Gamow, G

English

IACS Institutional Repository

B O O K  R E V IE WONE TWO THREE...INFINITY—by G. Gamow'; MacMillan and Co. Ltd.,London 1962. Pricf 16s. net.Going for the second time through thi oxcelant book in its n^vised form T found my int(*rest in it not a bit flagged from the pitch to which it w%as raised (wh(\n T first came across itV Though in thif- edition no considerable fresh mate­rial has b(‘cn adder], I en|oyed each wit and humour with the same Z(‘st as in 1949. In tliosc’ early days I had siieiuimbed to my th(» bad habit of skipping over the tougher portions and enjoying the story of this popular science exposition. But in this second reading 1 faced bravely and S(;rupulously each bit of logic*, till I reached the, last page all out of breath. No, not because of the exertion; Gamow really takes one breath aw^ ay by the amazingly clear and j)ointed sunmiary of all the important outstanding problems of modern seituice, vividly pietuiized by apt analogies creating the proper perspective for the understanding through the witty commentsBy the time I finislu^d, T also had agreed wdth Gamow  ^ that the book did not have too serious difficulties for the layman but it was simuy rmi for chiHren. What w'^ as my surprise when I found that the children <.f the present generation are so well up in the* knowui facts of s(*ien(‘o. that they are abk  ^not only to follow but enjoy with gusto not k s^s than S0% of the book. Tliis refers to a boy of 14 reading in class X of a local good standard English nKulium school The 10% he did not follow^  (‘onsisted mainly of the section on “Ridtlle of LiftN” to which ho is totally apathetic, being keen to become an inorganic chemist. Another girl a little o\(hr and interested mostly in Biology and Chemistry enjov(Hl the book throughly fortifying hereself wdth a small lecturer from me on qualitative relativity and (iuantum mechanics. About the section on theory <^ f numbers and topology both of them were sufficiently imaginative* to enjoy the expositionsSo the book is beitoming more and more a success belying the misgivings of tl\o author that it is not suitable for children and we congratulate him and thank his publis^hers for bringing out this paperbac^k edition to make it availal)le to a. large section of scientifically inclined layman and children of the modern age.A. Bose464

One Two Three...Infinity

http://arxiv.iacs.res.in:8080/jspui/bitstream/10821/2556/1/Book%20Review3.pdf

One Two Three...Infinity

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

IACS Institutional Repository