Physics: Why Matter Matters! [Paperback]

Dan Green (Author), Simon Basher (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up | Grade Level: 5 and up

Imagine physics as a community full of wacky characters--the building blocks of the universe each with a unique personality. This book throws open the doors and welcomes you into their amazing world. From gravity to the theory of relativity, this unique book provides visual interpretations of complex concepts, designed to make learning physics easier and a whole lot more fun!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4–8—This follow-up to Adrian Dingle's The Periodic Table (Kingfisher, 2007) introduces the elements of physics as anthropomorphic, cartoon-style characters. "You could say that these forceful fellows are the ones that really matter." They are grouped by associations: "Old School" (mass, weight, density, etc.), "Hot Stuff" (energy, entropy, etc.), "Wave Gang" (sound, frequency, etc.), "Light Crew" (radio wave, microwave, etc.), "Atom Family" (proton, electron, etc.), "Nuclear Heavies" (radioactivity, alpha particle, etc.), and "Electric Cuties" (static electricity, electric current, etc.). Each of the groupings begins with an introduction and each concept is given its own spread that shows the cartoon figure and describes its "personality." The information is presented in a chatty and conversational tone. For example, Blackbody Radiation is described as "a ninjalike shadow who swallows and slays the Light Crew." Along with the narrative, which is written in the first person from the concept's point of view, other key facts are presented. This book would be handy as a supplement to a physics curriculum.—Maren Ostergard, King County Library System, Issaquah, WA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Dan Green studied Natural Sciences at Cambridge University. Since graduating, he has written and edited many popular science titles and humorous books, become the editor of a South American national newspaper, worked as a travel writer, as well as developing and editing the wildly successful Horrible Science magazine collection. He is the “voice” of Basher’s bestselling science-made-easy books, and to date has written nine titles in the series.

Simon Basher is a well-known illustrator who enjoys playing in the world of contemporary character design. Inspired by a love of simple line work and a rich color palette, his characters fill the gap between edgy manga and the cuteness of Hello Kitty.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Kingfisher; First Edition edition (April 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0753462141
• ISBN-13: 978-0753462140
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 7.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #31,339 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #7 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Physics
  • #8 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Physics
  • #27 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Fiction

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars science with a personality, May 14, 2008

By 

delzey (new england) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Physics: Why Matter Matters! (Paperback)

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." Albert Einstein

Yup, that just about sums up what's going on here, proving the Einstein's smaller theories were pretty solid as well. The physical world and its inhabitants are once again anthropomorphed and grouped by association. We get the Old School dudes (Mass, Weight, Density, &c.), the Hot Stuff (Energy, Entropy...), the Wave Gang (Sound, Frequency...), the Light Crew (Radio, Microwave...), and so on. It's all here, each aspect with its own spread, a first-person breakdown on the one side and a graffiti-like cartoon portrait on the other. There's also a "first discovered" box and a short historical list of how or when they were famously employed.

As with Basher and Green's previous book "The Periodic Table: Elements With Style," I think this book works best in the classroom as a supplemental text (though used correctly they could be primary) with wide appeal. A great introduction for budding young scientists to the basics of physics, a playful refresher for older young scientists, and an easily digestible crash-course for adults who need the background to keep up with their budding young scientists.

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to physics old and new..., June 25, 2008

By 

K. K. Barre "Quot libros, quam breve tempus." (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Physics: Why Matter Matters! (Paperback)

My six year old plowed through this book in one afternoon... he knew he'd love it because the Periodic Table version is an old favorite. The information is clear, concise, and engaging, the pictures appealing to my little Pokemon fan. I love that we had a whole discussion of strong vs. weak force at dinner last night. Not really a textbook, but a fantastic introduction to physics for kids who read well on thier own.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excelent Introduction to Physics, August 10, 2010

By 

Dr. Bojan Tunguz (Indiana, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Physics: Why Matter Matters! (Paperback)

Physics is oftentimes considered the hardest of the hard sciences, and to many people it is one of the most difficult subjects to master. It is also my own chosen profession, and something that I am very passionate about. I find it to be an enormously fascinating subject, and I always appreciate new ways of sharing my knowledge of the subject with my students, friends and acquaintances. In my professional life of a college professor I find it continuously challenging to present the most important Physics concepts in such a way that is both accessible to the intended audience and it does justice to the field. Unfortunately even in the higher education there has been an increasing pressure to dilute various subjects in order to make them more "relevant" to the modern students. These attempts, however well-intended they may be, have the consequence of creating more and more generations of scientifically illiterate citizens. Fortunately, this small book does not subscribe to this misguided approach to science. The concepts and ideas are as part of the traditional Physics curriculum as they come. They are introduced in a playful, amusing way, and yet each short description is completely accurate and relevant. There are a few facts and numbers that help with describing each one of the concepts, but they are only given in sidebars and don't constitute the bulk of the material. In my opinion this is a pedagogically well founded way of presenting these concepts to someone for the first time. The illustrations in the book are extremely well done and serve the purpose of personifying various physical concepts and quantities. This may be particularly appealing to the young readers. I would also recommend this book even to the older audience that perhaps has not heard of some of these concepts, or has not really thought about Physics in many years. Overall this is an excellent low-level introduction to Physics.