Tag Archives: sciencebooks

Book Review: ‘Hands-On Science: Geology’ By Lola M. Schaefer, Illus. By Druscilla Santiago

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One question that teachers and mentors have to face on a routine basis is — how to talk to children. The question is asked in a general sense — spanning across diverse fields, like talking to them about social and behavioral issues, storytelling, science, and education in general. Communication with children is a problem because the usual prevailing methods either treat them as stupid or use a language which is far advanced for their age. If you have ever spent even a couple of minutes with a child of any generation, you must have been astonished at the gross underestimation of their intellect. This is even more pronounced in the current times of large information inflow when children are exposed to and are aware of advances in diverse fields. When I receive books for children for review, this is the aspect that I look for, and sometimes I do get disappointed at the underestimation of children’s understanding of scientific concepts and their curiosity. There are some very good writers, some of who are also good artists. Even if they are not, this task can he delegated to professional artists. So there should not be any problem with presentation of content — in design or illustration. The only task — the biggest taste — is an accurate understanding of the child’s mind, its needs and likes.

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Book Review: ‘Do Other Earths Exist?’ By Jennifer Lombardo

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Astronomy, astrophysics and planetary science are testimony of humankind’s curiosity. A peculiar feature of this curiosity is that it is not satiated by a hypothetical or mythological explanation; on the contrary, any unconvincing explanation only adds fuel to the curiosity. Humankind doesn’t stop at contemplating the various possibilities, but explores and investigates the problem using whatever tools are available at its disposal — theoretical calculations, experimental measurements, or even space missions. Understandably, it doesn’t stop at finding answers to immediate problems, instead every resolved problem pushes the boundary to investigate further, farther, deeper, more. We haven’t yet completely understood the earth, our exploration of the planets is still an ongoing process, and we have already started seeking the boundaries of our solar system, and what lies beyond it.

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Book Review: ‘Penny, The Engineering Tail Of The Fourth Little Pig’ By Kimberly Derting And Shelli R. Johannes, Illus. By Hannah Marks

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Today I will share with you the summary and my views on the book Penny, The Engineering Tail Of The Fourth Little Pig by Kimberly Derting and Shelli R. Johannes, and illustrated by Hannah Marks, which is the third and final book from Capstone Editions that I have recently received for review. While going through these books, I spent some time scrolling through Twitter timeline of Capstone Editions, and came to know the wide spectrum of popular science books published by them. It is indeed a commendable job and worth appreciating. The future of society lies in the hands of future generation, and how the future generation would look like is decided by the type of investment we make in them. Considering the change in brain activity with age, it is important to ‘catch them young’, inculcating habits from an early age. Science is not just about learning facts and understanding the world around us; instead, it teaches us to go beyond superficial appearances, dig below the surface, and examine everything logically and rationally. It is these concerns that make the contribution of Capstone Editions and similar publishers all the more praiseworthy.

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Book Review: ‘Moving To Mars’ By Stef Wade, Illus. By Erin Taylor

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In this post, I would share my opinion about the second out of the three books meant for children that I have received for review. The book is titled Moving To Mars, written by Stef Wade and illustrated by Erin Taylor. The title is self-explanatory to a certain extent. This book is meant for children and is part picture book and part story book. Here space science or rather space exploration is presented as a potpourri of art, science, and humour. I haven’t yet come across any other book of this nature and never thought that science in general and space science in particular could be presented in such a charming manner. This book is unique on all accounts.

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Book Review: ‘How Science Saved The Eiffel Tower’ By Emma Bland Smith, Illus. By Lia Visirin

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In the last few posts, I had posted reviews of books which I had read for pleasure. Now I am back at my desk reviewing books in my specialisation — science and art. I start with the first out of the three books directed at young audience which I have received for review. All three books have the potential to enchant the young mind with their amalgamation of science and art, both in highest degree. I would give the details of the other two books in later posts, and restrict myself here only on the synopsis and criticism of the book How Science Saved The Eiffel Tower by Emma Bland Smith and illustrated by Lia Visirin.

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Book Review: ‘Every Day Is Earth Day’ By Harriet Dyer

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I frequently receive books on climate change for review. Each one of them presents the subject from a different perspective and addresses different aspects of the problem. After reading my reviews, most of the time my readers put this question to me — “What are we supposed to do?”, and ask me reference of any book which might be able to answer this question. They want to contribute in the fight against climate change but they do not have any idea how to go ahead with it. The book Every Day is Earth Day: Simple Ways to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint by Harriet Dyer answers precisely this question. The most noteworthy feature of this book is that it does not deviate a bit from its focus and successfully delivers what it promises. It is a hand-manual for citizens to help them reduce their carbon footprint by making few changes in their lifestyle. The book is loaded with data and facts, excellent graphics, and sound suggestions and advice. There are no typographical errors. The book has been compiled very nicely and you will sense the commitment to the cause on part of the writer and publisher. As such, I do not have any criticism or negative feedback for this book; so I will give you a brief summary of the book.  

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Book Review: ‘Beyond: Discoveries from the Outer Reaches of Space’ By Miranda Paul, Illus. By Sija Hong

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Everyone has a vision for the future — how to change the world and how to make it a better place to live. We are nobody to challenge anyone’s personal views, but some ideas look more sound and workable. For example, Nehru was of the opinion that the progress of India can be achieved primarily by science and technology. Post-independence, Prof Sarabhai envisioned harnessing space technology for India’s progress and growth. Indeed, if one looks forward to a bright future for oneself, society, nation or the world, then there doesn’t seem to be any other way than to invest in scientific temperament. Note that by scientific temperament I do not simply mean scientific and technological innovations and inventions, instead I use the term in a rather broad sense which implies looking at the world logically, critically and sensibly.

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Book Review: ‘Words Of Change — Climate’ By Christina Limpert

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Today I am sharing my views on the book Words of Change: Climate — Powerful Voices, Inspiring Ideas by Christina Limpert which I have received for review. This book is a collection of quotes by climate activists from different walks of life and is purportedly meant to encourage and motivate people to think seriously about climate crisis and to join the movement demanding necessary action. Before I give my opinion about this book, I would like to say few words which should help you in appreciating the motivation and scope of this book. When we talk about climate change, a question arises in nearly everybody’s mind — If climate crisis is such a big problem, why aren’t governments doing anything in that direction? Why such widespread and general apathy towards the biggest problem of our times? Yes, I do mean it — one single climate calamity can erase years of development and progress, pushing us several decades into the past. 

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Book Review: ‘Is It Serious?’ By Burton Paul

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Today I will tell you about the book Is it Serious? How to Search for Health Information on the Internet by Burton Paul. I did not find any negative points in the book, so this ‘review’ may appear to be a summary of what this book is about. Continue reading

Book Review: ‘The Fickle Finger: An Inventor’s Lot’ By Martin Fone

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One of the most depressing and frustrating things to witness in today’s world is society’s apathy towards science and scientists. It is true, even after centuries of technological progress, people don’t seem to appreciate what science and technology mean to them, and what life would be without them. Everyday things, objects, devices, gadgets, which they take for granted, they don’t seem to care how that came into being if not by technological innovation. Note that science and technology need not mean only explorations like nuclear energy or Apollo or Chandrayaan, but also something as simple and small as a safety pin, or a TV set, computer operating system, or Hansom cab. Or it need not be reflected in the form of a palpable device, instead a scientific explanation of some phenomena like nuclear fission, properties of gases or child mortality. Continue reading