Light. (Illus.; from the Scientific Magic Series.) NY: Watts,
1993. 110pp. $13.40. 92-79522.ISBN 0-53111082-6. Index; C.I.P.
Molecules and Heat. 92-16960. ISBN 0-5311 1053-2. EI - JH
Both of these books are well suited to elementary school
students as young as third grade (if used as a guide to interesting classroom
activities or for advanced readers) and would be appealing and useful up
through junior high school. Both are excellent in that they are not stuffy and
they try to engage the student via experiments and magic tricks using common
household items. Friedhoffer manages to approach difficult subjects with humor.
There is a great deal of healthy irreverence contained in his discussions of
most topics. Nevertheless, he pays equal attention to the scientific concepts
behind the magic tricks and constantly invites students to make their own
observations. His experiments are written to engage young people in the spirit
of scientific inquiry, at the same time providing them with means t entertain
their friends and families. He provides warnings to ask for adult supervision
for experiments that require potentially hazardous materials or activities
(e.g., open flames). These books would make excellent classroom supplements,
with teachers picking and choosing experiments and tricks to illustrate
specific concepts. At times the flow of the text is unclear, and young people
attempting to read the material on their own may end up with a collection of
facts without a framework to hold them. Nevertheless, these volumes are
intended as activity books, and the hands-on learning of both scientific ideas
and scientific methods far outweighs any theoretical shortcomings they might
have. I would recommend the series highly.
Michael J. Sarette, United Technologies, Brewerton,
Toying Around with Science: The Physics Behind Toys and Gags. (Illus. by
Linda Eisenberg.) NY: Walls, 1995. 95pp. $19.90. 94-49444. ISBN O-531-112152-
Glossary; Indcx; C.I.P.
This little book would make quite a nice gift for a child, particularly for
one curious about how things work The author admits to taking things apart when
be was 9 or 10 years old to see bow they worked. I wonder bow many of today's
scientists had that same curiosity as children. I did, and at an even younger
age, on some quite expensive toys that were not built to be taken apart! The
toys described in this book are selected because they were inexpensive and
available to all. The book's value lies in the way it uses toys to illustrate
the application of the basic laws of physics-those governing pressure
magnetism, friction inertia linear and angular momentum, gyroscopic motion, sound
and vibration, levers and mechanical advantage, and kinetic and potential
energy. The 10-page "Review of Scientific principles" and the
glossary, both al the end of e book, are highly valuable. The child who reads
these two sections thoughtfully will be well prepared for high school physics,
both in vocabulary and in the scientific practiced of using a few basic
principles to explain a variety of phenomena.
William A. Kemper, Metropolitan State College, Denver, CO
Friedhoffer, Bob. Magic and Perception: The Art and Science of Fooling the
Senses. 1996. 109p. index. illus. Watts, lib. ea., $18.95 (0-531-11254-3). DDC:
793.8.Gr. 5-7. Friedhoffer, the author of Magic Tricks, Science Facts (1990),
not only shows and tells how to perform magic tricks, he discusses how
magicians are able to alter an audience's perceptions of what is taking place.
Many clear line drawings and a few not-so-clear photographs illustrate the
text. Students of magic may choose this book because of the author's thorough,
practical approach to learning new tricks, but they'll also come away with a
better overall understanding of the human senses and the physical and mental
foibles that make illusions convincing. Appended resource lists include books,
equipment suppliers, magazines, and organizations for magicians. A unique take
on a popular topic.