4,833
edits
Changes
We Need To Talk About Kelvin by Marcus Chown (view source)
Revision as of 15:45, 18 October 2010
, 15:45, 18 October 2010Created page with '{{infobox |title=We Need To Talk About Kelvin |author=Marcus Chown |reviewer=Keith Dudhnath |genre=Popular Science |summary=A brilliantly written popular science book, showing wh…'
{{infobox
|title=We Need To Talk About Kelvin
|author=Marcus Chown
|reviewer=Keith Dudhnath
|genre=Popular Science
|summary=A brilliantly written popular science book, showing what everyday things can tell us about the universe. Geeky people will find it fascinating and a particularly enjoyable read. Heartily recommended.
|rating=4.5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=978-0571244034
|hardback=0571244017
|paperback=0571244033
|pages=108
|publisher=Faber and Faber
|date=September 2010
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0571244033</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>0571244033</amazonus>
|website=
http://www.marcuschown.com/
}}
Sporting the best title for a popular science book this side of [[:Category:Alex Bellos|Alex Bellos']] ''Here's Looking At Euclid'', Marcus Chown shows us what everyday things tell us about the universe. You'll find out how your reflection in a window shows the randomness of the universe, how the abundance of iron shows a 4.5bn degree furnace exists in space, and how most of the world's astronomers are wrong about what the darkness of night shows us.
We heartily agree with [[The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Mick O'Hare|Mick O'Hare's assessment in our interview with him]] that Marcus Chown perfectly strikes the balance between popular and science. Quantum theory might not [[Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You by Marcus Chown|hurt you]], but it still happens to be beyond the ken of most people. By making clear connections with everyday life, you're immediately on board, regardless of any prior scientific knowledge. The history of science and scientists fleshes out the ideas: by understanding their development, you better understand (and remember) the concepts themselves. Such are the quality of the writing and the clarity of the explanations that you'll be taken deeper into the science than you might otherwise have thought possible.
As is often the case with books of this ilk, a desire to understand the subject matter serves as a perfect filter for who's the target audience. Even if you haven't done a lick of physics since school, there's nothing that will leave you floundering here. There are challenging concepts for the layperson, plus a couple of times when you might need to backtrack for a paragraph or two, but it's well worth any effort required. There's also a particularly clear and helpful glossary, which you may well find yourself referring back to even when you've finished reading ''We Need To Talk About Kelvin''.
It's an educational and thought-provoking book, whilst also being eminently readable. It's packed full of fascinating concepts, trivia tidbits and amusing and enlightening anecdotes. Anyone with a geeky bent will devour it. Highly recommended.
Thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.
There are plenty of great further reading choices in our [[Top Ten Books For Slightly Geeky People]] - in particular [[Bad Science by Ben Goldacre]]. [[Why Does E Equal mc Squared? by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw]] is also a great choice. For a lighter read - but not skimping on the science - you'll love [[Why Can't Elephants Jump? by Mick O'Hare]].
{{amazontext|amazon=0571244033}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=7639607}}
{{commenthead}}
|title=We Need To Talk About Kelvin
|author=Marcus Chown
|reviewer=Keith Dudhnath
|genre=Popular Science
|summary=A brilliantly written popular science book, showing what everyday things can tell us about the universe. Geeky people will find it fascinating and a particularly enjoyable read. Heartily recommended.
|rating=4.5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=978-0571244034
|hardback=0571244017
|paperback=0571244033
|pages=108
|publisher=Faber and Faber
|date=September 2010
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0571244033</amazonuk>
|amazonus=<amazonus>0571244033</amazonus>
|website=
http://www.marcuschown.com/
}}
Sporting the best title for a popular science book this side of [[:Category:Alex Bellos|Alex Bellos']] ''Here's Looking At Euclid'', Marcus Chown shows us what everyday things tell us about the universe. You'll find out how your reflection in a window shows the randomness of the universe, how the abundance of iron shows a 4.5bn degree furnace exists in space, and how most of the world's astronomers are wrong about what the darkness of night shows us.
We heartily agree with [[The Interview: Bookbag Talks To Mick O'Hare|Mick O'Hare's assessment in our interview with him]] that Marcus Chown perfectly strikes the balance between popular and science. Quantum theory might not [[Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You by Marcus Chown|hurt you]], but it still happens to be beyond the ken of most people. By making clear connections with everyday life, you're immediately on board, regardless of any prior scientific knowledge. The history of science and scientists fleshes out the ideas: by understanding their development, you better understand (and remember) the concepts themselves. Such are the quality of the writing and the clarity of the explanations that you'll be taken deeper into the science than you might otherwise have thought possible.
As is often the case with books of this ilk, a desire to understand the subject matter serves as a perfect filter for who's the target audience. Even if you haven't done a lick of physics since school, there's nothing that will leave you floundering here. There are challenging concepts for the layperson, plus a couple of times when you might need to backtrack for a paragraph or two, but it's well worth any effort required. There's also a particularly clear and helpful glossary, which you may well find yourself referring back to even when you've finished reading ''We Need To Talk About Kelvin''.
It's an educational and thought-provoking book, whilst also being eminently readable. It's packed full of fascinating concepts, trivia tidbits and amusing and enlightening anecdotes. Anyone with a geeky bent will devour it. Highly recommended.
Thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.
There are plenty of great further reading choices in our [[Top Ten Books For Slightly Geeky People]] - in particular [[Bad Science by Ben Goldacre]]. [[Why Does E Equal mc Squared? by Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw]] is also a great choice. For a lighter read - but not skimping on the science - you'll love [[Why Can't Elephants Jump? by Mick O'Hare]].
{{amazontext|amazon=0571244033}} {{waterstonestext|waterstones=7639607}}
{{commenthead}}