500 Pure Science
Flowers, Charles. A Science Odyssey: 100 Years of Discovery. (Illus.) NY: Morrow, 1998. xiii+316pp. 97-35745. ISBN 0-688-15196-5. Index; C.I.P.
YA–T, GA ++
This book is an adjunct to the PBS series of the same name and describes the scientific revolutions that have occurred in the past hundred years. There are five chapters, on physics and astronomy, technology, paleoanthropology and geology, medicine, and human behavior. Flowers is an award-winning writer, and his writing sparkles. The nontechnical reader gains insight not only into the primary scientific advances of the 20th century, but also into the personalities involved, their ethical and unethical practices, and the role of serendipity. We see how some scientific discoveries are hailed, while others are ignored or initially discredited, to be ultimately validated by the scientific method. The book is lavishly illustrated with superb historical photos of the pioneering scientists and their experimental subjects and equipment. At least eight errors mar the presentation, however. For example, page 14 states that all nebulae are galaxies, and page 170 gives the age of the Precambrian as 3,800,000 years ago. The book is not a technical reference, but rather provides classroom teachers with rich anecdotes about famous scientific personalities. It gives the general reader a highly informative summary of the recent history of scientific development, nicely puncturing the stereotype of the impersonal scientist in the white lab coat.—James R. Philips, Babson College, Babson Park, MA
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