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宇宙秘密：阿西莫夫谈科学
在《宇宙秘密:阿西莫夫谈科学》中您可以看到，阿西莫夫对奴隶制度和妇女地位的回望与评述，对智商崇拜和非理性的嘲讽与抨击，对迷信和反科学思潮的剖析与批驳，还有他对生与死的探索，对《圣经》的“科学解读”，对思维方式的思考……都可谓新意迭出、论辩精辟、哲理深蕴；加上幽默、亲切、常以自身经历或体验逗乐的开场白，以及画龙点晴的后记，更彰显出《宇宙秘密:阿西莫夫谈科学》的盎然情趣，及其背后广阔的人文视野。
350 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 1989
5 people are currently reading
195 people want to read
About the author
Isaac Asimov
4,341 books27.9k followersWorks of prolific Russian-American writer Isaac Asimov include popular explanations of scientific principles,
The Foundation Trilogy
(1951-1953), and other volumes of fiction.
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
Isaac Asimov, a professor of biochemistry, wrote as a highly successful author, best known for his books.
Asimov, professor, generally considered of all time, edited more than five hundred books and ninety thousand letters and postcards. He published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey decimal classification but lacked only an entry in the category of philosophy (100).
People widely considered Asimov, a master of the genre alongside Robert Anson Heinlein and Arthur Charles Clarke as the "big three" during his lifetime. He later tied Galactic Empire and the Robot into the same universe as his most famous series to create a unified "future history" for his stories much like those that Heinlein pioneered and Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson previously produced. He penned "Nightfall," voted in 1964 as the best short story of all time; many persons still honor this title. He also produced well mysteries, fantasy, and a great quantity of nonfiction. Asimov used Paul French, the pen name, for the Lucky Starr, series of juvenile novels.
Most books of Asimov in a historical way go as far back to a time with possible question or concept at its simplest stage. He often provides and mentions well nationalities, birth, and death dates for persons and etymologies and pronunciation guides for technical terms. Guide to Science, the tripartite set Understanding Physics, and Chronology of Science and Discovery exemplify these books.
Asimov, a long-time member, reluctantly served as vice president of Mensa international and described some members of that organization as "brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs." He took more pleasure as president of the humanist association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, an elementary school in Brooklyn in New York, and two different awards honor his name.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_As...
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 27, 2018
Más que interesante. Asimov era muy buen escritor, pero ante todo un gran científico(y profesor), y se demuestra en este libro.
June 11, 2024
Published in 1989, before his death in 1992, this is a good selection of Asimov’s favorite science essays published in the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction for more than 30 years without missing a month. Each essay is written in his clear, personable style, on a variety of scientific and historical topics. For me, the best parts of each essay are his autobiographical and often humorous introductions to each essay. I always enjoy finding and reading a book I hadn’t yet read from Asimov, my favorite author.
June 12, 2022
Es un libro que recoge atículos cortos del gran Asimov, le he puesto 3 estrellas porque estan obsoletos la mayoría, hablan de los años 50 y hay muchos de biología y ninguno de astronomía, el título no se corresponde con el libro.
No lo recomiendo, aunque es cortito y se lee muy rápido.
No lo recomiendo, aunque es cortito y se lee muy rápido.
May 29, 2018
A "best of" collection of his F&SF science columns. I enjoy them.
November 17, 2020
“你可能想知道我为什么关心这件事。那好，最简单地说说吧，我关心它是因为每件事我都关心。”
September 27, 2013
I'll be honest here--this book is dry. For anyone who is looking for one of Asimov's compelling narratives, this isn't one of them. However, that isn't to say that it's boring, which it's not, but that it is dense. It covers a broad range of subjects (from quantum physics to poetry) in almost layman's terms, so you're bound to find something that you enjoy. However, for those topics that you don't care about, you might as well skip because it'll probably be a bit of a slog.
Perhaps the biggest issue I have with this book is the prose. For any reader with a scientific background, Asimov's ideas shouldn't take too much time to get, but if you've never heard of a quark or don't care to know what one is, this book will be a drag. Otherwise, you're almost bound to learn something new, which is always a pleasure.
I must also note that Asimov likes to go on little tangents, mostly involving his life. Though amusing, they tend to have little to do with the subject material and his tone occasionally becomes annoyingly self-deprecating ("I admit that I don't know very much about ..." is common throughout). Yes, I get that he published these separately and that he wanted to not seem like a professional when he wasn't, but the frequency and predictability with which he repeated this act was tiring.
I do appreciate this collection of Asimov's essays; they are long enough to go into some depth but short enough not to lose my attention and therefore, taken as a whole, Asimov on Science is a worthwhile read for the scientifically inclined. But because it's dense and because Asimov does get technical on many occasions, it does take a long time to get through since it feels as if he tries to inundate the reader with facts and theories all at once. Chances are that you will feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when you finish, but it will take no small effort to get there. When you do, though, you'll have learned a lot about some interesting ideas (given that most them don't have practical application in other fields) as well as Asimov himself.
Perhaps the biggest issue I have with this book is the prose. For any reader with a scientific background, Asimov's ideas shouldn't take too much time to get, but if you've never heard of a quark or don't care to know what one is, this book will be a drag. Otherwise, you're almost bound to learn something new, which is always a pleasure.
I must also note that Asimov likes to go on little tangents, mostly involving his life. Though amusing, they tend to have little to do with the subject material and his tone occasionally becomes annoyingly self-deprecating ("I admit that I don't know very much about ..." is common throughout). Yes, I get that he published these separately and that he wanted to not seem like a professional when he wasn't, but the frequency and predictability with which he repeated this act was tiring.
I do appreciate this collection of Asimov's essays; they are long enough to go into some depth but short enough not to lose my attention and therefore, taken as a whole, Asimov on Science is a worthwhile read for the scientifically inclined. But because it's dense and because Asimov does get technical on many occasions, it does take a long time to get through since it feels as if he tries to inundate the reader with facts and theories all at once. Chances are that you will feel a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction when you finish, but it will take no small effort to get there. When you do, though, you'll have learned a lot about some interesting ideas (given that most them don't have practical application in other fields) as well as Asimov himself.
July 31, 2015
Dado que leí varios libros de "La Fundación" y me encantaron, cuando encontré este de Asimov no dude en comprarlo para conocer un poco mas sobre sus artículos alejados (después resultó que no tanto) de la ciencia ficción.
Resultó que disfruté mucho estos ensayos, y al mismo tiempo aprendí cosas nuevas y profundicé temas que apenas empiezo a estudiar en mi carrera (entendiendo que la publicación de estos artículos llega al 1988 marqué varias cosas para actualizar con otras lecturas)
Me di cuenta la inclinación favorable que presento ante la física y las matemáticas, ya que los artículos que trataban con estos tópicos (entre otros como psico/sociología, química, biología e incluso literatura) automáticamente eran mejor recibidos. De mis preferidos? "Estoy buscando un trébol de cuatro hojas" y "El muro de luxón" me parecieron sumamente interesantes y sorprendentemente más sencillos de comprender que lo esperado, ahí es donde Asimov nos demuestra su capacidad como escritor. También, en un tono algo mas satírico si se quiere, "Toca plástico!" fue muy entretenido.
A fin de cuentas, es un buen libro para leer e instruirse sobre diversos temas, teniendo siempre en mente el período en el que se escribieron estos ensayos, aún si Asimov los revisó para la publicación y tienen notas que corrigen algunos detalles y agregan datos de color a cada uno.
Resultó que disfruté mucho estos ensayos, y al mismo tiempo aprendí cosas nuevas y profundicé temas que apenas empiezo a estudiar en mi carrera (entendiendo que la publicación de estos artículos llega al 1988 marqué varias cosas para actualizar con otras lecturas)
Me di cuenta la inclinación favorable que presento ante la física y las matemáticas, ya que los artículos que trataban con estos tópicos (entre otros como psico/sociología, química, biología e incluso literatura) automáticamente eran mejor recibidos. De mis preferidos? "Estoy buscando un trébol de cuatro hojas" y "El muro de luxón" me parecieron sumamente interesantes y sorprendentemente más sencillos de comprender que lo esperado, ahí es donde Asimov nos demuestra su capacidad como escritor. También, en un tono algo mas satírico si se quiere, "Toca plástico!" fue muy entretenido.
A fin de cuentas, es un buen libro para leer e instruirse sobre diversos temas, teniendo siempre en mente el período en el que se escribieron estos ensayos, aún si Asimov los revisó para la publicación y tienen notas que corrigen algunos detalles y agregan datos de color a cada uno.
May 27, 2016
This essay collection contains two that I specifically remember and refer to twenty years after I read them. They are "You, Too, Can Speak Gaelic" and "I'm Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover", which I refer to below.
Science - The book is a retrospective collection of 31 essays from Asimov's science column for _Fantasy and Science Fiction_ between 1958 and 1989. The essay for November 1958 was the first essay for _F&SF. The other essays are presented as separate chapters with short afterwards. The afterwards sometimes update the science, sometimes talk about predictions that turned out right or wrong, and sometimes talk about reader response to the article. Asimov's column was wide-ranging. Sometimes they were literary, sometimes historical, and sometimes on the Bible. Two math related essays in this volumn are "A Piece of Pi" (on pi) and "Exclamation Point!" (on factorials). Science articles of a less mathematical nature include "You, Too, Can Speak Gaelic" (on how to pronounce those pesky chemical names), "I'm Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover" (on cosmology), "Look Long Upon a Monkey" (on evolution), and "The Floating Crystal Palace" (on icebergs).
Science - The book is a retrospective collection of 31 essays from Asimov's science column for _Fantasy and Science Fiction_ between 1958 and 1989. The essay for November 1958 was the first essay for _F&SF. The other essays are presented as separate chapters with short afterwards. The afterwards sometimes update the science, sometimes talk about predictions that turned out right or wrong, and sometimes talk about reader response to the article. Asimov's column was wide-ranging. Sometimes they were literary, sometimes historical, and sometimes on the Bible. Two math related essays in this volumn are "A Piece of Pi" (on pi) and "Exclamation Point!" (on factorials). Science articles of a less mathematical nature include "You, Too, Can Speak Gaelic" (on how to pronounce those pesky chemical names), "I'm Looking Over a Four-Leaf Clover" (on cosmology), "Look Long Upon a Monkey" (on evolution), and "The Floating Crystal Palace" (on icebergs).
September 25, 2013
Honestly, I struggled with the early essays in this book. I had not read any Asimov prior to this and I found him to be conceited with his constant this idea is "original with me." I wanted to punch the man. That said I continued to read on knowing that he was thought of highly and I'm very thankful that I did so. I don't recall exactly which essay was the turning point but essay 16 "Look Long upon a Monkey" wherein he describes himself as "cheerfully self-appreciative" in his writing and informs us that it is a writing trick he uses to enable himself to keep on writing certainly helped. I very much enjoyed all of the following essays and came to very much appreciate Asimov for his forward-thinking humanist outlook on the equality of all peoples. At the closing of the book I felt as though I had lost a friend. I imagine a lot of that sentiment comes from the emotional evolution I experienced over the course of these essays but even if you are already acquainted with Isaac Asimov, if you haven't read these essays, it's probably worth a go.
August 19, 2009
The Good Doctor covers his love affair with science as published over 30 years.
I'll never forget the essay "You Too Can Speak Gaelic" in which he explains that the chemical compound paradimethylaminobenzaldehyde (as an example of a dactylic tetrameter; four repetitions of the accent pattern DUM-dee-dee-DUM-dee-dee-DUM-dee-dee-DUM-dee-dee) can be sung to the tune of "The Irish Washerwoman;
PA-ruh-dy-METH-il-a-MEE-noh-ben-ZAL-duh-hide---PA-ruh-dy-METH-il-a-MEE-noh-ben-ZAL-duh-hide---PA-ruh-dy-METH-il-a-MEE-noh-ben-ZAL-duh-hide---PA-ruh-dy-METH-il-a-MEE-noh-ben-ZAL-duh-hide---etc...
aaiieee!
I'll never forget the essay "You Too Can Speak Gaelic" in which he explains that the chemical compound paradimethylaminobenzaldehyde (as an example of a dactylic tetrameter; four repetitions of the accent pattern DUM-dee-dee-DUM-dee-dee-DUM-dee-dee-DUM-dee-dee) can be sung to the tune of "The Irish Washerwoman;
PA-ruh-dy-METH-il-a-MEE-noh-ben-ZAL-duh-hide---PA-ruh-dy-METH-il-a-MEE-noh-ben-ZAL-duh-hide---PA-ruh-dy-METH-il-a-MEE-noh-ben-ZAL-duh-hide---PA-ruh-dy-METH-il-a-MEE-noh-ben-ZAL-duh-hide---etc...
aaiieee!
February 15, 2020
31 ensayos del viejo maestro Asimov. No son de lo mejor de su producción, y hay alguno que directamente no debería haber pasado la criba, pero es Asimov, quien lo mismo te escribía sobre la quiralidad de las moléculas intergalácticas que sobre si la costumbre de tocar madera es anterior a la era cristiana o no. Asimov escribía muy bien, se podía leer del tirón cualquier cosa que te contara. Ligaba bien, jugaba a hacer esas autoburlas que en realidad eran alabanzas y las enganchaba muy bien con el resto del relato. Era un placer leer ensayos cortos de Asimov (sobre sus novelas tengo opiniones distintas).
July 24, 2018
Es una colección de ensayos que permite conocer muy bien las ideas y pensamientos de Asimov, me permitió conocer facetas del autor que desconocía y que me agradaron bastante. Algunos ensayos, como el bien menciona, pueden considerarse científicamente desfasados, pero la forma en que expone las partes y desarrolla conclusiones son muy didácticas.
February 12, 2016
crying while watching a bunch of formula，but lovely Asimov.....
January 31, 2021
Interesting, even if you don't know much about science. The author approach is different.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews