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 enlarge | Author: Frances Ashcroft
Publisher: University of California Press
Category: Book
List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $12.34
You Save: $7.61 (38%)
New (17) Used (14) from $10.03
Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 108274
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 347
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 8.7 x 5.8 x 1
ISBN: 0520234200
Dewey Decimal Number: 570
EAN: 9780520234208
ASIN: 0520234200
Publication Date: March 18, 2002
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New, Perfect Condition, Please allow 4-14 business days for delivery. 100% Money Back Guarantee, Over 1,000,000 customers served.
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| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 6-7 of 7 | | « PREV | | |
 Well-written and interesting; slight flaws January 1, 2001
4 out of 6 found this review helpful
This book contains a variety of interesting bits of trivia and it is written with a voice that keeps the reader interested. Scientific facts and principles are presented in a manner accessible to a general audience, but they are not so overly simplified that a scientist becomes bored.
The only serious shortcoming is that sometimes the biological background of the author demonstrates fundamental deficiencies in understanding physics. While these errors did not really subtract from the main points being made, physicists and engineers may occasionally become irritated.
Life's amazing adaptability October 16, 2000
This much-heralded book is a treasure chest of facts and anecdotes on (mostly human or other mammalian) life under extreme conditions. It's a good mix of physics, physiology, and the adventurous tales of people "who have been there". The extremes treated in this book range from the deepest depth of the ocean to the highest elevations that can be reached on foot or by balloon, from the causes and dangers of overheating to what tissues frostbites destroy. It also includes a chapter on astronauts' problems in space, as well as one on how microbes survive in atmospheres of otherwise lethal toxic gases, in hot springs, acid and caustic lakes or springs, and in deep rocks. This is a book for the general reader and the physics and physiology are accordingly described in an easily understandable manner. It is also a good starting point for someone intending to delve deeper into the matter (a 'further reading' list is appended). The text is agreeable to read (except for the irritating use of singular subject and plural verb form) and the printing errors are easy to spot. A shame is that the illustrations were not printed on glossy paper; they loose much of their charm on the rough surface of the pages.
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