Great nuclear physics book for an adolescent.

[NNadir]

I got this book out of the library and am reading it to my soon to be twelve year old son. It's called Nuclear Physics and is written by Harry Henderson The Publisher is Facts On File copyright 1998.

It has a lucid explanation of the evolution of nuclear physics beginning with the work of John Dalton, through Roentgen, Bequerel, Madame Curie, Ernest Rutherford, Planck, Einstein, Neils Bohr, Schroedinger...

It's a very nice mix of personality, with a little gossip thrown in and very clear, accurate and simple accounts of the scientific concepts. My son and I are reading it together and it's generating some interesting questions and we even did a probability experiment with dice to explain what Born meant.

We've discussed radiation, light, energetics, wave theory, protons, photons, all in the first 45 pages.

I recommend it, if you're into that sort of thing.

[think4yourself]

1. The funny thing is

I can see myself reading that book, someday, to my now 6 year old. He wants to be a scientist and invent a computer that translates animal sounds into intelligible words!
Let's just pray he uses his mind for GOOD !!

Thanks for the recommendation.

[soothsayer]

2. Cool! Doesn't Japan have a device like that for cats and dogs?

But keep the little fella' going. Cool mission!

[Dead_Parrot]

3. I might have to have a look...

Hopefully I know enough, but it's always nice to hear new analogies. :)
Sound's a lot like Gibbon's Schrodinger's Cat.

I trust you will also be introducing him to Feynman's 6 easy pieces and 6 not-so-easy pieces when you're done? :D

And Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! should be compulsory reading for anyone who reads the science forum...

[NNadir]

4. You know what? I've never read a Feynman book.

I must do it someday.

[Dead_Parrot]

5. Argh! Heathen!

Start with Surely You're Joking - It's a non-technical (unless you count safe-cracking) collection of anecdotes, and hilariously nerdy.