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  • Published: 1 September 2010
  • ISBN: 9781407040370
  • Imprint: Transworld Digital
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 304

The Time Traveller

One Man's Mission To Make Time Travel A Reality




The dramatic and inspirational first-person story of theoretical physicist Dr Ronald Mallett, who discovered the basic equations for a working time machine.

Ron Mallett was just 10 when his father died suddenly. Devastated, he found solace in the science fiction of H.G. Wells, believing that if he could build a time machine, he could go back into the past, warn his father and perhaps save his life.
Ronald Mallett is now a professor of theoretical physics. Remarkably, this working-class African American boy from the Bronx stuck with his vision, overcoming poverty and prejudice in the pursuit of his obsession. This is the story of his extraordinary journey of self- and scientific discovery. With simple language and elegant metaphor he lays out his theories and presents the reader with what is an actual blue print for a time machine.A dramatic and compelling memoir, it is also a brilliant introduction to a riveting but generally baffling subject, and a truly inspirational account of astonishing achievement.

  • Published: 1 September 2010
  • ISBN: 9781407040370
  • Imprint: Transworld Digital
  • Format: EBook
  • Pages: 304

About the authors

Ronald L Mallett

Dr Ronald Mallett was born in Pennsylvania in 1945 and grew up in the Bronx. In 1973 he was one of the first African-Americans to receive a Ph.D in physics and he is now a professor of theoretical physics at the University of Connecticut. He has published many papers on theoretical physics, and his time travel research has been featured in the TV special The World's First Time Machine as well as in publications as diverse as Wall Street Journal, Rolling Stone and New Scientist.

Bruce Henderson

Bruce Henderson is the author and co-author of numerous best-selling books, including most recently True North: Peary, Cook and the Race to the Pole. He teaches non-fiction writing at Stanford University, and lives in northern California.

Praise for The Time Traveller

Physicist Mallett's theory that "space and time can be manipulated" to make time travel possible has gained national media attention. His research and theories flow nicely through this easy-to-read autobiography. Mallett's, one of the first African-American Ph.D.s in theoretical physics, (and bestselling author Henderson's) simple prose makes for clear and concise explanations of the science involved. The author comes across as a warm, inspired, driven, troubled man who is generous in his descriptions of others and must be an excellent teacher at the University of Connecticut, where he is a physics professor. Mallett describes the path of his education and research into black holes and circulating lasers, which he believes drag time into a closed loop suitable for time travel. Due to the basic level of the science content and the focus on Mallett's personal quest, this book is best suited for a general rather than a science-leaning audience, or as an inspirational text for aspiring young scientists. B&w photos.

Publisher's Weekly

Mallett never comes off as a puffy-chested smarty-pants. His delivery is humble, his voice enthusiastic, his optimism contagious. For anyone, but especially for the aspiring scientist, Time Traveler is a worthwhile and surprisingly entertaining read.

Julie Mayeda, San Francisco Chronicle

. . . Mallett is such a great teacher that the complex ideas that shape modern physics aren't so scary under the professor's easy guidance . . . strange, interesting and ultimately touching memoir.

Bruce Lieberman, San Diego Union Tribune

The powerful story of a son's love for his father ... provides deep insights into the influences, both positive and negative, that impact an individual wishing to go into science, and the interplay between family, emotions, race, and ambition.

Ronald E Mickens, PhD, distinguished Fuller E Callaway professor of physics at Clark Atlanta University and the author of MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE and MATHEMATICAL METHODS FOR THE NATURAL AND ENGINEERING SCIENCES

Mallett's poignant and powerful text correctly paints the scientist as first and foremost a human being in a way few other scientific autobiographies have managed. The science enthusiast who comes to this work fascinated by Mallett's ground-breaking research into time travel will come away with an unexpected understanding of his struggles against prejudice, both societal and scientific.

Kristine Larsen, professor of physics and astronomy at Central Connecticut State University and author of STEVEN HAWKING: A BIOGRAPHY

The Time Traveller presents a compelling account of the life of physicist Ron Mallett. The story skillfully interweaves the coupled dramas of growing up, transcending racial tensions, learning physics and chasing a long, long dream. The result is a fascinating biography.

Fred Adams, Professor at the University of Michigan and author of THE FIVE AGES OF THE UNIVERSE

While a theory for time travel is in itself extraordinary, Mallett's own story of how he became one of the first African-American PhDs is just as remarkable . . . There have been a number of time travel books published of late, but this is one of the more accomplished. His theory is the first serious and practical attempt at making the impossible possible. The Time Traveller is about far more than theory, however, and will undoubtedly serve as inspiration to budding scientists and the general reader alike.

Science Book Reviews

An engaging and, at times, moving read.

www.the-void.co.uk

A terrific book . . . once you start it you'll be hooked.

www.motorbar.co.uk

This book makes for absorbing reading.

Alexander Waugh, Telegraph

Science and memoir combine in the story of a black boy from the Bronx who turned his dreams into reality.

Waterstones Quarterly

A hugely readable book, a fascinating subject and a delightful story.

www.popularscience.co.uk

A fascinating man . . . mesmerizing

Judy Finnigan, Daily Express

Brimming with excitement . . . This is a rewarding tale of courage, determination, and the possibilities of science.

The Star