I was Googling for “How to Teach Physics to Your Dog” last night, to check whether a review of said book that I know is coming has been posted yet (side question: Does anybody know a good way to exclude the umpty-zillion versions of Amazon and other sellers from this sort of search? Most of… Continue reading Great Moments in Vanity Searching -or- The Hotness of Physics
Category: Science Books
Why Every Dog Should Love Quantum Physics 4: Lasers
How to Teach Physics to Your Dog is now listed as “In Stock” at Amazon, so it’s the perfect time to order a dozen or so copies for your last-minute holiday gift needs. “But, wait,” you say, “why do I want to teach my dog physics? Particularly quantum physics– why does anyone need to know… Continue reading Why Every Dog Should Love Quantum Physics 4: Lasers
Quantum Zeno Effect: The Movie
It’s exactly one week to the release date for How to Teach Physics to Your Dog, and to celebrate, I’m setting off on an expedition to the local mall(s) in search of Christmas presents. May God have mercy on my soul… Anyway, I wouldn’t want you to be without entertainment while I’m off helping the… Continue reading Quantum Zeno Effect: The Movie
Best Books, With Bonus Irony
Like every other media outlet, Slate has a Best Books of 2009 list, in this case featuring one book chosen by each of their 22 editors. Editor in chief Jacob Weisberg chose Richard Holmes’s The Age of Wonder, and writes: If, like me, you didn’t study much science after high school, this absorbing narrative will… Continue reading Best Books, With Bonus Irony
More Early Reviews of How to Teach Physics to Your Dog
The official release date for How to Teach Physics to Your Dog is three weeks from tomorrow, but a couple of new reviews have been posted, one linkable, the other not so much. The linkable one is from one of our contest winners, Eric Goebelbecker, at Dog Spelled Forward (an excellent name for a dog-related… Continue reading More Early Reviews of How to Teach Physics to Your Dog
Science: Notable at Last
The New York Times list of “Notable Books for 2009” has been released, which means it’s time for my annual rant about how they’ve slighted science books. So, how did they do this year? Here are the science books on this year’s list: The Age of Entanglement: When Quantum Physics Was Reborn By LOUISA GILDER… Continue reading Science: Notable at Last
Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz
I’ve gradually gotten used to the idea that as a semi-pro blogger, I will occasionally be sent review copies of books I’ve never heard of. These are generally physics books, and I have a stack of them sitting next to the bed at the moment, not being read nearly fast enough. It’s only recently that… Continue reading Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz
Don’t Be Such a Scientist by Randy Olson
This book is, in some ways, a complement to Unscientific America. Subtitled “Talking Substance in an Age of Style,” this is a book talking about what scientists need to do to improve the communication of science to the general public. This is not likely to make as big a splash in blogdom as Unscientific America,… Continue reading Don’t Be Such a Scientist by Randy Olson
The Strangest Man by Graham Farmelo
There has been a fair amount of discussion of Graham Farmelo’s The Strangest Man: The Hidden Life of Paul Dirac, Mystic of the Atom— Peter Woit reviewed it on his blog, the New York Times reviewed it a couple of Sundays ago, Barnes and Noble’s online review did a piece on it, etc.. Nearly all… Continue reading The Strangest Man by Graham Farmelo
Early Review of How to Teach Physics to Your Dog
One of the photo caption contest winners, Nick O’Neill, has finished his galley proof, and posted an early review of How to Teach Physics to Your Dog: Casual physics intro books are quite possibly the hardest subgenre of physics books to write. Textbooks and further upper-level reading have expectations both of what you already know… Continue reading Early Review of How to Teach Physics to Your Dog