Book suggestions

[Metathron]

In regards to science being accesible to layman,

Is Hawking's "A Brief History of the Universe" worth reading? I'm guessing that you've read it Corribus.

Being a science dilettante (at best), I decided to give it a shot in pursuit of self-enlightenment. Even though the author uses a user-friendly approach, I felt a tad befuddled at times. All in all, however, I consider it a largely satisfactory read.

[Justice]

Most of mine favorite are allready mentioned.
But Animal Fram and all books by Jan Guillou are pretty good.- Ofcourse I haven't read Guiloou's hunting book

[vicheron]

I suggest Stephen Colbert’s Alpha Squad 7: Lady Nocturne: A Tek Jansen Adventure, but only if you have the balls.

I also suggest 20,000 Leagues Under the Seas: The Hunt for Red October, Captain Ahab's Revenge, the best sequel ever written and the best part: cyborg pirate ninjas with lasers.

I, Mr. Roboto is also a good book, it’s about a dystopian future where rock and or roll are suppressed by the all powerful Dr. Righteous and it details the amazing journey of Robert Orin Charles Kilroy.

[Corribus]

Is Hawking's "A Brief History of the Universe" worth reading? I'm guessing that you've read it Corribus.

Ironically enough, I have not yet read it. There is another book on a similar topic that I can, however, recommend, and it is called "Black Holes and Timewarps: Einstein's Outrageous Legacy" by Kip Thorne. I'm not sure if it is still in print, though.

[DaemianLucifer]

Is Hawking's "A Brief History of the Universe" worth reading? I'm guessing that you've read it Corribus.

Its a nice read.But it does come a bit confusing at times,even though its written in the simplest way possible.Some things just arent meant to be simplified.

[Genesis]

How about The Naked Sun by Isaac Asimov. Now THAT'S a good book.

[Cunning Death]

Is Hawking's "A Brief History of the Universe" worth reading?

Maybe you could try The Universe in a Nutshell, also from Hawking
(even if you don't read it, you can still have a look at the pictures... )

[Derek]

Is Hawking's "A Brief History of the Universe" worth reading?

Maybe you could try The Universe in a Nutshell, also from Hawking
(even if you don't read it, you can still have a look at the pictures... )

I assume that that book is also accesible to the layman, because the minute some crazy physics jargon is thrown my way, well, I just might explode.

[Cunning Death]

Is Hawking's "A Brief History of the Universe" worth reading?

Maybe you could try The Universe in a Nutshell, also from Hawking
(even if you don't read it, you can still have a look at the pictures... )

I assume that that book is also accesible to the layman, because the minute some crazy physics jargon is thrown my way, well, I just might explode.

Well, I wouldn't suggest that kind of physics book for anyone it's actually written for ppl not deeply involved in physics, it hasn't odd mathematical formulae (short: popular science book)
It's a very good book imho (I read it in the high school), with superb illustrations, I don't think you would explode reading it
(common mortals never experience the real meaning of advanced math you have to experience the pure triviality of most complex and abstract maths sooo many times during the years )

[Gaidal Cain]

(common mortals never experience the real meaning of advanced math you have to experience the pure triviality of most complex and abstract maths sooo many times during the years )

Complex math, trivial? Complex Analysis gets you really odd results in ways that are about as far from trivial as you can get. The infamous "sum of all positive integers" things is based on complex analysis, for example.

[darussiaman]

Wow, I'd think someone would mention this by now (I was under impression it's kinda popular, but who knows):

The Earthsea series (4 books) by Ursula K. LeGuin.

It's quite short, but pretty powerful imo. Each book is only like 100-ish pages, so all of u should consider it, since u could get through it in a breeze. Except for the 4th one -- that one's like 2x or 3x as long as any of the others (But still, that's nothing to an avid reader heh). The first 3 are about Ged's adventures as a wizard and the 4th is ... well it has Ged in it but it's different; it's not at all like the first 3. The fourth one is rather strange, actually. But I don't mean that in a negative way, I mean that it's intriguingly strange. All of them are good. They're fantasy, of course. Great reading! Remains strongly in my memory.

--

Another fantasy I want to mention, which fits with this thread starter's intent of introducing somewhat obscure titles:

The Dragon Nimbus books 1-4 and the Dragon Nimbus History books 1-3 by Irene Radford.

These books have quite a few different characters with separate stories tying together into one pretty intricate (and fairly big) overall plot. Also has a pretty original "mechanics" of magic. That is, how magic works in the author's world, how magic users draw and wield their power, etc. is pretty creative.

--

Out of my 2 recommendations above, I'd say go for Ursula LeGuin first.

[Cunning Death]

(common mortals never experience the real meaning of advanced math you have to experience the pure triviality of most complex and abstract maths sooo many times during the years )

Complex math, trivial? Complex Analysis gets you really odd results in ways that are about as far from trivial as you can get. The infamous "sum of all positive integers" things is based on complex analysis, for example.

well I meant complex for complexity. And some parts of must get trivial for, it's essential for your survival
I'm not a mathematician myself, I'm just studying physics. It's my experience, that even the complicated things in math must be shifting to trivial, you're dead otherwise. In introductionary books calculus is explained like 1+1, and now the functional analysis is treated merely trivial, differential geometry and Lie-groups are just common everyday things. In high school you just didn't see this hierachy of difficulty This is of course no problem for a mathematician

ed. it took quiet a while to find this "sum of all positive integers" thingo...
yes, the Riemann zeta function is a bit odd, but it's just like the gamma function imho, I mean, 0,5! having a meaning?? nonsense

[DaemianLucifer]

well I meant complex for complexity. And some parts of must get trivial for, it's essential for your survival
I'm not a mathematician myself, I'm just studying physics. It's my experience, that even the complicated things in math must be shifting to trivial, you're dead otherwise. In introductionary books calculus is explained like 1+1, and now the functional analysis is treated merely trivial, differential geometry and Lie-groups are just common everyday things. In high school you just didn't see this hierachy of difficulty This is of course no problem for a mathematician

You know the 1+1=2 seems trivial to you,but I dare you to prove it.Thats one thing Im happy I dont have to do anymore.Proving some trivial things like multiiplication,1+2=3,etc,is very,very complex.

[asandir]

indeed it is, but i use the 1 apple, grab another and i have two apples theory

[Cunning Death]

You know the 1+1=2 seems trivial to you,but I dare you to prove it.Thats one thing Im happy I dont have to do anymore.Proving some trivial things like multiiplication,1+2=3,etc,is very,very complex.

Well that's for mathematicians their job is to prove things.
My job is to (ab)use them
Just open up Landau and Lifshitz Course of Theoretical Physics. They're not bothering with all the proofs (sadly there's still some remaining ) cos it's physics, not maths.

ed. we could return to the discussion of less scientific books, like Harry Potter

[Gaidal Cain]

In introductionary books calculus is explained like 1+1, and now the functional analysis is treated merely trivial, differential geometry and Lie-groups are just common everyday things. In high school you just didn't see this hierachy of difficulty This is of course no problem for a mathematician

My eductaion is uspposed to be about one third maths, one third Physics, and one thrid Engineering, though I find that it's more like half maths, half physics, and one third engineering

ed. it took quiet a while to find this "sum of all positive integers" thingo...
yes, the Riemann zeta function is a bit odd, but it's just like the gamma function imho, I mean, 0,5! having a meaning?? nonsense

It's not so much the fact that the zeta function is odd, it's that the result is actually used in physics that I find so intriguing

[ThunderTitan]

My eductaion is uspposed to be about one third maths, one third Physics, and one thrid Engineering, though I find that it's more like half maths, half physics, and one third engineering

And no part spelling.

You know the 1+1=2 seems trivial to you,but I dare you to prove it.

You take one stick....

[Corribus]

It's not so much the fact that the zeta function is odd, it's that the result is actually used in physics that I find so intriguing

Maybe you should reset your own post-count, GC, for continuing to post such off-topic material.

[DaemianLucifer]

Maybe you should reset your own post-count, GC, for continuing to post such off-topic material.

Yeah,you spammer you

indeed it is, but i use the 1 apple, grab another and i have two apples theory

What applies to one doesnt have to aply to a whole.So it is posible that once youll have just one stick,or three when you have one and take one.You have to prove that youll always have two.Dumb

[Caradoc]

At the risk of returning to the original topic, you mathematicians would probably enjoy two anthologies by Clifton Fadiman: Fantasia Mathematica and the Mathematical Magpie. Both include a number of math-based short stories and diversions.