Robert M Hazen and James Trefil

Science matters

Science is sometimes seen as being difficult - something which only experts need to know about. But anyone who believes this is essentially opting out of playing a full part in today's society. Hazen and Trefil attack this problem by providing an overview of science for the non-scientist in the form of this book. I have to say that it's impressive how much of the basics of science they get into less than 300 pages - physics, chemistry, astronomy, geology, biology and ecology are all dealt with. I feel that they have succeeded admirably in their task, and whether read through or used for reference this book deserves a place on the bookshelf of any non-scientist who wants to improve their knowledge in this area.

I could also imagine this book being of use to younger readers as an introduction to science, although in this case I would have more reservations. I feel that it is mostly concerned with describing the current state of science, rather than imparting the sense of curiousity which is vital to the scientific viewpoint. For this purpose I would prefer books which go into more detail for each subject, with more illustrations. That said, I don't think that any single book would compete with this one, and it does have a list of further reading at the end.

The book was published 13 years ago but I didn't feel that this was too much of a problem - although this is a long time in the fast moving world of science the basics don't change that fast.

Amazon.com info

Paperback 320 pages
ISBN: 038526108X
Salesrank: 346952
Weight:0.7 lbs

Published: 1991 Anchor

Marketplace:New from $3.99:Used from $0.01

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Amazon.co.uk info

Paperback 320 pages
ISBN: 038526108X
Salesrank: 1059312
Weight:0.7 lbs

Published: 1992 Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group

Marketplace:New from £17.89:Used from £0.01

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Amazon.ca info

Paperback 320 pages
ISBN: 038526108X
Salesrank: 405360
Weight:0.7 lbs

Published: 1990 Anchor

Marketplace:New from CDN$ 21.67:Used from CDN$ 0.01

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Product Description

Great for my current class in College, great overview of science. *****
Great book for the college student learning the basics of science. It could be continued more in-depth if the professor wanted to use equations and concepts for chapter readings.

Great for my current class in College, great overview of science. *****

Great book for the college student learning the basics of science. It could be continued more in-depth if the professor wanted to use equations and concepts for chapter readings.

Science explained *****
This small book is about the best I have read on explaining almost everything one encounters in the field of science in a way that make it understandable by anyone. Well worth the effort and cost.

Science explained *****

This small book is about the best I have read on explaining almost everything one encounters in the field of science in a way that make it understandable by anyone. Well worth the effort and cost.

Should be on the reading list of all students, but also journalists and policy-makers ****
This book does a very good job of providing or reminding the basic knowledge of science that every one should master to take part in the public debate. The topics are well chosen, and their exposition, if necessarily superficial, is clear and to the point. It should of course be just an incentive to read more on each of the topics it broaches. To mention only one flaw : for a book that promotes scientific literacy, it is a blatant contradiction to use those absurdly un-scientific american units throughout. It is also an insult and an aggravation for all readers outside the US. Even though scientific illiteracy is at its most serious in the US, this book should have been written for an international readership. All figures should be mentioned in metric units, keeping the medieval american stuff as footnotes, if need be.

Should be on the reading list of all students, but also journalists and policy-makers ****

This book does a very good job of providing or reminding the basic knowledge of science that every one should master to take part in the public debate.
The topics are well chosen, and their exposition, if necessarily superficial, is clear and to the point. It should of course be just an incentive to read more on each of the topics it broaches.
To mention only one flaw : for a book that promotes scientific literacy, it is a blatant contradiction to use those absurdly un-scientific american units throughout. It is also an insult and an aggravation for all readers outside the US. Even though scientific illiteracy is at its most serious in the US, this book should have been written for an international readership. All figures should be mentioned in metric units, keeping the medieval american stuff as footnotes, if need be.

Science Matters Will Make You Scientifically Literate ****
Do you believe the hype about UFOs? Do you think it's just a matter of time until some clever inventor builds a machine that will allow us to reach the nearest star and its planetary system? Are you a believer that God created the entire universe in seven precious days? If you engage in conversation in a cafeteria, or on the bus/subway, or at a PTA meeting, or at an office work conference, or wherever you happen to meet another individual, what you say about these matters may reflect to others a certain naiveté on you part. Or if you choose to remain silent as I sometimes do, you might feel somewhat stupid. This would also be true if you feel global warming is a myth, or that the natural selection process of evolution isn't for real, or that science should solve the abortion issue once and for all by telling people when a spirit or soul enters the substance we call a fetus. If any of the issues I just raised perplex, confuse, or annoy you, then Science Matters is the perfect book for you. This volume will explain in terms anyone can understand, the reasons why it is impossible for humans to ever reach the nearest star and improbable that UFOs could reach our planet. In terms that any lay person could understand, the book reveals what evidence there is for the Big Bang that brought forth the universe. This is not to short-circuit anyone's belief in a Divine Creator-God, but it may support true believers who know that the Holy Bible is meant to be allegory, not science. Science Matters can explain how two sex cells unite to develop into a fetus, but cannot scientifically tell when that globule becomes a human being. This book explains such complicated concepts as the relationship between electricity and magnetism; how what we think we see or feel as solids, liquids, and gases, are made of almost infinitely small particles moving at tremendous speeds; how all life itself is made up of a genetic code. Most importantly, it speaks of the precious interrelationship of all life on earth and our responsibility to preserve it. The authors of this book have an uncanny ability to take the most complicated concepts, explain them in simple, but realistic terms--often with diagrams. I found the section titled "Particle Zoo" rather comical. They say, "There are so many kinds of elementary particles that sometimes it's hard to tell the players without a scorecard." When one considers the size of some of these particles, it appears they are, for the most part, wiffs of energy moving about in vast quantities of subatomic space. The conclusion can be drawn that what I typically assume is my desk (a solid), or my diet Coke (a liquid), or the air in my room (a gas), is nothing more than empty space. I would highly recommend Science Matters, to everyone who loves to learn, who seeks to know. It is extremely easy to read and will make your feel comfortable about topics you've avoided when enjoined in conversation with others. You will not be an expert, but you can appear up-to-date and knowledgeable. I would suggest that educators use Science Matters as a backup text for many formal classroom physics or chemistry books. You will surely find its explanations, definitions, and diagrams helpful. (Another interesting classroom science book: Punk Science: Inside the Mind of God) Science raw is a puzzle or a maze. But understood, can wipe away the haze!

Science Matters Will Make You Scientifically Literate ****

Do you believe the hype about UFOs? Do you think it's just a matter of time until some clever inventor builds a machine that will allow us to reach the nearest star and its planetary system? Are you a believer that God created the entire universe in seven precious days?

If you engage in conversation in a cafeteria, or on the bus/subway, or at a PTA meeting, or at an office work conference, or wherever you happen to meet another individual, what you say about these matters may reflect to others a certain naiveté on you part. Or if you choose to remain silent as I sometimes do, you might feel somewhat stupid.

This would also be true if you feel global warming is a myth, or that the natural selection process of evolution isn't for real, or that science should solve the abortion issue once and for all by telling people when a spirit or soul enters the substance we call a fetus.

If any of the issues I just raised perplex, confuse, or annoy you, then Science Matters is the perfect book for you. This volume will explain in terms anyone can understand, the reasons why it is impossible for humans to ever reach the nearest star and improbable that UFOs could reach our planet.

In terms that any lay person could understand, the book reveals what evidence there is for the Big Bang that brought forth the universe. This is not to short-circuit anyone's belief in a Divine Creator-God, but it may support true believers who know that the Holy Bible is meant to be allegory, not science.

Science Matters can explain how two sex cells unite to develop into a fetus, but cannot scientifically tell when that globule becomes a human being.

This book explains such complicated concepts as the relationship between electricity and magnetism; how what we think we see or feel as solids, liquids, and gases, are made of almost infinitely small particles moving at tremendous speeds; how all life itself is made up of a genetic code. Most importantly, it speaks of the precious interrelationship of all life on earth and our responsibility to preserve it.

The authors of this book have an uncanny ability to take the most complicated concepts, explain them in simple, but realistic terms--often with diagrams. I found the section titled "Particle Zoo" rather comical. They say, "There are so many kinds of elementary particles that sometimes it's hard to tell the players without a scorecard."

When one considers the size of some of these particles, it appears they are, for the most part, wiffs of energy moving about in vast quantities of subatomic space. The conclusion can be drawn that what I typically assume is my desk (a solid), or my diet Coke (a liquid), or the air in my room (a gas), is nothing more than empty space.

I would highly recommend Science Matters, to everyone who loves to learn, who seeks to know. It is extremely easy to read and will make your feel comfortable about topics you've avoided when enjoined in conversation with others. You will not be an expert, but you can appear up-to-date and knowledgeable.

I would suggest that educators use Science Matters as a backup text for many formal classroom physics or chemistry books. You will surely find its explanations, definitions, and diagrams helpful. (Another interesting classroom science book: Punk Science: Inside the Mind of God)

Science raw is a puzzle or a maze.
But understood, can wipe away the haze!

Very good book, not great on Kindle ***
This is a very good review of basic topics in science, as others have noted. Science is fast-moving and it is not clear that all sections are completely up-to-date. In the book version, the following problem is not an issue, because you can always leaf through the pages easily. The major problem for the Kindle is that there is no index and (thus?) no way to overview and skip from chapter to chapter - you have to go through the book page by page. Books should not be released for Kindles without indexes; it would have been a simple matter to add one. Of course, if a view inside the book had been provided, this omission might have been apparent; as it was, I had to return the book.

Very good book, not great on Kindle ***

This is a very good review of basic topics in science, as others have noted. Science is fast-moving and it is not clear that all sections are completely up-to-date. In the book version, the following problem is not an issue, because you can always leaf through the pages easily. The major problem for the Kindle is that there is no index and (thus?) no way to overview and skip from chapter to chapter - you have to go through the book page by page. Books should not be released for Kindles without indexes; it would have been a simple matter to add one. Of course, if a view inside the book had been provided, this omission might have been apparent; as it was, I had to return the book.

Excellent thumbnail sketch of the major branches of science. *****
Entertaining and insightfully written, this overview is a must read for the average person. It avoids bogging the reader down in technical jargon, and provides a great practical grasp of each of the major branches of science and how they influence our daily lives. Everything you always wanted to know about "how?" but were afraid to ask!

Excellent thumbnail sketch of the major branches of science. *****

Entertaining and insightfully written, this overview is a must read for the average person. It avoids bogging the reader down in technical jargon, and provides a great practical grasp of each of the major branches of science and how they influence our daily lives. Everything you always wanted to know about "how?" but were afraid to ask!

Lively and comprehensive--a tour de force. *****
I cannot understand the negative review by the reader from Oakton. I did not find a "condescending tone" or "patronizing attitiude" anywhere in this book. On the contrary, I have great appreciation for the authors' ability to cover essentially all the fundamentals of modern science in a pleasant and stimulating way. What they have done is to produce a kind of "science for poets" course that would be suitable at the high school or college level. They focus each of the 18 chapters on a single great idea of science, e.g., ch.1 ("The Universe is knowable and preditable."), ch.9 ("Everything is made of quarks and leptons."), ch.16 ("All life is based on the same genetic code."). Of course this is not as detailed as a textbook, but by the same token, it does not wear you out or stuff you to the gills with more than you can digest. Another very pleasant aspect is the absence of the usual arm-twisting you'd get in a course: none of those bloody, in-your-face "learning objectives," no tests, no homework, no lists to memorize. Since the authors are both college teachers, they showed great restraint and wisdom in shunning that assiduous approach, which most teachers (myself included) tend to deploy in their daily work. They give you enough to develop a broad outline, but not so much as to kill your interest. Three cheers for their demonstration of top-quality science teaching. P.S. I found a smattering of errors in those few chapters where I was knowledgeable, but these are all minor and will hardly be noticed by most readers, let alone detract from the overall learning experience.

Lively and comprehensive--a tour de force. *****

I cannot understand the negative review by the reader from Oakton. I did not find a "condescending tone" or "patronizing attitiude" anywhere in this book. On the contrary, I have great appreciation for the authors' ability to cover essentially all the fundamentals of modern science in a pleasant and stimulating way. What they have done is to produce a kind of "science for poets" course that would be suitable at the high school or college level. They focus each of the 18 chapters on a single great idea of science, e.g., ch.1 ("The Universe is knowable and preditable."), ch.9 ("Everything is made of quarks and leptons."), ch.16 ("All life is based on the same genetic code.").

Of course this is not as detailed as a textbook, but by the same token, it does not wear you out or stuff you to the gills with more than you can digest. Another very pleasant aspect is the absence of the usual arm-twisting you'd get in a course: none of those bloody, in-your-face "learning objectives," no tests, no homework, no lists to memorize. Since the authors are both college teachers, they showed great restraint and wisdom in shunning that assiduous approach, which most teachers (myself included) tend to deploy in their daily work. They give you enough to develop a broad outline, but not so much as to kill your interest. Three cheers for their demonstration of top-quality science teaching.

P.S. I found a smattering of errors in those few chapters where I was knowledgeable, but these are all minor and will hardly be noticed by most readers, let alone detract from the overall learning experience.

A great cure for insomnia *
There are some books about science that ignite the imagination, sparking a lifelong fascination about the book's subject... and then there is Science Matters, which did a good job of convincing me that I will never be a scientist. From the very first pages of the book to the last, the authors' condescending tone rings through every word. Eventually (after about, say, page 5) the patronizing attitude that almost oozes from each chapter becomes unbearable. Unfortunately, matters are not improved by the dullness of the text, which, in spite of its relative lucidity, still has a potent soporific effect.

A great cure for insomnia *

There are some books about science that ignite the imagination, sparking a lifelong fascination about the book's subject... and then there is Science Matters, which did a good job of convincing me that I will never be a scientist. From the very first pages of the book to the last, the authors' condescending tone rings through every word. Eventually (after about, say, page 5) the patronizing attitude that almost oozes from each chapter becomes unbearable. Unfortunately, matters are not improved by the dullness of the text, which, in spite of its relative lucidity, still has a potent soporific effect.

excellent *****
This book gives you as much information as a classroom textbook, but it is a lot more interesting. I felt this was an excellent book because there are not many books that provide as much information as this one and that are actually a good read. I had a hard time putting this book down once I started to read it.

excellent *****

This book gives you as much information as a classroom textbook, but it is a lot more interesting. I felt this was an excellent book because there are not many books that provide as much information as this one and that are actually a good read. I had a hard time putting this book down once I started to read it.

This book should be read by every 8th grade student! *****
This book contains most basic knowledge and skills that almost any average person needs to get through life. This would make an excellent co-text at the middle school level.

This book should be read by every 8th grade student! *****

This book contains most basic knowledge and skills that almost any average person needs to get through life. This would make an excellent co-text at the middle school level.

Couldn't have asked for a clearer explanation *****
This is an outstanding book. It provides an understanding of the basic scientific phenomena that everybody should know. I'd have to say I came away from this book with more knowledge than from all my high school and college science classes.

Couldn't have asked for a clearer explanation *****

This is an outstanding book. It provides an understanding of the basic scientific phenomena that everybody should know. I'd have to say I came away from this book with more knowledge than from all my high school and college science classes.