Simon Basher

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." Albert Einstein

Yup, that just about sums up what's going on here, proving the Einstein's smaller theories were pretty solid as well. The physical world and its inhabitants are once again anthropomorphed and grouped by association. We get the Old School dudes (Mass, Weight, Density, &c.), the Hot Stuff (Energy, Entropy...), the Wave Gang (Sound, Frequency...), the Light Crew (Radio, Microwave...), and so on. It's all here, show more each aspect with its own spread, a first-person breakdown on the one side and a graffiti-like cartoon portrait on the other. There's also a "first discovered" box and a short historical list of how or when they were famously employed.

As with the Periodic Table: Elements With Style, I think this book works best in the classroom as a supplemental text (though used correctly they could be primary) with wide appeal. A great introduction for budding young scientists to the basics of physics, a playful refresher for older young scientists, and an easily digestible crash-course for adults who need the background to keep up with their budding young scientists. show less

This adroit and delightful introduction to an oft-recondite topic covers a lot of ground in charming yet substantial fashion. I recall being disappointed as a child that atoms weren't really little beings with faces (the fact that they were so small made up for that, however); this book anthropomorphizes Blackbody Radiation, Friction, Entropy and Sound! And does it quite well, too! A fine and unique science read on any level, and highly recommended.

This book is good for children around ten or eleven. Each chemical element has a homepage. The chemicals write facts about themselves and even provide pictures of themselves. It is easy to read and makes chemistry interesting for kids because they can understand what it is saying. The periodic table is very easy to follow, which is essential for a young classroom. I really love this book, but gave it a 4 simply because it does not contain all the elements. Although, that does not change my show more view on this book at all because it is so good for elementary classes and I know the children will love it. Children will learn to love chemistry through this book. show less

The author of this book makes a variety of chemistry topics come alive in short, crazy, funny stories of characters like the "obnoxious organics", "bright sparks", "lab rats" and the "nasty boys". Difficult chemistry topics like how compounds are formed, how chemical reactions occur, what are precipitates, ions and pH are all explained. Each story is accompanied by silly images of the characters. The book is grouped into sections, like chapters, with related chemistry terms organized into show more each section. This book makes complicated chemistry topics easy to understand and fun. This is a great read aloud book for any age group science class. It was the highlight of my 5th grade science class one lesson. The students really got into it and wanted me to read more. show less