On Saturday 25 April 2009 18:03:23 Eugene Salamin wrote:

This is from used book dealer www.zubal.com . Does anybody know what this is about ? ... wvv - first American edition, first printing, with the complete number row and with the later-suppressed text at page 131; 198 pp., hardcover,

I don't know what was allegedly suppressed. I have a copy of what so far as I know is the first edition (though not an American edition, and also not the first printing), which indeed has 198 pages. Here, in summary, is what's on page 131 of my copy; perhaps some other munster has an edition that differs. [first line begins: ... order for this to work, the change ...] 1. Andrei Linde's idea that "bubbles" of broken symmetry in the early universe might be big enough to contain all of the now-observable universe. Very good, but bubbles would have had to be too big. Hawking thought of another idea: symmetry broken everywhere at the same time, giving a uniform universe. Sent Linde's paper later for review; described the flaw he'd seen, liked the basic idea, recommended publication anyway because Soviet censorship would make correction too slow. Published a paper with Ian Moss in same journal describing problem and resolution. 2. Travelled to Philadelphia to receive a medal. Secretary "had used her not inconsiderable charm to persuade British Airways to give herself and me free seats on a Concorde as a publicity gesture". Missed the plane. Got to Philadelphia and received medal. Gave seminar on problems with inflation. 3. Steinhardt and Albrecht independently proposed an idea like Linde's a few months later. They are now given joint credit with Linde for the "new inflationary model". [last line ends: ... "new inflationary model", based on the idea of a ...] Nothing there seems like obvious suppression-fodder. Stuff about Soviet censorship? Something involved in a contentious priority dispute? Reference to his secretary's "not inconsiderable charm"? -- g