HOW CAN YOU TELL IF A SPIDER IS DEAD?

by Don--Ed. Glass ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 1, 1996

Entertaining nuggets of scientific fact, as featured on the National Public Radio show A Moment of Science. Glass, special projects director of Indiana University's public radio station and producer of the NPR program, has brought together nearly 200 scripts for this second book of excerpts from the show. The organization seems rather haphazard, although occasionally two or three articles in a row will be related, as in ""A Rising Fast Ball"" and ""Pine Tar Home Runs,"" both on the physics of baseball. The subjects cover a very wide terrain, probing the science behind such matters as steering a bicycle, the color of clouds, why opera singers can be heard over a full orchestra, the origin of algebra, why spiders don't get stuck in their own webs--even what happens to socks that disappear in the laundry. The articles average about one page in length, making this book a natural for browsing. (Conversely, it is of little use as a serious reference--not that many readers are likely to mistake it for that.) While the brevity of the articles does not permit very deep examination of any subject, each one is accompanied by a short list (usually one or two items, often encyclopedias or other popular materials) of additional references for readers curious to learn more. The informal tone and breezy approach are likely to make this a popular book with younger readers as well. Fun, easily digestible, this collection is a browser's delight.

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1996

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: 205

Publisher: Indiana Univ.

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1996

Categories: NONFICTION