Gift Books for Young Readers of Science Topics

This gift giving season there are several new books available that are perfect for the young readers on your list who are curious about science topics.  Here is a guide to several titles to consider as better presents than video games for teens and grown-ups too.


Death Rays, Jet Packs, Stunts & Supercars: The Fantastic Physics of Film's Most Celebrated Secret Agent
By Barry Parker
Johns Hopkins University Press, 288 pages, $25.00

Even though the secret agent is not named in the title of this book, you know the author is referring to Bond.  James Bond.  Physics professor Barry Parker has a terrific idea here - to scrutinize the science of the special effects on parade in the James Bond movies.  What his execution lacks in aplomb, his concept makes up for in enthusiasm.  This is written for those who won't master Bond's insouciance, but who can ace the science.  It is as if the professor's mortar board hovers over the work, providing shelter to grow innovative concepts, but blocking the light that sparks inspired writing.  You will find yourself wishing the professor got beyond the word "amazing" in his thesarus, but then realize it would have taken him to "awesome" and there is no telling how long he would be stuck there.  The number of times he uses the phrase "a lot" is uncountable, but let's just say it is a lot, sometimes twice in the same sentence, as when he compares a film to its predecessors "in that it contains a lot of action and also involves a lot of physics."

Style aside, Parker's book is loaded with information and neatly organized into chapter discussions of stunts, lasers, conveyances, gadgets, cars, chases, space and guns.  In the context of each Bond movie, Parker explains the science behind helicopters, jet engines, hovercraft, radar, x-rays, Geiger counters, global positioning satellites, safe cracking, turbocharging and much more.  He provides data that a secret agent needs to know and that the rest of us just like to know.  For instance:

• A dry avalanche travels at about 80 mph and a wet one travels at about 20 mph.