Chemical Education Today edited by
Book & Media Reviews
Why Science? by R. Stephen White Nova Science Publishers: Commack, NY, 1998. xx + 228 pp. ISBN 1- 56072-531-1. $34. reviewed by Myra Halpin
Why Science is a compilation of information presented by Stephen White in his “Science Views” column, which appears in the Santa Barbara, California, New Press. This is an excellent resource for educators, especially teachers of students who are non-science-majors. The book addresses numerous questions students ask and briefly explains the scientific bases, or lack thereof, for each. Chapters titled Superstition and the Paranormal, Science and Antiscience, Medical Science, the Environment, Energy, and Basic and Applied Science all
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Jeffrey Kovac University of Tennessee Knoxville, TN 37996-1600
contain excellent facts and stories that can be used in the classroom to enrich students’ understanding of science. Each chapter begins with a summary of the current status of that topic and many include myths and history of the evolution of the theme. White maintains a balanced, objective view in each essay and writes for the people who seek evidence for their views. There are 72 essays, about 12 per chapter. He includes topics most students will find familiar: “mad cow disease”, “Alar false alarm”, “genetic cloning”, “alternative energy myths”, and alien abductions. Educators will also find the reference list for each chapter very useful. This little book contains a wealth of information appropriate for the education of the decisionmakers of the future. Myra Halpin is at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, 1219 Broad Street, Durham, NC 27705;
[email protected].
Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 77 No. 6 June 2000 • JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu
