A tour (de force) through the human body that’s eminently understandable and entertaining and even often quite funny.
Anatomy and physiology presented in a readable, comprehensible and entertaining format.
One of the 50 Questions series, this effort presents a tour of the systems of the human body through the use of chapter-heading questions. Most questions imbue a level of humor to the presentation: “Is [the heart] a pump or a love machine?” or “Is there snot in your stomach?” These might irritate the most serious students, but many more will be intrigued enough to read further. Detailed information is presented in a conversational style. Ample, accurate scientific details are broken into short sections that make the complexity of the human body more comprehensible and may inspire more in-depth research. The inclusion of brief, illuminating historical anecdotes—for example, a fur trader who had a hole shot in his stomach in 1822 and lived to tell the tale—provides a context for our current understanding of the human body. Occasional references to recent technology, like an implanted microchip to control building electronics, are sure to awe readers. A smattering of experiments, including one to make synthetic mucus, offer yet another dimension. Kinnaird’s quirky, generally silly, cartoonlike illustrations pepper the pages, adding flavor and flair. End material, particularly the outstanding sources used for chapter notes, elevates this offering even further.
A tour (de force) through the human body that’s eminently understandable and entertaining and even often quite funny. (Nonfiction. 10-14)Pub Date: July 1, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-55451-613-1
Page Count: 108
Publisher: Annick Press
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2014
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2014
Hot on the heels of the well-received Leonardo da Vinci (2005) comes another agreeably chatty entry in the Giants of Science series. Here the pioneering physicist is revealed as undeniably brilliant, but also cantankerous, mean-spirited, paranoid and possibly depressive. Newton’s youth and annus mirabilis receive respectful treatment, the solitude enforced by family estrangement and then the plague seen as critical to the development of his thoughtful, methodical approach. His subsequent squabbles with the rest of the scientific community—he refrained from publishing one treatise until his rival was dead—further support the image of Newton as a scientific lone wolf. Krull’s colloquial treatment sketches Newton’s advances in clearly understandable terms without bogging the text down with detailed explanations. A final chapter on “His Impact” places him squarely in the pantheon of great thinkers, arguing that both his insistence on the scientific method and his theories of physics have informed all subsequent scientific thought. A bibliography, web site and index round out the volume; the lack of detail on the use of sources is regrettable in an otherwise solid offering for middle-grade students. (Biography. 10-14)
Pub Date: April 1, 2006
ISBN: 0-670-05921-8
Page Count: 128
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2006
This glossy, colorful title in the “I Want To Be” series has visual appeal but poor organization and a fuzzy focus, which limits its usefulness. Each double-paged layout introduces a new topic with six to eight full-color photographs and a single column of text. Topics include types of environmentalists, eco-issues, waste renewal, education, High School of Environmental Studies, environmental vocabulary, history of environmentalism, famous environmentalists, and the return of the eagle. Often the photographs have little to do with the text or are marginal to the topic. For example, a typical layout called “Some Alternative Solutions” has five snapshots superimposed on a double-page photograph of a California wind farm. The text discusses ways to develop alternative forms of energy and “encourage environmentally friendly lifestyles.” Photos include “a healer who treats a patient with alternative therapy using sound and massage,” and “the Castle,” a house built of “used tires and aluminum cans.” Elsewhere, “Did You Know . . . ” shows a dramatic photo of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, but the text provides odd facts such as “ . . . that in Saudi Arabia there are solar-powered pay phones in the desert?” Some sections seem stuck in, a two-page piece on the effects of “El Niño” or 50 postage-stamp–sized photos of endangered species. The author concludes with places to write for more information and a list of photo credits. Pretty, but little here to warrant purchase. (Nonfiction. 9-11)
Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2000
ISBN: 0-15-201862-X
Page Count: 48
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2000
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