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Nanotechnology Bibliography

Bibliography Sections:

Books:

Drexler, K. Eric Engines of Creation Anchor, 1986 ISBN 0-385-19972-2
This book was the definition of the original charter of sci.nanotech. Popularly written, it introduces assemblers, and discusses the various social and technical implications nanotechnology might have.
 
Drexler, K. Eric,
Chris Peterson,
Gayle Pergamit
Unbounding the Future: The Nanotechnological Revolution William Morrow, 1991 ISBN 0-688-09124-5
 
Essentially a simplified overview of the content of Engines, with a better low-level description of how nanomachines might work, and less speculation on space travel, cryonics, etc.
 
Drexler, K. Eric Nanosystems: Molecular machinery, Manufacturing, and Computation Wiley & Sons, 1992 ISBN 0-471-57518-6
 
This is the technical book that grew out of Drexler's PhD thesis. It is a real tour de force that provides a *substantial* theoretical background for nanotech ideas.
 
Freitas, Robert A. Nanomedicine Landes Bioscience, 1999 ISBN 1-570-59645-X
 
This is the first of a three-volume set that is still being written. This volume covers the basic physical limits of many engineering alternatives for nanorobots. The book of necessity covers all the functional areas that are common to all nanorobots. Therefore the book's relevance is much broader than implied by the title. Required reading for anyone intending to contribute to the technical advancement of nanotechnology.
 
Ratner, Mark and Daniel Nanotechnology: A Gentle Introduction to the Next Big Idea Prentice Hall PTR, 2002 ISBN 0-131-01400-5

An excellent job of describing, in non mathematical terms for laymen CURRENT NANOTECHNOLOGY and NANO SCIENCE RESEARCH. I stress these terms because most of their book discusses such things as current and experimental devices, materials, and tools on the molecular and microscopic scales. They discuss everything from carbon nanotubes and their potential, to quantum dots, molecular motors and electronics, to protein engineering.

The area where they are weak is in discussing true Molecular Manufacturing technologies, and developments. The only mention of the Assembler in their book is in a somewhat negative context, and the way in which they down it, seems to be, to be an all-too easy objection which many nanoists such as Merkle, Drexler, Hall, Chris Phoenix, and others have already shown is not the case.

 
Regis, Ed Nano

Little, Brown, 1996.
Bantam, 1995

ISBN 0-316-73852-2
 
A good overview of the people, ideas, and history of nanotechnology from the initial designs done by K. Eric Drexler through to the publishing of his book 'Nanosystems'.

Periodicals:

Organisation: Periodical: Issued:
Institute of Physics Nanotechnology Quarterly
 
International Journal of Nanoscience Online nanoscience Journal Monthly
 
Nanoindustries Nanotechnology Industries Newsletter
 
Nano-Tek Online nanotechnologies Journal
 
About: Nanotechnology Nanotech News (NTN) Fortnightly
 
CMP Cientifica Trends in Nanotechnology (TNT) Weekly
SFCG (San Francisco Consulting Group) Nanotech Business Update (NBU) Fortnightly

For a more up-to-the-minute Nanotechnology specific journal list see: www.nanoscout.de/journals.php


Other Publications of Interest:

---, ed Proceedings of the Third International Symposium on Molecular Electronic Devices Elsevier North Holland, in press (Note change of publisher.)
 
Bodanis, M The Secret House Simon & Shuster 1986
This is a popularly written description of a day in the life of a typical suburban house from a microscopic perspective. Eye-opening, illustrated with many good electron-photo-micrographs.
 
Carter, Forrest, ed Molecular Electronic Devices Marcel Dekker 1982 [11] and "M.E.D. II", ditto, 1986.
Carter organized the series of workshops.
 
Clarke, Arthur C. Profiles of the Future Harper & Row, 1962 [149]
This is a classic in predicting the future of technology. It already sounds a bit quaint, but is very interesting reading. Source of many technoforecasting aphorisms (When a distinguished but elderly scientist...).
 
Crandall, B. C. and James Lewis, eds Nanotechnology: Proceedings of the First Foresight Conference MIT Press, 1992
 
Dawkins, Richard The Selfish Gene Oxford Univ Press 1976 [23]
  The Extended Phenotype W H Freeman 1982 [36]
  The Blind Watchmaker Norton 1986
Mostly about evolution. Dawkins invented the concept of the "meme", an idea seen as an evolving replicator. So far, nanotechnology is basically a meme.
 
Feinberg, Gerald Solid Clues: Quantum Physics, Molecular Biology, and the Future of Science Simon and Schuster, 1985
 
Fersht, Alan Enzyme Structure and Mechanism W.H. Freeman 1977 [57]
 
Fjermedal, Grant The Tomorrow Makers Microsoft Press 1988
 
Freitas, R.A.Jr., Gilbreath, W.P. ; eds. Advanced Automation for Space Missions National Technical Information Service N83-15348. 1980
Proceedings of the 1980 NASA/ASEE Summer Study,
Available from NTIS, U.S. Department of Commerce, National Technical Information Service, Springfield, VA 22161; telephone 703-487- 4650, order no. N83-15348
 
Huberman, Bernardo, ed The Ecology of Computation Elsevier, 1988
contains a paper by Drexler.
 
Krummenacker, Markus and James Lewis, eds Prospects in Nanotechnology: Toward Molecular Manufacturing John Wiley & Sons, 1995
Proceedings of the First General Conference on Nanotechnology
 
Merkle, Ralph It's a small, small, small, small world 1997
A techinical version is also available at Zyvex.
 
Moravec, Hans. Mind Children Harvard University Press, 1988
 
Shapiro, Robert Origins Bantam 1986
This is about the origin of life so it's a bit far afield, but it does range over the subjects of molecular mechanics, self-assembly, evolution, etc. It is very skeptical and a good "bogosity squasher".
 
Simon, Herbert The Sciences of the Artificial MIT Press 1981 [21]
Every technologically literate person should read this classic.
 
Vinge, Vernor The Peace War
  Marooned in Realtime Baen Books 1986
{Science Fiction} The technological forcasting in most SF is extremely tame and pedestrian. Vinge is more realistic.
 
Post Mortem Auth: von Neumann, John. Ed: Burks The Theory of Self-Reproducing Automata University of Illinois Press, 1966
This is the seminal work in which Von Neumann demonstrates the possibility of designing a mechanism that is a universal constructor of mechanisms of its type, and thus can be programmed to reproduce itself.
 
Watson, J.D., Hopkins, N.H., Roberts, J.W., Steitz, J. A., Weiner, A.M. Molecular Biology of the Gene, 4th Ed. Benjamin/Cummings. 1987
Continuously being republished with additions, the 4th edition went to two volumes. This is a standard text and gives a very good understanding of the nitty gritty molecular details of the self-replicating process.