The Canon: A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science by Natalie AngierMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Natalie Angier is one of my favorite science writers, and this book did not disappoint. While her writing style allowed me to understand the scientific concepts involved, it is not simple, eg, Science for Dummies. Her lush use of language, including metaphor, pop culture as well as historic references, and rapid-fire banter, paints a picture with words. I will never write with a pencil without seeing the chemical bonds breaking as the graphite molecules attach themselves to paper. Speaking of pictures, I found that to be one of the few flaws of the book (other than the fact that she couldn't cover the entire body of science). The complexity of the material involved could have used some well-done illustrations to better, well, illustrate the concepts she was discussing.
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This sounds really good. Wonder why no pictures?
ReplyDeleteI would guess that being a writer, she was more focused on conveying the information with words.
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