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Rheological phenomena in focus
Book reviews Flattening the Earth. By John P. Snyder. Pp. 365. University of Chicago Press. 1993. US $45.00 ISBN 0 226 76746 9. For generations of geography undergraduates the study of map projections was tolerated as a necessary evil and for many members of the general public the subject is regarded as an esoteric escapade best avoided. This outstanding book goes a long way to redress these fearful emotions by providing a human face to a scientific body. The volume is structured chronologically, the chapters lengthening with the passage of time to the present. The sub-title ‘Two Thousand years of Map Projections’ is truly apposite, since the study begins with the emergence of projections from Classical times through to the Renaissance, followed by the developments in the age of the mathematical enlightenment 1670-1799, and then by the unprecedented developments in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. A most attractive feature is the way in which the author has overcome any sense of discontinuity in such a time series by opening each chapter after the first with the new century’s use of the earlier projections before dealing with the innovative material. A further delight is the care given to provide a developmental approach whereby modifications and enhancements and, indeed, plagiarisms are given clear expositions, so much so that even readers familiar with the subject may be startled at some of the traced antecedents, the ‘derivatives of a derivative’. They will also be fascinated by the sheer amount of detail - historical, personal, and mathematical - not forgetting the numerous computer&d outline reconstructions to be found between these substantially-bound covers. This must be.the most comprehensive historical treatise on ‘Flattening the Earth’, covering the whole international scene, to appear in English and one which is unlikely to be equalled for some time to come. William Ravenhill
Rheological Phenomena in Focus. By D.V. Boger and K. Walters. Pp. 156. Elsevier, Oxford. 7993. US $126.50 ISBN 0 444 69473 X. Our daily life has accustomed us to the behaviour of such common fluids as water and air and possibly more viscous ones such as honey. We generally know what to expect in flows for which Newton was the first to suggest a mathematical model. Still, rheologists have discovered that many fluids, under appropriate flow conditions, behave in the most unexpected way, caused by their non-linear behaviour and the memory of past deformation. In a little more than 1.50pages, the authors have gathered together a collection of the most striking photographs of ‘non-Newtonian behaviour’ published over the last 30 years. Die swell, vortex generation, jet break-up, and bubble Endeavour, New Ssrles, Etsevler Sclencs Ltd. Prlnted In Gnat Brltaln. Pergsmon
Volume
18, No. 2, lg94.
deformation are just a few examples of exciting phenomena many of which, in this era of highenergy physics, have eluded the predictions of mathematical models. The emphasis of the book is on figures preceded by a concise and pleasant text, while the reader will find ample reference to original papers. This beautiful volume will be highly appreciated by trained rheologists and students as a constant source of inspiration; the layman will be delighted to penetrate the nonlinear world of fluids and to discover its surprises. M. .I. Crochet
Handbook of Logic in Artificial Intelligence and Logic Programming. Volume 1 Logical Foundations. Edited by Dov M. Gabbay, C.J. Hogger and J.A. Robinson. Pp. 516. Oxford Science Publications. 1993. f60 ISBN 019 653 745 X. This is the first book of a planned six-volume series which, together with its companion sixvolume series on Logic in Computer Science, has the aim of providing authoritative exposition, comprehensive survey, and fundamental research on the underlying unifying themes of logic in computer science and AI. This first volume of the AI handbooks holds great promise for the series as a whole. It is a mature and considered collection that will provide the serious researcher in AI with both an excellent long-term reference work and a stimulating initial read. Topics covered include: the role of logic in AI, first order logic, deductive calculi, resolution systems, equational reasoning and term rewriting systems, basic modal logic, and a chapter on logical features of Horn clauses. Each chapter is written by different authors, but the book has a unity that shows careful planning and editing. The book succeeds admirably in its aims, and should contribute to the fulfilment of the sequence of events that its lead editor, Dov M. Gabbay, hopes will occur - namely that: ‘current logic will interact with AI and computer science, and it will be forced to evolve into its next evolutionary stage, and the new logic will do wonders for AI and computing’. C. M. Elsrob
A View of the Universe. By David Ma/in. Pp. 266. Cambridge University Press. 1993. f24.95 ISBN 0 521 44477 2. This book contains some hitherto unpublished photographs of stars, nebulae, and galaxies taken by its author, Dr David Malin, who seems most surely to have established himself as the world’s leading astronomical photographer. Beginning with a brief autobiographical sketch, the text goes on to explain for the general reader all the objects illustrated. These are mostly in colour, taken using either colour film or three colour-filtered monochrome pictures, and making use of unsharp masking, photographic amplification, image addition, and subtraction; all techniques taken by Malin to new limits for astronomical research.
The results are not only visually outstanding, but have led to new discoveries by rendering visible previously invisible evidence. A book of this kind needs fine printing and reproduction; this has been achieved with outstanding success. In addition, Malin has very usefully included photographic information on all the pictures reproduced, together with bibliographic references to technical papers on the techniques he has devised. In consequence, the book will not only appeal to the widest general readership but to astronomers - both professional and amateur. In fact, one cannot imagine a serious astronomical library, private or institutional, being without it. Colin Ronan
Resources of Near-Earth Space. Edited by J. Lewis, MS. Matthews and M.L. Guerrieri. Pp. 977. University of Arizona Press. 7993. US $75.00 ISBN 0 6165 1404 6. The latest of the University of Arizona Press ‘bibles’ on Solar System topics has fewer pages than the recent enormous volumes on Mars and the Sun, but is still of formidable length; it contains the contributions of no less than 86 authors. Like its forerunners, it represents the latest, if not the last, word on its topic, is meticulously edited and beautifully produced, and is absolutely indispensable to anyone with an interest in the subject. Most of the chapters are about the geological and logistical possibilities for extracting valuable minerals, water, and fuel from the surface materials on the Moon and Mars. The near-earth asteroids and comets are covered too, but account for only about 20% of the book. The highlight is the last chapter, which reunites the legendary team of Pollack and Sagan to consider the possibilities for planetary engineering on the grand scale; what science fiction writers sometimes call ‘terraforming’. This fascinating topic has enormous value at dinner parties, and reminds us that our own planet is a machine which needs running repairs. The book ends with a plea for the replanting of trees on 25 million hectares of our wounded planet’s surface. Amen. F. W. Taylor
The Refrigerator and the Universe Understanding the Laws of Energy. By Martin and lnge Goldstein. Pp. 433. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts. The authors’ ambition is huge - a popular text on energy and thermodynamics including entropy, power stations, osmotic properties of urinary systems, geological timeframes, tensions between evolution and calculations of the age of the Earth, supernova and cosmic black holes, the greenhouse effect, and within all this the personalities of the never ending giants of research - Newton, Maxwell, Kelvin, Gibbs, Einstein, Hawking, and so many others.
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Rheological Phenomena in Focus. By D.V. Boger and K. Walters. Pp. 156. Elsevier, Oxford. 7993. US $126.50 ISBN 0 444 69473 X. Our daily life has accustomed us to the behaviour of such common fluids as water and air and possibly more viscous ones such as honey. We generally know what to expect in flows for which Newton was the first to suggest a mathematical model. Still, rheologists have discovered that many fluids, under appropriate flow conditions, behave in the most unexpected way, caused by their non-linear behaviour and the memory of past deformation. In a little more than 1.50pages, the authors have gathered together a collection of the most striking photographs of ‘non-Newtonian behaviour’ published over the last 30 years. Die swell, vortex generation, jet break-up, and bubble Endeavour, New Ssrles, Etsevler Sclencs Ltd. Prlnted In Gnat Brltaln. Pergsmon
Volume
18, No. 2, lg94.
deformation are just a few examples of exciting phenomena many of which, in this era of highenergy physics, have eluded the predictions of mathematical models. The emphasis of the book is on figures preceded by a concise and pleasant text, while the reader will find ample reference to original papers. This beautiful volume will be highly appreciated by trained rheologists and students as a constant source of inspiration; the layman will be delighted to penetrate the nonlinear world of fluids and to discover its surprises. M. .I. Crochet
Handbook of Logic in Artificial Intelligence and Logic Programming. Volume 1 Logical Foundations. Edited by Dov M. Gabbay, C.J. Hogger and J.A. Robinson. Pp. 516. Oxford Science Publications. 1993. f60 ISBN 019 653 745 X. This is the first book of a planned six-volume series which, together with its companion sixvolume series on Logic in Computer Science, has the aim of providing authoritative exposition, comprehensive survey, and fundamental research on the underlying unifying themes of logic in computer science and AI. This first volume of the AI handbooks holds great promise for the series as a whole. It is a mature and considered collection that will provide the serious researcher in AI with both an excellent long-term reference work and a stimulating initial read. Topics covered include: the role of logic in AI, first order logic, deductive calculi, resolution systems, equational reasoning and term rewriting systems, basic modal logic, and a chapter on logical features of Horn clauses. Each chapter is written by different authors, but the book has a unity that shows careful planning and editing. The book succeeds admirably in its aims, and should contribute to the fulfilment of the sequence of events that its lead editor, Dov M. Gabbay, hopes will occur - namely that: ‘current logic will interact with AI and computer science, and it will be forced to evolve into its next evolutionary stage, and the new logic will do wonders for AI and computing’. C. M. Elsrob
A View of the Universe. By David Ma/in. Pp. 266. Cambridge University Press. 1993. f24.95 ISBN 0 521 44477 2. This book contains some hitherto unpublished photographs of stars, nebulae, and galaxies taken by its author, Dr David Malin, who seems most surely to have established himself as the world’s leading astronomical photographer. Beginning with a brief autobiographical sketch, the text goes on to explain for the general reader all the objects illustrated. These are mostly in colour, taken using either colour film or three colour-filtered monochrome pictures, and making use of unsharp masking, photographic amplification, image addition, and subtraction; all techniques taken by Malin to new limits for astronomical research.
The results are not only visually outstanding, but have led to new discoveries by rendering visible previously invisible evidence. A book of this kind needs fine printing and reproduction; this has been achieved with outstanding success. In addition, Malin has very usefully included photographic information on all the pictures reproduced, together with bibliographic references to technical papers on the techniques he has devised. In consequence, the book will not only appeal to the widest general readership but to astronomers - both professional and amateur. In fact, one cannot imagine a serious astronomical library, private or institutional, being without it. Colin Ronan
Resources of Near-Earth Space. Edited by J. Lewis, MS. Matthews and M.L. Guerrieri. Pp. 977. University of Arizona Press. 7993. US $75.00 ISBN 0 6165 1404 6. The latest of the University of Arizona Press ‘bibles’ on Solar System topics has fewer pages than the recent enormous volumes on Mars and the Sun, but is still of formidable length; it contains the contributions of no less than 86 authors. Like its forerunners, it represents the latest, if not the last, word on its topic, is meticulously edited and beautifully produced, and is absolutely indispensable to anyone with an interest in the subject. Most of the chapters are about the geological and logistical possibilities for extracting valuable minerals, water, and fuel from the surface materials on the Moon and Mars. The near-earth asteroids and comets are covered too, but account for only about 20% of the book. The highlight is the last chapter, which reunites the legendary team of Pollack and Sagan to consider the possibilities for planetary engineering on the grand scale; what science fiction writers sometimes call ‘terraforming’. This fascinating topic has enormous value at dinner parties, and reminds us that our own planet is a machine which needs running repairs. The book ends with a plea for the replanting of trees on 25 million hectares of our wounded planet’s surface. Amen. F. W. Taylor
The Refrigerator and the Universe Understanding the Laws of Energy. By Martin and lnge Goldstein. Pp. 433. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts. The authors’ ambition is huge - a popular text on energy and thermodynamics including entropy, power stations, osmotic properties of urinary systems, geological timeframes, tensions between evolution and calculations of the age of the Earth, supernova and cosmic black holes, the greenhouse effect, and within all this the personalities of the never ending giants of research - Newton, Maxwell, Kelvin, Gibbs, Einstein, Hawking, and so many others.
85