Sunday, December 19, 2010

Universe on a T-Shirt: The Quest for the Theory of Everything by Dan Falk

A fascinating history of the scientific search for the Theory of Everything, i.e. a unifying theory that explains the structure of the universe. Ranging from the ancient Greek philosopher Democritus, who speculated that matter was formed by a basic entity called atomon – today we call them atoms – to the Copernican revolution in the middle ages, the development of Newtonian mechanics in the 17th and 18th centuries, the formation of electromagnetic theory in the 19th century, Einstein’s discovery of special and general relativity in the first-half of the 20th century, and the mind-blowing conclusions of quantum mechanics and string theory, this book is a captivating read.

After describing how scientists have searched for answers to such questions as “what is the universe? What is it made of? How did it begin? And how will it evolve?” Dan Falk concludes his book by discussing the limits of scientific knowledge, and what a Theory of Everything, if one is ever found, would mean. A great read for anyone interested in the history of physics and the latest theories of the structure of the universe.

3 1/2 out of 5 stars

In Search of Time: Journeys Along a Curious Dimension by Dan Falk

This is a brilliant book that asks the question, "What is time?" In easy-to-read language, Dan Falk explains such mind-bending concepts as string theory, Einstein’s theory of relativity, the quest to build time machines and the view held by some physicists that time is an illusion.

Adding to this fascinating discussion are chapters on the development of the calendar, the creation of such concepts as “hour” and “second”, and a captivating discussion on the future of the universe and the human race. This book is a wonderful read that will capture the imagination of anyone who is interested in time and the fabric of reality.

4 out of 5 stars

A Wall of Light by Edeet Ravel

This delightful novel was a pleasure to read. Taking place over a single day, it recounts the life of Sonya Vronsky, a mathematics professor at Tel Aviv University who is deaf. Over the course of a day, Sonya kisses a student, seduces a taxi driver, discovers who her father is and leaves her brother.

Accompanying this intriguing narrative are two parallel story lines. The first is told through a series of journal entries from the 1980s and ‘90s that are written by Noah, who is technically Sonya’s nephew, but in reality is older that her aunt. The second parallel narrative describes a love story from the 1950s, and is told through a series of letters that Sonya’s mother wrote to her lover in Russia. The overall effect is a beautiful montage of overlapping story lines that combine into a wonderful tale.

4 out of 5 stars

Open & Shut: Why America has Barack Obama, and Canada has Stephen Harper by John Ibbitson

John Ibbitson should be commended for writing this book. I say this despite not agreeing with all of his arguments, which at times are contradictory. The point of this work, however, is not to make the reader agree with everything that Ibbitson says, but rather to start a conversation on a new approach to Canada-U.S. relations, and for that he deserves well-earned kudos.

In a nutshell, this book makes a convincing case that a person like Barack Obama could never become Prime Minister of Canada, due to the closed nature of Canada's political parties. It also puts forward a convincing argument that Canadian politics is overwhelmingly dominated by white males, despite our multicultural society. This is in sharp contrast to the U.S., where minorities wield a lot more political power. After making these very important points, Ibbitson counsels Canadians to get-over our inherent anti-U.S. smugness, and to be open to the possibility that we could learn some things about improving democracy from the United States.

On the negative side, however, this book contains some flaws. More specifically, on more than a few occasions, Ibbitson puts forward two different arguments which, on reflection, contradict each other. For instance, Ibbitson warns that Obama's environmental policies could hurt the Canadian economy as it could reduce production in the Alberta oil sands. (This leaves the reader with the impression that Ibbitson favours the development of the oil sands). Later in the book, however, he goes on to argue that Ottawa should participate in a cap-and-trade system with the U.S., even though this would also hurt oil sands production. (This second argument seems to favour the environment over short-term economic gain). At no point, however, does Ibbitson provide a clear answer to the question of how much oil sands production -- if any -- should be allowed, while balancing environmental concerns.

Despite these inner inconsistencies, however, this book is a fascinating read that will make Canadians rethink their relationship with the Unites States. In short, this is a well-written work that is well worth reading.

3 out of 5 stars

Obama: The Historic Journey by The New York Times

This book contains beautiful photographs but not much else. Purporting to be an in-depth look at the election of President Obama, this special collection is in reality a mishmash of previously published columns in the New York Times, snippets of news stories from Times' reporters, and -- in an annoying twist -- declarations on why the NYT's election coverage was so fantastic.

If you want a coffee table book with gorgeous photography, then this could be for you (though you would not be missing much if you skipped over the text). If you are looking for insight, however, then you would be better off taking a pass on this book.

1 1/2 out of 5 stars

Dark Days by Kerry Pither

This book should be read by all Canadians. Brilliantly researched and well-written, Dark Days tells the story of four men – Maher Arar, Ahmad El Maati, Abdullah Almalki and Muayyed Nureddin – who were detained in Syria, and then tortured, after being subject to investigation by Canadian police and security officials. In the case of El Maati, after spending over two months in Syria, he was transferred to Egypt where he was again tortured while being held in detention for 24 months.

Maher Arar has become a household name in Canada after a public inquiry found that he was falsely accused of being involved in terrorism. According to a report released in 2006 by Justice Dennis O'Connor, who headed an inquiry into Arar’s case, the RCMP passed on information to U.S. authorities that was, “inaccurate, portrayed him in an unfairly negative fashion and overstated his importance in the RCMP investigation.” This information, the report concluded, “very likely” led to the arrest of Arar at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York in September 2002, before being deported to Jordan, and then Syria, where he was repeatedly tortured. The Government of Canada later apologized to Arar and compensated him with more than $10 million.

The Arar story by itself is outrageous. But what is even more horrific is that at least three other men were detained overseas and subject to torture. A report released in 2008 by former Supreme Court of Canada justice Frank Iacobucci, who headed an inquiry into the men’s detention, concluded that the three men were tortured. The report also concluded that:

* The actions of the RCMP and CSIS indirectly led to the torture of El Maati;

* "Two actions of the RCMP" indirectly led to the torture of Almalki; and

* Certain instances of information sharing by CSIS and RCMP officials indirectly led to the torture of Nureddin.

In June 2009, the House of Commons public safety committee recommended that Canada formally apologize and compensate the three men.

5 out of 5 stars

Off the Wall: Graffiti for the Soul, Collected by Ernie J. Zelinski

A quirky collection of graffiti scrawls taken from bathrooms, workplaces, universities and other public places. Among some of the funnier quotes are:

* The only thing that my mother and father ever colloborated on was me.
* All the women complaining about how hard it is to find a husband obviously have never had one.
* Modern art is buying a painting to cover a hole in the wall and then deciding that the hole looks better.
* Flies spead disease. Keep yours zipped.
3 out of 5 stars

The Traveler (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 1) by John Twelve Hawks

This novel is like the Matrix movie trilogy: A brilliant plot line that grips its audience from the beginning, only to lose steam, and then wither away into a typical action thriller.

The book begins with a wonderful story of the epic struggle between the "Travelers" and the "Tabula". The Travelers refer to a series of people throughout history who have been able to project their life essence into other realms, and in the process gaining a perspective of life that fosters revolutionary ferment on Earth. The Tabula, on the other hand, are a secret group who want to kill the Travelers, in order to impose complete control on the human race. Caught in the middle of this struggle are a group of warriors known as Harlequins, who are sworn to defend the travelers.

The first-half of this novel (the first book of The Fourth Realm series) is a wonderful page turner that contains excellent writing. Unfortunately for the reader, however, the second-half of the book descends into a ho-hum action chase, that undermines the wonderful plot line. I still plan to read the rest of this series, but I hope that the following books are more Matrix I then Matrix II or III.

2 1/2 out of 5 stars

A Long Time Coming by Evan Thomas

This is an in depth account of the 2008 U.S. presidential election, aided by the reporting of the staff of Newsweek. For those who followed last year's campaign closely, there isn't a lot of new material here that hasn't been reported elsewhere. This being said, there are some funny vignettes, such as Joe Biden saying, "Who's Palin?" when first told that John McCain had picked Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Though this book doesn't provide many new insights, it is well writen, and also does an excellent job of describing the Democratic and Republican primary campaigns, and then the general election. Overall, this is an interesting read for political junkies who are intersted in U.S. politics.
3 out of 5 stars