Review

I chose to review the book “Present at the Future” by Ira Flatow, a book that covers a large number of topics in modern technology and its origins. Ira Flatow is a science journalist AND host of a radio show, “Talk of the Nation: Science Friday.” He is also the author of Rainbows, Curve Balls, and They All Laughed.

The book covers a lot of little topics, covers the myths associated with them, and then explains the scientific truth behind each one. An example of this would be teaching Bernoulli’s principle in school to explain why airplanes fly, when it’s really Newton’s third law of motion: “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” The air goes down, the plane goes up.

In this book, Ira says that she wants to share the “aha” moment with everyone. Flatow takes interviews he’s done on his radio show and turns them into interesting discussions of scientific topics. For me, the book is about questioning things that we’ve been told. Taking a step back and examining things more closely, to find out the truth for ourselves.

“Present in the future” covers many topics. The book begins with different intellectual discussions about the brain. Flatow looks at how the brain begins as we develop. He then moves on to topics covering memory loss, the effects of music on the brain, addiction, and why we need sleep. The next part of the book turns to cosmology. In this section, the universe, dark matter, and string theory are discussed. Flatow then turns to global warming. Here he talks about the effects on coastal cities and our obligations as human beings in this matter. Next, he covers global warming as the book moves on to energy topics, topics like the benefits and drawbacks of nuclear power. The condensed black energy source we know as coal is then discussed, followed by the power of the wind and its potential to blow most other energy sources out of the air.

As the book moves into the second section, it has a small, but not too small, chapter on nanotechnology. This chapter discusses what nanotechnology is and what it can lead to in the fields of science and engineering. Flatow then gets into discussions about space and the science of leaving earth behind. Flatow adds some deeper themes to the book as he discusses the problems in our oceans and our very limited knowledge of them and what they might hold as a solution to global warming. Then there are the divisive issues of science and religion and how they might really fit together, this is a topic we are all familiar with and everyone seems to have their own opinion on.

The final section of the book begins by giving us an insight into some of our recent scientific pioneers, such as Jane Goodall and Steve Wozniak, and their contributions to the world we live in today. We then follow the book’s Segway into cyberspace, with discussions of bandwidth, the Internet, net neutrality, and quantum computing. Flatow returns to earth to discuss interesting things like why the shower curtain sticks to you in the shower, why planes really fly, and bubbles in champagne. These are things we all really want to know, but probably never really think about. Finally, we are left with discussions of cloning, stem cell research, and how these things could turn into possible human immortality.

I found the book very interesting. Each page seemed to capture a new part of my imagination. The hardest part of reading the book was having to put it down to work on other things I needed to do. The analytical look at all the issues followed by their impacts on everyday life seemed like the perfect way to discuss so many topics in one book. Although there was no chronological or subject-type order to follow, the book never seemed to be a hodgepodge of facts combined. Instead, they felt more like meaningful short stories that discussed humanity’s past, present, and future.

I would recommend this book to everyone. Whether you’re interested in science or not, the practical applications of all the topics will keep you interested from the introduction to the epilogue. “Present At The Future” was not a difficult read at all and seemed to keep everything at a level that most people will understand. This book was definitely a good read, and I would recommend it to everyone because I think Flatow definitely conveys the “aha” moment for every topic he discusses.

Title: “PRESENT IN THE FUTURE”

Author: Ira Flatow

Extension: 362 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins

Price: $13.95

Reading time: 10 hours

Reading score (1=very difficult, 10=very easy): 7

Overall rating (1=average, 4=outstanding): 4