Bite-Size Science: Everything You Need to Know About Science in Small, Easily-Digestible Portions

Plain-language science explanations are supported by appealing color illustrations on every page in this reference for general readers in middle school and up. There is a special focus on topics that provoke controversy, such as stem-cell research and causes of climate change, with material presented from each side. Subjects have also been chosen on the basis of scientific importance. The book begins with chapters on matter and energy, and works up to the 'hard stuff': relativity, quantum theory, and theories of everything. In an attractive page layout featuring fact bars and margin boxes, the illustrations offer step-by-step sequences, cartoons, and drawings, with many of the illustrations relying on analogies--for example, the expansion of the universe is compared to bread rising in the oven. Imperial units (Fahrenheit, pounds, feet) are generally used instead of metric units. But how do we know what we know? There are no references or lists of further reading. Dinwiddie is a veteran science writer. Annotation c2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)