I was recently contacted by Dorling Kindersley publishers to ask me to review a new non-fiction STEM book, The Hidden Heroes of Science:
Journey through history and some of the lesser known names in science (and a few you may have heard of)…
This DK book by Peter Gallivan and The Royal Institution includes beautiful, detailed illustrations by Robbie Cathro revealing little hidden gems on each page – and I especially love the 3D textured features on the front cover.
With stories about:
👷The Original polymath – architect, civil engineer and doctor of medicine, Ancient Egyptian Imhotep.
👩🎓Hypatia, mathematician and scholar, Ancient Greek philosopher and female head of the university. The most important thing she did was teach others… and helped make her home city of Alexandria a welcoming and diverse place where people were able to learn. What else could you want?
🦅Abbas in Firnas, in the Islamic golden age, busy taking things apart to figure out how they worked – and his absolute belief in the science that he base jumped off a mountain with his home made wings swooping him slowly down to Earth, beating The Wright brothers to aviation history by 1000 years!
🧪Ibn al-Haytham invented the scientific method – performing experiments and testing theories – although the term scientist came about much later*
🐛Maria Merian’s scientific illustrations showing us the importance of looking a bit closer at world around us!
⚡Even featuring the Ri’s very own Michael Faraday, his book binding expertise, proactive job application landing him a role at the Ri** inventing the electric motor and perhaps his greatest work – helping everyone to understand science – the mission at the Ri to this day #ScienceLivesHere – and the Christmas Lectures which he began 200 years ago are still running to this day!
🌍Eunice Newton Foote, housewife climate scientist, inventor and original discoverer of the greenhouse effect!
🫛Gregor Mendel’s work on inheritance, linking evolution and genetics.
🪲Alfred Russell Wallace’s lesser known work on evolution.
🎢Granville T Woods – inventor of a roller coaster, safety breaking systems for trains, and telephone communication allowing trains to send messages along the tracks.
🧑🔬The book visits environmental scientists, medicinal chemists, inventors, seismologists, mathematicians and engineers – ending up exploring useful skills that make YOU a scientist!
This book is a glorious narrative through some hidden heroes of scientific discoveries and inventions, with tales of resilience, perseverance, seizing opportunities and above all, curiosity. The essential ingredients for any scientist!
*not mentioned in the book but tales from the Ri report the term “scientist” as first being used (in place of the more common phrase of natural philosopher at the time) to describe Mary Somerville.
** a man after my own heart as I also secured a spot helping behind the scenes of the Christmas lectures.
#ScienceIsEverywhere #Gifted #BeCurious #ScienceCapital #STEMCareers #STEMEducation #DrJoScience #ScienceBooks #Review #BookReview