Customer Reviews

One Two Three . . . Infinity: Facts and Speculations of Science

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Then give her this book! It seems that almost all the reviewers had the same experience: we read this book at an early age, and it was so fascinating, so inspiring, and so magical that it directed us into math and science for the rest of our lives. In my case the book was loaned to me when I was about 12, by my best friend's father. As a result, when I wrote MY first math book (which cannot begin to compare with Gamow's!) thirty-five years later, I dedicated it to my friend's father in gratitude. The book explains how mathematics and science really works, in language which a young person with an eighth grade education can understand. Everyone thinks it takes a genius to understand relativity, but there are lots of fifteen-year-olds walking around with a decent understanding of Special Relativity simply because they read this book.

But don't be misled into thinking this book is just for young people. It's for anyone who thirsts for knowledge and understanding, anyone who realizes that it doesn't require an alien life form to understand physics and math. Gamow discusses some of the great unsolved problems in mathematics (at least two of which - the four-color problem and Fermat's Last Theorem - have been solved since the book was written), the theory of relativity, the usefulness of imaginary numbers (square roots of negatives), geometry of more than three dimensions, and many other topics which most people think are accessible only to those anointed with stratospheric IQ's. But Gamow's writing is so clear and entertaining that you'll come away wondering why EVERYBODY doesn't understand those topics.

A particularly vivid memory I have of the book is Gamow's demonstration that there are different sizes of infinity. He didn't originate the idea, of course; it was first thought of by a mathematician named Georg Cantor. But once again Gamow makes the mathematics so clear and accessible that I was enthralled. You will be too.

George Gamow tends to get forgotten these days. He died some time ago, and his books are now over forty years old. Some, like his history of 20th century physics, may seem a bit dated in light of the discoveries since then.

Yet there's still magic in these pages. Gamow was one of the greatest of 20th century physicists, and at the same time, a great teacher whose passion for the sheer fun of math and science was communicated in his books, whether explaining the wonders of infinite series, or how to locate a hidden pirate's treasure chest using imaginary numbers. Unlike a lot of modern poipular science writers, Gamow didn't shy away from showing you the math- but he could explain in a way that even an elementary school child could understand.

A wonderful book for the child or adult who isn't afraid to think.

The sweep and vision of the book are truly breath-taking. I suspect this marvelous book has launched more scientific careers than any other. The author, George Gamow (d. 1968), was an award-winning physicist cum biologist with a flair for making the complicated seem simple. (A gift shared by the late Richard Feynman.) Gamow's book introduces the reader to complicated subjects in a clear and non-threatening way. In some respects this book may be considered a precursor of the popular "For Idiots" series, but with much more dignity and poetry.

It is of course inevitable, and no fault of the author, that portions have been overcome by events. For example, Fermat's Last Theorem has -- at long last -- been proven. So it is no longer true that (page 31) "no general proof ...has ever been achieved." Also, some of the material on elementary particles and genetics is dated.

To paraphrase Aristotle, nature abhors perfection, and so there are some errors as well. (I find this a bit surprising, since the book was revised in 1961, and I would expect these to have been caught.) For example, the discussion on complex numbers (page 37) contains a number of elementary errors - which however cancel, so the final result is correct! The periodic chart (page 136) shows gallium, indium and thallium as transition elements, whereas they are "main sequence" elements, of the boron-aluminum family. Also, the symbol for gallium is shown as Fa instead of Ga. Gamow's discussion of the drunkard's walk (page 200) has been over-simplified to the point where it is misleading. I mention these details because I think young and inexperienced readers may be unduly confused.

Looking through it again after many years, I see that my interest in prime numbers, platonic solids, chemical elements, and elementary particles can all be traced back to this fountain.

Another enchanting book by the same author is, "The New World of Mr. Tompkins."

I'm happy to join the list of reviewers who owe something personal to this marvelous book. As a liberal arts undergraduate in 1955, I borrowed "1,2,3..." from my physics-major roomate. I liked it so much that he kindly gave me his copy. Its influence contributed to my later decision to become an engineer, and marked the beginning of my lifelong interest in science.

On recently re-reading the 1961 edition, I was impressed all over again by Gamow's friendly, conversational, agenda-free style. Since he never talks down, never hand-waves, and always goes straight to the essence of a topic, this decades-old book still seems fresh and contemporary. And yes, the dry, slightly pixilated humor still works.

I once met a man who had taken a course from Gamow at the University of Colorado. He said he would never forget the sight of the professor careening around campus in an open convertible -- in the middle of January!

I read this book long long ago (30 years) in a place far far away (in Chenappady, India where I was born and raised). I was in high school and Prof. Gamow introduced me to the wonders of science - everything from Fermat's last theorem to the theory of relativity to the stars and galaxies and atoms and electrons. This book influenced my career choices; it taught me to look up and wonder, to sit down and think, and to appreciate the wonders of science and the greatness of the minds of the scientists who explored and invented and dreamed up science and math. I read the book from cover to cover again recently, and I still loved it! Thank you Prof. Gamow.

Intellectual treats, whimsy, but deep. Illustrated with lovely drawings by Gamow himself. Much of it can be understood by a child, and other parts might require a little concentration. All of it is great fun. The author Gamow started in nuclear physics, during the Golden Age of Physics, worked with Niels Bohr, then later in the US, on the Manhattan Project during WWII, and after the war, he was professor in Boulder Colorado. The books he wrote are pearls, and they have been equally popular with my parent's generation as with mine. Luckely some have been reprinted! Other Gamow titles: Biography of Physics, Atomic Energy [dedicated to the hope of lasting peace], Physics of the Strapless Evning Gown,...We are lucky that Dover has reprinted some of them. Do more Dover!

This book is brillant in many different ways. Not only does Gamow explain the mysteries of the universe in a way that is easy to understand, but his book covers more ground that even he realized when he wrote it. Much of the book, (the sections on extremely large numbers, the drunkard's walk, the law of entropy, etc) is now being studied from a computer science point of view. I studied much of this material in my computer science classes, only not in an atomic point of view, like Gamow, but in a binary point of view. The theories and proofs are the same, just the application is slightly different. I cannot recomend this book highly enough. It is extremely readable and you don't need a doctorate in physics or math to understand what is being taught.

I read the Chinese version of this book in China when I was 15. It gave me so much inspiration and courage for science and this changed my life dramatically. Just a few days ago, Time Magazine chose Eienstein as the person of the century. This reminded me of my fascination about modern physics when I was young. It is like rediscovering a gem for finding the English version of the book here.

Originally published in 1947, this short book by George Gamow explores a range of issues in science and mathematics, e.g. relativity, quantum theory, cosmology etc. As many readers are aware, Gamow was a well-known 20th century physicist who is perhaps best remembered for his contributions to Big Bang theory development. Aside from his impressive scientific acumen Gamnow was also a colorful character - he and his wife attempted to defect from the Soviet Union by Kayaking across the Black Sea!

1, 2, 3 Infinity is aimed at introducing the joy and wonder of modern science to readers. Written is a accessible and engaging style Gamow successfully conveys his love of science. In its time, this was a classic introductory text for science readers; its success in reaching and influencing young minds is attested to by many of the reviews posted on this site.

For someone who read this book in his or her youth a re-read and the accompanying stroll down memory lane is well worthwhile. That said, it would not be one of my top recommendations to new readers seeking an introduction to these issues. We have been privileged in recent years to have a tremendous range of popular/introductory science books written by an impressive cadre of authors: Smolin, Greene, Lindley, Singh and Ferris to name just a few. I have great respect for Gamow, however I feel that these skilled and capable writers have produced superior and more up-to-date works (indeed some of these are undoubtedly destined to become future classics themselves).

Overall, a wonderful nostalgic read - and still not a bad introductory text! For someone seeking an entry point in to the fascinating world of science, however, there is a plethora of better and more up-to-date texts available.

This book was written, thank god, before physics got so esoteric that it started sounding like metaphysics+philosophy, and the only thing that kept it physics was that math was still involved a bit. It clearly explains a lot of concepts clearly, but its not a baby book either. The book is fun to read, never boring and wide-ranging. Gamow has written other good books eplaining elementary relativity and quantum mechanics to the mostly layman, such as his 'Mr. Thompkins' series, which I loved. I hope that other athors can try to explain concepts so clearly and lucidly, in a friendly manner without sounding overbearing.