Physics Book Reviews

Grave of The Fireflies within the western hemisphere is most well known for its poignant, haunting and heart rendering animated 1988 feature-film adaptation produced by Studio Ghibli. Seldom mentioned however, is the original short story, composed by Akiyuki Nosaka on which the film is based.  Set within the final act of the Second World War, Grave of the Fireflies follows a pair of siblings, an older brother Seita and his much younger sister Setsuko, as they traverse the events surrounding the bombing of Kobe and its immediate aftermath.  Effectively orphaned, the pair are then set adrift within a new chaotic and graphic landscape, whilst struggling to survive. At its core, Grave of the Fireflies is a tribute to the countless war orphans who perished during the conflict, who much like Seita and Setsuko, never found home again.  A deep sense of dissonance lingers for the duration of the story. Locations, which the pair were acquainted with ...

What is a marriage really? - A Quiet Place dissects this very question throughout its pages. Set in Post-War Japan, this piece traverses the inner workings of Japan's civil service through the eyes of a middle ranking civil servant Tsuneo Asai. Asai is what you could recognise by modern standards, as your archetypal Japanese salary man: hardworking, disciplined, highly respected, resourceful, loyal but intertwined with a tinge of rueful pride, great ambitions, and a distaste for the nepotism which is rife within his profession.  It is this pride which, for the entirety of this novel, forms perhaps the strongest of Asai's relationships.  This effective marriage to his job is then challenged, by the sudden and unexpected death of his junior second wife Eiko, whilst Asai is away on a work trip; an unwelcomed intrusion into Asai's work life. One aspect which is telling of the separation between each of Asai's worlds; his home and his work, is that he barely refers to h...

 I t is often a struggle to justify to 1st year students how the physics we see in class is related to the phenomena we see day in, day out.  Undergraduates are often faced with overtly simplified or uninspired problems and examples (block on a ramp - I'm looking at you) to work through. This more often than not,  at least in my opinion,  takes the fun out of it, with students becoming  desensitised to that the fact the calculations they produce have any bearing on the physical world at all.  The Physics of Sound and Music thus is a welcomed antidote in this regard. The first volume covers the theory behind sound and the musical instruments that produces it. Not only is the text fluid, entertain and of course educational, it is extraordinarily cultural in its approach. Not only will you learn physics, you will also come to appreciate the relationship the subject has to the arts. Reflective of this, the text is filled with outstanding ...

The second edition of Probability and Statistics for Physical sciences remains a stalwart example of an introductory text for statistical methods.   A real highlight of this text is that it is never boring, contrived or difficult. The authors should be praised for the high degree of pedagogical literacy in this textbook. From the beginning, the reader is treated to a gentle, but quantitative introduction to the basics of statistical measurement, before delving into a very nice introduction of probability. The book explores various topics from sampling, estimators and hypothesis testing. Fundamentally, a refreshing aspect of this text is that it empowers the reader (from even a first read) to confidently apply the techniques within to problems that the reader may find in real life (be it as a part of a lecture course or research problem). To this end, the book is economical when it comes to the gritty theory which professional statisticians revere but remains comprehensive ...

General relativity for the Gifted Amateur is one of the most outstanding introductory texts on general relativity I have seen.  This text is not only comprehensive in its discussion of topics; covering many advanced subjects in gravity that otherwise are not covered in an introductory course (such as frames and differential forms), but is also extremely accessible.  Never have I seen a book on the subject take such care to illustrate meaningful examples to the reader in a way which is easy to follow and intuitive. Notably, I was extremely impressed with the examples used in the differential forms section of the book, which describe how to purposely do calculations from first principles. Furthermore, this text is chockablocked with figures, diagrams and illustrations through out. A notable feature of these images is that the meaning behind them is actually explained either within the attached  caption or in the main body. This is a feature that is often missing in oth...

Can art truly be innovative?  Is innovation the pathway to power? These questions form the grand backbone of this thoughtful and homely tale of murder, betrayal and one man's obsession to find the truth.  Inspector Imanishi Investigates immerses the reader into 1960s Japan, a country whose identity at this point in time remains in flux after the terrors of the Second World War.  As with most detective stories, we begin with the discovery of a body; a manhunt ensues - to no avail at first. But slowly and surely, the dark events that led to the initial gruesome deed, unravels into a murderous rampage, leaving our protagonist, Chief Inspector Eitaro Imanishi in hot pursuit.  Imanishi in many ways is your archetypal detective: a middle-aged family man placed at odds with his sense of duty to discover the truth behind the mysterious events. Nevertheless, despite the common caricature appended to him, what sets apart Imanishi is his relatability.  Matsumot...

208 years after her untimely death, Jane Austen has greatly out shadowed the general anonymity afforded to her in life.  Celebrated for her wit, charm and sense of character, Jane Austen gave a voice to those that otherwise would not have been heard, in a time where women's rights and thoughts were trampled. Of even more renown, Austen changed the landscape of British literature forever. Jane Austen's presence in the world of literature is titanous; even within her own lifespan and that of her contemporaries, Austen's work rightly had begun to be placed within the same ranking as Shakespeare and his ilk.  This complete collection of Jane Austen is an outstanding testament of her life's work. From a purely aesthetics point of view, the books in the collection are wonderfully cloth bound,  in addition to an excellent display jacket. In compliment , the scholarly notes provided through by Janet Todd aids in the reader's immersion into the world of Jane Austen; especial...

The name Weinberg within Quantum Field Theory circles is synonymous for many reasons.  Getting the obvious one out of the way first; Weinberg himself was a Nobel Laureate and a highly regarded researcher who advanced our knowledge of theoretical particle physics (along side Abdus Salem and Sheldon Glashow) with the unification of the weak nuclear and electromagnetic forces to form electroweak theory.  Secondly, Weinberg possessed a renown as an educator of theoretical physics within the community. Principally, Weinberg produced a three-volume series on Quantum Field Theory, that has remained a crowning compendium on Modern Quantum Field Theory.  The first in this series of books explored the foundations of Quantum Field Theory. First, beginning with a historical exploration of the field, before delving into the so-called basics: from canonical methods to the path integral approach of Quantum Field Theory. In succession, the 2nd volume deals with more advanced techniques (...

When studying mathematics, one often takes for granted where it really all comes from. As we progress upwards through our mathematical education, we learn more about the theorems,  lemmas,  proofs and logic that underpins nature.  Nevertheless, we really do not consider where the notation- (the syntax of the language) we use day and day out comes from. Perhaps, we were far too encumbered and distracted by abstract beauty that mathematics offers in its own right to consider the issue any further.  However, it remains a poignant question: where does the language of mathematics (from a purely  etymological  perspective) we use day in, day out come from? The Language of Mathematics is the remedy to our ignorance. This book is a love letter to the fundamental nature of Mathematics and the syntax that has developed along side it.  It is an eye opening account of  the early history of mathematics and scientific thought in general. The book give numerous ...

 Foundations of Crystallography is an extraordinary detailed account into the key concepts needed to gain a firm understanding in crystallography.  The text is indeed authoritative ; dedicating a great many pages to the subject in comparison to other texts on the subject. This is to its credit, as it presents a much more detailed and precise description than its competitors. One example where this is evidently exhibited is in the introductory chapters.  In my own experience, I have never seen a book on condensed matter physics describe so painstakingly  what lattices are and the symmetries which they possess. This is supported by numerous illustrations and worked examples. In particular, this text makes great use of colour in images to distinguish different properties, structures and aspects of crystallography. This is indeed rare in the field and to my knowledge there exists no other text book on the subject that is as well illustrated as this one. This point i...

Tensor calculus has a huge series of applications across the physical sciences. From machine learning to fundamental physics, a solid foundation in tensor calculus and differential geometry is becoming more essential.  Despite these skills being in such high regard, the texts that currently exist to support the learning and reinforcement of tensor calculus are, for the most part, too terse and technical in nature. For students who are not inherently pure mathematicians ( as is mostly the case ), these texts are too proof-based, overtly technical and most egregiously do not show students how to apply these concepts to actual problems. For those of us with a physics background, such texts often present an insurmountable challenge to our education, and are often a deterrent for further study.  A Geometrical Introduction to T ensor Calculus is a refreshing exploration of both the theory and (drawing on the author's research expertise) application of tensor calculus.  As a tra...

 Suspicion is itself a challenge to the genre of crime fiction we have all become so accustomed to in the present age. From the outset the reader is put at odds with the moral and legal definition of innocence, as well as the significance media has on society.  Told within the back drop of postwar Japan,  the story revolves around the prosecution of a morally dubious woman, turned national pariah, for the murder of her recently wedded husband; on whom she had taken out multiple life insurance policies. Passed from legal council to council,  she maintains to almost a fanatical nature her innocence.  In parallel, the dogged local reporter who first propelled this case into the national Japan conscious, is himself embroiled in a fanatical quest to ensure the woman's conviction and eventual execution, by any means possible.  The conflict between these two is masterfully told through the inner workings of the Japanese legal profession. The overall narrative is e...

Chaotic Good gives an interesting offering into the death and rebirth cycle attached to the pains and aftermath of divorce.  Firstly, the collection's title ('Chaotic Good') is an interesting manifesto in itself. Reading from cover to cover, the reader is often set at odds with what truely Chaotic Good means to the poet and to ourselves. We only come across the answer after deep reflection, through the realisation that the entire healing process is indeed a chaos process. This point is illustrated excellently through the collection's non-linear structure.  The entire collection is split into 5 distinct chapters: Sepearation, Childhood, Adolescence, Marriage and  Rebirth. Starting with initial trauma and upheaval of divorce. The collection returns the poet back to their past, allowing them to recontextualize their past experiences in light of present circumstances. It is from this recontextualization of the past, that the poet and indeed the reader are allowed then to de...

 The legacy of the arthurian legends are perhaps more consequential than the actual figure himself.  From the anglo-centric consensus, King Arthur became the flag bear of British patriotism, military might, romanticism as well as a cornerstone for British literature itself. It is safe to say King Arthur has with time, become an indispensable part of the British tradition, even in the modern age.  One thing that has remained unclear through the ages is whether King Arthur existed in any shape or form in reality.  Increasingly, as the 20th century progressed belief in his existence has wained and fallen to the wayside, somewhat dampening the strength of his influence in the process.  King Arthur and the Languages of Britain aims to revitalise the legend of King Arthur by revisiting the question of his historicity, through fresh and innovative analysis. The text begins by providing an excellent introduction and review of the current historical consensus surrounding...

Modern Physics is a novel revitilsation of the standard 1st year education in undergraduate physics. The text is very comprehensive; it covers a broad spectrum of topics from quantum mechanics to condensed matter physics and cosmology.  What makes this book special is its approach in explaining physics phenomena. This text gives intuitive, relatable and detailed explanations of the how's and why's.  This is refreshing, as it build gently the readers physical understanding of how the world should work. This is remarkably important for building student's confidence when solving problems, but also their mathematical toolkit to do so. This is further aided by the numerous worked examples, conceptual questions and exercises throughout. There is no doubt in my mind that Modern Physics will soon become the standard reference for first year teaching. Modern Physics by Gary N. Felder and  Kenny M. Felder ISBN:  9781108913270

What does it mean to be a scientist ? How do I become a scientist ? What makes up the universe around us ? What is the Square Root of Einstein ? The Square Root of Einstein answers all and more of these questions, in a satisfying way.  Written in a warming conversational tone, this extremely entertaining book walks the reader effortlessly through some of the greatest surprises in fundamental physics over the last century: Quantum Mechanics, Special Relativity, General Relativity, Quantum Field Theory, and of course Particle Physics. These earlier chapters coalesces into the final half of the book which describes one of the most perplexing results of the last 20 years: The Double Copy. This book appeals to broad audience of popular science enthusiasts, young and old. For the teenage reader, this book provides a calling and challenge. This book is an accessible call to action towards young readers considering a career (or at the very least a university education) in science, especial...

The Mathematical Theory of Black Holes in Higher Dimensions is an interesting, insightful and intellectually challenging tome, which outlines the theory, advancements as well as open questions surrounding the nature of higher dimension phenomena in gravitational physics.  Black holes in higher dimensions are seldom referenced in many courses (both beginner and advanced) in the study of Einstein gravity. This book fills in this gap in readers' education by gently leading them through each of the topics one by one. Aimed at the graduate level, the text first begins to describe  static black holes in 5D, before extending into more advanced (and perhaps unfamiliar) examples of higher dimensional such as black strings. The text then leads itself to (in detail) outline the generation of such gravitational solutions as well as how to classify such solutions; it then ends with extensions to Einstein-Maxwell gravity theories. Interesting references are scattering throughout the text (a...

There is often a great disparity between s tatistics  textbooks, many of which can be subdivided into two main categories: too little or too hard.  In the case of the former, these texts normally too elementary for the standard of statistics needed for sucessful careers in data science or academica; they also do not prepare the reader adquately for futher studies into advanced topics (e.g machine learning).  The latter case (which almost exclusively covers the more advanced and indeed interesting topics), is ladden with such a high level of mathematical rigour, that it puts off the vast majority of readers. In addition, such books often neglect explanations of how one can implement these techniques, with little emphasis on the practicals of day to day usage. Statistical Methods for Data Analysis negotiates between these two schools of thought, to deliver an enjoyable, instructive and more importantly useful study into both basic and advanced techniques of statistics....

Monte Carlo methods remain till this day some of the most interesting and useful aspects of applied mathematics over the last century. Indeed, Monte Carlo methods are the poster boys for applications of mathematics beyond that of which they were first conceived. The use of  M onte Carlo methods have spread far and wide throughout out the physical sciences as well as to real world setting, predominantly in financial trading and analysis. Indeed, the accelerated influence of Monte Carlo methods owe their success much to the development of computer within the last 70 years. This book is a joy to read cover to cover. Firstly, it is comprehensive in its treatment of the topics covered; containing interesting combination of techniques and encyclopaedic knowledge (on probability and number generators) that is hard to find in just (at an understandable level) one place elsewhere.  The greatest strength of this text, which lends significantly to its overall  comme ndability  ...

 Electromagnetism is often one of the hardest beginner undergraduate course for many students. Depending on the presentation of the material, the course can be either too mathematical in nature, obscuring the actual underlying physics; or contains too little detail of how to perform the calculations needed to appreciate the physical relevance of the phenomena studied.  Electromagnetism - Principles and Modern Applications in this regard is perhaps one of the perfect examples of a first course in electromagnetism. This text sets about first building the intuition needed to describe and evaluate quantities described by vector fields, starting with perhaps most initiative introduction to electrostatics I've seen; before then contextualising these techniques in the description of electrical circuits. This is then followed by a very nice introduction into magnetic fields, before coming to the derivation of the Maxwell equations. The second half of the text then dedicates itself to ...