Editorial Reviews
From Scientific American
Some 60 years ago physicist Gamow conceived the notion of presenting scientific ideas to the layperson through the medium of a fictional character, C.G.H. Tompkins, "a bank clerk interested in modern science." (Tompkins's initials derive from three fundamental physical constants: c, the velocity of light; G, the gravitational constant; and h, the quantum constant.) Gamow produced two popular books featuring Tompkins and then combined them in Mr. Tompkins in Paperback. Now science writer Stannard presents a considerably revised version of that book. Tompkins is still a willing if rather dim learner in his associations with a physicist identified only as "the professor." Gamow and Stannard, through the professor and his daughter, Maud (who marries Tompkins in chapter 10), deal with such concepts as relativity, quantum theory and the structure of the atom. The reader will get both entertainment and plenty of information about modern physics and astrophysics.
EDITORS OF SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Review
'The best just got better. Two of the most influential popular science books ever were Mr Tompkins in Wonderland (1940) and Mr Tompkins Explores the Atom (1945) ... They were brought together in one volume, slightly updated, and reprinted in 1965 as Mr Tompkins in Paperback ... Russell Stannard, the very best writer of science books for young readers [has updated Mr Tompkins] with immense care and subtlety, rearranging the text, adding new material and changing a word or two where necessary ... I had two fears - that my remembered delight in the original would be destroyed by looking at it through more mature eyes, and that Stannard might spoil the book. Both were unfounded. There is a certain period charm about the original, but Stannard has improved on both the physics and the narrative ... It is absolutely the best place to get a feel for the most important scientific ideas of the twentieth century.' John Gribbin, The Independent
'... as I kept reading, I began to realize that Stannard had actually done a remarkable job of preserving the mood and feeling of the original ... The book still has a charming naiveté, and although the illustrations have been changed, they too still have that same, almost Victorian quality. So, to my surprise, I have to pronounce the translation a success. If newcomers who have not seen the original read the book, they will find a charming, whimsical introduction to modern physics ... Are there other good books that cover the same material? Lots of them! Is there another book that does it so pleasantly, giving the reader a direct, sort of inside view of otherwise very remote phenomena, all within the context of a running short novel? I doubt it! The New World ... is a unique book.' Physics Today
'... here is a version that Stannard believes Gamow himself might have written, had he been at work today. Physics took a giant leap at the junction of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries ... the book deals very well with the more recent developments and Mr Tompkins' visit to a particle accelerator is well described. Stannard has also updated the language, where appropriate. This has been a successful exercise that Gamow ... would have liked. I can recommend the book both for general readers, and for specialists who may like to check how their subject is being presented to Mr Tompkins today.' Physics World
The New World of Mr Tompkins
The New World of Mr Tompkins,George Gamow,Russell Stannard,Michael Edwards,Cambridge University Press,0521639921,Physics,Science,Science/Mathematics,Atomic & molecular physics,Popular science,Science / Cosmology
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