OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC TITLES, 2012

rson, Julie. The art of medi­

cine: over 2,000 years of images and imagination, by Juli e Anderson, Emm Barnes, and Emma Shackleton. Chicago, 20 11. 255p bib! index afp ISBN 9780226749365,$50.00 Jul ' l 2, 49-63 14

Austriaco, Nicanor Pier Giorgio. Biomedi­cine and beatitude: an introduc­tion to Catholic bioethics. Catholic University of America, 2011. 327p bibl indexes afp ISBN 97808132188 16, $44.95; ISBN 97808132 18823 pbk, $24.95 Jul ' 12, 49-6315

End-of-life care: a practical guide, eel . by Barry M. Kinzbrunner and Joel S. Policzer. McG raw-Hill Medical, 201 1. 858p bibl index afp ISBN 9780071545273 pbk, $60.00 Mar'12, 49-3897

Gaynes, Robert P. Germ theory: medi­cal pioneers in infectious diseases. ASM Press, 2011. 329p bib! index afp ISBN 978 15558 15295 pbk, $29.95 Jul' 12, 49-632 1

Grob, Rachel. Testing baby: the trans­formation of newborn screening, parenting, and policy making. Rutgers, 2011. 272p bib! index afp ISBN 978081355 1357, $75 .00; ISBN 978081355 1364 pbk, $27.95 Feb' 12, 49-3289

Hamil to n, David. A history of or-gan transplantation. Pittsburgh, 2012. 556p bib! index afp ISBN 9780822944133, $65.00 Dec' l 2, 50-2096

Helmstadter, Carol. Nursing before Nightingale, 1815-1899, by Carol Helmstadter and Judith Godden. Ash­gate, 2011. 219p bib! index ISBN 978 1409423 133, $119.95; ISBN 978 1409423 140 e-book, contact pub­lisher for price Aug' 12, 49-69 18

Hoffman, Richard. The Mediterranean diet: health and science, by Richard Hoffman and Mariette Gerber. Wi­ley, 2012. 402p bib! index ISBN 978144433002 1 pbk, $77.99 Oct' 12, 50-09 15

818

Netter's neurology, eel . by H. Royden Jones Jr. et al. Elsevier, 201 2. 749p bib! index ISBN 978 1437702736, $99 .95 Mar' 12, 49-3903

Nursing, History and Health Care, from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. URL: h ttp://www. nursing. upenn. ed u/ nhhc/ Apr'12, 49-449 1

Pagliaro, Louis A. Handbook of child and adolescent drug and substance abuse: pharmacological, develop­mental, and clinical considerations, by Louis A. Pagliaro and Ann Marie Pagliaro. Wi ley, 201 2. 511p bib! index afp ISBN 9780470639061, $65 .00 Sep'1 2, 50-03 13

Pepin, Jacques. The origins of AIDS. Cambridge, 2011 . 293p bib] index ISBN 978 1107006638, $85.00; ISBN 97805211 86377 pbk, $28 .99 Apr' 12, 49-4493

Public health for an aging society, ed. by Thomas R. Prohaska, Lynda A. An­derson, and Robert H. Binstock. Johns Hopkins, 2012. 43 1p bib! index afp ISBN 978 142 1404349, $75 .00; ISBN 9781 42 1404356 pbk, $40.00 Oct' 12, 50-0921

A Public health perspective on end of life care, eel . by Joachi m Cohen and Luc Deliens. Oxford, 201 2. 255p index ISBN 97801 99599400 pbk, $65.00 Dec' 12, 50-21 03

Religion: a clinical guide for nurses, ed. by Elizabeth Johnston Taylor. Springer Publishing, 201 2. 283p index ISBN 9780826108609 pbk, $50.00 Nov' 12, 50-1 502

Wicclair, Mark R. Conscientious objec­tion in health care: an ethical analy­sis. Cambridge, 2011. 252p bib! index ISBN 978052 15143 16, $90.00; ISBN 978052 1735438 pbk, $29.99 Jan' 12, 49-2707

Information & Computer Science Codecademy. URL: http://www.codec

ademy.com/ Nov' 12, 50-1506

Digital Trends. URL: http://www. digita lrrencls.com/ Jul ' 12, 49-6327

CHO ICL

Gorton, Ian. Essential software archi­tecture. Springer, 2011. 242p bib! index ISBN 9783642 191756, $59.95; ISBN 9783642 191763, contact publisher for price Jan' 12, 49-2715

Hwang, Ka i. Distributed and cloud com­puting: from parallel processing to the Internet of things, by Kai Hwang, Geoffrey C. Fox, and Jack J. Dongarra. Elsevier/Morgan Kaufmann, 20 12. 648p bib! index ISBN 9780 12385880 l pbk, $89.95 Jun'l 2, 49-5712

Ince, Darrel. The computer: a very short introduction. Oxford, 2011. 139p index afp ISBN 97801 99586592 pbk, $11.95 Oct' 12, 50-0924

Murray, Janet H. Inventing the medium: principles of interaction design as a cultural practice. M IT, 201 2. 483p bibl index afp ISBN 97802620 16148, $50.00 Jul' 12, 49-6329

ReadWriteWeb. URL: h ttp ://www. read writeweb.com/ May' 12, 49-5 108

See!, Peter B. Digital universe: the global telecommunication revolu­tion. Wiley-Blackwell, 201 2. 276p index ISBN 978 1405153294, $92.95; ISBN 9781405153300 pbk, $39.95; ISBN 978 1444360844 e-book, $39.95 Aug' l 2, 49-6930

Mathematics Cunningham, James B. Using SPSS: an

interactive hands-on approach, by James B. Cunningham and James 0. Al­drich. SAGE Publications, 201 2. 237p index afp ISBN 978 1412995 153 pbk, $39.95 Feb' 12, 49-3309

Fleisch, Daniel A. A student's guide to vectors and tensors. Cam­bridge, 201 2. 197p index ISBN 978052 11 93696, $75.00; ISBN 97805211 71908 pbk, $28 .99 Jul ' 12, 49-6332

GonzaJez-Velasco, Enrique A. Journey through mathematics: creative episodes in its history. Springer, 2011 . 466p bib! index afp ISBN 9780387921532, $79.95 Mar' 12, 49-39 14

Kadane, Joseph B. Principles of uncer­tainty. CRC Press, 20 11. 475p bibl

January 2013

I

OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC TITLES, 2012

index ar[1 ISBN 97814.39861615, 589.95 Fcb'I2. 49-

.3313

Ostermann. Alexander. Geometry by its history, by Alexander Ostermann and Gerhard \Vanner. Springer, 2012. 4.37p bib! index afp ISBN 978%42291623, $79.95 Nov'12, 50-1515

Pask, Colin. Math for the frightened: facing scary symbols and every­thing else that freaks you out about mathematics. Prometheus Books, 201 1. 380p bib! index afp ISBN 9781616144210 pbk, $19.00 May'12, 49-5117

Richter-Geben, Ji.irgen. Perspectives on projective geometry: a guided tour through real and complex geom­etry. Springer, 2011. 571p bib! index afp ISBN 978%42172854, $84.95; ISBN 978%42172861 e-book, contact publisher for price Jan'12, 49-2731

Stewart, Ian. In pursuit of the un­known: 17 equations that changed the world. Basic Books, 2012. 342p index ISBN 9780465029730, $26.99 Sep' 12, 50-0333

100 years of superconductivity, ed. by Horst Rogalla and Peter H. Kes. CRC Press, 2012. 830p ISBN 9781439849460, $99.95 Jul' 12, 49-63.36

The Birth of string theory, ed. by Andrea Cappelli et a!. Cambridge, 2012. 636p bib! index ISBN 9780521197908, $99.00 Dec'12, 50-2119

Cassidy, David C. A short history of physics in the American century. Harvard, 2011. 211 p index af~J ISBN 9780674049.369, $29.95 Apr'12, 49-4512

Close, Frank. The infinity puzzle: quan­tum field theory and the hunt for an orderly universe. Basic Books, 2011. 435p bib! index ISBN 9780465021444, $28.99; ISBN 9780465028030 e-book, contact publisher f(Jr price May' 12, 49-5119

820

Illy, J6zscf The practical Einstein: experiments, patents, inventions. Johns Hopkins, 2012. 202p index c1f~1

ISBN 9781421404578, $60.00; ISBN 9781421405334 c-book, contact pub­lisher for price Oct' 12, 50-0938

Malley, ivLujoric C. Radioactivity: a history of a mysterious science. Oxf(m!, 2011. 267p bib! indexes af~J

ISBN 9780199766413,$25.00 Jan'12, 49-2735

Simonyi, K<iroly. A cultural history of physics, tr. by David Kramer. CRC Press, 2012. 622p bib! indexes afp ISBN 9781568813295,$59.00 Jul'12, 49-6340

\'Yean, Spencer R. The rise of nuclear fear. Harvard, 2012. 367p bib! index afp ISBN 9780674052338 pbk, $21.95 Nov'12, 50-1521

Davis, Wade. Into the silence: the Great War, Mallory, and the conquest of Everest. Knopf, 2011. 655p bib! index ISBN 9780375408892, $32.50 May'12, 49-5123

Ingrassia, Brian M. The rise of gridiron university: higher education's un­easy alliance with big-time football. University Press of Kansas, 2012. 322p bib] index afp ISBN 9780700618309, 534.95 Oct' 12, 50-0939

Lamb, Chris. Conspiracy of silence: sportswriters and the long cam­paign to desegregate baseball. Nebraska, 2012. 397p bib! index afp ISBN 9780803210769,$39.95 Aug'12, 49-6948

Negro leagues Baseball History. URL: http:/ /www.baseball-rdcrence.com/ nib/ Aug' 12, 49-6949

Newman, Joshua I. Sport, spectacle, and NASCAR nation: consumption and the cultural politics of neoliberal­ism, by Joshua I. Newman and Michael D. Giardina. Pal grave Macmillan, 2011. 288p bib! index ISBN 9780230115194, $90.00 Apr'12, 49-4518

f I< ) I (: !·:

Bccnstock, Michael. Heredity, family, and inequality: a critique of social sciences. MIT, 2012. 474p bib! index afp ISBN 97802620 I 6926, S5Cl.OO Oct' 12, 50-0944

Blackness and disability: critical examinations and cultural inter­ventions, ed. by Christopher M. Bell. Michigan State, 2012 (c2011). 165p bib! afp ISBN 9781611860108 pbk, $29.95 Jul'12, 49-6344

A Companion to folklore, ed. by Regina F. Bendix and Galit Hasan-Rokem. Wiley-Blackwell, 2012. 660p bib] index ISBN 9781405194990, $199.95 Nov'12, 50-1530

Fassin, Didier. Humanitarian reason: a moral history of the present, tr. by Rachel Gomme. California, 2012. 336p bib! index afp ISBN 9780520271166, $65.00; ISBN 9780520271173 pbk, $26.95 May'12, 49-5131

Goldin, Ian. Exceptional people: how migration shaped our world and will define our future, by Ian Goldin, Geoffrey Cameron, and Meera Balarajan. Princeton, 2011. 371 p bib! index afp ISBN 9780691145723, $35.00 Jan'12, 49-2742

Handbook of theories of social psy­chology, ed. by Paul A. M. Van Lange, Aric W. Kruglar.ski, and E. Tory Higgins. SAGE Publications, 2011 (c2010). 2v indexes afp ISBN 9780857029607 v.1; ISBN 9780857029614 v.2, 5175.00 ea. May'12, 49-5135

ICPSR: Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research. URL: http://www. icpsr.umich.ed u/icpsrweb/ ICPSR/ Jan' 12, 49-2743

Integrated but unequal: black faculty in predominately white space, ed. by Mark Christian. Africa World, 2012. 250p bib! index ISBN 9781592218684 pbk, $29.95 Jurd2, 49-5746

Lyons, Jonathan. Islam through Western eyes: from the Crusades to the war on terrorism. Columbia, 2012. 260p

January 2013

50-2697 TK51 OS 2012-9519 MARC

Blum, Andrew. Tubes: a journey to the center of the Internet. Ecco,

2012. 294p index ISBN 9780061994937, $26.99 '!his book's primary focus is dw infrastructural componems

and EKilitics of the Internet and the everyday people who work in those frcilities. litbes would be useful for readers interested in mass

communications and management information systems. It may lack the detail level for those in engineering and computer science fields,

but it would still be a fun read for this audience. "!he author's approach is similar to that of a travel guide. Blum (journalist) writes in the first

person, talking about his own experiences during his travels to the world's

major network infrastructures; readers will feel that they are vicariously

visiting these high-security locations themselves. A picture may be worth a thousand words, but the book has no images. This is not surprising;

given the locations the author visits, it is doubtful that anyone would be able to take photos. Of particular interest is the section describing

the peer exchange process between the tier I networks. The book does

not impart any specific techniques that are usefuL but, overall, readers will come away with a better holistic understanding of how the Internet

infrastructure runs and the character of the people who work in that

environment. Summing Up: Recommended. ** All students, general readers, and professionals.-5. A. Patton, Indiana State Uniuersity

50-2698 QA76 2011-53181 CIP

Ceruzzi, Paul E. Computing: a concise history. MIT, 2012. 199p bib!

index afp ISBN 0262517671 pbk, $11.95; ISBN 9780262517676 pbk,

$11.95 Ceruzzi (Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum; A History

oflviodenz Computing, 2nd ed., CH, Nov'03, 41-1596; Internet Alley:

High Teclmolo,zy in Tyson's Como; 1945-2005, 2008) abridges the history

of computing in an easy-to-digest, pleasant sketch. The book is part of the "MIT Press Essential Knowledge'' series, which aims to "deliver

concise, expert overviews" on "need-to-know subjects.'' Ceruzzi uses

four themes to lay the landscape of computing: the digital paradigm,

convergence, solid-state electronics, and the human-machine interface.

The digital paradigm covers how binary logic and arithmetic came to control machines and how digital methods supplanted analog procedures.

Convergence examines the multiple technologies and systems that coalesced to produce modern computing. Solid-state electronics and its

progression following Moore's law bring focus to the tension between

technological determinism and social and political influences on innovation. The human-machine interbce summarizes the ascension of

the personal computer, the \X!eb, and social media. The book includes

a helphrl glossary and "Further Reading" section. More careful editing would have been helpful. In addition, some illustrations do not work

well in the book's small physical design. A similar work is Gerard

O'Regan's Brie{Histo1y of Computing (2nd eel., 2012). Summing Up: Recommended. ** Lower-division undergraduates, two-year technical program students, and general readers.-Al. lvfounts, Dartmouth College

50-2699 QA76 2011-51399 CIP

Cortada, James W. The digital flood: the diffusion of information technology across the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Oxford, 2012. 789p

bib! index afp ISBN 9780199921553, $99.00 Conada (![)M Institute f(Jr Business Value) h<rs written prolifically

January 2013

on the spread of the computer and inf(mnation technology over the last few decades. In this volume, he t{x:uses on the comparative international

dimensions of this phenomenon. As the subtitle indicates, the flxus is on the US, Europe, and Asia. Cortada's treatment of individual countries is remarkably thorough and well infimned. ·I his book should prove a valuable

resource for anyone interested in the imernational difFLtsion of computers

and information technology over the last half century. It does sufFer from a cumbersome writing style and inadequate copyediting. In addition, the lack of a comprehensive bibliography is a real loss given the richness of the

book's references; the useful bibliographic essay at the end of the volume only partially atones for this omission. All the same, the plethora of obscure

country-specific surveys and case studies Cortada draws on in his endnotes makes the volume a treasure trove f()r those with a serious interest in this

salient topic. Summing Up: Highly recommended. *** Upper-division undergraduate through professional readership.-D. i\1itch, Uniuenity of

!'vft11yland Baltimore County

50-2700 TK5105 2011-47198 CIP

The Death of the Internet, ed. by Markus Jakobsson. IEEE Press/

Wiley, 2012. 361p bib! index ISBN 1118062418 pbk, $69.95; ISBN

9781118062418 pbk, $69.95 Although people may not like to admit it, the Internet is an essential

system on which everyone depends on a daily basis-even if they are not actively connected to the system. This aptly tided book provides

an in-depth exploration of what would happen if the Internet became unusable or crippled. Covering topics ranging from the social impact

to the problems that could cause such a situation, this compendium is a veritable encyclopedia for those interested in the various aspects of Internet security. One of the unique inclusions is the discussion of the

"fOlk model" of security, users' perceptions of threats that guide them

to establish security on their own machines. Understanding even this aspect is revolutionary for changing the security of the Internet, and for people to become savvier users. -!his work is an excellent guide for new

security profCssionals who need to learn about these numerous issues as well as those who wish to gain a better understanding of the current state

of Internet security. The book includes possible solutions to some of the problems, but the overwhelming appeal of this text is the awareness it

provides. Summing Up: Highly recommended. *** Students of all levels, general readers, and professionals/practitioners.-!.' D. Richardson,

South Uniuersity

50-2701 QA267 2012-392305 MARC

Goresky, Mark. Algebraic shift register sequences, by Mark Gore­

sky and Andrew Klapper. Cambridge, 2012. 498p bib! index ISBN

1107014999, $85.00; ISBN 9781107014992,$85.00 Random number sequences have many engineering applications in

communication, cryptography, simulation, testing. etc. As computers

generally cannot produce genuinely random sequences, most applications

employ algorithmically generated pseudo-random sequences. Specific applications require sequences that merely pass specific statistical tests

for the absence of structure. Engineers thus seek algorithms guaranteed to produce adequate sequences. Mathematical methods paradoxically

exploit the presence of structure in sequences to prove that the same sequences appear to lack structure according to relevant tests. Although theoretical computer scientists have developed sophisticated algorithms with robustly random output (at least assuming famous conjecwres),

these run too slowly for industrial applications. Mathematician Goresky (Institute for Adv,utced Study, Princeton) and computer scientist Klapper

)!CF 913

( Univ. of Kenwcky) treat in detail a very practical class of algorithms designed ro run extremely Em. This subject develops rapidly because of systemic competition: code breakers constantly battle code makers. A key point is that all the rests on just the sort of abstract algebra

(recalled in four substantial appendixes) that mathematics majors must study, yet whose utility tew ever appreciate. This elegant text casts highly practical mathematics as replete with miraculous theoretical novelties.

lt thus serves specialists while simultaneously evincing a broad appeal.

Summing Up: Recommended. ** Mathematics, computer science, or engineering collections, upper-division undergraduates and above.-D. V Feldmrm, University ofNew Hc~mpshire

50-2702 QA76 MARC Handbook of natural computing, ed. by Grzegorz Rozenberg with Thomas H. W. Back and Joost N. Kok. Springer, 2012. 4v bibl index afp ISBN 3540929096, $799.00; ISBN 9783540929093, $799.00

The scope of this handbook is quite broad. "Natural computing" encompasses what can be considered "intelligent computing" in both

the nawral realm of information processing and the artificial world of nature-inspired algorithms. For example, the human brain uses spiking

neurons to process input information in order to produce output commands. In like manner, artificial neural networks model the behavior of neurons, with many successful applications. This work provides a solid

presentation of both aspects of computing-natural and artificial-and serves as an important foundation and cross-fertilization for researchers

in each area, although the emphasis is still primarily on nature-inspired artificial algorithms.

Based on the recommendation of an international board of experts, the plethora of research in these volumes is divided into seven major categories: "Cellular Automata," "Neural Computation," "Evolutionary

Computation," "Molecular Computation," "Quantum Computation," and "Broader Perspective-Nature-Inspired Algorithms," and "Broader

Perspective-Alternative Models of Computation." Significant research in artificial algorithms has been carried out for the first three categories

within the last century; this handbook provides a superb summary of the state of the art of algorithmic developments in diverse areas. TI1e

last four categories reflect recent awareness of computing in the natural realm and provide rich content for further investigations in artificial

modeling and potential real-world applications. Within each category, an excellent collection of tutorial chapters on the natural realm and the artificial adaptations show how useful algorithms can be crafted from

nature-inspired processes. Each chapter is written by experts in the field, who summarize the important concepts of the subject matter and

provide an extensive list of references for further exploration. The book is inspirational in its coverage of the subject. It will be an indispensable tool for researchers and practitioners interested in developing nature-inspired

algorithms and a valuable resource for research institutions. Summing

Up: Highly recommended. *** Graduate students and above.-}. Y Cheung, emeritw, Uniuersity ofOk!c~homcl

50-2703 P90 2011-26379 CIP Holmevik, Jan Rune.lnter/vention: free play in the age of electracy. MIT, 2012. 204p bibl index afp ISBN 9780262017053, $28.00

Bookended by Gregory Ulmer's dense introduction and Ian Bogost's provocative afterword, this book discusses, hisroricizes, and exemplifies

a new, playful paradigm of invention, collaboration, work, learning, and ethics. Drawing heavily from Ulmer's theorization of digital

on the human condition (and--unfonunately-·on

Ulmer's jargon), Holrncvik (English, Clemson Univ.) attempts to invent, perform, and extend Ulmer's idea of "clccrracv'' (emergent perspectives

c1nd practices necessitated lw the digital apparatus that frames the present cultural moment). To this end, he includes, connects, and interprets

the histories of hacking, UNIX, tv!UDs and MOOs, educational uses of virtual worlds, ethics, and violent video games. Each of these

is interesting and valuable in its own way, but when collected and interrelated in this small book-in service of reimagining the potential tor play to radically transfcmn creative inventions and interventions

in digitally constituted cultures-the material has broader importance that should not be overlooked. This reviewer found ir refreshing to

encounter critical approaches to contemporary media that embody and promote an inventive spirit, furthering and maturing the creative,

pioneering approach to digital cultures exemplif1ed by Holmevik in High

Wired, which he coedited with Cynthia Haynes (CH, Jan'99, 36-2876), and /VIOOnilJo:<ity, cowritten with Haynes (2000). Summing Up:

Highly recommended. *** All readers, including technical program students.-}. A. Saklofike, Acadia University

50-2704 HM851 MARC Nentwich, Michael. Cyberscience 2.0: research in the age of digital social networks, by Michael Nentwich and Rene Konig. Campus Ver­lag, 2012. 237p bibl index ISBN 9783593395180 pbk, $49.00

Presenting empirical social research in a systematic exploration of web

and platform usage practices, this book by Nentwich (Austrian Academy of Sciences) and Konig (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. Germany) is

a snapshot of the "moving target" of academic prospects for networking and finding scholarly information while avoiding information overload.

TI1e discussion itself is valuable as a history of popular plarrorms; it incorporates usage analysis for popular functions such as collaboration,

participation, and discovery tor creating/producing new knowledge. Admittedly, the findings soon become obsolete, yet the authors mention

such issues as distraction, shallowness, privacy, and data protection as areas for further research. In prognosticating about the possible

technological tools ror future scholarly communication and knowledge distribution, the authors highlight the roles of individuals, i.e., how will

researchers use the tools? Content control is a paramount concern, with emphasis on the quality of the evaluated knowledge and the possible role

of Tiuitter, Fc~cebook, and other social media platforms in the research process. TI1e applications discussed include microblogging, virtual reality, collaborative tools. and search engines. The final assessrncnr is

ambivalent-the pros and cons of these various options are still too much in flux, with the current scholarly communication system well established

and widely accepted. Summing Up: Recommended. ** Lower­division undergraduates and above.-5. E r'Viegand, Stlint 1'vfmy's College

50-2705 QA76 2011-39032 CIP Schweik, Charles M. Internet success: a study of open-source software commons, by Charles M. Schweik and Robert C. English. MIT, 2012. 351 p bib I index afp ISBN 0262017253, $35.00; ISBN 9780262017251' $35.00

\Xlhy do some open-source software (OSS) projects succeed while others fail? In lntcmt't Success, Schweik (Univ. of \hssachusc:tts, Amherst) and English (computing comultant) describe the results of their exhaustive

study of the factors that come together to create success or cause E1ilure, exploring government, commercial, and academic interests. lhe book is composed of 13 chapters organized into four parts. '!he one chapter in part l provides f(nmdational material and introduces basic terminology. ·[he

914 (!l()f( l January 2013

four chapters in pan 2 focus on the academic community and its significant role in OSS development. Part 3 contains seven chapters. ·n1c first f(lllr present the details of the authors' study of' OSS; the last three are a critical analysis of the study, requiring a slow, careful review by readers. '1he single chapter in part 4 puts the study into perspective. The authors caution readers to be careful about generalizing from the successes and failures of OSS development and applying the lessons learned to other large-scale global projects that employ digital technology and Internet solutions.

Summing Up: Recommended. ** Upper-division undergraduates through professionals.-] Beidlo; Uniuersity o(Smmton

50-2706 TA1637 2011-36233 CIP Tanimoto, Steven L. An interdisciplinary introduction to image processing: pixels, numbers, and programs. MIT, 2012. 521 p index afp ISBN 9780262017169, $50.00

Tanimoto (Univ. of\'V'ashingron) presents introductory digital image processing concepts quite successfully, using language that is well suited for a variety of disciplines, although the book has a computer science flavor. The large number of chapters (20) gives instructors much content to select from for teaching purposes. The author describes basic topics mostly in a qualitative and easily understandable manner, but the text lacks the mathematical rigor to make it suitable for graduate electrical engineering students. The work E11ls short on the number of end-of­chapter references, though this should not hamper undergraduate student learning. The figures are in black and whire in the chapters, followed by color versions in the middle of the book, requiring readers to flip back and forth. Compared to other books (e.g., Digittll [mtlge Processing by Raf1el Gonzalez and Richard Woods, 3rd ed., 2008), this work refers to more up-to-date technology, and uses a free software tool for image presentation and analysis. As the title suggests, the concepts are covered from a broad, interdisciplinary perspective. The book is most suitable for computer science or digital photography disciplines, and potentially lower-division engineering students, with supplemental material for equations and worked examples. Summing Up: Recommended.

** Lower- and upper-division undergraduates, faculty, and professionals.-M. iV!ehmbeoglu, Textls A&M Uniuersity-Corpw Christi

50-2707 QA371 MARC Adkins, William A. Ordinary differential equations, by William A. Ad­kins and Mark G. Davidson. Springer, 2012. 799p indexes afp ISBN 9781461436171,$79.95

The book is meant for an introductory course for second-year undergraduates whose interest in the theory of differential equations is greater than that of the group of students normally taking the class. The number of exercises in the nine-chapter volume is fewer than in the most widely used competing textbooks, but Adkins and Davidson (both, Louisiana State Univ.) explain the theory in more detail, and they discuss both the geometric and algebraic meaning of theorems. '1he topical coverage is similar to that of other textbooks meant for this course, but the order of the topics is different: Laplace transforms are discussed in the second chapter, right after first-degree differential equations. The volume includes two optional subjects, power series and matrices, in separate chapters. Summing Up: Recommended. ** Lower-division undergraduates.-/\!/. Bona, Uniuersity off!orida

January 2013

Science & Technology L ________ _

50-2708 QA184 2012-7502 MARC Anthony, Martin. linear algebra: concepts and methods, by Martin Anthony and Michele Harvey. Cambridge, 2012. 516p index ISBN 9780521279482 pbk, $55.00

There arc many linear algebra books on the market. This one is distinguished from others because it is designed not only as a course textbook but also as a guide for self-study. In this regard, Anthony and Harvey (both, London School of Economics, UK) summarize each chapter with learning outcomes and embed activities and comments intended to promote active learning. Chapters also contain exercises of varying difficulty with complete answers at the back of the book and the usual end-of-chapter problem sets. However, the focus is only on linear algebra per se. Linear algebra has many applications to a wide range of disciplines, but the authors leave it to readers to explore these elsewhere. Further, many contemporary linear algebra books include computational approaches using computer algebra software, but this work does not offer such an interface. The layout of the volume makes it highly readable. Though it is in many ways attractive for library acquisition, libraries should consider purchase only if they need to add to their collection of linear algebra books. Summing Up: Recommended. ** Lower-division undergraduates through graduate students; two-year technical program students.-D. Z. Spim; University System of Mary!t~nd

50-2709 QA564 2012-930383 MARC Arapura, Donu. Algebraic geometry over the complex numbers. Springer, 2012. 329p bibl index afp ISBN 1461418089 pbk, $74.95; ISBN 9781461418085,$74.95

Masterful mathematical expositors guide readers along a meaningful journey. Neither excess detail nor frustrating lacunae interrupt the momentum; vistas anticipate the overall trajectory and major landmarks receive appropriate appreciation. Algebraic geometry, arguably both the most ancient and modern and a central branch of mathematics, has a reputation for terrible difficulty. Many eminent mathematicians (Mumford, Hartshorne, Griffiths and Harris, Shafarevich, etc.) have penned presumptive bibles; none make easy reading. !his book's shape and Row seem so natural one wonders why no one has written a book like it before. The book's first sentence projects very well its unique selling point: "Algebraic geometry is geometry." Every student should read this book first before grappling with any of those bibles. The emphasis on complex geometry offers concreteness, but even so, exciting generalizations to arithmetic geometry make their presence felt. Arapura (Purdue) strikes a perfect balance between general tools and specific examples. This is an advanced book in its own right (the author develops fi·om scratch the characteristically sophisticated homological tools and includes Hodge theory, often left to a second course). However, Arapura's knack for doing things in the simplest possible way and explaining the "why" makes for much easier reading than one might reasonably

expect. Summing Up: Highly recommended. *** Upper-division undergraduates and above.-D. V. Feldman, University of New Ht~mpshire

50-2710 QA300 MARC Barreira, Luis. Complex analysis and differential equations, by Luis Barreira and Claudia Valls. Springer, 2012. 415p index afp ISBN 1447140079 pbk, $49.95; ISBN 9781447140078 pbk, $49.95

'!his work, based on translations from the Portuguese editions, is two independent books in one, covering complex variables and difleremial equations in separate four-chapter sections. Barreira and Valls (both, lnsrituro Superior Tecnico, Lisbon) emphasize rigor, and have geared the

915

& Technology

book to students who arc slighdy more ackanccd than most students in first courses. The work begins with algebraic and geometric f(mndations of the complex numbers. '!he discussion then turns to holomorphic tlrnctiom aml includes a nice of Cauchy's intc:gral f(mnula.

'!he lirst part concludes with sequences, series, and analrric functions as power series. 'lhc second part opens with ordinal'\' differential equation techniques and includes Laplace transf(mns. Next, there is a journey

rhrough Fourier series and finally an introduction to partial differential equations. Cumulatively. the volume includes over 160 examples, nearly 200 solved problems (about 4 5 percmt of the text), and more than

220 exercises. Readability is enhanced by approximately 35 figures.

Summing Up: Recommended. ** Upper-division undergraduates, graduate swdems, researchers/bculty. and prolcssionals.-D. P Jimm; Ftmlkncr Uniuersity

50-2711 NX650 2011-933181 MARC Bourguignon, Jean-Pierre. Mathematics: a beautiful elsewhere, Jean-Pierre Bourguignon, Michel Cassae, and Hervae Chandes, cura­tors. Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, Paris, 2012. 219p ISBN 0500970300, $55.00; ISBN 9780500970300, $55.00

·1 his book was published to accompany an exhibition by the

same name presented in Paris from October 21, 20 II. to March 18, 2012. ll1e ride was motivated by rhe writings of a relatively unknown

mathematician, Alexander Grothendicck. !he artists and mathematicians who collaborated on this project attempted to illustrate how their

disciplines intersect; their goal was ro change the abstract thinking of mathematics into a beautiful sensory experience. 'Ihe book includes

photographs. drawings, and diagrams that show how the exhibition was created. The first section contains recollections by and interviews with mathematicians such as Alain Connes. Cedric Villani, and Misha

Grornov; questions such as "\Vhen you shut your eyes do you see something mathematical?" are asked. Sections in the first part of the book include "A Passion for Mathematics," "'fhe Mathematician and the

Shaman," and "Ancient Asian Mathematics and the Counting Board." The second part includes sections tided "Mathematical Concepts,"

"Mathematical Situations,'' and "Mathematical Universe." !he book

has many memorable quotes, such as "Algebra is generous, she often gives more than is asked of her,'' by Jean d'Alembert, and "\X1ithout dreams there is no an, no mathematics, no life," by Michael Atyiah.

Audio CD-ROivl. Summing Up: Recommended. ** Upper-division undergraduate and graduate mathematics students, faculty. and

professionals.-/ A. Bakai, h'lician College

50-2712 QA24 MARC Brown, Richard C. The tangled origins of the Leibnizian calculus: a case study of a mathematical revolution. World Scientific, 2012. 310p bib! index ISBN 9789814390798,$99.00

This book's tide somewhat belies its nature and scope. Though Brown (Univ. of Alabama) thoroughly treats the creation of calculus, the players involved, and the cultural context in which it took place, he

strives to do more than tlut f()[rnd in previous accounts. In particular, the author attempts to understand the development of calculus from the perspective of Lcibniz and his contemporaries, rather than fi·om a modern

one. ·rhus, the original notation of Leibniz is freely used throughout. Lcibniz is credited with inveming the modern notation of calculus. but his usc of this notation and his mode of thinking diftcr significantly from current norms to an extent that even a trained mathematician may find it somewhat f(>rcign. 'the book presents dw calculus of Leibniz as

a singular success in his quest of a "universal characteristic"-a universal

language or logical scheme allowing mathematicians/scientists to answer questions by purely mechanical means. ]he calculus of Lcibniz allows

one to arrive at results tbrough mechanical manipulation of the notation without truly understanding the underlying meaning. Any reader with an interest in mathematical history in general, or Leibniz in particular,

should find this an interesting read. Summing Up: Recommended. ** Academic audiences, lower-division undergraduates through researchers/

faculty.-D. S. Larson, GonZttga Uniuersity

50-2713 QA247 2012-931844 MARC Havil, Julian. The irrationals: a story of the numbers you can't count on. Princeton, 2012. 298p index afp ISBN 9780691143422, $29.95; ISBN 9781400841707 e-book, $29.95

The decimal system represents finite quantities with theoretically

unending expressions; thus, the infinite commonly first intrudes with one's experience of practical mathematics. -D1e advent of infinity

immediately raises mysteries: does the expansion of the square root of two contain infinitely many sevens? No one can answer this or any reasonably

similar question. The distinction between rational and irrational numbers lives on the tails of these infinite expansions, arguably beyond

all practical implications. Here, Havil (Winchester College, UK) explains that since their lirst discovery by the ancient Greeks, the irrationals, in

particular, have carried an aura of fascination and provided a portal into pure mathematics. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of books like the

present one-books for lay readers with a solid grounding in basic college mathematics, say a year of calculus. The inclusion of more equations than

in many other monographs makes this a popular work, allowing readers to act as spectators rather than journeymen. But it gets somewhere,

oflering full proofs of results such as the irrationality of pi and zeta(3) that most undergraduate mathematics majors never see, thus justifying

the book's place in a college library. Summing Up: Recommended.

** All undergraduate students and general audiences.-D. V Feldman, Uniz;ersity of New Hampshire

50-2714 QA402 MARC Schattler, Heinz. Geometric optimal control: theory, methods and examples, by Heinz Schattler and Urszula Ledzewicz. Springer, 2012. 640p bib/ index afp (Interdisciplinary applied mathematics, 38) ISBN 1461438330, $89.95; ISBN 9781461438335,$89.95

Schatder (electrical and systems engineering, \Vashington Univ.) and Lcdzewicz (mathematics and statistics, Southern Illinois Univ.) use

a geometric approach to present the theory of optimal control. Unlike others whose texts simply give optimality conditions for standard optimal control problems, these authors have developed a general approach that

can be applied to a wide variety of control problems. The book is divided into seven chapters, beginning with "The Calculus of Variations." T11e remaining chapters cover Pontryagin's maximum principle, reachability,

higher order optimality conditions, and application of the method of characteristics to obtain sufficient conditions. Four substantial appendixes summarize the required mathematical background in advanced calculus,

analysis, difl'erential equations, and difl'erential geometry. This volume sits somewhere between a textbook and a research monograph. Although the authors discuss m;my topics typically covered in courses on optimal

control in early chapters of this volume, there are no exercises lor students. Furthermore, much of the material is more advanced than in most other textbooks on the subject. This book may be of interest to graduate students and researchers working in this area. Summing Up:

916 l !( *· January 2013

t'

Recommended. ** Graduate students and researchers/faculty.-B. Borchers, New J'vfexico Institute ofk!ining and 7i·clmology

50-2715 QA445 2012-2357 CIP 5ossinsky, A. B. Geometries. American Mathematical Society, 2012. 301 p bibl index (v. 64) ISBN 9780821875711 pbk, $48.00

Sossinsky (Independent Univ. of Moscow, Russia) explores geometries from the perspective of Felix Klein's Erlangen program, i.e., as a set rogether with a specific group of transformations that act on the set. -l11e book includes presentations of flnite and discrete geometries, where rhe transformation/symmetry group is flnite or discrete, and infinite continuous geometries, where the transformation group is a Lie group. Examples of the former include "toy geometries" such as those of regular polygons and rhe Platonic solids, or the study of regular rilings of the plane and space; instances of rhe latter include spherical and hyperbolic geometries. Cfhrec models for plane hyperbolic geometry are treated.) The author also gives significant attention to projective geometry, particularly that of the real projective plane. Additionally, there are chapters on Euclidean geometry and historical aspects of non­Euclidean geometry. A final chapter, "Morphisms of Geometries," presents a brief introduction to covering spaces, vector bundles, and Lie groups, and requires more background in the subject. Appendixes include "Excerpts from Euclid's 'Elements'" and "Hilbert's Axioms for Plane Geometry." Overall, a very ambitious and pleasantly succinct text, although undergraduates may flnd this inviting volume presents a considerable challenge to master. Summing Up: Highly recommended.

*** Upper-division undergraduates and graduate studenrs.-5. j. Colley, Oberlin College

50-2716 QA43 2011-21674 CIP Swetz, Frank J. Mathematical expeditions: exploring word prob­lems across the ages. Johns Hopkins, 2012. 192p bibl index afp ISBN 9781421404370, $60.00; ISBN 9781421404387 pbk, $30.00

An important part of the history of mathematics is revealed through word problems in classical texts. l11is work succeeds in revealing this history in an interesting, challenging, and valuable context; in addition to presenting a math situation to explore, the 500 word problems provide information about people and society across a time span from the Babylonians in 2000 BCE to the American frontier. Looking from a teacher's perspective, Swetz (cmer., Penn State) establishes an interdisciplinary context for using these problems in mathematics classrooms and argues that the problems can motivate open-ended mathematical explorations. The text is missing rwo things. First, though it provides answers for the problems, it does not include the solution processes used historically (except for a few examples); these are important, as the mathematical tools available for solving a posed problem are not the tools available today. Second, though the problems arc divided historically and by country of origin, the sources (texts or authors) for each problem are not cited except for casual references in introductory paragraphs. However, a helpful "Glossary of Strange and Exotic Terms" clarifies historical uses of ancient measurement or

monetary units. Summing Up: Recommended. ** Lower-division undergraduates through researchers/faculty; general readers.-}. Johnson,

Western V7ashington University

January 2013

&I 50-2717 [Internet Resource] AlP Digital Archive, from the American Institute of Physics. AlP. Con­tact publisher for pricing. U RL: http:/ /jou rnals.ai p.org/d igita I_ arch ive.htm I

[Visited Oct' 12] l11e AlP Digital Archive is a creation of the American Institute of Physics, which represems physical science researchers from ten member organizations and is self~ reponed as " ... one of the world's largest publishers of scientific information in physics." ]he archive includes over 300,000 articles from ten AlP journals, daring back to early issues in rhe 1930s through 1998. A onetime individual or institution purchase option provides perpetual access to distinguished AIP journals including}oumal ofChemical Physics (1953-98), Applied Physics

Letters (1962-98), and A!P Conference Proceedings (1979-2004). It is difficult to qualify the subject nature of AlP peer-reviewed articles, which range from theoretical to applied sciences. It is equally diHiculr to qualify the value of AlP journals when compared to larger archives from the lnstimte of Physics <http:/ /iopscience.iop.org/journals?type=archive> and rhe American Physical Society (Physical Review Online Archiue <Imp:// prola.aps.orgl> ).

ll1e full text (including figures) of archival coment can be accessed through the home pages of the individual journals or through Scirarion, AlP's platform-wide search engine. Both options provide numerous fields tor searching including citations, abstracts, figure/table legends, and PACS classiflcation, and further options for faceting search results. Full text is available in HTML (for online viewing) or PDF formats. l11e PDF files are easily printed, downloaded, and entered into citation management systems such as Bib TeX. l11e archives collection is especially relevant to academic libraries that need to clear library shelf space, providing seamless access to additional online content and a window of opportunity for browsing and searching for valuable historical commentaries, letters, and news from various time periods. Larger academic libraries with current subscriptions to AlP journals will definitely want to acquire this important and relatively inexpensive resource. It would be advantageous to offer archive subscribers perpetual access to a rolling back fllc that continually adds current content. Summing Up: Highly recommended.

*** Libraries that support physics programs, upper-division undergraduates and above.-!. D. Gordon, Brock University

50-2718 QC475 2012-9025 CIP Biddle, Wayne. A field guide to radiation. Penguin Books, 2012. 258p bib! index ISBN 9780143121275 pbk, $16.00

This book is a pleasure to read; it is chock-full of information and thought provoking-not the usual description t(Jr a field guide. Information about radiation is frequently clothed in technical lingo that laypersons cannot easily understand. Biddle (writing seminars, Johns Hopkins Univ.) points out that field guides are not "scholarly texts," but should be "utilitarian handbooks tor amateurs and professionals." 'The alphabetical ordering of the material serves to divide the text into a collection of short, self~contained chapters on various clements and related topics. Most chapters provide a historical context, a brief technical overview of a substance's radiation properties, and an evaluation of its uses and dangers. The author includes some serious comments about the government's role in honest disclosure and testing of radiation cfkcts: for example, he cites a 1963 University of Rochester srudy related to the effect of lodine-l3l on a population weighted toward younger people.

917