Farmer Buckley's Exploding Trousers by Stephanie Pain

Farmer Buckley's Exploding Trousers by Stephanie Pain
Buy Farmer Buckley's Exploding Trousers by Stephanie Pain at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: Popular Science
Reviewer: Keith Dudhnath
Summary: Another fantastic book from New Scientist, this time looking at odd events on the way to scientific discovery. It's brilliantly written and compiled, and endlessly fascinating. Highly recommended.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 224	Date: May 2011
Publisher: Profile Books
External links: Author's website
ISBN: 978-1846685088
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The history of science is filled with many miraculous discoveries. ...It's also filled with exploding trousers, self-experimentation, a coachman's leg that becomes a museum piece and gas-powered radios. 'Farmer Buckley's Exploding Trousers regales us with fifty odd events on the way to scientific discovery. Part popular science book, part trivia, each article is a treat to read, either as a fun-sized nugget, or when reading from cover to cover.

I loved Farmer Buckley's Exploding Trousers. It ticks all my boxes: funny, quirky, edifying, and filled with the sort of information you're dying to share with everyone you meet. Even if one faithfully devours trivia books of this ilk and watches programmes like QI and Mythbusters, the selection of tales in Farmer Buckley's Exploding Trousers is remarkably fresh. There are a few that ring bells, but for the most part, it's original reading for trivia-heads. Given this, you might be concerned that the choice of anecdotes is weaker, but, without exception, they are an absolute delight to read.

Editor Stephanie Pain has chosen wisely from New Scientist's Histories section. She has also collated them smartly to create a book that works in its own right, rather than feeling like a disjointed selection. The writing quality is, of course, top notch, perfectly pitched for casual reading, but without ever feel like it's being dumbed down. You could even read them with bright and interested children, with the odd explanation.

New Scientist keeps producing books, and time and again they're of the highest quality. They never feel like they're retreading old ground, or just churning them out for the sake of it. Each is a fine addition to any bookshelf, a pleasant few hours of reading, and Farmer Buckley's Exploding Trousers continues the trend beautifully. Highly recommended.

My thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.

There are plenty of other fantastic New Scientist books to read, including Why Can't Elephants Jump? by Mick O'Hare and How To Make A Tornado by Mick O'Hare. We were also lucky enough to interview Mick O'Hare. The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean is also well worth a read - this time exploring the world of elements in a popular manner.

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