Books

oxygen, allows radio waves to transmit information
around the globe, and protects all living things from
the effects of solar flares and radiation. Walker, a
science writer, gives due atten-
tion not only to the planet’s
ocean of air but also to scientists
who have made vital discoveries
about it. For instance, the Italian
mathematician Evangelista Torri-
celli was the first to measure the
weight of the atmosphere.
Frenchman Antoine Lavoisier dis-
covered the life-giving oxygen in

air, and scientists used information from 19th-cen- tury theorist Svante Arrhenius to demonstrate how carbon dioxide traps heat in the atmosphere. Walker describes how air moves around Earth and supports aircraft and how solar flares interact with Earth’s atmosphere to create breathtaking auroras.

Harcourt, 2007, 272 p., hardcover, $25.00.

LETTERS

A selection of new and notable books of scientific interest

THE ZEN OF FISH: The Story of Sushi, from Samurai to Supermarket

TREVOR CORSON

Sushi has overcome its modest origins. What began as a cheap Japanese street food has become a staple in supermarkets and restau-

rants across the United States.

Corson, a journalist fluent in Japanese, profiles the history of this culinary treat, mixing cultural history, anecdote, and biology. He tells part of his tale through the eyes of a student enrolled in a sushi-chef training program in Los Angeles. Readers learn that

mold, which is present in miso, soy sauce, and rice vinegar, is an essential ingredient of sushi. The word sushi, Corson explains, refers to the rice, not to the fish. The Japanese added rice to sushi simply as a means to preserve the fish; originally, the rice was thrown away before the fish was consumed. Corson chronicles the introduction of sushi to the United States in the early 1970s and presents details about sushi ingredients, such as mackerel, shrimp, and wasabi. He ends with a primer on the proper technique for eating sushi. HarperCollins, 2007, 372 p., hardcover, $24.95.

Sum kids

While testing was done on 5- or 6-year-old children (“Take a Number: Kids show math insights without instruction,” SN: 6/2/07, p. 341), it would be interesting to see if this intuitive skill persists after these students are exposed to standard mathematical instruction in the higher grades. I suspect that the answer will be no, as students restricted to a method of learning math will be deprived of this original ability. NELSON MARANS, SILVER SPRING, MD.

ENDLESS UNIVERSE: Beyond the Big Bang

PAUL J. STEINHARDT AND NEIL TUROK

The Big Bang theory posits that the universe sprang
into being in a violent explosion more than 14 billion
years ago. In recent decades, the theory has been
revised on the basis of information that astronomers
have gleaned from their ongoing

observations of the skies as well as of new findings relating to the apparent acceleration of the universe’s expansion. In this book, leading cosmologists Steinhardt and Turok propose a provocative alternative theory to the Big Bang. They suggest that time and space didn’t begin with a single, cata-

clysmic explosion. On the contrary, the Big Bang was simply one event in a cycle of creation; it occurred as the result of a collision of this universe with a parallel one. They suggest that their theory addresses some of the flaws in the inflationary model of the universe and explain how theorists are using particle physics and string theory to model the new, cyclic model of the universe’s origins. The authors outline each theory and provide evidence to support what it proposes about the universe. Doubleday, 2007, 284 p., b&w illus., hardcover, $24.95.

THE HAZARDS OF SPACE TRAVEL:

A Tourist’s Guide

NEIL F. COMINS

Space tourism is becoming an increasingly realistic
possibility, at least for those able to afford the hefty
ticket prices. Lest everyone jump on the space
bandwagon prematurely, Comins
offers this cautionary tale describ-
ing some of the dangers that
interplanetary tourists are likely to
face. Beyond the International
Space Station, which has already
been host to space tourists,
Comins lists other possible space
destinations, from suborbital
flights taken to experience

weightlessness to 5-year-long trips to Jupiter.

Comins outlines the risks associated with artificial atmospheres within spacecraft and spacesuits. He describes the atmospheric conditions on Mars and the dangers of space dust. Other hazards include collisions with space debris and meteorites, the effects of low gravity on the human body, and the psychological stresses of living in close quarters with other people. Even the most motivated would-be space tourist may think twice after reading this book. Villard Books, 2007, 253 p., b&w photos and illus., hardcover, $19.95.

The pictorial examples presented suggest a possible problem with the design of the study or the need for a reinterpretation of the results. In both examples, the correct answer corresponds to the picture of Sarah, who has two bags above her image. Two bags would correspond to “more” in most kids’ minds, regardless of the numerical labeling and mathematical operation depicted and whether or not the kids can understand numerical and mathematical representation. I am suspicious of the results of the study. KEITH PROPP, COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.

THE WORLD WITHOUT US

ALAN WEISMAN

What would happen to the world if humans were to
suddenly disappear? This provocative question pro-
vides the impetus for this book, which looks at how
humans have changed the planet and explores
whether monuments, artworks, plastics, and other
by-products of civilization would
remain as evidence of human
existence. Science writer Weis-
man travels around the world,
pondering what Earth was like
before the appearance of
humans. He interviews dozens of
experts who speculate on how
the planet would fare without
humans. In some areas, crops

would grow to Amazonian proportions, while other areas would remain barren. Many of our landfills would be immune to decomposition. Some animals would flourish, but others, which have come to rely on people for their survival, would mourn humankind’s passing. St. Martin’s, 2007, 324 p., b&w illus., hardcover, $24.95.

Having been an early childhood educator for a number of years, I have a concern after reviewing the examples you gave. My experience working with young children has been that they will say whichever example has the most objects is worth “more.” Example: When learning about money, the students would often say that a child with three pennies has “more” money than a child with one nickel. DALE FISHEL, INDIANAPOLIS, IND.

AN OCEAN OF AIR:
Why the Wind Blows and Other
Mysteries of the Atmosphere
GABRIELLE WALKER
Air may be Earth’s most underappreciated resource.
Indeed, Earth’s atmosphere makes life possible—it
is essential to the food people eat, warms the sur-
faces they walk on, provides a constant supply of

Blowback

People get excited about the birds and bats killed by 400-foot windmills planted in their flyways (“Guidelines for wind farms,” SN: 6/9/07, p. 365), but the average wind speed should also be considered. In our region, the wind speed averages 11 to 12 miles per hour, but the windmills are most efficient where winds are 30 mph. Unfortunately, many regions with good wind speeds don’t have the infrastructure to transport electricity, and the wind-factory people don’t want to cut their profits to build them. It seems a shame to lose good agricultural land to a second-rate energy system. MARGARET DELFELD, BROWNSVILLE, WIS.

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