Editorial Review

Snack on science! Make a science of snacks! Potato Chip Science is the book and kit that’s an irresistible introduction to science for 8- to 12-year-olds. Here are 29 incredible experiments—plus one edible project—that use potato chips, potatoes, potato chip bags, tubes, and lids. Included in the bag are a 96-page two-color book and a dozen items that kids can use for the following “snacktivities”:

Bag Blaster - Bird Feeder - Chipmobile - Chip Analyzer - Chip-Ship Challenge - Chip-Tube Gobbler - “Color” Wheel - Compass - Composter - Confetti Can-non - CSI Detective Kit - Dancing Chips - Electric Wave - Flipper - Hydrofoil - Kissing Tubes - Kite - Mini Extermi-tater - Potato Bender - Potato Chip Crunchies - Potato Battery - Saucer Tosser - Shrunken (Potato) Head - Signal Mirror - Sound Spinner - Spud Crud - Spuddy Buddy - Walkie-Talkie - Windmill

Product Features:
-  96-page book providing step-by-step instructions
-  Bag that can be turned into a kite, compass, or “hydofoil”
-  Digital sound chip that plays “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” . . .   powered by a potato! (spud not included)
-  6-inch propulsion pipe that launches spud pellets 50 feet!
-  Biodegradable starch base (makes a great Chipmobile chassis!)
-  6 optical stickers
-  6 chip lids (the wheels of the Chipmobile!)
-  Spud-powered digital clock (once again, potato not included)
-  4 zinc and copper electrodes
-  Googly eyes (Yeah!)
-  Wire connectors
-  Eco-friendly starch knife (to carve the Spuddy Buddy and Shrunken Potato Head)
-  Packing “chips” (used as ammunition for the Confetti Can-non!)

Manufactured in the United States of America.
Potato Chip Science received the Gold Medal from The National Parenting Publication Awards, and a Gold "Brain Child" Medal from Tillywig.
... Read more

Reviews

Super!, September 14, 2010
I love this kit because it teaches so much science. My kids love this kit because it's a blast! My 8 yr old wants to do one experiment after the other, and my 6 year old is able to participate right along. They were also captivated by all the cool stuff in the bag!

great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, September 18, 2010
Great book! I love all the stuff & science! Definitely recommended. I think the Potato Propulsion Pipe is awesome. I had a lot of fun with this kit. I gave it to my best friend for his 9th birthday. He loves it!!!
A must-get for Kurzweil fans

Amazing and Very Clever Kit, September 30, 2010
My 8 year old son received the kit as a present. He loves it. Most of all he loves that he can do most of the experiments himself (the directions are illustrated and incredibly clear). I've been impressed by how clever the book that accompanies the kit is: Kurzweil really has a way of making quite complex scientific concepts (Bernoulli's Principle, for example) both understandable and fun. A really worthwhile gift.

FUN FUN FUN!!! (and educational too!!??!!...ABSOLUTELY!), October 29, 2010
Way cool. Most science kits come in heavy cardboard boxes filled cheap plastic junk. This kit is just the opposite. The packaging is lightweight, and the stuff inside is heavy-weight and great. Personally, I loved the electronic gizmos best. (The digital sound chip and clock that run off potatoes). My wife was more into the optical experiments. (She loves stickers.) My buddy Rob had a blast (literally) with the propulsion pipe. (His personal best was a 74-foot pellet lauch.) I'm guessing there's a dozen weekends worth of experiments in this bag. Not bad for $13. Plus I really like that EVERYTHING (bag and packing chips included) gets up-cycled and re-used in the projects. Can't get greener than that. Oh, and the best part: you get to eat chips for "research purposes."

This one is a no-brainer, folks... ENJOY!

Fun, entertaing and educational - Terrific!, October 15, 2010
My 10 year old daughter had a BLAST with this "Book and Stuff". Fun, funny and smart, this kit was a boon at the family table. Kurzweil has successfully brought science to kids in an entertaining and captivating manner that ANY kid, and their family, can enjoy. Highly recommended.

Fun, November 20, 2010
I got Potato Chip Science after I was surfing the Internet. Also, I had read two of his earlier books including Leon and the Champion Chip. lots of fun.

Great for Kids, October 31, 2010
This is a great book to introduce science to children, grandchildren, science class at school. Real scientific priciples are introduced in a fun way - all using potato chips, chip bags, lids, and potatoes. I now have three copies and I am encouraging parents and teachers to buy more. This could be a gift that will last long after the party.

inspired science for kids, October 19, 2010
My 10-year-old and her friend had a whole lot of fun one afternoon with this kit and a pile of potato chips. Kurzweil is witty, and makes the scientific explanations thoroughly entertaining. There's a wide range of experiments to do. Even my non-scientist daughter got a kick out of using everyday materials in utterly new ways. You do need to look through the book first to make sure you have supplies you may need for certain experiments, but for the most part they're common items, like straws. The packaging is inspired.

fantastic science kit for kids, September 28, 2010
A family member told me I HAD to give this to my grandkids. Science learning by science doing! It's what science teachers should be doing all over the country. The bag of "stuff" is pure science AND pure fun. Makes kids gravitate to science as if it were potato chips. The book alone is worth the money I spent. And then on top of that, you yourself learn science with the kids. My grandkids loved it, and started trying out many of the experiments. Their favorite? Rocket propulsion!!Potato Chip Science: 29 Incredible Experiments

fun and educational science experiments for children of all ages, September 28, 2010
Man oh man, I wish I had Potato Chip Science when I was a kid. It is soooo cool! I thought I was buying a book when I placed the order. I was wrong. I got a book PLUS a whole potato chip bag full of nifty science stuff, too. There was sound chip that played "Twinkle Twinkle" (off a potato), a propulsion pie, optical stickers, a funky starch knife, a clock. I like that it's eco-friendly, goofy and packed with science. Who knew you could learn about navigation and physics and biology and tons of others stuff using potato chips and empty chip bags! PS: I was a science major in college, and I can tell you that the accuracy of the explanations is first-rate, and the step-by-step instructions beautifully illustrated. (Even the material list is illustrated!) I'm planning to buy another kit for my friend's cub scout troop. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Ordinary folks can construct 13 awesome ballistic devices in their garage or basement workshops using inexpensive household or hardware store materials and this step-by-step guide. Clear instructions, diagrams, and photographs show how to build projects ranging from the simple-a match-powered rocket-to the more complex-a scale-model, table-top catapult-to the offbeat-a tennis ball cannon. With a strong emphasis on safety, the book also gives tips on troubleshooting, explains the physics behind the projects, and profiles scientists and extraordinary experimenters such as Alfred Nobel, Robert Goddard, and Isaac Newton. This book will be indispensable for the legions of backyard toy-rocket launchers and fireworks fanatics who wish every day was the fourth of July. ... Read more

Reviews

KaBOOM!!!, January 6, 2003
This is a great resource book for pyromaniacs who want to expand their horizons.

The highlight of this book is the chapter on the venerated potato cannon (a.k.a. spud gun). The author presents a simple yet effective design and gives detailed instructions on how to construct it. I have seen a number of designs on the web, and I prefer this for it parsimonious design. I have "launched" a number of spuds with this cannon, and am perfectly pleased with its operation.

Other projects include back porch rocketry (the paper match rocket, the hydro pump rocket, and the pneumatic missile), the Cincinnati fire kite, the Greek fire and the catapult, the tennis ball mortar, the flinger, Pnewton's petard, the dry cleaning bag balloon, the carbide cannon, and the ballistic pendulum.

The book is clearly written and illustrated (with drawings and black and white photographis). It contains a number of history vignettes along with some illustrations of ancient weapons. The remaining chapter includes some ideas for further study.

While I highly recommend this book, please note that some of these projects (most notably the potato gun) are illegal in some states. In that case, this book would be for "reference" only.

Great Collection for Overgrown Boys, April 29, 2003
This book is a wonderful resource for those boys who have graduated from Nerf and waterguns- and for those of us that never will. What struck me most was the sheer variety of projects in this book- from little rockets powered by a match(!) to monster potato guns, this book has everything. I built a potato gun similar to the one in this book several years ago, and have been looking for projects in the same vein. With this book, I've found them. I especially love the fact that he uses a variety of power sources- the traditional hair spray of the potato gun, air pressure, even chemical combustion.

One of the unique things about this book, as compared to other similar books, is the emphasis on both safety and history. Safety is important for obvious reasons. But most readers are enthusiasts about this sort of stuff, and the history lessons are exciting.

My only complaint is that there is no room in this book for any sort of modification to the designs. For example, there are formulas that can be used to determine the maximum chamber size for a PVC-constructed potato gun, and with this, you can design your own potato gun in relative safety. Unfortunately, the author insists that you stick strictly to his designs. This appears to be an effort to ensure that all of the "toys" created with his book are safe, so that's only a minor complaint.

Can't wait to start lobbing tennis balls!

Things that go "Boom" in the Night, March 5, 2003
What a wonderful boys book--boys from 9 to 90 will get a bang out of these projects. The author presents enough safety information to be reasonable, and mixes in scientific explanations, a bit of math, and interesting anectdotes that take us back into the history of ballistics. But most of all, he presents details plans and parts lists (including sources for hard to find parts) to build things that shoot up into the air, things that go "BOOM," and other cool stuff like fire kites.

Many of the projects described here are also well documented on the internet. But most internet postings have little to say about safety, science, or history. Using this book as a starting point, and the internet as a resource to expand the ideas, could lead one to develop a truly interesting ballistic arsenal indeed!!

Before we had homeland security to worry about, this might have been a good source book for a science fair. Now, it just might be a great way to spend a lifetime behind bars. But, if you're in touch with your inner Goddard, von Braun, or just love the idea of a tennis ball mortar ... then this is the book for you!

Superb teaching tool, September 22, 2005
By doing these projects with one's children one can teach them
engineering, mechanical, planning and fabrication skills as well as how to see through a project that may take a few days instead of 15 minutes. Their interest in the projects will
be maintained by the fascinating science as well as the impressive results.

Fantastic read, fun science, great projects, September 10, 2001
I loved this book. Whether you build these gadgets or not (and they are great gadgets, including the Potato Cannon, the Cincinnati Fire Kite, and the Hydro Pump Rocket), you will love the book. The author is funny and engaging, and he sprinkles entertaining bits of science and history into each chapter. I decided to build a few of the toys, and found that the instructions are excellent, clear, and simple, with great photos and diagrams.

Potato Cannon - Awesome! Others...so so, May 20, 2002
This is a great book. IT is one of the best out there for boys of all ages. The potato canon is awesome! Some items like the Cincinnati Fire Kit and the Match Rocket leave something to be desired. All in all, I highly recommend to anyone out there who wants to be a kid again!

a great boys book for boys of any age and either gender, September 12, 2001
-- a great "boy's" book for boys of any age and either gender. The author complements his assortment of projects that throw things (like potatoes or tennis balls) with touches of physics and history. It is well written so that it is entertaining even if you don't intend to actually build the projects. The directions and drawings are clear so that the steps of construction for the various devices are clear. Great entertainment!

Fun for GIRLS and boys, June 26, 2005
I found this book to be quite informative and helpful on building many fun ballistic devices. The chapters on the spud gun and back porch rocketry were probably my favorites. For anyone who grew up constructing innovative (but highly unsafe) projectile launchers and wants to create something the neighbors can appreciate, this book is for you!
I would also like to emphasize that GIRLS, as well as boys, can and will enjoy this book.

Parents, Dont be scared, April 26, 2003
This is a great book. Just from skimming through it you can tell that a lot of thought and precaution went into it's construction. Parents may be scared seeing a book like this in the hands of their child, but don't be frightened. Most of the projects in here are pretty innocuous and saftey is paramount. The book and author STRESS proper precautions and advise saftey gear for any dangerous experiments. If you have a kid who has been playing with fire, been showing a disturbing interest in explosives or such, then buy them this book and do these projects with them! It will give kids a productive, educational and supervised outlet for these curiosities and fascinations and will give you a chance to teach them a bit about physics and further bond with them. Some young pyros grow into arsonists, others grow into firemen and physicists... you make the choice! Instead of punishing them and trying to curb their interest in such things, channel this energy into something positive.

From the perspective of an adult or adolesent this book is still great. Fun projects and lots of information make for a fun read, and an even more fun summer project. Science teachers and the like will love this book as some of these projects could prove wonderful classroom demonstrations to aid in teaching and more importantly, in getting kids' attention and perhaps sparking an interest.

Great book. more stuff like this might help the curb effects of all the negative stuff out there like the Anarchist's Cookbook and all those [explosive] websites.

A big five stars!

Fun, but needs more work, March 17, 2005
This book is a lot of fun. The projects are things that you can do safely, and that kids really like. I just wish the author had put a little more work into it. Some of the history doesn't seem accurate, and the physics should be explained more clearly. More effort on content and less on strange facts would help.

Building the onager (torsion catapult), I had to change most of the dimensions. The book calls for 1"x1" wood, but that's hard to find. 1x2 (nominal) is easy to find, but is 3/4" by 1 1/2". A book for quick projects should use 1x2s, not some mythical 1" square lumber. The drawings were incomplete. Between the drawings and the photo it was possible to get the whole thing together, but I had to change most of the dimensions. Why he uses 1/8" dowel is beyond me. Even 3/16" broke too easily.

Overall, interesting and certainly fun, but I wish it were done more carefully. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

An Essential Field Guide to Office Survival, September 17, 2009
This book is an essential guide to survival in modern day cube warfare. All of the examples in the book are clearly detailed, and can be fabricated with every day items stocked in the supply room closet.

The illustrations themselves help to spark other creative (meaning destructive) ideas. Even if you don't recreate the items, its still a very visually appealing to leave out on the desk, which is sure to generate discussion at the water cooler.

Mini Weapons of Mass Destruction, April 13, 2010
My son found this in the science section at our local independent bookstore, and I said, "This could be a dangerous book in your hands." (He has an obsession with wanting to blow things up and dismantle electronics.) We split the cost and my husband had a blast building this stuff using items in our junk drawer. I found the book absolutely ingenious. The author is a professional toy designer and also wrote Cubical Warfare, another must-read. In the words of another author/reviewer, William Gurstelle, "One must assert dominion over the desktop. Between the instructions provided in Austin's book and access to your office supply cabinet, you need tolerate no threat to the security of your cubicle."

By my son: This is my new favorite book. These mini-weapons really work. My friends love them and have paid me money to make them the "Simple Cross-bow" and "Concealing Book." I love the "Penny Bomb!" I did extra chores to get mega-supplies (giant bag of rubber bands, paper caps, etc.), and now I have all I need to create these mini "weapons" in a matter of minutes.

Kim Childress, Book Editor, Girls' Life
This and more great books can be found on my person book review web site, (...). Enjoy!

Super fun!, August 1, 2010
My family was goin on vacation and I bought this for my husband, our son's and my husbands best friend to do during the down time. We stocked up on super cheap pencils, pens, rubber bands and a few other things. They had a blast! Things were flying everywhere. There were a lot of "wait, wait, watch this! Oh YEA!" going on. It was hilarious. It was such a hit we are looking at getting the office version as well.

Buy More Than One, February 18, 2010
I bought this book for my nephew for Christmas. It was immediately seized by my brother-in-law and one of his friends who commenced ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the various projectiles and weaponry. Something like "shoelace darts" (I don't know the official title of this weapon in the book, because I never got to hold the book after the big boys got ahold of it) was tried immediately. Apparently, the instructions are easy to follow, even by someone with a few Christmas beers on board.

If you buy this book for someone in a multi-geek household, make sure you buy one for everyone.

MacGyver was a kid once, too, October 24, 2009
This book unleashes powerful forces, forces that can be used for good or for evil purposes. If you're not careful, your inner child might end up grounded for life.

This brilliant how-to book turns pens, pencils, rubber band, and similarly safe-looking materials into the weapons of all-out cubicle warfare. It starts with a simple BB shooter, built from a dissected mechanical pencil, a rubber band, and some tape. From there, it works its way up through various stages of infernal engineering, added laser spotters (a laser pointer), repeat firing ability, and more, until it creates desktop siege engines from tongue depressors and plastic spoons. It even turns party poppers or hairspray into the fuel for propelling improvised missiles. Then, to turn temptation along safer channels, this offers a set of amusing targets against which your desktop shock and awe can be safely launched.

Your inner child will require adult supervision when trying these experiments. There really is some potential to do genuine harm. But, with a little common sense, this book offers plenty of adventure for the small boy in any reader.

-- wiredweird

Great Birthday Gift for Boys!, December 8, 2010
We received this as a birthday gift for my son (8), and he's been building all sorts of things from this book, and using it to concoct his own designs.

We've got a girl (11), who loves to build things out of the book with her brother. We've got another girl (11) who doesn't care for it, but she's more into girl stuff.

Along with a package of pencils and rubber bands, this has become our standard birthday gift. This is a Toy in a Book form. I highly recommend it!

Easy to make and read, November 15, 2010
Unlike most books this one has step-by-step
pictures AND words, for lazy kids who don't like to read. instructions are short and easy to read.

Excellent Book!, November 15, 2009
This is an excellent and fun book! Every project is clearly explained and well within the grasp of anyone interested in playing with the idea's Austin presents. I happen to have all three of his books and they are all very good. I am looking forward to whatever his next book may be. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The ultimate DIY project guide for techie dads raising kids in their own geeky image, in the spirit of The Dangerous Book for Boys

Today's generation of dads grew up more tech-savvy than ever. Rather than joining the Little League team, many grew up playing computer games, Dungeons and Dragons, and watching Star Wars. Now with kids of their own, these digital-age dads are looking for fresh ways to share their love of science and technology, and help their kids develop a passion for learning and discovery.

Enter supergeek, and father of two, Ken Denmead. An engineer and editor of the incredibly popular GeekDad blog on wired.com, Ken has created the ultimate, idea-packed guide guaranteed to help dads and kids alike enjoy the magic of playtime together and tap into the infinite possibility of their imagination. With illustrations throughout, this book offers projects for all ages to suit any timeframe or budget. With Denmead's expert guidance, you and your child can:

•Fly a night-time kite ablaze with lights or launch a video camera with balloons

•Construct the "Best Slip n' Slide Ever," a guaranteed thrill ride

•Build a working lamp with LEGO bricks and CDs

•Create a customized comic strip or your own board game

•Make geeky crafts like cyborg jack-o'-lanterns or Ethernet cuff links

Brimming with endlessly fun and futuristic tidbits on everything from gaming to gadgets, GeekDad helps every tech-savvy father unleash his inner kid-and bond with the next generation of brainiacs. ... Read more

Reviews

Not just for geeks... or dads, May 21, 2010
Perfect for families looking for creative and amazing projects, Geek Dad had me bookmarking favorites to try right away. Many involve science in a fun, lightweight way. I can't imagine a child who wouldn't be excited by the prospect of some of these activities: the ultimate outdoor obstacle course, the light-up nighttime kite, the finger-painting with windup toys. The directions make each step simple and understandable.

Each project has a table that describes the concept, lists the tools and materials needed, and gives ratings for cost, difficulty, duration and reusability. Costs are from $0 up to over $100. Difficulty levels begin with primary-school kids up to high school age. Duration is from 0 to 15 minutes up to 3 hours or longer. Reusability ranges from one-time-only use to "good forever."

Throughout the book are drawings, maps, diagrams and tables. Everything's in black and white.

Here's the chapter list:

Introduction: About Being a Geek and a Dad
Make Your Own Geeky Games and Crafts
1. Make Your Own Cartoons
2. The Coolest Homemade Coloring Books
3. Create the Ultimate Board Game
4. Electronic Origami
5. Cyborg Jack-o'-Lanterns and Other Holiday Decorations
6. Windup Toy Finger Painting
7. Create a Superhero ABC Book
8. Model Building with Cake
9. Pirate Cartography
10. Parenting and Role-Playing Games
11. A Never-Ending Demolition Derby
Geeky Activities for the Great Outdoors
12. See the World from the Sky
13. Best Slip `n Slide Ever
14. Fireflies for Every Season
15. Video Games That Come to Life
16. Fly a Kite at Night
17. Build an Outdoor Movie Theater
18. The "Magic" Swing
Awesome Accessories
19. Smart Cuff Links
20. Light-up Duct Tape Wallet
21. Crocheted Dice Bag of Holding
Geeky Kids Go Green
22. The Science of Composting
23. Home Hydroponics
Build / Learn / Geek
24. Build a Binary Calendar
25. Portable Electronic Flash Cards
26. Wi-Fi Signal Booster
27. Cool LEGO Lighting from Repurposed Parts
Geeky Potpourri
Ice Cubes Fit for a Geek
Exploding Drink Practical Joke
Afterword: Pneumatic Wiffle Ball Cannon -- Failure as a Project
Appendix A: Resources and References by Chapter
Appendix B: RPG Character Sheet
Appendix C: Projects Listed by Rank

Don't take my word for it ... Take my Daugters word for it !, May 15, 2010
Hey I'm a geek and a Dad so right off the bat this book is full of win for me. The real test though is the kids. If the kids don't dig the projects then it's a geek book. In the words of my 10 year old daughter after flipping through the book "We are totally doing some of these projects". What more can a Geek Dad ask from a book of projects?

Easy to follow, inspiring, May 25, 2010
Geek Dad has a wide range of projects, from those requiring simple items you already have around the house, to a few that might inspire you to designate a piggy bank ahead of time. There are plenty of crafty ideas sprinkled in with electronics and robotics- even a crochet project!

The instructions are easy to understand and adaptable for different skill levels, including non-geeks. Both my 10 year old and my 6 year old found projects they want to try ASAP.

These projects offer kids a chance at hands-on experiments, something they frequently miss in today's test-focused school day.

Intresting, but not worth making a book of it., September 14, 2010
This is an attempt to join the DIY movement targeted at those of us that are fathers. The book gives ideas of what can be done, some tips, ideas, and that's about it. No fully fleshed out projects, no build lists, no instructables. It makes for a great source of inspiration, but falls short for giving a 'how-to' on some real projects. Not a bad book/reference, but not worth the $15.

Fun & Creative Projects, May 6, 2010
Great ideas for ways to spend quality, geeky time with your kids, packaged up in a entertaining read. The projects will get the kids to tinker right along with you, and maybe even learn something while they're having fun!

Incredably Awesome Book, June 6, 2010
Ken and his crew have come up with some great ideas and this book is the culmination of the hard work and insane fun that comes from being a geeky parent. If you are on the fence about this book, do yourself a favor and just buy it. The fun and adventure you will experience throughout your reading of this book will make it worth your wild.

Awesome!, June 4, 2010
Even thought most of the activities require a lot of money (build your own outdoors movie theater? I mean, seriously), this is an OUTSTANDING book. I now have a lot of ideas on my own to spend time with my daughter, all of them based on this book!

Buy it, even if you're not a father! I can bet a lot of people will perform the activities on it without even being a parent, you just need to be GEEK!

Big disappointment, August 13, 2010
I was very excited for this book. I was expecting to find many projects I could do with my 6 and 10 year olds. I found 5 that I might do. There were several reasons I ruled out projects: too much like arts and crafts which isn't what I bought the book for; we already did something along those lines; didn't seem interested to young kids; too elaborate to ever get around to it. I got science experiment books at the library and am much happier with those.

These are just our preferences. Obviously, other reviewers like the ideas.

I might have given it only 2 stars, but I have to give the book credit for pointing me towards Arduino boards and ThingM products.

Can't Wait to Try These Projects!, May 7, 2010
I've read a few chapters so far and I recommend this book whole-heartedly. I'll disclose I contributed to one of the chapters and received a gracious complimentary copy for that. It's an enjoyable read, infused with dry wit and winking geek culture in-jokes. The book is a great gift for Mother's Day, Father's Day, and pretty much any occasion with a kid involved. The projects it contains will be perfect for upcoming summer days, ways to forge family memories more lasting than video game high scores. My 10-year-old son, thumbing through it, exclaimed, "This is so cool. I love this book!" He already picked out the first project he wants to try, "Make Your Own Cartoons." That's the best endorsement you could want.

Must have for any Geek Dad!, May 5, 2010
Received the book yesterday and after the first read the book is great. There are great projects that I will be doing with my son as he grows up. What else is there to say? I highly recommend this book to any parent who enjoys geeky hobbies, and wants to share them with their geeklet. ... Read more

Editorial Review

From the creator of the mentos soda geyser--the viral video sensation--comes a collection of outrageously entertaining science experiments and cool tricks guaranteed to get ooohs and ahhhs!

Author, celebrity teacher and science guy Steve Spangler teaches you how to transform the ordinary into the amazing as you make everyday items ooze, bubble, fizz, and pop! Make people wonder . . . How did you do that?

From flying toilet paper to trash can smoke rings, erupting soda to exploding sandwich bags, the experiments in Naked Eggs and Flying Potatoes will spark your imagination and totally impress your friends. Learn how to astound kids and kids-at-heart with easy and inexpensive experiments like:

Bubbling Lava Bottle
• The Incredible Can Crusher
• Nails for Breakfast
• The Folding Egg
• Quicksand Goo
• Screaming Balloon
• Burning Money

This is not your ordinary book of science experiments. Naked Eggs and Flying Potatoes is a geek-chic look at Spangler's latest collection of tricks and try-it-at-home activities that reveal the secrets of science in unexpected ways. Over 200 color photographs accompany the step-by-step instructions, and simple explanations uncover the how-to and why for each activity.

Make potatoes fly, bowling balls float, and soda explode on command. But don't try these experiments at home . . . try them at a friend's home! ... Read more

Reviews

Excellent Addition to your Child's Library!, September 14, 2010
Dear parents and teachers: Steve Spangler's new book "Naked Eggs and Flying Potatoes" is the best book of science experiments and information I've ever seen, and as an educator with over twenty years' experience, I've seen my share. I believe that the fact that Mr. Spangler was himself a classroom teacher for several years gives him an insight that is missing in other books of this type; he KNOWS how it is, with kids and classrooms and limited time and resources.

Shawn Campbell's pictures make this book even more spectacularly awesome. Just to look at the colorful examples and illustrations will make anyone of any age want to try these experiments himself/herself.

Steve Spangler makes sure we will learn the actual science behind each of his experiments, too. This book isn't just about having fun, blowing things up, and making messes, although those things certainly add to the awesomeness. Yes, you and your kids will have fun, blow things up, and make messes, but you will also understand why. Mr. Spangler is a master teacher who knows how to communicate his love of science and kids, and his audiences and readers sense it and respond accordingly, with that same enthusiasm.

"Naked Eggs and Flying Potatoes" is the kind of book that belongs on every classroom's library shelf and every kid's bedroom bookcase. However, I seriously doubt that the book will stay on the shelf for long; once word gets out, every kid in the building will want to get his/her hands on it and start experimenting. It might even be a good idea to get a second copy to keep in the kitchen; many of the experiments use simple household ingredients that are found in any pantry.

My liking for and enthusiasm about this book are intense. It's absolutely fantastic!

Amazing Science!, September 14, 2010
What is most striking about this amazing book is the number and quality of photographs that are included. Sometimes the most difficult thing about performing an experiment or demonstration is not knowing what it looks like as you do it. This book solves that problem!

I wholeheartedly recommend this book for all parents who are looking for a way to engage their children in something other than digital appliances! I unreservedly recommend this book for teachers who want their students to ask them to "do that again!" in class! Above all, I recommend this book for anyone who just wants to have some fun!

Stunning Book!, September 17, 2010
I've been a fan of Steve Spangler's work for some time. An amazing educator and phenomenal television talent, this Emmy Award-winning, content-rich showman has successfully made the jump from local news to the national scene with numerous appearances on the Ellen DeGeneres show among others. In his new book, Naked Eggs and Flying Potatoes, Steve takes on the herculean task of taking the best of his live experiments and demonstrations, and transferring them to the printed page. He has succeeded in a most dramatic and unexpected way. In crafting this terrific book, Steve Spangler as avoided the low-hanging-fruit of simply transcribing his very effective live TV presentations, and has instead, taken a step back and works to truly explain, not only the step-by-step process of creating the experiments yourself, but the lesson behind the magic. The pictures are stunning, and the process in each experiment is just as engaging as is the payoff. This book not only educates and entertains the reader, but has raised the bar for all future science books - both in and out of the classroom. Bravo!

Amazing Book, September 30, 2010
I own two copies of this wonderful book! I first obtained the printed copy, and thoroughly enjoyed it. So much so, that when iTunes released an enhanced version of it with how-to videos, I purchased it again! My 5-yr old loves the enhanced videos and it encourages her to want to "make magic." My 15-yr old uses the book to select science class projects and refers to the text (and videos of the ebook) to make sure she's doing it correctly. And while I'm not going to divulge *my* age in this forum, suffice it to say grown adults can enjoy this book, too. The "wow!" factor of many of the experiments is wonderful. I'd highly recommend this book! ... Read more

Editorial Review

"A glorious book . . . A spirited defense of science . . . From the first page to the last, this book is a manifesto for clear thought."

�*Los Angeles Times

"POWERFUL . . . A stirring defense of informed rationality. . . Rich in surprising information and beautiful writing."

�*The Washington Post Book World

How can we make intelligent decisions about our increasingly technology-driven lives if we don't understand the difference between the myths of pseudoscience and the testable hypotheses of science? Pulitzer Prize-winning author and distinguished astronomer Carl Sagan argues that scientific thinking is critical not only to the pursuit of truth but to the very well-being of our democratic institutions.

Casting a wide net through history and culture, Sagan examines and authoritatively debunks such celebrated fallacies of the past as witchcraft, faith healing, demons, and UFOs. And yet, disturbingly, in today's so-called information age, pseudoscience is burgeoning with stories of alien abduction, channeling past lives, and communal hallucinations commanding growing attention and respect. As Sagan demonstrates with lucid eloquence, the siren song of unreason is not just a cultural wrong turn but a dangerous plunge into darkness that threatens our most basic freedoms.

"COMPELLING."

�*USA Today

"A clear vision of what good science means and why it makes a difference. . . . A testimonial to the power of science and a warning of the dangers of unrestrained credulity."

�*The Sciences

"PASSIONATE."

�*San Francisco Examiner-Chronicle

... Read more

Reviews

A Candle in the Dark, July 2, 2004
Demons, UFO's, the Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot, fairies and the like are all investigated in this incredible non-fiction book by the late Carl Sagan. Pseudoscience, and those who perpetuate it, find their place in today's society among those who want to believe in the impossible. In fact, Sagan too admits that he would love to find life on other planets, among other things (he was, after all, an advocate of SETI, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence). However, science today has not been able to prove that such things exist. As the book states, "the siren song of unreason is not just a cultural wrong but a dangerous plunge into darkness that threatens our most basic freedoms."

This book challenges the reader to critically scrutinize information professed by supposed experts, and be more of a skeptic. Sagan states early on in the book that "some 95 percent of Americans are scientifically illiterate." By using the scientific method combined with a little bit of logic and common sense, one should find that it is much more difficult to be mentally taken advantage of by pseudoscience "experts." Intelligent inquiry and analysis of information presented, and those presenting it, proves to be an invaluable tool.

Nonetheless, stories regarding crop circles, area 51, and other such nonsense still abound. Sagan runs through various examples and places them under the hypothetical microscope. Once examined more closely, most of these theories and fallacious postulations crumble quite easily. What some people don't realize, and what Sagan points out, is that things just as mysterious and awe-inspiring can be found all around us, and they are indeed factual and are being investigated by those in science fields. We need not look elsewhere to find mysticism and intrigue. People are still trying to completely understand viruses and the molecular building blocks in gas in space, and if people were equally as drawn to understand real phenomena as they are fallacious theories, then more people would be working to unravel the true mysteries that are much more worthy of our efforts.

I truly feel that this is a book everyone should read. Not only does Sagan do an excellent job of attempting to popularize science, but he also tries to teach people how to think for themselves rather than to be force-fed information from less-than-trustworthy sources. The demons in this demon haunted world are both those who perpetuate such celebrated fallacies, as well as those who believe them without question. Sagan attempts to teach, in this book, how to distinguish "real science from the cheap imitation." Indeed, he does just that.

Sagan took the road less travelled......, April 1, 2000
One word: OUTSTANDING.

I read this book over two nights, couldn't put it down, and afterwards was eagerly searching for more of the same. Science at it's best-accurate, timely, well-argued, emotionally and mentally invigorating, spiritually uplifting; and filled with boundless enthusiasm and hope. Like the author, Carl Sagan himself.

This book describes the 'scientific journey'. Alternately curious, cautious, inquiring, uplifting, compassionate, humane, warning, discovering and fulfilling. Topics include UFOs, alien abductions, witches, religion-both good and bad, Roswell, frauds, scientific genuises, skeptical thinking, wishful thinking, deceptive thinking, balanced thinking, belief, superstition, astrology, ESP, myth, and the like; and the role and place of science and scientific inquiry in all of this. For those who think science "destroys" spirituality-does not scientific inquiry with its' abundant curiosity and courageous endeavour accurately describe a spiritual journey to find the truth? Sagan contends, with great clarity and enthusiasm, that it assuredly does. It's just that this scientific journey is not an easy one, neither for the individual, nor humanity, by any means. But when has the attempt to find "truth" and "light" in this complex world of ours, ever been easy? Sagan argues that science and the scientific method is a noble and enlightening endeavour, an unquenchable candle, lit by the human yearning for truth, and able to steer humanity towards truth and goodwill in a world of mists, shadowy truths, and darkness.

For those who wish to open their minds to science and what it has to say about much that goes in this beautiful, yet sometimes dark world of ours, this is the book for you.

This great book (Sagan's last) is a fitting testament to a great man of science. Sagan, who passed away recently, was one of the great communicators of science, and this book is considered by many to be his best.

Reading it was something I'll always cherish.

I wish I could give it Billions Upon Billions of stars!, September 26, 2005
I realize it doesn't make me a cool guy to gush over a scientist, but I can't help it. I love Carl Sagan! I love Carl Sagan's writings. He has that unique combination of both a brilliant mind and the ability to communicate complicated ideas in a simple, straightforward manner. He can write about complicated scientific topics in a way that conveys the beauty and wonder, but doesn't overwhelm or confuse. He can also write about more humanistic topics, such as abortion, politics, and facing his own death.

In Demon Haunted World, he writes about science, about what science is and what science isn't. Whenever you get in debates with religious types, or with those self-appointed geniuses, the philosophy majors, they will always hit you with the fact that science is just another belief system, just like any religion or philosophy. They will tell you science can't answer all the questions and is often wrong. Of course that is true, if you look at science strictly as a body of knowledge. But that is not what science really is. Science is a process. It is a way of approaching the world, a way of formulating and testing hypotheses. If it is just another belief system, then it is a belief system that grows by virtue of challenging its adherents to challenge and disprove the current state of knowledge. It's the only belief system where you have to be a skeptic to be a zealot.

Debunking myths is part of the fun of this book, but an even important aspect to it is investigating how the human mind works and why we are drawn to myths and magical explanations for things in the first place. After all, I get the thrill of pseudoscience, it's fun stuff to believe. But if presented correctly, the truth can be just as thrilling.

Demon Haunted World should be required reading for any first year college student. It is astonishing how many people get through four or five years of higher education without having developed the ability to think critically.

The lack of critical thinking in this country has real consequences. It is the reason that the anchormen on the national news can't convey a story about a scientific or medical topic in a meaningful way. It's the reason that you meet well-educated parents these days who are more concerned about side effects from vaccinations than about the lethal diseases being vaccinated against. It's the reason that parents believe treating their children's depression is more likely to lead to suicide than leaving it untreated. It's the reason the majority of voters in this country voted to elect a President who openly confesses to having a concrete interpretation of the world. Think about that for a second. We have come to the point where adults fail to recognize that seeing things in black and white, all good versus all evil, is a sign of stunted emotional and intellectual development, not a skill to be bragged about. We live in a time when the media tells us that being balanced means presenting peoples opinions from both sides of the political spectrum, as opposed to challenging the statements from an evidence-based, rational perspective.

I love Carl Sagan, I highly recommend this book, and I highly recommend all of his writings.

The final statement of a great man, December 29, 1999
In an age where we are surrounded by psychic hotlines and alien abduction stories, the vast majority of the population is consistently fooled into believing the most absurd of notions. As Sagan beautifully demonstrates, this is not because of our collective intelligence, but a part of human nature. _The Demon-Haunted World_ is easily one of the most important books of this century. High school students should read this book to graduate, at least a little exposure to sense will be advantageous to our growing society. Faces on Mars, aliens, faith healers, and various other practitioners of pseudoscience swirl around us in a pool of credulism and blind faith in the most absurd of Golden Calves. Sagan brings the razor of reason to the face of fallacy and superstition and cuts off delusion and myopic belief. There is perhaps no other person who could have exposed this seldom seen part of the human being. Carl Sagan, the man who loved science so much that he felt in his heart the desire to sing it to the rest of the world, deserves the highest recognition for his accomplishments. I can think of no better than to have _The Demon-Haunted World_ shown to the whole of the world.

Skeptic's Bible, November 16, 2001
Surely no semi-aware person in this unfortunate age of television dumbing down, condescending school textbooks, and widespread ignorance and gullibility fails to note the danger that is inherent in society due to a lack of rational thinking, healthy skepticism, and application of the scientific method among the common folk. This book is a plea to those people, and a "how-to" educate guide to those who do realize and want to do something about it. Perhaps the most interesting chapter in this well-rounded book is "The Fine Art of Baloney Detection" in which Sagan demonstrates a "Baloney Detection Kit" listing the checklist for determining whether or not a particular assertion (whether scientific or not) is Gospel. Conversely, he also wisely offers the companion kit, what NOT to do. Among the other interesting things in this book are convincingly argued debunkings of such annoying to rationalist topics as UFO abductions, astrology, faith healing, chanelling, and their indiscernable ilk. Sagan consistently brings up parallel cases from olden times, i.e. witchcraft mania and demo xenophobia, that show that such fears and paranoia have always been around in different forms. This goes a long way towards exposing them for being fraudelent. Sagan also expounds here his views on such subjects as religion (a very rational argument on their scientific insignifigance, while also pointing out its virtues: a balanced view that should open many eyes, without, perhaps, offending the faithful), public education (corollaried with an abundance of letters Sagan has received from readers on the subject, many of them eye-opening), and politics; many of which I agree with, all of which I can respect. This is a very enlightening and useful book, and an elegant manifesto for the useful application of the scientific method and skeptical and rational thinking in our modern world. It's a shame that Sagan is no longer around to parlay such truth to our all-too-ignorant public. Still, the incredible works that he left behind, including this indispensable book, can still enligten us and perhaps make our world that much better for whatever dose of rationality it can inject into our "demon-haunted", close-minded society: science as a "candle in the dark" indeed.

Life changing book, January 24, 2000
Many are turned off by science since they find it to be cold, desenchanting or even a bit nihilistic. With a clever sense of humor and easy-to read writting style, Sagan proves that science can be an awe-inspiring spiritual experience, when we are confronted with the immense complexity of nature and our universe. He reminds us how to be a good skeptic: one who is open minded to new information, but will only believe after receiving proof. (Which consists of much more than anecdotal evidence )As Sagan states "I believe that the extraordinary should be pursued. But extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." He urges everyone to think skeptically and to express our opinions while being respectfull of others' beliefs. Unfortunately those who would benefit from more skepticism are the ones less likely to pick up this book. It takes courage to abandon the comforts of an "all-loving" ever present god, immortality, and belief in psychic powers in exchange for the truth. However, Sagan shows us how science has greatly improved the quality of life throughout history, and how the systematic search for truth can be more rewarding than blinded-faith. We should be open minded("Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence") without being gullible. And we must remember how "wishfull thinking" does not make something true.

The Best Spent $14.95 In My Life, February 14, 2005
Ok. To keep this as short and simple as I can:
My buddy kept ranting and raving about this book almost in the same way that I am about to convey in this brief recommendation. For months he told me I should pick it up. He's been pedaling it to everyone he considereds close to him, or merely to those who have even a vague interest in science or comprehension of the world around them.
I'm 20 years old. A sophmore in college. In a reflection to how much I THINK I know, or knew rather, I have come to discover just how insignificant my "knowledge" is.

To be blunt: This book is as much an exceptionally incredible gift as it is a curse to self reflection, rational thought, and sketicism.
I've been tortured by the countless internal monologues, views, and arguments spawning from numerous points the author presents in this text. You can't help but think about how it pertains to YOU. What do you think? What do I think?
I think where I am now, or where I was more specifically, is nowhere near where I want to be.

I'm not even into science. I'm a history major. It doesn't matter.You cannot read this book from cover to cover, without getting caught up in Sagan's passion. It's not just about science. It's not just about philosophy. Or knowledge. Or history.

His opinion may vary from yours. In fact, it probably will. He may present views or arguments you choose not to acknowledge or agree with. Once again, it doesn't matter. It is precisely these elements that continually compell me to learn more about who I am and what I think of the world around me.

If I had to choose one book for any of my friends to read from start to finish, this would be the one. So I guess now it's my turn to start pedaling this book to others who might want to enlighten themselves.
And I guess this is my way of doing it.
You're already here. What more do you need to know?

Required Reading for School Boards, March 28, 2002
This was one of the late Carl Sagan's last books, and it is certainly one his most important. We live in a credulous society, a culture that seems to be incapable of critical thinking. That's an extremely dangerous situation. When a majority of U.S. citizens believe in astrology; when a voter can read a newspaper expose' on dial up fortune-telling scams and then dial a 900 number in order to decide what to do; well, it doesn't bode well for our country.

To some extent, Sagan oversold himself in the late 1980's and early 1990's. His eager sincerity was even parodied - "billyuns and billyuns - but he was an engaging science writer and popularizer. In this book he stepped a bit outside of that usual role, and made some critical and important points about our culture. No thoughtful citizen can read this book, look around and fail to be concerned.

I'd make this book required reading, not for students, but for school board members and teachers. If the average citizen is credulous to the point of embarrassment - and that's pretty clearly the case - the solution has to involve the educational system, and especially those in charge. We are not teaching our citizens and future citizens to think critically. In Sagan's phrase, "Extravagant claims require extravagant evidence." For better or worse, the life of the world is logic, and the ability to reason is as important as the ability to read and the ability to do arithmetic. And if you think it's not a problem, you need to read this book, or just attend the public comments portion of a school board meeting, or read the letters to the editor in your newspaper.

You should read this book. You should act on the message of this book. Not just because it is a thoughtful, entertaining treatment of an important issue. But because that issue hasn't gone away; and it seems to be getting worse.

Sagan Sounds a Warning, November 27, 2001
The underlying message of Carl Sagan's "The Demon Haunted World" is twofold. First, that we are becoming an increasingly scientifically illeterate society, and second, that our ignorance of science is a threat not only to the security of our future, but to the freedoms we all enjoy. Sagan spends much of the book debunking so-called psuedo-science (alien abductions, psycotherapy, astrology, etc). He also makes the point that America is doing a very poor job educating its young about the wonders of science. Sagan also castigates the media for not exercising more scepticism in scientific reporting, and, indeed, mostly ignoring hard science altogether.

The book itself is a bit disjointed, with several chapters deriving from expanded magazine articles. Additionally, Sagan pontificates about political issues, and reveals a leftist political bent. He also has a tendancy at times to overemphasize his point. Nevertheless, he has some important points to make, and as a society we would be better off if we paid close attention to many of the issues he raises.

A MUST READ, January 1, 2004
As a science student at university I bought this book expecting it to confirm and perhaps broaden my understanding of sceptical thinking, and how too many people do not employ it. Something that I have found frustrating on many an occasion. I was delighted to find that this book was gave me a terrific insight into why sceptical thinking and science should be employed in every possible way. And how failing to do so can result in the direst consequences.

Sagan devotes much of the first part of the book to the current fad of alien abduction. This is something that becomes a bit drawn out and boring and in my opinion the only flaw of this book. He does so comparing the many similarities to the role of demons in centuries past. He describes one example of how when scepticism is not used people will devise the most wild and unjust thinking which leads such ordeals as witch hunts.

He makes the case that in today's increasingly scientifically dependant western society, people, especially Americans, are abandoning scepticism. Few politicians understand science, and the applicability of it's philosophies. Furthermore the general public is becoming increasingly scientifically illiterate. If this trend continues we could easily slip into another `dark age' of witch hunts.

This book is one of those rare books that I would insist that everyone reads. Far too few people understand that to abandon scepticism, relying upon blind faith and assertions, is to close ones eyes, and abandon all hope of understanding the truth. Demon haunted world is truly a masterpiece. I found it completely engaging, and full of most valuable insights. Demon Haunted world will light the darkness for anyone that reads it. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Do you know how to make something that can tell whether the $20 bill in your wallet is a fake? Or how to generate battery power with simple household items? Or how to create your own home security system?Science-savvy author cy Tymony does. And now you can learn how to create these things - and more than 40 other handy gadgets and gizmos - in Sneaky Uses For Everyday Things. More than a simple do-it-yourself guide, this quirky collection is a valuable resource for transforming ordinary objects into the extraordinary. With over 80 solutions and bonus applications at your disposal, you will be ready for almost any situation. Included are survival, security, self-defense, and silly applications that are just plain fun. You'll be seen as a superhero as you amaze your friends by: Transforming a simple FM radio into a device that enables you to eavesdrop on tower-to-air conversations; Creating your own personalized electronic greeting cards; Making a compact fire extinguisher from items typically found in a kitchen pantry; Thwarting intruders with a single rubber band.By using run-of-the-mill household items and the easy-to-follow instructions and diagrams within, you'll be able to complete most projects in just a few minutes. Whether you use Sneaky Uses For Everyday Things as a practical tool to build useful devices, a fun little fantasy escape, or as a trivia guide to impress friends and family, this book is sure to be a reference favorite for years to come. ... Read more

Reviews

Be a hero to your kid / Do things on the cheap, November 10, 2006
This book isn't / doesn't include 1500 uses for vinegar or how toothpaste gets rid of pimples.

Nope, this book and it's sequel (Sneakier Uses ... ) is chock full of simple gadgets and science experiments you can build in your home using coins, magnets, leaves, etc. Any boy and a lot of girls would love to spend time with a parent, uncle/aunt or godparent putting this Spy Stuff/Survival Equipment/Home Security Systems together.

Included are sneaky sources of power (a battery using coins or fruit); how to scavenge wire (to connect your sneaky battery to something); how to use Mother Nature to help you survive in the wilderness; build radios, amplifiers and wireless microphones (baby monitor?); lights, alarms, telescope. There is also a "Green Lantern" magic ring to control the objects you make.

So let's see: Build useful stuff for the home, office, outdoors; spend time with your kids; teach them some science, creativity, frugality, recycling, how to protect themselves, how to survive. That makes this quite a full package.

When I let one youngster read the table of contents it elicited a series of "ooo's" from him. But you can judge for yourself by using the "Search Inside" feature above.

Just the entry on making your own form-fitting ice pack to place on your strains and sprains makes it worth the price!

As for some previous comments, they are cynical and have no soul and no imagination. They knock the book as nothing more than common sense. I'd like to have seen one make a radio from a toilet paper roll and a penny with no directions, just common sense. I've got a fairly broad science background and it wouldn't occur to me, particularly not in a pinch of, say, no electricity due to approaching hurricane and I want to hear the warning broadcast. Using a plastic bag and plants to get drinking water is common sense? As for web sites, who is going to think: "Gee, I need to fix the chip in this picture frame. I've got some milk. Maybe I can log on and find a web site that will tell me how to make a maleable plastic compound out of milk." Common sense just isn't all that common, anyway.

Compeletely useless, June 9, 2005
With maybe the exception of 5 year olds, this "book" is completely useless. I've had it for 20 minutes and its going in the garbage. Nothing inside this "book" isn't plain ol' common sense. Some of the highlights of this book are:

Using Ordinary Objects as Sneaky Weapons - You can throw coins at an assailant to "stun and throw him or her off balance." Yeah right, that'll work!

Sneaky Wire Sources Are Everywhere - Big surprise, you can use tin foil and speaker wire as spare wire.

Make a Portable Light - Tape a flashlight light bulb to a battery. Wow, that's amazing!

And the most amazing part of the "book":
Capture Break ins On Film - Great project if you don't mind having a large eye sore built next to your door, and the burglar is too dumb to take the disposable camera with him after his picture has been taken.

This is my first time writing a review for anything, but I felt I had for this "book" because its so ridiculous. Even the couple useful things like turning milk into plastic can be found on the web. Obviously the author made up most of this stuff off the top of his head, or found a couple useful things on the web and published it as a "book".

A little silly, but fun, November 18, 2006
This book is a sort of training manual for MacGyver wannabes. It's a collection of low-tech, cheap little projects that one can do in order to simulate "real" technology. You could certainly use some of these in an emergency, which is what the author suggests, but that's not really the point of the book in my view.

The real use would be for kids-- or, even better, kids and parents-- who want to mess around with some every day items in ways they haven't previously, have some fun, and enjoy some "Wow! Look at that!" moments. Had the author designed the book explicitly for that purpose, many of the negative reviews here wouldn't have been written.

So, the book is both pretty silly and enjoyable, but it's not any sort of survival manual. A word of advice: Avoid the sequel; the author used all of his good ideas in this volume.

Silly Rabbit! This book is for kids!, September 25, 2008
Just in case you didn't understand, let me say at the outset, this book was written and is obviously intended for kids. Boys, most likely, and under the age of 10 or 11 is about right.

For THAT audience, this book is actually quite interesting. If you have a Ph.D. in physics, don't buy it. And if you considered the idea, how did you get that Ph.D., again?

Not to be a smarty, or anything, but I'm really surprised at readers trashing this book because it's not useful. The book is meant to put kids into the discovery mode, to see capabilities in things they might not otherwise have seen, to think outside the box, as it were.

And while not all the suggestions here provide the least bit of interest to an adult, I have to wonder why anyone would have bought this book expecting to get a Master's Degree in Science from it. Geez, the title alone is a dead giveaway.

If this book were published by Brown Paper School, a la The Book of Think: Or, How to Solve a Problem Twice Your Size, it would have five stars from everyone. And apart from the marketing, which should put "for kids" or something like on the cover, the book deserves 5 stars.

Personally, while I've no intention of running the experiment, I found it interesting to read about how to extract drinking water from a plant. Remember, "you can survive a month without food, but only a few days without water."

And for curious kids at least, this book is akin to water.

Ranges from Rube Goldberg to Practical in Nature, Especially for Science Projects, September 8, 2006


This small book assembles a considerable range of content. Some of the devices proposed to be constructed (as, for example, a contraption that would photograph an entering burglar) seem so farfetched as to belong to the realm of Rube Goldberg. Others are quite practical. For example, there are simple, helpful tips for foiling intruders and for hiding valuables in homemade safes. A procedure is given for the manual rewinding of cassettes and VCRs. There is a section on survival techniques in the wild. This includes ways of starting a fire, including the use of a sparking arc from an automobile battery.

As a science teacher, I especially appreciate the ideas that can be readily converted into science projects. There are, for example, several different ways that batteries can be made from homemade materials. A homemade telescope can be built. There are various activities that manipulate everyday electronics. There is, for instance, an interesting entry on the modification of an everyday radio so that one can eavesdrop on aircraft pilots' conversations.

Finally, the end of a book contains a list of helpful websites, and books, for further reading.

More for kids, January 5, 2007
The theme of this book is more for kids with nothing to do and have a little MacGyver in them. Not a bad bathroom read, but I don't really see myself ever using more than one or two of the projects described in the book. The theme is more for sneaking around which may be better for child thieves than survival tips.

Not worth it, February 16, 2006
I bought the book for $3 and it may have been too much. If you were awake during 3rd grade science class you have already seen these "sneaky" things. Most of it is common sense, for instance, this gem:

Use ordinary objects as "sneaky" weapons:

You can throw a handful of coins at an attacker's face to stun and throw him or her off balance.

And believe it or not they have an illustration (see figure 1) just in case you forgot how to throw a handful of coins. What a magnificent "sneaky" weapon.

Clever uses for everyday things, March 14, 2006
This is an interesting set of ideas on how to make things with common everyday items; things we would never just think of. Few have an practical applications but they still provide an outlet for imagination and creativity.

must like stores like radio shack, June 15, 2007
This book describes how to make gadgets. If you already know about electricity and magnetism and basic physical science, buy this book and impress your young cousins/nephews/ nieces. there is survival stuff like collecting water from plants, safety stuff like making a fire extinguisher, and cool stuff like building a magnetic ring or wand to do things (hence the radio shack title).

Also a good purchase for budding mad scientist and science teacher.

Greasy Kids' Stuff, March 9, 2007
Color me disappointed. This would be a fun book for pre-teens to early teens, but the Make magazine / Burning Man crowd should stay away. Anyone with a basic grasp of physics or electronics probably won't find much to astound or amaze here. ... Read more

Editorial Review

In the spirit of National Geographic’s top-selling Orbit, this large-format, full-color volume stands alone in revealing more than 200 of the most spectacular images from the Hubble Space Telescope during its lifetime, to the very eve of the 2008 final shuttle mission to the telescope. Written by two of the world’s foremost authorities on space history, Hubble: Imaging Space and Time illuminates the solar system’s workings, the expansion of the universe, the birth and death of stars, the formation of planetary nebulae, the dynamics of galaxies, and the mysterious force known as "dark energy."

The potential impact of this book cannot be overstressed: The 2008 servicing mission to install new high-powered scientific instruments is especially high profile because the cancellation of the previous mission, in 2004, caused widespread controversy. The authors reveal the inside story of Hubble’s beginnings, its controversial early days, the drama of its first servicing missions, and the creation of the dynamic images that reach into the deepest regions of visible space, close to the time when the universe began.

A wealth of astonishing images leads us to the very edge of known space, setting the stage for the new James Webb Space Telescope, scheduled to launch in 2013. Find the stunning panoramic of Carina Nebula, detailing star birth as never before; a jet from a black hole in one galaxy striking a neighboring galaxy; a jewel-like collection of galaxies from the early years of the universe; and a giant galaxy cannibalizing a smaller galaxy.

Timed for the 2008 shuttle launch and coinciding with the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first telescope, Hubble: Imaging Space and Time accompanies a high-profile exhibit at the National Air and Space Museum and will be featured on the popular NASM website. ... Read more

Reviews

HUBBLE:IMAGING SPACE & TIME, October 29, 2008
This is a picture book, beautifully done. This is not a highly technical text but mostly a collection of extraordinary photos from what is arguably the greatest achievement of the US space program. From this relatively small telescope, unhindered by the earth's atmosphere, we have an amazing array of objects that link art with science. Absolutely stunning.

astonishing, November 13, 2008
This is an incredible book showcasing the unbelievable wonders of outer space. Anyone who has looked up into the night sky will love this one. The swirling colors, brilliance, and unimaginable size will give you an awe and appreciation of the vastness and complexity of our universe. It is like looking thru the eyes of God. Each page brings a more brilliant image. Makes one feel pretty humble.

Great pictorial book of Hubble Space Telescope achievements, December 9, 2008
This book provides a very nice overview of the visual achievements of the Hubble Space Telescope. It is a pictorial book, very pleasant to peruse at one's liesure. The text is not in depth as noted by other reviewers but does provide an overview of the telescopes history, on orbit repairs, methods of obtaining obeserving time and some limited science results. Highly recommended visually but lacking a little in textual depth.

Great gift, February 2, 2009
I bought this lovely book as a gift for my engineer husband -- he was thrilled with it. The images are both stunning and eerie. Who knew that just outside our local astral neighborhood there were such amazing sights? In this day of high tech instant gratification it's hard to keep in mind that mysteries and miracles do exist - and it's too easy to take for granted such stellar achievements in the sciences. Pick up this book and leaf through it and that just falls away - you'll be amazed. And humbled.

Hubble: Imaging ..., January 11, 2009
Absolutely glorious. Breaches all the boundaries: physical, spiritual, intellectual. Immerse yourself in it; and for the love of your children, share it with them when they are ready.

Art and Science Merge, January 11, 2009
The artist and the scientist will love this exquisite book that is suitable for all ages. My thirteen-year old grandson, 46 year-old son, and I spent the day after Christmas gently turning the pages of Hubble:Imaging Space and Time, reading some of the text, and being astonished by the photographs. We could not put the book down until we were satiated by its richness.

Illustrated Cosmos, March 28, 2009
This is a large, hardback, heavy book. It is a reference book with tons of illustrations and pictures of distant astronomic objects. It especially covers the origin of the study of astronomy and its transformation by orbiting astronomy. It concentrates on the Hubble Space Telescope, its design and the images it produces.

Hubble Telescope Results, November 1, 2009
The book is an amazing mixture of technical descriptions of the Hubble Telescope, astrophysical phenomena, historical perspectives of the Hubble project (a story in itself) as well as of the development of the astronomical knowledge in the past and last but not least wonderfull pictures of what is normally hidden in the sky.
The book ist worth every penny I spent for it with Amazon (and I paid very little).
J.Benn

Hubble. This amateur astronomer sees what fantastic images are, October 30, 2009
Hubble Imaging Space and Time is fantastic. This is essentially a coffee table picture book. The images are fantastic. There is good description. As an amateur astronomer for 40 years I get good views with my 20 inch telescope but NOTHING can compare to the beautiful and detailed pictures in this book. A good assortment of images is offered.I go to a few star parties and give backup presentations to school kids if the clubs telescopes get clouded out and the kids cant see anything. This book will be great for showing both kids and grownups the wonders of the universe. This book is great for parents to show their kids and read desriptions. Both will love this book and hopefully want to learn more about the Universe and Astronomy.

I am so thankful for the scientists, government workers and everyone throughout the world that made the use of the Hubble possible. The Hubble is indeed a world treasure. One of mankinds technological masterpieces.

A great book!, August 20, 2009
For anyone interested in the Hubble Space Telescope, this is an enthralling read... But above all it's a breathtaking tour through some of the most exquisite images ever captured of the cosmos. I've thumbed through lots of Hubble and cosmology books, but this beats all. A must-have for astronomers and cosmologists. Huge detailed photos and lots of fascinating technical information. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Excellent resource, July 17, 2008
Although there are many books on writing research or term papers, I have not found anything else which brings together material on planning, reasoning and writing the research paper as well as this book. Ignore any reviewers who make this book out to be a simplistic text. It is an excellent work on well reasoned writing that even most graduate students can benefit greatly from reading. As a professor of a graduate class on Research and Writing, I have recommended and required this book for several years. The book guides the reader from an idea of a topic, to defining a question, to formulating the conceptually signifcant research problem. It briefly covers finding, evaluating and using primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. Then a major portion of the book is devoted to understanding effective reasoning in the writing process. This is based quite a bit on professor Stephen Toulmin's practical approach to effective reasoning and argumentation. The Craft of Research diagrams and explains claims, reasons, evidence and warrants. It has detailed illustrations of warrants and when to use them, as well as how to challenge them. The book has other sections on organizing, drafting,and revising a paper. It also has a chapter on communicating information visually using tables, graphs and charts. Rather than focusing on the simple mechanics or obvious steps in writing a serious research paper, this book concentrates on the more difficult tasks of clearly defining the conceptual problem and addressing it with in depth, effective reasoning.

The best guide to research and writing on the market today, July 24, 2008
I read this book about a month before I submitted my dissertation (in U.S. history) and it convinced me to completely rewrite my introduction. That experience left me kicking myself for thinking I was too advanced for these sorts of guides and for not consulting this book earlier. The sections on formulating a topic (how to turn a general interest into a question/problem to be researched) and warrants (how to match claims to evidence) are especially helpful. Make no mistake about it, this book can help researchers at all levels, and I have had many students, both undergraduate and graduate, tell me how happy they were that they took my advice to read this book.

Disappointing, December 8, 2008
The third edition of this classic text pales when compared to the second edition. Many of the changes are cosmetic in nature and often blur what was clearly and succinctly stated in the second edition. For example, rearranging paragraphs within chapters often detract from what were logical sequences of ideas and information found in the second edition. Unfortunately, the authors, sans Booth, appear to abandon their own advice in order to create a new edition that will bolster sales. I hope the fourth edition, if there is a fourth edition, returns to the high standards one comes to expect from the University of Chicago and its press.

Good Antidote for "Just the Facts" Writing, September 20, 2008
We all respect scientists--even budding science students--for their commitment to accuracy and objectivity. Sometimes our strengths are also our weaknesses. Beginning scientists can naively believe that their writing only needs to report the facts, that anything further is bias, sophistry or even dishonesty. This book lays out the path to a better writing style. Readers will learn how to arrange and present their facts and evidence as coherent arguments. As a result, they will better serve their own readers.

The table of contents, outlined below, shows that the authors cover more than putting fingers to keyboard. Introductory chapters discuss the perspective and information needs of readers and how to connect with them. The authors address development of one's own authentic authorial "voice"--a topic often neglected in books about research writing. The next four chapters teach us how to conceptualize a research question, then find relevant and credible sources of information to answer it. The third edition contains a needed revision of the authors' earlier avoidant stance on the credibility of web-based information, containing good guidance for weeding flakey from factual online sources.

Chapter 7, "Making Good Arguments: An Overview," is the keystone chapter and a relatively quick read at eleven pages. It's where to focus when deciding whether to read the rest of the book. The authors define their working vocabulary of arguments, reasons, evidence, claims and warrants. In this and the following four chapters they show us how to use these concepts to present our points and how to acknowledge and respond to positions with which we disagree. They demonstrate how to do this with integrity as well as skill.

The final six chapters address the actual writing of a research report. Much of the advice on planning, drafting and revising is standard and consistent with other writing guides. Some, such as advice on graphical presentation of data, is an overview of information covered more thoroughly in other books (e.g., Tufte's Envisioning Information). But there is also a great deal of guidance on revising and fine-tuning arguments that is unique to these authors and their framework of written arguments. The closing chapter on style will help writers create clear and understandable structure while following their own authorial style. Recognizing they have presented only an introductory measure of what good writers need to know, the authors close with a comprehensive bibliography of readings, both online and in print.

This book, thoughtfully read and put into practice, is as good as a course in professional writing. Read it, underline in it, bend back the page corners, and keep it nearby when you write your next report.

--

Brief Table of Contents

I. Research, Researchers and Readers
- 1. Thinking in Print: The uses of Research, Public and Private
- 2. Connecting with Your Reader: (Re-)Creating Yourself
II. Asking Questions, Finding Answers
- 3. From Topics to Questions
- 4. From Questions to a Problem
- 5. From Problems to Sources
- 6. Engaging Sources
III. Making a Claim and Supporting It
- 7. Making Good Arguments: An Overview
- 8. Making Claims
- 9. Assembling Reasons and Evidence
- 10. Acknowledgements and Responses
- 11. Warrants
IV. Planning, Drafting and Revising
- 12. Planning
- 13. Drafting Your Report
- 14. Revising Your Organization and Argument
- 15. Communicating Evidence Visually
- 16. Introductions and Conclusions
- 17. Revising Style: Telling Your Story Clearly
V. Some Last Considerations

Wonderful, concise resource for students and researchers, August 21, 2008
Have you ever faced a blank computer screen and were at a complete loss of what you should write about for a 10-page research paper due the next week? Or maybe you knew what you wanted to write about but didn't know how to start? Or maybe you had all your sources, wrote out a draft and realized that no one cares if The Great Gatsby illustrates the three Aristotelian elements of a tragedy?

The Craft of Research helps students and researchers solve dilemmas like these and more. The authors dissect the anatomy of a research paper and create step-by-step stages that guide you all the way from choosing a topic to polishing your final product.

The major sections of this book address how to form a good research claim that your readers will care about; how to find and evaluate sources; how to support your claim with evidence, reasons and warrants; and how to prepare, draft and revise your paper. The authors use simple and clear language, and if that's not enough, they provide easy-to-understand visuals and diagrams to help make their point.

The authors also cover useful areas such as ethics (why you must always cite even when just discussing an idea of another writer's), the Internet (when it's acceptable to use web-based sources), and visuals (why 3-D graphs are a bad idea).

Sure, some of the advice they provide you may already know, but as the authors cover nearly everything to do with research papers (albeit in a generalized way), there's something for everyone. It's also nice to have a guide that will remind you of everything you learned in your freshman English classes. Clear, concise, and accessible, the Craft of Research is one of the best books on research.

Great book for the beginner researcher or undergrad who needs help with understanding research, especiallly the first 4 chapters, May 7, 2009
This book has been a wonderful help, easy to read and understand. I am working on my dissertation and need help with writing my comprehensive exams and my project proposal. I had so many questions and this book was recommended by someone on my committee. What a life saver for me!

A classic, October 29, 2008
I used the 2nd edition of this book and it got me through writing my honors thesis, and now that I'm in grad school I've found it useful, as have many of my colleagues. Sometimes it really helps to work your ideas out step by step - and this technique works whether you're using print or electronic resources. I find the authors' style to be candid and refreshing, and their approach can make any scholarly writing feel more doable. And while some people (like Freston) may find this book too elementary in its approach, I will say that in my experience as an editor of my department's working papers, I have found that many good papers could be made great if there was a bit more attention paid to the seemingly simple advice in this book like properly introducing data and clearly stating your focus. This book isn't just about becoming a better writer, it's also about becoming a better thinker.

For both scientific and humanities research, January 17, 2009
This is a well-written book primarily intended for researchers in the humanities. However, as someone who conducts research both in humanities and basic science, I found the book provided a useful perspective on scientific research. While the methods and method-specific questions are usually idiosyncratic to a field, the timeless question that the book poses: "What additional insight into [insert field here] does [insert novel work here] give me?" and the authors' meditations on how to approach it are well-worth the price of the book.

Great resource for graduate students, June 25, 2008
This book provides a wonderful introduction for graduate students embarking on their first research project. I use it every year in my classes. No matter what the field, students will find helpful advice on how to pick a research question and how to evaluate evidence. Invaluable!

Mandatory for academic research, optional for anything else, February 15, 2010


This book is literally a classic because it thoroughly covers the challenges involved in basic academic research. It is intended as a course between covers on academic researchers. It covers formulation of issues and questions, determining and finding stories, making your claims and how to write and support them. Overall, it will be of use to anyone who is new to academic research and writing.

It is not a guide to sources nor a treatise on using particular resources. Rather it is more along the line of teaching principles of effective research and academic writing.

It serves students well, but is lacking for those with real-world research needs, such as in business and law.

Overall, like so many academic style guides, a nice book to keep on the shelf if you are outside of academia, but not a necessary one.

Jerry
... Read more

Editorial Review

For folks who wonder why they keep tossing odds and ends in that junk drawer in the kitchen, Sneakiest Uses for Everyday Things offers evidence that technology doesn't always have to come from Best Buy, Amazon.com, or Microsoft." --U.S. News and World Report

* Putterers, would-be inventers, and science-fair parents rejoice as Cy Tymony offers fifty new projects to bring out your inner MacGyver.

In the third book in Cy Tymony's Sneaky Uses series you will learn how to turn a piece of paper into a Frisbee, a business card into a boomerang, a TV tray into a robot, and more.

* Beginning with a complete list of materials and continuing through easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions paired with helpful illustrations, most projects will be completed in just minutes using common items found around the house.

* Teachers, parents, scout leaders, and enterprising youngsters will use their ingenuity to turn ordinary, everyday objects into something extraordinary, like a pencil into a microphone, Walkman ear buds into an intercom, or a telephone cord into a motor. The book also includes bonus alternative-energy projects and a foreword by NPR's Science Friday host Ira Flatow. ... Read more

Reviews

Lots of projects and lots of fun, July 1, 2008
As someone who's never been too adept at science or really enjoyed it all that much, I got my first taste of sincere, scientific satisfaction when I swallowed up Sneakiest Uses. These little projects are so simple, and they work! Now I find I'm curious about the inner-workings of all kinds of things, and I'm just hoping my boyfriend doesn't catch me taking apart the microwave.

Fun book, December 3, 2008
My husband got the first book a while back for himself, but wasn't disappointed when he found it was a better book for our kids, so I got this one just to top out my last order for free shipping. I'm glad I did.
It's as good as the first one, with a lot of simple and non-intimidating projects for the beginning maker, and a lot of them are done with things you can find around the house easily, or ask your friends for.
Like the first book, a lot of the projects have room for improvement, which I think is a great thing, it inspires people to think a little more, to mess around a bit, and see what they can come up with, and feel like they really did something themselves. My 13 yo daughter likes it a lot, and we've planned on trying some of the projects together.

Deceptive Title and Worthless Information, January 28, 2010
Simply put, this book is meant to put first graders to sleep. The projects are simple, impractical, and boring. How do you create a "sneaky" mini-boomerang out of cardboard? Cut a "V" out of the cardboard and there you go! Plainly uninformative. How do you create a robot? 4 ice cube trays, 12 Pringles containers, and an electric clock. That's not science!

I read MAKE magazine and I suppose I was looking for something along those lines when I ordered this book. Based on the title, I ordered the book as a gift for a kid, but never gave it. It was just a disappointment. Just because you put "sneaky" in front of a word, like oragami or jacket, does not make it so.

The Sneaky, Sneakier and Sneakiest Uses Trilogy, December 30, 2009
This review is for all three books in this series. The first note is they are clearly written for the 13 year old and under crowd. For them, it should stimulate the creative scientific gene in them, and open their imaginations to harmless scientific experimentation. So if there is a young burgeonoing, tinkering youngster in your life, these books could be the spark to spur them into some educational fun.

EXCELLENT IDEAS ON EVERY PAGE!, February 4, 2009
I bought all three of these books and have read them all. They are very interesting and a great idea for a rainy day. If you buy one you should buy them all. These are some of the most entertaining set of books I have ever read. I highly recommend them!

Great Guy Gift, January 18, 2009
This was given as a Christmas present and it has brought a lot of laughs and some serious tinkering. Fun!

worst book in the sires, November 20, 2007
This book stinks! projects like sneaky balecers went on and on. most projects were lame. I wouldn't have given this book two stars if it didn't hve sneaky robots. so spead your mouny on something other than this. ... Read more

Editorial Review

In the spirit of Discovery Channel's MythBusters and Smash Lab, Popular Science columnist Theo Gray demonstrates fundamental scientific principles through wacky, daredevil experiments that will have readers exclaiming, "Holy !!*$#!!" Witness as he makes subatomic radioactive particles dance in a cloud chamber, mixes sodium and chlorine to create a smoke that will salt a super-sized bag of popcorn, adds 500 pounds of quicklime to water to create a homemade hot tub, builds a liquid battery out of copper sulfate, launches a rocket with a Snickers bar, and uses liquid nitrogen to make a gallon of ice cream in record time. These are just a few of the 52 extreme experiments brought to life by Theo Gray in Mad Science.

Culled from his column "Gray Matter," which has been a favorite of Popular Science readers for years, these experiments have been expanded to include even more of the fascinating science behind them, as well as hundreds of additional images. Every experiment is accompanied by stunning full-color photographs that provide a front-row seat to split-second chemical reactions and glorious subatomic activity. Gray's writing is fresh, hip, and makes the science exciting and easy to understand. Not only are the experiments visually arresting, each one explains a fascinating principle of elemental science in a unique and irresistibly compelling way.

Mad Science is the perfect book for anyone—of any age, who is fascinated by all things electrical, chemical, or explosive, and who loves a vicarious thrill.
... Read more

Reviews

Comments from a 13-year-old and an 88-year-old retired physicist, April 16, 2009
Who among us hasn't wanted to blow something up? I lent my copy of this book to a very distinguished 88-year-old who made pioneering measurements of the properties of single crystal metals. A week later I dropped in to see him.

"I read the whole thing," he reported. "Every page. This guy is telling people how to do really DANGEROUS things! It's great! I just hope no one gets killed."

Reminded by Gray's alkali metals explosions, he was eager to tell me about the time he himself threw a chunk of sodium into the stream near his house. He was 12 years old. It was 1933. ("We could get that sort of thing then; kids today can't. I took it from my brother's chemistry set when he was off at college.")

"The explosion was enormous, much bigger than I expected. Glass pieces flew all around my head. I could have been killed." He paused, a big smile on his face. "I never told my mother."

The rest of our conversation focused on how today's kids just don't get to tinker and experiment with materials the way we did in his day, and even in mine. He thinks the best thing about this book is that the excitement gets captured in Theo Gray's words (which are often funny) and the GREAT pictures; maybe reading this book can give kids -- and even adults who missed this part of growing up -- a feel for what those of us who survived those childhoods remember most fondly about them.

Shortly after that conversation I was talking with a woman whose 13-year-old son bought a copy. He, too, read the whole thing. But he got mad when he realized that he couldn't really repeat these experiments in their kitchen. (I guess he'll just have to sign up for chemistry lab, if any school still has one.)

So there they are -- 75 years apart in age: both read it from cover to cover and want to tell all about it. What more recommendation do you need? You don't even have to hear what I think. (But I'll tell you anyway: this is THE ULTIMATE GIFT BOOK and you should start by giving it to yourself.)

Reading never killed anyone; the only way this book can kill you is from laughing. (And if you really must repeat any of the experiments, Gray is actually VERY CAREFUL to point out what the risks are and how to avoid them).

These experiments aren't done with household items, May 10, 2009
It's a great book with great content--lots of large colorful photos and a variety of labs will definitely keep you interested. However, don't get too excited! You're not going to be able to do a majority of these experiments with common household items. Most of the labs require chemicals, metals, and parts that the average family would not possess. So if you're just curious and wanna play with chemistry, this isn't the best book for you. You'll be able to admire the concepts and pictures, but you won't get to carry out the actual experiments without access to some uncommon materials (which can be ordered online of course).

And this book is for those who "know what they're doing".

Best present ever, April 23, 2009
This book is one that your kids (or husbands) will treasure forever. It contains some of the most exciting things in chemistry they could "safely" do (with supervision...) After buying one copy, we are buying a dozen more as gifts.

Good information but not what I expected, October 26, 2009
This book is informative and interesting. It is well written and the it is perfect addition for any hobby area. That said, I was disappointed. Not only should you probably not do the experiments listed in this book, you can't. Some of the experiments call for chemicals not even available to the public without special licenses or permits... The experiments that can be done still require some very expensive equipment (Milling machines, Blast shields, and other chemicals available from the Mad Science website).

"Experiments You'd Like to Do But Can't", September 9, 2010
The subtitle of this book is, "Experiments You Can Do At Home But Probably Shouldn't." A better subtitle would be, "Experiments You Would Like to Do At Home But Can't."

The experiments look totally cool, so I bought the book. I wanted to make the proposed Lightning Pattern. But the first item on the supply list is"Van de Graff static electric machine." Oh well, next experiment: "How to Make and Break Glass." Cool! Supply list for this experiment: Glass maker's furnace! Next? "How to Make a Match." Sounds good. Supply list: Red phosphorous, a chemical which, the book warns, is a federal crime to have in private possession.

The few remaining viable experiments are quite cool to quickly read about, so it would make a good book to check out of a library rather than purchase.

Danger, Danger, Danger...the fun kind you won't actually need to be in!, May 1, 2009
This is a beautifully-photographed and illustrated book rife with the kind of elemental wizardry we all wished our chemistry and physics professors had the guts (and liability insurance) to demonstrate. Why see it on the Discovery Channel, et. al. when you can hold nearly 50 wild and crazy experiments safely in your hands, living vicariously as Theo Gray risks poking an eye out or melting the earth just below his feet. This book was so fun that I experienced every experiment in one read! And now I'll get to relive the details I found literally humorous with more friends and family. An impressive collection of scientific mayhem!

Beautiful book, great pics, interesting ideas, but largely impractical, November 23, 2009
If you like learning about science, you may love this book. Adam Savage of Mythbusters calls it "... a magnificent book". If you want to do some simple science by yourself and you don't have a large bankroll, look elsewhere.

Most of the experiments presented are simply impractical for 'normal' people to perform. One experiment shows how to use magnetic force to physically shrink coins. Sounds neat? It is! Unfortunately, it requires 1700 pounds of flash capacitors, a bank of enormous discharge resistors, and a 1/2 thick blast containment enclosure. Not something most people are likely to have laying around. Other experiments require arc welding rigs, plasma cutters, deuterium (heavy water), and other esoterica. In other words, many of the experiments are simply too expensive/impractical for most people to tackle.

Other experiments include the use of such chemicals as white phosphorous and cyanide, chlorine gas, and many other reactive materials. While the experiments can be very dramatic, many of not most of them are extremely, and I mean extremely dangerous. For example, at least two experiments use the thermite reaction. Thermite is simple stuff: Mix rust and aluminum oxide together (in approximate proportions-it's not real picky), and ignite. Simple-you bet. Dangerous? And how! He cautions to have a fire extinguisher around, and while it is generally a good idea, it is almost totally useless in this case, because the thermite reaction cannot-repeat cannot-be stopped once it has started, because it generates it's own Oxygen. Thermite melts through steel quite easily. Railroads use the reaction to weld railroad rails together, and the military uses it to destroy enemy canons and tanks. The Mythbusters used a ton of thermite to literally cut a car in half.

So, if you like watching Mythbusters, this book is for you. If you want to DO some science, plan on finding another book, unless you have lots of space and money. And NEVER let a kid who has access to some money see this book.

Should be titled "Experiments You Probably _Can't_ do at Home", October 7, 2009
This is a beautiful, fun, inspiring, and thoroughly entertaining book, but it's also filled with experiments requiring either heavy machining equipment or substances that you need a license to buy. You could only do these experiments at home if you also have a machine shop in that home. Mr Gray probably has all the equipment in his basement, but most folks don't.
For those looking for cool stuff to do with kids, the "sneaky uses for everyday things" books are a better source, if less entertaining in their own right.

Very good read, very interesting, July 6, 2009
This book clearly explains a variety of experiments and the danger levels of each. While most are listed as more dangerous than you should try at home, even those are clearly explained in case you decide to try it out. Good reading even if you don't want to risk doing any.

Mad Science, May 27, 2009
My wife is a science teacher so I bought the book for her. But I would not let her have it until I had read it cover to cover first. Thoroughly enjoyable and informative. I learned several things I did not know. The only thing bad thing I can say is that there were not enough experiments to do at home. Great book. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran is internationally renowned for uncovering answers to the deep and quirky questions of human nature that few scientists have dared to address. His bold insights about the brain are matched only by the stunning simplicity of his experiments -- using such low-tech tools as cotton swabs, glasses of water and dime-store mirrors. In Phantoms in the Brain, Dr. Ramachandran recounts how his work with patients who have bizarre neurological disorders has shed new light on the deep architecture of the brain, and what these findings tell us about who we are, how we construct our body image, why we laugh or become depressed, why we may believe in God, how we make decisions, deceive ourselves and dream, perhaps even why we're so clever at philosophy, music and art. Some of his most notable cases:

• A woman paralyzed on the left side of her body who believes she is lifting a tray of drinks with both hands offers a unique opportunity to test Freud's theory of denial.
• A man who insists he is talking with God challenges us to ask: Could we be "wired" for religious experience?
• A woman who hallucinates cartoon characters illustrates how, in a sense, we are all hallucinating, all the time.

Reviews

An excellent, readible account of mind and brain study, July 23, 2002
Phantoms in the Brain is not only a marvelous narrative of the quirky facets of the brain and the mind, it is also a good illustration of the advances made in neurology over the past 30 years. Indeed if you take into account the extensive career of Freud, who was himself a neuro-anatomist prior to pursuing his medical profession, neurology and neuropsychology have well over a 150 years behind them.

In the book The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat, written in the 1970 and reprinted a number of times since, Oliver Sacks illustrates peculiar neurological deficits arising from various insults to the brain, from tumors to strokes and seizures. Although he can pinpoint the areas of brain compromise that cause the patient's problems and, like Freud, give the reader some theory as to what aspect of the "self" is effected, he does little beyond this. In Phantoms of the Brain, Ramachandran recounts numerous colorful stories, but develops a theory of what level of brain function is the cause of the observed deficits, then proceeds to test his theory with further study, making the "self" a topic of research. In the true spirit of scientific research he publishes his findings and elicits input from fellows in the field. Where there is a discrepancy, he and others conduct further research to illuminate the findings and integrate the data into the overall theory. While he freely admits that a true science of the mind is in its infancy, he also points at the major advances made since Freud's work.

One of the things I found most unique about the author's style is that he points out the pertinent contributions in the works of other, often earlier researchers, particularly Freud. It seems to have become fashionable to treat Freud and his work with great disrespect, ignoring that he was a man of his times and very progressive in his thinking for that time. Not all of his work is useless, particularly that in neuro-anatomy, and as is often the case in science, as more research is done today it may be found that some of his theoretical work is less faulty than has been thought. Ramachandran gleans the traces of gold from the mine of Freud's work and integrates them into his own.

The author's writing style is conversational and clear. He appears to be a natural teacher, making the work obtainable for any person with average reading skills. It might make a good book for showing high school students how problems in science are outlined and tested, especially in health care sciences. It's colorful stories of people and their problems should arrest the attention of the high school student, perhaps orienting them to a career in science. For those interested in mind and consciousness, the book is a good example of the research being done by biologists-as opposed to artificial intelligence professionals and philosophers like Roger Penrose and Daniel Dennett-and makes it obvious that there is still a long way to go in this fascinating field.

An Especially Good Intro to the Brain and its Quirks, August 15, 2002
I bought this book not long after my father was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme. Like most people, I had no idea what a brain tumor really is and especially what a GBM IV is. To this day I wish I had never learned that term.

But this book was a great help to me as I tried to learn more about the brain's structure and how it works. This is an easy to read book with some very helpful illustrations. It demonstrates the brain's functions by showing its quirks. It is well written and easy (and surprisingly FUN) to read.

There is also a helpful bibliography and suggested reading list at the end of the book for those who wish to delve more deeply into the subject. But it is important to know that you don't need any background at all in the brain to enjoy this book.

I had no understanding of brain structure beyond what the doctors told me in describing the locations of my father's tumor. This book helped me understand the changes in my fathers abilities and behavior as the tumor destroyed different portions of his brain until it finally ended his life.

Honestly, this is a very good book and I think you will get a great deal from it.

I'm a Cognitive Neuroscientist and..., March 22, 2002
...I think Ramachandran is the most brilliant, creative Neuroscientist in the field. Sure, he is very popular, along with many other science writers. But if you aren't paying attention, you might not see that he is to our field what Mozart, Picasso, and Einstein were to theirs. And this book is both a masterpiece and a magnum opus. Here are some reasons to be so keen on Ramachandran:

Many, many neuroscientists pick "safe" topics and stick with variants upon a theme all their lives. The work is often valuable, but it is not exactly akin to a spectator sport. Ramachandran, in contrast, chooses "sexy" topics to study.

Most neuroscientists write primarily for their scientific peers. Ramachandran (with Blakesee) has written a book that is at once valuable to his peers and fascinating to everyone. And if you've ever seen Ramachandran speak (either to scientists or the general public), you know what I'm talking about, and you know that the book is not a fluke.

Ramachandran does not think like other neuroscientists. Most neuroscientists pick a topic or area of the brain, and then do systematic, parametric, sensible experiments to map and test the minute details of their theory. There's usually lots of data collection and data analysis. But Ramachandran has a knack for creating "breakthrough" experiments routinely. In these experiments, the answer to a sexy question comes instantly, dramatically, and powerfully. Such creative, intuitive genius is extremely rare. Trust me, we'd all like to do science this way.

I hope that we can appreciate that Ramachandran incorporates a wide variety of worldviews as he creates gem after gem. He is from the great culture that was and is southern India; he is a medical doctor and neurologist; he is a reknowned perceptual and cognitive neuroscientist who trained with master academics in England; and he is passionately insightful about art. I've heard people compare Ramachandran to mystics, healers and others. The cult status is of course a little ridiculous. But the enthusiasm is understandable. And the book is wonderful. I recommend it!

Ramachandran's "Phantoms", December 15, 2000
If you have read books by Oliver Sacks, M.D. (e.g., The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat), this book is in the same genre and is equally interesting and worthwhile. If you haven't--both Sacks and this author are neurologists who do the rest of us a considerable and fascinating favor by telling us about their patients. (Also, maybe you saw the movie, Awakenings, that starred Robin Williams as Sacks, and Robert DeNiro as one of his patients)

Both Sacks and Ramachandran arrange their patient stories under topical headings intended to elucidate the way the brain and body (especially the senses) work together, and also the nature of human personality and even consciousness itself. Ramachandran writes with great clarity, kindness and humor, and his origins in India and Hinduism provide a gently-presented, less-western point of view.

His book also contains some simple but amazing mind-body experiments you can do on yourself and with friends (really). In one, you will become convinced that the top of the desk in front of you is part of your body, since you will feel it when another person touches the desk. Those of you interested in religion will find the chapter "God and Limbic System" especially fascinating. And no, the purpose of his chapter is not to denigrate or analyze away religious experience, but to better understand it, and what it means to be human.

The best popular neurology book, March 13, 2000
I read this book at a clip of several hundred pages per day. It beats most fiction for excitement and provides the impetus to read more in neurology. Neurology is truly a science and this book asks the right questions about consciousness, perception, and mental "health." I have cleaned out the library shelves on neurology and only wish there were more books like this one. The section on body image is particularly interesting--could the technique described in this book be used to help treat eating disorders and the like? It also provides a fresh perspective on the much-discussed dual-brain theory. Enjoy.

stimulating, January 28, 2002
"What we call rational grounds for our beliefs are often extremely irrational attempts to justify our instincts. "
Thomas Huxley

VS Ramachandran shot to prominence with his explanation for the "phantom limb syndrome" (which occurs when people continue to vividly experience the amputated part of their body). VSR found that the experience of the phantom limb arises because the brain area which normally controls the (now amputated) limb gets invaded by neurons from neighbouring regions of the brain. Thus when the region formerly devoted to sensing the arm is invaded by neighbouring neurons which respond to face stimulation, the amputee feels his arm when he is stroked across the face. A striking example of such remapping was found in a man who experiences during sexual intercourse the orgasms in his phantom foot - since genitals are in the brain's body map right next to the foot, the nerve cells from the genital area take over the region formerly occupied by the "foot neurons" resulting in migration of the orgasm into the phantom foot. This makes one wonder about the basis of foot fetishes in normal people....

There are many intriguing chapters on blindsight, the concept of "self" and the issue of qualia, so beloved of neurophilosphers. Where the book is at its strongest, however, is when R. draws directly on his clinical experience. He tells scores of amazing stories of patients with symptoms and syndromes which affected their perception, conceptualization, self-awareness and self-knowledge. This book succesfully shows us that conscious mind is simply a thin facade for the (mostly unconscious "self") - that there is a huge gray space between seeing and knowing, of which we are completely unaware.

One especially intriguing issue is that of religious experience. It has been long known that people with temporal lobe epilepsy often "find God". Temporal lobes of the brain are the interface between perception and action and what strikes R. is the closeness between emotional centers of the brain (such as the amygdala), centers devoted to memory (the hippocampus) and sensory areas of the temporal cortex. An epileptic fit might "kindle" - reinforce - connections between these brain areas so that communication between them would be increased and people would experience all events (as well as themselves) as imbued with deep significance. Everything in the universe would be seen as conscious and be "carried by a universal tide to the shores of Nirvana". In contrast, a patient with Cotard's syndrome feels so emotionally remote from the world that he will actually make the absurd claim that he is dead or that he can smell his flesh rotting. What this book provides us with, therefore, is an intimate peek into how fragile our reality constructs are and how grateful we should be to these few pounds of gelatinous flesh for the constant reality checks (and un-checks) that they provide us with.

There are other fine popular books by prominent brain scientists(Damasio, Churchland, LeDoux and Crick come to mind). I think Ramachandran surpasses them all with his extraordinary experimental ingenuity and curiosity which drive him far away from the ivory tower of clinical science and all the way down to the greener pastures inhabited by psychoanalysis and religion.

Whatever she did, Sandra Blakeslee did an excellent job in making the book readable and enjoyable

Brilliant Stuff, December 29, 1998
Anyone looking for a new paradigm for consciousness should read this book, in particular anyone without any prior knowledge of neural science. The book is full of the latest discoveries about how the brain works, including several experiments you can perform by yourself or with friends. In particular, I found that the experiment which the author(s) have you perform on yourself with your blind spot particularly discombobulating, as you watch as your mind "fills in" missing information, and even "hallucinates" things that aren't there. You're left feeling that you can't even trust your own eyes! The final chapter is particularly important, and required reading for anyone interested in how neural science affects our understanding of consciousness and self.

My only complaint is that the book seems schizophrenic; it is scientific, but constantly needs to reassure us as if it were afraid that a purely scientific understanding of our lives is somehow inimical to our artistic selves. The book continually quotes Shakespeare. I'm not sure if that's because the book has two authors, that Ms. Blakeslee was brought in to soften up the science a bit. It often seems as if there's a phantom author.

Even so, it's enjoyable can't-put-it-down reading and contains several important points which should add significantly to your understanding of your brain works and consciousness itself.

Where'd those clubbed fingers go?, December 8, 2004
On page 7, talking about lung cancer and clubbing of the fingers, Ramachandran/Blakeslee say "Remarkably, this telltale sign disappears instantly on the operating table as the surgeon removes the cancer." I know this not to be true, but I was already very impressed with the book. This kept bothering me until by page 100 or so, I decided to check out the author a little. He appeared to have exemplary credentials. Then that very afternoon the new issue of Discover Magazine arrived and I found him mentioned twice, one of those times in a short feature.

In the preface, he says, "When writing a popular book, professional scientists always have to walk a tightrope between making the book intelligible to the general reader, on the one hand, and avoiding oversimplification, on the other, so that experts are not annoyed." Maybe the instantly cured clubbed fingers fit into this category. He also says, "Some of the cases I describe are really composites of several patients, including classics in the medical literature." Perhaps this explains it.

Possibly it was the journalist, Blakeslee, who decided to make the situation somewhat more interesting, but then one has to consider that other conclusions may be a little enhanced.

Be that as it may, this book presents remarkable data. It reads like a detective story and describes an empathetic doctor who has lots of rapport with his patients as he tries to help them deal with their unique problems. The book gives an excellent review of brain anatomy and function. The first 20 pages summarizes aspects of the scientific method so well, I was enthralled. As I kept reading, I found out that someone with a keen mind using curiosity, simple observations, and prop-like equipment could still uncover new scientific data.

Other reviewers have eloquently described the contents, and I urge you to read them. Despite my criticism, this book deserves a "5", and should add to anyone's knowledge about consciousness and how the mind works.

Closeness to Spirituality, March 18, 2000
Recent trends of neurology being close to spirituality as reflected in the works of Sir Charles Sherrington, Gray Walter and others finds a new perspective in this book. Ramachandran has hinted at this closeness at various places of his book and gives a clue that the day is not far when many spiritual problems of man can be found to have a deep relation with his neurological constitution.

Its refreshing to see a new light thrown on this subject. Ramachandran joins class with very few who endeavoured to join this quest. This book is a must for all who want to probe into the deeper truths of life.

Does God Dwell In The Limbic System, March 23, 2002
One way of studying the brain is to destroy parts of it in laboratory animals, and see how performance is affected. Obviously we cannot conduct similar experiments on humans. We can, however, learn a lot about human brain function by studying the behavior of people who have suffered brain damage through trauma or disease.

Dr. Ramachandran spends his time studying such patients. His book, Phantoms In The Brain, is filled with case studies from his experiences. A significant section of the book discusses the problems of patients with phantom limb syndrome. Why does the brain continue to think an amputated limb is still present? When a patient's brain reacts as if an amputated hand is in a continually clenched position, causing much pain, how can the brain be fooled into unclenching the hand? Why does shaving sometimes feel like your amputated arm is being stimulated?

Damage to various brain centers creates an amazing number of strange maladies. Damage to a visual area can cause "blindsight', where the patient cannot see an object, but can point out where it is. And, yes, what about the limbic system? Damage to certain areas in this system can cause various religious experiences. Then there's anosognosia. A stroke may leave one whole side of a patient paralyzed, yet the patient thinks that there is nothing wrong with him.

This book is the perfect adjunct to reading a basic book on brain function. That's not necessary, though, as it is totally accessible to the layman, and should keep the reader spellbound. Such works also impress upon me that the brain is the mind. Damage to that vital organ can change who we are. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Brilliantly written, challenging and kind of creepy, June 10, 2009
Challenging assumptions is always excellent mental exercise. In this book Robert Lanza takes on one of the key tenets of modern thinking: that all scientific disciplines ultimately reduce to physics. In its place he offers the provocative thesis that biology is primary, and the Universe literally flows from the conscious perceptions of living creatures.

On its face this sounds absurd, which demonstrates all the more just how brilliant this man is. He draws on findings from quantum physics and anatomy studies to establish a series of foundational principles for his biocentric theory, which he then elaborates on and defends.

He begins by reminding us of something we all know but rarely think about: that reality is literally "all in our heads." We don't see the sunset, we see the interpretation of it our brain creates. We don't smell the rose, we experience the sensation of a scent created by a neural network.

We believe that these impressions are imposed on us by what Stephen Hawking calls the RWOT (Real World Out There). But our evidence for this belief amounts to subjective internal experiences! In pointing this out Lanza shifts the burden of proof to the physicalists, who assert that the outside world is what is truly real, while our qualia are illusory.

He expands on this thought by citing evidence from quantum physics.
The famous two slit experiment, observations of split photons switching spin directions simultaneously, and observations of true backwards causation (the present determining the past) are all cited. Einstein once asked a colleague if he truly believed that the moon wasn't in the sky if no one was looking at it. Lanza would reply "of course it's not!"

In reading this book I was reminded of some of the implications of Relativity. It occurred to me that there are no absolute measurements of length. What my tape measure says is three feet would not be that at all
for someone traveling at 99.99% of light speed. Nor would my estimation of the distance from my living room to Disneyland be the same as theirs. And their figures would be just as valid as mine! If space and time are completely dependent on the perspective of the observer, then in what sense are they real?

I have to also comment on Lanza's excellent writing style. He makes esoteric concepts understandable to laypeople like me. He also injects quite a bit of his life story into the text, talking about how he escaped from a less than ideal upbringing to become a medical doctor and a highly regarded research scientist. Being from a very similar background, I was able to identify with his struggles, though my resume is nowhere near as impressive as his.

This book so successfully challenged my current view of reality that it actually left me feeling a little unsettled, "creepy." But it also gave me an abundance of food for thought. Am I convinced he's right? Not yet. But I suspect he may be. So will you. This book gets my highest recommendation.

Fascinating proposal for a paradigm change, July 7, 2009
I've just finished reading the book and there is still a lot I need to process. The comments I have read (not so much here but on other sites) have been, not surprisingly, mostly negative. Personally I do think Lanza is on to something important. Reading the many criticisms of his ideas, however, makes me aware that evaluating biocentrism is going to be very difficult because it is a proposal for a paradigm shift. By definition, a new paradigm always appears to be nonsense from within the established paradigm. A proposal to change from one paradigm to another is very different than a proposal to replace one idea with another within a paradigm. Most of biocentrism's critics, it seems to me, are treating it as if it's the latter rather than the former.

It's been a long time since I read Kuhn's Structure of Scientific Revolutions but this is, I think, one of its most profound insights. For example,from the Ptolemaic perspective Copernicus and Galileo were crazy. Their critics and persecutors were not unreasonable. What Copernicus and Galileo were proposing, however, was a change in reason. As Kuhn shows, the shift from one paradigm to another is inevitably messy and chaotic. In the end, a new paradigm is finally adopted for very pragmatic reasons: it works, or at least works better than its predecessor.

For this reason, I think there is a lot of misunderstanding of what Lanza is proposing. He is being critiqued from within the assumptions of the paradigm he is seeking to replace, which is understandable and even inevitable, but nonetheless very confusing. For example, traditional Christianity and modern science have debated whether God created the universe or whether it originated spontaneously in an event like the Big Bang. When Lanza says consciousness creates the universe he is not now offering a third alternative. Rather, he is proposing a model in which origins-in-time questions are meaningless.

For Lanza, the universe is created and re-created in our consciousness every time we interact with it and this is its most important moment of creation. To many/most, such an observation will seem obvious and inconsequential. Lanza's assertion is that in practice this is much more significant a truth than we are aware. Ignoring the universe in our heads, he maintains, is leading scientists and others to numerous misunderstandings and on a whole assortment of fruitless quests (e.g. for a TOE/ "theory of everything or GUI/ "grand unified theory").

In the long run, biocentrism will be judged on its utility. Lanza is certainly right in identifying the many problems that exist with our current model of reality, which are more profound and consequential than probably most people realize. It will take awhile to see if biocentrism is the replacement model that both addresses these problems and opens up new avenues for exploration and problem solving. In any case, I think Lanza has opened up a path that needs to be explored.

Biocentrism is not overly long or technical and is well written, including several enjoyable and even moving passages from Lanza's own life. It will certainly make you think and see things from a different perspective, which I believe is always a good thing. Strongly recommended.

Perhaps Lanza and Hawking converge?, June 10, 2009
I must concur with all of the thoughtful reviews so far presented that Robert Lanza and Bob Berman have crafted a beautifully written account of a potentially revolutionary idea. Where as most current cosmological theories represent life and consciousness as emergent, and even accidental, properties of an otherwise lifeless universe. Dr. Lanza proposes, to the contrary, that life and consciousness are actually fundamental properties of the universe and all that it represents, so much so that the universe cannot possibly exist without life to give it reality.

From this simple idea, some might immediately assume that Dr. Lanza is seeking to justify a form of Intelligent Design or Creationism, but that would be a huge mistake. Dr. Lanza is a consummate scientist who fully embraces the latest knowledge that science has brought us, from evolutionary theory to relativity and quantum mechanics. His biocentrism, in fact, proposes to make sense of some of the most perplexing discoveries that quantum mechanics has revealed together with Einsteinian relativity, and he does this in the most engaging, patient (to this layman), and conversational style, with a minimum of mathematics. He even takes the time to explain the little math that he uses for the most innumerate among us to understand.

Basically, he contends that any unobserved universe can only exist in a state of probability that requires living observation and measurement to give it any certain reality. Some have assumed that Lanza refers only to human consciousness and question the idea on this very basis: what gave the universe reality before humans arrived? However, it is clear that he is referring to consciousness as it exists, to one degree or another, in all forms of life, known and unknown. While for an individual, what is not perceived may not exist for them, clearly the larger reality is far more complex than that, and such, at the very least, is the work that remains to be understood.

A previous reviewer draws a distinction between Robert Lanza's biocentrism and Stephen Hawking's sense of the "RWOT (Real World Out There)." However, from a recent article on Dr. Hawking's latest thinking, it appears that Lanza and Hawking may actually be converging on the same point. Hawking is quoted in the July/August 2009 issue of Discover magazine as follows ("Return of the Invisible Man," pp. 50-51):

"Hawking's most recent work explores the implications of the notion that the universe is a giant quantum phenomenon. The problem with conventional attempts to understand the cosmos, he now believes, is that researchers have failed to appreciate the full, bizarre implications of quantum physics. These efforts to create a unique theory that would explain all the properties of the universe are therefore doomed to fail. Hawking refers to such attempts as `bottom-up' theories because they assume the universe had a unique beginning and that its subsequent history was the only possible one.

"Hawking is now pushing a different strategy, which he calls top-down cosmology. It is not the case, he says, that the past uniquely determines the present. Because the universe has many possible histories and just as many possible beginnings, the present state of the universe selects the past. `This means that the histories of the Universe depend on what is being measured,' Hawking wrote in a recent paper, `contrary to the usual idea that the Universe has an objective, observer-independent history.'"

Dr. Lanza insists that future theories of the universe will be biocentric in nature. That Dr. Hawking might agree, in a complete reversal from his past writing about this, certainly raises the most intriguing of possibilities, does it not?

Compelling and Relevant Book, August 9, 2009
This is a brave new book. For me, it exhibits the same courage as the 2006 The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief.

In the August '09 issue of Discover Magazine, Roger Penrose participated in an interview in which he states that physics has been looking in the wrong corners. He believes some of the newer theories may not be valid and calls for a new way of thinking. That's how I recall the article anyway.

The same week I read this magazine, Amazon delivers Biocentrism to my doorstep. While Lanza and Berman may not be kindred spirits with Penrose, they most certainly attend the same family reunion. That is, I believe Biocentrism addresses a large part of the problems espoused by Penrose.

This book sets forth a new look at the universe. Lanza and Berman contend that our current theories of the physical world simply don't work. Instead of placing life as an accidental by-product, the authors place life at the apex of universal existence and purpose. It is a very thrilling and disturbing read. And I also could use the adjectives, compelling and relevant as the arena of physics seems to be moving in a direction of silliness (multiverse, string theory, etc.) that can possibly never be proved.

While the proposals made in Biocentrism seem radical and counter-intuitive at first, a bit of reflection will soon make the images clearer and place us on the pathway to a better and more commonsensical mindset.

You may also enjoy Fingerprints of God: The Search for the Science of Spirituality, The Mind of God: The Scientific Basis for a Rational World, The Goldilocks Enigma: Why Is the Universe Just Right for Life?, Just Six Numbers: The Deep Forces That Shape The Universe and The Conscious Universe: Parts and Wholes in Physical Reality

I hope you find this review helpful.

Michael L. Gooch

Biocentrism: a good start, July 2, 2009
Dr Lanza does present some interesting perspectives on the role of life and consciousness in the origin and nature of the Universe. He goes on to ascribe six principles to his Biocentrism hypothesis, where the role of the conscious observer is central to the very existence of the Universe itself; and that time and space, or physical objects themselves do not have an independent existence or reality without an observer. In fact, he concludes that life creates the Universe. It is a refreshing review of biology as being more central to the origin and evolution of the Universe over the more typical emphasis of physics and mathematics as the primary language of cosmology. Biology is intuitively more understandable than the application of advanced mathematics to describe the inner workings of the Universe. Dr Lanza provides an excellent biological emphasis for Cosmology to help individuals grasp the role of the observer in the understanding of the Universe, which is the foundation of his Biocentrism hypothesis.

The observer's role in the creation of the Universe stems from a "quantum weirdness" that describes how the act of observation effects the outcome of a quantum measurement. Most of this hypothesis is based on the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics that posits the observer as the key element in determining the result of a quantum measurement. The experimental result of any quantum measurement remains undetermined (in a state of superposition) until a conscious observer looks at the quantum system. At the extreme view, no object exists until someone looks at it; not even the sun, moon, stars or the Universe itself. Unfortunately, this is by no means a new hypothesis: the eminent cosmologist John Wheeler had made a similar acertion more than 6 decades ago, that only the presence of a conscious observer brings the Universe into existence.
Dr Lanza asserts that it is biology that gives meaning to time and space; indeed that space-time does not exist without the perception by a biological observer. In other words, there is no existence beyond the self, which boils down to the philosophy of Solipsism. However, again, there is nothing novel or new in this position. He offers no clues as to what degree of consciousness an observer must possess to bring spacetime or a quantum measurement into reality. Does a dog, cat, insect, amoeba and quantum physicist equally qualify as an observer? Or, if only human consciousness qualifies, then at what point in time did the Universe come into being? Was Australopithecus sufficiently self aware to bring the Universe into creation by possessing tool making capability; or was it Homo Erectus, with the power to control fire, the evolutionary triggering point? None of these issues are discussed, much less even introduced into the argument for Biocentrism. Biocentrism emerges fully formed based on a human conscious observer, without regard to the consideration that human evolution and consciousness is a process that occurred over millions of years.

The Biocentric model, as Dr Lanza describes, hangs solely on human consciousness, but that is pure hubris in a Universe 13.7 Billion years old with trillions of stars with orbiting planets and moons, which may also support other intelligent life who gazed back at the universe as conscious observers long before earthly pre-hominids descended from trees. I was disappointed that these more expansive biological views of a Universe that was presumably designed to be observed was limited to that of only the Earthly human observer.
Consider, for example, in quantum mechanics, a set of entangled photos may be created to produce a diffraction pattern when not observed and a bimodal distribution pattern when observed no matter how far they are separated. If such a pair of entangled photons were produced from across the universe, then theoretically, if no diffraction pattern was measured when they arrive and measured by a conscious earthly observer, then they must have been previously observed by some other conscious entity. Therefore, it should be theoretically possible to detect extraterrestrial life in this manner. Now, that would have been a novel concept to bring to light in a Biocentric model of the Universe!

Dr Lanza often refers to consciousness as a DVR that contains information but only exists when the DVR is played back. However, a DVR can only play the past it cannot be played into the future and quantum information appears to be non-local such that either information comes from the future or there is supraluminal transmission of information.
As an aside, it is rather self-indulgent to devote several chapters on Dr Lanza's associations with several Nobel Prize winning scientists. As an undergraduate at UC San Diego, Francis Crick was one of my professors, as a medical student at UC San Francisco I performed research on oncogenes under J Michael Bishop (Nobel Prize Medicine 1989); and had dinner with James D Watson in Cold Spring Harbor when I presented at the Human Evolution conference held there in 1998. Therefore, it is certainly not unheard of for physician scientists to have multiple associations with prominent scientists, including Nobel Prize winners.

For readers interested in the origin and evolution of the Universe and the role of observers from a quantum mechanical viewpoint, there are several books that may be placed on the reading list, including John Gribbin's Schr�dinger's Kittens or John Barrows Cosmological Anthropological Principle both are a more expansive extension of a Biocentric hypothesis.

The Copenhagen Interpretation Resurrected, December 17, 2009
This is a fascinating book which posits that if we accept the Copenhagen interpretation of quantum mechanics on face value, a new understanding of the world is possible.

Lanza marries Physics with Biology to produce a scientifically grounded world-view which he calls Biocentrism. In a nutshell, the theory states that the physical world doesn't exist in actuality until we observe it AND since all observation takes place inside the human brain, reality (even physical reality) is wholly a construct of human consciousness. While this sounds somewhat audacious on the it's face, there is some extremely good science behind Lanza's amazingly understandable argument and the author presents his case in a manner which is accessible to all. Even if you don't have any previous knowledge of quantum weirdness, this book is comprehendible and, if for no other reason, this makes the book useful.

If you ever wanted to understand the basic strangeness of the quantum world but felt daunted by the scope of the task, read this book and it will make sense to you. If you are initiated into such subject matter and you've started to wonder why there's been no fundamental break throughs in our understanding of the world since the first half of the 20th century, read this book. It's possible that science has been speeding down the wrong track for 75 years because scientists refused to accept what physics experiments were telling them at face value.

Whether the theory of Biocentrism is actually right, wrong or somewhere in between, it's a fascinating and thought provoking read.

A paradigm changer, September 25, 2009
According to Eric Berger, Science editor at the Houston Chronicle, Biocentrism is "one of the most interesting books to cross my desk. The book is an out-and-out challenge to modern physics." I would add, it succeeds wonderfully at doing this. It may change your life.

A Must Read, March 8, 2010
This book blew my mind. Fascinating, thoughtful and provocative, it is a fresh spot in a bleak scientific landscape that has, sadly, been lacking in original thought since Galileo. Lanza's work has changed my life and forced me to re-examine my notion of life, death, and everything that falls in between the two.

A Fascinating Book by a Fascinating Mind, April 28, 2009
I eagerly awaited Lanza's latest book and was not disappointed. He is one of the few great scientists remaining who is unencumbered by the stilted and boxed in thinking characteristic of current scientific thought. How refreshing it is to know there is at least one, as Time Magazine refers to him, "renegade thinker" in our midst unafraid to express radical, new ideas. All the rest seem to have gone the way of Galileo.

While I can't say I totally agree with Lanza's postulations, I also cannot dispute his logic. I challenge others to provide an alternative rationale to explain the unexplainable two-hole experiment or Heisenberg's `uncertainty principle'. Bravo to Lanza!

Readable and engaging - deserves a wide readership, January 2, 2010
This is mind-blowing science, which reminds you how much further contemporary science still has to go. As others have pointed out, Stephen Hawking's latest thinking appears to converge on the same point as Lanza. A recent issue of Discover magazine states, "Hawking's most recent work explores the implications of the notion that the universe is a giant quantum phenomenon. The problem with conventional attempts to understand the cosmos, he now believes, is that researchers have failed to appreciate the full, bizarre implications of quantum physics. These efforts to create a unique theory that would explain all the properties of the universe are therefore doomed to fail." Hawking is now pushing a different strategy, which he calls top-down cosmology. "It is not the case, he says, that the past uniquely determines the present." In a recent paper, Hawking's wrote "The histories of the universe depend on what is being measured, contrary to the usual idea that the universe has an objective, observer independent, history." Dr. Lanza insists that future theories of the universe will be biocentric in nature. It seems (in a reversal from his past writing) Dr. Hawking might agree. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Popular Lost Cities author David Childress opens the door to the amazingworld of ancient technology, from the computers of the ancient world to the"flying machines of the gods." Technology of the Gods explores thetechnology that was allegedly used in Atlantis and the theory that theGreat Pyramid of Egypt was originally a gigantic power station. Childressalso uncovers many other mysteries, including:*

the technology of ancient flight*

how the ancients used electricity*

megalithic building techniques*

the use of crystal lenses and the fire from the gods*

ancient evidence of high-tech weapons, including atomic weapons*

the role of modern inventors, such as Nikola Tesla, in bringing ancient technology into modernuse*

impossible artifacts, and more, much more.Childress has done it again! From beginning to end, Technology of the Godsis filled with facts, keen observations and tales that challenge modernassumptions in a humorous, intelligent and compelling way that isquintessential Childress. ... Read more

Reviews

Great Information; poor writing, August 22, 2000
I bought this book with great anticipation...was on the waiting list for months! When it finally became available I couldn't wait to read it. I flipped through it in even more anticipation at the fantastic pictures and illustrations once I got it.

I have to say I was thrilled and dissappointed all at once. The content of the book was absolutely fascinating. The author stirred up subjects that totally engulfed me; but as I'd read into each, I found him wandering off into some other rather uninteresting part of the subject and leaving me dieing to get back to the origional thought...which he often didn't. I got the feeling that he hurried the book and that it never really got edited... Thoughts ran off the page and never got finished; as if pages were missing from the printing.

I'd like to see this entire book re-thought and rewritten, because the CONTENT of the book is astounding to say the least. I'd recommend it to anyone who's digging into ancient history/origins because it has so much interesting material. But I would certainly warn them that it's not a well written or easy to follow book. I actually found myself getting bored with the author's wandering thoughts, especially when he teased with a fascinating subject, then wandered off to la la land.

Very Interesting, February 8, 2002
Even if you do not agree with everything in this book, this author does a great job of discussing technology that ancient people had. The text is highlighted by pictures that enhance many of this statements he makes. The author does a great job of taking information from a variety of sources to prove his points and clarify his writing.

My two complaints are that some of the pictures are so small that they are frustrating because you can't see much of the detail. Second, the assumption is made that you know about many of the places in this book and I don't. I had never heard of many of these places until reading this book. I would have appreciated a few maps to help clarify where some of these places are.

Great book. Very interesting. Enjoy.

Needs a few improvements, September 22, 2006
The topics are covered in a Ripley's Believe It Or Not Breathless Rush that leaves the reader wondering where it all will lead. Because there is no index, you will find it difficult to go back and find the inscrutible passages. Because there are virtually no margins (1/4 inch instead of a standard 1 inch) there is no place to write notes or even put stickums without affecting the text. The lines are closely leaded (too close together for comfortable reading) perhaps to save paper or cut costs, but regardless, a less-than-comfortable reading experience. Numerous anecdotes and examples are repeated, as if nobody bothered to edit the text, but rather just wrote it down from a transcribed tape or video. The lack of attention to these basics of book-reader's expectations makes you wonder about the validity of the contents. Good info, but bad format.

Science Fiction Stories, December 15, 2007
For those not researching much of what is written in Technology of the Gods, the stories would appear to be so fascinatingly convincing and wild and, for the most part, they are! However, if one were to REALLY do a little research and see how much of what Childress write is actually TRUE, they would find that much (and I would say, most) of it is just plain science fiction. Period. As I read Technology of the Gods, wanted badly to verify the accuracy of what Childress claimed, because as it turned out, the book made ever more outrageous claims as you get deeper and deeper into the book.

I wouldn't know where to start with a review, but a few facts stand out. For one, Childress quotes very extensively (and almost to the point of making his own analysis mute) several authors, such as Andrew Tomas, who have been known to write falsities themselves. Tomas is a good example. Most of what Tomas writes about cannot be tracked down mostly because he never left any sources for his outrageous claims. The "Vedic UFO's" from which Childress gets most of his ancient Indian Vimana ideas from (including illustrations of them) were inspired by a book, Vaimanika Shastra, that was claimed to have been "channeled" by the transcribed author, Pandit Subbaraya Shastry. Childress performs these same erroncies in which claims cannot be traced, verified, or researched. This is not science...this is pseudoscience. Or better yet: science fiction. This is a type of religion, in which you must simply believe what is said and leave it at that.

Another problem I found with Technology of the Gods is that there were half-truths (in which the whole explanation or alternative, and more realistic, answer seems to be ignored and not written about) or there were outright lies associated with many of Childress' claims. Quick examples:

-the Mitchell-Hedges crystal skull: was actually bought at an auction by Mitchell himself...not found at an archeological dig, as he claimed. But this explanation is never written about by Childress,

-the "metallic vessel" from Dorchester, MA was found near a mine in loose rubble, not, as Childress claims, "blown out of solid rock",

-the Coso Artifact, was found inside of a ball of hard clay, not, as Childress claims, a geode. Also, the object was found, under intense investigation, to be identical to a, then current, 1920's Champion spark plug, probably from mining equipment of the area. Of course none of this is ever mentioned or written about by Childress,

-the Iron Pillar of Delhi: not rusted due, possibly, to the high content of phosphorus film on its surface from the manufacture of it and also to its thickness. (None mentioned in Technology of the Gods),

and many more! In short, a book would need to be written that described the many inaccuracies and missleading information contained in Technology of the Gods. The book makes for some great science fiction, but not knowing anything about the subject matters written about and not researching any of the claims made by the author will lead one into believing a false religion.

Fascinating, challenging, controversial, informative., June 6, 2000
In Technology Of The Gods, David Childress documents the science and achievements of long-lost civilizations which are comparable to, and in some cases even exceeded, our own level of advancement. Contrary to scholastic traditions, humankind has not progressed in a steadily upward linear progression. The ancients had technologies that cannot be replicated by the science of today. Technology Of The Gods introduces us to antiquarian achievements such as the structures built by the megalithic cultures, the use of crystal lenses and the "fire from the gods" in both ancient religious ceremonies and warfare; ancient flight and the archaic documents describing the technology. Fascinating, challenging, controversial, informative, Childress' Technology Of The Gods is an informative survey and reference for students of history, science, and metaphysics.

This is a Great Book., February 10, 2005
This is a great book that is easy and fun to read. It takes your mind on a journey of adventure and forces the reader to think. My copy is filled with all kinds of penciled in notes, and it served me well. After I read this book I then went and followed up on other articles and issues that were raised in the book. It took me on an adventure that continues to this day. If you want to know about our past, and are tired of the stories of cavemen with greasy and dirty hands living in caves, then read this book. You will not regret it.

Pseudo science at its best, September 13, 2000
I enjoyed this book immensely, apart from typographical errors poor editing and poor science this is a classic. I think the best bit is "heavy protons in mercury." Does this mean that protons in other elements are lighter?...not...

A more scientific approach such as..this may be...or even, perhaps this could be..or, one interpretation... One doesn't expect too much use of passive voice past impersonal, but it would lend more credibility to some of the shallow arguments presented in this book if this had been done.

I for one certainly believe there is nothing new under the sun. Some of the artifacts presented in this book are extraordinary and require more thorough scientific study and presentation.

Mostly an incomplete rework of known information., February 24, 2005
Childress had a good title. The headings to his chapters sound great, but it's all sizzle and no steak.

Clark & Agnew's, "The Ark of Millions of Years," fills in all the blanks left by Childress' "Tech." From it I learned why the ancient wars were fought, and who the leaders were. I learned why the pyramids were built, who built them, and why the builders are no longer here.

But, the most important piece, and I mean this one will astound you, is their chapter "The Arrival of Noah." When you learn how the earth was put together and why the human race is here in the first place, it will change everything.

Mr. Childress. Work on a throrough second edition of this book. In the mean time, buy The Ark of Millions of Years. You'll never be the same.

Yellow Press Disservice to the Knowledge About Sophisticated Ancients, October 29, 2007
I clearly expected a more reliable, truly scientific book. Don't shoot the messenger, this is yellow press at its "best". You expect to read about "ancient computers" and find out meant is Stonehenge, only because astronomy can be predicted with it... The "best-selling" (as in sell the headline best) author - and yes, he's a journalist - hardly leaves anything out, which makes a fine sensation: flying carpets, Perseus' invisible making helmet, manbird Garuda's space travel to the Pole Star 58 lights years away, Icarus flying to close to the sun, King Solomon traveling in aircrafts, an ancient H-bomb knocking out the power plant in a pyramid (still standing).... you name it, and David Hatcher Childress will tell you, it's all true.

His proof is usually a bit lacking. Either in the tune of: "I once saw a levitating lama"; via free spaces in ancient cities around the world without further circumstantial hints have to be nothing else, but landing grounds for air and space ships; to the causal relationship string of thought that the A-bomb on Hiroshima caused some sand to turn crystally salty, the SIMILAR LOOKING salty area around the Dead Sea must have been caused by the ancient nuking of Sodom and Gomorrha, which turned organic material (Lot's wife) into the very same salt, too (but her family could escape the blast, I presume...). His credo by his very own (quoted) words: "The absence of proof is no proof of the proof's absence." Oh, I forgot: The usual unusual item to have been found by private citizens have been lost by now (Including the biggest megaliths ever known, which couldn't get transported by modern means!) or the owners refuse any examination... He's not shying away to present pictures supporting his theory, captioning them with the small print "POSSIBLE secret chambers beneath the Sphinx" (highlight by myself). Mentioning the pictures: Most of them are depicted twice or even four times without any apparent reason, which remains one of the biggest mysteries in this book.

In principle I know that "the ancients" had been MUCH more sophisticated than presented and/or believed by orthodox "science". This book simply is not the way to present that knowledge, for hardly any real knowledge gets included. The author himself terms it "speculation" once in a while. Some curious phenomena are merely mentioned in a sentence, a paragraph or a sub chapter of 2 or 3 pages. The only somewhat in depth analysis by comparison is a lengthy some 30 page quote from a another book, The Giza Power Plant : Technologies of Ancient Egypt, which at least offers a cohesive theory to work with. Some true discoveries, such as the very real antikythera mechanism device found in an ancient Greek ship wreck, are intermingled with fantasy. Also the ancient Egyptian source for the word "soap" is revealed, which is nice. However, most unsolved mysteries are hilariously distorted by wild fiction fevers. The thing with speculation is: Nearly always, it will lead to the realization later that it was a very funny imagination, even should the direction of thought have been somewhat based on reality. For that, in depth science has to get applied, usually over many years to come to worthy conclusions, usually not expected from the start. The author, however, doesn't engage in science. He merely compiles sensationalist stories, concocted for the Atlantis and UFO philes. He is actually doing a mighty disservice to progressive/alternative science.

Take the title page as an example. The Egyptians depicted are supposed to hold light bulbs. The cover image has been distorted, within the book it becomes clear that these light bulbs are human sized. Why that huge? The symbolic Djed-pillars they are resting on are supposed to be electric generators (yet holding the GLASS then, according to this interpretation on the back cover, i.e. no metal necessary for the electricity to flow). It is a bit bold to interpret ancient temple wall paintings and hyroglyphs of what they remind of in the modern world. It would be even bold to interpret the really depicted things literally. To me, this looks like serpents in a container or symbolic flower, but I wouldn't dare to aver this impression as such. The author doesn't provide ANY context of that image. His knowledge about Egypt seems to be very limited anyway, as he terms the GODDESS Isis/Aset a priestess. She and other facets of the goddess(es) are supposed to wear very real electric light or crystal lenses on their heads. Now we know the reason for the distortion into a real life priestess, killing all the symbolism. In that row of "priestesses" depicted one has a lioness' head. He doesn't refer to how he blinds THAT literally...

Usually the book is about phenomena AS OF YET unexplained (= in 2000 when the book was published originally). Occasionally, it DEFIES any existing scientific knowledge. For example he avers the Mediterranean would have been a dry valley with some lakes, inhabited by an ancient ancient civilization he calls Osirian. (Even though the reference to the mythical first ruler of pre-dynastic Egypt having turned into a god tells the diametrically opposed story of Egypt coming OUT of the water - the growing Nile Delta). I call the Mediterranean a lake myself, yet, tectonics teach that it used to be an OCEAN getting closed. Unorthodox views describe that process a bit variated, yet, it never has been a dry valley, even though the sea level (all over the world) was a bit lower at times.

The author also falls for historic legends (i.e. errors): One example would be the supposed burning of the library in Alexandria by Muslim conquerors. In reality, the re-built library had been re-burned the last time seven centuries before their arrival - by Christian fanatics. (The first time by Julius Caesar as punishment for not submitting quickly enough.) The poisoning of Alexander the Great is controversial at best. And Archimedes constructed a lot of (wooden) machines with which to destroy ships, yet no giant lenses were used to burn any fleet. None of the contemporary historians discribing his gadgets report such lenses, but many centuries later, this myth came to life. Hence it is funny reading this book averring (relatively) sophisticated technology involuntarily based on basically a fairy tale, exposing the very carelessness of the author's approach to scientific findings.

So why did I give any stars at all? Actually, I give 2.5 not 3. One star is obligatory. Half a star is for the principle of challenging orthodox believes, suggesting the ancients didn't know anything. An additional star is for providing information to be looked up independently with more trustworthy sources. For example I had never heard about the Iron Pillar of Delhi, which mysteriously has remained rost free and is some 97% pure iron, which is difficult or should be impossible to produce in these quantities. Two years after the publishing of the book, that mystery seems to have been solved: The ancient melting process of producing iron had been fundamentally different, leaving MUCH more phosphor in the product. That in turn caused a very thin, but very effective protective film to develop on the surface. So: Yes, we didn't know and the product is superior to modern corrosion stricken iron, yet the wild speculation in this book has proven to be just that. I am glad to have been introduced to the (lack of) knowledge about vitrified forts and Libyan Desert Glass (in Egypt), which obviously formed while exposing rock/sand to enormous heat. More theories exist than described in the book, which avers nuclear warfare, because no vulcanic or meteor crater has been found. Yet, as inconsistent as the book gets, existing craters elsewhere are supposed to be caused by nuclear bombs... By the way, the sinking of ships and planes in the Bermuda Triangle has been solved in the meanwhile as well. Gases breaking through the ocean floor temporarily cause such vessels not be supported any more by the transformed water and air. The referenced example of a squadron disappearing has been reconstructed by now as an error of judgement by the leading pilot flying in the wrong direction, though.

I have to close. If you are interested in REAL, in-depth and as of today judged unorthodox science revealing ancient ancient technology, forget this book and read instead the 1966 Maps of the Ancient Sea Kings: Evidence of Advanced Civilization in the Ice Age and the 2004 Civilization One: The World Is Not as You Thought It Was. Then you WON'T have to wonder wether in 2,000 years someone interprets Star Trek and Harry Potter as the real state of technology of today...

A huge letdown., November 10, 2008
Quick summary:
Writing style/ability + editing ability + format: 1 star.
Information: 3-4 stars.

This book is incredibly difficult to read. Not because the author uses anything above a high school vocabulary, but because it reads like a first-draft manuscript that was never edited.

From page 79, last 2 sentences:
"This startling item, however, is one that should not remain in doubt. The detailed studies of metallurgists and the new carbon-14 dating method should be sufficient to give a definite answer on this point."

...turn page...

"in doubt. The detailed studies of metallurgists and the new carbon-14 dating method should be sufficient to give a definite answer on this point."

Any mildly-skilled editor should have caught that, and there are numerous other lack-of-editing issues as well.

While on the same area of the book (first 20% or so), it seems that the author didn't know what a pronoun is. So, every other (if not every) sentence has "metallurgist" or "metallurgy" in it.

Just opening up the book is sight to behold. The margins on the page seemed to have been completely removed. There is maybe 1/8th inch for the left-right margins. Not a big deal if everything else was perfect, but it was far from it.

Trying to work over to the actual writing portion...but wait! There's a little picture next to the text. And it has NO CAPTION, and NO mention in the text. In fact, it looks like the author got a DVD full of black-and-white clip art, and wanted to use ALL of it. While some of the graphics are actually important, a lot of it seems to be there just for looks. (And something else really weird - some of the images that seem important are SO important that they're in the book TWICE.)

OK, I just tried unsuccessfully to find a page without a nifty little graphic..but that reminded me of something else. There are entire sections of this book that are simply quotes from other guys. If I wanted to know the views of that OTHER guy, I would've bought his book. This author uses quotes so much, that he runs out of ways to introduce them...
"As for the pillars of salt, Keller says..."
"However, Keller himself admits..."
"Says Keller..."
"In short, Keller is saying"
"Says Keller..."
"In short..."

ALL of those were JUST from page 230. Other pages and sections are equally painful.

OK, to the actual info in the book. It's pretty good. A bit short on details in some sections, a bit high on assumptions in others, but some fairly good arguments are made. With additional research narrative, this could have been a lot better. As it is...not great, not horrible. Now the writing style...THAT was horrible.

Definitely would not recommend this book (maybe "Revision 2, with an Editor," but at as-is.) Try out Graham Hancock books if you haven't already - doesn't cover the exact same topics, but is a skilled writer that dabbles in some similar areas.

... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Solid chemistry in a down-to-earth approach to learning..., May 27, 2008
Are you a frustrated chemist who never outgrew their fascination with the home chemistry kits of the good old days? Back when people took responsibility for their actions and "product liability" wasn't the fear of every company out there? This is the EXACT book you need to get in order to rekindle that love or to pass it on to a new generation... Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments: All Lab, No Lecture by Robert Bruce Thompson. You won't get a simple "isn't it cool how this changes color?" approach to science. Thompson covers serious stuff, complete with best practices, methodologies for recording your experiments, and plenty of safety tips along the way. After working through this book, you'll be further ahead than most entry-level college students.

Contents:
Introduction; Laboratory Safety; Equipping a Home Chemistry Lab; Chemicals for the Home Chemistry Lab; Mastering Laboratory Skills; Separating Mixtures; Solubility and Solutions; Colligative Properties of Solutions; Introduction to Chemical Reactions and Stoichiometry; Reduction-Oxidation (Redox) Reactions; Acid-Base Chemistry; Chemical Kinetics; Chemical Equilibrium and Le Chatelier's Principle; Gas Chemistry; Thermochemistry and Calorimetry; Electrochemistry; Photochemistry; Colloids and Suspensions; Qualitative Analysis; Quantitative Analysis; Synthesis of Useful Compounds; Forensic Chemistry; Index

I *did* say it was far more than just changing the colors of liquids in a test tube...

You can tell that Thompson has a real love of this field. He starts off with his story of how he got interested in chemistry, as well as how this book would map to a first or second year chemistry course. He explains the value of keeping a laboratory notebook in a way that will meticulously track your results and offer a chain of evidence should you stumble upon the next great compound. Safety and supplies follow that, and he does an excellent job in balancing risk and reward, cost and budget. Instead of just saying that you should avoid anything that can possibly injure you, he advises you on how to protect yourself, how to safely handle chemicals that could react in a dangerous fashion, and generally do what you need to do without fearing every little step. After the supplies, you get a course in the chemicals you'll need to obtain to do many of these experiments. Some are fairly easy to get, while others have become more controlled and restricted over the years. Still, he points you to sources and alternatives that will keep this from becoming an overly expensive habit. After a final chapter on laboratory skills, you start getting into the good stuff... mixing chemicals to observe reactions!

The lab exercises are laid out in a straight-forward, easy to follow fashion. Your prep work is covered, along with the supplies and chemicals you need. The procedures follow, along with pictures to show appropriate information. Finally, there are areas to record your observations, answer questions, and try variations on the exercises. All in all, a complete package to learn the particular subject matter being covered. While some of the lab exercises might seem somewhat esoteric in terms of what you're learning, others are extremely practical (like the entire chapter on forensic chemistry). But in all cases, Thompson is laying the groundwork for a complete and solid understanding of chemistry, while having some fun along the way.

Obviously by reading the table of contents, you're not going to give this book to your eight year old and turn them loose in your garage. However, a teenager with solid leanings to chemistry will get a lot of value from this book. Likewise, the adult who somehow lost his or her way to the lab in the course of growing up can rediscover their passion. Teachers can get some new ideas and freshen up their classes... All in all, a great book that brings life to a subject that far too many students and adults fear and dread...

Just one word of advice... packing this book as reading material on a plane may *not* be the best idea... it'd be easy for someone to get the wrong idea as to what you're up to... :)

How to Make and Use Your Own Chemistry Set, May 28, 2008
I still remember getting my first chemistry set from a school teacher aunt when I was 10 or 11. About 30 small bottles of chemicals, and instructions for mixing them in various ways. You could make concoctions that would smoke in different colors, compounds that would fizz and bubble, turn liquids to solids, solids to liquids, the list goes on. It was my first introduction to science, and the lessons took, as I became a scientist. Unfortunately, liability concerns and nanny-statism have pulled most chemistry sets off the market, and young would-be scientists don't have the chance to learn about chemistry on their own

Robert Bruce Thompson is attempting to remedy the situation with this book. It is based less on a theoretical consideration of chemistry than a practical exploration or things one can do in a home lab. The theory is there, but couched in the discussion of the experiments. He takes appropriate care to emphasize safety, and for those looking for the capabilities to make explosives, there are no home-brew directions for that. Reasonably priced choices for purchasing home equipment and chemicals are discussed, the reasons for the various utensils required are given. The book also includes review questions for those who wish to prove their mastery of a subject.

The target age ranges for the book range from early teen years for some unusually serious adolescents to later teens for most others. And of course it's ideal for the interested adult. If you have a teen with science aspirations or interest, this book might provide a great experience for them, and the chance for you to provide mentoring as well. Highly recommended.

This book is dangerous, May 22, 2008
This book is dangerous. It will cause kids to start thinking. There is a definate risk that they will starting wanting to learn about the world around them instead of just studing the answers to a test. I am old enough I remember chemistry sets under the christmas tree and a high school chemistry class were students actually did experiements instead of just watching. DO you, or your childern, want to actually learn chemistry? Then get this book.

An Excellent Chemistry Book, May 29, 2008
This book provides an excellent guide on how to learn about chemistry since chemistry sets like the one I had as a kid are no longer available. The author provides a great deal of chemical knowledge that I would loved to have had as a teenager. The experiments in this book are far more interesting than the ones that were in my chemistry set as a kid.

The one point I would make is that I would make is that many of these experiments are potentially dangerous. You should follow the author's safety advice to the letter. High school age students might do these experiments without adult supervision. Children any younger than that should have adult supervision.

More than funny smells, an invaluable must have book., July 29, 2008
Many other reviewers have made comments about the demise of home chemistry sets and their youthful experiences. I echo many of the same thoughts. Without going in to the details suffice to say that I loved my chemistry set and still relish those youthful memories. I have long lamented the fact that you can no longer buy a decent home chemistry set. Thompson's book addresses this problem and fills a much needed niche. This by far the best book around if you want to setup your own chemistry lab and conduct experiments at home.

This is a real how to book that addresses the practical issues of setting up a chemistry lab and conducting experiments. In addition to the chapters that deal with the actual experiments, there are chapters on safety, equipment, and where to find chemicals. There is also good discussion about the disposal of chemicals and a realistic and practical discussion about the dangers of chemicals.

I've had a copy of the book for a couple of months. I've had the opportunity to read much of it and actually try some of the experiments. I don't have a lot of room for a lab but that hasn't stopped me from experimenting. I originally obtained the book for my son but I have to admit I find it more interesting and useful than he does. While he is interested in chemistry and has enjoyed out experiments he is too busy with other things to really get into it at the moment. I hope that will change after the summer ends and we settle in for the winter. I plan to incorporate chemistry into our home schooling program and this book is the perfect tool to help guide my efforts.

The bottom line is that this book is educational, practical and fun. I recommend it for anyone interested in learning about basic practical chemistry. If you are a parent and your child is interested in chemistry you need this book. It will be invaluable for home school parents who plan to teach chemistry and as a supplement for high school chemistry students. I would not be surprised to find that chemistry teachers adopted this book in their own curriculum.

Top shelf "Make" book, May 17, 2008
This is another well written, well researched book produced by Mr. Thompson. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in actual hands-on experience in "wet" chemistry.

Most people know of Mr. Thompson by his "Building/Repairing PC..." series of books along with his wife, Barbara Fritchman Thompson. This "Make" book will be an excellent companion to any home schooling course in chemistry. It will also make an excellent supplement to any high school chemistry course to help ignite the future chemists this country will need.

Three of my own children have now completed high school chemistry and the lab work is not even close to what's presented in this book. The labs in this book harken back to my own high school chemistry class in the early 1970's. That was when high school chemistry was equivalent to university level courses. This book will help any student who takes an "AP" level high school chemistry course.

Good work, Mr. Thompson, I look forward to your next "Make" book.

Amazing Book!, September 30, 2008
This book is an amazing value. I would pay 50 bucks for this book. Much of the book is full of very useful information about lab equipment and the chemicals you will need--where to find the chemicals, and the specific safety risks of each chemical. The experiments are simply in design, but lengthy enough to be significant learning experiences. Data tables and questions about the lab are included. I'm sure this will turn out to be a very valuable resource for my teaching of secondary science.

Chemistry: basis of everything, May 9, 2008
Note: this fine workbook is also available in an eBook version, sometimes on special sale for $10.00. Google O'Reilly Books & Videos.

Robert Bruce Thompson's Preface to this fine book took me back to a Christmas many years ago:

"My parents had been watching my brother and me ripping through gifts like Tasmanian Devils. Just as I'd decided that I hadn't gotten the one gift that I really, really wanted, mom and dad called me into the kitchen. There it sat, on the kitchen table, exactly what I'd been hoping for. It was already unboxed and spread wide open to show the contents. My father said, 'This is from your mother and me. It is not a toy.'

"It was a Lionel/Porter/Chemcraft chemistry set, and the exact model I'd asked for. The biggest one, with dozens of chemicals and hundreds of experiments. Glassware, an alcohol lamp, a balance, even a centrifuge. Everything I needed to do real chemistry. I instantly forgot about the rest of my presents, even the BB gun. I started reading the manual, jumping from one experiment to another. I carefully examined each of the chemical bottles. The names of the chemicals were magical. Copper sulfate, sodium carbonate, sulfur, cobalt chloride, logwood, potassium ferricyanide, ferrous ammonium sulfate, and dozens more."

My parents gave me a similar (albeit simpler) kit when I was twelve, and it was one of the most educational presents I ever received. My interest in science broadened from chemistry and then from the sciences to other areas of interest, but I still remember some of the wonder, the magic, even, of those chemistry experiments. As soon as I heard about O'Reilly's series on DIY Science, I pre-ordered this first entry as a present to myself.

As a generalist, Thompson has re-introduced me to those magical years so long ago. Of course, modern chemistry kits are little more than toys, "defanged" as Thompson writes because of product liability concerns of the kit makers. And there are real dangers here; "After all, some of the experiments in this book use concentrated acids, flammable liquids, corrosives, and poisons. In one experiment we manufacture napalm, for heaven's sake. Will readers of this book be dropping like flies, blowing themselves up, burning the house down, or growing extra arms? Of course not. Dangers can be dealt with. One of the recurring lessons throughout this book is the importance of assuming personal responsibility for useful but dangerous actions--understanding the specific risks and taking the necessary steps to minimize or eliminate them."

Thompson does an excellent job of teaching responsible teenagers and curious adults to learn about chemistry by doing real laboratory experiments, and doing them well and safely. There are four introductory sections dealing with safety, equipment, chemicals and laboratory skills. The substance of the book lies in seventeen chapters devoted to specific topics: from separating mixtures to synthesis of compounds and forensic chemistry.

I can't imagine a more useful book for a responsible teenager who has the least interest in science or for a general reader who wants to re-learn the principles of chemical changes. (I've already placed an order for glassware and a few other essential bits of equipment.)

Robert C. Ross 2008

Could'nt be better, or simpler!, October 15, 2008
I have been involved in chemistry in one way or another for the biggest part of my life, and being a gold refiner by trade, I must say that I have never seen a text as simple to read and understand as this, for the lay person trying to get a start in the chemistry world... To the point, readable and understandable... A five year old could handle this book! With my prior knowledge, I was still riveted to this book... Excellent job! Bill Lewelling, Goldco Mining and Refining, Lakewood, Colorado

Excellent in depth experiments, July 22, 2008
As one of the other reviewers wrote, this book has much more than what you would get with a typical chemistry "toy" kit. Everything is well explained in detail, from the level of quality and what equipment to buy, where to obtain chemicals, and the steps for each experiment. The experiments have a full explanation of process being investigated, questions and calculations to make real quantitative assessments. ... Read more

Editorial Review

How to Turn a Calculator into a Metal Detector, Carry a Survival Kit in a Shoestring, Make a Gas Mask with a Balloon, Turn Dishwashng Liquid into a Copy Machine, Convert a Styrofoam Cup into a Speaker, and Make a James Bond Spy Jacket with Everyday Things

Did you know that your standard issue of Sports Illustrated magazine can be turned into over 20 useful gadgets? In author Cy Tymony's Sneakier Uses for Everyday Things, you'll learn how an average magazine can become many extraordinary gadgets such as a compass, hearing aid, magnifier, peashooter, and bottle opener.

Sneakier Uses for Everyday Things covers 40 educational and unique projects that anybody can successfully complete with simple household items. The book includes a list of necessary materials, detailed sketches, and step-by-step instructions for each gadget and gizmo. Among the sneaky schemes are:

* Creating a electroscope out of a glass jar

* Turning a drinking cup into a speaker

* Using an AM radio as a metal detector

* Making a spy gadget jacket with over 20 individual sneaky uses ranging from a siren and whistle to a walkie-talkie and voice recorder

These days, "be prepared" applies to more than just the Boy Scouts. Sneakier Uses for Everyday Things provides loads of practical ideas, science projects, and captivating solutions for dealing with life's unexpected challenges. Great fun for the curious, inventive, and creative of all ages. ... Read more

Reviews

Silly Rabbit! This book is ALSO for kids!, September 25, 2008
I'm not sure why some readers don't seem to understand that Cy Tymony obviously wrote this book series for kids. Boys, most likely, under the age of 10 or 11.

An audience of that age will find this book quite interesting, like its prequel. I'll repeat, if you've got a Ph.D. in physics, don't buy it. And if you considered the idea, do tell us, how'd you get that Ph.D., again?

The point of this book is to set kids along a discovery path---to find capabilities in everyday objects they might not otherwise have recognized, to think outside the box.

And while not all the suggestions here provide the least bit of interest to an adult, I don't get why anyone would have bought this book expecting to reap a science degree from it. For Pete's sake! This title, like that of Tymony's first book, is also a dead giveaway.

If this book were published by Brown Paper School, like The Book of Think: Or, How to Solve a Problem Twice Your Size, it would also have five stars from all customer reviewers. All right, so Tymony should have labeled the book "for kids" for the dim witted among us. But otherwise, it too deserves 5 stars.

Kids get a big kick out of making something from nothing. Once upon a time, a child could be happy with an old Quaker Oats box as a drum.

In this age when most electronic gadgets hail from China, it's nice to find an author suggesting constructive toys for curious kids.

It teaches them how to look at and listen to the world around them, even if the stuff they make from this book is otherwise "useless."

Don't waste your money on this book, November 10, 2006
I bought this along with the author's first "sneaky" book (I'd give the first one two stars) and now wish I had saved my money. Cheesy is the best description I can give. The sneaky uses are completely obvious and, in many cases, too flimsy to survive construction. The author apparently is fascinated with safety pins, magnets, etc. but who needs a book to explain how to make a wire out of a paperclip? Also, the art is as amateurish as the ideas. Not exactly rocket science.

Better for kiddie-types, January 5, 2007
This is a good bathroom book, but a little too cheesy for adult readers, but there are some neat activities.

MacGyver Manual, October 16, 2008
These books have gotten better and better. Nothing to sit down and read in front of the fire on a cold evening, but fun to pick up and flip through every now and again.

Cool ideas., August 27, 2006
Book bought for fun. Styrofoam speaker idea is cool. Some of the ideas are a real stretch but I enjoyed the book. Not as many ideas that I could use in my classes, but overall, worthwhile.

The Sneaky, Sneakier and Sneakiest uses Trilogy, December 30, 2009
This review is for all three books in this series. The first note is they are clearly written for the 13 year old and under crowd. For them, it should stimulate the creative scientific gene in them, and open their imaginations to harmless scientific experimentation. So if there is a young burgeonoing, tinkering youngster in your life, these books could be the spark to spur them into some educational fun.

wonderful fun in a yellow cover!, March 26, 2007
The uniqueness of this book is in it's humor and lively spirit. I'd recommend it to anyone seeking odd knowledge.

a fun book, November 4, 2007
this book is fine. some ideas are are you crazy? and some are this I can see useing. some are toys some are usefull gadets. this is a fun book and I would reckmend this book to anyone.

I'll spoil it, October 14, 2008
The coolest thing in this book was that dollar bills have metal threads and are slightly magnetic. Now you can skip the entire book!

Don't Waste your Money!!!, October 17, 2008
This book is so stupid and you'll never ever ever use anything in it. What a joke! I wish I had read the other reviews before I wasted the 4 bucks I spent on it. Live and learn I guess. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

Dangerous book for Men, June 3, 2009
This book is kind of a The Dangerous Book for Boys but for men. It covers a variety of subjects like eating dangerously, making a flame thrower and making gunpowder or your own Absinthe. There is some interesting stuff in it and an important thing to realize about this book is in the title "Projects and Ruminations" It isn't just projects it also talks about various pursuits that are a bit dangerous like eating dangerously or the hottest pepper in the world.
Plenty of safety warnings and a real focus of the book is on the science/art of doing things in a way that makes dangerous less risky.

This book is definitely not for boys, grownups only.
What I like most about the book is the variety of resources it gives you on where to get supplies for your projects. And these suppliers and sources vary widely. The author calls this the art of Obtanium.

Great read, excellent projects!, June 3, 2009
Bill Gurstelle is a great maker who takes on ambitious projects and then shares them. This book follows in his great tradition of awesome books that combine great projects with storytelling. Besides being a book that gives you a roadmap for making life more interesting, it's got great projects and Bill's storytelling ability makes it a great read. Even if you want to live the dangerous life from an armchair perspective, you'll love this book! I give this book 5 stars for sheer entertainment value and for inspiring me to live life closer to the edge!

too much gunpowder, not enough Absinthe or Flamethrower, June 13, 2009
With a title like "Absinthe and Flamethrowers: Projects and Ruminations on The Art of Living Dangerously," I expected a wider variety of different projects, stunts, and useful information. The Bulk of the book, however, has nothing to do with Absinthe or Flamethrowers, and is devoted largely to making small batches of gunpowder and using it in various ways.

I don't have anything against making or using gunpowder specifically, but with so much space devoted to the chemistry-intensive gunpowder projects, all the other interesting topics like absinthe, zippo tricks, bartitsu, knife-throwing, and bullwhips get significantly less attention.

Disappointingly un-dangerous, February 14, 2010
The projects in this book may be considered dangerous at the nunnery, but certainly not to anyone who picks up the book looking for what its front and back covers suggest it can offer. I go to sea for days at a time catching and tagging some of the biggest sharks in the ocean and may be slightly biased as I fall beyond the "golden third" (median to one standard deviation above in a scale of having a risk takers mindset) but come on. There's actually a section titled "how to drive fast". I was topping speeds of 110 at age 15 and I'm guessing anyone else who feels compelled to drive fast has already done so without the aid of a book. He also has a section on how to smoke! How daring. In fact, any of the activities that interested me such as building homemade rockets, throwing knives, and making smoke bombs I have already gotten my fill of in high school.

The notes on saftey bored me to tears.

I wanted to distill my own absinthe and build a flamethrower. However the book only dabbles on the history of Absinthe, how to drink it and what seperates the good from the bad. Good information, but now what I was looking for. The flamethrower he constructs seems to me like a totally lame waste of time and money. It in no way resembles the one on the cover and is basically an oversized, fixed, propane torch.

I do have to give it a second star maybe even a third because I enjoyed reading the non-project related sections and the benefits of taking risks. I couldn't have agreed more. And the projects may give you some real excitement if you've been a total wuss your whole life.

Blown Away!, June 10, 2009
Bill Gurstelle has done it again! This is an amazing, entertaining, disruptive, instructive guide to fun. You could call it the true "Dangerous Ideas For Boys" and Girls book... because Bill shows you how to do all the things Mama told you not to... and makes an exceptionally compelling case for why it is meritorious to do them!
The New York Times gave the book a glowing review today (June 10, 2009) which was well deserved. Never mind that, Bill taught me how to make a flamethrower ---perfectly safely, I promise :)--- and you can too. We live in an age where disruptive ides are critical to our future. Thank you, Bill! Moms and Dads: Buy the book for your kids! Give them the "license" to invent.

Seductively titled and conceived, but ultimately disappointing, September 14, 2009
I was very excited when I saw this book suggested by Amazon. I read the first few pages online, and was very intrigued. Gurstelle has done his research, for sure. The opening pages discuss psychological theory about thrill seeking individuals, and is very well-written. His explanation about the manufacturing of gun powder seems as informative and cautionary as it should be. But when I got to the chapter about smoking cigarettes, I immediately thought, "Aw man - this is a hoax. I don't need advice about how and when to smoke. This is all about image. It's superficial." And truth be told, it turned me off so much, I haven't bothered to pick it up since I made it a few pages into this chapter. I skimmed the rest of the book, but found nothing that really grabbed me. Learning how and when to appear cool and rebellious is not what attracted me to this book, but if this is what you're looking for, this one might have some good leads.

Hobby projects for "edgeworkers", July 25, 2009
In "Absinthe and Flamethrowers", how-to author Bill Gurstelle provides a guide to reducing the risk of some unusual DIY projects to tolerable levels.

The first section, "Why Live Dangerously?", offers an analysis of risk-taking personalities and the potential personal and social benefits of "edgeworking", as in "working on the edge" of safety. The second and main section, "How To Live Dangerously", gets to the meat of the subject via a series of practical projects in "Playing with Fire" (explosive devices and experiments), "Thrill Eating" (including the infamous fugu) and similar hazardous actitivies.

My inner purist requires me to note that while Gurstelle's history of Bartitsu, an Edwardian-era martial art, is largely accurate, his project for that section requires the reader to construct a shoulder-length hiking pole. Bartitsu stick fighting was, in fact, optimized for a 36" long walking stick, and the difference in length and weight does affect the practicality of certain self defense techniques. Also, significantly, the text offered as Bartitsu instruction in this chapter does not match the accompanying illustrations.

Special interest quibbles aside, "Absinthe and Flamethrowers" is a quick, fun read and offers a refreshingly pragmatic take on the benefits of "living dangerously".

Absinthe & Flamethrowers, July 12, 2009
Absinthe & Flamethrowers: Projects and Ruminations on the Art of Living Dangerously Wow, Science Fair Projects for grown-ups. A lot of fun to read with more than slightly dangerous revelations and some history thrown in. I didn't know that about saltpeter. Have fun with this book and learn something about yourself.

Reasonable Danger, January 24, 2010
Last summer I saw the New York Times rave review of this book, and as a longtime fan of "Backyard Ballistics" I have really been looking forward to the read. Gurstelle's new book is like "Backyard Ballistics" with philosophy and style. It's great. And I don't think it really matters if you plan on making gunpowder, building any of these contraptions, or digesting any of these edibles -- you can stay in your armchair, away from your garage, and still love taking this tour of dangerous living. (For those on the adventurous side: great instructions, plenty of photos, clear diagrams, and, yes, flamethrowers.)

Great if you Skip some chapters, December 17, 2009
The beginning of this book is great as I am not much for the psychology of things. I found this interesting and after I spent 10 years in the Marine Corps found that my risk taking was off the chart. The projects are cool but if you are into Make or Instructables you will already know how to do all the projects. The book is well written and fun to read but like other reviews to much about safety, I skipped those sections and cigarette smoking, really? How about Cigar's risk takers smoke cigars. A section about how to identify a good cigar, different kinds, history, how they are made, or even how to hand roll one would have made this book a definite winner, then add a whisky section with the absinthe and compare the two. I like Absinthe, and buy a case every time I go to France, but Absinthe is like having a Latte while sitting in a caf� and whisky is good black coffee at a truck stop diner both are good and would add to the overall experience of the book. Now revise the book, adding these sections and taking away safety and cigs and you are going to have a classic. ... Read more

Editorial Review

A highly infectious, deadly virus from the central African rain forest suddenly appears in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. There is no cure. In a few days 90 percent of its victims are dead. A secret military SWAT team of soldiers and scientists is mobilized to stop the outbreak of this exotic "hot" virus. The Hot Zone tells this dramatic story, giving a hair-raising account of the
appearance of rare and lethal viruses and their "crashes" into the human race. Shocking, frightening, and impossible to ignore, The Hot Zone proves that truth really is scarier than fiction.


From the Paperback edition. ... Read more

Reviews

A Tale of Horror, March 24, 2003
Richard Preston is not a horror novelist, but this will be one of the scariest stories you've ever read. The cause of all this terror is from little beasts that are only microns in size, filoviruses. "Hot Zone" discusses four of these viruses, Marburg, Ebola Sudan, Ebola Zaire, Ebola Reston. I first came across Preston in his New Yorker article, "Crisis in the Hot Zone" which is basically the cliff notes to this book. It piqued my interest and eventually led to me reading this book.

Everyone knows that they should be afraid of Ebola. The Zaire strand only kills 90% of those it infects, in just a matter of day, in the worst way imaginable. Filoviruses are hemorrhagic viruses, causing those unfortunate enough to be infected to crash and bleed out. Preston goes into grisly detail about how these viruses work, and the symptoms that occur in humans. He traces the history of these viruses from their discovery. These are just set up for his main topic, the discovery of Ebola in Washington D.C. A monkey house in Reston Virginia is full of dying monkeys that apparently are infected with Ebola. Preston tracks down the mystery behind this domestic infection.

This book does bring up an all-important point; we are only an airplane ride away from the outbreak of a pandemic. It is very possible that a highly contagious disease may break out and cover the earth in a matter of days leaving a large portion of the population dead, making the premise behind Stephen King's novel "The Stand" not so far fetched after all. These filoviruses are very interesting, and Preston reveals them in such a way that you want to know more about them. The only hint I have to offer is, to avoid Intern's Disease, don't read this when you have a cold.

A Nonfiction Thriller, March 10, 2003
In THE HOT ZONE, Richard Preston has woven epidemiological fact with the terrifying true story of how a strain of the Ebola virus came to the United States. He details various outbreaks of hemorrhagic fevers, traces them to their possible origins, and provides a basic education about viral evolution and forensics, all couched in narratives that will keep you turning page after page. After you have read his graphic descriptions of what happens to people who contract the deadlier strains of Ebola, you will understand fully just how dangerous the Reston, Virginia incident could have been.

With its crisp language and pacing, THE HOT ZONE reads like an expert thriller novel, making its reality that much more horrifying. Not for the faint-hearted, this book will likely alter the way you view viruses and epidemics.

I highly recommend this book for a general adult readership. (Teenagers under 16 may not be able to handle the highly disturbing descriptions Preston provides.) If you haven't read this book before, you should, especially now in this time of bioterrorism and global travel.

Some Hot Stuff, August 12, 2002
This was an interesting account of a biological incident at a monkey house near Washington DC, along with plenty of background information about the Marburg and Ebola viruses. I didn't mind the redundancy about which others have complained; the repetition of some of the information about viral functions prompted retention, along with stirring the imagination as to the effects of a killer virus.

After reading the book, I performed some web searches an found several sites advertising hiking excursions to Mt. Elgon's Kitum Cave in Africa, which is believed to be he home of the Ebola/Marburg strains, though it's presently unknown which animal is the natural host. Let me tell you, if you are sufficiently insane to visit Kitum Cave after reading The Hot Zone, then you are living proof of Darwin In Action.

I liked the author's analogy about fatal viruses, such as Ebola and HIV, acting at the Earth's own antibodies, protecting the environment from encroachment by humans in places where the Earth doesn't want humans to be fiddling with things. Invasions of the deep rain forests and encounters with fatal biological agents therein are warnings for humans to stay away.

Have everyone in your family read The Hot Zone, so that next time someone gets sick you will have all sorts of terminology to throw around the dinner table -- extreme amplification, crash-and-bleed-out and other delightful descriptions about the effects of disease on humans. Enjoy.

An intense reality check!, February 20, 2003
Have you ever pondered the many kinds of microscopic particles that live on this earth? I do even more now that I've read Richard Preston's true story, The Hot Zone. This book takes an extremely graphic dive into the facts within the first three pages. It all begins in Kitum cave deep in the heart of Kenya's wild jungles, where a deadly, unknown virus thrives. Scientific testing on monkeys then brings it to America, relating it to the fast killing Ebola virus, scaring the daylights out of our military. Their suspicions grow even more when they see the flesh eating symptoms of blood coming out of every orifice of the victims bodies. Many individuals get involved throughout this book, revealing their personalities and fears.
This exciting scientific thriller will keep you on edge for the whole read. With The Hot Zone being a true story, Richard Preston puts you in the level 4 biohazard zone easily, sharing the emotions of someone about to enter.
This book is definitely for you if you thrive on the life threatening facts of Ebola, Marburg, and other deadly viruses. With the first electron microscopy photographs ever taken of the virus alone, you won't be able to put it down!

Totally Disgusting and True., July 7, 2003
When I looked at the cover of this book it looked like it was science fiction. As I started reading it I was thinking, "Wait a minute this is all real. In this world where we all live there are microscopic monsters that can totally destroy the human race." I was just totally paranoid. Then when I read the vivid description of Ebola I was just terrified and for weeks I could't stop thinking about the poor people that died from this disease. I almost couldn't finish the book I was totally disturbed. When I did read it I found it to ve truly exceptional and I would recommend it to anyone who thinks that there life is horrible it will change your outlook on life and will make you think how lucky you are to be living in a place where you don't have to worry about dying from these infectious diseases.

Stunning story told in a superb style, May 16, 1998
While the story itself is fascinating, the opening of Preston's "The Hot Zone" is the best opening I've ever read, and I'm a writer myself, the author of four novels. His use of language hints at a writer with superior skills and with much to say. Some other reviewers fail to recognize that the book is not as much about the Ebola virus, but that the Planet Earth, tired of the prospect of five billion inhabitants, is trying to fight back and eliminate mankind. Aids, Ebola, they might be just the forerunners of an army of viruses with the goal of keeping the human population from exploding in ever-increasing numbers. Most of the books among today's bestsellers have nothing to say; but "The Hot Zone " is an exception. If nothing else, read the end, and memorize it if you can. I liked it so much that I've written it down and now I've included it here, I hope I won't get in trouble with the publisher for unauthorized duplication of copyrighted material.

The following is a direct quote from Richard Preston's "The Hot Zone"

"In a sense, the earth is mounting an immune response against the human species. It is beginning to react to the human parasite, the flooding infection of people, the dead spots of concrete all over the planet, the cancerous rot-outs in Europe, Japan, and the United States, thick with replicating primates, the colonies enlarging and spreading and threatening to shock the biosphere with mass extinction. Perhaps the biosphere does not "like" the idea of five billion humans. Or it could also be said that the extreme amplification of the human race, which has occurred only in the past hundred years or so, has suddenly produced a very large quantity of meat, which is sitting everywhere in the biosphere and may not be able to defend itself against a life form that might want to consume it. Nature has interesting ways of balancing itself. The rain forest has its own defenses. The earth's immune system, so to speak, has recognized the! presence of the human species and is starting to kick in. The earth is attempting to rid itself of an infection by the human parasite. Perhaps AIDS is the first step in a natural process of clearance." End of quote

An informative rollercoaster, February 10, 2000
I adored this book. Some reviews I've read have commented on the fact that the book is rich with description, sometimes more so than information and I do not find that a fault. I read books to entertain myself, if this book was simply a cut-and-dried medical text (and I've read my share of those) then I would've simply read it, processed it and discarded it. Because Mr. Preston gave us more than dry scientific information, this book became one of my all-time favorites. This book, to me, marries the art of masterful storytelling and conveying information. A must-read for anyone interested in the sciences or in a good thriller.

A Scary Reality, October 28, 2001
When monkies in a Washington DC area monkey house start dying of Ebola all hell breaks loose. Goverment officals must keep the cleanup out of the public's eyes. Preston gives the readers graffic discriptions of what Ebola can do. These descriptions are so scary the reader will wish the story were fiction, but it's not. This part of the book is terrific. Preston's writing is strong and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.

The second part of this book is Preston's account of his journey to the Kitchum cave. The Kitchum cave is rumored to be the source of of diseases such as Ebola and AIDS. This part of the book is not as enjoyable as the first part. It is filled with details of cave walls, and many other details that make the essay a very slow read. It is also somewhat dated since the Kitchum cave although a one point was considered a hot zone it has shown no evidence of disease.

Overall this book is worth the read. The first part of the book is a great read that rivals fiction horror stories. The second part of the book although not as interesting is still worth a read since Preston did take a chance in visting a hot zone.

I Can't Believe This Is Non-Fiction!, April 26, 2001
This was such a great book. The entire time I was reading it I had to keep reminding myself that it was real, that this actually happened. I thought that Richard Preston, the author, did a wonderful job of researching this and did an awesome job with description. This gruesome tale was so realistic it made me want to been in a space suit at times. If you have never read this book its a must. I have never read a book like it before. If you want to see the movie that was based on this book, Outbreak, don't expect it to be the same as the book. The movie is very different, but I still enjoyed it. This horrifying encounter with the Ebola Virus in the book definitely gives a wake up call to readers. The scary part is that you can't see it, smell it, hear it, feel it, or taste it. But if you get it, you have a 90 to 100 percent chance of dying within 12 days. Imagine that! Talk about a horror story, well this isn't, this is real and I learned a lot from this. I learned that these lethal viruses are still with us today and that Mother Nature has a lot more control than we give her credit for.

Defines "The Creeps", August 5, 2000
After I read this book, I was afraid to touch anything or even breathe. It totally freaked me out. It was like an intense Robin Cook plot that was happening in real life... There was no escape for the tragic victims of the deadly Ebola virus. At the severe stages of the disease they began to puke their own insides as they were transformed to gunk. It really opened my eyes to the world of infectious diseases and made me more aware of lurking dangers. I read this book in the seventh grade and was engrossed. My friends begged to read it and it had a long waiting list. Even my English teacher proclaimed it amazing. And amazing it was...both as a reference book and as a medical thriller... ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

If people on acid see pink elephants, what do elephants that take acid see?, January 21, 2008
Historian Alex Boese was enamored with bizarre experiments in college. During his graduate studies, Boese spent his free time tracking down the more obscure mad scientist experiments that were mentioned in his texts. He amassed a library of notes on bizarre experiments, went on to found the Museum of Hoaxes and publish two books on hoaxes, and now returns with a title about all those bizarre experiments which once intrigued and delighted him. Boese includes only research which was undertaken with genuine scientific curiosity and methodology--that which was published in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Elephants on Acid contains overview and author commentary on experiments from the 1800's through the 2000's, in ten different categories - surgery, senses, memory, sleep, animal behavior, mating behavior, babies, bathroom research, human nature, and death. For each experiment, the author sets up the broader social and scientific context, describes the experimental design and results, and includes any follow-on work. Bibliographic details for each scientific publication are included. (But good luck tracking down European journals circa 1803!)

The opening chapter on Dr. Frankenstein-like research is a bit unsettling (Can a head live without its body? Can asphyxiated dogs be brought back to life?). Not surprisingly, few of the Frankenstein experiments took place in modern times. The remaining chapters are enchanting glimpses at scientific fact and fiction over the ages. Boese demonstrates that waitresses who touch customers statistically receive higher tips ("Touching Strangers"), repeats the real Pepsi Challenge ("Coke vs. Pepsi"), exposes the myth of the `Mozart effect' on IQ ("Mozart Effect"), and provides scientific proof of the synchronous menstrual cycles of cohabitating women ("Scent of a Woman"). Studies of human behavior discuss the power of suggestion in creating false childhood memories ("Lost in the Mall"), the effect of a crowd of roaches on an athlete roach navigating a course ("Racing Roaches"), and the role of fear in sexual arousal in humans ("Arousal on a Creaky Bridge").

Two of the most famous studies of good vs. evil are presented in this text. In the infamous 1970's Stanford Prison Experiment, college students playing the role of guards became drunk on their power and humiliated and dehumanized their mock prisoners. In another experiment, researcher Stanley Milgram proved that otherwise "good" individuals could be coerced into delivering painful or deadly electric shocks to other volunteers under pressure from a scientific researcher.

Ranging from the trivial to the socially far-reaching, Boese's compendium has something for everyone.

Fantastic tales of science gone awry, October 17, 2007
This book is fantastic. You can get a good sense of whether or not you will enjoy this book by taking a look at the top 20 most bizarre experiments page on the museum of hoaxes website.[...]

The book is a strangely compelling compendium of the unusual things that scientists have dedicated their life to exploring. The author really brings the strange cast of characters to life and helps you understand not only the facts of these strange cases, but also the context of what the scientists were hoping to accomplish by determining if they could create human/ape hybrids, or keep a dog head alive by attaching it to a living dog's circulatory system.

A word of warning: some of the experiments are not for the faint of heart.

Scientist gone wild!, November 11, 2007
What the author has accomplished here is a very readable and fascinating book about scientists and the bizarre experiments they envisioned. It is not a scientific publishing, mired with technical details, but a great read about how calculating minds attempt to understand and influence the world around us, and how wrong those minds can be occasionally. Caveat: there are some very graphic images of animals being harmed for the sake of science. Despite how you feel about this, it is important to remember that the author did not conduct these experiments, he is merely reporting on them. This book is still packed full of information and humor (I utterly howled about the scientist who was recording facial expressions of people who were forced to decapitate a live rat- and then failed to see the more important issue of people killing on command!). Highly recommended and doctors in particular seem to be really taken with this book.

stranger than fiction, November 22, 2007
a collection of experiments people actually performed. why, is anyone's guess. but all of the stories presented here are real, and the author includes at least one reference. fascinating. a quick read, but a fun one. ... Read more

Editorial Review

ox-y-mor-on-i-ca (OK-se-mor-ON-uh-ca) noun, plural: Any variety of tantalizing, self-contradictory statements or observations that on the surface appear false or illogical, but at a deeper level are true, often profoundly true. See also oxymoron, paradox.

You won't find the word "oxymoronica" in any dictionary (at least not yet) because Dr. Mardy Grothe introduces it to readers in this delightful collection of 1,400 of the most provocative quotations of all time. From ancient thinkers like Confucius, Aristotle, and Saint Augustine to great writers like Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, and G. B. Shaw to modern social observers like Woody Allen and Lily Tomlin, Oxymoronica celebrates the power and beauty of paradoxical thinking. All areas of human activity are explored, including love, sex and romance, politics, the arts, the literary life, and, of course, marriage and family life. The wise and witty observations in this book are as highly entertaining as they are intellectually nourishing and are sure to grab the attention of language lovers everywhere.

Reviews

The Wit and Wisdom of Incongruity, October 5, 2005

One of my best friends had an aunt (let's call her Ginny) who, like Yogi Berra, could bring a lively conversation to a screeching halt with one brief comment. Aunt Ginny really was unaware of this (shall we say) unique talent. She was not trying to be funny, clever, etc. On the contrary, she offered what she considered to be a serious comment and everyone knew what her intended meaning was. For example:

"Quicker than you can count Jack Robinson."
"Deader than a door knob."
"She was born on a silver platter."

My personal favorite:

"He's on a treadmill to Bolivia."

I am curious to know what Aunt Ginny would make of Grothe's book. (She died many years ago.) She would no doubt agree with many observations but perhaps not see the humor in any of them. Grothe has selected what he calls "oxymoronical" material from his vast collection of quotations. With regard to the term, his definition: "Oxymoronica, n.; A compilation of self-contradictory terms, phrases, or quotations; examples of oxymoronica appear illogical or nonsensical at first, but upon reflection, make a good deal of sense and are often profoundly true." As other reviewers have correctly noted, many of the quotations which Grothe has assembled are hilarious, others insightful, still others cynical. All of them qualify as "oxymoronica."

Among those forgotten or of which I was previously unaware, my personal favorites include:

"Meetings are indispensable when you don't want to do anything."
John Kenneth Galbraith

"Hatreds are the cinders of affection."
Sir Walter Raleigh

"I must follow the people. Am I not their leader?"
Benjamin Disraeli

"What you get free costs too much."
Jean Anouilh

"Good fiction is that which is real."
Ralph Ellison

"Nothing is funnier than unhappiness."
Samuel Beckett (in Endgame)

Selections are organized within fourteen chapters, each of which has a generic subject such as "Sex, Love & Romance," "Ancient Oxymoronica," and "The Literary Life." I presume to suggest that Grothe's anthology be skimmed occasionally rather than read cover-to-cover. In the Foreword, Richard Lederer offers these comments which serve as an appropriate conclusion to my review: "Paradox is a particularly powerful device to ensnare truth because it concisely illuminates the contradictions that are at the very heart of our lives. It engages our hearts and minds because, beyond its figurative employment, paradox has always been at the center of of the human experience." Or, to paraphrase Yogi Berra, if people don't want to appreciate oxymoronica, nobody's going to stop them.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out The Portable Curmudgeon and The Return of the Portable Curmudgeon, both edited by Jon Winokur; also John M. Shanahan's The Most Brilliant Thoughts of All Time (In Two Lines or Less) and Condensed Knowledge: A Deliciously Irreverent Guide to Feeling Smart Again, edited by Will Pearson.

Quotations to Make You Go "Hmmm?", November 8, 2004


I am sure if someone had told me before I read this book that it was an easy-to-read, entertaining, and informative combination of a simple quote book, many cultural and historical references, and a scholarly and literary analysis of paradoxes and oxymorons, I would not have bought it. Well, I sure am glad nobody told me exactly what the book was about because I not only bought it and read it, I thought it was an outstanding book.

"Oxymoronica," a new term introduced by Dr. Mardy Grothe and the title of this book, was defined inside the front cover as "any variety of tantalizing, self-contradictory statements or observations that on the surface appear false or illogical, but at a deeper level are true, often profoundly true."

In keeping with that definition, the book contained over 1,400 oxymoronic and paradoxical quotations from ancient times to today, organized into fourteen categories, most of which you would expect to find in any standard book of quotations (i.e. advice; insults; politics; sex, love, and romance; marriage, home, and family life). Complementing the wit and wisdom of the quotations was Grothe's historical and cultural research and his ability to present and put into a logical, often humorous, context the quotations so that I could reflect on and appreciate their profound meanings. You can open the book at random or read it sequentially and get the same pleasant experience both ways.

I had many profoundly personal moments of reflection on people and events in my life throughout the pages of this book:

"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's own ignorance." Confucius

"You can't make anything idiot-proof because idiots are so ingenious." Ron Burns

"The child is father of the man." William Wordsworth

"When you add to the truth, you subtract from it." From the Talmud

"He had nothing to say and he said it." Ambrose Bierce, on a contemporary

"I learned an awful lot from him by doing the opposite." Howard Hawkes, on Cecil B. DeMille

"Most people when they come to you for advice come to have their own opinions strengthened, not corrected." Josh Billings

"Vision is the art of seeing things invisible." Jonathon Swift

"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." George Orwell, in "Animal Farm"

Absurdity is the spice of life, May 28, 2004
There's something about oxymorons that bring us up short even as we laugh over the sheer absurdity of it all. Even the name of this little book is an absurdity in itself: "Oxymoronica"?? Reading this volume helps us to stop and think about some of the gems and malapropisms that have enlivened the English language, both planned and unplanned. Here you'll find some of the more classic Berra-isms and the wit and wisdom of Shakespeare, Aristotle, and Confucius, just to name a few. The book is well organized into different areas of life such as politics, art, romance and sex (some of the more delicious examples of oxymoronica fall into this category), marriage and literature. The book makes you reminisce on some of the choicer oxymorons of your own experience; one of my favorites came from a lawyer friend of mine, who, hearing that an upcoming court hearing was being delayed because the judge-from-hell was ill, said "Gee, I hope it's nothing trivial." "Oxymoronica" is full of hilarious examples that match or top that one. Its wisdom should be absorbed slowly, savored bit by delicious bit. To use a classic oxymoron, it's a terribly funny book.

Depth Charges for the Mind, April 1, 2004
Word lovers find an immediate friend in Dr. Mardy Grothe, for in his latest book, Oxymoronica-Paradoxical Wit and Wisdom from History's Greatest Wordsmiths, he has labored long to prepare a banquet for their absolute delight. Psychologist and business consultant may be his profession - and a demanding profession it is - but Dr. Grothe always finds time for his chief passion, which is the love of language. In this book, he shares the fruits of many years of collecting quotations, concentrating on those of a peculiar type-the paradoxical and oxymoronic-comprehended in his newly coined term "oxymoronica."

This book is no quick read. When you discover a fine wine, do you gulp it down? Or do you prefer to savor it, to prolong the pleasure, knowing that even when at last you have finished, you can return for many more unhurried sessions. Such is the experience of reading this book. You may open it at random (if you are an unsystematic reader like me) and discover a treasure like this one from Groucho Marx: "The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made." Then you might laugh, but more often than not you start thinking and finding out there was something true about the thought, something that almost escaped your attention until the paradoxical twist brought it out.

What also impresses you is the broad range of the quotations, historically and culturally, from Confucius to George Carlin, arranged in fourteen different categories encompassing many if not most areas of your experience. What you find here is a tour de force, leading at least this reader to a conclusion - which itself is a paradox - that you will better understand yourself and your experience through paradox. I will not try to convince the skeptic (I was a skeptic myself), except to say that I am so glad that I experienced (so much more than "read") this book. Try it! Just maybe a few depth charges in your mind will clear your head!

A Tool For Wordsmiths: Mini-Review of "Oxymoronica" by Dr. Mardy Grothe, May 31, 2006
I have always found words to be marvelous tools, weapons or playthings - depending on who is wielding them and in what tone of voice. I marvelous at those who have the talent to express time-tested ideas in new and entertaining ways. So, I was delighted to find this little gem, written by Dr. Mardy Grothe: Oxymoronica - Paradoxical Wit and Wisdom from History's Greatest Wordsmiths." This HarperCollins book will be added to my bookshelf of hand reference works.

According to Dr. Grothe's own definition, "oxymoronica" are: "Any variety of tantalizing, self-contradictory statements or observations that on the surface appear false or illogical, but at a deeper level are true, often profoundly true."

The author has been collecting memorable quotations for many years, and out of the tens of thousands in his collection, he chose two hundred pages worth that best represent the art of verbal paradox.

I could share quotations from every page that are worth passing on, but to keep this mini-review from become too "maxi," I will share only a few quotations culled from my favorite authors.

From Dickens - the immortal opening passage to A Tale of Two Cities:

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times,
It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness,
It was the epoch of believe, it was the epoch of incredulity,
It was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness,
It was the spring of hope, it was the spring of despair,
We had everything before us, we had nothing before us,
We were all going direct to Heaven,
We were all going direct the other way."
(Page 197)

From Dickens Bleak House:

"He is an honorable, obstinate, truthful, high-spirited, intensely prejudiced, perfectly reasonable man."
(Page 205)

From Dostoyevsky's Notes from the Underground:

"In despair there are the most intense enjoyments, especially when one is very acutely conscious of the hopelessness of one's position."

"Man is sometimes extraordinarily, passionately, in love with suffering."
(Page 200)

From Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye:

"As in the case of many misanthropes, his disdain for people led him into a profession designed to serve them."
(Page 201)

From Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard:

"When a lot of remedies are suggested for a disease, that means it can't be cured."
(Page 204)

Joseph Heller, in Catch-22, is a veritable fount of oxymoronic wit and wisdom:

"Even amongst men lacking all distinction he inevitably stood out as a man lacking more distinction than all the rest, and people who met him where always impressed by how unimpressive he was."

"The Texan turned out to be good-natured, generous and likeable. In three days, no one could stand him."

Heller - in Something Happened:

"When I grow up I want to be a little boy."
(Page 207)

From Aldous Huxley in Point Counter Point:

"Several excuses are always less convincing than one."
(Page 208)

Washington Irving in Bracebridge Hall:

"Whenever a man's friends begin to compliment him about looking young, he may be sure that they think he is growing old."
(Page 208)

Edgar Allan Poe in The Purloined Letter:

"The best place to hide anything is in plain view."
(Page 211)

George Bernard Shaw in Man and Superman:

"The most unbearable pain is produced by prolonging the keenest pleasure."

Another Shavian gem, from Heartbreak House:

"The surest way to ruin a man who doesn't know how to handle money is to give him some."
(Page 212)

Finally, Alexander Solzhenitsyn in The First Circle:

"You only have power over people as long as you don't take everything away form them. But when you've robbed a man of everything he's no longer in your power - he's free again."
(Page 212)

This is a book you can read in one sitting, and then will return to again and again for inspiration and delight.

In keeping with the spirit of the book, let me conclude: "This little volume is a quick snack that will feed you for a lifetime!"

Enjoy!

Al

I laughed so hard I was brought to tears, March 7, 2004
When we hear the word "oxymoron", we typically think of the simple and classic contradictory word-pairs like "military intelligence", "boneless ribs", and "jumbo shrimp". But as Dr. Mardy Grothe teaches and demonstrates to us, there is much more to the oxymoron than meets the eye.

An oxymoron, he explains, is paradox ("a truth standing on its head to attract attention") compacted into a single sentence or phrase. Dr. Grothe offers us a remarkably rich collection of self-contradictory statements which on the surface appear to be false or nonsensical, but which upon reflection appear to be true -- often, as he points out, "profoundly true".

"Oxymoronica" is a book that should not be read quickly, any more than a box of Belgian chocolates should be devoured in a single sitting. Each of the many hundreds of paradoxical gems bears multiple layers of meaning: I found myself inevitably smiling, shaking my head, or whispering a delighted "ahah" to myself as I allowed each one to sink in.

Well-documented and organized (there's even a section on Oxymoronic Insults), "Oxymoronica" is a rich collection, but it does not pretend to be exhaustive. In fact, the author has built a website and encouraged a community of collectors and wordsmiths to participate in a dymamic and growing collection in celebration of this form of word play.

Dr. Grothe's collection is, in a word, "extraordinary". Which is, come to think of it, itself a one-word oxymoron.

A Treasure-Trove of Double-Faceted Gems, August 27, 2004
Dr. Mardy Grothe, author of _Never Let a Fool Kiss You or a Kiss Fool You_, has written another gem -- _Oxymoronica: Paradoxical Wit and Wisdom from History's Greatest Wordsmiths_. The subtitle is perfectly apt: Wit and wisdom form the crux of an oxymoron, and Grothe's examples -- drawn from around the world -- span millennia.

As Grothe says in his introduction, "Many examples of oxymoronica appear illogical or self-contradictory on the surface. But at a deeper level, they usually make a great deal of sense and are often profoundly true."

A linguaphile extraordinaire, Grothe has been collecting quotations for nearly four decades. From his eight to ten thousand examples of oxymoronica, he has culled nearly 1500 for inclusion in the present volume. He has arranged them into fourteen chapters, each with a theme, such as romance, family, politics, the arts, and literature. One chapter is devoted to "ancient oxymoronica," another to "inadvertent oxymoronica." Grothe provides commentary through about the first half of each chapter, citing oxymora (the purists' plural) that illustrate his points. The last half of each chapter presents additional oxymora without commentary. Grothe advises readers not to read these too quickly but to take time to savor each one as if it were gourmet chocolate.

Here are a few of my favorites from _Oxymoronica_:

There is no exception to the rule that every rule has an exception. --James Thurber

Nothing fixes a thing so intensely in the memory as the wish to forget it. --Montaigne

Courage is almost a contradiction in terms. It means a strong desire to live taking the form of a readiness to die. --G. K. Chesterton

I'm the Hiroshima of love. --Sylvester Stallone

_Oxymoronica_ is a linguaphile's paradise. It will delight you again and again with its double-faceted gems. It is a celebration not only of people's wit and wisdom but also of the paradoxical nature of our world.

Tantalizingly True!, January 13, 2005
Dr. Grothe's "Oxymoronica" left me chuckling and amused on more than one occasion. Although this book is -- as another reviewer indicated -- a mere collection of quotes, the presentation and commentary provided by Dr. Grothe makes it so much more than a simple book of not-so-simple quotes. If you buy this book, be prepared to mark it up because you'll find yourself repeatedly reminding yourself, "I've got to remember that quote". A stellar read that should be enjoyed, savored, and referred to frequently!!

Entertaining, Useful and and a Pleasure to Read!, March 27, 2004
I loved this book! If you are interested in the clever and inadvertently clever use of language, you will enjoy Oxymoronica. The chapters are organized into general categories and I especially enjoyed the ones on Politics and Family Life. I think the book would be an excellent resource for attorneys, pastors, teachers and anyone interested in public speaking.

Please, don't write between the lines, December 16, 2007
This book contains many fine entries by people other than the author, "Dr." Mardy Grothe. Many of them are not `opposite' or `contradictory' enough to fit in, and are less interesting than the ones that do belong.

The problem with the book is the many comments by the author, which at their best are not necessary. His day job evidently involves some sort of counseling. Perhaps this line of work leads him to expect that people require explanations. For whatever reason, he provides his readers, or rather the readers of his selections, with plenty of explanations. He tells us what it is about contradictory statements that makes them contradictory, or whatever else we might need to understand these otherwise entertaining quotations. He even tells us why some of them are funny. Like most people who `explain' what it is about a joke that makes it funny, he's not very funny, and neither is the joke when he is finished with it. No doubt you have heard the term, "firm grasp on the obvious."

Do I dare provide a quote from this mischief? Well, ok. From the Introduction:

Oxymoronica?" [sic] you might be thinking, "What's that?" While you surely know what an oxymoron is, oxymoronica is probably a new word to you. You won't find it in any dictionary (at least not yet) because I came up with it only a few years ago. In coining oxymoronica, I was inspired by words you may know . . . I use the word oxymoronica to describe quotations that contain incompatible or incongruous elements. Many examples of oxymoronica appear illogical or self-contradictory on the surface. But at a deeper level, they usually make a great deal of sense and are often profoundly true.

By leaving out the marginally appropriate quotations and ALL of "Doctor" Grothe's comments, this book could be reduced to half its size, and be considerably improved. ... Read more