The addition of real-life cases and comparisons to Christie’s works make this a nice little murder mystery of its own. Fear...
Chemist Harkup’s first book is the product of her passion for the work of Agatha Christie and her broad knowledge and research in the matter of poisons.
Christie was a volunteer nurse in a hospital dispensary in Torquay during World War I, a position that required she pass exams to qualify as a dispenser. In those days, prescriptions were made by hand, so she had a strong working knowledge of drugs and poisons. With the publication of her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920), Christie received one of her most cherished compliments when the Pharmaceutical Journal and Pharmacist praised the correctness of her writing. Harkup devotes each of 14 chapters to a particular poison (belladonna, cyanide, ricin, thallium, and others), and she explains each thoroughly, including its origins, how to extract it from the most potent part of the plant, and its benign uses (for humans) such as pesticides. Then the author explores the most effective ways of dosing, whether by injection, dissolved in food, tea, or inhalation, and the effects on victims. She also lists antidotes, if there are any. Post-mortem testing is a large part of determining if a murder has been committed, and Harkup lists tests available at the time the books were written (many are still in use). This would be a perfect reference for anyone writing murder mysteries and is scientific enough to be used as a textbook, which is also its only drawback. Technical explanations will daunt average readers with little knowledge of chemistry (the author also includes an appendix with drawings of each poison’s chemical structure), but the narrative is informative, and the author’s easy style of writing makes up for the slow bits.
The addition of real-life cases and comparisons to Christie’s works make this a nice little murder mystery of its own. Fear not, she’s careful not to spoil the endings of the classic novels.Pub Date: Sept. 8, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-4729-1130-8
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: June 3, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
An intriguing meditation on the nature of the universe and our attempts to understand it that should appeal to both...
Italian theoretical physicist Rovelli (General Relativity: The Most Beautiful of Theories, 2015, etc.) shares his thoughts on the broader scientific and philosophical implications of the great revolution that has taken place over the past century.
These seven lessons, which first appeared as articles in the Sunday supplement of the Italian newspaper Sole 24 Ore, are addressed to readers with little knowledge of physics. In less than 100 pages, the author, who teaches physics in both France and the United States, cogently covers the great accomplishments of the past and the open questions still baffling physicists today. In the first lesson, he focuses on Einstein's theory of general relativity. He describes Einstein's recognition that gravity "is not diffused through space [but] is that space itself" as "a stroke of pure genius." In the second lesson, Rovelli deals with the puzzling features of quantum physics that challenge our picture of reality. In the remaining sections, the author introduces the constant fluctuations of atoms, the granular nature of space, and more. "It is hardly surprising that there are more things in heaven and earth, dear reader, than have been dreamed of in our philosophy—or in our physics,” he writes. Rovelli also discusses the issues raised in loop quantum gravity, a theory that he co-developed. These issues lead to his extraordinary claim that the passage of time is not fundamental but rather derived from the granular nature of space. The author suggests that there have been two separate pathways throughout human history: mythology and the accumulation of knowledge through observation. He believes that scientists today share the same curiosity about nature exhibited by early man.
An intriguing meditation on the nature of the universe and our attempts to understand it that should appeal to both scientists and general readers.Pub Date: March 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-399-18441-3
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Riverhead
Review Posted Online: Dec. 7, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A magnificent account of a central reality of our times, incorporating deep scientific expertise, broad political and social knowledge, and ethical insight, and Idled with beautifully written biographical sketches of the men and women who created nuclear physics. Rhodes describes in detail the great scientific achievements that led up to the invention of the atomic bomb. Everything of importance is examined, from the discovery of the atomic nucleus and of nuclear fission to the emergence of quantum physics, the invention of the mass-spectroscope and of the cyclotron, the creation of such man-made elements as plutonium and tritium, and implementation of the nuclear chain reaction in uranium. Even more important, Rhodes shows how these achievements were thrust into the arms of the state, which culminated in the unfolding of the nuclear arms race. Often brilliantly, he records the rise of fascism and of anti-Semitism, and the intensification of nationalist ambitions. He traces the outbreak of WW II, which provoked a hysterical rivalry among nations to devise the bomb. This book contains a grim description of Japanese resistance, and of the horrible psychological numbing that caused an unparalleled tolerance for human suffering and destruction. Rhodes depicts the Faustian scale of the Manhattan Project. His account of the dropping of the bomb itself, and of the awful firebombing that prepared its way, is unforgettable. Although Rhodes' gallery of names and events is sometimes dizzying, his scientific discussions often daunting, he has written a book of great drama and sweep. A superb accomplishment.
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 1986
ISBN: 0684813785
Page Count: 932
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 1986
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