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Symmetry. Unifying human understanding
unskilled and semi-skilled work will continue to decline. Service employment cannot fill the whole gap, even if allowance is made for a changed balance between public and private provision, including an expanded do-it-yourself sector. The authors’ conclusion is that increased public expenditure on services is inevitable, while acknowledging dangers of inflation. Yet they point to the limited inroad on the unemployment problem that even Labour party proposals in Britain would achieve. The Scottish community, Cauldmoss, provides a graphic record of the contradictions of attitudes, values, and effective action in a locality previously dependent on older industry that has now closed. The irrelevance of widely held panaceas is exposed. Rejecting both conventional economic growth and technological innovation as solutions, Part 2 concentrates on the key issue of redistribution of employment and income. Unfortunately the very evidence and argument deployed with such commendable rigour in Part 1 undermines the radical approach to wages and their relationship to jobs that is central to their aim of employing as many as possible on a conventional basis. Have the authors not realised the scale, impact, and acceptability of alternative work patterns that already operates? This is an excellent, thorough, objective study, so much so that it puts its author’s solutions open to rigorous criticism. Their realism and rigour warrant a wide audience, however unpalatable their conclusions. R. E. Thomas
Symmetry. Unifying Human Understanding. Edited by lstvan Hargittai. Pp. 1045. Pergamon Press, Oxford and New York. 7986. $115.00 (f76.50)
Perhaps this book should have been subtitled ‘an asymmetrical look at symmetry’. I can find no apparent structure in the order of chapters, but that is one of the few negative comments I have to make. The book itself is a goldmine of ideas, insight, and intuition. Physical Sciences, Earth Sciences, Biological Sciences, Mathematics and Computing as well as the Arts are all very well represented. There is something for everyone, whatever their background and expertise. Although I do not agree with every interpretation and application of symmetry given in this book, the excitement and enthusiasm of each of the authors and the message that ‘ideas’ are inexorably linked to symmetry comes over loud and clear. The editor is to be congratulated on his choice of contributors. There is an atmosphere of proselytising, and a conviction that the study of symmetry is going to have an enormous and profound impact on future human experience. I remain sceptical about the possibility of unifying Science and the Arts under this banner of symmetry, but I can say unreservedly that this book has clarified my philosophical understanding of symmetry and it has introduced me to unusual interpretations of shape and pattern. It has affected my attitude and approach to the concept, and it has always given me a number of ideas for future research projects. This is a quite exceptional book! Ian 0. Angel1
The Cambridge Photographic Atlas of the Planets. By G. A. Briggs and F. W. Taylor. Pp. 256. Cambridge University Press. 1986. Paperback f7.95 ($14.95)
When the first edition of this Atlas appeared in 1982 I was struck by two things: the very high standard of reproduction of the maps and spacecraft images (a substantial fraction of the latter in colour), and the extremely informative texts that introduced the book as a whole and guided the reader through sections dealing with each planet (and its satellites) that had then been visited by planetary probes. Both aspects of the quality of the original have been maintained in this topical update, which uses the recent Voyager II data to extend the coverage out to Uranus. Inevitably, the short time since the Voyager fly-by means that only a few images, and no actual maps, of the Uranus satellites are included, but this detracts little from the impact. Written in a concise but lucid style that makes its contents accessible to a wide spectrum of readers, the book forms a particularly good introduction to planetary science at the undergraduate level. The availability of the new paperback edition means that the Atlas is even better value for money than before. L. Wilson
106
Templets and the Explanation Complex Patterns. By Michael Pp. 127. Cambridge University 1986. f 13.95 ($29.95)
of ./, Katz. Press.
‘How can a scientist make sense of very complex sytstems? What logical abstractions can he use to dissect phenomena that cannot easily be reduced to simple parts?’ These are Katz’s opening sentences on scientific abstractions, complex patterns, and scientific explanations. Abstractions are ‘pocket models’ of the world, ones that we can carry about with us, and an abstraction is useful to a scientist in so far as there are certain relations between it and its own internal relations and the real world phenomena it is attempting to explain. Katz’s initial illustration is of a ‘stick figure’ with stick hands, stick head, etc, and the corresponding figure of interest in the biological world, the human figure with hands, head, etc. The human figure is completed by observing the relations between the parts: two parts are adjacent if and only if they are physically connected to each other. A priori, in the initial abstraction of the ‘stick figure’ all ‘stick’ parts could be made adjacent to each other. A transformation from these adjacenties to those of the human figure is an explanation of the latter. A formalization of
these ideas in terms of binary matrices and logical addition is Katz’s description of scientific explanation. Local precursor abstractions are the intial abstractions with templets being the transformations from these to the final abstractions. Katz outlines his ideas in chapters 2 and 3 and details are added in later chapters. The thesis is certainly interesting and the style is charming - if not disarming at times! R. R. Laxton Integrated Circuits and Microprocessors. By I?. C. Holland. Pp. 235. Pergamon Press, Oxford. 1986. Flexicover $14.50.
In just 200 pages R. C. Holland has managed to create a text that will take the reader from knowing little about integrated circuits to being aware of the sophisticated techniques used in building of a microprocessor system. It is a very good idea to include within one cover the fundamentals of the circuits that underlie digital logic as well as their inter-connection into microprocessor systems. The glossary gives a very useful reference for any reader unfamiliar with or uncertain of the terminology. The use of TTL circuits to illustrate digital principles is perhaps a little dated but unless the reader actually wants to build and experiment with the circuits then ITL is as good as CMOS for the elementary examples. The layout of the book is very clear and copious diagrams and figures help the understanding, and clarify the narrative. The order of material presentation is ideal and the section on analogue devices very useful since many applications of digital computers do fall into the analogue domain: most texts on microprocessors completely omit analogue circuitry. Overall, the text fills a void that exists in the area of presenting introductory material on modern electronic circuitry. R. S. Ferguson Semiconductor Physics. Edited by A. M. Stoneham. Pp. 168. Adam Hilger, Bristol, 1986. Paperback f9.95.
This is the first in a series of books bringing together collections of critical reviews, each in a specific area. All the articles have already been published in the Journal of Physics C (Solid State Physics) so the success of such a series must depend critically not only upon the quality and importance of the reviews used but also upon the rapidity of development of the topics discussed. After all, they are describing the situation as it stood in 1983. All but one of the five articles in the present collection deal with the study of defects in semiconductors with articles on theory, radiation-induced defects, transition metal impurities, and the oxygen donor. The exception is the first by Catlow and Stoneham on ionicity which, although excellent, does not sit easily with the rest. The remaining articles are well written and together give a good overview of the subject
Symmetry. Unifying Human Understanding. Edited by lstvan Hargittai. Pp. 1045. Pergamon Press, Oxford and New York. 7986. $115.00 (f76.50)
Perhaps this book should have been subtitled ‘an asymmetrical look at symmetry’. I can find no apparent structure in the order of chapters, but that is one of the few negative comments I have to make. The book itself is a goldmine of ideas, insight, and intuition. Physical Sciences, Earth Sciences, Biological Sciences, Mathematics and Computing as well as the Arts are all very well represented. There is something for everyone, whatever their background and expertise. Although I do not agree with every interpretation and application of symmetry given in this book, the excitement and enthusiasm of each of the authors and the message that ‘ideas’ are inexorably linked to symmetry comes over loud and clear. The editor is to be congratulated on his choice of contributors. There is an atmosphere of proselytising, and a conviction that the study of symmetry is going to have an enormous and profound impact on future human experience. I remain sceptical about the possibility of unifying Science and the Arts under this banner of symmetry, but I can say unreservedly that this book has clarified my philosophical understanding of symmetry and it has introduced me to unusual interpretations of shape and pattern. It has affected my attitude and approach to the concept, and it has always given me a number of ideas for future research projects. This is a quite exceptional book! Ian 0. Angel1
The Cambridge Photographic Atlas of the Planets. By G. A. Briggs and F. W. Taylor. Pp. 256. Cambridge University Press. 1986. Paperback f7.95 ($14.95)
When the first edition of this Atlas appeared in 1982 I was struck by two things: the very high standard of reproduction of the maps and spacecraft images (a substantial fraction of the latter in colour), and the extremely informative texts that introduced the book as a whole and guided the reader through sections dealing with each planet (and its satellites) that had then been visited by planetary probes. Both aspects of the quality of the original have been maintained in this topical update, which uses the recent Voyager II data to extend the coverage out to Uranus. Inevitably, the short time since the Voyager fly-by means that only a few images, and no actual maps, of the Uranus satellites are included, but this detracts little from the impact. Written in a concise but lucid style that makes its contents accessible to a wide spectrum of readers, the book forms a particularly good introduction to planetary science at the undergraduate level. The availability of the new paperback edition means that the Atlas is even better value for money than before. L. Wilson
106
Templets and the Explanation Complex Patterns. By Michael Pp. 127. Cambridge University 1986. f 13.95 ($29.95)
of ./, Katz. Press.
‘How can a scientist make sense of very complex sytstems? What logical abstractions can he use to dissect phenomena that cannot easily be reduced to simple parts?’ These are Katz’s opening sentences on scientific abstractions, complex patterns, and scientific explanations. Abstractions are ‘pocket models’ of the world, ones that we can carry about with us, and an abstraction is useful to a scientist in so far as there are certain relations between it and its own internal relations and the real world phenomena it is attempting to explain. Katz’s initial illustration is of a ‘stick figure’ with stick hands, stick head, etc, and the corresponding figure of interest in the biological world, the human figure with hands, head, etc. The human figure is completed by observing the relations between the parts: two parts are adjacent if and only if they are physically connected to each other. A priori, in the initial abstraction of the ‘stick figure’ all ‘stick’ parts could be made adjacent to each other. A transformation from these adjacenties to those of the human figure is an explanation of the latter. A formalization of
these ideas in terms of binary matrices and logical addition is Katz’s description of scientific explanation. Local precursor abstractions are the intial abstractions with templets being the transformations from these to the final abstractions. Katz outlines his ideas in chapters 2 and 3 and details are added in later chapters. The thesis is certainly interesting and the style is charming - if not disarming at times! R. R. Laxton Integrated Circuits and Microprocessors. By I?. C. Holland. Pp. 235. Pergamon Press, Oxford. 1986. Flexicover $14.50.
In just 200 pages R. C. Holland has managed to create a text that will take the reader from knowing little about integrated circuits to being aware of the sophisticated techniques used in building of a microprocessor system. It is a very good idea to include within one cover the fundamentals of the circuits that underlie digital logic as well as their inter-connection into microprocessor systems. The glossary gives a very useful reference for any reader unfamiliar with or uncertain of the terminology. The use of TTL circuits to illustrate digital principles is perhaps a little dated but unless the reader actually wants to build and experiment with the circuits then ITL is as good as CMOS for the elementary examples. The layout of the book is very clear and copious diagrams and figures help the understanding, and clarify the narrative. The order of material presentation is ideal and the section on analogue devices very useful since many applications of digital computers do fall into the analogue domain: most texts on microprocessors completely omit analogue circuitry. Overall, the text fills a void that exists in the area of presenting introductory material on modern electronic circuitry. R. S. Ferguson Semiconductor Physics. Edited by A. M. Stoneham. Pp. 168. Adam Hilger, Bristol, 1986. Paperback f9.95.
This is the first in a series of books bringing together collections of critical reviews, each in a specific area. All the articles have already been published in the Journal of Physics C (Solid State Physics) so the success of such a series must depend critically not only upon the quality and importance of the reviews used but also upon the rapidity of development of the topics discussed. After all, they are describing the situation as it stood in 1983. All but one of the five articles in the present collection deal with the study of defects in semiconductors with articles on theory, radiation-induced defects, transition metal impurities, and the oxygen donor. The exception is the first by Catlow and Stoneham on ionicity which, although excellent, does not sit easily with the rest. The remaining articles are well written and together give a good overview of the subject