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On 30 Dec 2006 14:59:26 -0800, "C" <cmiller5277@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>Hello all,
>
> I'm going to be studying abroad next semester in Budapest,
>Hungary, and thinking ahead for the 10+ hour plane ride I'm going to
>have (along with loads of downtime the first week or so), I was
>wondering if anyone could suggest an interesting math or physics book I
>could read during that time. I'm not looking for any kind of textbook
>or anything here, but still something intelligent that I can pick up at
>a Barnes & Noble or Borders or something along those lines. I've seen
>the book "Not Even Wrong" by Peter Woit a couple of places, has anyone
>been fortunate enough to read that yet?
>
>Any input / suggestions would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
>
>Corey
<> "The Trouble With Physics: The Rise of String Theory, the Fall of a
Science, and What Comes Next" by Lee Smolin
I'd suggest reading Smolin's book before Woit's (parts of the latter
are rather technical). They are "companion" books in some ways, one
being that Motl (that would be Lubo? Motl) has called Smolin the "blue
crackpot" and Woit the "black crackpot", a reference to the color of
the book covers.
<> "The Road to Reality: A Complete Guide to the Laws of the Universe"
by Roger Penrose
It's harder to suggest math books without some notion of the subject
matter and "level" you're looking for. With that caveat, I'll list a
few popular books that I think were written for readers with "some"
math literacy.
<> "Prime Obsession: Bernhard Riemann and the Greatest Unsolved
Problem in Mathematics" by John Derbyshire
<> "Gamma: Exploring Euler's Constant" by Julian Havil
<> "e: The Story of a Number" by Eli Maor
<> "Dr. Euler's Fabulous Formula: Cures Many Mathematical Ills"
by Paul J. Nahin
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