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EDITORIAL INFORMATION

Time: the indefinite continued progress of existence events, etc., in past, present, and future regarded as a whole. This, the definition of time is only the kernel of a phenomenon so vast and mysterious, that it has baffled mystics, philosophers, and scientists throughout history. Despite its abstract nature, the notion of traveling through time is not a new one. Used as a common theme in literature, and studied scientifically for the first time by Galileo and Newton, time was only given its first comprehensive explanation this century by Einstein.

And now, in Time: A Traveler's Guide, best-selling science author Cliff Pickover outdoes even himself, proving the age-old mystery - What is the nature of time? Is time travel possible? Is time real? Does it flow in one direction only? Does it have a beginning and an end? What is eternity? These are questions that Pickover tackles in this stimulating blend of Chopin, philosophy, Einstein, and modern physics, spiced with diverting side-trips to such topics as the history of clocks, the nature of free will, and the reason gold glitters. Pickover includes numerous diagrams so readers have no trouble following along, computer code that lets us write simulations for various aspects of time travel, and an on-going science fiction tale featuring quirky characters who yearn to travel back in time to hear Chopin play in person. By the time we finish this book, we understand such seemingly arcane concepts as space-time diagrams, light cones, cosmic moment lines, trascendent infinite speeds, Lorentz tranformations, superluminal and ultraluminal motions, Minkowskian space-times, Godel universes, closed timelike curves, and Tipler cylinders.

And most important, we wilI understand that time travel need not be confined to myth, science fiction, Hollywood fantasies, or scientific speculation. Time travel, we will realize, is possible.

Clifford A Pickover is Research Staff Member at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center. The lead writer for the brain-boggler column in Discover magazine, Pickover is the author of many best-selling books on popular science topics such as TheAlien IQ Test (Basic Books, 1997), The Loom of God (Plenum, 1997), Black Holes - A Traveler's Guide (Wiley, 1996), and Keys to Jnfinity (Wiley, 1995). Dr. Pickover's primary interest is finding new ways to continually expand creativity by melding art, science, mathematics, and other seemingly-disparate areas of human endeavor. He earned his Ph.D. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry from Yale University. He lives in Yorktown Heights, New York.

(Extracted from the press release)

GENERAL TABLE OF CONTENTS

-Contents.

-Preface.

-Prelude.

-1. The Relativity of Simultaneity.

-2. Building an Einstein-Langevin Clock.

-3. The Lorentz Transformation.

-4. The Brain's Time Machine.

-5. Here-Now and Elsewhere in Spacetime.

-6. Three Important Rules for Time Travelers.

-7. Your Space or Mine?

-8. How to Time Travel into the Future.

-9. Future Shock.

-10. Gravitational Time Dilation.

-11. Tachyons, Cosmic Moment Lines, Trascendent Infinite Speeds.

-12. Time Travel by Balloons and Strings.

-13. Can John F. Kennedy Be Saved?

-14. Closed Timelike Curves in a Gödelian Universe.

-15. Wormhole Time Machine.

-16. Adventures with Time.

-17. Rotating Cylinders and the Possibility of Global Causality Violation.

-18. Some Concluding Musings and Thoughts.

-Notes.

-References.

-Appendix 1. The Grand Internet Time-Travel Survey.

-Appendix 2. Smorgasboard for Computer Junkies.

-About the Author.

-Index.

OUR REVIEW

Time and travel is surely a fascinating subject. And Pickover say it's possible! This excellent book introduces us in the latest theories about it, mixing theory and entertainment. So you don't need to be an expert in physics in order to understand Time, A Traveler's Guide. We'll learn all about paradoxes, and also about many new concepts which, who know, perhaps one day will convey us to other times.