A matter-of-fact mirror that reflects reality and respect, not bewildered embarrassment.
Body hair, biology, and boyhood are dissected and demystified in this guide to pubescence.
As the XY follow-up to her XX exposé into what makes a preteen body tick, neuroscientist and actress Bialik (Girling Up, 2017, etc.) lends her scientific and maternal expertise to anyone fumbling through the boy-to–young man process. Replacing mystery and misunderstanding with science (proteins, chemicals, and hormones, oh my) the book scrutinizes the human body’s pubescent evolution. This is a pragmatic and relatable tool for understanding how, why, and what you’re chemically wired for, from hair growth to attention span, and it’s careful to note that generalizations are guides not rules. In other words, there’s no “right” time for the P word to kick in. What’s happening to girls (breasts, ovaries, height) on the puberty periphery is also discussed, as is gender identity. (Of note: a global map of countries recognizing more than two genders.) Merging research with experience raising two young boys, the result avoids a myopic point of view by peppering pages with lighthearted line drawings and sidebars with firsthand accounts from anonymous men. Bialik assures readers that we all figure out this hormonal playground called our body: In other words, when it comes to puberty, you’ve got this. Knowing where to sit at lunch when you get to high school? That’s another book entirely.
A matter-of-fact mirror that reflects reality and respect, not bewildered embarrassment. (Nonfiction. 9-15)Pub Date: May 8, 2018
ISBN: 978-0-525-51597-5
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Philomel
Review Posted Online: April 30, 2018
Necessary for every library, personal or otherwise.
As fresh and funny as ever, a classic compendium of physics in action gets a light but needed makeover.
Most of the “Things” here are still working the way they did back in 1988, 1998, and 2004, when the original and the revised editions dropped—but along with sporting new and spruced-up colors, some of the content, notably the section dubbed “The Digital Domain,” has been brought into the 21st century. Thus, the space shuttle and the VCR are no more, the workings of the telephone have been replaced by those of smartphones and telephone networks, and the jump jet has given way to the quadcopter and other types of drones. But the details that made the earlier editions delightful as well as edifying remain. In the illustrations, flights of tiny angels move the “first whoopee cushion” into place, discombobulated woolly mammoths get caught up in silly side business while helping to demonstrate scientific principles, and best of all, Macaulay’s brilliantly designed, engagingly informal diagrams and cutaways bring within the grasp of even casual viewers a greater understanding of the technological wonders of both past and present.
Necessary for every library, personal or otherwise. (index) (Reference. 11-15)Pub Date: Oct. 4, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-544-82438-6
Page Count: 400
Publisher: HMH Books
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2016
No ice crystal is left unturned in this sweeping historical and scientific examination of Antarctica. It's a relatively new "discovery"; the first person to set foot on the continent was a Briton in 1821. Walker briefly chronicles the ill-fated expeditions of such explorers as Scott and Shackleton, as well as Amundsen's successful trek to the South Pole. Although several nations have been engaged in serious research on the continent for more than 50 years, Antarctica remains a mysterious scientific frontier. The author explains Antarctica's unique place in international diplomacy and collaboration with the signing of the Antarctic Treaty. The text succinctly discusses complex discoveries made in such fields as biology, climatology, geology, oceanography and paleontology and the implications these discoveries have on understanding the planet as a whole. Attention is also given to the difficult, often dangerous conditions under which scientists must live and work. Photographs, maps and other illustrations, many in color, appear on every one of the attractively designed pages. Informative, insightful and engaging, this is an exceptional introduction to our southernmost continent. (glossary, source notes, bibliography, further reading and websites, index) (Nonfiction. 9-14)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-1-58013-607-5
Page Count: 104
Publisher: Carolrhoda
Review Posted Online: Aug. 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2010
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