Call number
Collection
Publication
Boston : Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007.
Pages
293
Description
Award-winning science journalist Angier takes us on a "guided twirligig through the scientific canon." She draws on conversations with hundreds of the world's top scientists, and her own work as a reporter for the New York Times, to create an entertaining guide to scientific literacy--a joyride through the major scientific disciplines: physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and astronomy. It's 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.--From publisher description.… (more)
Awards
AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books (Finalist — 2008)
Notable Books List (Nonfiction — 2008)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2007-05-01
Physical description
293 p.
ISBN
0618242953 / 9780618242955
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User reviews
LibraryThing member KayDekker
This is bad science writing, I'm afraid. Not because the material covered is ill-chosen (it's no more and no less than one might expect from a popular science book), nor because it's inaccurate (though there are some tremendous howlers, such as the assertion on (my copy) p 189 that the outer shell
As creative writing, I might give it a B. As *science* writing, however, it's a C- at best.
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of eggs is made of calcium chloride), but because Angier seems to believe that the wonderfulness of science can best be conveyed by whizz-bang wow-gosh prose, and that her credentials as a writer are proved by cuteness, weak puns and linguistic playfulness.As creative writing, I might give it a B. As *science* writing, however, it's a C- at best.
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LibraryThing member fdholt
Everything you need to know about science in one place? There are books available and this is one of them. Written for the average reader with little or no knowledge of science, Natalie Angier, a science writer for The New York Times, manages to cover all the important points without losing her
Each of the other chapters takes on a scientific disciplines or subsets of them such as probabilities and calibration (math), physics (which includes quite a bit of chemistry), chemistry (with its own chapter further explaining concepts), evolutionary and molecular biology, geology and astronomy. I am most familiar with chemistry and I do have to say she got it right, especially with her explanation of orbitals and why atoms are or aren’t stable. She also explained water and its importance and the difference chemically between its bonds and the bonds of salt. From the laws of thermodynamics to the big bang to activity in human cells, it’s all there in understandable language.
Another interesting point she makes is the definition of the word “theory”. Most people tend to dismiss the theory of evolution or the big bang theory as not proved or suspect in a way. Angier states that theory is: “not a hunch, not even a bunch of hunches, but a grand synthesis that gathers ‘facts’ or robust findings … and infuses them with meaning. A scientific theory has predictive power.” So theories are rock solid. Interesting!
Angier obtained most of her material by interviewing scientists and professors. Although she does quote quite a few (and these comments are most interesting), she does not footnote where most of the material was obtained. However she does have a bibliography for each chapter consisting of major books in each field along with websites. What is surprising is that she uses Wikipedia and other ephemeral web sites; no student would cite these in a paper. To be fair, there were also good solid websites which are extremely usable.
As I read further into the book, I got more and more annoyed with Angier’s writing style. Yes, she writes in a chatty style and makes things very clear. But the puns and witticisms started to wear thin after the first few chapters and I wished that she hadn’t put them into such a serious book. However I can still recommend this book as an excellent introduction into the hard sciences for all those folks who had trouble with chemistry or physics in high school. Understanding magnetism would have been a whole lot easier.
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reader. But by far the best chapter is the first on “Thinking scientifically” where she discusses the process and how scientists come to the conclusions they do. She also talks about misinformation like the difference between winter and summer. I had a hard time convincing my son of the truth when his elementary teacher insisted that the earth was nearer the sun in summer. (It has to do with the earth’s tilt, not where we are in our orbit.)Each of the other chapters takes on a scientific disciplines or subsets of them such as probabilities and calibration (math), physics (which includes quite a bit of chemistry), chemistry (with its own chapter further explaining concepts), evolutionary and molecular biology, geology and astronomy. I am most familiar with chemistry and I do have to say she got it right, especially with her explanation of orbitals and why atoms are or aren’t stable. She also explained water and its importance and the difference chemically between its bonds and the bonds of salt. From the laws of thermodynamics to the big bang to activity in human cells, it’s all there in understandable language.
Another interesting point she makes is the definition of the word “theory”. Most people tend to dismiss the theory of evolution or the big bang theory as not proved or suspect in a way. Angier states that theory is: “not a hunch, not even a bunch of hunches, but a grand synthesis that gathers ‘facts’ or robust findings … and infuses them with meaning. A scientific theory has predictive power.” So theories are rock solid. Interesting!
Angier obtained most of her material by interviewing scientists and professors. Although she does quote quite a few (and these comments are most interesting), she does not footnote where most of the material was obtained. However she does have a bibliography for each chapter consisting of major books in each field along with websites. What is surprising is that she uses Wikipedia and other ephemeral web sites; no student would cite these in a paper. To be fair, there were also good solid websites which are extremely usable.
As I read further into the book, I got more and more annoyed with Angier’s writing style. Yes, she writes in a chatty style and makes things very clear. But the puns and witticisms started to wear thin after the first few chapters and I wished that she hadn’t put them into such a serious book. However I can still recommend this book as an excellent introduction into the hard sciences for all those folks who had trouble with chemistry or physics in high school. Understanding magnetism would have been a whole lot easier.
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LibraryThing member Sandydog1
I had no sooner finished reading the painfully long introduction, thinking, "wow, this sounds like NPR," when I actually heard a Ms Angier essay, on NPR. The essay on the radio wasn't too bad. The chapters in this ostentatiously-titled book however, seemed to get progressively worse.
As I read
I learned quite a bit. But Pulitzer Prize winning science writers shouldn't describe space as "inky-dinky" and really shouldn't call solvent vapors from nail salons, "fumes".
If you have the urge to read this book I suggest reading a wittier compilation, like Bill Bryson's effort, first. Better yet read it twice. Then tackle this one. You will find about 50% of it fascinating. The remainder are puns for 9-year old girls.
Two stars for the writing style and blather. A full extra star for some of the most fascinating topics in all of non-fiction.
As I read
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further and further, I began to wonder, what do these incessant, distracting, cutesy, corny, quips, remind me of? Sedaris? No. 'Maybe that Carrie Bradshaw character on Sex and the City? Yeah. 'Or even better, a Saturday Night Live charicature/skit based on Sex and the City? That's it! I learned quite a bit. But Pulitzer Prize winning science writers shouldn't describe space as "inky-dinky" and really shouldn't call solvent vapors from nail salons, "fumes".
If you have the urge to read this book I suggest reading a wittier compilation, like Bill Bryson's effort, first. Better yet read it twice. Then tackle this one. You will find about 50% of it fascinating. The remainder are puns for 9-year old girls.
Two stars for the writing style and blather. A full extra star for some of the most fascinating topics in all of non-fiction.
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LibraryThing member readaholic12
Fascinating material, tedious, wordy presentation. Best read in small doses.
LibraryThing member dirkjohnson
Too chatty with too many suburban life details thrown in for my taste. And the narration (I have the audiobook version) perfectly reflects these qualities. In style, it's like an episode from some tv show about life in the suburbs. But then, I'm not the target audience. The content is generally
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good, though it errs on the side of preconceived notions about empiricism and fact being truth. I did enjoy, though, taking a little tour through the current basics. Ms. Angier's brief is to popularize science, and she does a good job of it. So, if you don't know much about sicence and generally find it to be somewhat intimidating but would like to know more, this book is for you. Show Less
LibraryThing member ben_a
I knew Angier from her Science Times byline, and got the audiobook version for a long drive. It nearly gave me an aneurysm. As the review below notes, Angier seems incapable of making the briefest point without swaddling it in fifteen anecdotes, analogies, and witticisms. This habit wears better
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over an (edited) Science Times column than it does at chapter length, where it is unbearable. The breathy, dramatic tone of the reader does the style no favors. Maybe it's better as a book you can skim. Show Less
LibraryThing member Paulagraph
A succinct tour of the foundational (key) concepts /theories in the sciences: Scientific Thinking /Method; Probability; Calibration / Scale; Physics; Chemistry; Evolutionary Biology; Molecular Biology; Geology & Astronomy. Angier impresses with her grasp of scientific subjects and her ability to
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communicate these through both exposition and analogy. Most of the concepts will not be new to interested readers of science books for non-scientists. Writing for a lay audience means utilizing language rather than math to communicate complex ideas. In fact, of course, some science isn't translatable into words. As one scientist interviewed by the author admits, what can be perfectly comprehensible to him mathematically (the age & size of the universe, for example) may still be incomprehensibly mind-boggling personally. My one quibble with Angier, as a writer, is that her use of analogy, which is quite helpful at times, veers too often to the overly glib. She often piles up the wise-cracks, which in the end distract from, rather than serve her purposes. Humor and felicitous analogy aid mightily in any presentation of scientific topics to non-scientists. However, there is a point at which such tools turn into tricks, where a folksy approach becomes too smart alecky for its own good. Show Less
LibraryThing member owenre
This is a nice opinionated review of the current state of science. I am happy to have something to recommend to my non-science friends that is so very accesible and fun. Sometimes the tone was just a bit too precious though and I was tired of all the jokes by the end.
LibraryThing member maggiereads
My father-in-law was a reader. Before his demise, bless his soul, I used to love talking to him about books. One of his favorite authors, Patrick O'Brian, wrote 23 books in the Aubrey/Maturin series with Master and Commander as the anchor. Mr. Moran was in a happy seafaring knot as he would read
A very curious thing was pointed out to me during a visit in the summer of 2003. On Mr. Moran’s nightstand was a textbook titled Ionic and Non-Ionic Surfactants. When asked about the book, he said he read it when unable to sleep.
This is the first thing I thought when picking up "The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science" by Natalie Angier. The premise is promising, but sleep is certain.
I am happy to report this is one of the most engaging science books read. Angier won a Pulitzer Prize Beat Reporting award in 1991 for her compelling science writing at The New York Times. It was well deserved as she tackles topics in this book such as physics, chemistry, molecular biology, and astronomy with intelligence and humor.
The book begins with discussions on critical thinking, probability, and calibration before delving into major topics. In the probability chapter she demonstrates how one can predict whether a class of students, broken into two groups, tosses a coin 50 times or pretends. Both groups must record the number of heads and tails in sequential occurrence. Within seconds of looking at the two results, she has an answer. How?
The first topic, physics, is the foundation on which other sciences are built. Angier explains, “Physics is the science of starter parts and basic forces, and thus it holds the answers to many basic questions. Why is the sky blue? Why do you get a shock when you trudge across a carpeted room and touch a metal doorknob? Why does a white T-shirt keep you cooler in the sun than a black one, even though the black one is so much more slimming?”
Angier advocates teaching physics before all other topics. She likens beginning with chemistry and biology as to building walls and a roof before pouring the slab. I like the idea but wonder if students have enough math skills to accomplish physics first.
This is the perfect book to prop up on your chest while in bed. No need to worry about the effects of gravity.
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all 23 then turn around and start again.A very curious thing was pointed out to me during a visit in the summer of 2003. On Mr. Moran’s nightstand was a textbook titled Ionic and Non-Ionic Surfactants. When asked about the book, he said he read it when unable to sleep.
This is the first thing I thought when picking up "The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science" by Natalie Angier. The premise is promising, but sleep is certain.
I am happy to report this is one of the most engaging science books read. Angier won a Pulitzer Prize Beat Reporting award in 1991 for her compelling science writing at The New York Times. It was well deserved as she tackles topics in this book such as physics, chemistry, molecular biology, and astronomy with intelligence and humor.
The book begins with discussions on critical thinking, probability, and calibration before delving into major topics. In the probability chapter she demonstrates how one can predict whether a class of students, broken into two groups, tosses a coin 50 times or pretends. Both groups must record the number of heads and tails in sequential occurrence. Within seconds of looking at the two results, she has an answer. How?
The first topic, physics, is the foundation on which other sciences are built. Angier explains, “Physics is the science of starter parts and basic forces, and thus it holds the answers to many basic questions. Why is the sky blue? Why do you get a shock when you trudge across a carpeted room and touch a metal doorknob? Why does a white T-shirt keep you cooler in the sun than a black one, even though the black one is so much more slimming?”
Angier advocates teaching physics before all other topics. She likens beginning with chemistry and biology as to building walls and a roof before pouring the slab. I like the idea but wonder if students have enough math skills to accomplish physics first.
This is the perfect book to prop up on your chest while in bed. No need to worry about the effects of gravity.
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LibraryThing member woodge
Science is cool. I didn't think so back in high school but I like to think I've matured since then. Back then I evaded chemistry by taking an earth science course (Rocks for Jocks). Seems a shame because now I find that stuff very interesting. What Ms. Angier so ably and entertainingly covers in
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this slim — under 300 pages — volume is the scientific method, probabilities, physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and astronomy. You don't have to be a Ph.D. to understand it either. I only wish some of my teachers in high school had been as interesting as Ms. Angier. (In particular, my physics teacher in high school was a waste of meat.) I've read about several of these subjects before in some other entertaining books. Two that come to mind are Innumeracy by John Paulos and A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. I'd recommend all of these books as they complement each other and if you're interested learning cool stuff and filling in a few gaps in your knowledge, these three books are excellent and a good place to start. And Ms. Angier has some fun turning a good phrase here and there. One passage that stood out was one in which she explains just what it means to be a scientific theory. It should be taught in school. The rigorous work and facts behind an established theory (like, say, evolution) makes a statement like "Of course, it's just a theory," sound especially obtuse. Show Less
LibraryThing member maryqueenofscotts
All you need to do is roll your eyes at every attempt to be witty and pay attention to what she is really saying. The book truly makes science enjoyable and memorable as she touches on just about every topic. Excellent introduction to science that makes me want to investigate further into some of
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the topics she does cover. Show Less
LibraryThing member ccavalli
I found this book to be an interesting overview of many scientific topics. It was fun to read about many of the important ideas of science all in one place and learn some things about fields other than the ones with which I am familiar. I also thought she did a good job giving understandable
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explanations, included humor and wit, and expected her readers to be able to follow the discussions. Well done! Show Less
LibraryThing member lidermanrony
The Canon is A very well written popular science book.
instead of dedicating a whole book to a specific scientific topic like usually done by popular science writers, the author chose to dedicate each chapter of the book to another topic.
The book covers the basics of all the important natural
Being the scientific writer for the times magazine, Natalie Angier writes like a journalist - in a good way. the book is witty and funnym drawing analogues and associations from everyday life, but in the same time extremely clear and thorough.
This is the book i would recommend as an introduction to science in general and the major topics it addresses.
instead of dedicating a whole book to a specific scientific topic like usually done by popular science writers, the author chose to dedicate each chapter of the book to another topic.
The book covers the basics of all the important natural
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sciences : physics, chemistry (which is usually neglected by writers of popular science books), evolutionary biology, cell biology, geology (also a rarely discussed topic) and astronomy. preceding these chapters are two introductory chapters about the nature of science itself and probability.Being the scientific writer for the times magazine, Natalie Angier writes like a journalist - in a good way. the book is witty and funnym drawing analogues and associations from everyday life, but in the same time extremely clear and thorough.
This is the book i would recommend as an introduction to science in general and the major topics it addresses.
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LibraryThing member frederick0t6
I bought this book after listening to a very stimulating interview of Natalie Angier on CBC Radio . The mission of the book - to introduce and explain the main principles of sciences to laypeople - may be considered accomplished. As someone who studied science with some interest in high school but
In a book which seeks to cover so much ground, I must say that it does well. The strongest points of the book are the discussion of biology (to which two chapters are devoted); one is focused on evolution while the other considers the cell. At times, the biology discussion veers into parochial American concerns (i.e. much hangwringing at the fact that many Americans hold rather unscientific views on biology). The one aspect of the book which can become bothersome is the rather chatty style. When it works, it makes the material accessible but it can become a bit irritating now and then.
Much of the book is concerned with specific science principles, but the introduction is worth discussing as well. The introduction is fascinating and accessible: reflections on the state of science literacy in modern America. In this introduction, Angier points out that many arguments can be made in favour of science literacy but she prefers an unexpected one. Namely, that science is genuinely fun and the understanding of reality it provides can only encourage wonder. This kind of argument is a welcome contrast to those who hold to the merits of the civic duty view, which posits that scientific literacy is needed to be a democratically aware citizen. While certainly true, an appeal to fun is more successful given that so many people have bad memories of science from their school days.
Some of the specific science chapters could have been stronger (the lack of illustrations in the astronomy section is particularly conspicuous), but the book is a good introduction. It could have been improved with a conclusion (ideally building on the concerns of the introduction; role of science in modern life etc) and perhaps some recommendations for further reading.
I found the book easy to read but then again, I read it as I finished my first Master's degree.
N.B. I had never read her articles in the New York Times before reading this book.
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let it drop in university, this book was an interesting and enjoyable introduction. The explanations are weaved together from interviews with American scientists and metaphors. There are no diagrams, illustrations or mathematics involved in this book. It is science made easy, but not dumb.In a book which seeks to cover so much ground, I must say that it does well. The strongest points of the book are the discussion of biology (to which two chapters are devoted); one is focused on evolution while the other considers the cell. At times, the biology discussion veers into parochial American concerns (i.e. much hangwringing at the fact that many Americans hold rather unscientific views on biology). The one aspect of the book which can become bothersome is the rather chatty style. When it works, it makes the material accessible but it can become a bit irritating now and then.
Much of the book is concerned with specific science principles, but the introduction is worth discussing as well. The introduction is fascinating and accessible: reflections on the state of science literacy in modern America. In this introduction, Angier points out that many arguments can be made in favour of science literacy but she prefers an unexpected one. Namely, that science is genuinely fun and the understanding of reality it provides can only encourage wonder. This kind of argument is a welcome contrast to those who hold to the merits of the civic duty view, which posits that scientific literacy is needed to be a democratically aware citizen. While certainly true, an appeal to fun is more successful given that so many people have bad memories of science from their school days.
Some of the specific science chapters could have been stronger (the lack of illustrations in the astronomy section is particularly conspicuous), but the book is a good introduction. It could have been improved with a conclusion (ideally building on the concerns of the introduction; role of science in modern life etc) and perhaps some recommendations for further reading.
I found the book easy to read but then again, I read it as I finished my first Master's degree.
N.B. I had never read her articles in the New York Times before reading this book.
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LibraryThing member daschaich
Minireview: Angier's "whirligig tour of the beautiful basics of science" is slim, but jam-packed with a high density of interesting information. Beginning with a discussion of just what science is and a review of basic statistics and probability, it outlines the various scales at play in the
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universe, and then goes through them one field at a time -- from physics to chemistry, biology, geology, and finally astronomy (and back to physics, to an extent). Unfortunately (and somewhat oddly, considering Angier is a science journalist), The Canon lacks the sub-chapter organization that would have helped make its density more manageable. It is also jam-packed with as many puns, bad jokes, plays on words, and silly stories as Angier can fit, which before long becomes more distracting and irritating than amusing and engaging. But overall, I was considerably more impressed withThe Canon than I was with Bryson's Short History of Nearly Everything, the most similar work I've read. Show Less
LibraryThing member fidchivers
An excellent general knowledge, presenting scientific ideas in a readable concise manner. even here, some parts will interest you more than others, but very well written and authoritative.
LibraryThing member MikeFarquhar
The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science by Natalie Angier is a great book that does exactly what it says on the tin, whirling through the sciences from quantum physics to geology, from evolutionary biology to the statistics that underpins it all, offering up a view of what it
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is about the sciences that is truly beautiful. It's written in a very accessible style, and touches on many of the current major scientific theories, explaining things in clear, sensible terms that at the same time conveys very well the sheer sense of wonder that some of what we have learnt imparts. I don't think I learnt anything new reading Angier's book, but I was certainly reminded why I have always been so enthralled and enthusiastic about science. A book well worth reading by everyone, no matter what your level of background scientific knowledge is. If I could, I'd make its reading compulsory in some quarters. Show Less
LibraryThing member verbafacio
This book is beautifully written and will captivate those who love science and those who love a good turn of phrase. Angier covers everything from physics to astronomy in a funny but very rigorous manner. There are no equations, but she teaches you how to think about scientific problems. Angier's
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approach is great: she talked to scientists in each field to find out what they wished the public understood about their work. I think The Canon is best read a chapter at a time; too much at once and it all starts to blur together. Show Less
LibraryThing member stuster
An entertaining and essential guide to not only the basics of science, but also the amazing wonder of our world. With each chapter covering the major scientific disciplines (physics, chemistry, geology, astronomy, etc), the reader is taken on a journey of discovery and amazement. These are things
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that all people should know about in order to understand our world and Angier tells it in such an engaging and playful way. Although you will need a dictionary handy: I found myself needing to look up at least one word on every page. I do agree to a small extent with some of the other reviewers about the style of writing, but it is worth grimacing through the more annoying passages (which are few) for the great reward of reading the entire canon of science in one small volume. Show Less
LibraryThing member jhevelin
I really enjoyed this book and can't recommend it enough. The central concept is ingenious: what should a well-educated non-scientist know about science? Ms. Angier has interviewed hundreds of scientists in a wide-range of disciplines and has done a marvelous job of deriving key areas of science to
Ms. Angier is a literate and witty writer. Her prose sparkles, is utterly scintillating -- and that is the book's biggest drawback. Because while her explanations of scientific concepts are clear and straightforward, the rest of her prose is targeted at a very sophisticated audience. For those familiar with the literary and cultural references she makes, this book is a delight -- but reader's who do not share her background may be left in the dust. And for a book whose purpose, I think, is to win enthusiasts for the scientific world, that may be a significant drawback.
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discuss.Ms. Angier is a literate and witty writer. Her prose sparkles, is utterly scintillating -- and that is the book's biggest drawback. Because while her explanations of scientific concepts are clear and straightforward, the rest of her prose is targeted at a very sophisticated audience. For those familiar with the literary and cultural references she makes, this book is a delight -- but reader's who do not share her background may be left in the dust. And for a book whose purpose, I think, is to win enthusiasts for the scientific world, that may be a significant drawback.
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LibraryThing member julie10reads
The Canon is 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. And it’s for every parent who has ever panicked when a child asked how the earth was formed or what electricity is. Angier’s sparkling
Particularly enjoyable for Ms Angier’s linguistic artistry: puns, alliteration and analogies full of fun and cleverness!
NOTE: I found the written format too dense to stay with and downloaded the audiobook; all the better to catch Ms Angier’s nimble wordplay!
9 out of 10. For readers who want their learning delivered in high quality prose.
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prose and memorable metaphors bring the science to life, reigniting our own childhood delight in discovering how the world works. “Of course you should know about science,” writes Angier, “for the same reason Dr. Seuss counsels his readers to sing with a Ying or play Ring the Gack: These things are fun and fun is good.” The Canon is a joyride through the major scientific disciplines: physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and astronomy. Along the way, we learn what is actually happening when our ice cream melts or our coffee gets cold, what our liver cells do when we eat a caramel, why the horse is an example of evolution at work, and how we’re all really made of stardust. It’s Lewis Carroll meets Lewis Thomas — a book that will enrapture, inspire, and enlighten. Summary BPLParticularly enjoyable for Ms Angier’s linguistic artistry: puns, alliteration and analogies full of fun and cleverness!
NOTE: I found the written format too dense to stay with and downloaded the audiobook; all the better to catch Ms Angier’s nimble wordplay!
9 out of 10. For readers who want their learning delivered in high quality prose.
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LibraryThing member callmecayce
An intense look at science as a whole, and what we should know about it. I completely enjoyed listening to this book. The reader is enthusiastic and has the perfect voice for this text.
LibraryThing member Qshio
Very entertaining, very clever, sometimes a wee bit too cute. If you're well versed in science, it should be some pleasant amusement. If you're not, it's a great primer. Lots of wordplay and gags, but on the whole a worthwhile overview of the sciences.
LibraryThing member Yiggy
Natalie Angier presents a scientific world full of wonder and worthy of exploration. Using thoughtfuly descriptive metaphors, imaginative prose and a steady rhythm The Canon covers topics ranging from scientific thinking and statistics to the fundamentals of geology and astrology, stopping at each
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major branch of science inbetween. I personally think she breaths life into some topics better than others. For instance, her biology section wasn't as enlivening to me as her other chapters, but I read plenty of biology as it is. I wouldn't be surprised if a physics person found her chapter on physics swift and prosaic. This highlights the primary audience of the book- curious adults who have for one reason or another had the thrill of science driven from their hearts. Indeed, Angier's main goal is to rekindle the flames of scientific inquiry into those who seek a rebriefing in the basics of Home sapiens sapiens' most enlightening pursuit. Those who need a refresher on the broader picture, lay person and specialized expert alike, might gain something from this nifty little book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Devil_llama
A beautifully written, well-researched love letter to science. This author attempts to clarify the dimensions of science, taking each science one by one and discussing what we do know, how we know it, and what we still have to learn...so far as we know it. Stripping science of unnecessary
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obscurity, she is able to show how it is not only fun, but comprehensible. Show Less