Magic Without Magic_ John Archibald Wheeler (a collection of essays in honor of his sixtieth birthday)

Description

On July 9, 1971, John Archibald Wheeler attained the age of 60. It was evident to many people that this event should be duly noted with an honorary volume, in fact, one with an indefinable but necessary extra dimension. Somehow the many facets of his career and governmental service, the charismatic and distinctly personal style of his lectures, writings, and other activities, just had to be conveyed. The first and the last essays represent particular attempts to do just that. Original scientific articles stemming in one way or another from the author’s association with John make up the rest of the volume. An enormous number of people have benefited from their contact with John Wheeler. Limitations of space and time—well-known in the physical world— have not permitted the inclusion of appropriate contributions from all such people, but rather from a representative few. Between the lines—the classic literary solution to spatial limitations—lie the unstated yet implicit gratitude of a host of others who join the contributors in congratulating John on his past achievements and in wishing him all success in the future. The editor is pleased to acknowledge his debt to a number of scientific colleagues and also to Mrs. J. A. Wheeler and to Professor Wheeler’s secretaries, Mrs. M. Pratt and Mrs. G. Witt, for advice, suggestions, and above all for assistance. In addition, I would like to thank my wife Robbie for encouragement, and my secretaries, Miss J. Bair, Mrs. B. Chippendale, Miss C. Hoesly, and Miss E. Kornacki for creating their own style of “magic without magic.”