HOW DID WE FIND OUT ABOUT SUPERCONDUCTIVITY?

Number 32 in the author's series on the history of scientific discoveries. Asimov has said that he has written a book for every day of the year; if so, this must be a February day—short, cold, and muted. Only about one-fifth of the book is actually about superconductivity; the rest is on low temperatures, how they have been achieved in the lab, and what absolute zero means. Erratic phonetic spelling is provided in the text, e.g., copper ("KOP-per"), but not Nernst; vacuum ("VAK-yoo-um") is given three syllables, not wrong but hardly common usage. The author doesn't make quite clear why high temperature superconductors have caused such a stir, but the Asimov accuracy and breadth of knowledge are present and his breezy style makes the book accessible. Timely, slightly perfunctory, just the right length for a quick report.