The author’s interests seemingly know no bounds, and he takes the reader along with him on a complex, absorbing journey of...
Bioengineer Vogel (Cats’ Paws and Catapaults, 1998, etc.) lucidly explains the nature of muscle and examines how it has shaped human history, culture, and technology.
Beginning with a resume of what is known about muscle and how it works, Vogel (Biology/Duke Univ.) traces the evolution of this knowledge from Aristotle through Andreas Vesalius, Giovanni Borelli, and two Huxleys (Hugh E. and Andrew F.) to Albert Szent-Gyorgyi, as well as a number of contemporary researchers in morphology, physiology, and biochemistry. It’s fascinating to learn how muscles act to produce the rapid wing beats of flying insects, the powerful grasp of a crab’s claw, or the sound of a katydid—but the real story here is human muscle. From a close-up look at the performance of muscles themselves, how they are arranged in the body and how we make use of them, Vogel moves on to our extensions of them: first, simple hand tools such as levers, cranks, and axes; then devices for propelling our bodies over land and across water, for carrying loads, moving large objects, and clearing land. Analyzed by Vogel, the wheelbarrow reveals itself as a singularly ingenious device, as does the crosscut saw. The story of how we have put animal muscle to work for us, first to carry loads and then to pull them, takes Vogel into the workings of harnesses, hitches, and horseshoes, as well as comparisons of ox-power with horsepower. Following this is a well-illustrated capsule history of muscle-powered tools for killing and lastly an entertaining consideration of muscle as food: why horsemeat tastes sweeter than beef and why filet mignon is so tender.
The author’s interests seemingly know no bounds, and he takes the reader along with him on a complex, absorbing journey of exploration notable for its unexpected twists and turns. (100 line drawings)Pub Date: March 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-393-02126-2
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Norton
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An intriguing meditation on the nature of the universe and our attempts to understand it that should appeal to both...
Italian theoretical physicist Rovelli (General Relativity: The Most Beautiful of Theories, 2015, etc.) shares his thoughts on the broader scientific and philosophical implications of the great revolution that has taken place over the past century.
These seven lessons, which first appeared as articles in the Sunday supplement of the Italian newspaper Sole 24 Ore, are addressed to readers with little knowledge of physics. In less than 100 pages, the author, who teaches physics in both France and the United States, cogently covers the great accomplishments of the past and the open questions still baffling physicists today. In the first lesson, he focuses on Einstein's theory of general relativity. He describes Einstein's recognition that gravity "is not diffused through space [but] is that space itself" as "a stroke of pure genius." In the second lesson, Rovelli deals with the puzzling features of quantum physics that challenge our picture of reality. In the remaining sections, the author introduces the constant fluctuations of atoms, the granular nature of space, and more. "It is hardly surprising that there are more things in heaven and earth, dear reader, than have been dreamed of in our philosophy—or in our physics,” he writes. Rovelli also discusses the issues raised in loop quantum gravity, a theory that he co-developed. These issues lead to his extraordinary claim that the passage of time is not fundamental but rather derived from the granular nature of space. The author suggests that there have been two separate pathways throughout human history: mythology and the accumulation of knowledge through observation. He believes that scientists today share the same curiosity about nature exhibited by early man.
An intriguing meditation on the nature of the universe and our attempts to understand it that should appeal to both scientists and general readers.Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-399-18441-3
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Riverhead
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A magnificent account of a central reality of our times, incorporating deep scientific expertise, broad political and social knowledge, and ethical insight, and Idled with beautifully written biographical sketches of the men and women who created nuclear physics. Rhodes describes in detail the great scientific achievements that led up to the invention of the atomic bomb. Everything of importance is examined, from the discovery of the atomic nucleus and of nuclear fission to the emergence of quantum physics, the invention of the mass-spectroscope and of the cyclotron, the creation of such man-made elements as plutonium and tritium, and implementation of the nuclear chain reaction in uranium. Even more important, Rhodes shows how these achievements were thrust into the arms of the state, which culminated in the unfolding of the nuclear arms race. Often brilliantly, he records the rise of fascism and of anti-Semitism, and the intensification of nationalist ambitions. He traces the outbreak of WW II, which provoked a hysterical rivalry among nations to devise the bomb. This book contains a grim description of Japanese resistance, and of the horrible psychological numbing that caused an unparalleled tolerance for human suffering and destruction. Rhodes depicts the Faustian scale of the Manhattan Project. His account of the dropping of the bomb itself, and of the awful firebombing that prepared its way, is unforgettable. Although Rhodes' gallery of names and events is sometimes dizzying, his scientific discussions often daunting, he has written a book of great drama and sweep. A superb accomplishment.
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1986
ISBN: 0684813785
Page Count: 932
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1986
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