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An investigative report prepared for the general readerto explain how the most extraordinary claim made in the basic sciencesduring the twentieth century was mistakenly dismissed through errorsof scientific protocol. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

A great account of what may be science's greatest blunder
I'm half way through this book, and I just can not take it anymore: Although this book is excellently researched and chronicles the events wonderfully there is a bad feeling about this work. Let me first focus on the positives though:

Beaudette does not attempt to hide his bias, which is firstly stated in the introduction in that he feels there is something here, and that process was not followed by laughing Pons and Fleischmann out of American Scientist circles. The events are chronicled and the case of WHY what happened should not have happened is made. Further, the arguments to support the thesis that Cold Fusion as a field of research is valid is also made quite clearly (although very repetitively).

I also do not disagree with the other reviews which rate this book highly, and are recorded here on Amazon, but clearly, my feelings tend towards the more negative. To summarize the book as far as i've read it:
1) Cold Fusion was a bad name for the area/effect because "fusion" moves it into the area of physicists (who are elitist [....]) which require nuclear artifacts before accepting a measurement of heat.
2) Physicists (who are elitists [....]) sit in their ivory towers and rule American science, while in the UK, Europe and Japan they are far more open minded. Which is why the US is a horrible place to work as a scientist.
3) Chemists, who could have backed up Pons and Fleischmann are either scared of Physicists (who are mean) or are ... anyway physicists are not at all nice and even the ones interested in Cold Fusion are not nice at all.
4) Physicists are bad at admitting when they make a mistake, even if they may have only made the mistake because they accepted someone elses mistake, but since they are not very nice, it is all the physicists mistake.
5) Physicists are afraid if Cold Fusion gets off the ground it will make their efforts meaningless. In fact, even though they don't believe there is anything to cold fusion that just shows how mean they are, because they are kicking something they don't believe in, while it is down.
6) It is probably best not to be too critical in detail of physicists who are still alive, like Robert Park (who is not at all nice, and makes use of ridicule at times ... but let's focus on someone who is dead so they can't sue me).

In short: Although Pons and Fleischmann made some wrong statements it is all the physicists fault, because they are mean and want evidence. Evidence which exists (which, i'm even inclined to believe, because the documentation in the book is very supportive of this facet), but is hard to reproduce because Cold Fusion as a mechanism is not fully understood. Something that can occur in any area of science, but that's ok.

What the book does well is put Pons and Fleischmann's perspective across in very human terms, while the entire time painting them as the victim of the pressure from the research community and skeptics. It chronicles their ridicule and all the slander that was pointed at them, while the entire time painting the physicists as the evil group that is not letting them be heard. As i mentioned, Beaudette also seems to focus on dead physicists rather than the very much alive ones who have very actively spoken out against the science of Cold Fusion. Which frankly seems odd...

What the book reminds me off, in terms of style, are books by religious writers like Dave Hunt, who makes a point and then repeats it until the end of the book. The same is the case here, and although interesting bits of information are used to back this up, after reading for the fifth time that nuclear artifacts were required by physicists which Pons and Fleischmann contended might not exist because the method of heat generation is different to normal fusion like they said. Although, they claimed to have measured neutron emission (indirectly)... which turned out to be wrong ... though someone else claimed to have measured it also, which also turned out to be wrong. Or reading about how reproducing things like cloning are more difficult than reproducing cold fusion, and anyway: different areas of science have different requirements for reproducibility; it just gets old.

I can agree that there was elitism leveled at the field, and i can accept that there might be unknown variables which make things hard to reproduce experiments, but repeating that over and over again just does not make for interesting reading.

In conclusion, while the point is made, it is not made efficiently and more time is spent on making excuses or blaming others than telling the story. While it is indicated that Pons and Fleischmann could have handled things better nothing is made of their failure to raise the issues that were mishandled, and instead a conspiracy of silence is described. Overall the book is slow to read, and because of its repetitive nature it ultimately becomes boring.

I have only read it half way however, so if it picks up and changes dramatically thereafter, i am sorry to have rated it so lowly. At the end of the day, this book was a very frustrating read.

cold fusion revisited in the cold light of day
Beaudette has revisited the cold fusion controversy and teased the actual findings of Fleischmannand Pons He has also evaluated the intellectual atmosphere of the first months and years from the 1989 announcement. He did a good exposition on the difference between good and bad science for the lay audience.
He also showed the politics of big science and the poor showing of protocol for the evaluation of the cold fusion phenomenon. The phenomenom is real. It just doesn't work as hot fusion would.
The conflict of paradigms is fascinating to see played out in the world press.
The book is quite readable without complex mathematics to bog down the mind.
Highly recommend the book for moderately educated layman.
With the gas prices being what they are cold fusion deserves more than a cursory look and it does a good job delineating the various sources of xs heat
Sincerely
Doug Hulstedt

A must for a teacher
I am a teacher. Several months ago I received an e-mail message from a high school student. The girl wrote; ". . . In my chemistry class, I am doing a project on Cold Fusion.. . . I was wondering if you could give me some advice or information?. . ." Beaudette's book is an excellent summary of what has been done in the field of Cold Fusion since 1989. It is a must for any teacher who is interested in the subject.

In addition to summarizing results of many interesting projects the author offers several philosophical observations about scientific methodology and protocols used in various scientific disciplines. Referring to the Cold Fusion controversy he writes: "to discard a well made observation is to violate modern protocol [scientific methodology]. If widely practiced, such a course would quickly undo science. The most interesting and perplexing observations, though accurately measured, would have to be refused by the scientific community because their cause was obscure. Does this mean that any claim of observation must be accepted as worthy of scientific study? Certainly not. It means something quite different. It means that the controversy must center about the quality of the measurements and not about the source or cause of the phenomenon. . .If conflicting data is prohibited from contention, then theories are no longer falsifible. Were it to enable such practice, science would evolve into secular theology."

Beaudette's book has many other interesting observations and quotes, together with the scientific background of major cold fusion researchers. It certainly deserves a place in libraries, especially in high schools and universities. The level is appropriate for an educated layman.

the definitive reference
As a journalist covering cold fusion, I turned again and again to this book to check or confirm facts, data, dates, chronologies, and other details and have found it to be the definitive resource in the field.Written by an engineer and vetted by scientists who participated in cold fusion research, the book is an indispensable guide to anyone interested in the history, data, issues, and future of this subject.Recommended without reservation.

Truth in Science:Future University Required Reading
I have read this book, "Excess Heat".I simply could not lay it down until I had finished it entirely.During the process of reading it, I kept repeating to myself (and my captive wife) how excellent a job "this man" did on setting down in philosophically logical terms the convincing facts and logic of the science of cold fusion.At one point I remarked to my wife that "this man" must have taken Apologetics in college and received an "A" mark, but then I remembered that such courses might not have been offered at our Alma Mater (MIT).I was impressed with the way the heretical errors developed, flourished and were brought out in clear plain logic in the book.I want to humbly congratulate the author on such a masterful account of what has happened in this important field.I predict this book will be required reading in some of the "truly best", finest universities in the future.Historically, it will be recorded that Beaudette wrote the truth at a time when science was a bit confused and not quite willing to accept it right away.Slowly it will gain momentum, understanding and finally acceptance.Congratulations on a book that is very well written with class, authority, and no doubt, with hard work, the old fashion way:a book for all seasons.
Dr. Michael R. Staker, P.E. ... Read more

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Paperback. ... Read more

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This book begins with primary concepts of atomic and molecular structure and of how atoms, molecules and bulk matter store and exchange energy. In the next stage, the macroscopic properties of energy and entropy, and the constitutive properties of heat capacities are examined. From these the concept of thermodynamic efficiency is developed. Then the notions of thermodynamic potentials and availability are introduced. With this set of chapters, the analysis of efficient energy use is presented. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Great Extra Reading on Thermodynamics
Although this book is purposefully written for the undergraduate students whose majors are not science and engineering, it is a little bit more advanced for non-technical students to comfortably read and understand and get a full appreciation of the subject matter. As a professional researcher, I know that several concepts and ideas in thermodynamics are quite difficult to understand, even for technical students.

For a true beginner, I would suggest 'Engines, Energy, and Entropy: A Thermodynamics Primer' by John B. Fenn which is more fundamental, easier, and fun to read. In addition, a vintage like 'The Concept of Energy Simply Explained' by Morton Mott-Smith is also a joy to read.

However, the comprehensiveness of Professor Berry's work, which covers classical mechanics, statistical physics, and quantum mechanics (at the very fundamental level), makes this volume a great extra reading for those taking thermodynamics course. This volume is also helpful for those who teach themselves thermodynamics and have mastered its fundamental concepts and ideas qualitatively. I would recommend this book to the readers who want to get more breadth and depth in thermodynamics before approaching a more advanced level.

Doy Sundarasaradula
August 7, 2009

For Everyman?
Professor Berry, an distinguished research scientist and highly esteemed instructor at the University of Chicago has used the material of this book in courses for undergraduates in the humanities and social sciences. I believe that this indicates him to be an exceptionally charismatic instructor because this is a moderately rigorous text, doing an excellent job of introducing the subject to science majors. However,from my 33 years of teaching bright chemistry and humanities majors, I believe that it would be disastrous for anyone not devoted to science -- or enrolled in a course where he or she MUST conquer the material --to be able to complete three chapters. Much more is required of the reader before he or she reaches the 170 page mark and begins to see glimmers of entropy and thermodynamics. An excellent book, but not for everyman. ... Read more

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This book covers the physical phenomena and the different technical applications of heat transfer in condensation and boiling. The book is divided into two separate and comprehensive sections. Each section begins with a description of the basic physical phenomena, models and theories. Heat transfer problems are then discussed for a wide range of applications. The book provides an overview of the state of the art and points out possible improvements and open questions. The subject is treated at a level appropriate for graduate courses. ... Read more

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In this proceedings volume, the following topics are discussed: systems and design; blanket and first wall technology of fission and fusion reactors; fission and fusion materials; radiation damage analysis; calculation codes; databases. ... Read more

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Heat and Mass Transfer is a derivative of Mill's Heat Transfer text (the most successful new Heat Transfer book published in a decade) and will contain most of the topics found in Heat Transfer, but will also include complete coverage of mass transfer concepts, including elementary mass transfer, high mass transfer rate theory, and mass exchangers. The book will be a complete reference on heat and mass transfer, with expected use in the intermediate level course, the graduate level course, and also the professional reference market. The book may also have appeal at the undergraduate level (as the coverage of Heat Transfer is only slightly reduced) because students will have a reference for mass transfer concepts and formulas which they will encounter later in their careers. ... Read more

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This book presents an investigative account of Mathematical Principles of Heat Transfer. It is concerned with three aspects of heat transfer analysis: theoretical development of conservation equations, analytical and numerical techniques of the solution, and the physical processes involved in the three basic modes of heat transfer, namely conduction, convection, and radiation. A concept of mathematical modeling is developed through the use of differential equations. In doing so, the well-posed boundary value problems are constructed and the solutions are attempted ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Pyramidal text!


There are many who assume mistakenly the abstraction and complex language with the deep knowledge: wrong choice. The wisdom -such as the true beauty-does without any additional ornamentation. As the various fields of engineering become better understood , the differences between the multiple web of disciplines diminish.

This book contains that implicit merit: it is too far from pretending a complex analysis about this outstanding issue as the mass transfer is. It presents with pristine clarity and transparence through all its chapters an approach to solve and above all to understand with global vision the several facets of the Mass Transfer Phenomena, supported by invaluable diagrams, charts and properties, hardly available in just one book. I must recognize personally the profound help and support during my student years. Even in my University labor it continues teaching me, as a fellow friend.

Technically competent, but out of date and lacking examples
This book by nature handles a very dry subject.However, there are few, if any, examples, and most of those are not relevant to today's technology. In the examples the book does work, units are not kept track of, making itdificult to ascertain where a certain value in an equation came from.Inmy opinion, this is a good book; it just needs a facelift. ... Read more

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Despite the vast research on energy optimization and process integration, there has to date beenno synthesis linking these together. This book fills the gap, presenting optimization and integration in energy and process engineering. The content is based on the current literature and includes novel approaches developed by the authors.

Various thermal and chemical systems (heat and mass exchangers, thermal and water networks, energy converters, recovery units, solar collectors, and separators) are considered. Thermodynamics, kinetics and economics are used to formulate and solve problems with constraints on process rates, equipment size, environmental parameters, and costs.

Comprehensive coverage of dynamic optimization of energy conversion systems and separation units is provided along with suitable computational algorithms for deterministic and stochastic optimization approaches based on: nonlinear programming, dynamic programming, variational calculus, Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman theory, Pontryagin's maximum principles, and special methods of process integration.

Integration of heat energy and process water within a total site is shown to be a significant factor reducing production costs, in particular costs of utilities for the chemical industry. This integration involves systematic design and optimization of heat exchangers and water networks (HEN and WN). After presenting basic, insight-based Pinch Technology, systematic, optimization-based sequential and simultaneous approaches to design HEN and WN are described. Special consideration is given to the HEN design problem targeting stage, in view of its importance at various levels of system design. Selected, advanced methods for HEN synthesis and retrofit are presented. For WN design a novel approach based on stochastic optimization is described that accounts for both grassroot and revamp design scenarios.

. Presents a unique synthesis of energy optimization and process integration that applies scientific information from thermodynamics, kinetics, and systems theory
. Discusses engineering applications including power generation, resource upgrading, radiation conversion and chemical transformation, in static and dynamic systems
. Clarifies how to identify thermal and chemical constraints and incorporate them into optimization models and solutions

. Presents a unique synthesis of energy optimization and process integration that applies scientific information from thermodynamics, kinetics, and systems theory
. Discusses engineering applications including power generation, resource upgrading, radiation conversion and chemical transformation, in static and dynamic systems
. Clarifies how to identify thermal and chemical constraints and incorporate them into optimization models and solutions ... Read more

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the avkoan theory is highlighted in part I, providingmass and charge as the only fundamental attribute of matter. Paret IIpresents unfamiliar ideas of heat, temperature, force, and energy,revealing misconceptions in prevailing views. They have misled, andare still misleading, our outlook, specifically through the prevailingtemperature misconception. The avkoan theory has found a limit abovewhich the concept temperature becomes meaningless. To speak ofmillions and billions degrees kelvin, as are attributed to the earlybirth-stages of the universe, could be a fatal mistake. Amendments ofdefining these four ideas are proposed to harmonize with the principleof the tiniest particle. ... Read more

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This book follows the interplay between allegory and physics in Europe from the inception of the laws of thermodynamics in the 1850s to the cultural acceptance of the theory of relativity in the 1920s. Bruce Clarke delves into the cultural poetics of this emergence, as well as using allegory theory to link the literature of that era to the consolidation of modern physics in England. In his examination of these correlating topics the author displays not only an impressive grasp on the scientific climate of that era, but also comprehensive knowledge of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century literature.
The book begins with an overview of the interconnections between allegory in literature and allegory in science, then analyzes the interaction between energy and entropy and their personification in the literature of the times. Energy Forms draws on the writing of well-known literary and scientific authors including H. G. Wells, Camille Flammarion, Charles Howard Hinton and D. H. Lawrence, among others. The focus then shifts to the broad cultural tension between thermodynamic malaise and electromagnetic aspiration. Energy Forms uncovers the works of important but overlooked authors in the fields of science and literature and will appeal especially to those who are intrigued by interdisciplinary studies.
Bruce Clarke is Professor of English,Texas Tech University. He is the author of Dora Marsden and Early Modernism: Gender, Individualism, Science; Allegories of Writing: The Subject of Metamorphosis; and editor of The Body and the Text: Comparative Essays in Literature and Medicine.
... Read more

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The book constitutes a particularly complete and original collection of ideas, models, numerical methods and experimental tools which will prove invaluable in the study of microscale and nanoscale heat transfer. It should be of interest to research scientists and thermal engineers who wish to carry out theoretical research or metrology in this field, but also to physicists concerned with the problems of heat transfer, or teachers requiring a solid foundation for an undergraduate university course in this area.

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"Filled with interesting factual tidbits, useful charts and drawings, and relevant background on policy issues such as global warming and increased energy security, this book rekindles the fascination with science that we all once had as children." -- Richard N. Cooper, Foreign Affairs

"Dip into the book anywhere, and you will find a bracing fact or connection. . . . dazzling." -- Scientific American

In this highly original book, ecologist Vaclav Smil presents a comprehensive and integrated survey of all the forms of energy that shape our world, from the sun to the human body, from bread to microchips. Written in a scientifically sophisticated yet accessible style, Energies consists of eighty-two short essays organized under six headings: Sun and Earth, Plants and Animals, People and Food, Preindustrial Societies, Fossil-Fueled Civilization, and Transportation and Information. Each essay explains the science of the energy form as well as its implications for the functioning of the universe, life, or human society.Amazon.com Review
The energy of solar radiation reaching the earth clocks in at 5,500,000 exajoules, an exajoule being one watt per second taken to 10 to the 18th power. The energy used to strike a typewriter key is 20 millijoules, a millijoule being one watt per second taken to 10 to the negative 3rd power; that keyboard-striking energy is a full order of magnitude larger than the energy a flea expends in hopping from one spot to another. Such is the sort of information that geographer Vaclav Smil delights in presenting in his endlessly interesting handbook of the various energy technologies of nature and culture. "Energy is the only universal currency," Smil writes, but, he notes, it is little understood. Beginning with a grand tour of the solar system and the terrestrial biosphere, and taking into account such matters as the movement and latent heat of waves, Smil moves on to consider the energy of natural food chains, the efficiency of human growth, the energy requirements of agriculture, and the terrible force of modern weapons, among hundreds of other subjects. His heavily illustrated book is one of a kind, and it makes for both entertaining bedside reading and a highly useful reference. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent -- a joule of a book
This is an incredibly easy book to read and understand, amply illustrated by clear graphics. This is not a simple book. It is an encyclopedia of energy, from sunlight, to the biology produced by sunlight, to the energy we gain from using our environment as fuel. Reading through each section (they are clear and cogent) is an exercisein connecting simple inputs with complex outputs. The section on transportation takes you from walking to running to riding the bicycle, all the way to trains, planes, and rocket boosters, all of which developed differently and use energy very differently.

The book is packed with wonderful essays that are well written, ideas that jump off the page, and graphic illustrations that make sense.It's one of those books you can actually flop open at random and get engrossed in all over again. If there's a criticism to this book, it is that it is only a sampler. It could easily have been twice as long.

Not a book for the layperson
I recently bought this item after reading the review for this book. I found this to be a mistake. I am an engineer by trade, and I found myself reading old school books so I could understand what this book was talkingabout.This book covers a wide variety of information and is difficult toread.This is not a book for the layman.....

A reference book for energy
This is a fascinating book. It provides a comprehensive and integrated survey of the energies shaping our world. It is filled with diagrams, graphs, maps, drawings and photographs to support the text.

This bookcan't be described. It has to be experienced: energy production of the sun,global patterns of latent heat flux, a horse's suspensory and checkligaments that allow it to use hardly any additional energy for standing,preindustrial societies, cars and computers and much more.

Use this bookfor reference and for browsing. Spend an afternoon with a calculator andthe figures listed in the tables in this book. You will begin to appreciatethe complex relationships involving the energies that shape our world. ... Read more

Product Description

Heat transfer laws for conduction, radiation and convection change when the dimensions of the systems in question shrink. The altered behaviours can be used efficiently in energy conversion, respectively bio- and high-performance materials to control microelectronic devices. To understand and model those thermal mechanisms, specific metrologies have to be established. This book provides an overview of actual devices and materials involving micro-nanoscale heat transfer mechanisms. These are clearly explained and exemplified by a large spectrum of relevant physical models, while the most advanced nanoscale thermal metrologies are presented.

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This text provides a sound introduction to all aspects of combined heat and power (CHP) thermodynamics, design, economics, and utilization. Specific emphasis is placed on the performance of combined heat and power plants compared with conventional plants, and the economic considerations in combined heat and power utilization. There are numerous CHP installations now in commission and, where applicable, the text describes practical examples of CHP use. ... Read more

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Einstein's theories of relativity piqued public curiosity more than any other mathematical concepts since the time of Isaac Newton. Scientists and non-scientists alike struggled, not so much to grasp as to believe the weird predictions of relativity theory--shrinking space ships, bending light beams, and the like. People all over the world watched with fascination as Einstein's predictions were relentlessly and unequivocally verified by a hundred experiments and astronomical observations.

In the last decade of the twentieth-century, another of Einstein's theories has produced results that are every bit as startling as the space-time contractions of relativity theory. This book addresses his other great theory, that of heat capacity and the Bose-Einstein condensate. In doing so, it traces the history of radiation and heat capacity theory from the mid-19th century to the present. It describes early attempts to understand heat and light radiation and proceeds through the theory of the heat capacity of solids. It arrives at the theory of superconductivity and superfluidity--the astonishing property of some liquids to crawl spontaneously up and out of their containers, and the ability of some gases to cause light to pause and take a moment's rest from its inexorable flight forward in time. Couched in the terminology of traditional physical chemistry, this book is accessible to chemists, engineers, materials scientists, mathematicians, mathematical biologists, indeed to anyone with a command of first-year calculus. In course work, it is a collateral text to third semester or advanced physical chemistry, introductory statistical mechanics, statistical thermodynamics, or introductory quantum chemistry. The book connects with mainstream physical chemistry by treating boson and fermion influences in molecular spectroscopy, statistical thermodynamics, molecular energetics, entropy, heat capacities (especially of metals), superconductivity, and superfluidity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

How matter hides energy
This excellent book describes why different materials absorbing the same amount of heat increase temperature by greatly different amounts. Einsteins greatest contribution to understanding our material world. ... Read more

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This book fills the need for a practical reference for all scientists and graduate students who are seeking to define a mathematical model for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) simulation. Structured in two parts, part one presents the basic theory, and the general equations describing SOFC operation phenomena. Part two deals with the application of the theory to practical examples, where different SOFC geometries, configurations, and different phenomena are analyzed in detail.

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Advances in Heat Transfer fills the information gap between regularly scheduled journals and university level textbooks by providing in-depth review articles over a broader scope than in journals or texts. The articles, which serve as a broad review for experts in the field, will also be of great interest to non-specialists who need to keep up-to-date with the results of the latest research. It is essential reading for all mechanical, chemical and industrial engineers working in the field of heat transfer, graduate schools or industry.

* Provides an overview of review articles on topics of current interest
* Bridges the gap between academic researchers and practitioners in industry
* A long running and prestigious series ... Read more

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This book aims to provide a broad view of combustion science, written for readers who may be specialists in one of the combustion-related areas, but who require a knowledge of the subject as a whole. The work is in three parts. Parts 1 and 2 contain an account of combustion theory, with emphasis on turbulent flame phenomena, coal combustion and fire problems. Part 3 concerns combustion design, research fundamentals and combustion technology. ... Read more