I was watching The Big Bang Theory the other day and Sheldon was explaining the legend of how Archimedes figured out the concept of water displacement.
Then I picked up Helaine Becker's What's the Big Idea: Inventions that Changed Life on Earth Forever and there was the same anecdote.
(For those of us who need a science class review: Arch realized that when he sat in a tub, the water level rose. The king asked him to figure out if his crown was made of pure gold or if his crown-maker had ripped him off. Using displacement, Arch solved the puzzle: the crown was a fake!)
The connection between The Big Bang episode and this fabulous book is that children need to scaffold their learning. I laughed at Sheldon's ever-funny antics, soaked in the Archimedes info, but soon forgot the tale. Upon reading about Arch again in this book, I know I'll now remember more of the details.
Parents, librarians, teachers - if you want a book to make your readers say, "I didn't know that!" or "Cool!", then you need to pick up a copy. There's enough text to interest a more sophisticated reader/researcher and enough colourful illustrations to engage a reluctant reader/researcher.
Did you know that the Chinese discovered vaccinations in 200 BCE by rubbing powdered small pox scabs into cuts? Gross, but cool, right?
Did you know that shellac is a natural plastic made from insects?
My imagination was really peaked with the "What's Next?" section at the end of the book. Here, the author outlines a few futuristic (or perhaps not-so-futuristic) ideas that are out there. For instance, batteries made from viruses, spray-on fabric and ultrasound cuffs to speed healing.
This book was created to satisfy the author's curiosity about the link between events and inventions. My guess is that it will leave readers craving more...and this will lead to more reading and research...and that makes this reviewer very happy!
What's the Big Idea?
by Helaine Becker
Maple Tree Press 2009
ISBN: 978-1-897349-61-8
CDN $19/95
US $17.95
