Categories On the Beauty of Physics : Essential Physics Concepts and Their Companions in Art and Literature [Hardcover]

Emiliano Sefusatti (Author), Hilary Thayer Hamann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2006 | ISBN-10: 0974026638 | ISBN-13: 978-0974026633 | Edition: 1

CategoriesOn the Beauty of Physics is a multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary educational book that uses art, and information from a variety of disciplines to facilitate the reader'ss encounter with challenging material. It promotes scientific literacy, fosters an appreciation of the humanities, and encourages informed and imaginative connections between the sciences and the arts. Categories is a cooperative learning tool through which people (especially educators and students) can engage in academic and value-oriented discussions.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A beautiful synthesis of science and art, pleasing to the mind and to the eye." -- ALAN LIGHTMAN, Author of Einstein's Dreams

"A gorgeous book—proof that beauty can be found in equal measure in words, images, and ideas." -- STEVEN PINKER, Author of How the Mind Works & The Language Instinct

"A valuable and fascinating book." -- World Year of Physics 2005

"Everyone talks about the beauty and elegance of physics, but this is the first beautiful and elegant physics book." -- JOHN KATZMAN, Founder of The Princeton Review

"The book is a treat for scientists and poets alike." -- JOHN RENNIE, Editor-in-Chief, Scientific American

From the Author

"I selected several concepts from classical and modern physics that I thought might be suitable for an audience of beginners, and I presented that word list to a physicist and an artist. Each was given the task of creating a single-page description for every term while I searched for literary passages and fine art that might relate comparatively to the scientific ideas. The goal in approaching physics from diversified points of view was to delineate for readers a breadth of possible interpretation. I wanted to show that the language of imagery and the language of metaphor can yield where the more established language of science cannot. And, if the meanings conveyed by these languages (that is to say, art and science) are not necessarily equal, their impact can certainly be seen as parallel and proportionate." — Hilary Thayer Hamann

Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: Vernacular Press; 1 edition (January 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0974026638
• ISBN-13: 978-0974026633
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,311,850 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great beauty, and elegant, intelligent prose, January 19, 2006

By 

Magdalena Ball "http://www.compulsivereader.c... - See all my reviews

This review is from: Categories On the Beauty of Physics : Essential Physics Concepts and Their Companions in Art and Literature (Hardcover)

We live in a world where the physics has become increasingly relevant to day to day living. The fast pace of change, the impact of technology (especially Nanotechnology), and the way we perceive ourselves and our place in the universe raises philosophical questions which impact on the way we live and the choices we make about our lives. Physics may be increasingly complex and mathematical at the advanced scientific level, but for the layman who looks up into the sky at night, or who is trying to make sense of life and death in the context of what we understand about molecular behaviour, it is all poetry, and sometimes very evocative/suggestive poetry. Programs like the Nova's version of Brian Greene's The Elegant Universe or books like Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything have been phenomenally popular, bridging a gulf between innovative, original and thought provoking material aimed at an intelligent adult audience and taking the very complex material of physics/science and turning it into something that anyone can understand. Categories -- On the Beauty of Physics is in the same mould. This is physics in all its poetic glory, presented in true Renaissance style, in conjunction with great art, literature and in the context of daily life so that anyone can partake of the richness and vastness of the physical universe.

It may be true that you can't judge a book by its cover, but Categories -- On the Beauty of Physics is so attractive that it could easily grace the living room coffee table. In addition to the rich understated turquoise cover and the homage to innovators in its turquoise and brown liner, the book features paper much thicker and satiny than usual, is handsewn, and has a sturdy rich feel that makes you want to handle it with reverence. But Categories -- On the Beauty of Physics is more than just a pretty book. There are thirty nine alphabetised chapters, each containing a single physics concept, with the concepts being chosen for their general applicability, interest, and global importance to the world of physics. This includes such things like "acceleration," "angular velocity," "antimatter," "chaos," "electricity," "entropy," "gravity, "motion," "space - time" and "wave" to name just a few. For each concept, there is a featured literary quote from a work which has some relationship to the term. Works chosen are varied in style, genre, era, and focus, but are always complex enough for the reader's perceptions to be challenged. The works tend towards the classic, with quotations ranging from nonfiction works like Marshall McLuhan's Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man to Cervantes Don Quixote. Even if you are, like me, familiar with many of the works cited, the context is such a new one that the work will seem new and provocative. Think, for example, of Thoreau's Walden in conjunction with "Heat," Proust's Swann's Way in conjunction with "Particle," or Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury in conjunction with "Field." These are not trivial juxtapositions. The passages are chosen carefully, and serve to illuminate the principles in ways simple prose cannot. For those more used to thinking in words than in numbers, the use of these passages are a perfect learning tool. The connection between the concept and the passages also sheds light on the intent of the author and allows familiar work to be seen in a refreshing way. The quote is followed by a series of dictionary definitions which define the concept in all of its variations.

Similarly exciting is the original and often startling collages by John Morse which demonstrates the concepts graphically. These are often ingenious, rich and appealing in the way they choose to convey meaning. Although the graphics are abstract, using colour and texture to dramatise the concept, they are also scientifically precise, using, for example, a mouse in a wheel to demonstrate angular velocity or a shards of the visible spectrum against a black square to convey colour. These collages are set on their own page and present a striking contrast to the clarity of the prose which follows it. Following Morse's collage is a detailed one page overview of the concept, in layman's terms, written by a physicist. For non-scientists this is probably the most challenging part of the book and will force the reader to think carefully, as the writing does not attempt to overly simplify the meaning of the concept. The textual description is followed, if appropriate, by the equation for that term. The rest of the chapter includes a section called "Think about it" which elucidates on aspects of the physics text; "Read about it" which provides a series of brief reviews of work related to the topic in as broad a sense as possible, and "Talk about it" which moves beyond physics into an ever broader examination of the way the concept might impact on society, relationships, inner emotions. The chapter concludes with a coloured fine art image that captures the meaning of the term, and information on the featured work of literature. Taken together the impact is powerful and shows just how connected the physical concept is to the world of creative expression in general, and day to day living. The concept itself is so well elucidated that the reader walks away with an almost intrinsic understanding of that term--significantly more powerful than any textbook has, or can provide.

One can only imagine the amount of work which would have gone into putting this book together. The reviews for the "Read about it" sections alone would have involved examining one hundred books, films and essays. Identifying quotes, finding the right works of fine art, and ensuring that everything was working perfectly in a conjunction of left and right brain elucidation would have been an extraordinary undertaking. This is an extraordinary book. The marketing material talks about it being used for young adults, in schools, and in other educational instances, and it would certainly be valuable in this context, however, as both general adult reader and writer, I found this book perfectly appropriate, as indeed it would be for visual artists as well. The stimulation provided by the connection between the scientific world and the world of the arts is considerable, and the broad scale "field" of reference in which the book was developed will serve to enlighten and change the way we view our world and our place within it. What more could a reader ask for from a book, except for great beauty and elegant, intelligent prose. This book offers all those things.

Magdalena Ball is the author of Sleep Before Evening

"There is so much beautiful writing here, soaring passages." Ruhama Veltfort, author of The Promised Land

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Beauty of Physics, March 30, 2006

By 

Stefanie Hollmichel (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Categories On the Beauty of Physics : Essential Physics Concepts and Their Companions in Art and Literature (Hardcover)

"Categories on the Beauty of Physics" is a science book for the literary and art minded person. The book is an all around delight. The pages are heavy, glossy paper and all the original art and the reproductions are in full color.

The book is composed of 39 "chapters." Each chapter is a term used in physics from acceleration to force to mass to work. The chapter begins with a passage from a book that illustrates the term under discussion. The passages come from science books and literature as well as philosophy and psychology. To give you an idea, Ben Franklin is used for electricity; "Don Quixote" for entropy; "Hamlet" for uncertainty. The passage is then followed by a dictionary definition of the term.

Next is an original piece of collage art followed by a physicist's single page explanation of the concept, a list of related terms in the book, and the equation (if there is one). Next comes a section called "Think About It" that supplements the physicist's explanation and includes related themes. After this is "Read About It." This is my favorite section because it lists two or three books and sometimes films, that further illustrate the concept. All recommended materials were verified by the editors to be readily found in libraries and bookstores. To be sure, quite a number of science books are suggested, but none of them are textbooks or for a specialized audience. But not all of the books are science books. For example, in the chapter on energy, the books recommended are "Nuclear Madness: What You Can Do" by Helen Caldicott and "Physics for Poets" by Robert March.

The "Read About It" section is followed by "Talk About It." Here can be found questions to ponder and discuss such as a few found in "Entropy" which ask "Is decay always undesirable? Can entropy be seen as the progression from whole to particulate? Are rare objects precious because they cannot be remade or regenerated?"

Once your brain is whirling from the questions, there is a photo of a work of art that further illustrates the term. For instance, Mary Cassatt's "The Bath" is used for the "Orbit" chapter.

The chapter concludes with a short "review" of the book from which the chapter's opening passage was taken. At the back of the book, the editors kindly provide a bibliography that includes all of these books as well as all of the books from the "Read About It" sections. And let me just say, my TBR list has several new additions.

What I liked about this book is that it not only makes the concepts easy to understand, but it also provides a wider context for them. I've not come across any other book that can bring a concept like "particle" to life in science (atoms, electrons, dark matter), art ("A Sunday in La Grande Jatte" by Seurat) and literature ("Swann's Way" by Proust). It really shows the interconnections between art and science and just how much they depend upon each other. "Catergories on the Beauty of Physics" is definitely worth your time.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect family gift!, February 11, 2006

By 

Dee Salomon (new york, ny) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Categories On the Beauty of Physics : Essential Physics Concepts and Their Companions in Art and Literature (Hardcover)

After reading "Anthropology of an American Girl" I was eager to know where Hamman's next work would take her readers. "Categories on the Beauty of Physics" is a lucid and beautiful encycopedia that helps us make stronger connections between science and art.

As it is appropriate for adults and older children, it would make a great family gift to be cherished as an heirloom.