The Mysterious Rays of Dr. Rontgen

A study of the work of Wilhelm Ro+a5ntgen, the winner of the first Nobel prize in physics, documents his discovery of X-rays and discusses what X-rays are, how Ro+a5ngen discovered them, and how they are used in modern medicine, industry, and science.

Grade 3-5-In this easy-to-read book, Gherman chronicles Wilhelm Rontgen's discovery of X rays and examines how they are used in modern medicine and industry. Beginning with the German physicist at work in his lab, the text describes his discovery and its announcement to the scientific community as well as the subsequent findings of the ill effects of too much radiation. There is no mention of the scientist's childhood, education, career, etc. A broad overview of his life can be gleaned from the chronology. There is some minor fictionalization, but it is not misleading or intrusive. Marchesi's textured, informative oil paintings add to the volume's appeal. One caveat: Rontgen's name is spelled Roentgen in most books and in the World Book.
Christine A. Moesch, Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, NY
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Gr. 2-5. A picture-book biography of the man who discovered X rays combines the excitement of scientific discovery with an accessible explanation of how the rays work. Gherman also describes how R{™}ontgen won wide acclaim, including the 1901 Nobel Prize, and discusses how today's sophisticated X-ray machines work. The account of R{™}ontgen's happy marriage and the handsome period color oil illustrations on every page help to personalize the drama. But this is no chronological life story: from the first chapter title, "Alone in the Laboratory," the focus is on the research, painstaking as well as brilliant, and on the way an individual breakthrough is connected to the work of many scientists, then and now. Bibliography. Hazel Rochman