Two-Fisted Science [Paperback]

Jim Ottaviani (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1, 2009 | Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up

Two-Fisted Science, a Xeric Award-winning and Eisner nominated original trade paperback, features true stories from the history of science. Some are serious, some are humorous, and most are a bit of both. Scientists highlighted include physicists Richard Feynman, Galileo, Niels Bohr, and Werner Heisenberg, but you'll find a cosmologist and some mathematicians inside as well.

Editorial Reviews

Review

With notes, references and a bibliography, the book provides an unusual but intelligent introduction to some of the most famous figures in physics. --Physics World

It humanizes science in a badly needed way, it inspires. --The Comics Journal

[W]onderfully offbeat and human. This collection illustrates some of science history's more offbeat sides... --Factsheet Five

About the Author

All of Jim Ottaviani's books have been nominated for multiple awards, including Eisners & ALA Popular Paperback of the Year, and they also receive critical praise in publications ranging from The Comics Journal to Physics World to Entertainment Weekly to Discover Magazine, and get national broadcast attention in outlets such as NPR's Morning Edition and the CBS Morning Show.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: G.T. Labs; 3rd edition (June 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0978803744
• ISBN-13: 978-0978803742
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #638,520 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gee, I found this book particularly appropriate and helpful, September 21, 2004

By 

Katrina Hagedorn (Ann Arbor MI) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Two-Fisted Science: Stories About Scientists (Paperback)

In response to a previous review ("Inappropriate and unhelpful"):

1. Swear words? What swear words? There are none in my copy.

2. I've seen this book in young adult and adult sections of libraries and bookstores. It's perfectly appropriate for both sections. And I've seen the author speak to an audience of kids about his books and they gobbled it up.

3. Comics are not required to be funny. Was "Maus" by Art Spiegelman funny?

4. It's easy to find something to be offended by in just about any book, but it's hard to see where the writing and art here are in any way inappropriate to the subject matter. Let's not forget that these stories are based on scientists' real lives. You think scientists are perfect human beings? That's part of what makes these stories interesting to read. They're fallible, like you and me.

Besides, while the book may not be funny, it's certainly a lot of fun to read because of the comics format. What better way to get your kids interested in science?

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Listen in to some our greatest oddball minds . . ., September 19, 2003

By 

Michael K. Smith (South Louisiana) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Two-Fisted Science: Stories About Scientists (Paperback)

All the stories in this collection of "graphic fiction" were written by Ottaviani, but the artwork was supplied by ten artists, including Bernie Mireault and Scott Saavedra. The stories are based on real events (reportedly real, anyway) about Einstein, Russell, Bohr, Heisenberg, and others - and especially Richard Feynman, who was not only one of 20th century physics's major minds but an amateur locksmith, talented musician, social philosopher, and world-class storyteller as well. Some, like "turtles all the way down," are smile-inducing classics, while others, like Heisenberg's approach to Bohr on behalf on the German nuclear effort in World War II are somber and reflective. Feynman's own recounting of his brief, tragic marriage during the Manhattan Project is especially affecting, and the tale of his safe-cracking activities at Los Alamos and Oak Ridge are a hoot. Oh, and you'll even learn some physics theory along the way, or at least get a taste of how physicists view the world. I hope another volume like this is in the works.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant idea, uninspired execution, May 15, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Two Fisted Science: Stories About Scientists (Paperback)

Comics like "Two-Fisted Science" serve nothing but a good purpose. They remind us that comics - like other art forms - can be about anything, and are not captives of the humor, fantasy and adventure genres.

A science-themed comic is especially appropriate, as the art-text combination inherent to comics would seem perfect for conveying complex/cosmic ideas. This collection features some terrific artists - notably Bernie Mireault, David Lasky, Colleen Doran and Sean Bieri - but I was a bit disappointed in the writing. Ottaviani's stories so intent on being unorthodox and different that they instead become meandering and confusing. Oftentimes I was unsure of what exactly was at stake for each story and why we should care about what was being told. And I would expect to actually learn more about SCIENCE in such a book. Also, the organization of the book into seemingly random sections, and the clumsy, unimaginative publication design diminished the effect.

I give the book high marks for effort, nice artwork, and the especially interesting portraits of Richard Feynman, but overall I'd rate "Two-Fisted Science" a noble failure.