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Curious Folks Ask: 162 Real Answers on Amazing Inventions, Fascinating Products, and Medical Mysteries |  | Author: Sherry Seethaler
Publisher: FT Press
Category: eBooks
This item is no longer available
Rating:  52 reviews
Sales Rank: 2969
Format: Kindle Book
Media: Kindle Edition
Edition: 1
Pages: 224
Number Of Items: 1
Dewey Decimal Number: 372
ASIN: B002ZM6KDW
Publication Date: December 15, 2009
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Product Description
Prepare to Be Fascinated! - Why does the flu change every year?
- What makes glue sticky?
- What causes out-of-body experiences?
- Are all brands of gas the same?
- Will adult stem cells work as well as embryonic stem cells?
- Is one -horsepower- really equal to the power of one horse?
- Why can-t you sneeze with your eyes open?
- How much does a cremated body weigh?
These are just a few of the fascinating science and health questions real people have asked top science writer and San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Sherry Seethaler. Curious Folks Ask brings together 162 of her best answers-all crystal-clear, accurate, quick, and a pleasure to read. Seethaler knows exactly how to cut through jargon, confusion, and myths. She-s passionate about sharing what scientists have learned and what they still don-t know. She explores everything from our bodies to our best inventions: what makes us healthy, what makes us human, and plenty more. Prepare to be surprised, intrigued, and amazed!
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 52
 What a fun book ! Great for high school and middle school science teachers to make their classes more interesting ! April 2, 2010
R. Neil Scott (Murfreesboro, TN USA)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
Open the book to any page and you're bound to find a captivating question with a well-written and interesting answer. It's perfect for teachers wanting to add some spice to their lectures...and makes for an excellent gift for the budding genius of the family.
Here's a sampling of the questions:
Is a lightsaber (yes, the Star Wars sword) possible?
Why does my radio crackle with static or some other interference?
Since contact lenses move with your eyes as they move, how are bifocal contact lenses possible?
Why is it so difficult to make a hearing aid that works?
Why do certain electrical cords (those used by fans, in particular) curl over time? Certain others do not.
Why is the adhesiveness of white glues, such as Elmer's, stronger than that of glue sticks?
How come I can use cold water in my washing machine but I have to use hot water in my dishwasher?
Fun stuff!
Seethaler is a Science Writer for the San Diego Union-Tribune. She holds a B.S. in Biochemistry (University of Toronto), a M.S. in Biology (Yale) and the Ph.D. in Science and Mathematics Education (Univ. of California-Berkeley), thus, readers can be confident that her answers are based upon good data and reliable information sources.
Highly recommended for school, public and college library collections and consideration for gifts to bright, curious and inquisitive individuals of all ages.
R. Neil Scott
Middle Tennessee State University
Very Interesting March 25, 2010
Lilac Lily (Florida, USA)
This book is the ultimate collection of answers to keep any curious mind occupied for quite a bit. The author is a science and health writer, and for 5 years she has answered all kinds of puzzling questions in her weekly column in the San Diego Union-Tribune. The best questions and answers can be found in this book. The topics range from inventions to body parts to bodily functions and so much more. The author doesn't try to show off her knowledge by overpowering the reader with big scientific words, but instead describes each concept in an easy to comprehend way. I liked this book a lot and I think this would make an excellent gift for any inquisitive person.
Scientific question and answer book April 2, 2010
Sunny Sewing Honeybee
This type of book appeals to me as a "useless trivia" nut, but there are a couple of factors that make this type of book work.
First, the book should be accessible. The author may admit, for example, to consulting an expert on the subject, showing that s/he is really a reporter rather than an expert on every subject known to man. Seethaler does a good job of this, mentioning in the preface that not every question is answerable for her without inquiring with someone else. Additionally, in this type of book explanations should be "dumbed down" in a way that makes them easy to understand without being condescending, and she succeeds here, too.
Second, it should be entertaining. There has to be something that gets you to read from one pair ofquestions and answers to the next, because there's no traditional plot or storyline. Here, Seethaler is not quite as successful as author David Feldman, who uses humor in his replies and really engages the reader with a conversational tone. Though there is just a bit of humor present, her tone is much more like the matter-of-fact Marilyn vos Savant. This book relies on the questions themselves to draw a reader in, but only when the questions are on topics a reader is interested in learning about will this be successful. For example, there were some sections of the book that I wasn't very engaged in, while others were so interesting to me that it was difficult to put the book down . . .at times. Likely because they apply to everyone, the sections labeled "Body Parts" and "Bodily Functions" are the most interesting.
If you're the type of person who is always hoping to learn something new, or even just the type of person who likes to share trivia with anyone within earshot, you'll find this full of interesting scientific facts explained in a manner that makes them easy to understand.
Easy Interesting Read for Curious People April 3, 2010
William T. Mcgee (Springfield, IL USA)
Sherry Sethaler's Curious Folks Ask is a 194-page book divided by subject matter to answer 162 questions in 8 very interesting chapters as follows.
1. Ingenious inventions
2. Chemical concoctions
3. Body parts
4. Bodily functions
5. Pesky pathogens
6. Assorted ailments
7. Uniquely human
8. Health nuts
The author is an educator at the University of California who holds a Doctorate degree in science and mathematics as well as masters degrees in science and the Philosophy and undergraduate degrees in chemistry and biochemistry. In addition to being a science writer, she also writes a weekly column for the San Diego Union-Tribune.
In addition to her education and background this author has the unique ability to take complicated subject matter and present it in a couple of short easy to read and understand paragraphs. I learned a lot, really enjoyed this book and think other curious people will too.
family and friends can't resist it April 5, 2010
happy reader (Harrison, AR USA)
When I read the description of this book, I knew it would be a book the whole family and even friends dropping by would find fascinating. And....I was right. Pick up this book at any page...there you'll find something you'll be interested in...some explanations more interesting than others depending on the interests of the reader.Great fun....and...without meaning too, you'll learn facts you never knew you didn't know or, in some cases, facts you really did need to know for your own good.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 52
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