About this title: Buckle up for a joy ride through physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and astronomy with this ebullient guide to science by a Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780618242955ISBN:0618242953
Description: Good. A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact (including dustcover, if applicable). The spine may show signs of wear. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include "from the library of" labels. read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Very good. Very minimal damage to the cover (no holes or tears, only minimal scuff marks), in some instances dust jackets are not included, no missing pages, minimal to no highlighting/under. read more
Edition: Unabridged
Binding: Audio CD
Publisher: HighBridge Company
Date Published: 2007-04-20
ISBN-13:9781598870893ISBN:1598870890
Description: Very good. Very minimal damage to the cover (no holes or tears, only minimal scuff marks), in some instances dust jackets are not included, no missing pages, minimal to no highlighting/under. read more
Edition: Unabridged
Binding: Audio CD
Publisher: HighBridge Company
Date Published: 2007-04-20
ISBN-13:9781598870893ISBN:1598870890
Description: Good. Minimal damage to the cover, dust jacket not necessarily included minimal wear to binding, majority of pages undamaged, minimal to no highlighting/underlining of text, no missing p. read more
Edition: Unabridged
Binding: Audio CD
Publisher: HighBridge Company
Date Published: 2007-04-20
ISBN-13:9781598870893ISBN:1598870890
Description: Like New. May be shiny, in some instances dust jackets are not included, no missing pages, no damage to binding, may have a remainder mark. read more
Description: Good. 2008-Paperback----Used-Good-Hall Street Books proudly ships from Brooklyn, NY. All orders are processed and shipped within 24 hours, M-F. 100% money back No-Worry guarantee with expedited delivery and delivery confirmation available. read more
Binding: Audio CD
Publisher: HighBridge Company
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9781598870893ISBN:1598870890
Description: New. BRAND SPANKIN' NEW IN SHRINKWRAP! ! UNABRIDGED. 11 CD Set. Mark through bar code on back. SHIPS W/IN 24 HOURS! FREE INSURANCE on all orders! E-mail notification! Careful, thorough packaging. Fast, personal service. No hassle, full refund return policy! COMBINE SHIPPING-TENS OF THOUSANDS OF OTHER BOOKS/CDs/MOVIES AVAILABLE! read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co., New York
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780618242955ISBN:0618242953
Description: Very Good in Very Good jacket. 6 x 9. In very good, clean condition. Explores the major scientific disciplines: physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and astronomy, to provid clear explanations and understanding. read more
Description: GOOD. Trade Paperback-9780547053462 da TRADE SIZE [ANGIER, NATALIE] CANON, THE A WHIRLIGIG TOUR OF THE BEAUTIFUL BASICS OF SCIENCE. read more
Description: New in new dust jacket. Excellent Condition. Glued binding. Paper over boards. With dust jacket. 293 p. Audience: General/trade. read more
"This book has the virtue of doing exactly what it said it was going to do. And that is impressive.
She doesn't try to review all the basic tenets of each scientific discipline. But she does get to the root of the science, and in an engaging, enthusiastic fashion. She's interested in science in general and always in the immediate topic at hand (well, at least it reads that way).
And it read well both for the disciplines where I'm clueless, and for the ones where I'm ever-so-slightly clued-in. And that was good - she actually manages the trick of making it accessible and getting it right.
It does seem like she's a bit fond of word play. In small doses, this is a plus - keeps you on your toes as you're reading, keeps it light, keeps it fun. But when the word play is in every single paragraph ... sometimes it was a bit much, either when I was too tired (I read at night) or when the topic was too complex.
It is recommended, it was a good read. I would re-read it and enjoy it again. The subtitle captures it ... and she delivers."
"This book is not without merit, but if you payed any attention in high school science classes at all, you're going to know most of this information already. This puts the book in a weird place, because anyone who picks it up probably has some level of interest in science, yet anyone with an interest in science probably will not benefit greatly from this book.
The ideal reader is someone who just never had a good introduction to science and doesn't know exactly where to start--either an adult who slept through high-school biology and now regrets it, or a kid yet to go into high school. For the rest of us, a chapter here and there won't hurt as a refresher. The statistics chapter I found thought-provoking, just because of its application to everyday news articles, etc.
Also, I think it's strange that Angier spends the entire introduction arguing that adults should be interested in science for its own sake, and then she spends the rest of the book trying to liven up the facts with bad stand-up jokes. Some of these are worth a chuckle, but she over-reaches for most of them, and they're really just not necessary.
Maybe I shouldn't blame the book for not being what I wanted it to be. If it were part of the "For Dummies" series, I would probably give it a better review (this is not an insult: I quite like the Dummies books and think they're a great idea). But it just wasn't really worth the read for me."
It pains me so much to write this review, because I loved the beginning of this book so much! The introduction and first five chapters were just lovely. I even chuckled my way through the physics portion, so I had high hopes for the rest of it. Of course, the chemistry chapter warmed my heart.
Then I got punched in the face by evolutionary biology, whose friends, molecular biology, geology, and astronomy came to finish the job. I barely skimmed the last chapter from my sheer drive to return the darn thing so I wouldn't have to renew it. I think only the parts I naturally liked (with the exception of physics, shudder) resonated strongly with me, and the rest was like an assignment.
Also, judging from the subtitle, "a whirligig tour of the beautiful basics of science," I assumed that this book would be a lot more ... fun. It was ridiculously dense. May I suggest some section headings, editors, so as to make poor readers feel like they accomplished something a little more often? Ugh. I wish I had liked this book more. It's so disappointing."
"Hmmm....I didn't like this as much as I thought I was going to, and didn't actually finish it. I love science so I thought this would be a no-brainer. She arranges the chapters in Physics, Astronomy, Thinking Scientifically, Molecular Biology, etc., which I did like. But I don't feel as if I learned anything.
The author describes scientific theories and processes with metaphors and examples that don't make sense to me, I can't "picture" most of the scenarios she writes about. Maybe this book is better if you have a more in-depth knowledge of the sciences.
And, the most annoying thing is she writes like a magazine author, where sentences are constructed of 2 facts, and one statement that is so absurd you are supposed to giggle to yourself and think, Natalie Angier, what a wacky and witty writer you are! Example, p.94:
"What distinguishes a fundamental force of nature from the more familiar, frightening forces of nature, like hurricanes, earthquakes, Donald Trump's hairpiece?"
Imagine these hardy-har-har ism's on every page, in every paragraph, over and over and over. Vomit."
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