A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science
by Natalie Angier
Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published May 2007
304 pages
Genre: Science, Health and the Environment
Publication Information
The Canon is a joyride through the major scientific disciplines: physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and astronomy. It’s vital reading for anyone who wants to understand the great issues of our time—from stem cells and bird flu to evolution and global warming. It’s also one of those rare books that reignites our childhood delight in figuring out how things work: we learn what’s actually happening when our ice cream melts or our coffee gets cold, what our liver cells do when we eat a caramel, how the horse shows evolution at work, and that we really are all made of stardust. It’s Lewis Carroll meets Lewis Thomas—a book that will enrapture, inspire, and enlighten.
"This is a pleasurable and nonthreatening guide for anyone baffled by science." - PW.
"The style is so lively that the more serious goal of fostering public science literacy is easily reached." - Library Journal.
"Not everything is as easy as pie (or pi) to grasp, and therein lies the excitement and challenge of science, masterfully conveyed here. " - Kirkus.
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The Canon was immediately grabbed from the book pile by our scientifically-minded in house reviewer, but the report is that, although Angier covers some interesting material, her writing style is a little hard-going - using unnecessarily complicated language when a simpler style would have better served her purposes.
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