In a series of short essays (including "Life" and "The Universe", but not "Everything"), Isaac Asimov reaches further and further back in time to reco...moreIn a series of short essays (including "Life" and "The Universe", but not "Everything"), Isaac Asimov reaches further and further back in time to recount what we know of beginnings. Dr. Asimov begins small, with "Human Flight," but uses this opening chapter to illustrate how pinning down a beginning depends in large part on definitions. (Most Americans would immediately think of the Wright brothers, but their first heavier-than-air, powered flight at Kitty Hawk is a fairly recent event in the history of flight.) Though this book is over 20 years out of date, the science is accurate in general, and of course everything is very well explained (apart from on occasional diversion when The Good Doctor couldn't help showing off his vast store of knowledge).
It's really too bad that Dr. Asimov didn't live to witness the amazing recent breakthroughs in astronomy, and the fantastic fossils recently collected that fill important gaps in our understanding of early life. Interestingly, he correctly pegs RNA as the most probable first replicating macromolecule, but for some reason doesn't mention the best evidence for this: that RNA molecules can act as enzymes in their own right.(less)
Isaac Asimov agreed to write the novelization of Fantastic Voyage on the condition that he be allowed to make it as scientifically accurate as possibl...moreIsaac Asimov agreed to write the novelization of Fantastic Voyage on the condition that he be allowed to make it as scientifically accurate as possible. He successfully achieves this, while preserving—nay, magnifying—the sexual tension between our hero, Hunk Heartthrob, and the Frigid Highly Professional but Properly Subordinate Beautiful Assistant to the Temperamental Genius. Moreover, Dr. Asimov sews up several glaring plot holes and answers many of the crucial questions the movie leaves open, such as "What's the name of the structure in the inner ear that holds the sensory hair cells?" (Spoiler: it's the organ of Corti.) An intriguing mix of Asimov, the pedantic scientist and Asimov, the horny old goat, this story will earn you two credits of human anatomy at your local college, yet will still warm your heart, just as H.H. finally warms Beautiful Assistant's, uh, heart. (Oops—another spoiler, but only if you haven't seen the movie.)(less)
A Grossery of Limericks is the sequel to Asimov and Ciardi's opus of dubious repute, Limericks: Too Gross. As before, each author contributes a round...moreA Grossery of Limericks is the sequel to Asimov and Ciardi's opus of dubious repute, Limericks: Too Gross. As before, each author contributes a round gross (144) of (mostly) bawdy poems, and in the foreword trade barbs that highlight the differences in their personalities.
Alas, the prefatory swapping of insults wasn't nearly enjoyable this time around. Asimov seems too preoccupied with self-congratulation to deliver many put-downs, and those that he does come across as crude and heavy-handed. Ciardi does somewhat better, but he, too, lacks some of the eloquence and devastating effect that made his half of the foreword one of the most delightful bits of Too Gross.
The overall cleverness and humor content of this second volume are about the same as in the first volume, but disappointingly, this new set seem somewhat less vulgar. Several limericks in each set aren't even, technically, dirty. Still, there are a few gems to reward the patient reader, like Asimov's #24:
Our delicate verses, limerickal, So frequently seem anticlerical. Each saintly old minister Is made to seem sinister And is filled with a lust quite hysterical.
This limerick approaches perfection: it expresses a very impolite, almost blasphemous, idea without resorting to crudeness (not that there's anything wrong with that). Not only that, but it's a meta-limerick: a limerick about limericks. Also, I find the triple-syllable rhymes the most impressive, poetically, and here both sets of rhymes are triple.(less)
Understanding Physics, a compilation of three volumes covering (I) Newtonian mechanics and thermodynamics, (II) electromagnetism, and (III) atomic phy...moreUnderstanding Physics, a compilation of three volumes covering (I) Newtonian mechanics and thermodynamics, (II) electromagnetism, and (III) atomic physics, is a fantastically useful reference for everything you probably learned in high school physics and then forgot. Like all of Dr. Asimov's nonfiction, it is written with the utmost clarity, and contains no mathematics more advanced than simple algebra. It is also very well indexed and cross-referenced.
Dr. Asimov preferred to write about science from a historical viewpoint, which highlights science as a process of discovery, rather than a dry recitation of facts. In fact, this book also appeared under the title The History of Physics.
While the first two volumes concern topics thoroughly understood before the 20th century, the third volume, The Proton, Neutron and Electron, is somewhat dated. (For example, no mention is made of quarks or gluons—topics .) As a supplement to this book, therefore, I recommend the Good Doctor's masterpiece, Atom.(less)
It is a Testament to the Genius of Jonathan Swift that his Masterpiece, Travels into several Remote Nations of the World (1), a Work of biting politic...moreIt is a Testament to the Genius of Jonathan Swift that his Masterpiece, Travels into several Remote Nations of the World (1), a Work of biting political and social Satire, should in modern Times be deemed a pleasant Diversion for Children of all Ages. To apprehend its full Meaning, however, and to best appreciate the acerbic Wit of the Author, it is necessary for to-day’s Readers to be furnished with extensive Annotations of the Text thereof, explaining in no small Detail the historical Context of Mr. Swift’s Allegory, with careful Description of the notable Ministers and other Persons who felt the sting of his Barbs. In this Volume, the Task is undertaken by Dr. Isaac Asimov, a Natural Philosopher of no mean Repute. (2) Dr. Asimov wisely chose the Faulkner Edition of Capt. Lemuel Gulliver’s famous Travelogue, printed in the Year of Our Lord 1735, for the Original Text, with passages consider’d too critical of the Crown to appear in Print lovingly restored. Betwixt the Text and Dr. Asimov’s Notes appear Illustrations, in great number, from divers Editions of the Book from ages past.
Dr. Asimov’s Annotations were, on the whole, quite pleasing to me, and highly informative. On occasion, he criticized Mr. Swift with altogether too much Zeal for piddling Errors in Knowledge of the workings of Nature. (3) Nevertheless, one is tempted to grant the good Doctor a generous Portion of Slack in this Matter, for Mr. Swift, in his Tale of Capt. Gulliver’s Voyage to Laputa, portrays Natural Philosophers and other Seekers of Knowledge in an extremely poor Light (4), and attacks their academic Pursuits with inexhaustible Savagery. (5)
___________
(1) Travels into several Remote Nations of the World. Universally known today as Gulliver’s Travels.
(2) no mean Repute. Dr. Asimov, formally educated in chemistry, wrote voluminously about every major branch of the natural sciences, but also about history and literature.
(3) Errors in Knowledge of the Workings of Nature. For example, Asimov points out quite needlessly that the inhabitants of Brobdingnag could not be proportioned like human beings and, simultaneously, more than sixty feet tall, as the human skeleton and muscles couldn’t possibly support the vastly increased mass. (This is why the small daddy-longlegs can walk about on hair-thin, stiltlike legs, whereas the elephant requires legs like massive columns.) But Swift could hardly be blamed for not giving the Brobdingnagians a properly sturdy frame, even if he were aware of the As a matter of fact, Asimov admits that certain passages of Gulliver’s Travels make for cracking science fiction.
(4) portrays Natural Philosophers…in an extremely poor Light. Swift’s Laputans are shown to be so absorbed in lofty academic matters that they cannot function on their own in the real world. The last laugh is on Swift, of course. A pity he didn’t live to see the pursuit of abstract knowledge grant us modern miracles like household electricity and medical X-rays. Considering the incalculable benefits that science has provided us, it is astonishing that we are still afflicted with the smug ignorance of know-nothing politicians and sanctimonious religious zealots (e.g., Sarah Palin and Kenneth Ham, respectively).
(5) attacks…with inexhaustible Savagery. Isaac Newton is singled out for particular mockery, probably because Newton, as warden of the Royal Mint, was implicated (in Swift’s eyes) in a coinage-related swindle forced upon Ireland, and thus earned the undying enmity of Swift, an Irishman.
Paradoxically, Swift himself betrays considerable knowledge and understanding of the natural sciences as they existed in his day, and especially of mathematics. His prediction of the discovery of two satellites in low orbits around Mars (Phobos and Deimos weren’t discovered until 1877) is made all the more impressive by his correct citation of the mathematical relationship between the orbital radii and times of revolution—a direct result of Newton’s Law of Gravitation.(less)
This massive tome is a compilation of three books originally published under the series Understanding Physics: Motion, Sound and Heat; Light, Magnetis...moreThis massive tome is a compilation of three books originally published under the series Understanding Physics: Motion, Sound and Heat; Light, Magnetism and Electricity; and The Proton, Neutron and Electron. It has since appeared as Understanding Physics (1993, Barnes & Noble Books). I recommend the latter edition, because in The History of Physics, the pages are numbered consecutively through all three volumes, but the index and cross-references in the text are numbered by volume and page within the volume (e.g., "II-140"). Thus, it is very difficult to hunt down references to other parts of the book.
My review of Understanding Physics is here. (less)
**spoiler alert** A brief (32-pp.) summary of the data returned by the Voyager 2 probe as it passed Uranus, written in clear, concise Asimovian style...more**spoiler alert** A brief (32-pp.) summary of the data returned by the Voyager 2 probe as it passed Uranus, written in clear, concise Asimovian style for young astronomers, but also appropriate for adult readers not looking for advanced astronomical concepts.
Everything herein can be found in a Web site like nineplanets.org. The major value in this slim volume is in provoking nostalgia for those primitive times when young scholars, thirsty for knowledge, would travel to a large building—a "library"—to sift through dusty tomes, in search of precious information pressed onto leaves of foolscap. Also, this book contains the only list I've seen in print of all fifteen of Uranus's moons (as of 1994). How many characters from A Midsummer Night's Dream are enshrined in orbit about the seventh planet? Now I know.(less)
A non-technical history of the key experiments that revealed the crucial steps in photosynthesis. At 62 pp., with full-page illustrations, this book i...moreA non-technical history of the key experiments that revealed the crucial steps in photosynthesis. At 62 pp., with full-page illustrations, this book is a very quick read.
I've only read one of the How Did We Find Out...? series, but from Photosynthesis and Dr. Asimov's reputation as a nonfiction writer, it's clear that these books would make an excellent introduction into scientific inquiry for curious pre-teens. Adult readers, however, will likely find this series overly simplistic.
Isaac Asimov's nonfiction is well known for his clear, concise explanations, and The Roman Empire is no exception. Asimov, in his science writing, als...moreIsaac Asimov's nonfiction is well known for his clear, concise explanations, and The Roman Empire is no exception. Asimov, in his science writing, also has a knack for making his subject more exciting and personal by emphasizing the historical aspects. Consquently, I was eager to read his take on a purely historical subject. Alas, the Good Doctor may have met his match in Roman history. There is only so much one can do to enliven an endless series of Emperors, barbarian invasions, and religious revivals more than fifteen centuries past. Still, he gave it as good a try as anyone could reasonably be expected, and he managed to hold my interest through the entire history of the Empire from Augustus to the bitter end.
The Roman Empire is the second of a two-book history of Rome, following The Roman Republic, which covers Rome from its founding through Julius Cæsar. This book was shelved in the Young Adult section of my library, but is appropriate for adult non-academic reading as well.(less)
In this guide, Isaac Asimov explains and provides historical context to some 1,500 scientific terms, arranged under 250 alphabetically arranged "words...moreIn this guide, Isaac Asimov explains and provides historical context to some 1,500 scientific terms, arranged under 250 alphabetically arranged "words of science." Yes, the book reads a bit like an encyclopedia, but there is lots of fun here for the general-science buff. Includes an index listing all minor terms and names of relevant scientists.(less)
A fascinating and informative history of how we measure time. In typically clear and insightful prose, Dr. Asimov recounts the origins of our 24-hour...moreA fascinating and informative history of how we measure time. In typically clear and insightful prose, Dr. Asimov recounts the origins of our 24-hour day and Gregorian calendar, and shows how both are firmly rooted in the motions of the Earth in the heavens.(less)
A logical successor to Opus 100, this book contains a sampling from Isaac Asimov's second hundred volumes in print. Unsurprisingly, Asimov showcases h...moreA logical successor to Opus 100, this book contains a sampling from Isaac Asimov's second hundred volumes in print. Unsurprisingly, Asimov showcases his science fiction and fact, but half of Opus 200 is devoted to the author's non-science fiction, as well as his writing on classical literature, social studies, humor and even the Bible.
While there is much of interest here for both new and experienced Asimov readers, I found Opus 200 less engaging than its predecessor. Dr. Asimov includes the entirety of several fairly long works, all of which I had read before, and the variety of this compilation suffered accordingly. A related difficulty for me, for which the Good Doctor cannot be blamed, was that more of his second hundred books are still available than of his first hundred.(less)
In Opus 100, the prolific and versatile Isaac Asimov gives us a sampling from his first 99 books, interleaved with a mini-biography of the author's ca...moreIn Opus 100, the prolific and versatile Isaac Asimov gives us a sampling from his first 99 books, interleaved with a mini-biography of the author's career in writing (as of 1969). Including both fact and fiction, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the world of Asimov. In addition to our tour of Asimov's works, we receive a tour of his ego, which is of galactic proportions; but we can forgive him for that, as his clear, informative writing will both inform and entertain. Even Asimov cognoscenti will find something of value in this volume: several of the nonfiction excerpts are taken from books that are nowadays nearly impossible to find. The jewel of the rare Asimoviana in this collection is his account of the discovery of fluorine, a feat that along the way claimed the lives of several prominent nineteenth-century chemists.(less)
The world of Isaac Asimov's Lucky Starr is a young science geek's wildest dream come true. Imagine: a thousand years from now, the solar system's secr...moreThe world of Isaac Asimov's Lucky Starr is a young science geek's wildest dream come true. Imagine: a thousand years from now, the solar system's secret agents and protectors of the weak are...scientists! —Who don't mind showing off what they know!
Dr. Asimov often lamented the pernicious and ever-growing current of anti-intellectualism in American society. Was his series of young-adult Lucky Starr novels merely the public expression of an escapist fantasy universe, or did he intend to win young, intelligent minds to scientific inquiry by showing just how cool science could be?
In the final story in the Lucky Starr series, we finally meet Earth's sinister enemies, the Sirians. They have secretly built a military base on Saturn's largest satellite, Titan, and seek to legitimize their invasion of the Sol system before a conference of all the peoples of the galaxy. Lucky and his sidekick, Bigman, are taken prisoner after a hair-raising chase through the moons and rings(!) of Saturn. The Sirians plan to use Lucky's "illegal" penetration of the Saturnian system as the centerpiece of their case before the conference. Lucky and the Council of Science, however, have their own ideas about the purpose of Lucky's voyage.
While not the strongest story in the series (I would give that award to Oceans of Venus), Rings of Saturn is both the most complex and most suspenseful. Through most of the book, Lucky conducts a series of increasingly nonsensical—and life-threatening—actions, which have the young reader convinced he's gone plumb loco, but in the end reveals springs an incredibly clever trap on Earth's longtime enemy, the Sirian Federation. Dr. Asimov also wove into the story a topical message of tolerance and the importance of human diversity.
This story has held up well in terms of astronomy. The most "glaring" scientific error is that the Cassini division is nowhere near as free of orbiting material as it appears from Earth—and only the most serious outer-space geeks among Asimov's target audience would know it. (less)
The world of Isaac Asimov's Lucky Starr is a young science geek's wildest dream come true. Imagine: a thousand years from now, the solar system's secr...moreThe world of Isaac Asimov's Lucky Starr is a young science geek's wildest dream come true. Imagine: a thousand years from now, the solar system's secret agents and protectors of the weak are...scientists! —Who don't mind showing off what they know!
An unknown agent is sabotaging an important, secret research project to harness the Sun's energy in a way that would sustain humankind's energy needs, with enough left over to turn the Earth into an air-conditioned paradise. David ("Lucky") Starr and his sidekick, John Bigman Jones, are dispatched to Mercury to find the saboteur and restore morale among the scientists. However, they soon find they have a new, politically powerful enemy who wants them off the case—and a murderer in their midst!
The fourth novel in the Lucky Starr series, set on the innermost planet of the Solar System, is not my favorite, but is nonetheless compelling. Central to the plot is Mercury's terminator—the zone of eternal dawn—which at the time of writing was thought to be stationary, since Mercury was believed to show one face eternally toward the Sun. However, as Dr. Asimov admits with some regret, Mercury is now known to turn on its axis once every two-thirds of its year. This scientific inaccuracy, however, does not detract from the story (as Dr. Asimov also points out).(less)
The world of Isaac Asimov's Lucky Starr is a young science geek's wildest dream come true. Imagine: a thousand years from now, the solar system's secr...moreThe world of Isaac Asimov's Lucky Starr is a young science geek's wildest dream come true. Imagine: a thousand years from now, the solar system's secret agents and protectors of the weak are...scientists! —Who don't mind showing off what they know!
Dr. Asimov often lamented the pernicious and ever-growing current of anti-intellectualism in American society. Was his series of young-adult Lucky Starr novels merely the public expression of an escapist fantasy universe, or did he intend to win young, intelligent minds to scientific inquiry by showing just how cool science could be?
In the fifth adventure of the Lucky Starr series, Starr and his spunky sidekick visit top-secret Project Agrav, based on Jupiter IX , to control gravity by storing potential energy. The potential benefits of the technology are enormous, since a spaceship equipped with Agrav could skim the atmospheres of the giant planets without fear of being trapped forever in their mighty gravitational embrace. However, a Sirian spy working on the project threatens the project's secrecy and its very success. Can Lucky and Bigman identify and capture the spy before he—or it—can sabotage the first flight to Jupiter's innermost satellite?
At one time, Moons of Jupiter was perhaps my favorite novel in the series, but perhaps too much of my fascination with the story centered on the Agrav technology, since I know consider it one of the weaker ones. Here, a crucial story element hinges on several highly unlikely events surrounding the moon Amalthea (sorry—I can't be more specific without spoilers) that stretched my credulity just a little too far.
It seems that each Lucky Starr book contains one glaring factual error thought to be correct when the book was written, which the author later acknowledged and regretted. (The errors don't detract in the least from the stories as exciting adventures, of course.) Dr. Asimov lived to see the moon Io revealed as a tortured, sulfurous hell, home to lakes of liquid sulfur and volcanoes spouting a hundred miles into space. Hardly a desirable destination for a space picnic! Another, minor mistake is that Asimov erroneously called Jupiter IX "Adrastea," actually the unofficial name of Jupiter XII. (Jupiter IX was given the name Sinope, but not until 1975.)(less)
The world of Isaac Asimov's Lucky Starr is a young science geek's wildest dream come true. Imagine: a thousand years from now, the solar system's secr...moreThe world of Isaac Asimov's Lucky Starr is a young science geek's wildest dream come true. Imagine: a thousand years from now, the solar system's secret agents and protectors of the weak are...scientists! —Who don't mind showing off what they know!
Dr. Asimov often lamented the pernicious and ever-growing current of anti-intellectualism in American society. Was his series of young-adult Lucky Starr novels merely the public expression of an escapist fantasy universe, or did he intend to win young, intelligent minds to scientific inquiry by showing just how cool science could be?
For his third adventure, Council of Science hero Lucky Starr turns to the ocean planet of Venus, lured by mysterious and contradictory messages from a fellow Councilman turned criminal. There he encounters Venus's strange, telepathic inhabitants, who seem to have taken a particular dislike to human invasion of their watery world.
This episode is definitely my favorite in the series, although the tales of Jupiter and Saturn follow not too distantly. The storyline is compelling, but takes a back seat to Dr. Asimov's Venerean biology: bizarre, alien and fascinating, even to a Ph.D. scientist. Paradoxically, the most inventive of extraterrestrial settings in the Lucky Starr series is also the least accurate, scientifically: the real surface of Venus is dry, pitch-dark and far too hot for carbon-based life.(less)
The world of Isaac Asimov's Lucky Starr is a young science geek's wildest dream come true. Imagine: a thousand years from now, the solar system's secr...moreThe world of Isaac Asimov's Lucky Starr is a young science geek's wildest dream come true. Imagine: a thousand years from now, the solar system's secret agents and protectors of the weak are...scientists! —Who don't mind showing off what they know!
Dr. Asimov often lamented the pernicious and ever-growing current of anti-intellectualism in American society. Was his series of young-adult Lucky Starr novels merely the public expression of an escapist fantasy universe, or did he intend to win young, intelligent minds to scientific inquiry by showing just how cool science could be?
Flush with victory against a criminal cabal on Mars, Lucky Starr next takes on the ruthless pirates of the asteroid belt, with nearly fatal consequences. To me, this story is by far the weakest of the Lucky Starr series. The hero takes too many unnecessary, not to mention stupid, risks, and worms his way out of deadly situations too implausibly. These flaws are mitigated, however, by the harrowing dash across the Solar System—almost through the Sun!—at the end.(less)
The world of Isaac Asimov's Lucky Starr is a young science geek's wildest dream come true. Imagine: a thousand years from now, the solar system's secr...moreThe world of Isaac Asimov's Lucky Starr is a young science geek's wildest dream come true. Imagine: a thousand years from now, the solar system's secret agents and protectors of the weak are...scientists! —Who don't mind showing off what they know!
Dr. Asimov often lamented the pernicious and ever-growing current of anti-intellectualism in American society. Was his series of young-adult Lucky Starr novels merely the public expression of an escapist fantasy universe, or did he intend to win young, intelligent minds to scientific inquiry by showing just how cool science could be?
In the first installment, young David Starr, newly inducted into the Council of Science, goes undercover to root out a mysterious and deadly conspiracy to hold Earth's food supply hostage. He meets and befriends spunky Martian John Bigman Jones, who quickly becomes his faithful, if not even-tempered, sidekick. This initial novel puts the Lucky Starr universe on a sound footing. The embedded mystery is compelling, although its resolution is (in my opinion) a little too simplistic to be completely convincing.
As one would expect, Dr. Asimov took pains to ensure that the Solar System providing the backdrop for Starr's adventures was consistent with contemporary knowledge of astronomy. However, it seems that every one of the Lucky Starr stories (except perhaps the second) contains at least one glaring anachronism, which the author lived to regret. In David Starr Space Ranger, the famous Martian canals, now known not to exist, featured prominently. Moreover, the Martian atmosphere in the story was thick enough to allow breathing with simple oxygen masks, whereas in actuality it is only about one percent of sea-level pressure on Earth. Mind you, these inaccuracies did nothing to lessen my enjoyment of the Lucky Starr tales, either in my youth or at the present time.
Fact and Fancy is a collection of sixteen essays written by Issac Asimov for the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction between December 1958 and October 1960, plus one article ("Our Lonely Planet") that appeared in Astounding Science Fiction in November 1958. The collection is loosely organized into four sections: The Earth and Away, The Solar System, The Universe and The Human Mind. (The Wikipedia article gives the full list of the articles.) As the titles suggest, this collection is heavily weighted toward astronomy. Intriguingly, while Asimov's own area of expertise was chemistry, he wrote far more science articles about astronomy—perhaps a consequence of his ardent love of science fiction.
The Good Doctor seems to be at home—and therefore at his best—writing about the universe, as well. Nonetheless, Fact and Fancy contains only one exceptional essay, "The Planet of the Double Sun," a speculation on the consequences of replacing Neptune with a red-dwarf star. Surprisingly, though the night sky would become far more interesting, life on Earth would not likely be vastly different.
A grand survey of our understanding of the cosmos, from the ancient Greeks and Babylonians through the early 1960s. As always, Dr. Asimov writes clear...moreA grand survey of our understanding of the cosmos, from the ancient Greeks and Babylonians through the early 1960s. As always, Dr. Asimov writes clearly and simply, and as usual emphasizes the history behind our knowledge. Unfortunately, some chapters are frightfully outdated, and any mention of even neutron stars or black holes, let alone dark matter or dark energy, is completely absent. I don't mean to say that The Universe is not worth reading—quite the opposite, in fact—but that anyone seeking an up-to-date review of astronomy will need to supplement this book with newer sources.(less)
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