REVIEWS | BOOKS
Advanced Batteries:
Materials Science Aspects
Robert A. Huggins
Springer, 2009; $129.00 (hardcover).
In recent years, there has been great interest in the development of new electrode materials and electrolytes for electrical energy storage devices. Advanced Batteries: Materials Science Aspects addresses
the basic principles. It describes the behavior of advanced electrochemical storage systems. It also
provides broad insight into the underlying principles for current and future materials and technologies in
this rapidly developing field. The author has used several types of diagrams as tools to explain physical
systems. Each chapter includes references for those seeking additional information. Well-structured and
cohesively written, this book is aimed at graduate students, scientists and engineers interested in the
storage and conversion of energy-related technologies.
Review by Reva Garg, research associate in the Instituto de Física, Universidade de Brasília, Brazil.
Analysis of Computer and Communication Networks
Fayez Gebali
Springer, 2008; $89.95 (hardcover).
Paraphrasing Mark Twain, the author of Analysis of Computer and Communication Networks wants to
give the reader both roots, to learn the basics, and wings, to venture out on his or her own. This book
covers modeling delay in high-performance networks. Most networks use optical fiber links, which are
almost ideal in propagation delay. This is why the book focuses on delays in the switching nodes and in
the software operating at these nodes.
The book includes more than 16 chapters and 6 appendices. It builds up from basic probability theory
to discrete Markov chains and then to queuing theory and the modeling of several media access protocols. The final four chapters discuss switching architectures, network topologies and modeling concepts
for next-generation high-performance switches. Each chapter ends with exercises and references, and
the book includes an index. Many of the exercises and examples are in Matlab. The book is intended for
advanced students and for professionals.
Review by Bogdan Hoanca, associate professor at the University of Alaska Anchorage, U.S.A.
New Directions in Holography and Speckle
H. John Caulfield and Chandra S. Vikram, eds.
American Scientific Publishers, 2008; $299.00 (hardcover).
The content of this huge book is diverse, ranging from the history of holography to holographic principles in cosmology. Fifty-eight authors wrote 26 chapters with varied style, comprehensibility and clarity.
Some chapters are really interesting but hard to comprehend due to poor English language (even to this
reviewer, who is not a native English speaker).
The opinions expressed
in the book review section
are those of the reviewer
and do not necessarily reflect those of OPN or OSA.
The last chapter, titled “Fourier Holographic Encoding Strategy of Symplectic Spinor Visualization,”
is difficult to understand for an average practical holographer (like me); it tries to connect holography to
medical MRI, projective geometry, Heisenberg Lie groups and graphene-based spintronics. The rest of
the book explores the trend in modern holography and speckle metrology to “go digital.” Although the
book is certainly not intended for novices, experienced holographers will find plenty of interesting and
up-to-date material. References are numerous and the index is helpful.
Review by Dejan Pantelić, a researcher at the Institute of Physics, Belgrade, Serbia.
