by Sean Connolly(New York: Workman Publishing Company, Inc., 2008)
Hardcover, 208 Pages, Nonfiction
STAND BACK! GENIUS AT WORK!
ENCASE your little brother in a giant soap bubble.
DROP Mentos into a bottle of diet soda, and stand back as a geyser erupts.
LAUNCH a rocket made from a film canister.
From the Cover: Here are 64 amazing experiments that snap, crackle, pop, ooze, crash, boom, and stink. Giant air cannons. Home-made lightning. Marshmallows on steroids. Matchbox microphones. There’s even an introduction to alchemy. (Not sure what that is? Think “medieval wizard.”) None of these experiments require special training, and all use stuff found in the kitchen or garden shed. You’d be irresponsible not to try them.
ATTENTION, PARENTS: Yes, your kids may need your help with a few experiments. And yes, sometimes it may get a tad messy. But it’s not pure mayhem. The balloon rocket whizzing through the garden? It demonstrates Newton’s Third Law of Motion. That chunk of potato launched across the kitchen from a tube? Welcome to Boyle’s Law. EVERY EXPERIMENT DEMONSTRATES REAL SCIENCE, at its most memorable.
My Review: The word “FUN” doesn’t begin to describe this book, but perhaps I should give a little background. I apologize in advance to those who know me in real life, as this may be repetitive. As parents, my wife and I have made certain decisions regarding the type of parents that we want to be. These decisions are ones that most people would describe as “crunchy” and include not vaccinating our children, not circumcising our son, extended breastfeeding, cloth diapering, co-sleeping, and homeschooling through such methods as Montessori, Waldorf and Unschooling.
Under unschooling, we follow our son’s lead. If, as we did recently, he shows an interest in crocodiles, then we get crocodile books and videos from the library and read through them and learn all about crocodiles. We do science experiments at home and that’s where Connolly’s book comes into the picture.
The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science is a book that is perfect for this kind of education. Connolly’s experiments are fun and exciting, easy to follow and even better, each one comes with a “Scientific Excuse” (as Connolly terms it) that links each experiment to the scientific principle that allows it to occur, making each one of these experiments the perfect learning opportunity.
Whether it is something as “old school” as dropping Mentos into diet cola or as exotic as making a self-propelled Viking funeral boat or causing a CFL bulb to light up using only a balloon and a head of hair, Connolly has put together a wonderful collection of fun and exciting scientific experiments for the homeschooler and backyard mad scientist alike, and I know that we will definitely be including Connolly’s experiments and explanations into our son and daughter’s homeschooling curriculum.
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