"Obvious is the most dangerous word in mathematics":
technica q&a: dan lyons (options: the secret life of steve jobs: a parody)
technica q&a: richard reeves (a force of nature)
technica q&a: paul pasles (benjamin franklin's numbers)
technica q&a: david levy (love and sex with robots)
isepp lecture series
author event: science talk
aisle 49
sustainable living sale
springer yellow sale
new arrivals
doug brown's factoid
bestsellers
October is the perfect month to get back to your indoor hobbies. Listen to the rain patter on your roof while you tinker at your machine-shop project, read about green building, work with electronics, or learn to master Photoshop CS3. Or put on your galoshes and venture out to Powell's Technical Books to buy your favorite hobbyist tomes and then hole yourself away.
TECHNICA Q&A: DAN LYONS
In the summer of 2006, Forbes senior editor Dan Lyons used the nom de plume "Fake Steve Jobs" to create his wildly popular blog The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs. After a year of speculation, the New York Times revealed Lyons as the blogger last August. Lampooning one of America's most famous and successful tech businessmen, his blog now has over a million readers, one of whom is the real Mr. Jobs. Catch up with all his shenanigans in the just published satirical novel, Options: The Secret Life of Steve Jobs: A Parody while saving 30% off the cover price. In this exclusive Q&A, find out about Lyons's Silicon Valley credentials and his fondness for Chekhov.
What a gas: William Morton demonstrated the effects of ether in Boston, October 16, 1843. Morton, a dentist and physician with questionable credentials, hoped to find wealth and fame after, using ether as general anesthesia, he incised a patient's neck in front of a large audience at Massachusetts General Hospital. Since ether had been in use for other medical purposes since the early 1700s, he called ether "Letheon" and refused to reveal the nature of the solution so the other doctors wouldn't get whiff of what he was up to. They soon recognized the familiar odor, and Morton never got the patent or fortune he craved.
TECHNICA Q&A: RICHARD REEVES
Part of W. W. Norton's Great Discoveries series, Richard Reeves's A Force of Nature: The Frontier Genius of Ernest Rutherford illuminates the life of the New Zealander who became known as the father of nuclear physics and, in fact, was the first to prove that E does equal mc squared. Read Reeves's Q&A to learn about his thoughts on reincarnation and why he checks his email every fifteen minutes. And enjoy a 30% discount on A Force of Nature.
TECHNICA Q&A: PAUL PASLES
Paul Pasles presents the first mathematical biography of Ben Franklin in
his book, Benjamin Franklin's Numbers: An Unsung Mathematical Odyssey. Historians have downplayed Franklin's interest in mathematics, but Pasles, himself a mathematician, eagerly shows off the numerical side of Franklin. In this Q&A, learn how Pasles kills time in grocery store lines, and why he prefers Pac-Man to chess. And order your copy of Benjamin Franklin's Numbers at 30% off.
TECHNICA Q&A: DAVID LEVY
David Levy's book Love and Sex with Robots: The Evolution of Human-Robot Relationships is not a how-to manual. Instead, Levy argues that computer-human relations will be the result of human affection for gadgets with responsive technology; put more simply, our fondness for our Roomba is just a prequel to falling in love with it. Levy has spent thousands of hours of research on robotics, psychology, sexology, and other computer-human relations. Curious to find out more about David Levy? Read his Q&A, where you may be surprised to learn that he's "hopeless" at video games but makes up for it with chess prowess. Here's something else to love: save 30% off your preorder of Love and Sex with Robots.
All lit up: Thomas Edison formed the Edison Electric Light Company and began production of light bulbs on November 1, 1880. Edison didn't do all his work alone, however; he employed talented inventors such as Nikola Tesla. Tesla held a grudge against his employer, and after Edison's death Tesla remarked, "He had no hobby, cared for no sort of amusement of any kind and lived in utter disregard of the most elementary rules of hygiene."
ISEPP LECTURE SERIES
There are two upcoming ISEPP lectures that you shouldn't miss. On November 1, noted author and Duke University professor Dr. Henry Petroski presents his lecture, "Technology and Culture: The Toothpick." Then, on November 15, Dr. J. Craig Venter, who recently decoded the human genome and wrote A Life Decoded: My Genome: My Life, talks about his newest book and other ambitious endeavors. Save 15% off your ticket price by mentioning Technica when you order through the ISEPP office: 503-232-2300.
AUTHOR EVENT: SCIENCE TALK
Mark your calendars for our author event on Tuesday, November 13. At 7:00 p.m., Daniel Thurs will present the concepts in his controversial book Science Talk: Changing Notions in American Popular Culture. Science news is often divisive — stem cell research, for example, provokes strong emotions. How does the public's response to science change the way we view it today and in the future? Don't miss this author event that's sure to provoke lively debate and discussion.
Yosemite Sam, eat your heart out: Bernard Otto Holtermann traveled to Australia in 1858 to escape military service. He found work as a ship steward and a waiter before an acquaintance talked him into gold mining in New South Wales. He and his friend Ludwig Beyers chipped away for eight years until October 19, 1872, when they found a gold "nugget" that measured 1.5 meters long and weighed almost 290 kilograms. He later made a successful bid for public office, touting himself as the "staunch friend of the working man."
AISLE 49
What is Aisle 49? No, it's not an allusion to a Thomas Pynchon novel or a space-alien hangout in Nevada. Rather, it's the Tech store's aisle of books you covet and desperately want. Visit this alluring aisle, where you will find gems like Edward Tufte's Beautiful Evidence, Anvils in America by Richard Postman, Wayne Goddard's $50 Knife Shop, and Bentley's Snowflakes. Click here to see the rest of Aisle 49's temptations. It's never too early to buy a gift for yourself... or someone else!
Alcohol can be a gas: Alcohol as an alternative fuel is not a new concept. The first alcohol power plant was established on October 2, 1936, in Atchison, Kansas. The alcohol-blended fuel, called "Agrol," was made from corn and priced competitively with the price of gasoline. A local newspaper remarked, "the production of power alcohol from surplus farm products in this plant is being watched by leaders in agriculture, the oil industry, and other fields...." Agrol didn't become commercially successful at that time, despite the Great Depression and the need for a fuel source made from local agriculture. The name now belongs to an Arkansas producer of agro-based polyols for the polyurethane industry.
SUSTAINABLE LIVING SALE
This sale really is sustainable. We're selling so many of these great books, we're extending our promotion for another month. Ride your bike over to the Tech store to check out great discounted titles such as Your Green Home by Alex Wilson, Chris Balish's How to Live Well without Owning a Car, and Rainwater Collection for the Mechanically Challenged by Suzy Banks — all at 30% off! It feels so good to lessen your dependence on "the man" for oil, and get a bunch of great reading done as well.
SPRINGER YELLOW SALE
The dance of the fall colors brings us back once again to the Springer Yellow Sale. Big savings on over 240 titles spanning the spectrum of mathematics! The sale runs through December 31, but quantities can be limited, so get them while they last. Click here to browse the entire selection of titles on sale.
NEW ARRIVALS
Stalwart diesel enthusiast and local writer Lyle Cummins has just published Diesels for the First Stealth Weapon: Submarine Power 1902-1945. This will be a popular holiday gift book for the serious machinist geek. Another lovely pick is David Attenborough's Amazing Rare Things, a collection of natural history drawings and watercolors of Leonardo da Vinci and other noted artists like Cassiano dal Pozzo. Is your stomach grumbling? Morton Satin, a molecular biologist, delves into the fascinating history of food poisoning and its effect on historical events in Death in the Pot. And for those of you heading out to taste Pinot Noir this fall, don't miss Paul Gregutt's Washington's Wines and Wineries: The Essential Guide. Check out all the books in our New Arrivals aisle.
DOUG BROWN'S FACTOID
Bees collect nectar in a second "honey stomach" which can hold up to a third of the bee's weight. A bee will visit over a hundred flowers before her honey stomach is full. Back in the hive, the nectar is passed to a worker, which chews it for a while, breaking up the complex sucrose into fructose and glucose (simple sugars animal cells can use) and adding in some other antibacterial enzymes. This goop is then spit into the honeycomb, where much of the water evaporates to make the thick honey we know. Bees hasten the evaporation process by fanning the comb with their wings. So, honey is basically condensed bee spit. Tasty!
POWELL'S TECHNICAL BOOKS BESTSELLERS
1. New Perspectives on Computer Concepts by June Jamric Parsons
2. Photoshop CS3 for Windows and Macintosh by Elaine Weinmann
3. Maya 8 for Windows and Macintosh by Morgan Robinson
4. Learning PHP 5 by David Sklar
5. In the Blink of an Eye: A Perspective on Film Editing by Walter Murch
6. Dynamic Learning: Flash CS3 Professional by Fred Gerantabee
7. Discovering the Essential Universe by Neil F. Comins
8. Making Money by Terry Pratchett
9. Linux Pocket Guide by Daniel J. Barrett
10. The Alchemist's Kitchen by Guy Ogilvy
Intro quote from Eric Temple Bell, author of Men of Mathematics.
Technica
By Carole R.
