This week we’re looking at a science book that turns out to be both poetic and a page turner. This week, we’re looking at Meteorite by Tim Gregory.
I’ve read a lot of books in my lifetime, and over the last couple of years in particular. I’ve read light and airy books. I’ve read dense academic tomes. I’ve read even more dense philosophical treatises. But I don’t think I’ve ever encountered a book quite like this one, where the author not only truly knows his stuff, but presents it so understandably and even poetically. Here, in this book ostensibly about space rocks, Gregory manages to inform the reader of the basis of all of astrophysics and how astrophysics lead to chemistry – both organic and inorganic – as we know it. Indeed, echoing a comment I made below in the Goodreads review because it is that astounding, I learned more about chemistry from reading this book than I ever did in my high school chemistry class. (Though in my high school’s defense – to a degree – I did a weird one semester “combined” chemistry and physics class and got the credit for both.)
This was simply an excellent book all around, and a great one to read if you’re leery about science books but at least willing to *try* them. Gregory will treat you well here, and you’ll learn a lot to boot. 🙂
As always, the Goodreads review:
Informative and Poetic. Gregory knows his subject extremely well and knows how to explain it well to an audience that doesn’t necessarily have near the academic pedigree in the field that he seemingly does. Ostensibly a story about the space rocks that land on earth, this tale is part history, part chemistry, part theoretical astrophysics, and a whole lot of detailed yet understandable explanation of how all of these fields interact as it relates to the subject at hand. I learned more about chemistry from reading this book than I *ever* understood from my high school chemistry class. Very much recommended.