Life in Moving Fluids [Paperback]

Steven Vogel (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0691026165 | ISBN-13: 978-0691026169 | Publication Date: April 1, 1996 | Edition: 2 Revised

Both a landmark text and reference book, Steven Vogel's Life in Moving Fluids has also played a catalytic role in research involving the applications of fluid mechanics to biology. In this revised edition, Vogel continues to combine humor and clear explanations as he addresses biologists and general readers interested in biological fluid mechanics, offering updates on the field over the last dozen years and expanding the coverage of the biological literature. His discussion of the relationship between fluid flow and biological design now includes sections on jet propulsion, biological pumps, swimming, blood flow, and surface waves, and on acceleration reaction and Murray's law. This edition contains an extensive bibliography for readers interested in designing their own experiments.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Vogel ... has a deep knowledge of hydrodynamics and knows how to teach the subject. Many phenomena are explained more clearly in his book than in common fluid dynamic texts.... Beautifully produced. -- Jerry Gollub, Physics Today



This edition includes more of everything: more physical concepts, more biological examples, more sources for additional information.... Vogel finds a way to make sense of even the least intuitive concepts. -- Mike May, American Scientist



Praise for the previous edition: "Required reading for students of biology at all levels of career development. -- Paul W. Webb, Science



For biologists who want to come to the beginning of a quantitative understanding of a wide variety of adaptations, for general readers who want to see how fluid mechanics works in a varied and often surprising context ... this book, full of data, rich in up-to-date and well-appraised references, is a first-class opportunity. -- Philip Morrison, Scientific American

Product Details

• Paperback: 484 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press; 2 Revised edition (April 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691026165
• ISBN-13: 978-0691026169
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #97,176 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #8 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Biophysics
  • #66 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Biological Sciences > Biology > Molecular Biology

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great combination of engineering and biology, July 18, 1998

By 

Tom von Alten "Tom von Alten" (Boise, ID USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Life in Moving Fluids (Paperback)

Less technical than engineering texts, this gives a better introduction to fluid mechanics, by being less obsessed with mathematical analysis (and yet it doesn't skip the math). I would heartily recommend the book to life scientists interested in an engineering understanding, and engineers interested in expanding their awareness to biological systems.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An authoritative and very readable introduction to the field, February 17, 2003

By 

Jef Raskin - See all my reviews

This review is from: Life in Moving Fluids (Paperback)

"Life in Moving Fluids" is a well-written and entertaining, as well as technically accurate, introduction to the behavior of fluids. It explains many of the concepts of fluid dynamics in terms of biological examples, and is my first choice of book to recommend to biologists who want to understand the design and behavior of a wide range of plants and animals that live, as most do, in moving air or water -- our two most common fluids.

That would be quite enough distinction for a book, but the utility of Vogel's book goes farther: it is one of the best introductions to the subject of fluid dynamics for those interested in physics, such as the nature of lift and drag, or the design of buildings or wind tunnels (sometimes the same thing). It also is helpful in physical chemistry where diffusion and convection must be understood -- to say nothing of how fluids move through the pipes and junctures of our equipment.

I was inspired to write this review because I had just recommended the book to a colleague who was designing a wind tunnel to work at Reynolds numbers in the 10,000 range and whose previous sources were from aerodynamicists, whose designs are generally not appropriate at this scale. If you don't know what a Reynolds number is or why it is interesting, this book has the best explanation I've seen. It does not assume that you remember much, it teaches what you need as it goes along.

Many are the times I've recommended "Life in Moving Fluids" to students and co-workers, and in each case, I have been warmly thanked. This review allows me to thank Dr. Vogel in a practical manner for his outstanding book. He also has a penchant for the occasional pun and keeps a light tone throughout, which makes the book suitable as pleasure reading for those who enjoy the popular science magazines, but don't mind a bit more depth.

If you work in fields where fluid dynamics counts (see the section on prairie squirrels), or just fly model planes, the book is also a handy refresher/reference work. It'll blow you away.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book for Understanding Fluid Mechanics, November 20, 2006

By 

R. Leventhal (Alameda, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Life in Moving Fluids (Paperback)

This is really an excellent book for understanding basic fluid mechanics and physics. Profesor Vogel is a gifted writer and provides a real understanding of the various parameters and equations in fluid flow such as viscosity and turbulance. He writes in a very readable and fun style that makes it much more interesting to read then any standard textbook. And of course his insights into how animals and insects have evolved to take advantage of various fluid environment is the strength of the book. I think if this this book was used in more introductory physics classes that more kids would be turned on to physics because they see the application in the natural world. I highly recommended.