Realm of Algebra by Isaac Asimov is a short introduction to the basics of algebra. It's only about 150 pages, outlining concepts, running through examples and pulling together things you've already learned in arithmetic. The beginning of the book demystifies algebra, then Asimov goes on to show you how to work out all the a's, b's, x's and y's. This is not a textbook and it's not a workbook; it is a basic introduction to the subject. Asimov is a great writer and he actually uses English sentences to explain the formulas.

If you are taking algebra for the first time or brushing up some rusty math skills, this is a great book to have. You'll definitely come away having learned a thing or two. If you are a publisher, please resurrect this book. It deserves to be in print. (There are used copies out there for (dollar amount), but an alternative book is Algebra Unplugged by Ken Amdahl. That one is more basic, but still very good.)

Concur with all previous reviewers; why wasn't this required reading when I learned (or was supposed to have learned!) algebra in school! Outstanding little book possessing far more wisdom and information than its small (paperback) size would seem to indicate. A real collectors piece!

I'm not a math whiz by any stretch of the imagination, and had a fear of math when I was 12. But I picked up this book by Asimov, and learned algebra on my own that summer! It was so easy to understand, and the concepts were so clearly delineated. I'm looking for this book for my 12 year old son, and am sad that it's out of print. I know he'd love it and learn as quickly as I did. I wish they'd reprint this book, ASAP. I can't even find it in our local library. The card catalog says it's lost--yeah, right. I'm sure someone decided to keep the book because it's so good, dang it.

Este libro es la chispa de la cual surguio una de las mas grandes historias de CF. Esta historia describe a la humanidad desde dentro una actualidad ficticia hasta un futuro muy lejano. Este libro se situa en ese futuro y tiene todos los elemantos para que se puedan escribir otros libros en torno a el. La idea de una ciancia historica, del los viajes por el hiperespacio y de sociedades en planteas enteros bajo techo es maravillosa. Aunque Asimov no tiene una prosa muy elaborada, no toma pretenciones y solo cuenta una buena historia.

El inicio de una trilogia sensacional, nada en la obra de Asimov se compara a Fundacion, y sus secuelas. El propio Isaac, ha declarado que su carrera se divide en un antes y un despues de esta obra. Inspirado en el ascenso y posterior caida del imperio romano, Asimov imagina una sociedad humana dentro de unos 20.000 años, en la que la decadencia y la corrupcion empiezan a destruir al grandioso Imperio Galactico. Un libro para recomendar, con personajes grandiosos entre los que se destaca el genio de la Psicohistoria, Hari Seldon.

Esta es una excelente historia de ciencia ficción. La posibilidad de predecir el futuro mediante un modelo matemático del comportamiento de grandes grupos de gente, echa a volar la imaginación. Los héroes de esta historia son personas con grandes cualidades, pero con defectos, que toman decisiones en ocasiones asertadas y en otras equivocadas, que al final forman parte de un plan establecido por Hari Sheldon, muerto hace muchos años, para establecer un nuevo imperio galáctico luego de la caida del actual, predicha por él. La segunda parte de esta historia es del mismo modo excelente, y la intervención del Mulo le da un tono mítico, como en las obras de homero, en esta secuela aparece un personaje que esta fuera de toda predicción y afecta de grán manera el plan Sheldon. Lee toda la serie es muy buena!!!

The stories here address Jewish themes, but they also address more universally human themes. The best science fiction is as much about the characters and their motives as about technology. The truly sublime stuff gives us an insight into how technology affects the character's motives.

The stories in this book range from the merely great to the truly sublime. Most are humorous and these tend to be the most memorable. This book has quickly become an old friend I pick up when I don't have the energy to read a new book.

I read this book in its first release over twenty years ago. I lent my book out to many of my friends and eventually lost track of it. I just had to have another copy so I bought it once again. "Unto the Fourth Generation" was my introduction to Isaac Asimov and led to my love of his writing over the years. "Look, You Think You've Got Troubles" by Carol Carr is a humorous look at futuristic bigotry ... I think of it as a jewish Archie Bunker in space. All of these short stories are excellent and I look forward to re-reading each and every one of them..

Have you ever found a book that you simply fall in love with for no reason at all? I will confess, WANDERING STARS has enchanted me.

STARS is a book that transcends its target market. It is more than science fiction, more than Jewish. Its themes are universal, its stories are written for those of us who are solidly human.

That such a diverse group of writers could contribute to such a well-rounded anthology is not this book's biggest surprise. The laughter you hear rippling over each page takes that honor.

For the most part, these stories do not fit my definition of "mystery." With the exception of one very neat little Sherlock Holmes pastiche, there usually are no detectives and no whodunnits. The stories feature tales of crime, intrigue, and suspense with surprising plot twists. And the literary genres are as varied as the authors. Some of the stories would even be at home in fantasy and science fiction anthologies.

These short-short stories can give you a few morsels of entertainment at odd moments of leisure in a hectic day's work, or you can curl up in your armchair and bite off huge chunks of reading pleasure in the evenings.

If you're looking for a good book to pass time, pick this one up. My favorite story is "A Feline Felony" by Lael J. Littke. Jerome Kotter was a cat. He walked, talked, and acted like a human though. He grew up living a pretty happy, normal life except for one guy, Benny Rhoades, who made Jerome's life miserable. Jerome survives school and gets a nice job with a nice secretary. He fogets about Benny. One day Benny shows up and he has gotten a job in the mail room. Jerome can't believe it. Latter that week, Jerome and his secretary, Marie, were settled down for a pleasant evening when Benny burst in. He had a gun! Jerome didn't think, he leaped into the air, Benny . . . you'll have to read the story to find out what happens.

I loved this book. If you need to pass some time, and don't want to get involved in a lengthy novel, try this out. Perhaps I should not have said "Horror and Humor" but some of these stories made me chuckle. I love them, and would recommend them and other 100.... collections.

I love cerebral mysteries, so when I read this book, I was rapturous. The mysteries involve scientific principles, so as a scientist, I was pleased with that as well. As you read the thirteen short stories in the book, your brain cells are exercised, as you try to mix the clues with scientific facts to piece together the solution. The only drawback is that the stories were written before 1970, so some of the 'facts' about the planets have been shown to be inaccurate. However, that does not detract from the quality of the story, it just requires you to set aside some of the knowledge that you may have.
To many, these mysteries will be of marginal interest, in that there is no sex whatsoever, very little in the way of violence and the mildest of harsh language. I found that appealing, not out of a sense of being prudish, but because their absence forces the story to succeed without titillating distractions, and Asimov has certainly accomplished that admirable feat.

This book is a collection of 14 short stories (two of which are paired) that Issac Asimov classified as mysteries. They range from humorous stories like "Pate de Foie Gras," to actual murder mysteries such as "The Dust of Death." In the murder mysteries, the guilty person is not always caught. Victims sometimes set themselves up for the perfect crime. Two of the stories involve time travel. Some of the stories are traditional science fiction, while others are standard mysteries involving a little science, e.g., "What's in a Name." The stories are all entertaining, with some unexpected twists. Asimov had a tendency to occasionally include a horrid pun.

Isaac was the first person to sucessfully blend mystery and science fiction. This book contains most of the mysteries of his best Sci-Fi Detective, Edward Urth. Dr. Urth is a exoterrologist who solves mysteries at his armschair that happened thousands of miles away. Also includes a funny one "I'm In Marsport Without Hilda", the perfect murder with a time machine "Obituary", and more! Dr. Asimov's mysteries are short, well-written, intelligent and as satisfying as a chocolate covered granola bar. A must read for all mystery fans. If you loved the Black Widowers mysteries you'll love this.

I love all works by Asimov, and meeting him in person one time was a high of a lifetime for me!!

This book is one which is informative beyond imagination, powerful towards one's understanding of the world and science at large, and so fun to read.

I miss having Asimov among us since his passing, but his genius will live on always, and this book is certainly no exception.

Isaac Asimov was one of the great popularizers for science. This Chronology of the history of science just understates that we lost one of the great writers of any era when he passed away in 1992.

This book is great. It outlines all the major and most of the minor scientific discoveries. The scientific advances that worked to give us the current world we live in. With things like nuclear weapons, global warming, etc. It is super important that politicians policy makers understand science. It is sad that most of them don't think they need to know about it.

This book helps people to understand the important role that science plays in our world.

I was a complete Asimovphile and I had read his books on science(my favorite subject)and science fiction that I could come across. The book Asimov's Chronology of Science & Discovery is probably the best book of science he's ever written. This book takes the reader on the journey in history from our human ancestors up to modern times. It has all the dates,events,and the people involed in scientific discoveries and technology. Not only does it include abstract discoveries but neat facts such as when the slide rule was invented, how negative numbers where conceived, who invented LSD, and how computers came from bulky to small. To me, Asimov knew every event with the year and the person involved. Aside of what happened in the past,he kept up with the present as well.I like his work since I know that he made complex topics understandable for the general reader. Because of him, I became a genius of science! I read every single book written by him before I started to go into other works by different authors. Aside from that, He updated his work also. To sum it all up, Asimov's Chronology of Science & Discovery is the crowning achievment of science,discovery,history, and the author who can present to the general reader.

I have a personal small "library" of scientific books. This book has to be, by far, the most well structured, well explained, systematic and exhilarating read. I would rate this book as number 1 among possibly 50 similar books that I have read. If you are technically enthusiastic, would like to know about anything and everything pertaining to science and have a jolly good read at that, I would highly recommend this book. Asimov is gifted as a writer, in that he takes the most complex concepts and explains it in such a way, that a first-time reader on the subject feels confident of his/her understanding. If you have lots of time (900 pages of size 10 text!), are a thinker and want to begin to understand the great works of genii ranging from archimedes, galileo, newton and einstein, this book is for you! Well done to a man long gone. He leaves a legacy of genius !

In my opinion, Asimov provided the most entertaining and readable scientific "texts" around, and this comprehensive volume is his best. Despite the fact that I am a layperson, and this book is nearly 1000 pages, I devoured it and longed for more. If you are not a lover of the sciences when you begin Asimov's Guide to Science, you will be when you finish! Anyone 12 years and older should read this book. It will change the way you look at the universe.

This is a great book, as it reviews near all aspects of science, from our begginings to the tiny atom.

Definitivamente una de las mejores obras de ciencia ficcion que he leido. La complejidad del tema espacio-tiempo-dimension es absolutamente formidable y envolvente. Los que ya vieron Matrix Reloaded comprenderan que tiene un cierto paralelismo con el libro, tanto por su trama fundamental como por su historia de amor entrelazada.

es un libro, ke no termina de sorprenderte hasta el final... tiene toda la emocion, y creo ke es un libro espectacular, donde se mezcla la ciencia ficcion, en la vida del hombre, muy pero muy bien...

10 puntos

Este es uno de los libros de ficción que más ha perdurado en mi memoria, recomendado para volver a leer despues de unos años. It's one of the best fiction book I have ever read, it's recommended to read more than once.

I still remember being intimidated by this book when I was in grade school. You see, Asimov was what "smart people" read. I also remember the summer that I read the entire trilogy, it was the first time that I was completely immersed in a satisfying, intelligent, alternate reality.
Epic, is the only way to describe this opus. Starting in a Galactic Empire that is starting to slip into decline, then on to the monastic settlement of the Foundation and it's mission to preserve the best of the old civilization, then on to the recivilization of the ruins of the old Empire. If I recall correctly, it takes around 1000 years, but without the foundation it would have meant 10 times more chaos and darkness. It is the sense of mission and purpose that holds the whole thing together. And if you like mysteries and surprises, there is the matter of the Second Foundation....
Asimov wrote this when he was pretty young. He still had an unshakable faith that science could accomplish anything. Indeed, he saw a traditional clockwork universe that a sufficiently great mind, like Hari Seldon, could mathematically unlock. Later on in his writing Asimov matured- until he saw the galaxy itself as a living, evolving organism- a grand Gaia hypothesis.
One other thing, having grown up in New York, I think young Asimov saw himself as Hari Seldon in seeing a decadent and declining civilisation before anyone else. You know, he may just have been right....

Asimov participated in American science fiction's golden age, helping to convert pulp fantasy stories into realistic predictions of the future based on current science. It is remarkable that he wrote the Foundation while a young man, barely 20 I believe, a work with grand themes and the cornerstone of his massive and sprawling future history of mankind, which I believe went into more than 50 volumes.

The basic plot is that a scientists created a new discipline, psycho-statistics I believe, that could predict the future behavior of huge masses of humans. He then attempts to mold - or at least influence - man's fate over the next 30,000 years. What is truly amazing is that Asimov succeeds in these volumes. In a way, he should have stopped here with the series. The ideas are crisp and not yoked into a determined framework, so are fresh with lively characters. Later novels in the series feel more stilted, bound by concepts more than by a plain old good story.

A sci fi classic.

This contains the three books I would recommend to any person new to Issac Asimov. There are many more to read, but I like this series best. This is a great book for people of all ages!

There is quite a bit of information about the Society of Friends (Quakers) out there, but none as in a more unlikely location as Judith Moffett's "Penterra". The information she provides about the Quaker's stand on non violence, sexual mores and dealing with an entirely different lifestyle are fascinating. The book moves quickly along the lives of George Quinlan, his son Danny, the Hrossa who are allowing the Quakers to set up their colony " Swarthmore" and the new group on the planet " The Sixers". (named for the ship they arrived in on Pennterra)

Danny reaching puberty is handled well, although I blushed at some of the more "graphic" parts of this section, and I'm no prude! That Danny becomes a integral part of the next step in the Quaker/Hrossa world is only fitting to the process.

Ms. Moffett is a gifted author and her many and varied works show this.

As for the Asimov opening..I started to read it, but found it too ponderous. Judith Moffett said pretty much the same thing as Asimov, and FAR more entertaining!

A group of Quakers reach a distant planet, encounter the sentient hrossa, and work out a way to live in peace with these beings. Then they must deal with a second group of humans arriving (non-Quakers) who do not have the same penchant for peaceful co-existance. I found the study of Quaker process in an alien place a delightful unearthing of the human spirit. The hrossa are a sexy lot, and their effect on humans is fun to observe. My favorite part, however, is the unfolding of a new, dynamic, and (not so) alien theory of evolution. If peace and cooperation are your thing, you'll enjoy participating in the world of Penterra.

I agree with the first reviewer, except that I found the Quaker issues fascinating - what non-violence toward other sentient beings than humans really means, for example.

I also found the presentation of sex and society issues worthy of the best science fiction: clear yet not heavy-handed.

I recommend this book strongly to anyone who likes science fiction that makes them think.