Universal Foam: Exploring the Science of Nature's Most Mysterious Substance [Paperback]

SIDNEY PERKOWITZ (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 16, 2001

Physicist Sidney Perkowitz, whom the Washington Post calls "a gloriously lucid science writer," exposes the full dimensions of foam in our lives, from cappuccino to the cosmos.

Foam affects the taste of beer, makes shaving easier, insulates take-out coffee cups and NASA space shuttles, controls bleeding in trauma victims, aids in drilling for oil, and captures dust particles from comets. The foam of ocean whitecaps affects Earth's climate, and astronomers believe the billions of galaxies that make up the universe rest on surfaces of immense bubbles within a gargantuan foam. From the cultural uses of foam to the cutting edge of foam research in cosmology and quantum mechanics, Perkowitz's investigations will delight readers of Henry Petroski, James Gleick and Michio Kaku.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Lively and delightful... The reader of this book will never look at the world in quite the same way again."
--The Washington Post

"Highly readable and entertaining, with a wealth of interesting information set in an accurate and sound scientific framework... Deserves cult status."
--New Scientist

"A sparkling, witty jaunt."
--Roald Hoffmann, Nobel Laureate in Chemistry

From the Inside Flap

Physicist Sidney Perkowitz, whom the Washington Post calls "a gloriously lucid science writer," exposes the full dimensions of foam in our lives, from cappuccino to the cosmos.

Foam affects the taste of beer, makes shaving easier, insulates take-out coffee cups and NASA space shuttles, controls bleeding in trauma victims, aids in drilling for oil, and captures dust particles from comets. The foam of ocean whitecaps affects Earth's climate, and astronomers believe the billions of galaxies that make up the universe rest on surfaces of immense bubbles within a gargantuan foam. From the cultural uses of foam to the cutting edge of foam research in cosmology and quantum mechanics, Perkowitz's investigations will delight readers of Henry Petroski, James Gleick and Michio Kaku.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Anchor (October 16, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 038572070X
• ISBN-13: 978-0385720700
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,012,751 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A most interesting and engaging science topic November 9, 2005

By Philip A. Earnhardt

Format:Paperback

Foam is something literally all around us (and in us). It's noteworthy that HS or college science courses rarely discuss foam -- this is simultaneously cutting-edge and highly accessible science.

I found this book because I was fascinated by foaming soaps -- like the "Kiss My Face" brand of hand-pump soap dispensers. Foaming soaps take about 10% of liquid soap to wash your hands. They seem to take less water and less time to clean your hands. And I noticed that the soaps were able to get my eyeglasses squeaky-clean very quickly.

"Universal Foam" explains these phenomena well. It also has many different examples of foam in our everyday lives: bread, souffles, pumice, cork, champagne, etc. The book then explores smaller foams: viruses, quantum foams, etc. It also explores large foams: the distribution of galaxies in the universe. I suppose that one could skip these chapters, however, I suspect that people will find such topics far more interesting and accessible because they all have a common theme of foam. To say this differently, this book is a foam-centric survey of the physics of the universe.

People who are already interested in science in general will love this book. I guarantee they will learn new things. In particular, the resiliency -- the non-hookian nature -- of foam is a very important concept to understand.

For people who are nurturing/developing their curiousity of science, this is a safe book to start with. Perkowitz clearly loves science, and anybody reading this book will pick up on his passion.

I love books like this; they have us look at the world in new ways. This book is on my recommended list to bodyworkers to understand their craft -- and the world -- better.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining and illuminating journey into foam physics April 3, 2008

By Vivek Sharma VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

In Universal Foam by Sidney Perkowitz, we encounter everyday phenomenon and objects - coffee froth, beer head, styrofoam cups, soap suds, shaving cream, bread, cork - and begin to see the underlying mystery, pleasure and physics, that guides their appearance, form and function. The science of bubbles contains answers to complex and varied questions: puzzles about the origin of universe and the softness of bread are revealed and deciphered using foam physics. As a teacher, Perkowitz exudes a ready wit, an imitable enthusiasm about the subject.

After reading this book, the ubiquitous foaminess of the world will reveal itself to you at every juncture. A glass of beer will turn into a laboratory for experiments about size dependence of bubbles of the froth, their stability and strength, and their variation with brand. As you stir your coffee, the foam will organize into patterns; corks on wine bottle will spark discussions about why certain champagnes taste better just because of their packaging. A walk by seaside or river will prompt observations about how much rain (and condensation nuclei) is being generated by the white effervescent milkiness that rides the waves. Night sky shall beckon your thoughts about big bang and about questions as philosophical as "do we really live in a bubble?" The book will reveal the scientific merit of such a question (and many more).

Universal foam is a great read, both as an introduction to the initiated, and as a witty jaunt for they who work their hours of intellectual activity by exploding or imploding bubbles. If you are looking for a more mathematical account, "The Physics of Foams" by Denis Wearie and Stefan Hutzler will provide you both with entertainment and equations in a beery Irish manner. (The text starts with the line: "Pour a bottle of beer")

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Foam is everywhere! March 31, 2005

By Dew

Format:Paperback

I bought this book out of curiosity. But I have to tell you that this book is fascinating. If you only considered foam when you had a cup of cappuccino or whipped up some egg white. - Then think again. It is everywhere- it ranges are limitless, as limitless as the universe. So consider foam when you think of beer, bubbles, cells and viruses, in medicine, the earth itself (volcanoes, oceans, etc.), and how about poisons, and lets not forget artificial intelligence and the quantum.