Nibbling on Einstein's Brain: The Good, the Bad and the Bogus in Science

Patricia Morley is professor emerita of English and Canadian Studies at
Concordia University and an avid outdoor recreationist. She is the
author of several books, including The Mountain Is Moving: Japanese
Women’s Lives, Kurlek and Margaret Laurence: T

Modern society requires vigilante consumers and alert watchdogs. Many
products that proudly proclaim themselves to be “safe” are anything
but, and the sooner children learn this, the better. This unusual book
for older children offers information in a lively, cartoon style, along
with activities for sampling or testing products that should develop
critical minds resistant to “hype” of every kind.

The book is structured in five chapters. The first, a warning to
“Beware of Bad Science,” offers sound advice enlivened by anecdotes
and cartoons. The next three—“Science Watch,” “Media Watch,”
“Mind Watch”—should inspire children to ask questions like “Who
funded the research?,” “Where was the research published?,” and to
expect logical explanations. Each chapter ends with a checklist with
queries for the young person to ask themselves or others.

In the Chapter 5, “Winning Strategies,” Swanson urges her readers
to be wise, wary, but also open-minded. The book concludes with a
glossary, a detailed index, a substantial bibliography, and advice to
get acquainted with the local librarian. Kids will enjoy this
large-format handbook—a book that at first sight could be taken for a
comic book and is very likely to “make the medicine go down.” Highly
recommended.