The River of Time (Paperback)

by Igor D. Novikov (Author), Vitaly Kisin (Translator) "Ever since I started reading popular science books on physics, I have regarded it as self-evident that time is synonymous with empty duration, that it..." (more)
Key Phrases: younger ball, billion kelvin, psychological arrow, Albert Einstein, Kip Thorne, Isaac Newton (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
C.P. Snow's famous dichotomy of the scientific and literary cultures is evident in this nonliterary work from a former Soviet professor of astrophysics, now affiliated with Copenhagen University. A veteran of 15 books (six of which have been published in English), Novikov begins by comparing his familiar adoptive metaphorAtime as a river "that carries in its flow all events without exception"Ato others that philosophy tried out and discarded in its birthing of a "science of time." He quickly moves on to explain well the relationship between the theories of Newton and Einstein, managing at the same time to show clearly how time, space and gravity are linked. Other high points are explanations of how time takes on quantum properties inside a black hole, and the nature of vacuums. But these serve only to increase the reader's regret at other, missed opportunities. The section on the Fitzgerald contractions of space-time, among others, are not handled well, and the bland cartoon illustrations are by and large not helpful. It's often difficult to see how the author arrives at his conclusions, as the book reads more like an off-the-cuff lecture than a composed work. (The difficulty is increased by a translation that retains many traces of Russian construction and grammar.) Novikov himself comes across as an engaging riverboat captain, but the book will probably manage to carry across only those who already have a good grasp of physics.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Review
...[a] delightful book.... It's all mind-boggling stuff. But Novikov, a brilliant Russian astrophysicist, breaks up the brain-twisting theory with personal reminiscences of his life. -- New Scientist, Marcus Chown

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Product Details

• Paperback: 298 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (September 13, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521467373
• ISBN-13: 978-0521467377
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,834,140 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars some good time but not enough, October 27, 2000

By	Patrick J.Arloff "pat18491" (Chicago, Il. USA) - See all my reviews

While Novikov did present some good and interesting info on the nature of time, there was not enough. If you are interested in Navikov's personal life in science or some of the history of Russian science, there is much of that here. If you are only interested in the nature of time discussions there is way too much irrelevant material. Yet still the time ideas are worth the struggle through the rest.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Makes you wonder..., July 24, 2000

By	Jeremy (little north of golden gate bridge...) - See all my reviews

I'm rediscovering my desire to learn more about the theoretical physics, an interest I had to leave behind while earning degrees in electrical engineering.

Igor has written an amazing book and the English translation is up to the mark. This book is nothing to be scared about, coz without going in mathematical details of tensor analysis! he has presented the complex ideas in plain english. All you have to know is basic high school physics. Igor's writing style is personal and you'd feel an afinity towards him while reading his personal accounts.

The chapters in the end need a bit more concentration but it pays off big and makes you wonder 'can this reallt be! '.

The chapter on time machine is really wonderful, and you might have to read it couple of times to get a better grasp of the concepts.

Like any other subject, you can't learn all about the wonders of quantum physics by reading just one book but it will give you a solid foundation to go ahead and pick the next book on the subject matter.

4.0 out of 5 stars Not a bad alternative to the "Brief History of Time"., June 27, 2002

By	Wojciech Langer (Toronto, Ontario) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The River of Time (Hardcover)

This colorful book written by top Russian astrophysicist and cosmologist excels in explaining possibilities of traveling in time. Professor Novikov (Center of Theoretical Astrophysics in Copenhagen) strongly believes that it will be possible to construct Time Machine, as there are no existing physical laws that could prevent it. According to him we could use Black and White Holes as well as time loops, gravitational tunneling and curvature of space-time to achieve it. I truly enjoyed these half scientific, half fictitious theories. His speculations about Black and White Holes and how they could be utilized in the future to help our civilization in obtaining much needed energy, are fascinating. Book contains history of physics and digs into the past when scientists and philosophers started to think about TIME and how its "arrow" affects Universe and everything around us. Author writes about his life in Soviet Union where he graduated, started to work with famous father of Russian cosmologists Yakov Zeldovich and exchanged ideas with Andrei Sakharov. These years (1960-es) where difficult for scientists in Russia - they were quite isolated, having limited possibilities to meet their colleagues from the West. Scientific and historical details are presented in an easy to read, humorous and interesting manner (style). I strongly recommend this book as an alternative to the "Brief History of Time". Novikov's book is as good as Stephen Hawking's masterpiece.