Chemistry Books

I think it's important to point out this book is realively small for the degree of degtail it contains. If you want to find out the answers to a great deal of cullinary questions without wading through highly verbose food science texts, then this is your book. It is certainly Europe centric.

This book is not for the faint of heart or the casual cook or reader! This is a most complete reference work on the art and science of cooking. If you ever wondered what happens to the food stuff when you cook it or why you do or don't add certain things together while preparing a dish this volume has all your answers. This is not a bedside reader but an excellent addition to your cookbook collection and reference shelf.

"On Cooking and Food" is the tool to obtain the base knowledge nesessary to do food right. This book is a culinary couse unto it's self, you will go to the next level in your cooking with this book.

The book is wonderful. If you love to cook and wonder why and how foods taste wonderful--or horrible--this the book for you. It explains which methods work and which don't and why they do. Worth every penny. Harold McGee is a good writer which makes the book a pleasant, worthwhile read.

McGee's book set out to teach you the science behind cooking--but ends up teaching you only the names of various compounds and reactions. Very little space is given to teaching the reader how to use food science to craft new recipes or to improve the implementation of existing recipes. Neither is any attention given to how our own kitchen experience can help us understand the nature of foodstuffs better. Also, it may be my own ignorance, but the science itself seems mostly descriptive and not analytical. While there is an appendix on chemistry--it is too little too late. Buying this book may help you impress your dinner guests with your talk, but look elsewhere for resources on how to become a better cook.

To me Feynman is right up there with Albert Einstein. I love is fearlessness and is desire to see the truth. The Buddha and Feynman are probably enjoying a good laugh. I recommend his other book " What do you care what other people think".

This is the shortest book about quantum electrodynamics I've ever read, but it is still full of profound revelations (for instance, electrical charge is really nothing more than the square root of the probability that an electron will couple to a photon, etc)...

Feynman makes it easy for the curious amateur to understand. This book is accessible and mind-blowing. Everyone should read it. And there is little if any math so don't be intimidated.

Feynman picks the thing that is simplest in the quantum world, a single particle, and explains it using no math. Instead of equations, the quantum theory in this book consists entirely of pictures. But this is not a popularization in the usual sense. This is not gossip about science. This actually is quantum theory in a very simple case. For anyone who wants to know how the universe is put together, this is an astonishing mind opener.

In the Introduction to the 'Strange Theory of Light and Matter' Feynman tells us that what he likes to talk about is the "part of physics that is known, rather than a part that is unknown." And he goes on to give us a thumbnail sketch, a "physicist's history of physics," which shows how physicist's, in their quest to describe the world, continually reduce a group of seemingly unrelated phenomenon to a single phenomenon. So heat and sound were found, thanks to Newton, to be reducible to laws of motion, while electricity, magnetism and light were reducible to Maxwell's electromagnetic wave. In this way physicist's explain the world.

Here one is almost tempted to say that they proceed much as religion and ideology do. Religion has from the beginning of recorded history been taking phenomenon and feelings, like storms and suffering or aging and despair, and molding them into an internally coherent explanation of all that is and was and will be. They do this by separating the relevant from the incidental, then uncovering the essential by excluding the accidental. They simplify. In similar ways ideologues like the communists take what at one time were discreet incidents and disparate facts (for instance, the poverty of the third world and imperialism) and weave them into a grand general explanation. Is science merely the latest avatar of religion? - Or perhaps it is an ideology without tears?

Not so fast! Feynman goes on to show us that attempts to explain the atomic world foundered on the laws of motion. He shows us that the rescue of those shipwrecked on the shoals of classical theory involved the invention of a new, counter-intuitive theory, Quantum Mechanics. He then goes on, while discussing a small portion of that theory, to give us the (deliberately) hilarious and 'absurd' example of how physicists predict how many photons, out of a given number, will be reflected back from a surface. 'Draw little arrows on a piece of paper' and watch the clock, he tells us. And with no explanation as to why this procedure works! Of course, for physics, what matters is that it does work. Physicists have been forced "away from making absolute predictions to merely calculating the probability of an event." But where is the essential, the eternal, the necessary?

Perhaps this is what Feynman is driving at. Science describes, it doesn't explain why. We should all wonder at that. The great 'philosophical' questions that drive theology and political ideology are beyond the purview of physics. Science doesn't create worlds; nor does it 'interpret' or change them, it simply describes what it finds. (It is technology that changes the world.) Freud saw fit to end one of his books by saying that 'our science is no illusion, but it would be an illusion to believe you can find elsewhere what it does not offer.' But how much truer this is of physics! One is then perhaps not surprised to come away from this little book wondering exactly what the status of philosophy, psychoanalysis, politics and religion would be in a genuinely scientific world.

But of course there will never be, given human irrationality, an entirely scientific human culture. This book is a superb introduction to quantum electrodynamics. It's 'experimentalism' and agnosticism towards grand philosophical explanations I found very congenial and convincing. Feynman is an engaging personality and this is an entertaining book. While one doesn't need a degree in physics and math to understand him a lay competence and interest in math and physics is certainly necessary. For those of us still living in a Newtonian world, a dwindling number to be sure, this book will have several surprising moments. But that really is part of the show!

I wish my parents had known about this so they could have taught me instead of me having to teach them. Shame on anyone that has discouraged this sort of creative thinking. Let the rigor with which Joseph Jenkins has researched this topic be a lesson to anyone who wants to make a claim about the validity of any of our social norms.

the true revolution is in our poop! its a great read and is a vital piece to the new sustainable culture we are growing. thanks joe!

Fascinating and intelligent book that holds the key to sustainable practices that will help protect our drinking water supply. Why use 1.5 -5 gallons of precious drinking water to wash our poop away? It's a shameful and wasteful practice and this book provides the best solution to managing our excrement in a way that is healthy for us and for the planet.

Everyone should read this book, even if they have no intention or ability to use a humanure composting system. It provides a wealth of information on a subject that has been ignored for too long...human waste - how to dispose of it in a sensible, sustainable, practical, useful manner. We haven't flushed a toilet in this house in eight months, since we got this book and built our own sawdust toilet and composting box out back. We had a serious drought here this summer and our well was REAL low, but we had no problems because we weren't FLUSHING FOUR GALLONS OF CLEAN DRINKING WATER UNDERGROUND each time we went in the bathroom. I always wondered why we eliminate in water, anyway. And it doesn't stink, the compost box doesn't stink, it's simple and straightforward and clean and the humanure toilet's time has come! Everybody who comes in our house gets dragged into the bathroom by my husband to meet our new humanure toilet! Then I drag them outside to meet my wonderful compost box! So far we've had one convert, a couple with a camp who were using a stinking old outhouse, and they are just thrilled with the idea of using a humanure toilet next summer when they move back to camp. As a bonus, our electric bill dropped substantially, just because the water pump doesn't have to kick on every time a toilet is flushed. Buy this book, read it, start using a humanure toilet, tell all your friends, lend the book to your friends, do it now! Then read Joe Jenkins' other book, "Balance Point."

Due to a plumbing fault in the house, my family have been composting in the back garden on a daily basis for over a year. What a bonus to stumble upon this book and find out that our actions have been helping to preserve the future of our planet! A number of residents in our street have complainined that the local environment has been suffering from some kind of unpleasant air pollution of late, so we feel proud to be putting something back.

As a physicist I rely on this book a great deal. It is written in an accessible informal style without sacrificing rigor. Many ideas are motivated and first developed using cute example systems, before the more general result is stated. Strogatz's deep familiarity with applications within physics, chemistry and biology is a real plus. Most of all, the book is fun to read and the author conveys a sense of enthusiasm for the subject.

Nonlinear dynamics and chaos is an excellent introductory book. It explains this complex looking subject in very simple and intuitive fashion. I recommend this book anyone who are interested in chaos/nonlinear dynamics. It even doubles as a fun book!

This book provides an exceptional introduction to nonlinear dynamics. Math books are often trapped in equating rigor with formalisms and in compromising intuition to generalities. Strogatz book provides an exemplary guideline how both intuition and rigor may be served to transform a difficult topic into fun reading and highly applicable set of ideas. Here are the key elements of what you will find in this book.

A. The book builds up intuitive understanding of the key ideas of the field
from simple one dimensional dynamics to complex multi-dimensional behaviors.
B. Each chapter contains fascinating applications -- from fireflies synchronization and josephson junction to population dynamics and chaotic laser behaviors-- which are
fun to read and useful if you need to apply dynamics to solve research problems.
C. There are ample exercises and solutions to render this ideal book for self-learners. It provides a relatively broad coverage of the key ideas of the field, without taxing the reader with far corners of little interest.

I think this is one of the best books for understanding the Phase Spaces and Bifurcations. It is really easy to follow and understand, even for people without background on nonlinear subjects. Yet, it is not the right book for engineers to read and start to solve their own detailed problems. People who seeks for a book to get into the subject or who wants to have a nice reference; BUY THIS BOOK. By the way, its price is reasonable.

I bought this book as a textbook for a class, and I have to say that it is a surprisingly readable math book. The class only used the first few chapters, but I find myself flipping through the rest of the book and trying to understand more advanced material. This is a good book for a scientist who needs to learn linear and nonlinear dynamics but is a little intimidated.

Keep in mind, this is a math book, and no writer can turn math into something it isn't. Still, the writer gives lots of relevant examples (especially in the problems--the only complaint I have is that the solutions in the back don't give any explanation, and these solutions are a bit sparse), and milks as much storytelling out of the subject matter as is possible. I thoroughly recommend it--it brings out the closet math geek in everyone!

Spectacular, but not a quick read! If you or someone you know has cancer, then this is a must read. The author did a marvelous job of chronicaling the research path to great discoveries for cancer. Unfortunately, Dr. Folkman passed away last month but after reading this book you will have a better understanding of the legacy of important research he left behind and how it is continuing by the minute

This book is great gives a good understanding of the research community and the search to understand angiogenisis.

This book is a very well done documentary of the trials Dr. Folkman went through to have his ideas on cancer treatment considered. His ideas are now becoming the new approach, offering much needed hope for patients and their families. For anyone interested in cancer, this book is worthwhile.

This book by Robert Cooke is incredible! Mr. Cooke is able to explain to the average layperson the medical concepts of angeiogeneis conceived by the most under-valued person of our time: Dr. Judah Folkman. Dr. Folkman is to cancer what Salk was to Polio! Personally, Dr. Judah Folkman is my hero! A real hero, deserving of the Nobel Prize....and I don't speak lightly. I am a cancer patient that has recently learned that my cancer (thought was beat) has advanced to my lungs. The ONLY therapy for me is in an ANGIOGENESIS drug therapy program for a drug currently in study and labeled as "PI-88." I am just so confident this drug will work. I am the only patient with my type of cancer cell (adenoid cystic carninoma), so I am a little bit more of a lab rat for this program.

God Bless Dr. Folkman and h is incredible perserverance! His story should be a movie----a tale better than SeaBiscuit! He is my SeaBiscuit!

LHH

Chances are someone close to you has succumbed to the ravages of cancer, while you and the medical establishment could only sit by and watch the process reach its inevitable conclusion. The good news is, for nearly 40 years, Dr. Judah Folkman has been pursuing a cure for cancer -- or at least a way to fight tumors more effectively than chemotherapy or radiation -- that only until very recently has garnered serious attention. Dr. Folkman's theory is called angiogenesis, the process by which cancer cells emit an agent which triggers the growth of blood vessels to feed the growth of the cancer itself. For years Dr. Folkman's idea was basically scoffed at as the flailings of an amateur researcher, but Cooke shows how Dr. Folkman has perservered -- while maintaining his brilliant career as a physician -- and eventually, through a slow accumulation of experimental evidence, as well as the discovery of several antiangionesis agents, turned opinion around. Throughout this engaging and fascinating retelling of Folkman's journey, Cooke also provides an eye-opening account of the workings of academia, medical research, and their relationships to those Orwellian biotech companies you keep hearing about. The science is clear and vivid, the battle to defeat cancer inspiring, and the promise of victory -- thankfully, finally -- just around the corner.

As usual, the book I purchased "Mosby's Manual of Diagnostic & Laboratory Tests" arrived right on time, in perfect condition. Amazon has a tremendous selection, fair pricing with the ability to purchase "used" books. I have purchased "used" books and have been totally satisfied and the description that is given about the condition of the books is an added bonus!!
Thank you Amazon.com for all of your services!!

I bought this as a gift for my son-in-law who is graduating from medical school in May. He requested this book. When it arrived, I started looking through it and found it very interesting and easy to understand even though I have no medical background. If you're looking for something that explains medical tests, this is very clear and informative and since doctors themselves use it, I would assume it is accurate.

Great reference guide--my nurses love it and put it to frequent use in the office clinical setting.

I bought this book because I am an MT, and sometimes it can be hard to understand what the docs are saying. When they mention certain diseases and we can't understand the lab work they are ordering, this book becomes very helpful! It's a book I definitely don't want to be without.

I purchased this book after looking at a friend's copy. Its great for figuring out what test results actually mean (especially for CBCs and BMPs). It breaks down every test, what its used for, when to order it - and what it means when high or low. Great reference for anyone in the medical field.
ps -I saw 3 copies of this book in the ICU the other day...

This book provides meticulous details about QA for integrated software and component-based software .This particular book teaches how to approach testing and QA in a systematic manner .The book gives an organized and detailed description for the Software Quality assurance for the software components. It teaches all the way from very basic step. Beginning with Black Box testing and following White box, Regression testing, Performance, System level testing .The approach includes various different validation methods that needs to be rigorously applied and a detailed QA approach which teaches all the possible Test Cases. Overall this book provides a complete teaching of the Component Based Software. Being Professor Jerry Gao's student, have completed software quality and testing courses under him. This book has increased my knowledge for component-based software testing as it describes different testing methods, phases, issues, challenges etc. I highly recommend this book for college graduates and professionals who want to brighten their career in QA and testing areas.

This is a very unique book on QA and software testing topics because it discusses some of the testing techniques & concepts extended from research world and also covers the modern software component concepts and the applicability of these techniques on them. The book is divided into IV parts. The first part introduces the reader with software components and it's testability. The model based solution to some of the issues and challanges can be applicable to the SOA based softwares as well.
Part II of the book discusses the fundamental black box and white box techniques. A section is devoted on white box techniques for object oriented testing.
Part III of the book focuses on most important challanges of todays software. The UML based approcah to software integration testing discussed in this book uses an unique approach of content and context based relationship of objects. Regression testing for maintaining software is discussed in detail.
Part IV is entirely devoted to QA topics. They fully cover QA measuremnet and validation topics, standards and certification.
This is a must have book for software developer, Test engineer and QA professionals. The references at the end of each chapter reminds you to go deeper and dig into IEEE and ACM papers on the subject. I have already recommended this book to my fellow software developers and managers.

The book has detailed coverage of all software testing terminologies and methodologies such as black-box, white-box, test automation, integration, and performance testing.Over all, this is a very good book for learning Testing techniques for component based software.This book is extremely well organized and should be useful for both novice and experienced software testers.

I learned many new concepts about Software Testing from this book. I learned how to do the manual testing, automation testing of the component software using this book. White Box Testing, which involves Control Flow Graph is documented well in this book anyone who wants to learn about the White Box Testing can easily learn through it. This book is very user friendly in terms of doing Software Manual Testing.
Automation Testing is described well too. I recommend anyone from Software Engineering planning to go into Software Testing should read this book atleast once.

This book helped me gain good knowledge about Software testing, its objectives and various approaches for real time experience. It helped me understand the basic concepts and fundamentals of Software component testability. Through this book, I got a basic idea about the rules and methodologies that are being implemented and followed in current software testing field, as per industry standards.

Black box and White box testing techniques and their relevant issues, challenges and solutions, the various test models, everything is explained very visibly. It serves as a good guide for the beginners as well as the Software professionals of all levels. Information on testing methods like Regression, Integration, Performance and System testing are detailed in a systematic manner.
The information in this text book, taught us to follow the best ways to achieve a well defined test coverage criteria by deriving a definite plan for the project- a plan for managing the schedules, designing and testing the software based components to meet the requirements in the project within a deadline. We, in a team, worked on a Simulated ATM machine, for a practical experience, and the book helped us as a good start. Each chapter has a good introductory part, which gives a clear synopsis about the complete chapter.
The book explains the role of different testing tools, designing and handling the test cases, how to perform component testing quickly and efficiently through automation testing, without manual involvement. Manual testing is time consuming and hence to solve this issue, Automation testing has been introduced lately and this information has been illustrated by the authors very clearly in the book, with suitable examples for the readers understanding.

I personally found this book very helpful and knowledgeable. A Software component's life cycle through the testing phase has been explained well, alongside giving us information about the methodologies to improve the quality of a product, and how to derive a test case to support the functionality; everything is mentioned in this book. My only suggestion is, this book is a complete pack of information on testing of a Software component and its Quality assurance, and hence, from college students to Software professionals, everybody has to experience this book, if they are seriously looking to pick up their career in Testing.

March never leaves my desk. It covers everything. From functional group transformations to mechanisms to FMO theory - you name it it's there. Highly recommended for any advanced undergraduate, graduate or post-doctoral researcher. It's a bookshelf staple that any organic chemist should have available.

I'm pretty sure that you _must_ have this book if you are studying advanced organic chemistry. Maybe it's not the best one to use as a study guide, but it's extremely helpful as a reference book both for undergrads and graduate students. However, one can argue that this edition is a bit out-of-date.

I bought a copy of this text (2nd Ed) after finishing my sophomore year of college, and it proved to be the best single investment I've ever made in chemistry. I used it so often, I had to duct-tape the book together.

I think the happiest moment of my career was when my name appeared in the index of a later edition. Anyway, buy it and treasure it.

This is by far the best text I have found. Although it is considered a text book, it is more handy as a reference tool. I have seen no other book that contains more information than March's. This book is actually worth the price.

I paid more for my 4th ed. new, and find it to be worth even more. It is not a cookbook per se, but it is a very comprehensive textbook that details general reactions by functional group. It outlines every way known to remove, add to, or otherwise modify every functional group. There is as much commentary as is needed, if not more, and every pathway is mentioned regardless of how exotic or primitive and low-yielding. The corresponding OS synth refs for specific cpds. are given for each type of reaction, along with a total of 15,000 other refs in footnotes. This was cutting-edge in 92, with much updating of the 3rd ed. The index will take you to the section that shows how to make the manipulations you want - if it doesn't, it probably can't be done.

I haven't finished reading this book yet but it seems very good. It is very easy to read and it is very informative. I would recommend this book to anyone who has taken organic chemistry, is going to study organic chemistry n graduate school, or as a supplement to any mechanism class.

This is a great book. It is a "must have" for any organic chemist.

For people who love organic chemistry, this book provides a basic guide for people to learn some basic but fundamental details of organic chem mechanism.The fourth chapter is expecially worthy reading. Moreover, Chapter 6 provides people with a rough idea of what's going on in organometallics filed.

This book is excellent for reaction mechanism. This book is helpful for the undergraduate's organic chem 2 and the grad school's reaction mechanism class. I learned how to move the electron in reasonable way. So in one word, this book is awesome book that I ever read for practicing reaction mechanism.

I bought this book to practice mechanisms because I'll be taking a physical organic class in the spring that uses them heavily. I used this book instead of sitting in on a sophomore organic class, because by job as a TA conflicted.

Anyway, this book is extraordinary. Dr. Grossman has taught me so many things about how to write a correct mechanism and how to recognize a bad mechanism when I see one. The book is written in a very clear and friendly manner and it's really quite hard to put down when you start reading it.

The book also has practice problems and the book's website has the answers, giving even more incentive to practice mechanisms.

I found Judith Wurtman's book The Serotinin Power Diet to be the only book that deals with what I consider, really counts: Hunger control.
Through their year's of research at MIT they have learned what triggers binging and hunger and teaches you what to eat, before attending social events etc. It teaches you how to control you appetite so you can go into any situation and control yourself and not overeat. So you loose weight easily.
I don't follow her diet I just follow her concept and principles as to how to feed myself for not being hungry, particularly when I have social events.
Being at home it is easy to follow any plan; it the going out with friends etc that makes it difficult. But that's the key; She has taught me how not to be hungry.
I have lost 15 pounds in a little less than three months and I am on my way to normalize my body weight and speciallly, lower my glucose.
First time something works for me.
R Hirst
Miami Fla

I do not understand...I thought when you go on an anti-depressant it was suppose to help balance your unbalanced hormones and chemicals? I thought it was suppose to give us more serotonin, not less?? I was first put on an antidepressant when a doctor told me it would help give me energy (I was not depressed, I had a long battle with mono and still had fevers and fatigue). I gained about 60 pounds, did not get any energy, felt "odd", not quite myself. It was not fun. Eventually went off the pills for a few years. Then started having anxiety and not feeling very good (blood work showed my hormones were really unbalanced, had me in "post-menopausal" in some areas, even though I was only 30 yrs. old and still menstruating, but just my hormones in general seemed all out of whack),so I was put back on another antidepressant. I thought these meds were suppose to help us feel better, more calm, less stressed, sleep better, put us in balance, etc. Why do they seem to do little other than cause major weight gain? I am considering buying this book. If you follow the diet, does it help you more than antidepressants? Anyone gone off their antidepressants after following the diet for a while? (I'm not talking about those with bi-polar and major depression for whom the meds have truly helped and been benefical, but for anyone who has had doctors pop them on antidepressants when you weren't really depressed?).

I ran across the Serotonin Diet recently in a magazine article. The magazine gave a Cliff's Note version of the "pure carb" snacking concept. I at first dismissed this concept, me being a Low Carb convert. But, I have always struggled with binge eating. Even after losing 60# recently (low carb dieting) I was still not in control. Although I have maintained my weight loss it is a constant binge then diet cycle. I live in constant fear that I will lose the battle. I read this article on the second day of a 2-day binge. The next day I was resolved to be good on my diet to recover from the bingeing I had been doing. In the afternoon (my binges always hit in the afternoon and/or evenings) I could feel a binge coming on (uncontrollable urge to go get something "bad" out of the work vending machine). I remembered the article I had read and instead I bought a bag of Rold gold pretzels and ate those. I was astounded at how it filled me up and took the binge urge away - nothing has ever worked like this before in my life!! Absolutely amazing. The following day I again had the binge urge and again I bought the pretzels and again another binge was averted. It seems as though it takes time for these urges to go away (maybe they never do) but I now have a tool for fighting back other then willpower (which has never worked on binge urges)

I have just ordered the book and hope to learn more about how to make this a lifestyle and never have to worry about binging again.

This is fabulous. I find myself feeling much healthier by following the simple steps and regulated snacking. It really shocked me the difference this diet (now a lifestyle) made in my life. I feel better, my body functions better and in conjunction with yoga, the overall quality of my life has improved.

We've all done it- eating a whole bag of potato chips or more cookies than we'd like to admit when trying to deal with stress, anxiety, fatigue, or sadness. The thing is that it works. After eating that comfort food, we feel like we can face the world once again. So food becomes a refuge and the scale reflects it.

Then, along comes the Atkins diet. No carbs. Truthfully, how long did it take you to cheat during your first bout of PMS? Even when you were being "good", how bad were the carb cravings?

The Serotonin Power Diet makes carbs permissible once again, in moderation and at the right times. One small carbohydrate filled snack, eaten about an hour before a meal can actually reduce your appetite allowing you to eat appropriate portions of healthy foods without cravings or feeling like you are actually on a diet.

Unlike many diets, I can see The Serotonin Power Diet actually fitting into my everyday lifestyle. Craving carbs during PMS or when I'm tired often derails my nutritional efforts. Having a small snack seems to alleviate that feeling that I've failed in my efforts and relieves my cravings.