New books chronicle romance
with number theory, words
Ronald W. Doerfler
Calculating Without Instruments
Gulf Publishing
John Algeo ... ,
pifty Years Among the New Words:
a Dictionary of Neologisms
Cambridge University Press
Two books for the self-educated
among us: “Dead Reckoning: Calcu
lating Without Instruments” and “Fif
ty Years Among the New Words: a
Dictionary of Neologisms.”
The first deals with number theory
and some of it’s charming side ef
fects.
In the race to develop computers
waybackinthedarkagesofthe 1940s
and ’50s, people demanded simple,
fast and accurate approximations to
mathmetical functions.
“Reckoning” relies on these and
other techniques, based on mathe
matical properties and long experi
mentation, in its attempt to teach the
reader methods of rapid and arcane
mental computation.
One who reads—and understands
— this book will soon be astounding
his or her neighbors with terrific feats
of mental calculation: approximating
strange roots and unraveling the most
occult logarithms in the blink of an
eye.
Well, maybe several blinks of an
eye.
The techniques illuminated here
require practice and are certainly not
as easy as operating a scientific ealeu
lator—which seems to be beyond a
lot of college graduates.
But for the numerate, and the
numerophiles, this book offers some
delightful revelations and a challenge
or two.
The second is a book of words.
In 1941 Dwight L. Bolinger, who
had until then written a column on
neologisms — new words — called
“The Living Language” for another
magazine, transferred his work to
“American Speech” magazine and
gave it a new title: “Among the New
Words”
In 1944, the column was taken
over by I. Willis Russell, who edited
it for 42 years.
The column became the longest
running documentary record of new
English words, including new words
from Britain and Australia.
The collection represented here
describes literally decades of public
thought in English.
David Baddere/DN
“New Words” documents the ear
liest references to words like
“wannabe”—literally one who “wants
to be” something—and “wedgie”—
pulling the cloth of one’s underpants
tightly between the buttocks.
Also included are words no longer
currently in use. These are the words
that failed to make the evolutionary
cut. And it’s this aspect of the book
that may be the most fascinating to
logophiles.
What, for instance, does it mean to
“quisle?” — act as a traitor, 1940 —
and what is a “turkeymallie?”
It’s a—fortunately—short-lived
tamale made with turkey.
So if you’ve ever wondered who
first used the word “contact lens” —
they were made of glass in those days,
ugh—then this may very well be the
book for you.
—Mark Baldridge
Sci-ti novel grips reader, challenges
conventions with sex changes, more
“Steel Beach**
John Varley
Ace Science Fiction
John Varley’s first novel
a decade, “Steel Beach,” is
force that turns social convention on
its head, and delves deep into ques
tionsof life and death, in asetting that
is strange and exotic, but right next
door.
The story is highly reminiscent of
Phillip Jose Farmer’s “Riverworld”
series, or of Robert A. Heinlein’s later
works such as “1 Will Fear No Evil,”
or “Time Enough for Love.”
Two centuries after an alien inva
sion of Earth, all that remains of hu
manity is a small community on the
moon.
Sex-change operations are as easy
as getting your tonsils removed, slash
boxing is the preferred sport and life
spans reach into the hundreds of years.
To reporter Hildy Johnson, all hu
manity seems stuck in a meaningless,
suicidal malaise.
After several of his own suicide
attempts, Johnson discovers their true
cause.
The central computer that runs the
installation itself is growing bored
and suicidal. It causes disastrous
glitches in the system, killing thou
sands in the process.
“Steel Beach” weighs in at 566
pages, giving a detailed picture of a
future society in exile from its home
planet.
Varley includes some nasty but
accurate observations on the press
and news gathering in general, as well
as some sly observations on the war
between the sexes made more inter
esting by sex changes so easily at
tained.
Varley has made his grand re-entry
into the science fiction world with a
bang and “Steel Beach” comes highly
recommended.
—Sam Kepfieid
Flood
Continued from PaQ© 12
said. From there he was put in touch
with the Red Cross and the project got
a green light.
“We’re donating everything,”
Riley said. “We’re not taking a penny
His expectations for the book’s
success are high, he said, based pri
marily on the success of the U1 traverse
titles.
‘‘Our feeling is that the books have
b®en exceedingly successful in terms
°* sell-through. They’re selling out
everywhere.*^
Riley said it should follow that the
people who have been buying the
other titles will want this one. He said
he alsoexpects people who have want
ed to do something for the flood vic
tims to be interested also.
White said the advertising cam
paign will begin in about two weeks
and will continue throughout the
month ofOctober. After receipt of the
order and payment of $5, he said, the
consumer should receive the book—
bagged and boarded—in three to four
weeks.
To order the book, contact: ARC
Comic Book Offer, P.O. Box 91836,
Pasedcna, CA 91109.
The offer expires Dec. 31.
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