Quantum Reflections

Book Description

This volume introduces the basic philosophical and conceptual questions underlying the formulation of quantum mechanics, one of the most baffling and far-reaching aspects of modern physics. Chapters by leading thinkers in this field, inspired by the profound work of the late John Bell, debate some of the deepest issues concerning the nature of physical reality, including the theory of physical measurements, how to test quantum mechanics, and how classical and quantum physics are related. This book will engage students with a background in quantum physics who wish to explore in more detail its philosophical aspects; practicing scientists not content with blindly applying the rules of quantum mechanics; and other readers interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the philosophy of physics.

Reflections on Fieldwork in Morocco (Quantum Books)

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How much objectivity could you keep while studying a people?
Fieldwork from Male point of view
Reflecting on reflection
Don't read this book

Reflections on Fieldwork in Morocco (Quantum Books)
Paul Rabinow
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0520035291

Customer Reviews:

How much objectivity could you keep while studying a people?.......2000-12-26

First off, this is not a book about the Moroccan people. It is a book about the ethnographer's experience with a community of Moroccan people. I assume that, somewhere out there, is a university press publication of his actual findings gathering dust on a shelf. Instead, this book is about some of the more uncomfortable aspects of anthropology and the destroying of illusions.

Questions of finding the outsider's insider (someone enough on the fringes to be willing to take you under their wing, but not so much that they don't have a good in-road into their own culture), of the purity of research (did you have to pay these people before they'd bother to talk to you? Were they expecting payment based on relations with other enthnographers?), and how much one can really understand a culture just by sitting a watching it (as opposed to participating, which threatens objectivity) are the issues Rabinow faced, and what he wrote about.

"Reflections on Fieldwork in Morocco" is just that, memoirs on the process of the research itself, not Rabinow's findings. There are interesting comments on Rabinow's interactions with his insiders, but rarely the sort that could go into a standard academic tome. This answer to the delima of objectivity, splitting one's experiences into an official report and a journal of sorts, is one I'd like to see more of.

Fieldwork from Male point of view.......2000-10-13

In the book, Rabinow seeks to reflect on his experience during his period of studying Morocan-islamic-religious sects and family linages related to saints of Muslim belief.

In whole he forgets to describe (providing he saw any) women or children and their role in the whole system of religion in Moroco.

Thus, if read as an ethnography, the book is very faulty.

Reflecting on reflection.......2000-08-15

Not only is this book elegantly written, but it also is a must for those seriously considering entering the everchanging field of anthropology. It is meant to be a reflection on Dr. Rabinow's experiences, which can prepare others for what they may encounter in their own "fields."

Don't read this book.......1999-02-04

Unless you are burning to know more about Mr Rabinow. The book reads more like a justification for Rabinow's ethnographic failure than like reflections upon his experiences. Much better examinations of the fieldwork experience are available. Nevertheless, Rabinow does have an interesting style and sense of drama which makes for a not unpleasant reading experience. Were the title not so misleading I would like the book better but it should really be known as "Reflections on my Failure as an Ethnographer in Morocco."

Niels Bohr: Reflections on Subject and Object

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Niels Bohr: Reflections on Subject and Object
Paul McEvoy
Manufacturer: MicroAnalytix
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Epistemology | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1930832001

Book Description

This is a detailed study of Niels Bohr's work on an epistemological foundation for twentieth century physics. The connections he drew between physics, language, and philosophy, are traced historically and their validity is analyzed in the light of contemporary science.

Average customer rating:

It has much potential and can lead further.
Still very relevant and fresh...

Reflections on a Theory of Organisms
Walter M. Elsasser
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

Are living organisms--as Descartes argued--just machines? Or is the nature of life such that it can never be fully explained by mechanistic models? In this thought-provoking and controversial book, eminent geophysicist Walter M. Elsasser argues that the behavior of living organisms cannot be reduced to physico-chemical causality. Suggesting that molecular biology today is at the same point as Newtonian physics on the eve of the quantum revolution, Elsasser lays the foundation for a theoretical biology that points the way toward a natural philosophy of organic life.

Explicitly repudiating "vitalism" (the notion that the laws of nature need to be modified when applied to living organisms), Elsasser argues instead that the structural complexity of even a single living cell is "transcomputational"--that is, beyond the power of any imaginable system to compute. Beginning from this insight, Elsasser leads the reader through a step-by-step process that ultimately arrives at the conclusion that living and non-living matter are separated by "a no-man's land of irrationality."

Trained in Germany as a physicist, Elsasser first pondered the implications of quantum mechanics for biology as early as 1951. The more closely he studied the inherent complexity of life, the more skeptical he became of the reductionist view of organisms as tiny machines. "An organism," he concluded, "is a source of causal chains which cannot be traced beyond a terminal point because they are lost in the unfathomable complexity of the organism." Like the physicist who works within the bounds of an unfathomable universe, Elsasser argues, the biologist must seek answers within a system that is no less unfathomable.

Customer Reviews:

It has much potential and can lead further........2002-09-06

A fascinating book by Walter Elsasser a physicist but having to do with biology. The book is somewhat confusing at times though. Elsasser gives the appearance of constructing some sort of theory which might lead to a theoretical biology, based on holism rather than the currently used metaphysic: reductionism, but never quite makes it. You always get the sense its just not complete and not thought out fully. He does take certain solid viewpoints: (1) a theoretical biology must obey the physical laws of quantum mechanics and (2) it must eschew vitalism, which Elsasser says is a theory which requires new and non-redicible laws for macroscopic biological organisms which are unique to organisms. In other words a separate set of laws just for organisms. And yet as one reads through his book one gets the feeling that there is more to it than that. At first he says that normal physical laws must be obeyed and then he expands his views to indicate that maybe there is something very special about organisms and that the mechanical view, which of course led to such laws in the first place, is just akind of short-sighted projection of reality to a mechanistic universe. If mechanism is just that, a small biased view of what happens rather than reality itself then these laws must also be simply an aspect of the full understanding. One then suspects that organisms do have laws unto themselves although they still obey quantum mechanics except the fuller set of principles of which quantum mechanics is just a part.

He attacks reductionism quite successfully and shows how a great deal more is possible in biology. Luckily as you proceed through the book it gets more and more interesting although never at any time do you feel that his principles he sets up in the earlier part of the book mesh with the later material. Perhaps a second reading will clear this up. It has much potential and can lead further especially in the hands of someone like Robert Rosen in his "Life Itself".

Still very relevant and fresh..........2002-07-09

Considering the age of this book it is still very relevant and interesting. That is, Elsasser did not have the benefit of more recent advances in several areas including Algorithmic Information Theory, artificial intelligence, and genetics. In particular, I suspect he would have had a lot to say about the genome-mapping fiasco and the spectacular failure of mechanistic genetic theories to come anywhere close to predicting reality.

Elsasser introduced the term 'holism' in this book in order that biology could return to something more useful than playing with simple chemical reactions. He realized the inherent limitations of the reductionist view, later expounded by Robert Rosen. Elsasser's background in physics and mathematics let him see the inherent limitations of the current fascination with the narrow reductionist view and gave him ample ammunition to expose the fallacies of this mode of exploration.

Book Description

We are one-not just all human beings, but all creation, the entire universe. We live in and through a complex set of relationships we hardly notice. These insights-affirmed by new physics and old mystics alike-provide the foundation for Quantum Grace, a book of compelling daily Lenten reflections. Author Judy Cannato invites us during the season of Lent to look at our beliefs, decisions, and actions and the ways they affect our personal lives and the lives of others. She shows us that "remaining vulnerable to the divine presence, allowing God to expose the places in our hearts that suffer from the illusion that we are separate and apart-this is the real work of Lent, and it is a co-creative activity that requires us to be honest with God so that God can be honest with us."

Intended for individual reflection-but also ideal for group use-Quantum Grace offers a unique and valuable approach to the Lenten experience.

Customer Reviews:

Not What I Was Expecting.......2007-09-12

Judging from the title and the description, I was expecting a book that looked at physics and theology. I thought there would be science in there somewhere, and deep discussions of Life, The Universe, and Everything.
Nope. This is a pleasant enough Lenten study, but there isn't any physics in it.
That is not an intrinsic flaw in the book; I just felt that you should be warned.

Quantum Grace: The Sunday Readings : Lenten Reflections on Creation and Connectedness

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Enhance Your Lenten Devotions

Quantum Grace: The Sunday Readings : Lenten Reflections on Creation and Connectedness
Judy Cannato
Manufacturer: Ave Maria Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1594710244

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Enhance Your Lenten Devotions.......2005-02-10

Give increased meaning to your Lent this year by purchasing Judy Cannato's book to add to your own personal library. For each of the three liturgical cycles, this book contains the complete Sunday scripture reading references, a thoughtful reflection, and prompting questions for personal thought and journaling. I have greatly enjoyed using this book as a compliment to the original Quantum Grace reflections on the daily readings for Lent.

Chemical, Physical and Hazards Properties of Quadricyclane

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Chemical, Physical and Hazards Properties of Quadricyclane

Manufacturer: Storming Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
ASIN: 1423561473

Product Description

This is a AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB EDWARDS AFB CA report procured by the Pentagon and made available for public release. It has been reproduced in the best form available to the Pentagon. It is not spiral-bound, but rather assembled with Velobinding in a soft, white linen cover. The Storming Media report number is A985543. The abstract provided by the Pentagon follows: Theoretical predictions have identified quadricyclane, a liquid hydrocarbon, as a possible replacement for, or additive to, the current kerosene-based rocket propellant RP-1. Density, viscosity, thermal conductivity, heat capacity, flash point, purity, 90-day aging, high temperature decomposition, impact sensitivity, friction sensitivity and detonation sensitivity (card gap) have been studied. In-depth studies on the thermal decomposition and rapid compression heating were performed by NASA White Sands and are included in this report. Taken as a whole, the results indicate that quadricyclane can be easily handled as a liquid propellant fuel and should have performance advantages over RP-1. However, since the performance and physical properties of quadricyclane differ from RP-1, implementation of quadricyclane may require some modification of current propulsion hardware.

Composite Materials in Aircraft Mishaps Involving Fire: A Literature Review

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Composite Materials in Aircraft Mishaps Involving Fire: A Literature Review

Manufacturer: Storming Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Spiral-bound
ASIN: 1423514645

Product Description

This is a NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER WEAPONS DIV CHINA LAKE CA report procured by the Pentagon and made available for public release. It has been reproduced in the best form available to the Pentagon. It is not spiral-bound, but rather assembled with Velobinding in a soft, white linen cover. The Storming Media report number is A391024. The abstract provided by the Pentagon follows: When Navy aircraft are involved in crash incidents, firefighters must be aware of hazards presented by airframe composite-material construction. Composite matrices may be combustible, contributing to the aircraft fuel load and burning hazard. Additionally, fibers released from burning composites may present a respiration hazard to firefighters. Current Navy and military doctrine recognize these hazards; cautionary guidance is provided for composite materials reinforced with carbon/graphite fibers and boron/tungsten fibers. The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), which provides technical guidance for aircraft fire safety, was concerned that hazards presented by new composite materials and greater quantities of composites may not be adequately addressed in current firefighting and guidance. The objective of this project was to perform a literature search to identify any existing "gaps in knowledge" concerning the role of composite materials in a fire mishap involving an aircraft having composite construction materials. With these "gaps" identified, future actions can be identified, prioritized, and performed.

Dreams, Consciousness, Spirit: The Quantum Experience of Self-Reflection and Co-Creation

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You need to love case studies.

Dreams, Consciousness, Spirit: The Quantum Experience of Self-Reflection and Co-Creation
Ernest Lawrence Rossi
Manufacturer: Zeig, Tucker & Theisen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0965198529

Customer Reviews:

You need to love case studies........2007-05-26

Rossi is a marvelous theorist and his process of growth is spectacular. Most of the book however is a case study and I tired of reading someone else's dreams. I will read more Rossi.

Metadebates on Science: The Blue Book of `Einstein Meets Magritte' (Einstein Meets Magritte: An Interdisciplinary Reflection on Science, Nature, Art, Human Action and Society)

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Metadebates on Science: The Blue Book of `Einstein Meets Magritte' (Einstein Meets Magritte: An Interdisciplinary Reflection on Science, Nature, Art, Human Action and Society)

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0792357620

Book Description

How do scientists approach science? Scientists, sociologists and philosophers were asked to write on this intriguing problem and to display their results at the International Congress `Einstein Meets Magritte'. The outcome of their effort can be found in this rather unique book, presenting all kinds of different views on science. Quantum mechanics is a discipline which deserves and receives special attention in this book, mainly because it is fascinating and, hence, appeals to the general public. This book not only contains articles on the introductory level, it also provides new insights and bold, even provocative proposals. That way, the reader gets acquainted with `science in the making', sitting in the front row. The contributions have been written for a broad interdisciplinary audience of scholars and students.

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The Best (most controversial,honest &funny)novel in the history of Canada

Mandatory Reading...

Richler hadn't yet reached his peak

Bildungsromanovitz

A searing classic novel about the hidden costs of discounting the welfare of others in pursuit of one's dreams

The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
Mordecai Richler
Manufacturer: Pocket
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Richler, Mordecai | ( R ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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Barney's Version

Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz

Solomon Gursky Was Here

The Incomparable Atuk (New Canadian Library)

Paris Requiem

ASIN: 0671028472

Book Description

From Mordecai Richler, one of our greatest satirists, comes one of literature's most delightful characters, Duddy Kravitz -- in a novel that belongs in the pantheon of seminal twentieth century books.

Duddy -- the third generation of a Jewish immigrant family in Montreal -- is combative, amoral, scheming, a liar, and totally hilarious. From his street days tormenting teachers at the Jewish academy to his time hustling four jobs at once in a grand plan to "be somebody," Duddy learns about living -- and

the lesson is an outrageous roller-coaster ride through the human comedy. As Richler turns his blistering commentary on love, money, and politics, The Apprenticeship Of Duddy Kravitz becomes a lesson for us all...in laughter and in life.

Customer Reviews:

The Best (most controversial,honest &funny)novel in the history of Canada.......2006-06-14

I love everything about this novel;it's hilarious,controversial and culturally accurate;I think both the novel and film are excellent-and I can't decide whether I prefer the book or the film.If you only see the movie,you miss out on terrific lines-and insight into Duddy's Uncle Benjy,who I gotta go with as my favorite cultural insight from any novel,"There used to be...some dignity in being against the synagogue.With a severe orthodox rabbi there were things to quarrel about.There was some pleasure.But this cream-puff of a synagogue,this religious drugstore,you might as well spend your life being against the Reader's Digest.They've taken all the mystery out of religion"(p.126).And gems like this give the character's(particularly in the Kravitz family) a real honest two dimensional character.Without it,the novel is reduced to Duddy's grandfather's motto:"A man without land is nothing".Obviously,this is not as easy-morally or otherwise-that simple;I wish Richler had writtten a sequel-and I like to think that Virgil,the epileptic he "uses" and Yvette,who tells Duddy she's
through speaking to him,would've come around.Richler-who was criticized as a self-hating Jew-doesn't deserve the label;I love his honesty,accuracy and sense of humor.

Mandatory Reading..........2006-02-23

Duddy is a book about ambition. Each and every one of us wants more... Why else would we be on the internet looking for books to buy? This book is required reading as it serves to remind us that sometimes wanting more can be less. Duddy is driven by the advice of his grandfather that "a man without land is nothing." Duddy is a poor child from the slums of Montreal, and misinterprets this advice in search of change. He tries hard to succeed but wants to do so at all costs. Now, Duddy is not evil in any way, but he does not have the ability of seeing the harm that he causes to his friends and loved ones inadvertently with his actions.
This is a sad and beautiful book, and needs to be read by anyone who ever plans on having more than they have today...

Thank You Mr. Richler.

Relic113

Richler hadn't yet reached his peak.......2005-10-27

For an example of what this author can really do, read "Barney's Version."

It seems that Richler specializes in making dislikeable characters (see Terry MacIver in "Barney's Version"), but he hadn't reached his peak as of this writing.

The character development is not all that good, nor is the general direction of the plot. In short, it's just one more among many kitsch bildungsroman. Save your time.

Bildungsromanovitz.......2005-07-05

Yes, here we have the classic Bildungsroman, or coming-of-age-story, that constitutes a (ahem, normally) delightful genre of literature. The classic of all English language Bildungsromans (generally conceded) is Joyce's Portait of The Artist As A Young Man where Joyce tells with a passionate, lyrical intensity what it was like for him (under the guise of alter-ego Stephen Dedalus) growing up in Dublin and coming to realise his calling as an artist using, famously, "silence, exile and cunning" to further that end.

There is also more than a bit of the picaresque to this novel, with the madcap rush of Duddy to grab his land by any means possible. But, alas, two things make this novel less than satisfactory or even, in the end, pleasing to read:

1) The writing. In contrast to Joyce or Thomas Wolfe or any other number of novelists who sketched their youth in a poetic lyricism that redeems even the protagonist's worst character flaws, Kravitz writes in a terse, hard-bitten prose that is rather off-putting (understatement) and exaggerates rather than casts into relief Kravitz's many small-minded, unfeeling, avaricious flaws.

2.) Duddy Kravits himself is IMPOSSIBLE TO LIKE. This might be an advantage for a character in a book like The Brothers Karamazov, where we have several characters interacting throughout the novel, some with rather bad character traits indeed, or in a novel like Donleavy'y The Ginger Man whose ptotagonist's faults are compensated by his humanity and the beautiful writing. But when the character is the raison d'etre for the book without many redeeming qualities at all (I mean, not even "bad" ones with which one finds one's self sympathising) and the writing, which reminded me of bricklaying, only exacerbates the situation, it's time to hang it up....Period.

For any readers who didn't fancy this book but still admire bildungsroman, picaresque anti-hero type of things, I couldn't do better than recommend Irish-American author J.P. Donleavy's Darcy Dancer trilogy.-Now THAT is what good novels of this sort are all about.

A searing classic novel about the hidden costs of discounting the welfare of others in pursuit of one's dreams.......2005-07-05

Written by a two-time recipient of the Governor General's Award, The Apprenticeship Of Duddy Kravitz is a searing classic novel about the hidden costs of discounting the welfare of others in pursuit of one's dreams. Desperate to escape Montreal's Jewish ghetto, Young Duddy Kravitz lives by his grandfather's maxim that "a man without land is nobody", and he lies, cheats, and steals in his voracious pursuit of property. Even though his magnetic charisma sustains his business presence, he soon learns that the realization of his dream is not all he expected it to be. Originally written in 1959, The Apprenticeship Of Duddy Kravitz rings more strongly true than ever in today's materialistic and greed-fueled society. Narrated by award-winning actor Paul Hecht, this audiobook version was originally broadcast on CBC radio. 4 CDs, approximately 4.5 hours, abridged.

Introducing Mordecai Richler's the Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz: A Reader's Guide (Canadian Fiction Studies)

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Introducing Mordecai Richler's the Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz: A Reader's Guide (Canadian Fiction Studies)
George Woodcock
Manufacturer: Stoddart
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Book Description

Canadian Fiction Studies are an answer to every librarian's, student's, and teacher's wishes. Each book, about 80 pages in length, contains clear, readable information on a major Canadian novel. These studies are carefully designed readings of the novels; they are not substitutes for reading them. Each book is attractively produced and follows the same format, so students will know exactly what to expect:

A chronology of the author's life The importance of the book Critical reception Reading of the text Selected list of works cited

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The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
Mordecai Richler
Manufacturer: Penguin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000J45OV2

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THE APPRENTICESHIP OF DUDDY KRAVITZ
MORDECHAI RICHLER
Manufacturer: Penguin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GS5V5A

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The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
Mordeacai Richler
Manufacturer: Penguin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NQFN4Y

Product Description

An extremely funnd and acute novel from one of Canada's most lively and assured writers.

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The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
Mordecai Richler
Manufacturer: Penguin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
Mordecai RICHLER
Manufacturer: Andre Deutsch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000EC8E70

Product Description

Richler wrote the screenplay for this 1974 film starring Richard Dreyfus.

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The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
Mordecai Richler
Manufacturer: Penguin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000KS7J24

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The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
Mordecai Richler
Manufacturer: penguin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000M0K3XC

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Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
Mordecai Richler
Manufacturer: Penguin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K0AUU0

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