The Canon
A Whirligig Tour of the Beautiful Basics of Science

Name: The Canon
Brand: Blackstone Audiobooks
Availability: InStock
Author: Natalie Angier
ISBN: 9798212339827

Author: Natalie Angier

Narrator: Nike Doukas

Unabridged: 13 hr 15 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Published: 04/18/2023

Categories: Nonfiction, Science

Synopsis

From the Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author of Woman, a playful, passionate guide to the science all around us. The Canon is an ebullient celebration of science that stands to become a classic.Drawing on conversations with hundreds of the world’s top scientists and on her own work as a Pulitzer Prize–winning writer for the New York Times, Natalie Angier creates a thoroughly entertaining guide to scientific literacy.The Canon is vital reading for anyone who wants to understand the great issues of our time—from stem cells and bird flu to evolution and global warming. And it’s for every parent who has ever panicked when a child asked how the earth was formed or what electricity is.Angier’s sparkling prose and memorable metaphors bring the science to life, reigniting our own childhood delight in discovering how the world works. The Canon is a joyride through the major scientific disciplines: physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and astronomy. Along the way, we learn what is actually happening when our ice cream melts or our coffee gets cold, what our liver cells do when we eat a caramel, why the horse is an example of evolution at work, and how we’re all really made of stardust. It’s Lewis Carroll meets Lewis Thomas—a book that will enrapture, inspire, and enlighten. The Canon is an ebullient celebration of science that stands to become a classic.

About Natalie Angier

Natalie Angier writes about biology for the New York Times, where she has won a Pulitzer Prize, the American Association for the Advancement of Science journalism award, and other honors. She is the author of The Beauty of the Beastly, Natural Obsessions, and Woman, named one of the best books of the year by the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, People, National Public Radio, Village Voice, and Publishers Weekly, among others.

About Nike Doukas

Nike Doukas is an actress who is most recognizable for her recurring role in Desperate Housewives. She performs regularly at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, California, and has appeared several times at the Old Globe in San Diego, the Pasadena Playhouse, the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles, the Berkeley Repertory Theatre, and the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, she now lives in Costa Mesa.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Chelsea on July 20, 2008

Reading The Canon, A Chronology: Chapter One: "Oh, interesting. I'd never thought about it that way before. Ha ha, clever." *giggles* Chapter Two: "I had forgotten about that!" *feels superior for remembering the basics of probability* *chuckles at a drawn out word play* Chapter Three: "Huh, that's nea......more

Goodreads review by Jason on December 09, 2008

(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally here.) The more I learn about the history of science, the more I realize why it has such a precarious, semi-m......more

Goodreads review by Woodge on February 24, 2013

Science is cool. I didn't think so back in high school but I like to think I've matured since then. Back then I evaded chemistry by taking an earth science course (Rocks for Jocks). Seems a shame because now I find that stuff very interesting. What Ms. Angier so ably and entertainingly covers in thi......more

Goodreads review by Dale on May 31, 2008

The Canon is exactly what its subtitle says: a tour of the basics of science. Natalie Angier is a science writer; that is, a writer who is a knowledgeable observer of science and who is able to get scientists to explain things in terms the rest of us might understand. Her writing style is very light......more

Goodreads review by Heather on December 03, 2012

I liked this more than I thought I might, given the reviews. The writing style was occasionally annoying but quite readable and often entertaining. My real issue was the lack of structure - the chapters seemed to wind through an unmarked path and the writing style meant this journey took a lot longe......more

Quotes

“Every sentence sparkles with wit and charm…it all adds up to an intoxicating cocktail of fine science writing.” Richard Dawkins

“This bestselling author’s love of words is writ large here…The excitement and challenge of science [is] masterfully conveyed.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Exuberant…She writes with such verve, humor, and warmth.” Library Journal (starred review)

“An excellent introduction (or refresher) to the beautiful basics of science, and I hope it is widely read.” New York Times Book Review