George BeshoreRecensioner

IFMUVCKG

This is a very informative book about the amazing discoveries from China. Although there are very few pictures, the pictures do a decent job of supporting the text. The author does a wonderful job with vocabulary in the book, allowing younger children to understand what he is saying by constantly defining words. Words that are in bold print are defined in the glossary in the back of the book. I do question the accuracy of the book, although nothing seems to be made up, no sources are referenced. There is no place reference page either, only a "For Further Reading" page in the back of the book.½

This book is a specialized text from a series surveying the scientific history of ancient cultures. China is a particularly interesting one because they were one, so far ahead of the rest of the world, and two, isolated from western culture. China is responsible for important discoveries such as gunpowder, the compass, and the first printing among many others. This book is very informative with more advanced size print and minimal to moderate photography and illustration giving it the feel of an adult text. The book is still more concise in length and depth as well as more basic in tone in order to appeal and be compatible with probably upper middle school to lower high school students. The text is organized into chapters defined by categories of scientific study and influence on Chinese culture or the rest of the world. The book includes an index and a list of references. The authors note accredits the writer as having written on the topic for scientific journals and the government for more than 25 years but is now a freelance writer. I would use this book in my classroom when certain chinese advancements related to the topic being covered so that students would gain some perspective as to the origins of these technologies.½

I found this to be an excellent (though superficial) survey of early Islamic contributions to modern science. The book describes in a relatable way the great (and some of the lesser-known) figures of Islamic science, such as al-Kwarizmi and Omar Khayyam. It is an excellent introduction for an advanced 7th grader or a high schooler who is not the best or most ambitious reader. I thought that the book was weak on explanations of technique, theory, and background, and would only recommend it to a science student if they already understood the science aspect. In that case, however, it is an excellent background into who developed the knowledge, and in what context. For history students, it can provide a skeleton to understand medieval Middle-Eastern history around, though it will not tell a whole lot there either if the student does not have some background. However, it is an excellent bridge for a history buff to understand some ideas in science and vice versa for a science buff. Just as the explanation of theory was a little weak, the book could have benefitted from better explanation of some of the illustrations. For example, there is an excellent, clear picture of an astronomical table, but no further explanation of what it means, and what the parts are (The student would have to be a pretty talented decipherer or speak Arabic to glean any meaning from it). That being said, there are many pictures that would give a student a fair idea of the sophistication of Islamic culture, but I could envision many simple charts or diagrams that would take this much further. Additionally, there is some wording in the introduction that may hint at some Euro-centrism for the more sensitive multicultural educators. These criticisms aside, the book is attractive, well-organized and presented, clear and engaging. A science or history teacher could do well to have his or her student read or report to the class on this book inour age of curiousity and misunderstanding between American and Islamic culture.

This book has many great pictures and drawings in it, even if they are in black and white. That is why I gave it a three to five rating, while adults might appreciate black and white photographs. Most children see that color is more important and it helps them see the pictures at a deeper level. I would have gotten the undated color version of this book if it was available. I like how the font is large and how each chapter has an exciting topic. I especially enjoy the chapter on gunpowder.