DISCOVERER OF THE UNSEEN WORLD

by Alma Smith Payne ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 10, 1966

In her lengthy acknowledgement, the author thanks ""The boys and girls of the Pittsburg, Calif, accelerated science class, who told me how much they would like a book on Antoni van Leeuwenhoek."" Quite sincere and wordy in her desire to present the man as a ""giant for others to follow,"" one wonders why she emphasizes the impossibility of duplicating his success today, and credits him with conduct that is insipid (""what in the world could the little beasties be, he wondered as he gazed at them admiringly"") and also heartlessly selfish (his annoyance at the time required to advise the artist Vermeer's widow and 8 children that they were bankrupt). To further discredit him, on the cover there is a fat, ugly, brick red man squinting through a glass into SPACE. The book includes an afterthought on electron microscopes.

Pub Date: Oct. 10, 1966

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: World

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 1966

Categories: NONFICTION