Comments on: D-Branes in Paperback!

By: All Hands on Deck - Asymptotia

All Hands on Deck - Asymptotia — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 22:12:47 +0000

[...] So I decided to raid my office at work of lots of useful things with which to build the course, and retreat to a hideout to find out what I’m going to teach. I’ve got out lots of things to help me decide: Piles of lecture notes written for various short courses I’ve taught at Summer Schools. Notes on basic perturbative string theory. Notes on Duality. Long sets of notes on D-branes, short versions too. Notes on D(ielectric)-Branes and non-commutative geometry. Notes on counting black hole entropy with D-branes. Notes on topics in AdS/CFT, Scraps of topics from when I was preparing the book, etc., etc. [...]

By: Seven - Asymptotia

Seven - Asymptotia — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 20:29:12 +0000

[...] The work has gone well beyond choosing architechts and the like. Actual construction has happened. The new “7 World Trade Center” has already been completed, and I noticed that among the new tenants will be the New York Academy of Sciences. I’m very happy about this, and I don’t quite know why. Among the contributing factors are, I expect, the fact that I used to spend my summers in New York back then making good use of some of the wonderful academic institutions that there are in the city. This includes the excellent libraries at Columbia University, especially the lovely Butler library, but also includes some truly majestic spaces such as the Rose reading room at the New York Public Library. I wrote some of my book there. [...]

By: Arun

Arun — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 03:29:30 +0000

What are the pre-reqs for reading the book?

By: Clifford

Clifford — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 00:39:33 +0000

Oh yeah… how about that…. Thanks Sara T.!

Stevem:- Get the author to sign one. That usually is the best way. Contact author directly and we can figure it out.

-cvj

By: Sara T.

Sara T. — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 23:54:31 +0000

D-Branes is also an E-Book!
In the ebrary collection. USC subscription direct url follows
http://site.ebrary.com/lib/uscisd/Doc?id=10074095&ppg=1

By: Stevem

Stevem — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 18:17:43 +0000

Clifford, they look great. (Almost looks like Physical Review D in that pic.) Now I just wait until I can get one for under a fiver at “new and used” at Amazon:) Seriously, it looks a beautiful book and I have been meaning to get it but the hardback was a bit expensive and my money always seems to be needed elsewhere, or else a bill comes in or something. The table of contents, sample pages and reviews I’ve seen convince me it is well worth a place on the bookshelf.

I am of the opinion that physicists and mathematicians in other fields (or those working on alternatives) should at least read some of the string texts for “mental bodybuilding” and learn about some of the ideas and techniques, even if they do not believe whether string theory can ultimately be connected to the real universe and experiment. I remain undecided personally at this point but find a lot of it very tantalising and worth learning about for its own sake and from a scholarship perspective nonetheless. I can also see why people can get really hooked on it.

Incidently, how does one get a signed copy?:)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 07:19:01 +0000

Hi Clifford,

The last time I read reviews on Amazon.com, many commentators said the book had many typos; so I thought I’d wait till most of the typos were fixed before purchasing.

When, therefore, do you think you will have a new edition out?

p.s. I know this kinda’ sounds a wee-bit like asking for free handouts but how’s about giving some of your e-pals some complimentary copies… :-) … (at your sole discretion of-course).

By: astromcnaught

astromcnaught — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 12:17:34 +0000

That looks fantastic.
How many people around the world would be able to understand the contents do you think?

Certainly Print on Demand publishing has become very popular, especially with unknowns who write children’s books. If one examines publisher’s websites, the advice for unsolicited manuscripts in that area is, well, how shall I say, No Thanks.

I’ve been eyeing up Lulu.com as an avenue for my own modest endeavours. Last count there were nearly 3,000 self published children’s works. Fantastic. Nearly all beautifully illustrated and presented.

Finally, you seem to be in danger of aquiring ‘blogger’s elbow’, or somesuch, along with Sean on CosmicVariance. My suggestion is to take up Online Poker. The rough and tumble of Texas Hold’em will overwhelm most other desires. “…Just another thouand dollars, I’m bound to win the next hand…”

But please don’t. Continue blogging I say.

regards, astromcnaught

By: Clifford

Clifford — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 00:05:56 +0000

That may well be a component of any future string book I write…… but somehow I just have. to. stop. blogging. first.

-cvj

By: Moshe

Moshe — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 23:24:01 +0000

Yes! time for volume 4…actually matrix models and non-critical strings (including the next generation…) could use some textbook level exposition. I am sure all you need now is a brand new project like that…

By: Clifford

Clifford — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 22:46:18 +0000

Right. You must be in league with my publisher, who asks me from time to time for another volume. Hmmm……

-cvj

By: Elliot

Elliot — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 21:12:19 +0000

Ah Clifford. I think I’ll leave the song as is, and wait for the “full” story to emerge from the science which may get you up to 1000 pages at some point in the future.:)

By: Clifford

Clifford — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 20:54:37 +0000

Lovely song…. Can you rework it with the number 548?

-cvj

By: Elliot

Elliot — Tue, 29 Aug 2006 20:35:58 +0000

It’s a thousand pages, give or take a few,
I’ll be writing more in a week or two.
I can make it longer if you like the style,
I can change it round and I want to be a paperback writer,
Paperback writer.

“Paperback Writer” The Beatles.