library MMPB. Small edgewear. No tanning that I can detect. Content: This is really a history of Mathematics. It spans 2,200 years of discovery as it presents excerpts from the work of 9 famous men who spurred mathematical revolutions. . . together with the editor's incisive comments that place these unique contributions in their proper historical perspective. Included are: Euclid, Lobachevski, Descartes, Archimedes, Dedeking, Russell, Euler, La Place, and Boole. A great source book. [1 copy available]
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BROTHERHOOD OF THE BOMB: The Tangled Lives and Loyalties of Robert Oppenheimer, Erneset Lawrence, and Edward Teller
by Gregg Herken. B&W photo section. Condition: UNREAD 2003 Owl Books Trade Paperback, first printing. Tiny edgewear. Content: It would be difficult to identify three American scientists whose work had a greater effect on world politics than Robert Oppenheimer, Ernest Lawrence, and Edward Teller. This exhaustive account of how they worked together (and competed against each other) on the development of the atomic and hydrogen bombs is more a story of people than science. Author Herken of the Smithsonian Institution informs us, for instance, of Oppenheimer's "riotous parties" in the 1930s, in which latecomers would see "the top physicists of their generation, drunk and crouched on all fours, playing a version of tiddly-winks on the geometric patterns of Oppenheimer's Navajo rug." Despite a few light touches, this is no breezy profile of three great minds. Instead, it is a serious look at invention, rivalry, and betrayal. One of the central episodes involves Oppenheimer's too-cozy relationship with radical-left politics-- he carelessly associated with Communists, even though he occupied one of the most sensitive jobs in the U.S. government during the cold war--and Teller's momentous decision to testify against him. This event is one of the most controversial in the annals of American science, and Herken tells it straight, with barely a word of editorial comment. [1 copy available]
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COMING OF AGE IN THE MILKY WAY (Winner 1988 American Institute of Physics Prize)
by Timothy Ferris. B&W photos, charts illustrate. Condition: UNREAD 1989 Anchor Books Trade Paperback, 10th printing. Tiny edgewear. Content: The ancient Egyptians regarded the sky as a kind of tent canopy. Thirty centuries later, astronomer William Herschel argued that the sun belongs to a huge cluster of stars (a galaxy, as we call it today) and charted great swaths of intergalactic space through a telescope. How the human species slowly awakened to the vast reaches of space and time is the story absorbingly told by popular science writer Ferris. His narrative humanizes the scientific enterprise - Galileo emerges here as a careerist, and Johannes Kepler as a self-loathing neurotic. Although it covers well-trod ground, this remarkable synthesis makes broad areas of science accessible to the lay person, from Darwin's and Lyell's investigations of the age of the earth to modern physicists' quest for a perfectly symmetrical, hyperdimensional universe. [2 copies available]
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THE CYMBALISTA SYNAGOGUE AND JEWISH HERITAGE CENTER: Tel Aviv University
by Mario Botta. Color photos of the Center plus B&W "blueprint" drawings of each section. Condition: NEW 2001 Skira/Gingko Press softcover (apx 120 pages), no edition given. Content: Mario Botta has become the world's foremost architect of churches and museums. To a series of great buildings that have been dubbed fortresses of art and culture he has added his first synagogue, a remarkable building that masterfully interprets the fundamentals of the Jewish religion. With the Cymbalista Synagogue and Jewish Heritage Center at Tel Aviv University Mario Botta is considered to have created a breakthrough in synagogue construction. Strikingly modern in style it is unencumbered by reminiscences and tradition, but still succeeds in providing a comforting feeling of protection. Several of its structural elements are symbolic: the two columns at the main entrance are reminiscent of Solomon's Temple, light comes in only from above, and there are no decorations or windows to distract from prayer. Great book for shul libraries. Questions welcome [2 copies available]
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THE DANCING WU LI MASTERS: An Overview of the New Physics
by Gary Zukav. Condition: UNREAD 1984 Bantam paperback, 7th printing, with tiny edge wear & very light tanning to page edges. Content: Written in clear, non-mathematical language, Zukav opens readers' minds to the major theories that embrace the ultimate nature of the universe: quantum mechanics, relativity, and beyond. [1 copy available]
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DESERT SURVIVOR'S GUIDE
by Rory Storm. Illustrated by Mei Lim. B&W drawings & photos. Condition: NEW 2001 Scholastic softcover, first edition, first printing. Tiny edgewear to fore edges. Content: Filled with real information and real survival stories, this guide tells you what you need to know to be a desert survivor. Learn how to use your supplies to help you find your way to safety, build shelter in the most dire circumstances, and cope with any disaster that might come your way. If you want to be a survivor, you'd better be prepared. Geared to Young Adults, but certainly useful to adults, as well. If you travel (or live in) the desert Southwest, this book should be in your car! [1 copy available]
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EDISON'S EVE: A Magical History of the Quest for Mechanical Life [Finalist: National Book Critics Circle Award for NonFiction]
by Gaby Wood. B&W photos and era illustrations. Condition: NEW 2003 Anchor Books soft cover, first printing. Light shelfwear bottom spine. Interior perfect. Content: Embodying the confusions between what is "lifelike" and what is alive, robots have always held an anxious fascination. When eighteenth-century physicians described the body as a complex piece of machinery, the stage was set for inventors like Jacques de Vaucanson, who thrilled Paris with a flute-playing android, and Wolfgang von Kempelen, whose chess-playing automaton took on the best players of its time. Deftly balancing historical detail with provocative meditations on the reception accorded such marvels, Wood then traces the development of subsequent imitations of life, such as the talking doll designed by Thomas Edison and the magic-filled films of Georges Méliès. [1 copy available]
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THE GERMAN SCIENTIFIC HERITAGE (German Language)
by Reginald H. Phelps and Jack M. Stein. Collaboration of I. Bernard Cohen. B&W illustrations & charts. Condition: Pre-read 1962 Holt, Rhinehart & Winston hardcover (no Dust Jacket), no edition given. Several pages seem to have had some pencil-notes, but have been removed. Content: This is an anthology of primary readings for intermediate classes in German (with some English commentary), chosen to acquaint the reader with some major events and developments in the history of modern science. Many of the selections are from actual papers announcing discoveries - from Euhler to Freud. [1 copy available]
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IG NOBEL PRIZES: The Annals of Improbable Research
by Marc Abrahams. B&W photos & drawings. Condition: NEW 2002 Orion Books of London First Edition Hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket). Content: Each year, the science humor magazine Annals of Improbable Research awards 10 Ig Nobel prizes to assorted scientists, professors and ordinary folk for their projects and accomplishments, some of which are "commendable - if perhaps goofy," and others simply baffling. Written by AIR editor Abrahams, this book entertainingly immortalizes dubious, but real, endeavors, such as the study of electric shock treatment's effects on rattlesnake bites; the proposition (from a Maharishi Univeristy faculty member) that meditation would reduce violent crime in Washington, DC; and the British Royal Navy's budget-driven directive to have its sailors shout "Bang!" instead of using live cannon shells. A list of past winners reveals that in 1991, Dan Quayle was honored with an Education Ig Nobel "for demonstrating, better than anyone else, the need for science education. This is a hoot! Questions welcome. [2 copies available]
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INFINITY AND THE MIND: The Science and Philosophy of the Infinite
by Rudy Rucker. B&W drawings, cartoons, & charts illustrate. Condition: Gently pre-read (to about page 65) Bantam paperback, 5th printing. Binder's glue strings down sine with tiny edgewear. Interior clean & tight. Content: Rucker leads an excursion to that stretch of the universe he calls the "Mindscape," where he explores infinity in all its forms: potential and actual, mathematical and physical, theological and mundane. Rucker acquaints us with Gödel's rotating universe, in which it is theoretically possible to travel into the past, and explains an interpretation of quantum mechanics in which billions of parallel worlds are produced every microsecond. It is in the realm of infinity, he maintains, that mathematics, science, and logic merge with the fantastic. By closely examining the paradoxes that arise from this merging, we can learn a great deal about the human mind, its powers, and its limitations. Using cartoons, puzzles, and quotations to enliven his text, Rucker guides us through such topics as the paradoxes of set theory, the possibilities of physical infinities, and the results of Gödel's incompleteness theorems. His personal encounters with Gödel the mathematician and philosopher provide a rare glimpse at genius and reveal what very few mathematicians have dared to admit: the transcendent implications of Platonic realism. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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INTRODUCING STEPHEN HAWKING and HAWKING AND THE MIND OF GOD
(2 books for 1)
by See below. B&W photos & drawings. Condition: Introducing Stephen Hawking was written by J. P> McEvoy and Oscar Zarate. It is a NEW 2000 Icon Books/Totem Books Trade Paperback, reprint. Hawking and the Mind of God is by Peter Coles and is part of the Postmodern Encounters series. NEW 2000 Icon Books/Totem Books paperback, first printing. Content: Introducing Stephen Hawking: This book covers a good part of Stephen Hawking's life as well as some background in fundamentals of physics so you can grasp some of his ideas. Although some cartoons are completely gratuitous others actually provide extra clarification on the ideas expressed. The book gives a very broad overview of Hawking's ideas - specifically his theories concerning black hole radiation. Hawking and the Mind of God: This book examines the pseudoreligious connotations of some of the key themes in Hawking's work, and how these shed light not only on the Hawking cult itself, but also on the wider issue of how scientists represent themselves in the media. Questions welcome [1 set available]
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LET'S TALK ABOUT THE METRIC SYSTEM
by Joyce Lamm. B&W "cartoons," photos and drawings illustrate. Condition: UNREAD 1975 Jonathan Davis Pub. hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket). Interior clean & tight. Content: An introduction to the history, principles, and uses of the metric system including sample problems, charts, and conversion tables. Intended for ages 9 - 12 (I think 9 is a little young for this book), everyone who is mystified by the Metric System can benefit from this book. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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THE MANHATTAN PROJECT: Big Science and the Atom Bomb
Revolutions in Science Series
by Jeff Hughes. B&W drawings & photos. Condition: NEW 2002 Icon Books (UK) Trade Paperback. Perfect. Content: The Manhattan Project, the allies project during the Second World War to build the atomic bomb, did not represent a radical break in the development of twentieth-century science but rather an acceleration of developments already underway, according to Jeff Huges. Drawing on recent scholarship, Hughes offers a lively reinterpretation of these epic events and considers the dramatic role the military and industry played in shaping not just the Manhattan Project, but the whole of twentieth-century science. [1 copy available]
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THE NEUTRINO
by Isaac Asimov. B&W drawings illustrate. Condition: Good only condition, 1975 Discus paperback, second printing. Edgewear with spine crease. Interior clean & tight but tanning. Medium-sized tag removal mark upper front cover (see graphic). Content: The neutrino was first conjured up by scientists who needed a "nothing particle" to make their equations come out even. Imagine their surprise when it was discovered that a neutrino really existed! BTW, a neutrino is an atomic particle so small that it can penetrate even the densest matter - a particle smaller than any in the universe. Asimov relates (in readable language) the story of this little particle. [1 copy available]
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PLACES OF THE SOUL: Architecture and Environmental Design as a Healing Art
by Christopher Day. B&W charts, drawings, & photos illustrate. Condition: UNREAD 1993 Aquarian Trade Paperback, 6th printing. Light tanning to white cover edges with tiny edgewear. Interior clean & tight - no tanning. Content:: Reviewer: "This is a very satisfying, powerful look at how the architectural environment makes an impact health, thought, and especially spirit. Mr. Day's writing is beautiful, drawing the reader through ideas of space, light, structure, environment, location and intention. Reading it was both inspiring and informative. An elegant book about an important subject. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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PYRAMID POWER
by G. Pat Flanagan. B&W charts, drawings, maps illustrate. Condition: Very good 1975 De Vorss & Co. (CA) hardcover & DJ, 6th edition. Book has minor shelfwear to boards, but interior very clean & tight. DJ has protected the book and has edgewear and is encased in a mylar jacket. Content:: This book is as much an inquiry into bioenergetics, mathematics, and energy as it is a study of unexplained phenomena. A product of its generation (the 70s) blending mysticism and science. Interesting study. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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SCIENCE PAST - SCIENCE FUTURE
by Isaac Asimov. Condition: UNREAD 1977 Ace Books paperback, first printing. Name inside front cover. Tiny edgewear, glue string down spine, & tanning to page edges. Content:: 43 essays on all subjects of Science by the master of Science and Science Fiction. Reviewer: "This is one of Asimov's longer non-fiction works, tackling such subjects as the transistor, transportation, the environment, overpopulation and sex in space. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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THE THEORY OF RELATIVITY & OTHER ESSAYS
by Albert Einstein. Condition: NEW 1998 MJF hardcover & DJ (in mylar jacket), third printing. Content:: Nine Einstein essays on physics, relativity, and other related subjects. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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THE TAO OF PHYSICS: An Exploration of the Parallels Between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism (Second Edition Revised & Updated
by Fritjof Capra. B&W photos & charts illustrate. Condition: UNREAD 1988, Bantam Books paperback, second edition, revised & updated. Light tanning to page edges. Content:: The universe: an eternal cosmic dance of subatomic particles of relationships at once paradoxical, yet somehow unified. Mystics explore our universe through meditation. Nuclear physicists explore it through experimentation and hypothesis. Their paths to the truth could not be more different - but the amazing thing is that in their own ways, the mystics and the scientists are discovering the same truths about our world.In non-technical language, with no complex mathematics or formulae, this thought-provoking program explores the main concepts and theories of modern physics, the revelations coming from particle accelerators and laboratories-and compares them with the ancient tenets of Hinduism, Buddhism and Taoism. In the process, we gain a clear and fascinating picture of how such seemingly disparate areas of thought are ultimately quests for the same kind of understanding. Questions welcome. [1 copy available]
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