Description: Lively, informative, and easy-to-understand, this book is a fascinating read for scientists across many disciplines and the educated/interested layperson. Beautifully presented with eight pages of color illustrations, Giant Molecules: Here, There, and Everywhere addresses the nature and role of giant molecules, which are the"source"for polymer chains. Grosberg and Khokhlov explain what giant molecules are, how they are formed, where they are applied, and whythey are important in everyday life and in science. The simple, non-technical style is complemented by full-color illustrations.
A CD-ROM enclosed with the book provides simulation of typical behavior of polymers, which is an extremely useful tool for teaching purposes. This feature will be of special interest to the expert in polymers across many disciplines, including molecularbiology, materials science, physics, and chemistry. The CD-ROM also allows the user to create a broad variety of movies simulating an almost arbitrary polymer system, customized to the user's specific needs.
Giant Molecules presents the subject matter much more clearly than the standard scientific text. It provides a unique opportunity to grasp the most advanced methods of polymer physics with the guidance of world leaders in the field. The book features a foreword written by Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, a Nobel Prize Laureate, and each chapter in this fascinating volume is preceded by a quote from such notable sources as Goethe, St. Exupery, and Mark Twain. Written in a simple, non-scientific style, Giant Molecules should be understandable to interested readers at any level, and the color illustrations and CD-ROM add to the appeal of this lively book.
Key Features
* Includes a foreword written by Pierre-Gilles de Gennes, Nobel Laureate
* Written at a level both the scientist and non-scientist can appreciate
* Uses a clear, comprehensive manner to describe giant molecules
* Features a CD-ROM with movies showing the simulation of polymer behavior
* Presents a simple approach to the most complex phenomena, using very limited mathematics
* Considers aspects of polymers as materials
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Review Summary: This book explains things. |
Date: 2005-06-08 |
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Details: I am a physics professor working on semiconductor materials. Polymer is not my area, but they always attracts me a lot.
I can't believe this great book hasn't been reviewed yet. Yes, it is written by two Russian scientists. But who said Russians can only write rigorous math books? This book is not a monograph but for everyone interested in polymer physics, material or popular science. It explains a lot of phenomena in a clear, consise and humours language. There is a little math, not hard at all. Freshmen level calculus would be sufficient to understand the book. In fact, all through the book, the authors were showing the interactions between different factors. These factors are the reason that polymers have so many tantalizing and sometimes contradicting properties. To explain those, math is necessary.
The movies included in the accompanied CD are great, think about how much work is put on making them! |
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