oregon scientific
The Invention of Air: A Story of Science, Faith, Revolution,
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Johnson, Steven, PUBLISHER: Riverhead Books, Bestselling author Steven Johnson recountsain dazzling, multidisciplinary fashionathe story of the brilliant man who embodied the relationship between science, religion, and politics for Americaas Founding Fathers. "The Invention of Air" is a book of world-changing ideas wrapped around a compelling narrative, a story of genius and violence and friendship in the midst of sweeping historical change that provokes us to recast our understanding of the Founding Fathers. It is the story of Joseph Priestleyascientist and theologian, protA(c)gA(c) of Benjamin Franklin, friend of Thomas Jeffersonaan eighteenth-century radical thinker who played pivotal roles in the invention of ecosystem science, the discovery of oxygen, the founding of the Unitarian Church, and the intellectual development of the United States. And it is a story that only Steven Johnson, acclaimed juggler of disciplines and provocative ideas, can do justice to. In the s, Priestley had established himself in his native England as a brilliant scientist, a prominent minister, and an outspoken advocate of the American Revolution, who had sustained long correspondences with Franklin, Jefferson, and John Adams. Ultimately, his radicalism made his life politically uncomfortable, and he fled to the nascent United States. Here, he was able to build conceptual bridges linking the scientific, political, and religious impulses that governed his life. And through his close relationships with the Founding FathersaJefferson credited Priestley as the man who prevented him from abandoning Christianityahe exerted profound if little-known influence on the shape and course of our history. As in his last bestselling work, "The Ghost Map," Steven Johnson here uses a dramatic historical story to explore themes that have long engaged him: innovation and the way new ideas emerge and spread, and the environments that foster these breakthroughs. And as he did in "Everything Bad Is Good for You," Johnson upsets some fundamental assumptions about the world we live inanamely, what it means when we invoke the Founding Fathersaand replaces them with a clear-eyed, eloquent assessment of where we stand today.
Inward Bound: Of Matter and Forces in the Physical World
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Pais, Abraham, PUBLISHER: Oxford University Press, USA, Abraham Pais's Subtle Is the Lord was a publishing phenomenon: a mathematically sophisticated exposition of the science and the life of Albert Einstein that reached a huge audience and won an American Book Award. Reviewers hailed the book as "a monument to sound scholarship and graceful style" (The New York Times Book Review), "an extraordinary biography of an extraordinary man" (Christian Science Monitor), and "a fine book" (Scientific American). In this groundbreaking new volume, Pais undertakes a history of the physics of matter and of physical forces since the discovery of x-rays. The book attempts to relate not only what has happened over the last hundred years but why it happened the way it did, what it was like for those scientists involved, and how what at the time may have seemed a series of bizarre or unrelated events, now with hindsight emerges as a logical sequence of events. Pais, a noted physicist, was personally involved in many of the developments he describes, and thus Inward Bound, like his earlier book, is filled with unique insights into the world of big and small physics. Between and , the period he covers, the smallest distances explored have shrunk a hundred millionfold, Pais notes. Along this incompletely traveled "road inward," scientists have established markers that later generations will rank among the principal monuments of the twentieth century. In alternating technical and nontechnical sections, this magisterial survey richly conveys what has been discovered about the constituents of matter, the laws to which they are subject, and the forces that act on them. But the advances have certainly not come smoothly. The book shows that these have been times of progress and stagnation, of order and chaos, of clarity and confusion, of belief and incredulity, of the conventional and the bizarre; also of revolutionaries and conservatives, of science by individuals and by consortia, of little gadgets and big machines, and of modest funds and big money. About the Author: Abraham Pais is Detlev W. Bronk Professor of Physics at the Rockefeller University. The author of the prizewinning biography of Einstein now undertakes a history of modern physics
Thomas Kuhn: A Philosophical History for Our Times
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Fuller, Steve, PUBLISHER: University of Chicago Press, Thomas Kuhn's "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" is one of the best known and most influential books of the twentieth century. Whether they adore or revile him, critics and fans alike have tended to agree on one thing: Kuhn's ideas were revolutionary. But were they? Steve Fuller argues that Kuhn actually held a profoundly conservative view of science and how one ought to study its history. Early on, Kuhn came under the influence of Harvard President James Bryant Conant (to whom "Structure" is dedicated), who had developed an educational program intended to help deflect Cold War unease over science's uncertain future by focusing on its illustrious past. Fuller argues that this rhetoric made its way into "Structure," which Fuller sees as preserving and reinforcing the old view that science really is just a steady accumulation of truths about the world (once "paradigm shifts" are resolved). Fuller suggests that Kuhn, deliberately or not, shared the tendency in Western culture to conceal possible negative effects of new knowledge from the general public. Because it insists on a difference between a history of science for scientists and one suited to historians, Fuller charges that "Structure" created the awkward divide that has led directly to the "Science Wars" and has stifled much innovative research. In conclusion, Fuller offers a way forward that rejects Kuhn's fixation on paradigms in favor of a conception of science as a social movement designed to empower society's traditionally disenfranchised elements. Certain to be controversial, "Thomas Kuhn" must be read by anyone who has adopted, challenged, or otherwise engaged with "The Structure of ScientificRevolutions." "Structure will never look quite the same again after Fuller. In that sense, he has achieved one of the main aims of his ambitious and impressively executed project."--Jon Turney, "Times Higher Education Supplement" "Philosophies like Kuhn's narrow the possible futures of inquiry by politically methodizing and taming them. More republican philosophies will leave the future open. Mr. Fuller has amply succeeded in his program of distinguishing the one from the other."--William R. Everdell, "Washington Times" Acquista Ora
On Bohemia
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Grana, Cesar / Graaa, Ca(c)Sar / Graaa, Marigay, PUBLISHER: Transaction Publishers, Bohemia has been variously defined as a mythical country, a state of mind, a tavern by the wayside on the road of life. The editors of this volume prefer a leaner definition: an attitude of dissent from the prevailing values of middle-class society, one dependent on the existence of caf life. But whatever definition is preferred, this rich and long overdue collective portrait of Bohemian life in a large variety of settings is certain to engage and even entrance readers of all types: from the student of culture to social researchers and literary figures n search of their ancestral roots. The work is international in scope and social scientific in conception. But because of the special nature of the Bohemian fascination, the volume is also graced by an unusually larger number of exquisite literary essays. Hence, one will find in this anthology writings by Malcolm Cowely, Norman Podhoretz, Norman Mailer, Theophile Gautier, Honore de Balzac, Mary Austin, Stefan Zweig, Nadine Gordimer, and Ernest Hemingway. Social scientists are well represented by Cesar Grana, Ephraim Mizruchi, W.I. Thomas, Florian Znaniecki, Harvey Zorbaugh, John R. Howard, and G. William Domhoff, among others. The volume is sectioned into major themes in the history of Bohemia: social and literary origins, testimony by the participants, analysis by critics of and crusaders for the bohemian life, the ideological characteristics of the bohemians, and the long term prospect as well as retrospect for bohemenianism as a system, culture and ideology. The editors have provided a framework for examining some fundamental themes in social structure and social deviance: What are the levels of toleration within a society? Do artists deserve and receive special treatment by the powers that be? And what are the connections between bohemian life-styles and political protest movements? This is an anthology and not a treatise, so the reader is free to pick and choose not only what to read, but what sort of general patterns are essential and which are transitional. This collection, initiated by the late Cesar Grana, has been completed and brought to fruition by his wife Marigay Grana. Cesar Grana was, prior to his death, professor of sociology at the University of California in San Diego. Among his major books is "Meaning and Authenticity," also available from Transaction. Marigay Grana was formerly an urban planner and designer in San Diego. She now is a free-lance editor living in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
The Horseman: A Travel Memoir
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Reitter, Bart, PUBLISHER: iUniverse.com, "Robert Louis Stevenson-who understood a thing or two about the selves we refuse to know-once said "I travel not to go anywhere, but to go." Surely it was the likelihood of an accident, the unparalleled joy of stumbling upon himself now and then, which Stevenson most cherished in the going. A bit like Stevenson, Bart Reitter is a man who revels in the great distance between here and there. His memoir The Horseman is a wonderful account of the selves forged and found during his travels across the first half of a lifetime-a heartfelt testament to the wisdom of refusing to stand still." --Professor Greg Col n Semenza, University of Connecticut "For those who have ever spent time on the road for a living this book will awaken memories-some fond, some downright scary. It's the diary of a young man plying his trade as he jets around the world while climbing the corporate ladder. Bart Reitter writes in exacting detail. A delightful read." --Thomas J. Gibbons Jr. Retired Staff Writer, Philadelphia Inquirer "The Horseman is an excellent story about one man's travels. The book drew me in and I found myself reading longer than I had allowed for. Reitter's enthusiasm for travel has rekindled my own excitement for the many business trips I have planned for this year." --Rich Dibernardo, President, Initech, LLC "Reading The Horseman brought back fond memories of my travels with Bart. I also have been infected with the travel bug and the cure is to get me on the next flight to anywhere." --John Lin, Senior Territory Sales Manager For author Bart Reitter, the journey is the destination. In this travelogue, he narrates his lifelong journey of discovery through travel. Written with stark clarity and emotional honesty, "The Horseman" begins with a six-year-old boy's first joyful trip to Disney World and concludes with a -mile circumnavigation of the globe. Compiled from journals kept while traveling the world and interwoven with personal reflection and unique historical perspective, "The Horseman" voyages through the joys and frustration of global travel as well as the introspection aimed at understanding life's meaning. It presents an emotional, scientific, funny, and irreverent window into Reitter's mind as he seeks to understand the insatiable wanderlust that drives him forward. From the eastern United States to Singapore, and from the streets of Paris to the jungles of Thailand, Reitter communicates a unique point of view of life on the road that pictures rarely tell. From the euphoria of successful business deals to the loneliness of sterile hotel rooms, the story is never boring. In the end, with the help of his daughters, he discovers the best journey of all is the journey home.
The Comet Hale-Bopp Book: Guide to an Awe-Inspiring Visitor
ISBN: , SKU: , AUTHOR: Hockey, Thomas A. / Bopp, Thomas, PUBLISHER: ATL Press, A fascinating introduction to the recently discovered Comet Hale-Bopp that will soon burst onto the celestial scene. The comet will be one of the most-studied and perhaps brightest. It arrives on the heels of other recent comets in the "year of the comet". Hockey's book fills the long-standing demand for a guidebook that helps everyone gripped by "comet-fever" appreciate this spectacular event. It is written in a lucid style for a non-technical readership. Biographical details and first-person quotes from Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp, among others, humanize the science behind the comet and capture the "feel" of what could well-be the astronomical event of the decade. The book provides the reader with charts and tables to locate and observe the comet. Hockey tells the story of the comet's discovery, astronomer's reaction to it, and their preparation for its arrival. It also discusses other famous comets, including Comet Halley, Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 and Comet Hyakutake, and their significance. "This is a well-written account of everything you need to know to enjoy Comet Hale-Bopp. The level of writing is most appropriate for young teens, but their parents will pick it up and learn a great deal as well. I was particularly impressed with how well the author handles scientific concepts for this audience. They are deftly woven into the text, and should inspire young readers to see science as an exciting process, not a collection of factoids". Dr. Catharine Garmany, University of Colorado, Boulder, Chair, Education Advisory Board, American Astronomical Society "It is refreshing... to see this authoritative little book... The book is especially suitable for younger readers, observers, andamateur astronomers. The profuse photo illustrations include not only some of the better NASA and large-telescope images of comets, asteroids, and craters, but also shots of current science personalities, including the discoverers; Hale and Bopp. All in all, the book gives an easy introduction to why scientists and naturalists are excited about the approach of a new, major comet... Perhaps the most inspiring chapters for many readers will be the last two, which detail how and where to watch for the comet, the role of amateurs in comet studies, and how to understand and use small telescopes... I recommend it for younger readers and applaud the author... for introducing a whole new generation of readers to their own personal comet and hence to the wonders of the universe around us". Dr. William K. Hartmann, Planetary Science Institute, Tucson, Author of "Astronomy: the Cosmic Journey" and "Moons and Planets", co-author of "The Modern Theory for the Origin of the Moon", Mariner 9 space-probe imaging team co-investigator, Space Artist "Hockey has the first-time astronomical observer clearly in his sights...young astronomers will enjoy Hockey. "John Hughes, Sky and Telescope, Februa