Springer springer nov 2008 (658 resultados)

Taschenbuch. Condición: Neu. Neuware -Homological Algebra has grown in the nearly three decades since the rst e- tion of this book appeared in 1979. Two books discussing more recent results are Weibel, An Introduction to Homological Algebra, 1994, and Gelfand- Manin, Methods of Homological Algebra, 2003. In their Foreword, Gelfand and Manin divide the history of Homological Algebra into three periods: the rst period ended in the early 1960s, culminating in applications of Ho- logical Algebra to regular local rings. The second period, greatly in uenced by the work of A. Grothendieck and J. -P. Serre, continued through the 1980s; it involves abelian categories and sheaf cohomology. The third period, - volving derived categories and triangulated categories, is still ongoing. Both of these newer books discuss all three periods (see also Kashiwara-Schapira, Categories and Sheaves). The original version of this book discussed the rst period only; this new edition remains at the same introductory level, but it now introduces thesecond period as well. This change makes sense pe- gogically, for there has been a change in the mathematics population since 1979; today, virtually all mathematics graduate students have learned so- thing about functors and categories, and so I can now take the categorical viewpoint more seriously. When I was a graduate student, Homological Algebra was an unpopular subject. The general attitude was that it was a grotesque formalism, boring to learn, and not very useful once one had learned it. 710 pp. Englisch. …

Taschenbuch. Condición: Neu. Neuware -Homological Algebra has grown in the nearly three decades since the rst e- tion of this book appeared in 1979. Two books discussing more recent results are Weibel, An Introduction to Homological Algebra, 1994, and Gelfand- Manin, Methods of Homological Algebra, 2003. In their Foreword, Gelfand and Manin divide the history of Homological Algebra into three periods: the rst period ended in the early 1960s, culminating in applications of Ho- logical Algebra to regular local rings. The second period, greatly in uenced by the work of A. Grothendieck and J. -P. Serre, continued through the 1980s; it involves abelian categories and sheaf cohomology. The third period, - volving derived categories and triangulated categories, is still ongoing. Both of these newer books discuss all three periods (see also Kashiwara-Schapira, Categories and Sheaves). The original version of this book discussed the rst period only; this new edition remains at the same introductory level, but it now introduces thesecond period as well. This change makes sense pe- gogically, for there has been a change in the mathematics population since 1979; today, virtually all mathematics graduate students have learned so- thing about functors and categories, and so I can now take the categorical viewpoint more seriously. When I was a graduate student, Homological Algebra was an unpopular subject. The general attitude was that it was a grotesque formalism, boring to learn, and not very useful once one had learned it. 710 pp. Englisch. …

Taschenbuch. Condición: Neu. Neuware -Learning homological algebra is a two-stage affair. First, one must learn the language of Ext and Tor and what it describes. Second, one must be able to compute these things, and, often, this involves yet another language: spectral sequences. This book gives a treatment of homological algebra which motivates the subject in terms of its origins in algebraic topology. In this new edition the book has been updated and revised throughout and new material on sheaves and cup products has been added. The author has also included material about homotopical algebra, alias K-theory, contrasting it with homological algebra.…

Buch. Condición: Neu. Neuware -'Number Theory in Science and Communication' is a well-known introduction for non-mathematicians to this fascinating and useful branch of applied mathematics . It stresses intuitive understanding rather than abstract theory and highlights important concepts such as continued fractions, the golden ratio, quadratic residues and Chinese remainders, trapdoor functions, pseudo primes and primitive elements. Their applications to problems in the real world are one of the main themes of the book. This revised fifth edition is augmented by recent advances in coding theory, permutations and derangements and a chapter in quantum cryptography.From reviews of earlier editions -'I continue to find [Schroeder's] Number Theory a goldmine of valuable information. It is a marvelous book, in touch with the most recent applications of number theory and written with great clarity and humor.' Philip Morrison (Scientific American)'A light-hearted and readable volume with a wide range of applications to which the author has been a productive contributor - useful mathematics outside the formalities of theorem and proof.' Martin Gardner 431 pp. Englisch.…

Buch. Condición: Neu. Neuware -'Number Theory in Science and Communication' is a well-known introduction for non-mathematicians to this fascinating and useful branch of applied mathematics . It stresses intuitive understanding rather than abstract theory and highlights important concepts such as continued fractions, the golden ratio, quadratic residues and Chinese remainders, trapdoor functions, pseudo primes and primitive elements. Their applications to problems in the real world are one of the main themes of the book. This revised fifth edition is augmented by recent advances in coding theory, permutations and derangements and a chapter in quantum cryptography.From reviews of earlier editions -'I continue to find [Schroeder's] Number Theory a goldmine of valuable information. It is a marvelous book, in touch with the most recent applications of number theory and written with great clarity and humor.' Philip Morrison (Scientific American)'A light-hearted and readable volume with a wide range of applications to which the author has been a productive contributor - useful mathematics outside the formalities of theorem and proof.' Martin Gardner 431 pp. Englisch.…

Buch. Condición: Neu. Neuware -'Number Theory in Science and Communication' is a well-known introduction for non-mathematicians to this fascinating and useful branch of applied mathematics . It stresses intuitive understanding rather than abstract theory and highlights important concepts such as continued fractions, the golden ratio, quadratic residues and Chinese remainders, trapdoor functions, pseudoprimes and primitive elements. Their applications to problems in the real world are one of the main themes of the book. This revised fifth edition is augmented by recent advances in coding theory, permutations and derangements and a chapter in quantum cryptography.…

Buch. Condición: Neu. Neuware -'Corporate Governance in Transition Economies' will appeal to a wide segment of the academic market including accounting and finance professors and students because the main theme of the book deals with accounting and financial system reform. Economists in the subfields of transition economics and development economics for it addresses current issues in their field. It will also appeal to scholars in the field of Russian and East European Studies because the book discusses topics involving Russia, Ukraine and other East European countries. Policy analysts who deal with accounting, finance, transition economics or Russia or Eastern Europe will also find this book to be a valuable reference and source of current information. 350 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condición: Neu. Neuware -Learning homological algebra is a two-stage affair. First, one must learn the language of Ext and Tor and what it describes. Second, one must be able to compute these things, and, often, this involves yet another language: spectral sequences. This book gives a treatment of homological algebra which motivates the subject in terms of its origins in algebraic topology. In this new edition the book has been updated and revised throughout and new material on sheaves and cup products has been added. The author has also included material about homotopical algebra, alias K-theory, contrasting it with homological algebra.Springer Nature Customer Service Center GmbH, Europaplatz 3,69115 Heidelberg, Germany, Heidelberg 710 pp. Englisch.…

Buch. Condición: Neu. Neuware -'Number Theory in Science and Communication' is a well-known introduction for non-mathematicians to this fascinating and useful branch of applied mathematics . It stresses intuitive understanding rather than abstract theory and highlights important concepts such as continued fractions, the golden ratio, quadratic residues and Chinese remainders, trapdoor functions, pseudoprimes and primitive elements. Their applications to problems in the real world are one of the main themes of the book. This revised fifth edition is augmented by recent advances in coding theory, permutations and derangements and a chapter in quantum cryptography.Springer-Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg 431 pp. Englisch.…

Buch. Condición: Neu. Neuware - 'Number Theory in Science and Communication' is a well-known introduction for non-mathematicians to this fascinating and useful branch of applied mathematics . It stresses intuitive understanding rather than abstract theory and highlights important concepts such as continued fractions, the golden ratio, quadratic residues and Chinese remainders, trapdoor functions, pseudo primes and primitive elements. Their applications to problems in the real world are one of the main themes of the book. This revised fifth edition is augmented by recent advances in coding theory, permutations and derangements and a chapter in quantum cryptography.From reviews of earlier editions -'I continue to find [Schroeder's] Number Theory a goldmine of valuable information. It is a marvelous book, in touch with the most recent applications of number theory and written with great clarity and humor.' Philip Morrison (Scientific American)'A light-hearted and readable volume with a wide range of applications to which the author has been a productive contributor - useful mathematics outside the formalities of theorem and proof.' Martin Gardner.…

Taschenbuch. Condición: Neu. Neuware - Homological Algebra has grown in the nearly three decades since the rst e- tion of this book appeared in 1979. Two books discussing more recent results are Weibel, An Introduction to Homological Algebra, 1994, and Gelfand- Manin, Methods of Homological Algebra, 2003. In their Foreword, Gelfand and Manin divide the history of Homological Algebra into three periods: the rst period ended in the early 1960s, culminating in applications of Ho- logical Algebra to regular local rings. The second period, greatly in uenced by the work of A. Grothendieck and J. -P. Serre, continued through the 1980s; it involves abelian categories and sheaf cohomology. The third period, - volving derived categories and triangulated categories, is still ongoing. Both of these newer books discuss all three periods (see also Kashiwara-Schapira, Categories and Sheaves). The original version of this book discussed the rst period only; this new edition remains at the same introductory level, but it now introduces thesecond period as well. This change makes sense pe- gogically, for there has been a change in the mathematics population since 1979; today, virtually all mathematics graduate students have learned so- thing about functors and categories, and so I can now take the categorical viewpoint more seriously. When I was a graduate student, Homological Algebra was an unpopular subject. The general attitude was that it was a grotesque formalism, boring to learn, and not very useful once one had learned it. …

Buch. Condición: Neu. Neuware - Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology attempts to provide concise, critical reviews of timely advances, philosophy and significant areas of accomplished or needed endeavor in the total field of xenobiotics, in any segment of the environment, as well as toxicological implications.…

Buch. Condición: Neu. Neuware -Der Sicherheitsrat der Vereinten Nationen beschloss im Februar 1993 die Errichtung des Internationalen Strafgerichtshofs für das ehemalige Jugoslawien. Art. 15 des Statuts übertrug den Richtern die Ausformung der Prozessordnung. Art. 20 Abs. 1 verpflichtet die Richter zur Gewährleistung eines fairen Verfahrens. Vor diesem Hintergrund untersucht die Autorin die Umsetzung der Vorgaben bei der Konstituierung des Tribunals, bei der Vorgehensweise des Tribunals bei der Ausformung des Prozessrechts sowie bei der geschaffenen Prozessordnung. 426 pp. Deutsch.…

Taschenbuch. Condición: Neu. Neuware -Beim Krankheitsbild einer Persönlichkeitsstörung im Jugend- oder Kindesalter handelt es sich um eine umstrittene Diagnose. Die Autoren liefern mit ihrem Buch aus der Reihe 'Manuale psychischer Störungen bei Kindern und Jugendlichen' eine rationale Grundlage für zukünftige Diskussionen. Die Buchreihe folgt einem interdisziplinären Ansatz, bei dem der Patient im Mittelpunkt steht. Sie zeichnet sich durch Praxisrelevanz und ein didaktisches Konzept aus, mit dem das Lesen Spaß macht und die entscheidenden Informationen schnell erfasst werden können.Springer Verlag GmbH, Tiergartenstr. 17, 69121 Heidelberg Deutsch.…

Taschenbuch. Condición: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Technologies that electronically mediate conversation, such as text-based chat or desktop video conferencing, draw on theories of human-human interaction to make predictions about the effects of design decisions. This lecture reviews the theory that has been most influential in this area: Clark's theory of language use. The key concept in Clark's theory is that of common ground. Language is viewed as a collaborative activity that uses existing common ground to develop further common ground and, hence, to communicate efficiently. The theory (a) defines different kinds of common ground, (b) formalizes the notion of collaborative activity as a 'joint action,' and (c) describes the processes by which common ground is developed through joint action. Chapter 1 explains why a purely cognitive model of communication is not enough and what is meant by the phrase 'collaborative activity.' Chapter 2 introduces the idea of common ground and how it is used in language through an example of two people conversing over a video link. Chapter 3 indicates where the interested reader can find out about the antecedents to Clark's theory. Chapter 4 sets out the fundamental concepts in Clark's theory. Chapter 5 uses five published case studies of electronically mediated communication to illustrate the value of the theory. These include studies of a computer-supported meeting room (Cognoter), a video tunnel that supports gaze awareness, video conferencing in medical consultation, and text chat. Table of Contents: Motivation - Conversation as a Collaborative Activity / Overview - Developing Common Ground, An Example / Scientific Foundations / The Theory in More Detail / Case Studies - Applying the Theory to Electronically Mediated Communication / Current Status 56 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condición: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The first goal of this book is to provide the patient with accurate information. The second goal is to show how a combination of 'orthodox medicine' and complementary therapies can help people through their cancer diagnosis, treatment and follow up. Early chapters apply to all women diagnosed with cancer, followed by chapters for each specific site of disease. Then follow chapters on chemotherapy, radiotherapy, pain management, complementary therapies and spiritual approaches. The book incorporates a novel '4 cusp' approach, which enables women to explain to their families where they are in the process. 138 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condición: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This unique collection of articles on emotion by Wittgensteinian philosophers provides a fresh perspective on the questions framing the current philosophical and scientific debates about emotions and offers significant insights into the role of emotions for understanding interpersonal relations and the relation between emotion and ethics. 240 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condición: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -In the 75th anniversary of CARA (Council for Assisting Refugee Academics), this book explores the experiences and achievements of refugee academics and their rescuers to recount Britain's past relationship with overseas victims of persecution, and as vital questions about our present-day attitudes towards immigration and asylum. 259 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condición: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -In the Victorian era - or for non-British readers, the mid-to-late nineteenth century - amateur astronomy tended to center on Solar System objects. The Moon and planets, as well as bright comets, were the key objects of interest. The brighter variable stars were monitored, but photography was in its infancy and digital imaging lay a century in the future. Today, at the start of the twenty-first century, amateurs are better equipped than any professionals of the mid-twentieth century, let alone the nineteenth. An amateur equipped with a 30-cm telescope and a CCD camera can easily image objects below magnitude 20 and, from very dark sites, 22 or 23. Such limits would have been within the realm of the 100- and 200-inch reflectors on Mount Wilson and Mount Palomar in the 1950s, but no other observatories. However, even those telescopes took hours to reach such limits, and then the photographic plates had to be developed, fixed, and examined by eye. In the modern era digital images can be obtained in minutes and analyzed 'on the fly' while more images are being downloaded. Developments can be e-mailed to other interested amateurs in real time, during an observing session, so that when a cataclysmic event takes place amateurs worldwide know about it. As recently as the 1980s, even professional astronomers could only dream of such instantaneous communication and proc- sing ability. 256 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condición: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This Guide examines the critical construction of the genre of 'contemporary Scottish literature' and assesses the critical responses to a wide range of contemporary Scottish fiction, poetry and drama. The Guide is structured thematically with each chapter addressing a specific area of debate within the field of contemporary Scottish Studies. Englisch. …

Taschenbuch. Condición: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Pulsars are rapidly spinning neutron stars, the collapsed cores of once massive stars that ended their lives as supernova explosions.In this book, Geoff McNamara explores the history, subsequent discovery and contemporary research into pulsar astronomy. The story of pulsars is brought right up to date with the announcement in 2006 of a new breed of pulsar, Rotating Radio Transients (RRATs), which emit short bursts of radio signals separated by long pauses. These may outnumber conventional radio pulsars by a ratio of four to one. Geoff McNamara ends by pointing out that, despite the enormous success of pulsar research in the second half of the twentieth century, the real discoveries are yet to be made including, perhaps, the detection of the hypothetical pulsar black hole binary system by the proposed Square Kilometre Array - the largest single radio telescope in the world. 208 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condición: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -In this text we present a technical overview of the emerging field of quantum computation along with new research results by the authors. What distinguishes our presentation from that of others is our focus on the relationship between quantum computation and computer science. Specifically, our emphasis is on the computational model of quantum computingrather than on the engineering issues associated with its physical implementation. We adopt this approach for the same reason that a book on computer programming doesn't cover the theory and physical realization of semiconductors. Another distinguishing feature of this text is our detailed discussion of the circuit complexity of quantum algorithms. To the extent possible we have presented the material in a form that is accessible to the computer scientist, but in many cases we retain the conventional physics notation so that the reader will also be able to consult the relevant quantum computing literature. Although we expect the reader to have a solid understanding of linear algebra, we do not assume a background in physics. This text is based on lectures given as short courses and invited presentations around the world, and it has been used as the primary text for a graduatecourse at George Mason University. In all these cases our challenge has been the same: how to present to a generalaudience a concise introduction to the algorithmic structure and applications of quantum computing on an extremely short period of time. The feedback from these courses and presentations has greatly aided in making our exposition of challenging concepts more accessible to a general audience.Table of Contents: Introduction / The Algorithmic Structure of Quantum Computing / Advantages and Limitations of Quantum Computing / Amplitude Amplification / Case Study: Computational Geometry / The Quantum Fourier Transform / Case Study: The Hidden Subgroup / Circuit Complexity Analysis of Quantum Algorithms / Conclusions / Bibliography 140 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condición: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Lung sounds auscultation is often the first noninvasive resource for detection and discrimination of respiratory pathologies available to the physician through the use of the stethoscope. Hearing interpretation, though, was the only means of appreciation of the lung sounds diagnostic information for many decades. Nevertheless, in recent years, computerized auscultation combined with signal processing techniques has boosted the diagnostic capabilities of lung sounds. The latter were traditionally analyzed and characterized by morphological changes in the time domain using statistical measures, by spectral properties in the frequency domain using simple spectral analysis, or by nonstationary properties in a joint time-frequency domain using short-time Fourier transform. Advanced signal processing techniques, however, have emerged in the last decade, broadening the perspective in lung sounds analysis. The scope of this book is to present up-to-date signal processing techniques that have been applied to the area of lung sound analysis. It starts with a description of the nature of lung sounds and continues with the introduction of new domains in their representation, new denoising techniques, and concludes with some reflective implications, both from engineers' and physicians' perspective. Issues of nonstationarity, nonlinearity, non-Gaussianity, modeling, and classification of lung sounds are addressed with new methodologies, revealing a more realistic approach to their pragmatic nature. Advanced denoising techniques that effectively circumvent the noise presence (e.g., heart sound interference, background noise) in lung sound recordings are described, providing the physician with high-quality auscultative data. The book offers useful information both to engineers and physicians interested in bioacoustics, clearly demonstrating the current trends in lung sound analysis. Table of Contents: The Nature of Lung Sound Signals / New Domains in LS Representation / Denoising Techniques / Reflective Implications 112 pp. Englisch.…

Buch. Condición: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -In this book, economist and evolutionary game theorist Daniel Freidman demonstrates that our moral codes and our market systems, while often in conflict, are really devices evolved to achieve similar ends, and that society functions best when morals and markets are in balance with each other. 261 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condición: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -This book could have been entitled 'Analysis and Geometry.' The authors are addressing the following issue: Is it possible to perform some harmonic analysis on a set Harmonic analysis on groups has a long tradition. Here we are given a metric set X with a (positive) Borel measure and we would like to construct some algorithms which in the classical setting rely on the Fourier transformation. Needless to say, the Fourier transformation does not exist on an arbitrary metric set. This endeavor is not a revolution. It is a continuation of a line of research whichwasinitiated,acenturyago,withtwofundamentalpapersthatIwould like to discuss brie y. The rst paper is the doctoral dissertation of Alfred Haar, which was submitted at to University of Gottingen in July 1907. At that time it was known that the Fourier series expansion of a continuous function may diverge at a given point. Haar wanted to know if this phenomenon happens for every 2 orthonormal basis of L [0,1]. He answered this question by constructing an orthonormal basis (today known as the Haar basis) with the property that the expansion (in this basis) of any continuous function uniformly converges to that function. 176 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condición: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -È noto a tutti che i premi Nobel sono il riconoscimento più importante nel mondo in campo scientifico, letterario, economico e sociale. Molti meno ricordano invece chi abbia effettivamente vinto il premio Nobel ciascun anno; e, esclusi gli specialisti nel campo, veramente pochi conoscono il lavoro dei vincitori e sanno cosa hanno fatto di così importante da meritare l'ambito premio.Scopo di questo libro è proprio spiegare, soprattutto ai non esperti, il significato e l'importanza del lavoro dei vincitori dei Premi Nobel del 2007 (e di premi analoghi assegnati per la Matematica e per l'Informatica, rispettivamente il premio Abel e il premio Turing). Otto presentazioni agili e comprensibili, di alta divulgazione, che coprono argomenti il cui interesse e attualità è certificato dal Nobel: dai cambiamenti climatici alle cellule staminali, dalla chimica delle superfici a come funzionano gli hard disk, dai compilatori alla probabilità alla economia teorica a Doris Lessing. 156 pp. Italienisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condición: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -T. Plotner, The Night Sky Companion, DOI 10. 1007/978-0-387-79509-6_1, 1 Springer ScienceþBusiness Media, LLC 2009 2 TheNightSkyCompanion Welcome,fellowtravelertothestars!Forthenextyearwewilltakeajourneytogetheracrossthenight sky. In these pages you will find lunar features, planets, meteor showers, single and multiple stars, open and globular clusters, as well as distant galaxies. There will be astronomy history to explore, famous astronomers to meet, and science to learn. You'll find things here for those who enjoy stargazing with just their eyes, binoculars, or even the largest of telescopes! Although these observing tips are designed with all readers in mind, not everyone lives in the same time zone-or the same hemisphere-and certainly no one has clear skies every night. But no matter where you live, or who you are, it is my hope that somewhere here you find something of interest to keep you looking up! LearningtheNightSky If you are new to astronomy, it might seem difficult to learn all those stars. Relax! It's much easier than you think. Just like moving to a new city, everything will seem unfamiliar at first, but with a little help from some maps, you'll soon be finding your way around like a pro. Once you become familiar with the constellations and how they appear to move across the night sky, the rest is easy. If you do not have maps of your own, try visiting your local library or one of many online sites thatcangeneratethem. Theygiveobjectpositionsingreatdetail,andmosthaveakeyofGreekletters to help you understand star hop instructions. 436 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condición: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Provides a comprehensive review in two parts of the exploration of the Solar System, focusing on the technology of the robotic space probes that made it possible, including missions which - for a variety of reasons - were never completed. 560 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condición: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -Lunar Outpost provides a detailed account of the various technologies, mission architectures, medical requirements and training needed to return humans to the Moon within the next decade. It focuses on the means by which a lunar outpost will be constructed and also addresses major topics such as the cost of the enterprise and the roles played by private companies and individual countries. The return of humans to the surface of the Moon will be critical to the exploration of the solar system. The various missions are not only in pursuit of scientific knowledge, but also looking to extend human civilization, economic expansion, and public engagement beyond Earth. As well as NASA, China's Project 921, Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency, Russia, and the European Space Agency are all planning manned missions to the Moon and, eventually, to Mars. The Ares-I and Ares-V are the biggest rockets since the Saturn V and there is much state-of-the-art technology incorporated into the design of Orion, the spacecraft that will carry a crew of four astronauts to the Moon. Lunar Outpost also describes the human factors, communications, exploration activities, and life support constraints of the missions. 340 pp. Englisch.…

Taschenbuch. Condición: Neu. This item is printed on demand - it takes 3-4 days longer - Neuware -The Greatest Comets of History is unique. There are a few books on comets that make passing reference to some of the famous and spectacular objects of earlier years, and a few descriptive catalogues are available, but little detailed descriptive information is contained in either of these sources. This book fills the vacant niche that exists between general books, academic (and often cryptic) catalogues, and huge detailed catalogues such as Kronk s Cometography. The Greatest Comets of History is a detailed descriptive account in non-technical language of what are deemed to have been the most spectacular and notable comets ever recorded, beginning with Aristotle s Comet of 372 BC and ending with McNaught s Comet of 2007. Halley s Comet is given a separate chapter and there is an introductory chapter on comets in general, explaining in lay terms what they are and correcting a few popular misconceptions. This is not only a fascinating read for astronomers at every level, but in pulling together a vast amount of information previously available only in disparate academic sources it is a major contribution to the literature. 284 pp. Englisch.…