Neat indeed, and fascinating besides.
A tribute to the submersible Alvin, which has played an important role in undersea research for over a half century.
In its thousands of dives, the durable vessel, launched in 1964, has been attacked by swordfish, flooded and recovered, and used to search for a lost hydrogen bomb. Alvin has also carried scientists to uniquely remote edges of continental plates for first encounters with hydrothermal vents, explored the ruins of the Titanic and the devastation of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and made possible the discovery of uncounted new species of deep-sea life. After setting the stage with properly arresting references to “creepy creatures with glowing tentacles and cruel fangs,” Brown retraces Alvin’s storied career with frequent references to oral histories and interviews with many pilots and passengers. Notably, she covers some of the women who had to shoulder their way past sexist practices and attitudes. While briefly addressing the general challenges of spending long hours at deadly depths in cramped quarters (with the nearest bathroom miles away), she offers vivid impressions of the exhilarating rewards: the excitement of plunging into the deep’s unexplored reaches, where any moment could bring some fresh new biological or geophysical discovery. And if the photos are small and sparse, sidebars include simple hands-on experiments and “Alvin Facts,” plus in-depth resource notes to compensate. “Pretty neat!” as the author puts it. Readers will agree.
Neat indeed, and fascinating besides. (Nonfiction. 10-13)Pub Date: Oct. 17, 2023
ISBN: 9781250816689
Page Count: 176
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: Aug. 26, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2023
The author of The Snake Scientist (not reviewed) takes the reader along on another adventure, this time to the Bay of Bengal, between India and Bangladesh to the Sundarbans Tiger Preserve in search of man-eating tigers. Beware, he cautions, “Your study subject might be trying to eat you!” The first-person narrative is full of helpful warnings: watch out for the estuarine crocodiles, “the most deadly crocodiles in the world” and the nine different kinds of dangerous sharks, and the poisonous sea snakes, more deadly than the cobra. Interspersed are stories of the people who live in and around the tiger preserve, information on the ecology of the mangrove swamp, myths and legends, and true life accounts of man-eating tigers. (Fortunately, these tigers don’t eat women or children.) The author is clearly on the side of the tigers as she states: “Even if you added up all the people that sick tigers were forced to eat, you wouldn’t get close to the number of tigers killed by people.” She introduces ideas as to why Sundarbans tigers eat so many people, including the theory, “When they attack people, perhaps they are trying to protect the land that they own. And maybe, as the ancient legend says, the tiger really is watching over the forest—for everyone’s benefit.” There are color photographs on every page, showing the landscape, people, and a variety of animals encountered, though glimpses of the tigers are fleeting. The author concludes with some statistics on tigers, information on organizations working to protect them, and a brief bibliography and index. The dramatic cover photo of the tiger will attract readers, and the lively prose will keep them engaged. An appealing science adventure. (Nonfiction. 9-12)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2001
ISBN: 0-618-07704-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2001
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
In this glossy photo essay, the author briefly recounts the study and exploration of the moon, beginning with Stonehenge and concluding with the 1998–99 unmanned probe, Lunar Prospector. Most of the dramatic photographs come from NASA and will introduce a new generation of space enthusiasts to the past missions of Project Mercury, Gemini, and most especially the moon missions, Apollo 1–17. There are plenty of photographs of various astronauts in space capsules, space suits, and walking on the moon. Sometimes photographs are superimposed one on another, making it difficult to read. For example, one photograph shows the command module Columbia as photographed from the lunar module and an insert shows the 15-layer space suit and gear Neil Armstrong would wear for moonwalking. That’s a lot to process on one page. Still, the awesome images of footprints on the moon, raising the American flag, and earthrise from the moon, cannot help but raise shivers. The author concludes with a timeline of exploration, Web sites, recommended books, and picture credits. For NASA memorabilia collectors, end papers show the Apollo space badges for missions 11–17. Useful for replacing aging space titles. (Nonfiction. 8-11)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2001
ISBN: 1-57091-408-7
Page Count: 32
Publisher: Charlesbridge
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2001
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