Rebel Science - Hardcover

Green, Dan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1783420448 ISBN 13: 9781783420445

Publisher: Red Lemon Press, 2015

Synopsis

From ground-breaking discoveries to disastrous dead-ends, science isn't always, well ...scientific. Without some catastrophic mess-ups, the world might never know modern marvels, miraculous medicines, magnificent machines and much more. This dynamically illustrated book brings to life the rebel scientists who stuck out their necks to achieve our greatest leaps forward, and uncovers the shocking truth about the biggest blunders - and most unexpected successes - ever to happen in the lab.

About this title

About the Author

Dan Green graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in Earth Science. He is the author of several non-fiction books for children, including the bestselling Basher series. Dan lives in London and loves to travel.

From School Library Journal

Gr 4-7-Green's irreverent overview of scientific history stresses the one-upmanship compelling researchers to reject and demolish prevailing theories. Developments in a dozen subject areas, including the solar system, light, forces, anatomy, and genetics, are presented roughly chronologically. If readers follow the main "path" through a topic, they eventually reach a summary box of "key discoveries." However, numerous "route-finder" detours plus cross-references in text boxes can divert them to pathways in other topics and confuse as much as clarify. "Face-off" pages pit opponents against each other. Isaac Newton and Robert Hooke rap about who is greater, and Joseph Priestly and Antoine Lavoisier wield oxygen-spewing hoses to send each other's ideas up in flames. Rarely are the scientists shown as collaborators. Only Leo Szilard and Robert Oppenheimer, whose research led to the atom bomb, consider the possible negative applications of their work. Otherwise all scientific discoveries, from Louis Pasteur's cures for diseases to Craig Venter's gene manipulations, are celebrated unquestioningly. Pun-filled, breezy writing and clever monikers such as "Germ Terminator" and "Super-Fly Guy" may attract browsers, particularly those who enjoy insults and put-downs. Pages are crammed with caricatures accompanying thumbnail sketches of featured scientists plus text boxes with additional information. Only eight women and five non-Western scientists appear. Many biographies lack birth and death dates. Some don't provide first names except in the index. VERDICT This presentation of scientists as iconoclastic superheroes may attract some browser attention but won't add much to science collections.-Kathy Piehl, Minnesota State University Library, Mankatoα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Edition details

• Publisher: Red Lemon Press
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1783420448
• ISBN 13: 9781783420445
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 80