3 comments about Joseph Leidy: The Last Man Who Knew Everything.

1. This book is required reading for anyone interested in natural history or the academic and scientific climate of 19th century Philadelphia. Leidy, a man of immense distinction in his time, was virtually forgotten in this century. Warren has given us an absorbing account of the life and times of this eminent Victorian, and in doing so has restored him to the stature he deserves as "The Last Man Who Knew Everything."



2. Most readers of this book who are familiar with Joseph Leidy and his work will be disappointed. The biography offers an ear full about the scientific climate during the late 1800's of America, but relatively little about, Joseph Leidy, himself. Throughout the book the author laments the fact that Leidy was not an experimental biologist or theorist, and overlooks Leidy's talents as a descriptive biologist, geologist, and (what he is most known for) paleontologist. This book, even, lacks a bibliography of Joseph Leidy's writings. I would suggest anyone to read Joseph Leidy's original words. Hopefully we don't have to wait another 150 years for the next biography to be published.



3. An outstanding account. Another reviewer has complained that there is relatively little here about Leidy himself, but the book is filled with accounts and stories of Leidy, his fears, his struggles, his hopes, and his triumphs -- there is much here about Leidy 'the man'. True, there is also much here about science in America during Leidy's life, which I found fascinating. This is a carefully researched book, with copious notes and references, and dense with facts and supporting historical perspectives. It is not a leisurely read, but a very rewarding one. Thank you, Dr. Warren, for such a fine effort.

5 comments about Lavoisier in the Year One: The Birth of a New Science in an Age of Revolution (Great Discoveries).

1. Lavoisier in the Year One is a complex biography that discusses both the life of Antoine Lavoisier and also the times that he lived in. Lavoisier was a very intelligent man that lived a multifaceted life. Lavoisier is best known for his work as a scientist, and more specifically a chemist. Known as the "Father of Chemistry," Lavoisier turned chemistry into a mainstream science that was respected by the scientific community as a whole. Before Lavoisier, chemistry was simply a hobby that was essentially a fact-based form of alchemy. This biography discusses how Lavoisier became the man that would change the world of science permanently.
   
   Lavoisier was much more than a chemist. He served various other roles as a scientist, such as a debunker of false scientific claims submitted to the French Royal Society. Lavoisier should also be remembered for the role he played as a member of the French government. He was an inspector for the Tobacco Commission of France, and cracked down both on tobacco smugglers and on those who grew adulterated tobacco. Later, Lavoisier was the head of the Gunpowder Administration, and his efforts to increase the French arsenal proved vital to the American Revolution, as the American revolutionaries received most of their arms from the French. Other major government affairs that Lavoisier was involved in include financing, and the construction of a wall around Paris to prevent goods from being imported into the city without the transporters paying a tax on the goods. Unfortunately, it was his role in these various government affairs that led to his downfall; Lavoisier would be executed by the radical Jacobins during the Reign of Terror in May of 1794.
   
   Chemistry is a subject that is based around elements. In the mid-to-late 18th century, the Aristotelian theory of four elements (fire, earth, air, and water) was beginning to lose popularity after having existed for centuries as the unquestioned truth. Georg Stahl, a German physicist and chemist, came up with the idea of the "phlogiston," which he believed was essentially the driving force behind every effervescent reaction. Lavoisier didn't really believe that the phlogiston existed, even though the idea was gaining popularity at exponential rates. Lavoisier exploited many new inventions, most importantly one which could collect gases that were released during a reaction, to discover and develop the theory of the existence of oxygen. Oxygen was the first element that was discovered, and with its discovery came a chemical revolution.
   
   I believe that Madison Bell was compelled to recount this story because very few people really know about the man that Lavoisier was. Antoine Lavoisier was truly an ingenious man that was involved in just about every part of French society. I believe that Bell simply wanted to share the true story of this complex man.
   
   Anyone interested in reading this book should read it. It is a very well written novel, and Bell shows his mastery of the English language repeatedly throughout the story to bring it to life. This book shows how Lavoisier had ability not only as a scientist, but also as a government reformer, and also how well he was able to keep balance in his life between the two subjects. Bell really did his research with this biography, as he shows how the social developments of the time affected Lavoisier and his work. It truly is a deep book that will show any reader just how intelligent and diligent a man Lavoisier was.



2. In Lavoisier in the Year One, Madison Smartt Bell makes a good effort in giving a glimpse into the life of one of the most well-known scientist of his time, and also a rather influential politician. Bell starts by giving an insight into the influential figures, such as Abb'e Nicolas Louis de Lacaille, who first brought Antoine Lavoisier in contact with the scientific world. Bell reveals the benefits that Lavoisier received as a politician, such as having taxes support for his research; a benefit that other aspiring scientists lacked. Bell illustrates that as Lavoisier made strides, he introduced different theories that differed from the statues quo, such as his theory about combustion. Bell essentially makes it noticeable that Lavoisier did not face resistance for such theories, but Bell does introduce an antagonist force known by as Jean-Paul Marat. Bell achieves his goal of giving detailed insight into a scientist's life.
   However, the biography at times presents itself unclear as it tends to go off topic and fails to make connections. More importantly it is unclear to see at times how what Lavoisier had accomplished, influenced the future. Since Lavoisier is "Father of Modern Chemistry," he has much to pass on to major figures in the scientific world. Besides some misguiding in the biography, it presents itself well and it is worthy of respectful recognition.



3. Very good book. Explains the dificult times of the French revolution, that caught Lavoisier in the guillotine. Interesting detail on his experiments, and how he did careful scientific research. Many interesting tid-bits on his personal life. Explains how he was careful in doing his experiments & careful in drawing his conclusions. Good examples even today on good experimental procedures. Explains how he discovered Oxygen, at about the same time as Priestly in England.



4. Antoine Lavoisier, a meticulous laboratory chemist, was one of three European chemists credited with the discovry of oxygen; however, he is remembered even more for developing an effective language for chemistry itself. Unfortunately, Lavoisier is also known for his tragic death by guillotine.
   
   Many accounts of the early years of chemistry are at best confusing, some even bewildering, largely because alchemy's secrets (in many cases poorly understood to begin with) were disguised and obfuscated by codes, ciphers, arcane terms, and even literary metaphors. Despite this inherent difficulty, Madison Smartt Bell's examination of the formative years of modern chemistry is surprisingly clear and lucid. Lavoisier in Year One will appeal to a wide audience.
   
   The young Lavoisier learned in university classes that the presence of phlogiston (the 'matter of fire') in a substance was responsible for the combustibility of that substance. Charcoal, wood, and sulfur burned readily because they contained significant phlogiston.
   
   The process of smelting ores was described as the transfer of phlogiston from charcoal to the ore; the ores absorbed the phlogiston, thereby becoming refined metals. In calcinations (now call oxidation) metals were heated and transformed back into ores, thereby releasing their phlogiston.
   
   Obviously, one serious drawback to this widely accepted explanation was that phlogiston had never been observed in the laboratory.
   
   For years Lavoisier directed his efforts toward understanding the essence of fire and the nature of air. He compiled a detailed account of all earlier research on on free air and 'fixed air' (carbon dioxide) by French, English, German, and other European scientists. He carefully repeated earlier experiments, using state of the art scientific instrumentation, some that he devised himself.
   
   There is disagreement on whether the discovery of oxygen should be attributed to France (Lavoisier's eminently breathable air), England (Joseph Priestly's dephlogisticated air), or Sweden (Carl Wilhelm Scheele's fire air). The basic problem is that Lavoisier, Priestly, and Scheele were slow to understand exactly what they had discovered.
   
   Finally, in a paper to the French Academy of Sciences in 1777, Lavoisier stated: "I shall henceforward designate dephlogisticated air or eminently breathable air ...by that of le principe oxygine." With this new term 'oxygen', Lavoisier clearly won the nomenclature battle.
   
   But even more importantly, in his later years Lavoisier brought forth an entirely new language for naming substances. This new lexicon would no longer employ arbitrary names, but use terms which expressed chemical relationships.
   
   For example, from the name alone a student of chemistry can immediately recognize that calcium nitrate is a product that has a higher oxygen content than calcium nitrite. This language for naming substances encapsulated the results of laboratory measurements. Lavoisier indeed changed the face of chemistry.
   
   Bell's historical account of Lavoisier is equally a story of a revolution gone awry, a tale of terror and senseless executions.
   
   The French Revolution envisioned fundamental changes to all aspects of society. Some innovations, such as the metric system survived, while others have been forgotten.
   
   A new calendar divided each month into ten three-day cycles, and each day into ten periods of 100 minutes. Each minute consisted of 100 seconds. The French Revolutionary calendar began year one on September 22, 1792, the day on which the French Republic was formally established. Lavoisier's encounter with the French Revolution's dread Committee of Public Safety was in Year One.
   
   Lavoisier in the Year One is a good addition to the Great Discoveries Series. It is among my favorites.
   
   I also recommend Incompleteness: The Proof and Paradox of Kurt Godel (by Rebecca Goldstein), and Einstein's Cosmos: How Einstein's Vision Transformed Our Understanding of Space and Time (by Michio Kaku), and Miss Leavitt's Stars: The Untold Story of the Woman Who Discovered How to Measure the Universe (by George Johnson).



5. I didn't quite like this book for several reasons. First, I am not sure how much of the book is original material that was derived from original sources. For one thing, the Notes section at the end gives me the impression that most, if not all, of the quotations in the book are regurgitations of what was already in Lavoisier's previous biographies. Gathering up all the existing biographies of a person and then writing a "new" biography out of them doesn't sound like a big deal to me.
   
   Second, I found the author's habit of mixing up the chronological orders of events quite confusing and annoying. Example: the very 1st sentence of the book is about the events of 1793, the year before Lavoisier died; as the chapter progresses, the narrative moves backward; rather annoying. Another example: chapter V begins in August 1789, but on the next page we suddenly return to March 1789 and start over again; rather confusing.
   
   Third, Mr. Bell's apparent lack of a background in chemistry seems to have introduced a few errors that an editorial review should have corrected. Example: The footnote on page 94 states that "Carbon dioxide dissolved in limewater {Ca(OH)2(aq)} precipitates carbonate ion {CaCO3}." What precipitates is not carbonate ion, but calcium carbonate proper, CaCO3. Also, I had never seen the use of curly brackets ({}) around chemical formulae before.
   
   Criticism aside, I did learn from this book, but that was mostly because I knew very little about Lavoisier's life before.

1 comments about Tex Johnston, Jet-Age Test Pilot (Smithsonian History of Aviation and Spaceflight Series).

1. This is a great historical accounting of the life of an American aviation pioneer. Tex Johnston's life was a colorful mix of barnstorming through the flight testing and air racing of WWII fighters, and finally the experimental flight testing of the Bell X-1 (prior to Chuck Yeager) and the Boeing aircraft when the jet age was underway. The book is a little scant in his accounting of the famous (infamous?) barrell rolls of the 707 prototype over Lake Washington, which is disappointing. Overall, a great book and must reading for any fan of the early years of experimental flight testing.

No comments about Huygens: The Man Behind the Principle.

2 comments about Into the Air: The Story of the Wright Brothers' First Flight.

1. My son loves to read, but has recently gotten into the "comic book" stage. This book satisfies his desire for reading comic books, without the cartoonish characters that I detest. And to top it off - it's educational!

   It tells just enough about the Wright brothers without overwhelming the reader with details. A great book, with wonderful illustrations at a fantastic price.

   I purchased this book for my son from the Smithsonian Air and Space Musuem and he really loves it. A+ book! (I'm currently looking for other historical books of this nature!)




2. INTO THE AIR The Story of the Wright Brothers First Flight is a comic book style biography. We learn lots of neat things about the Wright Brothers in this book. We learn that the brother first started out inventing bikes and later learned of gliders. They wanted to make a flying machine. Learn about all of their trials and triumphs in this neat book.
   
   
   
   I like that the book was written in a comic book style. Sometimes kids feel like biography are boring. This format spices things up a bit making them enjoy the reading. The illustations are also interesting to look at as they read.
   
   
   I would recommend this book to reader ages 8-11. The books tells just enough about the Wright Brothers without overwhelming the reader with details. It would make a great book to read during a unit on flight.

2 comments about Beyond Jupiter: The Story of Planetary Astronomer Heidi Hammel (Women's Adventures in Science).

1. This is a moving, intimate biography of an important scientist. Very
   inspirational.



2. Women can do anything, but in some fields such as science and engineering, there are still relatively few role models for women. You could point to woman astronauts like Eileen Collins and Peggy Whitson, but there are very few astronaut jobs for men or women. There are many women in non-astronaut space and astronomy roles, as Emily Lakdawalla pointed out in a recent Planetary Society blog post about an all-female team of NASA Mars Rover scientists, engineers, planners, and operators. Women are doing all these things and more in science and engineering, but how can girls find out about these possibilities?
   
   There's a new series of books and a web site from the National Academy of Sciences, iwaswondering.org, that addresses this issue. The book series is Women's Adventures in Science, and I just bought and read one of them, Beyond Jupiter: The Story of Planetary Astronomer Heidi Hammel by Fred Bortz. Dr. Hammel has specialized mainly in the outer planets, especially Uranus and Neptune, though she also was the team leader for Hubble observations of Jupiter for the "Great Comet Crash" in 1994. The nice thing about this book is that it is not only about her science accomplishments, but it also talks about Heidi Hammel as a regular person. She was a smart girl who didn't really know what she wanted to do, was encouraged to apply to MIT, got accepted, struggled with physics classes there, got interested in astronomy, and went on to get a Ph.D. in astronomy. She has done breakthrough work and has received many awards. But she has also been a musician and a Grateful Dead fan and later a wife and mother of three children. The book includes quite a bit of information on planetary astronomy to help explain the work she has done.
   
   This is a really good book, and I strongly recommend it to parents or teachers to share with their daughters and students.

2 comments about Life Cycles: Reflections of an Evolutionary Biologist.

1. Now this is a nice book. The life a biologist and the biology of life in a charming and compact 200 pages. Bonner's cellular slime molds are just facinating; I can't wait to get somewhere where there is soil (I live in the Atacama Desert in Northern Chile) so I can find some of these creatures and play with them. If you have any interest in biology or evolution, get youself a copy. It will make you smile. I promise.



2. This book is only 200 pages in length but presents an excellent overview of evolution from the perspective of life cycles interwoven with personal anecdotes from the author's own life and particularly his life-long study of slime molds.
   From single cells to multicellularity to complexity and even human culture Bonner explains the spread of the many diverse life-forms and behaviors. As well as slime molds there is much of interest regarding other species, such as insects and birds, and regarding the evolution of signals and responses.
   For those outside the subject it is an excellent introduction and for those who are already familiar with most of the subject matter it reminds us how fascinating evolutionary biology is and how Darwinian natural selection has contributed to our understanding of, and delight in, life.

5 comments about Force of Nature: The Life of Linus Pauling.

1. Linus Pauling loved America. Born in the USA in 1901, of humble, working parents, he was a winner of two Nobel Prizes and a witness and participant in almost all the grand events of the 21st century: the discovery of quantum physics, the gradual understanding of how chemistry works, the discovery of DNA, the development of the atomic bomb, two world wars, the cold war and McCarthyism, the emergence of big science and super-universities like Cal Tech, and the social activism of the 60s. Pauling, like the fictional character, Forest Gump, had a remarkable life in which he encountered and influenced almost all the major characters of 21st century science, politics, and society. A loving husband and father, Pauling was devoted to his wife of 60 plus years, which provides another fascinating undercurrent to his life. This is one book I was sorry to have finished -- I found it relaxing AND educational. Author Tom Hager has an enviable ability to explain complex, scientific concepts in everyday language, whether they come from the world of physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, or drug development. He expertly weaves the science in with the modern history of our country, from life in rural Oregon where Pauling was born and raised, to the capitals of the world where he influenced presidents and national leaders, to Hollywood and university campuses where his gregarious, fun-loving personality, communication ability, and liberal politics turned him into a media darling. With short, snappy chapters, this book is hard to put down.......



2. Editor: I wrote one of the reviews of this book already included on your website. But there was a typo in my original version. I wrote "21st century" when I obviously meant "20th century" in describing the century in which Linus Pauling lived. Do you think you could correct this typo? Thanks.

   William Ott
   Montgomery Village, MD




3. The Hager book is not bad at all, though I would not rank it above the Serafini book. Probably the motivation for saying this is that there is less of Pauling's science in the Serafini book and more in Hager's book. However, many reviewers miss the point that the purpose of a biography is to delve into a subject's life and personality -- not the details of his work. And, in any case, Pauling stopped doing any serious science before the 60's began and in fact left Caltech near the beginning of that decade, thereafter devoting his life mainly to silly peace crusades, vitamin C hokum and such things. So in this respect the Serafini book is actually more in proportion to Pauling's serious work in science and does a fairly good job. In this respect also, the Goertzel book in my view also does well, although the latter is a bit too "psychoanalytical" for my taste .



4. There are very few scientists in history who can truly be called 'giants'. Two times Nobel Prize winner Linus Pauling was undoubtedly one of them, and also a great humanitarian. In this biography, Thomas Hager brings a fine perspective to the life of this remarkable man.
   Hager puts every part of Pauling's life and science in the spotlight; growing up in Oregon among difficult times without a father, attending college and university through sheer grit and determination, learning the new sciences of x-ray crystallography and quantum mechanics, and finally applying this knowledge to an amazing array of fields in chemistry, physics, biology and medicine, in the process becoming one of the greatest scientists of the century.
   
   Pauling's life can really be divided into two parts, both of which Hager discusses in detail. In the first part, he became the foremost chemist in the world and made contributions to an almost unbelievable variety of topics; the chemical bond and quantum chemistry, inorganic and organic chemistry, biochemistry and molecular biology, and medical research. In at least two of these, quantum chemistry and molecular biology, he became their founding father in the true sense of the term.
   In the second part of his life, Pauling became a great humanitarian, relentlessly protesting against nuclear testing in the face of great troubles brought about by McCarthysm and the Cold War. After World War 2, Pauling's life was a constant struggle as he waged war against nuclear weapons, was accused of having Communist sympathies and denied a passport for travelling to England by the State Department (thus possibly missing out on winning the race to discover the DNA structure), and had to leave his beloved Caltech of many years because of tensions between himself and the administration. When he received the Nobel Peace prize, a prominent newspaper called it 'a weird insult from Sweden'.
   In spite of all this, Pauling still found time to make the great discovery of protein structure, and make decisive contributions to molecular biology and medicine. He was the first person to describe a genetically inherited disease, sickle cell anemia, in molecular terms. This is one of the harbingers of the modern age of drug discovery and gene-therapy. Hager portrays both Pauling's scientific as well as political crusades in an excellent way. He also manages to put the man in context, and discusses the general changing political and scientific scenario of Pauling's times. This includes the beginning of 'big science', the permanent moulding of science and politics, and the coming of age of American academia and industry.
   
   In later years, Pauling was even more bitterly criticized for his espousal of unorthodox ideas in nutrition and medicine (especially his insistence about the benefits of unusually large doses of Vitamin C as a puported cure for almost everything, from the common cold to cancer). However, the last words on his medical theories has not yet been said and research continues.
   From very early on in all of Pauling's endeavors, he was constantly supported by an extraordinary woman; his wife, Ava Helen, and Hager very rightly gives due and important attention to her in this book; many times, the essential strong and silent women behind the men are forgotten and fortunately Hager does not do this.
   
   There are many biographies of Pauling ( the ones by Serafini, Goertzel and Mead being the main ones). In its scope and comprehensivenes, Hager's is probably the best. All in all, a great read about a truly important scientist-citizen of the last century



5. Linus Pauling was indisputably one of the greatest Americans of the last century. He revolutionized chemistry, helped to start biochemistry, was a well-known political activist, and later put his energies into health science research. For these accomplishments, he became the only person to win two unshared Nobel prizes. There are, indeed, those who claim that he was very close to being the first person to determine the structure of DNA, but did not do so because he was unable to attend a crucial meeting, at which some pivotal discoveries about DNA were reported. The two scientists who did discover the structure of DNA were, of course, rewarded with the Nobel Prize.
   
   Any biography of such a prodigy must suffer under the dearth of biographers able to do their subject justice. Hager, who knew Pauling before his death, has done a very good job of making Pauling come to life; the book, which bears close reading, is easily worth five stars.
   
   Nevertheless it has a few deficiencies. One is that Hager barely explains Pauling's scientific accomplishments. Obviously excessive detail is beyond the scope of the book, but a hundred or so pages devoted to the basic concepts and the ramifications of Pauling's work would have made for a vastly more interesting book. Hager, as is to be expected of one of Pauling's friends, is somewhat protective of Pauling. He describes how Pauling repeatedly made fools of many American "Anti-communists" who were, at times, paranoid and ignorant, at times, vindictive, and, at times, outright liars. The climate of "loyalty oaths" and of various government agencies suspecting anyone who had ever had anything to do with anyone under suspicion was chilling.
   
   And yet Hager doesn't adequately describe the other side of the coin. The United States certainly had warts, but he utterly neglects the Soviet Union's abject disregard for human rights, its forced labor camps, and its many other flaws. Neither does Communist China's self-genocidal Cultural Revolution merit a single mention, not even when Hager describes Pauling's controversial visit to the Chinese attempt to create a "Worker's Paradise." Pauling, who was drawn into the demimonde of fringe left-wing politics, and Utopian political ideas by his wife, appears to have been completely oblivious to these unpleasant realities. By neglecting to duly describe these rather poor judgments on Pauling's part, which did so much to discredit him, Hager doesn't portray Pauling as the political knight errant he so clearly was. All the same, this biography is well worth reading.

2 comments about Emanuel Swedenborg: Visionary Savant in the Age of Reason (Swedenborg Studies, No. 14).

1. Researched and written by Ernst Benz, and translated into English by Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, Emanuel Swedenborg: Visionary Savant In The Age Of Reason is a thoroughly documented autobiography of the scientist Emanual Swedenborg, a great and influential mind of the 18th century. Swedenborg underwent a profound spiritual transformation in 1744 and thereafter devoted himself to extensively documenting his visions of the world of the afterlife. A profound, amazing, and detailed account of a revolutionary scientific and spiritual thinker, Emanual Swedenborg: Visionary Savant In The Age Of Reason is critically important reading for all serious students of Swedenborg's life, work, philosophy, and metaphysical teachings.



2. Swedenborg is thoroughly worth studying, especially if you have interest in mystical Christianity, or mystic visionaries, such as Ibn Arabi, William Blake, Rudolph Steiner, Paramsahamsa Yogananda, and Shihab al-Din Suhrawardi. His Life story is amazing and inspiring and he is one of the "biggies". Buy this book, you won't regret it!

5 comments about Life in the Treetops: Adventures of a Woman in Field Biology (Nota Bene Series).

1. Margaret Lowman's story, Life in the Treetops, is an inspiration for young women considering a life in science. She tells how she balanced a career as a field biologist, studying the forest canopy, with being a wife and mother, and eventually a single parent. Her stories of her experiences as a researcher and tree climber in such exotic locals as the Australian outback, Cameroon, Belize and Panama are intermingled with her observations about the inhabitants of these locals, the people she worked with and her sons. Her perseverance in a field dominated by men has given her an interesting perspective about science and life in general.



2. Margaret Lowman is a gifted biologist with a knack for finding ways to teach others the importance of her field and the need for conservation. Her adventures range from the humorous to the frightening and are guaranteed to hold the reader's interest. I held off a five-star rating only because I would have liked a little more information on some of the animals she's studied. Her impressions of Nature's little-known and often-overlooked creatures are valuable and fascinating, and I wish more space had been devoted to them. That's a minor quibble, though. As a writer on nature myself, I came away from reading this book with an improved understanding of how complex the "web of life" is, not to mention a determination to get my own children out into the forests more often.



3. Margaret Lowman writes candidly about her life... as though we were the closest of friends. I expected her to write about her research, the difficulties of climbing into the rainforest canopies, and her globe trotting. And she did. She also writes of the professional challenges, cultural clashes, and personal problems she encounters as a woman in field biology, and that makes this book something quite special.

   ON THE PERSONAL SIDE: Lowman married an Australian, had two children and lived in the outback, while conducting research on the Australian rain forests. On the personal side, she was expected to be a housewife, and mother. Her new Australian husband, and in-laws, did not understand her inner drive to spend time in her work. While clearly her new family did not support her in her work, Lowman persisted and achieved. She also made a decision to accept a teaching position at Williams College back in the US. She packed up the boys, and headed for home. She exchanged her marriage, and the boy's father, for a surprisingly supportive scientific community and her own supportive parents. Lowman tells of her personal life with candor, but without bitterness. While no one could accuse her of having an ordinary life, Lowman's book is also an every woman's story in that she chronicles the kind of day-to-day struggle of professional/career women faced (particularly in the 1970's and 1980's) in balancing career and family.

   ON THE PROFESSIONAL SIDE: To help understand the interdependence of the rainforests Lowman mostly studies the small things... leaves, and the insects that eat them. It sounds easier than it is. Most of the leaves to be studied are high up in the canopy of the rain forests. Early in her career, she gains access using ropes and harnesses, and even a cherry picker when she was pregnant; later she has the luxury of using a construction crane, a dirigible, and even a walkway. Lowman loves the forests, and her work. (Her book contains an illustration of her favorite tree, ficus watkinsiana.)

   Lowman ends the book telling us that it takes about the "same amount of energy to complain as it does to explain-but the results are incredibly different." Her book explains a great deal. I highly recommend it.




4. As a young woman who hopes with all her heart and works with all of her passion to be a scientist one day, I recommend this novel without a doubt. Dr. Lowman attacks every issue she faces head on, candidly describing her emotion and scientific endeavors as if the reader is a personal friend. As a female, I myself can relate to her described frustration of being a woman in a primarily male field. Even my closest male friends look at me with doubt and treat my five year love affair (ongoing, of course) with science as a joke simply because I am female (as the butt of their jokes imply). It's wondorous to read of other accounts involving similar emotion. On a scientific note, Dr. Lowman makes no adjustments for fear of the reader who does not care for biology; she writes about science just as she writes about emotion. For that, I urge parents to prod their children to read this memoir, adults to read, and all others to digest.



5. This unique book is about Margaret Lowman's life as a self-described field biologist who studies the mysteries of forest canopies, one of the last biotic frontiers on Earth. In Life in the Treetops, Lowman is a pioneer canopy scientist she describes the little known worlds of the treetops, their inhabitants, flowers and fruits, growth and mortality, patterns of diversity, and plant and animal interactions. Lowman writes about how, in order with the scientific hypothesis she was focusing on, a different canopy access technique was used. She's particularly good at exposing the life of a field biologist from a woman's perspective, what it was like to cope: with the demands of a challenging career; with marriage to an Australian sheep farmer; with housewifery; with motherhood to two young sons; with conflicting cultural differences about gender roles; and with divorce and single parenthood. Lowman's descriptions of her various arboreal ecological projects were fascinating. She emphasized the pleasures and intellectual rewards of studying the natural world without ignoring the projected vicissitudes of researching in wilderness settings. In the end Lowman is the director of research and conservation at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota, Florida. This is an inspiring story for everyone, not just for women or those interested in careers in science, but for everyone.