Isaac Asimov is quite well known translator from Japanese to Russian. He conducted life of intelectual indulging himself only in his job and writing some high-brow pieces of literature, not for ordinary people. And then he decided to do something with his skills and wrote Azazel, his first detective story. It's great, with atmosphere dating back to Doyle and Christie. And it's not only intriguing, gluing, interesting, thirillind, crisp etc. but also perfectly written with a hand of Russian intelectual.

This is a collection of funny short stories by the author, all about the two-centimeter high demon Azazel (not its real name, but the real name cannot be pronounced easily). Azazel rides about in the pocket of a friend (descended from magicians and able to summon a demon), and the friend narrates the adventures. The problem is that Azazel wants to be helpful, but the wishes people have in mind are not always translated well in their directions. It is like programming a computer - you must be very careful (garbage in means garbage out, or in this case bad or incomplete directions may have unexpected results).

Want to be attractive to women? Done! Whoops, you didn't mean that kind of woman? Afraid of bullies, and don't want anyone to lay a hand on you? Done! Whoops, you didn't mean everyone including your girlfriend? You get the picture. Remember King Midas.

Adventures of this inadequate demon, which is summoned by those, who can't summon more potent demons causes lot of belly shaking humor, which will have you reading the book over, and over, and after some time passes you will recall the good chuckle you had while reading it, and so you will go back, and read it again. Out of the hundreds of books that Asimov wrote in his very prolific span as a writer this is one of his masterpieces, and once you acquire this book, you will not let it go. Trust me.

Among the thirty-one short stories, totalling some
200.000 words, included in "the complete robot", I
particular enjoyed the 10 stories featuring
chief Robopsychologist Susan Calvin.
Susan Calvin, the star of US Robots and Mechanical Men inc.
The woman with the acid charm and the steely character,
the women who loves robots a lot - and men, not that much.
Surely it is a must read. And surely no serious sci-fi
reader should be without this collection.

This collection of classic science fiction short stories works on a number of levels.

First and foremost, this is darn good reading, filled with Asimov's good humor and ability to tell an entertaining story.

Secondly, it is mostly a prelude to his robot novels, Empire series, and Foundation series. Most of the stories are in a time period before CAVES OF STEEL. One obvious exception is an Elijah Bailey & R. Daneel Olivaw short which is a follow-up to the first two robot novels. One story, "Victory Unintentional", refers to the Terrestrian Empire, and others, especially some of the Susan Calvin stories, have to do with man's first expansion beyond our own Solar system.

Thirdly, we're given a variety of levels of science-fiction writing. We're told where the original stories were first published, and we see Asimov's versatility and ability to write for various markets. Many come from Astounding/Analog, the magazine which published the hardest core science fiction. A couple come from the Ziff-Davis magazines, AMAZING STORIES & FANTASTIC which were soft-core s-f magazines. A couple come from THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY & SCIENCE-FICTION which had a more literary slant. Several other classic s-f magazines are represented. However, some stories come from non science-fiction magazines, such as SATURDAY EVENING POST and the Boy Scout magazine BOY'S LIFE, each carefully tailored for the market.

As noted by others, the Susan Calvin stories are especially good. They, along with a few other stories, appear to have been slightly revised for the sake of continuity. In fact, I question whether or not Susan Calvin was originally mentioned in "Robbie", Asimov's first robot story. Somehow, I doubt it.

At any rate, this is easily one of the best collections of classic science-fiction as well as being just plain darn good reading that you'll find.

I suppose I'm biased as an Asimov fan, but I really think it's a shame this book is out of print in the U.S. It was worth the $20.00+ price. If you want to read the robot stories of Asimov's which he did not include in _I, Robot_ ("Robot AL-76 Goes Astray" was great), this is a must.

I learned so much from this book. It's like 5 textbooks wrapped into one!

I HAVE HAD THIS BOOK AT MY BEDSIDE FOR TWENTY YEARS ..EXCEPT IT IS NOW SUPERCEDED BY A COPY OF THE MERZBACH UPDATE. i USED IT FIRST FOR AN OPEN UNIVERSITY MATH DEGREE. iT WAS FASCINATING AND USEFUL THEN. sINCE THAT TIME i HAVE DIPPED INTO IT REGULARLY AND ENJOYED THE CLARITY AND DEPTH OF ITS IDEAS. i,VE NOW BOUGHT THREE MORE COPIES FOR MEMBERS OF MY FAMILY.

In this book the historian of mathematics Carl Boyer exposes the development of mathematics from the pre-history to modern times in a wide view, covering all the important mathematics and mathematicians from ancient times to our modern times. This reviewed version by Uta Merzbach is easier to read than the first edition by Boyer and its updated. I disagree that you need to be a mathematician or so to read this, all you need is the interest. In fact when I read this book I was entering high school and I found it easy and enjoyable to read. The author will not spent any time with hard mathematics, rather he is just going to cite (so all you need to know is what thouse technical names means superficially, but you don't need to know the math undergoing). This book is very nice if you want to have a deep and wide view on the history of math, so don't think this is an ultimate guide or something. Actually I think this book can be considered as a general introduction to the history of mathematics and to mathematics itself, it will make you get used to many technical terms and their intuitive meaning before getting deep in the formal math.

It was my lucky day when I walked into a local used-book store and found both volumes of Isaac Asimov's autobiography. You might think that reading about the life of a man who spent most of his time in a windowless room pounding a typewriter would be a tedious chore, but you would be wrong in this case. I'm a great fan of detective fiction, and I found "In Memory Yet Green" and its sequel every bit as absorbing and unputdownable as any whodunit. These volumes cover the years 1920 to 1978. Be sure to also read the 1990 memoir, "I.Asimov."

Undertaking merely one of the two volumes of Asimov's autobiography seems a daunting task, but as Orson Scott Card said at a signing I recently attended, "Asimov's style is so liquid. He led a boring life and yet I found myself turning the pages eagerly." This is exactly the position I found myself in reading this and the next tome of Asimov's life story: enthralled. This comes in part from a keen interest in the man, his work, and life, and also in part from the simple fact that he was such a damn good writer. I wouldn't recommend the book as light reading, but for anyone who is interested in the genius and his life, don't hesitate.

Asimov hesitated to undertake an autobiography. He steadfastly maintained that nothing of interest ever happened to him. He determined that, if he were to write such an autobiography, he'd have to call on all his skill as a writer to disguise the fact. You'll have to decide for yourself whether his life was indeed as dull as he claimed, but you won't question his skill as a writer.

In Memory Yet Green (and its companion volume, In Joy Still Felt) makes us participants in the life of one of the greatest minds in 20th century America. You feel you know his parents and siblings. You'll feel you'd recognize his father's candy store, their apartment, his schools, his neighborhood if you saw them. You'll share in his academic successes and travails and in the loves of his life. You'll meet his friends, the list of which reads like a who's who of the Golden Age of Science Fiction.

Asimov was a masterful writer and a genius at making science understandable to the average reader. But he also wrote about the Bible, about literary criticism, he wrote some of the best-loved science fiction ever, he wrote limericks, essays, and the list goes on and on. I like to joke that he could make a phone book an interesting read. He certainly makes reading about his life a delight.

I love Asimov's writings. His Science Fiction has helped create the genre. His History works are always insightful.

I also love the Bible, and knowing old Issac is an Athiest I bought this book with a degree of trepidation.

My trepidation was unfounded. Asimov treats the Bible with respect and understanding. He recognises many of the Old Testament Prophecies about Jesus (another point that concerned me, knowing of Asimov's Jewish heritage).

He puts the Bible into its wider historical perspective.

This isn't the first book I will refer to to understand a part of the Bible, but it is one to which I will often refer.

The Christian bible is a fascinating document, and the contents are open to a vast array of interpretations. In this book, Isaac Asimov examines it from a historical perspective. Despite the enormous attention that it has received from scholars of all types, the authorship of many of the sections has not been established, and Asimov makes that very clear. What is the most fascinating aspect is the interpretation of some of the passages based on the social and political conditions of the time. Whatever you may think about the early leaders of the Christian church, one fact remains very clear. They managed to take a small movement and turn it into an international one that survived fierce persecution by the Roman Empire, the greatest and most long-lived political power the world has ever seen. This is most impressive, and those who accept the Christian religion will find Asimov's descriptions supportive of their beliefs, even though he was a secular humanist.
A book that describes the beginnings and growth of a powerful institution that outlived and outgrew all others that tried to destroy it, as a popular record of the history of the movement it has no equal.

Asimov opens by stating that what most of us know of world history comes from the Bible and then in a tour-de-Asimov introduces the reader to thousands of details concerning the little we know. Very thorough, very informative and above all, very readable. As a coincidence, I had just finished reading Mark Twain's "Innocents Abroad," which includes Twain's visit to the Holy Land, when I began "Asimov's Guide to the Bible." The two books form a pleasant symetry of knowledge and perception concerning those ancient times and peoples.

(This review refers to Volume One only.) Asimov has collected eight stories in this anthology that were influential in his own writing. Asimov read most of these stories when he was about 12 years old, being fortunate enough to devour most of them from pulp magazines that were sold in his father's candy store. As might be expected with any anthology, some stories are better than others, and some have held up better through the years than others. Yet these pieces are not included for comparison to current stories, but to show what Asimov read as a young person and how the works influenced him. Asimov's mini-autobiography alone is worth the price of the book. After each story, Asimov tells how an idea or a concept from a story led to the formation of one of his own works. A very interesting idea. "The Jameson Satellite" is a forerunner of "I, Robot," and "Submicroscopic" is a small step from "Fantastic Voyage." As mentioned by another reviewer, the reader will have to deal with several prejudices from the time these stories were written (especially racial), but overall this book is a great insight into what makes Asimov Asimov.

This collection of early, pulp-style scifi works is a great joy. Asimov's introduction to the stories is exceedingly interesting and helpful. The stories sometimes show flaws or problems in their writing and in their attitudes (while several stories are forward-looking, most show the racism and misogyny common to that time), most of the stories are entertaining and all of them are interesting from a historical perspective. Check it out if you can get your hands on it, it's a great find. I really got a kick out of several pieces, which run the gamut from more reasonable 'conquered man, driven underground, strikes back at his evil alien oppressors' to the completely ludicrous story about the planets of our solar system hatching into giant space chickens. (That last story is meant to be taken seriously, by the way.) A veritable laundry-list of great, long out-of-print authors and some wonderful writing from the early days of popular science fiction.

This book contains the good old stories from the 1930's. There is nothing great here, but it is till worth reading. You can see the evolution of the Science Fiction field by reading the stories in this book.

Let me a start of with a word of warning: this is not a simple book. If you are interested in learning what physics is all about but are wary of drowning in equations and technospeak, you might want to start of with Tony Rothman's <> or Lary Gonick's <>. Both provide a sampler platter of the key concepts in physics. If, however, your appetite is already whetted, then by all means dive into this three-course meal.

Though he is best known for his science fiction, Isaac Asimov is well grounded in science fact. It should be noted that he was originally a professor of biochemistry at the Boston University School of Medicine before becoming a full-time writer. And this book certainly shows he's a master of both teaching and writing.

Like most other books on physics, Asimov starts volume one with the concept of motion and expands on it leading up to a rudimentary introduction to relativity. Volume two begins with the properties of light and ends by tying together the notions of electricity and magnetism. And volume three travels from the electrons on the edge of atoms to the subatomic particles in the nucleus. Each chapter provides a solid foundation for the next, and there are generous notations back to previous concepts if the reader gets lost.

But what I feel is most remarkable about this book, is the attention it pays to the wrong turns taken through the course of history. It's far too easy to think of science simply as facts handed down from on high. Asimov shows us how it's actually a process of stumbling in the mists towards the Truth. Each mistaken belief is examined in its historical context to show us why it was accepted. Then the next set of discoveries is used to explain why those beliefs were modified or discarded outright. Not only does he illuminate the nature of the universe, but the nature of science itself.

I hesitate to give this five stars for two reasons. First, there are very few diagrams. While Asimov is as clear a writer as there is, "a picture is worth a thousand words". Secondly, as I mentioned in the beginning, a reader with little to no experience with physics may be put off by it's in-depth nature. However, it's not really set up to work well as a reference book for those readers who are well versed in physics (though they would most likely appreciate the historical perspective). Thus, it seems to me that this book would be best suited for those who are currently or are soon to be taking coursework in physics.

Student or not, anyone approaching this collection with a desire to learn will not be disappointed.

It's incredible in how many ways this book is great. You have to read it to understand (!!), but "Understandig Physics" is not only good for beginners in physics; it's also very interesting for someone that has studied it for a while. The «historical stories», the fresh points of view of Asimov, one of the most important writers of the century, even the little details; you can see, for example, that it was written before man went to the moon -- but that only makes the book more valious! There are things I've been doing «forever» and that I'm now just starting to comprehend. I won't give it five stars because there are only half a dozen pictures in the whole book (which makes it even more special...)

After engineering school, I finally found that what I was missing most was the fundamental development and transgression of ideas over time. Not understanding the nature of those formulae and equations kept me from doing some better work. If I had read this book prior to (or even during) my education I might well have been more relaxed and entrained on the topics. I found physics to be daunting when in actuality, it is great fun. I highly recommend this book for the beginning student and even for the seasoned engineer (who could still learn a few things after all).

This book makes conversational sense of the topic of physics.

The only complaint about this book is that the stories are sometimes so short that the characters cannot be developed. But the themes are excellent. Like poetry, just the skeletal outline of the plot will please you. Three of my favorites (relying on memory, I read this book years ago) were A.C. Clarke's story of the haunted space suit, "Columbus is a dope" by ? (both ironically comical) and the provocative "hunted aliens". I think the excellent "Time Machine and Dinosaur Hunter" story is in here too, but I'm not sure.

Also read Jorge Luis Borges "Labyrinths" (one anthology) for a better treatment of the same theme (short stories with a sci-fi element).

I have read this book 5 years ago. The stories are great and the writing techniques superb. Some stories are only a page long and yet they will stay in your head for a long long time. I loaned my first copy to a friend and he lost it! Bought the second copy from Amazon and promised myself not to lend it out again!

Read it and get hooked to Science Fiction if you are not already a fan.

Does the collection contain a story called "The Veldt"? Pleae email me at noolib@hotmail.com

Collection of short stories written in the late Sixties or early Seventies. Asimov reverts to a couple of his previous themes, settings, and series here ~ several robot stories, for example ~ in fine style. The title story, i suppose it's the basis for the Robin Williams film i haven't seen, is the rather unsatisfying telling of a robot's limiting itself ever more narrowly in the search to become human; this has always, to my mind, been one of the poorer stories in the collection: Andrew's motivation is not clear, the actions of the people around him are far more acceptable than his; the ultimate definition of "human" as whatever the World Legislature decrees is highly unimaginative and extremely unworthy of the Good Doctor. Of the other stories in the collection all please me to one degree or another ~ as Asimov always does ~ though not all are all of the same quality: "The Tercentenary Incident" far outweighs "Stranger In Paradise" and "The Life And Times Of Multivac" "Waterclap".

There have been several groundbreaking works of Science Fiction that have brought the genre to its present glory of that of today.
The heartfelt story of an unordinary robot named Andrew who wishes to become a human being; or more a person under philosophical terms is an extraordinary achievement that has sparked great interest into the genre.
The story is one of great peril as Andrew a robot fights for acceptance in society, then fights for the right to freedom to later wanting to look human and to be accepted in society. Striving for humanity is his ultimate goal.
Living two hundred years and experiencing the loss of the members of the Martin family brings a touching heartfelt meaning to this robot story.
Isaac Asimov writes with creative flair, bringing out the emotions of everyone involved. He mindsets the extraordinary feelings of Andrew, the robot and gives him a unique personality with realistic goals.

This is a great story. One I would recommend to new readers of science fiction and old readers who want to recapture the esscence of what the genre is all about. Besides, it's a quick and enjoyable read for those with not much spare time.

Highly Recommended!

I found the story of a robot wanting to become more human fantastic. We take for granted all of the things that we experience and feel...and a robot wanted to experience the same things we did. I found it touching when he wanted to do what we find either dull or average. To him it was all new and wonderful.

I like Asimov generally, but Susan Calvin has got to be his worst protagonist -- she's arch, acerbic, narrow-minded, and rarely bearable in any form. Its a shame she figures in so much of his work. Even so, there are some good stories in this book, particularly 'The Bicentennial Man,' which manages to have scope and sustain a gentle, forlorn quality throughout.

This book is a great collection of Asimov's robot stories. Robot Visions was intended to be a companion to Robot Dreams. Both collections have older stories with a few new ones written for the book. You can really tell how Asimov thought about his beloved creation, the robots. The various stories show every point of view possible, from a robot's view or a man's. In the back of the novel, Asimov wrote several essays explaining his views on robotics. Definately a pleasurable read, whether you are a sci-fi fan or not.

Wonderful book! It is my most favorite book. His visions of the future are neither disparaging nor overly glossy. The robots seem like actually people instead of being cold metallic objects. It is a must read for anyone who wants to read about robots!