On the Surface of Things

by Felice Frankel

Book Overview

How many electrons can dance on the head of a pin? What do DNA strands look like when chased by an electrical charge? A rare collaboration between artist and scientist explores the hidden visual splendor of scientific phenomena. MIT photographer Felice Frankel finds startling beauty in the undulations of liquid crystal film and other scientific wonders. George Whitesides' text explains each photograph. Color photos throughout.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0811813940
• ISBN13: 9780811813945
• Release Date: September 1997
• Publisher: Chronicle Books
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 1.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 10.1" x 9.7"

Customer Reviews

Fantastic. A joy to look at and to read

This book consists of a number of fascinating photos drawn from the world of science. The pictures are works of art in themselves, and include a simple scale indicator to give you a clue whether what you're looking at is microscopic or full sized. The accompanying prose explains in a short description what you're looking at and why it's so interesting. The prose is brilliantly written and easy to read.This book is not for scientists per se, but for anyone with a fascination for the world around them. A perfect accent to any coffee table.

Great photography book !

This is not a science book ! The photos are really great, but the name fooled me...it is not a book on surface science ! Just a photography book that have some phothos that were taken with the help of scientific media.....

Intriguing pictures and understandable explanations

As a student in Material Science and Engineering, I couldn't resist when I heard of this book, and I was not disappointed. Mrs. Frankel's photography is beautiful and illustrative without losing an artful touch as far as composition is concerned, and Mr. Whitesides' explanations can be easily grasped due to their intuitive approach. For someone who wants to know more about the science behind the effects the explanations may not be detailed enough, which is why I don't rate this book a ten, but whoever desires to gain an overview of surface effects and understand the basics of it, this is the book to read. I sincerely recommend this book.