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Loading... Before The World Was Ready: Stories of Daring Genius in Scienceby Claire Eamer
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. This book contains, as the subtitle tells us, "stories of daring genius in science." They're told in simple language with adorable illustrations. Each chapter has a dominant story (for example, Copernicus and the knowledge that planets revolve around the sun) and then continues with follow-up research and segments about earlier research that, for one reason or another, was dismissed or not further researched. Though predominantly about white Western males, there are many references to women and Eastern scientists. The bibliography and further sections are great for anyone who wants to learn more. (Provided by Publisher) This is a really wonderful book. It's full of clear, to the point information, giving backgrounds on various key people in the history of science, and why their ideas were so important, along why people were were so loathe to accept these new ideas, and what has happened since. This is, of course, meant for children, but even as a decently educated adult I found myself learning quite a bit! This was not a frivolous quick read, but a truly important piece of work that I'd love to see wind up in school classrooms, to start introducing these important topics to children. That said, I despised the artwork. The watercolors were nicely done, and I liked the watercolor backgrounds for many of the pages, but I found the drawings incredibly irritating. They don't belong with a book about history and science, they belong in a joke book. It definitely detracted and distracted from my pleasurable experience reading the text. Adorable method of bringing science discoveries to the minds of children with engaging art to keep them interested and wanting to turn the page to discover more. The way it was written, small ideas could be planted in young minds with the hopes of getting them to see their world a bit differently and perhaps with more wisdom. Who knows, the next scientist could be reading this book and wondering how they could help change something they've noticed or will discover. no reviews | add a review
Eight fascinating tales of scientists and inventors ahead of their time. Earth revolves around the sun. Washing hands helps stop the spread of disease. Poisons in the environment affect the entire ecosystem. Today, these ideas are common knowledge but at one time, they were all rejected. As is often the case, it can take years for people to accept a new idea or invention that changes the way they see the world. In this thought-provoking book, you'll find out what happened when people weren't ready to listen to innovators who came up with revolutionary ideas. Discover how Alfred Wegener struggled to convince geologists that the ground beneath our feet is moving, why "mad scientist" Nikola Tesla's futuristic ideas about electricity were dismissed, why Charles Darwin delayed publishing his controversial theory of evolution for decades, and how Charles Babbage and Ada Lovelace nearly invented the first computer in the 1800s. You'll also meet Copernicus, who proposed a sun-centered model of the universe; Ignaz Semmelweis, who tried in vain to persuade doctors to use disinfection methods; the aviation pioneer George Cayley, whose ideas were decades ahead of the technology that would make them work; and Rachel Carson, who sounded the first alarm about the effects of pesticides on wildlife. Nowadays, we think of these scientists as heroes, but they all endured great personal hardships for daring to think differently. Enlivened by colorful and witty illustrations, these compelling stories of great minds--and often eccentric personalities--are sure to draw in young readers. Look around: can you spot the next world-shaking idea? No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)509.2Natural sciences and mathematics General Science History, geographic treatment, biography BiographyLC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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The stories are interesting and informative, with good explanations as to why the world wasn't yet ready for each of the advancements discussed. Each chapter also includes little pop-out sections that present related people and ideas.
I would absolutely recommend this book to kids interested in science, those who like biographies, and anyone with a bit of a pioneering streak of their own.
Note: I received a digital copy of this book through NetGalley. ( )