Book reviews - The Association for Science Education

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Cambridge Essentials: Science core year 8; Science core year 9; Science extension year 9, Martin, Cooke and Ellis OCR Advanced Sciences: Biology 2 for OCR, Jones Head start to AS Biology, Green AS-level Biology Edexcel: Revision guide, CGP The superorganism: the beauty, elegance, and strangeness of insect societies, Holldobler and Wilson Head start to AS Chemistry, Mason AS-level Chemistry OCR A: Revision guide, CGP, 2008 OCR Advanced Sciences: Chemistry 2 for OCR, Acaster and Ryan A2 Chemistry for AQA, Saunders and Saunders OCR Advanced Sciences: Physics 2 for OCR, Chadha and Sang Light and matter: models and applications, Chaplin Einstein’s mistakes – the human failings of genius, Ohanian The telephone gambit, Shulman Professor Pugwash, the man who fought nukes: the life of Sir Joseph Rotblat, Hill You are here: a portable history of the universe, Potter Introduction to astronomy and cosmology, Morison The surfer’s guide to waves, coasts and climates, Butt The Mountains of Saint Francis: discovering the geologic events that shaped our Earth, Alvarez SAW Showcase: Science, Art and Writing – a new way of looking at the world, Osbourn (ed) Born to be good: the science of a meaningful life, Keltner Theo Gray’s Mad Science (experiments you can do at home but probably shouldn’t), Gray Reviewers

Cambridge Essentials J. Martin, A. Cooke and S. Ellis Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008/2009 Each 186 pp. + CD-ROM. £13.00 + VAT Science core year 8

ISBN 978 0 521 72569 9

This pupil class-book is part of the Cambridge Essentials scheme of work for the new key stage 3 programme of study in England. The series includes core and extension pupil books as well as teacher materials. The content is clearly laid out and incorporates ‘How science works’ within separate double-page spreads. I would not find this book particularly useful within a classroom setting as it is designed

to be used in conjunction with the accompanying CD-ROM, which contains interactive PDFs and links to online resources. However, it may be useful for pupils at home, as key words and concepts for each topic stand out in purple on each page. Each double-page spread includes clear diagrams and a lot of information to support learning outside the classroom. I feel that this book is arranged for students to use independently, as much of the content can only be found on the PDFs, such as learning outcomes and summaries. I would not find this useful in my classroom, as I mainly use books to extend students’

understanding through the questions relating to the text or when setting cover work; this text could not readily be used in this way. There are no in-text questions unless you use the CD, as they are summarised at the end of each chapter. Although this may be useful for revision I feel it does not support the less-able pupils targeted by this book. I did not find the access to online resources via the pupil CD-ROM easy to use. I would not recommend this book as a whole-class text but feel it is a useful resource for pupils who require extra support with their learning at home. Natalie McCoy

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Book reviews Science core year 9

ISBN 978 0 521 72571 2 Science extension year 9

ISBN 978 0 521 72572 9

Part of the Cambridge Essentials course, each of these books has its own packaged ‘interactive PDF’ CD-ROM. There is also a teacher CD-ROM (not provided for review) and a dedicated free online resource. The textbook consists, at first sight, of the familiar doublepage spreads. It is divided into 12 units (Inheritance and selection, Reactivity and gravity and Space being three examples), each of which is subdivided into about five topics. The final topic is always a ‘How science works’ (HSW) application. I found the content of the non-HSW topics to be conventional, diagrams and photographs being somewhat basic. A large number of questions are provided, grouped at the end of each topic. This is a good idea, as it reduces clutter on the page and avoids the ‘read this and now answer the questions’ approach. I found the HSW topics very interesting and, when taken in total, they provide a wide variety of activities. Each spread is linked to the CD-ROM. This disc has enhanced copies of the pages, where clicking buttons provides information, such as keywords, outcomes and interactive Internet links. In my own school this would prove very useful when used in conjunction with a data-projector and interactive whiteboard. The online resource would be a very valuable, time-saving

feature. It provides a copy of the topic with all other resources that are available, for example, starters and plenaries and, where appropriate, weblinks. It could work very well as a central planning resource. One would hope that the online nature of the beast would ensure that it is kept up to date. I would recommend staff to take a look at this material. The similarity between the core and extension titles is great: the core provides a little more guidance within the text and generally more detail within its questions. Before considering buying a mix of texts, schools should order inspection copies of both, in order to see whether or not a mix is really needed. The website offers large discounts if sets for the whole year are purchased, so this may be a deciding factor! Jim Hudson

OCR Advanced Sciences: Biology 2 for OCR M. Jones Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009 297 pp. + CD-ROM. £16.99 ISBN 978 0 521 73299 4

This A2 biology textbook combines book, CD-ROM and online components to support teaching of the OCR A-level specification. This review is based on the evaluation pack which contains a demo CD-ROM. As is the trend for A-level textbooks these days, this is a slim volume – anyone still using Green, Stout and Taylor (ed. Soper)? – and, of course, is written to accompany the OCR specification. This is, in my opinion, a rather depressing

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trend that is now, sadly par for the course. The language used is easy to understand and is clear and to the point. Diagrams, graphs and photographs are of a good quality and are used well in reinforcing the text. ‘How science works’ content is contained in clearly identified boxes. A summary section closes each chapter. Technical terms are always introduced in bold and a comprehensive glossary closes the book. Dotted throughout the text are self-assessment questions accompanied by answers at the end of the book. At the end of every chapter are one or two exam-style questions (answers available on the accompanying CD-ROM). One or two ‘stretch and challenge’ questions are present in each chapter, though to the reviewer’s mind they do not really push the more able students. The CD-ROM contains a complete interactive PDF version of the book, with weblinks and so on. The chapter headings on the PDF contain clickable links that take students to learning objectives based on the OCR specification, and a link to an external A-level e-learning site (not seen). SAQ and exam-style questions have a hint button as well as an answer button. An extension button gives students extra materials not contained within the printed version of the book. This could be a valuable resource for students and staff alike. A teacher’s resource CD-ROM is also available (£150 + VAT). All in all, this is clearly going to be a useful package for centres teaching OCR A-level Biology.

Book reviews

The good-quality text and useful accompanying CD-ROM would make this an excellent choice. Recommended. Peter Anderson

Head start to AS Biology B. Green Cumbria: CGP, 2008 36 pp. £4.95/£2.50 (school) ISBN 978 1 84762 117 7

AS-level Biology Edexcel: Revision guide Various authors Cumbria: CGP, 2008 86 pp. £9.99/£5.00 (school) ISBN 978 1 84762 120 7

The aim of Head start is to bridge the gap between GCSE and AS-level biology. This is particularly important for students who have taken GCSE science rather than biology. It covers the main subjects that students will come across at AS and includes biological molecules, cell structure, genetics and cell division, among others. Each subject is explained clearly and concisely, with diagrams and in less detail than in the revision guide. Most students will find this an accessible introduction to AS-level biology. It would provide an invaluable companion to textbooks and lessons in the early part of the course. Biology departments might feel that it is worth issuing this to students as a companion text. The Revision guide is in the tried-and-tested format of CGP revision guides. The notes and diagrams provide an excellent summary of the main points of the syllabus. The varied use of colour in the text and in the diagrams makes it easy

to use. The summaries and tables of information are clear and concise. This would make an excellent companion to an AS-level course as well as a useful means of revision. Frances Cox

The superorganism: the beauty, elegance, and strangeness of insect societies B. Holldobler and E. O. Wilson London: W. W. Norton, 2009 544 pp. £35.00 ISBN 978 0 393 06704 0

In the introduction to this superb book, Holldobbler and Wilson remind us that the social insects (ants, bees, wasps and termites) are among the most socially advanced non-human organisms of which we have knowledge and that their colonies have been dominant elements of terrestrial habitats for at least 50 million years. Clearly an important subject then! The superorganism is a weighty hardback tome that is superbly illustrated throughout and would make a welcome addition to any school or biology department library. Written by the formidable Pullitzer-prizewinning team of Holldobbler and Wilson, The superorganism comes with very strong credentials. As a beekeeper, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learnt a great deal about other social insects. The authors’ primary interests lie in the ants and the termites and this occasionally shows in the content and illustrations used in the book. That said, this is a far wider ranging work than their previous book, The ants (1990). This is an academic work, as the copious footnotes testify,

and can occasionally lapse into a mass of technical jargon. However, the quality of writing and subject matter means that it is never less than a fascinating and highly informative read. The text moves from the primitive ants with their simple sociality through to the ultimate superorganisms – the attine leafcutter ants with their elaborate caste systems, air-conditioned nest architecture and huge populations. On the way, we learn, amongst other things, about the dance communication of honeybees, teamwork and even child labour in insect colonies! In the chapter devoted to the leafcutter ants, the authors remind us of a highly sobering fact. Human civilisation and the evolution of extreme insect superorganisms were both attained through agriculture. The leafcutter ants beat us humans to it – cultivating fungi some 50 million years before man left his hunter-gatherer lifestyle behind about 10,000 years ago. Highly recommended and not just for beekeepers! Peter Anderson

Head start to AS Chemistry D. Mason Cumbria: CGP, 2008 48 pp. £4.95/£2.50 (school) ISBN 978 1 84762 116 0

AS-level Chemistry OCR A: Revision guide Various authors Cumbria: CGP, 2008 118 pp. £9.99/£5.00 (school) ISBN 978 1 84762 126 9

This is a pair of publications from CGP aimed at year 12 AS-level students. Many students will be familiar with


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Book reviews the similar GCSE revision guides that CGP produces. Head start to AS Chemistry is designed to bridge the gap between the students’ knowledge at GCSE and that required at AS-level. The book contains 13 sections, including topics such as bonding, atomic structure, symbol equations and calculations. It is pleasing to see a section has been included on ‘How science works’. Text is black and white with blue being used for important points. Most of the sections have some questions (and answers) at the end. These seem to be quite well pitched at the target audience. The book is non syllabusspecific and does a good job of supporting the more difficult areas for AS students. The AS-level Chemistry book is syllabus-specific and uses more colour. The pages are more text-dense but colour is used well to divide the pages neatly into sections. Again, it is pleasing to see an attempt at including ‘How science works’ and a section on practical and investigative skills. I thought this section was rather good as it included such things as how to gain full marks when drawing graphs and reminded students of issues such as ‘it is possible for results to be precise but not accurate’. Otherwise, the layout of the book is very similar to its GCSE sibling (including the odd pun or two), with which the students may already be comfortable. At the end of each double page there is a mixture of practice questions and examstyle questions. The answers to the exam-style questions are at the back of the book. The unit of the syllabus is printed

as a footer on each page and students are clearly directed to other relevant parts of the book when required. Both of these books are very good at supporting students through AS chemistry and are at least as good as any other product that I have seen. They do on (a very few) occasions lack polish; for example, in the Head start book a set of integer results is used to calculate a mean result to a higher degree of precision and structural isomers are described as having the same structural formula as opposed to formulae. Overall these are good products. The next step for CGP might be to produce a matching workbook in a similar manner to the GCSE products. Anthony Glen

OCR Advanced Sciences: Chemistry 2 for OCR D. Acaster and L. Ryan Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009 242 pages + CD-ROM. £16.95 ISBN 978 0 521 74604 5

This book is designed to support the new OCR A2 Chemistry A specification. The book is well produced with clearly written text supported by excellent diagrams, tables and colour photographs. A consistent colour style enables users to quickly identify the various sections of each chapter; for example, worked examples are in lilac boxes, ‘How science works’ items are in brown boxes, and so on. All chapters include the main body text with diagrams, tables and supporting photographs. In addition, all chapters include short selfassessment questions (SAQ), a

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few longer exam questions at the end, and worked examples in chapters dealing with chemical calculations. SAQ answers are found at the end of the book and answers to both the SAQ and the exam questions are on the CD-ROM. There are two appendices covering the Periodic Table of the elements and standard electrode potentials; a glossary of key words can also be found at the back of the book. The CD-ROM contains the whole book in an interactive PDF format. In the physical book there are various buttonlike icons, which represent clickable buttons in the CD-ROM. An advice button at the start offers sensible guidance on how to get the best out of the CD-ROM, particularly if the user is running the disc on an Apple Mac with OSX (essentially, for full interactivity the book needs to open in Acrobat and not Preview): the CD-ROM ran without any problems on both my Apple Mac (OS 10.4) and Microsoft XP machines. The main buttons give hints, guidance and answers for questions, as well as an extension button leading to an elaboration of a point in the text such as an optional proof of a key formula. The end-of-chapter summary has a glossary button which brings up a relevant subsection of the main glossary, and at the start of each chapter there is a button to bring up the relevant learning outcomes from the specification. Also at the start of each chapter are buttons for background and e-learning that link to the supporting website which provides simple animations to

Book reviews

help understanding of some of the key concepts. To colleagues who have followed the OCR specification and used the old Chemistry 2 and option books, much will be familiar. The book is essentially a good update of the existing well-written textbook with the addition of the now-compulsory content and the interactive dimension provided by the CD-ROM and website. The teacher’s resource CD-ROM (not reviewed here) gives access to the website and a simple planning tool to help integrate various resources. Alex Chaplin

A2 Chemistry for AQA N. Saunders and A. Saunders Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009 288 pp. £22.50 ISBN 978 0 19 915276 6

This student book is linked to the AQA A2 Chemistry specifications and is well structured by units with outcomes referring to the specification. The first aspect I liked about the book was that within the introductory chapter students are set the context for ‘How science works’ and this is clearly identified within each chapter. The second was the helpful Internet references page and tips for students to follow to help them through assessments and revision, a very helpful addition when trying to stress independent learning in class! This book comes with an ‘eBook’ CD that, whilst not being as flashy and interactive as other publishers’ offerings, allows students to access the pages in the book quickly and check answers to in-text

questions. I had hoped that there would be some useful animations for students, perhaps to review mechanisms or kinetics, but the CD does allow for pages to be referred to on an interactive whiteboard. The chemistry is well laid out and clearly explained, including worked examples for some of the more challenging calculations and preparation for coursework (PSA) assessments. Each double-page spread offers questions to test students’ understanding but the ‘stretch and challenge’ content is embedded within these questions, making it hard for students to identify this content. These questions are limited in number so would most likely be used alongside a workbook or past paper questions. The addition of the ‘Science at work’ applications throughout the book appealed to my students, who found it well indexed with a useful glossary. I would certainly consider this book for use by students of this new course. Natalie McCoy

OCR Advanced Sciences: Physics 2 for OCR G. Chadha and D. Sang Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009 314 pp. + CD-ROM. £16.95 ISBN 978 0 521 73830 9

This book is designed to support the new OCR A2 Physics A specification. The book is well produced with clearly written text supported by excellent diagrams, tables and colour photographs. A consistent colour style enables users to quickly identify the various sections of each chapter; for example,

worked examples are in lilac boxes, ‘How science works’ items are in brown boxes, and so on. All chapters include the main body text with diagrams, tables and supporting photographs. In addition, all chapters include worked examples, short selfassessment questions (SAQ), and a few longer exam questions at the end. SAQ answers are found at the end of the book and answers to both the SAQ and the exam questions are on the CD-ROM. There are two appendices, covering the Periodic Table of the elements, and data, formulae and relationships; a glossary of key words can also be found at the back of the book. The CD-ROM contains the whole book in an interactive PDF format. In the physical book there are various buttonlike icons, which represent clickable buttons in the CD-ROM. An advice button at the start offers sensible guidance on how to get the best out of the CD-ROM, particularly if the user is running the disc on an Apple Mac with OSX (essentially, for full interactivity the book needs to open in Acrobat and not Preview): the CD-ROM ran without any problems on both my Apple Mac (OS 10.4) and Microsoft XP machines. The main buttons give hints, guidance and answers for questions, as well as an extension button leading to an elaboration of a point in the text, such as an optional proof of a key formula. The end-of-chapter summary has a glossary button which brings up a relevant subsection of the main glossary, and at the start of each chapter there is a button to bring up the relevant learning


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Book reviews outcomes from the specification. Also at the start of each chapter are buttons for background and e-learning, these link to the supporting website which provides simple animations to help understanding of some of the key concepts. To colleagues who have followed the old OCR specification and used the previous version of this book much will be familiar. The book is essentially an update of the existing well-written Physics 2 textbook with the addition of the new A2 content, including sections on medical imaging, cosmology and nuclear physics, as well as the interactive dimension provided by the CD-ROM and website. The teacher’s resource CD-ROM (not reviewed here) also gives access to the teacher resources on the website and a simple planning tool to help integrate the various resources into a scheme of work. Alex Chaplin

Light and matter: models and applications M. Chaplin London: Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme, 2009 64 pp. £6.00 + p&p ISBN 978 1 901351 79 8

This is a resource booklet from the Science Enhancement Project (SEP). It is aimed at teachers of key stage 4, but some of the material could easily be adapted for older or younger students. Not only does this book explain the scientific ideas, but it gives you the experimental instructions and resource worksheets to put these ideas into practice. There is also extension and resource material,

as well as links to websites for further references and information on where you can obtain any materials you might need. It is a complete package. The book will be invaluable for teachers. It is well linked to all the GCSE specifications. It goes through the key ideas of light and matter, for example the temperature of stars, wavelengths, and reflections, and breaks them down in a way that lets you teach them. It gives the models you would use to explain the ideas as well as having lots of colour photos and diagrams to show the various phenomena and experiments. Each part is closely linked to experiments that students can do. The activity sheets are included and so is the practical information you need to carry out the experiments. This book has a genuine feel of the classroom. It would be essential for those new to teaching, but also has much to recommend it to experienced teachers. I have been teaching this material for years and I still learned some new things from this book. Highly recommended. Ann Reddecliffe

Einstein’s mistakes – the human failings of genius H. C. Ohanian London: W. W. Norton, 2008 394 pp. £15.99 ISBN 978 0 393 06293 9

On entering a Hollywood première Charlie Chaplin is supposed to have said to Albert Einstein, ‘They cheer me because they all understand me and they cheer you because nobody understands you’. Hans Ohanian, Adjunct

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Professor of Physics at the University of Vermont, has written a book which should go a long way to correct the latter part of this quotation. He has used primary sources, translating Einstein’s books, papers, lectures and letters from German into English, and secondary sources, such as Albrecht Fölsing’s Albert Einstein, Eine Biographie, to provide biographical and historical background. There is also a good deal of additional material on the development of different theories from Newton and Galileo through to modern times. As a result, Ohanian has been able to put Einstein’s work into context and to show how his different ideas fitted into contemporary thinking. By far the most challenging part of an A-level cosmology course is the study of special and general relativity. This book would be an ideal background reader, letting the students see how some of the greatest scientific and mathematical brains have puzzled, debated and disagreed about the various concepts and ideas involved in relativity. In all, the author identifies about 40 out of Einstein’s 180 original scientific papers which contain mistakes, including his first proof of E = mc2. My alternative title for the book would have been ‘Einstein, warts and all’, as the actual title, Einstein’s mistakes – the human failings of genius, seems a bit too negative. Whatever its name, the end result is a fascinating, easily readable non-mathematical account of the twentieth century’s greatest physicist. It is well worth

Book reviews

inclusion in the school science library as it gives an honest and balanced account of the man, his life and discoveries, rather than a sycophantic glorification of him. Gordon Miller

The telephone gambit S. Shulman London: W. W. Norton, 2009 256 pp. £11.99 ISBN 978 0 393 33368 8

While this isn’t the first revisionist history of the telephone, the traumatic birth and troubled infancy of the device are little known nowadays, even among science teachers, myself included. Shulman is a science journalist, keenly aware that history is written by the victors, endeavouring to correct the biggest intellectual property theft of all time. He treads a perfect line between scholarly research (ensconced at MIT for a year) and the complicated tangle of Bell’s romantic and business dealings. Thanks to the digitisation of the Bell Archive at the Library of Congress, he uncovers the closest you are likely to get to a historical smoking gun. I liked the honesty and freshness of his account, and the skilful blending of events past with the insights into how he unpicked them over 130 years later. The result is that a potentially dry academic discourse becomes instead almost a thriller. One to pack in the suitcase for holidays or for students of the history of science, and a reminder to us all that received wisdom can be a dangerous wisdom to receive. Ian Francis

Professor Pugwash, the man who fought nukes: the life of Sir Joseph Rotblat K. Hill Wellington, Somerset: Ryelands Publishing, 2008 80 pp. £8.99 ISBN 978 1 906551 04 9

The Nobel Prize winner Joseph Rotblat owed his career to a teacher who spotted his potential in a university entrance exam and twisted the rules to accept him. Hill tells the story of a Polish émigré who ended up working briefly on the Manhattan Project, before denouncing its intent and helping set up the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs – a group with continuing relevance in these days of potential chemical and bio-attack, as well as the everpresent Nuclear Issue. The author, who was a friend and colleague of Rotblat, has deliberately kept the physics to a minimum, and included anything slightly technical in boxed asides so as not to interrupt the main narrative flow. This is an accessible account suitable for a wide audience, and it is thankfully not a simple exercise in CND flag-waving either. I enjoyed the asides, especially one anecdote about a research project from Rotblat’s younger days. This entailed the production and detection of isotopes with a half-life of only 22 seconds: the only problem being that the detector was in another part of the building. This necessitated a mad dash, including a lunge down two flights of stairs. This avenue of enquiry ended (almost inevitably) with a broken leg for the young physicist and a search

for isotopes that hung around long enough not to endanger life and limb. The ‘rustic’ nature of some of the illustrations would be my only substantive criticism, and the pedant in me disliked the incorrect capitalisation of the MeV unit of energy. Overall, this is a useful addition to the school library for students, as the relatively slim size and carefully phrased text make it a most manageable read. It will also be useful for teachers, particularly non-specialists, helping to put the continuing nuclear debate into social and historical context. Ian Francis

You are here: a portable history of the universe C. Potter London: Hutchinson, 2009 294 pp. £20.00 ISBN 978 0 09179 688 4

This is a handy and wellwritten popular description of the history and geography of the universe, ‘how something became everything’ and ‘from slime to Homo sapiens’. You can probably find all this material elsewhere, but the thematic arrangement is enjoyable, and enables the author to draw together apparently disparate topics in an interesting and witty manner. The author describes the universe in terms of a distance scale, moving out from the atomic nucleus to things on a human scale, and ultimately out to superclusters of galaxies. We also get a potted history equally logarithmically, from big bang to ultimate dispersion in an apparently runaway expansion.


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The development of life and civilisation are not forgotten. Potter writes in a non-technical way, but with a clear and direct style, ‘as a non-scientist with a distant scientific education’. This book will be very handy in secondary school libraries, especially for sixth-formers and teachers to read individually. It is peppered with nice quotations and the wide-ranging research of its author is evident throughout. There are no illustrations, but their absence does not detract from the excellence of the book as a whole. The only thing I did not like about You are here was its dust jacket: its cartoon style tends to imply trivial contents, and as a result some potential buyers may not pick it up to look at in the bookshop. Richard McKim

Introduction to astronomy and cosmology I. Morison Chichester: Wiley, 2009 342 pp. £32.50 ISBN 978 0 470 03334 0

Ian Morison is a university lecturer and broadcaster, and the current Gresham Professor of Astronomy. His book is written in a direct and informative style, with the lecturer’s knack of making a difficult point clear frequently in evidence. It contains useful (but never difficult) mathematical formulae and worked calculations throughout the text, and, although aimed at undergraduates, will be very useful to sixth-form physics students and their teachers, especially if the latter are in need of some more modern

data (such as the best value for the Hubble constant). The book covers every aspect of the subject. To pick out some random things that I especially enjoyed, Morison gives the latest thinking about dark matter, and explains in conclusion how humankind fortuitously arrived on the scene at just the right moment to be able to gather information about the origin and fate of the universe. There will be plenty of food for thought. The book is beautifully produced and illustrated, and notable for the care that has gone into the choice of appropriate and unusual illustrations. Recommended. Richard McKim

The surfer’s guide to waves, coasts and climates T. Butt Penzance: Alison Hodge, 2009 176 pp. £15.00 ISBN 978 0 906720 58 5

Not being a surfer, I doubt if I would have picked this book up if I had not been asked to review it, so I am very glad I was asked. I have enjoyed reading it and strongly recommend it for A-level physics students, and, indeed, all year 12 and 13 students with or without an interest in surfing. If the budget does not stretch this far it may be that the contents would be of interest to other departments, or the head of sixth form. Firstly, it is very attractive to pick up and look through. All the pages are glossy and coloured and there are some arresting photographs – for example, a tangle of yachts with the caption, ‘A tropical cyclone doesn’t care how expensive

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your yacht is’. The diagrams to explain the movement of ocean currents, transport of sediment and other processes are clear and make good use of colour, as do the graphs and charts. The text is written in a style that is straightforward and easy to read. As the introduction says, ‘This book is not a textbook, it is not a set of facts that you might need to know in order to pass an exam, get a job, earn more money, or become a better person’. Intended to be entertaining and thought provoking, it succeeds very well. The context of surfing is one that is very appealing to both surfers and non-surfers. The conflict between different interest groups is clearly presented, and the problem of finding solutions is neatly summarised: ‘by far the most sensible option, is a proper coastal zone management scheme that stops people doing things to the natural environment that are likely to exacerbate the problem of coastal erosion. This will only work in a society where those who have the power to enforce the rules are interested in the long-term benefits for everyone and not just short-term benefits for the privileged. In other words it’s a political issue.’ There are four main sections. Coastal geology is about the shapes of beaches and the effect on the waves. Climate and big waves is about cycles, currents and storms. Coastal intervention discusses erosion, including some of the unforeseen effects of man-made changes. This section also includes some interesting description of oil spills and their effects. The

planet bites back covers global warming, but also how our modifications can make the effects of tropical cyclones and tsunamis more severe. I have not said a lot about the physics, but it is there. For example, there is explanation of conservation of mass in river flow rates, and the reflection and refraction of waves. The book also has a useful index. In conclusion, it is one of the best ‘science in context’ books I have seen. A good context that young people will find appealing is used to cover science, global warming and local political issues. Carol Tear

The Mountains of Saint Francis: discovering the geologic events that shaped our Earth W. Alvarez London: W. W. Norton, 2009 288 pp. £17.99 ISBN 978 0 393 06185 7

I liked this book the more I read. As the title suggests, it is not a standard textbook. The style is narrative, recounting a personalised exploration of the geology of central Italy and using this to expose how geologists investigate and have formulated the way we think about and understand how the Earth works. Alvarez is a renowned geologist, most famously for his (now controversial) idea of catastrophic K/T extinction by meteorite impact from identification of an iridium clay layer. He has an impressive track record of involvement in industry and important research projects, notably in the Mediterranean region and

particularly in Italy, which he has used as the focus for this book. Starting with a visit to Assisi and the quarries where stone for the basilica was hewn, Alvarez outlines big questions about the Earth’s past – questions about interpreting the rock record, the age of rocks and the structure of the mountains. In this respect the book is ‘classic’, as these are core geological questions (and essentially the same questions asked by Charles Lyell in the early 19th century). He moves on to Rome, where archaeological investigations and more recent changes to the city are used as metaphors to describe reading ‘deep time’ rock records, and exploration of volcanic rocks and sediments help solve the puzzle of abandoned valleys cut by the ancient river Tiber. Next to the hills of Tuscany, as he recounts that Sienna was the home of Nicolaus Steno and it was here that the principle of ordering rocks was founded. Alvarez also tells of the invention of using microfossils by an Abbot in Sienna who also recognised ‘stones from heaven’ as extraterrestrial meteorites. Both these played a big part in Alvarez’s recognition of the K/T boundary and mass extinction in the high hills beyond Sienna. In the final section of the book, the structure of the Apennine mountains is explained with a trip to the Alps and the north coast of Africa, weaving the relationships between evidence on the ground, realisations of meaning by scientists and ‘big picture’ ideas of the rock cycle and plate tectonics. A nice touch throughout is mention of how

scientist colleagues who have built this picture work, revealing science as a human quest. This book gives a refreshing and different perspective on Earth science and is recommended as an informative and enjoyable read for teachers and older students, especially if they holiday in Italy! Duncan Hawley

SAW Showcase: Science, Art and Writing – a new way of looking at the world Ed. A. Osbourn Norwich: SAW Trust, 2008 158 pp. £15.00 (ASE members £13.00) ISBN 978 0 9550180 2 2

This is: ‘Science from the John Innes Centre and the Institute of Food Research presented by children from schools in and around Norfolk’. The editor, Professor Osbourn, brings together the work of many scientists, artists, writers and musicians who facilitated the activities – but the stars are the children, all of primary age and from 15 schools, who have produced poems, pictures and comments on their experiences. Topics such as streptomyces, rhizobia, topoisomerases, pathogens, food molecules and plant development clearly inspired the pupils and their teachers. This is taking scientific research into schools! It should inspire teachers to the possibility of fulfilling the creative potential of pupils in and through science, art and writing. For information on SAW Trust see: www.sawtrust.org. J. Keri Davies


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Born to be good: the science of a meaningful life D. Keltner London: W. W. Norton, 2009 336 pp. £18.99 ISBN 978 0 393 06512 1

The author sets out to answer three questions: How can we be happy? What are the origins of our capacity for kindness? How can we be good? He provides ‘a Darwinian lens onto a new science of positive emotion’. Keltner, Professor of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, persuasively puts together a coherent and plausible case, blending evidence and arguments drawn from evolution, the neurosciences, psychology – and Eastern thought and philosophy. He posits the term jen (a Confucian concept) science for the exploration of positive emotion. The author’s conclusion: ‘We are wired for good’. The positive perspective offered should provide provocative food for thought for those senior secondary pupils, students, teachers and lecturers engaged in the life sciences, psychology,

sociology and philosophy, as well as the interested layperson. Put it on the library shelf. If in doubt, look up www. greatergood.berkeley.edu first. J. Keri Davies

Theo Gray’s Mad Science (experiments you can do at home but probably shouldn’t) T. Gray New York: Black Dog and Leventhal, 2009 240 pp. £16.95 ISBN 978 1 57912 791 6

This book is fun and mad. It is the ideal gift for that science-mad friend/teenager/ relative in your life. It describes 54 seriously outrageous experiments, such as creating flaming drops of liquid oxygen, how to get salt on your popcorn starting with sodium and chlorine, or making sinking ice cubes from heavy water. It is all beautifully photographed with hundreds of photographs of things burning, blowing up or in the process of doing so, or just being cool. The book contains outline instructions on how to carry out the experiments

and a commentary on each experiment by the author. The emphasis is on fun rather than academic science. A website accompanies this book and it is also lavishly illustrated with photos of the experiments; there are even some videos of them happening. The website has links for more information about the experiments and how to buy some of the materials for some experiments. There are serious safety issues with most of these experiments and the author makes these very clear. This is done very thoughtfully, with the ‘Real Danger Alert’ boxes making clear that these dangers are very serious and the experiments should not be attempted without training and guidance. The American origins of the book do show, for example in photographs of coin experiments featuring American coins, but this is a minor point. It is a great book to pick up and dip into. It is very attractive and well worth the money. Ann Reddecliffe

Reviewers Peter Anderson is head of science at Bootham School, York, and teaches biology to A-level. Alex Chaplin is a former head of science and taught science in London schools for over 20 years. He currently works in an FE college. Frances Cox is an assistant principal at The John Bramston School, an 11–18 comprehensive school in Witham, Essex. She is a former head of science and teaches science at key stages 3 and 4 and A-level biology. J. Keri Davies is an independent consultant in higher education.

Ian Francis is a sometime physics teacher and PhD student. Anthony Glen is head of chemistry in a comprehensive school in the North East of England. Duncan Hawley is Director of the Secondary PGCE course at Swansea School of education. Jim Hudson teaches science and chemistry at a comprehensive school in Bristol. Natalie McCoy is the Gifted and Talented coordinator and teaches science to GCSE and chemistry to A-level at St Clement Danes School, Herts.

134 SSR December 2009, 91(335)

Richard McKim is the Sanderson Fellow at Oundle School, Northants. His job involves the promotion of science and industry throughout the school. He is a past president of the British Astronomical Association and director of its Mercury, Venus and Mars Sections. Gordon Miller teaches physics and is a university adviser at St Paul’s School, London. Ann Reddecliffe teaches science in Leicestershire. Carol Tear is a freelance secondary science author and examiner.

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