Getting to Grips with Science
Andrew Morris
Imperial College Press, £19.00
"I don't remember anything I learned in science at school" is the cry of some adults returning to science after a career change, or those who just don't like science. Andrew Morris provides a fresh approach for those interested in science but who have little science background by focusing on the fundamental ideas of science, as opposed to detailed facts.
The text follows a range of scientific ideas that should inspire curiosity in many and shows how science explains a multitude of facets of everyday life. The author identifies what excites our curiosity and suggests where personal experiences and preconceptions interact with scientific concepts, including past difficulties a person may have faced in their science education and how these can now be overcome.
References to sources follow each chapter, enabling further research into a subject and identifying where the information has stemmed from. Some chapters contain images – for example, the molecular structure of carbon (graphite) is shown in its hexagonal arrangement and is used to support the idea that imaging has improved our understanding and the progression of scientific study.
In my opinion, this book is aimed at those who have preconceptions that science is a difficult and boring subject, those who are interested in science but have little background knowledge, or who may have had difficulties in getting to grips with science at an earlier stage in their life. It is a good read and I ended up reading it from start to finish, which surprised me. Perhaps I identified with some of the experiences suggested. I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to look further into science ideas.
