Mr Tompkins in Paperback: Amazon.ca: George Gamow, Roger Penrose: Books

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'Not only entertaining; the ordinary reader can learn from it a great deal about sub-atomic particles, electrons, neutrons and the rest, and the strange rules which govern their behaviour.' The Observer

'Will vastly fascinate the whimsical, and is also entirely scientific.' Scientific American

'Enthusiastically recommended to both scientific and general readers.' The Guardian

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Mr Tompkins has become known and loved by many thousands of readers (since his first appearance over fifty years ago) as the bank clerk whose fantastic dreams and adventures lead him into a world inside the atom. George Gamow's classic provides a delightful explanation of the central concepts in modern physics, from atomic structure to relativity, and quantum theory to fusion and fission. Roger Penrose's new foreword introduces Mr Tompkins to a new generation of readers, and reviews his adventures in the light of current developments in physics today.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
It was a bank holiday, and Mr Tompkins, the little clerk of a big city bank, slept late and had a leisurely breakfast. Read the first page

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Concordance

Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

12 Reviews

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4.8 out of 5 stars (12 customer reviews)

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb Intro to Modern Physics, Nov 10 1997

By

Stan Ruby (sruby@earthlink.net) (Stanford, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mr Tompkins in Paperback (Paperback)

I first read this about 50 years ago in graduate school, and was wonderfully stimulated. Despite many advances since, this book is still thoroughly up-to-date (except for particle physics and quarks). I remember mainly how Mr Tompkins suffers in a room where the speed of light has been reduced to 100 mph. Could never again think of simultaneity again in quite the familiar Newtonian way. That is but one example of the freshness of view that Gamow's fun-loving mind creates. It taught me more than most formal texts; and with so much more ease.I hope that he and Lewis Carroll have found each other in Heaven, and are discussing how to educate and amuse.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars It helped me understand..., Mar 10 2004

By

Jeff Pike (Mechanicsville, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mr Tompkins in Paperback (Paperback)

I'm a novice at this subject matter, and I've recently started reading introductory books on quantum physics for fun. I read, "The New Quantum Universe" prior to reading this. This easy to read book filled in some gaps that that I had. It helped me grasp some concepts that had otherwise passed over my head when reading the other book.

I understand that this is a classic text and I can see why. It's fun to read, and provides a foundation for further understanding. It explains uncertaintity, radioactive decay, and electron shells especially well.

I may not fully appreciate the concepts I was able to internalize from this book for quite some time. I can say that I strongly recommend it to the layman or anyone who's eager to understand some basics of this incredible field of study.

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An alltime favorite!, Sep 22 2003

By

Palle E T Jorgensen "Palle Jorgensen" (Iowa City, Iowa United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Mr Tompkins in Paperback (Paperback)

A lovely reprinted edition of a peral from Gamow. The original edition has been out of print for a number of years. This 1993 edition has added commentary and a fascinating bio of Gamow. He was born in Odessa, in what was then Russia, --before the Soviet Union. The story of his escape to the West is straight out of a thriller. Only it is real! Gamow was referred to by a journalist, some time during the Cold War, as "the only scientist in America with a real sense of humor". He can take the most technical stuff and make it simple. Fun too! The book:--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. Follow your imagination, and while you explore, you will learn about Einstein's theory of relativity. And in unexpected ways! You will see the wonders of physics thru the eyes of a child. With his unexpected thought experiments, Gamow has captured the imagination of generations of readers, and he has inspired a degree of curiosity that comes naturally to children.
The author George Gamow started in nuclear physics, during the Golden Age of Physics, worked with Niels Bohr in Copenhagen, then later in the US, on the Manhattan Project during WWII; and after the War, he was professor in Boulder Colorado. He has a building on campus of The University of Colorado named after him! He is one of the few scientists who wrote popular books. They are precious pearls, and they have been equally popular with my parent's generation as with mine. For awhile they were out of print, but luckely some have now been reprinted in recent years!
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. Gamow's list of scientific accomplishments includes a 1948 landmark paper on the origin of chemical elements, the Big Bang model, and later work with F. Crick on DNA and genetic coding.-- Do more Gamow editions, Dover!
Review by Palle Jorgensen, September 2003.

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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Entertaining
I wish they made an animation movie from this book. This is very nice introduction into Modern Physics expecially for those who is interested in Physics in young age but does not... Read more

Published on Aug 29 2001 by Muzaffer Muctehitzade

5.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction to modern physics
This book is about 50 years old, but it has aged well. The basic ideas discussed in the book have not changed, although some discoveries in the intervening years have made a few... Read more

Published on May 13 2001 by G. Lombardi