Customer Reviews

Light Years and Time Travel: An Exploration of Mankind's Enduring Fascination With Light

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Written in an easy, flowing style, Mr.Clegg's book is full of interesting and apposite facts about light and the people who gave us the basis of our current understanding. A master storyteller, he does not pontificate or try to blind the reader with science, rather, he opens our eyes to the possibilities afforded by that science - describing it all in layman's terms, but definitely not patronising or 'dumbing-down'.

The first chapter is a taster of the future potential of experimentation with light, outlining some tremendous possibilities. Then we are treated to an overview of the perception of light by the ancients, whose theories were taken as gospel during the Dark Ages and only began to be questioned in the Middle Ages - but even then heresy loomed large for anyone trying to usurp the accepted 'facts'.
Continuing, potted biographies of the greats of science; Bacon, Davinci, Galileo, Descartes, Newton et al, give us a clearer picture of the problems that the new wave of scientists faced.

Then we get into the meat of the problem - what is light made of? (which is still not fully answered). Fascinating insights into recent and modern theory and fact leaves one's mind boggling, trying to contain the concepts, speeds and distances involved.

Immensely readable, I encourage anyone with even a passing interest in light, science or history to read this book - they will be rewarded by a new persective of the world.
As further reading, I also recommend 'Unweaving the Rainbow' by Richard Dawkins.*****.

I couldn't disagree more with David Hurburgh's review above... I loved this book from the first page... it's a great mix of science (Yes, I now actually have an understand of what light's really about...) and history: a really great, mind-expanding read about a deeply fascinating subject!

I read this book on a flight back from the UK and it was fascinating. Well researched and with a compelling pace it takes the reader through the colorful back streets of philosophy and science as it struggles with the questions of light. In doing so the author brings together not only answers to what is light but ties it to time and life itself. A thoroughly enjoyable book for the casual student of history, science or life.

This book will help you understand light. From the Ancient Egyptians to Renaissance artists to modern day, you'll be taken through the exploration of light and it's relation to space and time travel. Anybody who is interested in iconic scientists such as Bacon, Descartes and Einstein should read this fascinating narrative. The writing is accessible and will also appeal to those interested in quantum physics and mechanics.

An intentionally accessible book on the history of the discovery and understanding of the mechanisms of light, including an insight into the lives of those involved, and mind-blowing possibilities for the future. This fascinating account reveals how many of what are now considered "obvious" properties of light were thought of in the past as revolutionary, heresy, or even lunacy. As such, the book is a must for anyone in education seeking to motivate students in the study of light.

If you've ever wondered about light - what it is, how it works -this is a great book. I love the historical approach, putting everything into context. The technical matter is wonderfully explained - it's the first time I really felt I knew what relativity was about - and some of the future light technology is awesome. Read it.

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In our book stores there has been has a dramatic increase in shelf space dedicated to pop-science books in the last few years. "Light Years and Time Travel" is very typical of the genre. There's no math to frighten the innumerate and everything is written in challenge-free language. The average tabloid newspaper browser with the reading age of a 12-year-old would be comfortable with this book.

The scope of this book could not be broader. It's "everything you want to know about light", written from a historical perspective. It takes us from the wisdom of the ancients, through the insights of Galileo and Newton and ultimately to the exciting possibilities of our post-Einsteinian world. With all this ground to cover, Brain Clegg never really attempts to penetrate or take his topic apart, but rather he just skates around the surface. With his lightweight journalistic style, he sees his role as closer to entertainer rather than educator. There is no serious attempt at elucidation (shedding of light) beyond a feint, superficial illumination.

The structure of the book is in the form of a chronological series of potted biographies of the great luminaries. The author obviously found himself a "Boy's Own Bumper Book" of amazing scientific history and strung together all the references he could find on light and optics. It's very formulaic and it shows. There's not an original insight, in sight.

It is acknowledged that there is a well-deserved place for popular science books in the market place. The real test of their effectiveness is their ability to build a reader's curiosity and to generate a desire to explore a subject in more depth. Instead, after reading this book, you feel bloated as if you have just ingested a big bucket of popcorn. It's all sugar coated literary carbohydrate. Your appetite for the science of optics is blunted, but not satisfied, just like at the movies, you are still in the dark, and the lights have yet to come up.

When considering this book claims to explore the possibility of time travel (as promised by the title), we have to work our way to the last few chapters before the strange world of quantum phenomena is even touched on.

We get a few titillating references to some recent breakthroughs in "superluminary" phenomena but it is all very tentative and less than convincing. The author would have been better of giving us more details on well -established quantum phenomena and its applications in (opto-) photo-electronic technology.

He gives us a few words on lasers and holograms, but the amazing world of semiconductors and the related field of photonic devices such as LEDs which are now so commonplace, is barely touched. He tantalizes us with the implications of entangled photons, and what that might mean for Star Trek-like teleporting, but the exciting breakthroughs that are happening in the world of quantum computing are not even hinted at.

While it is great to see more books targeting that growing audience which wants to learn more about science, books such as this one doesn't venture further than a typical Readers Digest article or Discovery Channel program. To his credit, Brain Clegg gives Richard Feynman (one of the greatest scientists and communicators of the 20th Century) rightful prominence in this book. However readers would be better off reading Feynman's very accessible "QED:The Strange Theory of Light and matter".

It's interesting to note that when this book was originally published last year (2001) in the UK it had the simpler title "Light Years". For the North American market we got the addition of "... and Time Travel". Crossing the Atlantic certainly involves some time travel, but you can be sure this book will never make it as an instruction manual for aspiring Captain James T. Kirks.

Written in an easy, flowing style, Mr.Clegg's book is full of interesting and apposite facts about light and the people who gave us the basis of our current understanding. A master storyteller, he does not pontificate or try to blind the reader with science, rather, he opens our eyes to the possibilities afforded by that science - describing it all in layman's terms, but definitely not patronising or 'dumbing-down'.

The first chapter is a taster of the future potential of experimentation with light, outlining some tremendous possibilities. Then we are treated to an overview of the perception of light by the ancients, whose theories were taken as gospel during the Dark Ages and only began to be questioned in the Middle Ages - but even then heresy loomed large for anyone trying to usurp the accepted 'facts'.
Continuing, potted biographies of the greats of science; Bacon, Davinci, Galileo, Descartes, Newton et al, give us a clearer picture of the problems that the new wave of scientists faced.

Then we get into the meat of the problem - what is light made of? (which is still not fully answered). Fascinating insights into recent and modern theory and fact leaves one's mind boggling, trying to contain the concepts, speeds and distances involved.

Immensely readable, I encourage anyone with even a passing interest in light, science or history to read this book - they will be rewarded by a new persective of the world.
As further reading, I also recommend 'Unweaving the Rainbow' by Richard Dawkins.