Another collection of columns from The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction: 17 pieces, 1982-83—in the usual amiable, faintly soporific Asimov mold. His first topic is electromagnetic radiation—from Newton's discovery of the visible spectrum, through Maxwell's field equations, to cosmic rays (which are actually particles, not radiation). Next: silicon, an element closely related to carbon, and why there are no silicon lifeforms (the main reason is that silicon compounds are insoluble in water)—although, Asimov notes, computers based on silicon chips may one day challenge this assumption. In the section on astronomy: Halley's comet, due to reappear in 1986, and its historical reputation for foretelling dire events; the idea of the geostationary orbit, invented by Arthur C. Clarke; novas and supernovas; the slow realization, over the last few centuries, that Earth is not the center of the universe or, indeed, of any cosmic importance at all. Also on the agenda: the Fibonacci numerical series and the "golden section" of the ancients; Biblical cosmology; an examination of irrationality-in-general, and irrationality in science. Mildly informative, rather complacent, altogether bland: an average outing overall.
Pub Date: Feb. 10, 1982
ISBN: 0586058427
Page Count: -
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1982
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
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