Science

The mysteries of science demystified...Highly readable books that reveal the true fascination of science

John Farndon writes exciting and accessible science books for children and adults. He has contributed to numerous science encyclopaedias. His books have been shortlisted four times for the Science Books Junior Prize and its predecessors. In 1993, How the Earth Works' and in 1997, 'What Happens When?' were shortlisted for the Rhone-Poulenc Prizes for Science Books Junior Prize. 'The Complete Book of the Brain' was shortlisted for the 2001 Aventis Prizes for Science Books Junior Prize.

Science Investigations: Electricity by John Farndon

Science Investigations: Electricity by John Farndon

32 pages Hodder Wayland (7 Sep 2006)

Investigate electricity by examining evidence and performing simple experiments. This practical book answers common questions about electricity by looking at evidence and demonstrating its properties through a range of carefully chosen experiments that can be done in the classroom or at home. It covers such questions as 'What is electricity?', 'How does electricity make things glow?', 'How do we measure electrical charge?'. 'How can we make a simple photocopier?' and 'How are electricity and magnetism linked?' It also includes questions for readers to investigate further on their own. Written by a highly experienced and acclaimed science writer, the book includes links to useful websites as well as glossary, index and list of further reading.

Shortlisted, Royal Society Science Book Junior Prize 2007

Reviews

"The author emphasises scientific research by asking open questions, and provides ideas for further investigation, which encourages the reader to look beyond the scope of the book."

Royal Society Book Prize Judges

"A practical book that answers common questions about electricity such as what it is, how it is measured and why it can make some objects glow. The book also provides questions for readers to investigate further on their own and links to useful websites as well as glossary, index and a list of further reading."

BBC News

Big Book of the Brain (Hardcover) by John Farndon

Big Book of the Brain (Hardcover) by John Farndon

45 pages Hodder Wayland (May 18, 2000)

How many nerve cells are in the human brain? How does the brain communicate with the rest of the body? What happens when we think? The Big Book of the Brain answers all of these questions and many more.

Shortlisted, Aventis Science Book Junior Prize 2001

Reviews

"A colourful introduction to the brain, including how we hear, see, smell, remember and dream"

BBC News

How Science Works (Reader's Digest ) by John Farndon

How Science Works (Reader's Digest ) by John Farndon

192 pages Dorling Kindersley/Readers Digest (1991, 1999)

Here is an exciting and highly original "hands-on" introduction to the world of science for the whole family. Encourages a head start in learning about science. Safe, readily available "ingredients" for each project. For ages 8-14.

Radio, TV and Web

  • "Blue Peter" BBC TV
  • "Pebble Mill with Alan Titchmarsh", BBC TV
  • Sky TV News

Reviews

"A visually enticing, large-format volume... that combines a lively, understandable text with a number of activities and projects that illustrate the topic...imaginative and appealing... A cut above most how-to science books."

Sylvia V. Meisner,School Library Journal

"...even if you don't ever do the experiments, just seeing the photos makes the complex easy to understand. Even after getting a master's degree, I find I am really understanding things that I supposedly learned years ago. I highly recommend this book."

Amazon customer

"As a home schooling family, we have found this book to provide the basics for a hands on science curriculum...Our children ages preschool to fourth grade look forward to science due to the wide range of activities and "fun" educational projects... enough science for a year at least!"

Amazon customer

"not just for reading but is full of rewarding experiments that can easily be managed at home by parent and child. "

Amazon customer

"an exciting and highly original hands-on introduction to the world of science for the whole family."

Mr. P. S. Redfern, Amazon customer

Science Experiment series

Science Experiment series; Color; Electricity; Light and Optics; Sound and Hearing; Water; Gravity, Weight, and Balance; The Human Body; Levers, Wheels, and Pulleys; Magnetism; Solids, Liquids, and Gases; Chemicals; Motion; Rocks and Minerals; Time; Buoyancy by John Farndon

48 pages each Benchmark (2001; 2002; 2003)

Early in the seventeenth century, Francis Bacon decided that the best way to learn about the world was to discover things for oneself. Since then, science has been a marriage of observation and experimentation. The experiments contained in each chapter of these books allow young scientists to investigate basic principles using common household materials and easy-to-follow instructions. The titles are filled with dozens of color photographs that illustrate experiments and provide a glimpse of everyday and extraordinary uses of the subject.

Awards

[The Human Body; Flight] Best Books for Children
SCIENCE BOOKS & FILMS , 2002
[Flight] Editors' Choice 2002
SCIENCE BOOKS & FILMS , 2002

Reviews

[Group 3]-"What a fun way for young readers to learn science!...These books will be a definite hit with the middle-grade crowd. Each book covers a topic that will fit right into the curriculum. Not only are they a boon for the student, but also for the teacher. Recommended."

Library Media Connection, April/May 2003

[ Color, Electricity, Weather ] These books move beyond basic introductory texts and provide questions as well as answers to some of the complex aspects of each of these topics. Good resources for reports and for those who want to know how and why things work."

School Library Journal, April 2001

[Chemicals, Rocks and Minerals]-"The texts are clear and easy to understand and the colorful photos and illustrations set on a white background add appeal. Two satisfactory titles presented in an attractive format."

School Library Journal, April 2003

[Buoyancy, Chemicals, Energy, Motion, Rocks and Minerals, Time]-"Recommended."

Booklist, December 15, 2002

[Flight]-"Highly Recommended."

Science Books & Films, July/August 2002

[Color, Electricity, Weather]-"Good resources for reports and for those who want to know how and why things work."

School Library Journal, April 2001

[Sound and Hearing, Light and Optics, Weather, Water, Electricity, Color]-"Recommended".

Library Talk, March/April 2001

[Color, Weather]-"...clearly illustrated, step-by-step directions for the science activities will make this a useful addition to many libraries."

Booklist, March 15, 2001

"Basic science facts about each topic are related in lucid prose, while occasional experiments-usually using household items-allow the reader to observe the scientific principles in action."

The Horn Book Guide, Spring 2001

The Great Scientists: From Euclid to Stephen Hawking (Hardcover)

The Great Scientists: From Euclid to Stephen Hawking (Hardcover) by John Farndon with contributions from Alex Woolf, Liz Gogerly, Anne Rooney

160 pages Arcturus Foulsham (Dec 2005)

Reviews

The Great Scientists is a lavishly-illustrated collection of essays, each devoted to one of history's greatest scientists. From the Greek mathematicians Euclid and Archimedes, whose work is even now required reading, to the theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, the greatest practitioners from a wide range of scientific disciplines are represented here. Each essay gives a biographical background for its subject and a description of the main themes of their work, together with concise expositions of some of their key ideas. The thirty-four chronologically-organized essays in this book add up to a biography of science itself.

"well written and illustrated." Amazon customer

Science and Technology: Humanity's Quest for Knowledge and Explanations (Exploring History) by John Farndon

Science and Technology: Humanity's Quest for Knowledge and Explanations (Exploring History) by John Farndon

64 pages Lorenz Books Childrens (May 25, 2000)/Southwater (May 2004)

"Exploring history" is a series of books that takes the reader through time, exploring the reality of what it was like to live in the past. Together the series spans the whole of the human era, from prehistoric times to life in the modern world. Follow in the steps of scientists, engineers and inventors on a journey of challenge and discovery that spans 2000 years. Meet the men and women whose brilliant minds, quest for knowledge, and determination have shaped the way we live. "Science and Technology" traces the evolution of scientific thought and the most amazing breakthroughs, from the ancient Greeks to the world of the microchip.

From Ptolemy's Spheres to Dark Energy: Discovering the Universe by John Farndon

From Ptolemy's Spheres to Dark Energy: Discovering the Universe by John Farndon

64 pages Heinneman (Sept 2007)

How did the Universe begin? Who first measured the distance to a star? What is the mysterious force called dark energy? This title tells the amazing story of astronomy, from the ancient belief that all the planets revolve around Earth to the latest discoveries about how fast the universe is expanding.

Wildlife Atlas (Hardcover) by John Farndon

From Newton's Rainbow to Frozen Light: Discovering Light by John Farndon

64 pages Heinneman (Sept 2007)

What is light and where does it come from? Can light be slowed to a stop? How do scientists plan to make an invisibility cloak? This book explains how scientists realized that all light comes from atoms and how one day they might use light to teleport objects across space.

From DNA to GM Wheat: Discovering Genetically Modified Food by John Farndon

From DNA to GM Wheat: Discovering Genetically Modified Food by John Farndon

64 pagesHeinneman (Sept 2007)

The Chain Reaction series explains the development of some major 21st century scientific advances. This book tells the amazing story of genetic engineering, from the earliest discoveries about DNA to the latest GM crops.

From Laughing Gas to Face Transplants: Discovering Transplant Surgery by John Farndon

From Laughing Gas to Face Transplants: Discovering Transplant Surgery by John Farndon

64 pages Heinneman (Sept 2007)

This series explains the development of some major 21st century scientific advances. This book tells the amazing story of transplant surgery form Ancient India to modern facial reconstruction.

The Elements series: Oxygen; Nitrogen; Hydrogen; Calcium; Aluminium by John Farndon

The Elements series: Oxygen; Nitrogen; Hydrogen; Calcium; Aluminium by John Farndon

32 pages Benchmark (1999, 2000, 2001)

Every single thing and person consists of elements, and this informative series will help young readers understand just how important the elements are and what role they play in the science of chemistry. Enhanced by easy-to-follow diagrams and full color illustrations, the text explains how the elements behave, their individual characteristics, and their importance in everyday life.

Reviews

[Calcium, Gold, Hydrogen, Magnesium]-"New additions to 'The Elements' series provide excellent basic overviews of the elements."

Children's Bookwatch, September 2000

[Calcium, Hydrogen]-"These attractive and readable series entries present the basics....Good, clear diagrams help explain the concepts covered in the texts, and full-color and black and white illustrations are generally interesting and informative."

School Library Journal, June 2000

[Calcium, Hydrogen]-"Books in the Elements series provide succinct, readable introductions to chemical elements, with diagrams, photographs, or reproductions of period prints on every page."

Booklist, March 1, 2000

"Excellent set of reference for grades 5 and up certain to have ongoing importance in active library lending collections, packing information which is not readily dated and which remains fresh from year to year...each provides a simple, thorough grounding in basic chemistry principles for beginners."

Children's Bookwatch, June 1999

[Series]-"Informative, accessible science books that will be of interest for both general reading and report writing."

School Library Journal, February 1999

[Series]-"This is an excellent series for the upper elementary or middle school science classroom."

Children's Literature Newsletter

Human Body: The Ultimate Guide to How the Body Works (Ultimate Guide) by John Farndon

Human Body: The Ultimate Guide to How the Body Works (Ultimate Guide) by John Farndon

64 pages Silver Dolphin Book (December 7, 2006)

Take an incredible journey from the top of your head to the tips of your toes in Human Body. Designed for children ages 8 and up, this unique book is the ultimate guide to how the human body works. It’s filled with fascinating facts about what goes on beneath the skin and includes a comprehensive range of visual aids, including detailed photos, illustrations, diagrams, and two giant posters featuring front and back views of the entire body. Want to know what’s going on inside your head? Cool transparent pages allow curious children to peel back the layers and discover how their brains actually work! Human Body also features a show-stopping 3-D front cover with the lenticular image of a human face morphing into a skull!

"Excellent for the professional as well as the student (with or without any previous knowledge of the human anatomy). Thanks."

P. J. Odu, Amazon customer

Science Explained: The World of Science in Everyday Life Editor Colin Ronan; written by John Farndon and others

Science Explained: The World of Science in Everyday Life Editor Colin Ronan; written by John Farndon and others

240 pages Cassell/Henry Holt & Co (March, 1996)

"Science Explained also aims to spark the reader's interest and curiosity, but in the more traditional way of using full-colour, coffee-table book photographs and fancy graphics - the format makes the book accessible to almost anyone. Some of these illustrations work extraordinarily well... A good science education ought to have taught everyone all these things [about science], but that's sadly rare. Science Explained is an entertaining way of filling the gaps."

Wendy Grossman, New Scientist

"I use this book as the resource for an adult science education course I teach at a local university...I would recommend it for middle/high school library reference as well as for older students."

Amazon customer

Human Mind Explained: An Owner's Guide to the Mysteries of the Mind

Human Mind Explained: An Owner's Guide to the Mysteries of the Mind Editor Susan Greenfield; written by John Farndon and others

192 pagesHenry Holt and Co/Cassell (November, 1996)

"This book does a wonderful job of relaying these wonders [of the brain] to general readers. The basic text presents the most important information now available about the brain in language that is easily understood by those without specialized scientific background... An excellent resource."

Elva Card, School Library Journal

"This is absolutely the best book on the subject of the human mind that I have ever seen...fantastic for learning all about the latest findings about the mind or just casual browsing.You will love this book!"

Robin Hurt, Amazon customer

Other books

Human Body (1000 Things You Should Know about) (Paperback) by John Farndon
64 pages Books are fun, china/miles kelly (December 1, 2002)

Science (1000 Things You Should Know) by John Farndon
64 pages

1000 Facts on Science and Technology by John Farndon
224 pages Miles Kelly Publishing Ltd (September, 2001)

Frontiers of Science (Bulletpoints series) by John Farndon
40 pages Miles Kelly (March 2004)