Product Description

Science is all around us. In this brilliant, entertaining book, Len Fisher provides scientific answers to familiar questions such as how to boil the perfect egg, how to catch a ball, the physics of sex, and why some vegetables absorb more gravy than others... In doing so, he reveals the world of the scientist - how they think, what they do, and how they go about doing it - proving that even the most commonplace activities can be used as a key to understanding the laws of nature and that experimental science can be fun!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #277113 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 240 pages

Review
"Nutty science - we love it. Why bother figuring it out when you can try it out? Len Fisher even explains the physics of sex - think rocket launcher." THE TIMES "Full marks to Mr Fisher for at least trying to make science fun." THE DAILY MAIL "This erudite book carries its learning lightly. It is difficult not to be charmed." TIMES HIGHER EDUCATIONAL SUPPLEMENT "Wryly funny but informative book... well worth an afternoon of anyone's time." FOCUS "Too many popular science book lack any practical output... Fisher is different. His explanations are directed at the important things: how to boil a perfect egg, the physics of sex, and why some vegetables absorb more gravy than others." THE HERALD

Review
"Nutty science - we love it. Why bother figuring it out when you can try it out? Len Fisher even explains the physics of sex - think rocket launcher." (THE TIMES )

"Full marks to Mr Fisher for at least trying to make science fun." (THE DAILY MAIL )

"This erudite book carries its learning lightly. It is difficult not to be charmed." (TIMES HIGHER EDUCATIONAL SUPPLEMENT )

"Wryly funny but informative book... well worth an afternoon of anyone's time." (FOCUS )

"Too many popular science book lack any practical output... Fisher is different. His explanations are directed at the important things: how to boil a perfect egg, the physics of sex, and why some vegetables absorb more gravy than others." (THE HERALD )

FOCUS
"Wryly funny but informative book... well worth an afternoon of anyone's time."

Customer Reviews

learn physics the easy way
I can unreservedly recommend this book to all aspiring scientists. In a delightfully amusing well written way are described some of the important principles of how science really works. This is not in any way a complete book on physics - it's not meant to be. But as an appetiser, using simple ideas and diagrams it will take some beating. We need more of these types of books where the excitement of science is put over with enthusiasm and clarity. I found only one mistake in the text where it is indicated that rusting depends on Oxygen and water: it also requires Carbon Dioxide.

And if you are a budding scientist read it with Michael Faraday's "The Chemical History of a Candle" to find out how real, fundamental but essentially simple science is undertaken.

Pepper and Handsprings
As a non-science oriented person, I found myself skipping around in this book, skimming parts about claw hammers and boomerangs, but reading the entire chapter on supermarket bills. I had recently heard about the Ignobel Prize on the radio, which the author of this book has won.

I enjoyed the chapter on The Physics of Sex, but had to read the notes to find out why a woman taking the antidepressant clomipramine supplemented her dosage with pepper. (The side effects were delightful!)

In addition to making science more accessible, Fisher makes scientists seem more human. He describes colleagues of his reacting to successes by singing, shouting, and one who removed all his clothes and did a series of handsprings. Now that is a happy scientist.

interesting in parts
As the title suggests, this book looks at some unusual problems in a scientific manner, and in doing so, the author aims to humanise science and make it more accessible to the layman. However, while reading it I felt the author was less interested in conveying the science behind the experiments and rather describing his 'wacky but really quite important' scientific discoveries. It was repetitious (someone please count how many times in the book he mentions doughnut dunking) and thus none of the chapters really caputured my imagination in the way the author probably intended. In the end I could not read some chapters to their conclusion do to the dullness and repetitous nature.

However, there are some genuinely interesting chapters. Although this sounds a little hypocritical I actually did enjoy the dunking chapter (though use of other words than 'dunk' and 'doughnut' would have been appreciated) and also the chapters on boomerangs and hand tools were enjoyable.

In summary:
I believe this book doesn't have mass appeal...it does require at least a vague interest and knowledge of basic scientific principles (mainly physics). However, for a particular demographic I'm sure it will be riotously funny. Unfortunately for me I do not fit that demographic and so can only give the book a luke warm reception.