The Scientists in the Field series continues to fulfill its promise, as Sayre (Noodle Man, p. 265, etc.) takes science out of the lab by profiling several researchers on the cutting edge of “acoustic biology.” Having arrived at their outdoorsy areas of inquiry along various routes—Katy Payne, for instance, moved from studying whale song to the surprisingly complex subsonic communications of elephants, and Bill Evans admits that his ingenious efforts to track birds that migrate at night through their calls “was a hobby that got out of control”—these men and women are not only exploring uncharted scientific frontiers, but obviously having a wonderful time doing it. Children will respond to their enthusiasm, as well as the environmental concerns that lie behind their research projects—not to mention the eye-opening insight that important discoveries may require traveling to exotic wild places, but might also be waiting no further away than one’s back yard. Big, color photos of the scientists, their tools and the creatures they study reflect this multifaceted appeal; lists of recommended reading (and listening, of course) and Web sites will give interested readers a deeper understanding of what has been, and has yet to be, learned about animal communication. (Nonfiction. 10-13)
Pub Date: Sept. 30, 2002
ISBN: 0-618-01514-0
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2002
In this abridged and illustrated version of his Short History of Nearly Everything (2003), Bryson invites a younger crowd of seekers on a tour of time, space and science—from the Big Bang and the birth of the solar system to the growth and study of life on Earth. The single-topic spreads are adorned with cartoon portraits of scientists, explorers and (frequently) the author himself, which go with small nature photos and the occasional chart or cutaway view. Though occasionally subject to sweeping and dubious statements—“There’s no chance we could ever make a journey through the solar system”—Bryson makes a genial guide (“for you to be here now, trillions of drifting atoms had somehow to come together in a complicated and obliging manner to create you”), and readers with even a flicker of curiosity in their souls about Big Ideas will come away sharing his wonder at living in such a “fickle and eventful universe.” (index) (Nonfiction. 11-13)
Pub Date: Oct. 27, 2009
ISBN: 978-0-385-73810-1
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2009
Remarking that ``nothing about the weather is very simple,'' Simon goes on to describe how the sun, atmosphere, earth's rotation, ground cover, altitude, pollution, and other factors influence it; briefly, he also tells how weather balloons gather information. Even for this outstanding author, it's a tough, complex topic, and he's not entirely successful in simplifying it; moreover, the import of the striking uncaptioned color photos here isn't always clear. One passage—``Cumulus clouds sometimes build up into towering masses called cumulus congestus, or swelling cumulus, which may turn into cumulonimbus clouds''—is superimposed on a blue-gray, cloud-covered landscape. But which kind of clouds are these? Another photo, in blue-black and white, shows what might be precipitation in the upper atmosphere, or rain falling on a darkened landscape, or...? Generally competent and certainly attractive, but not Simon's best. (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 1993
ISBN: 0-688-10546-7
Page Count: 40
Publisher: Morrow/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1993
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