Science across cultures

From the ancient Egyptians (who studied the stars and made a 365-day calendar based on the movement of the sun) to today's scientists in the World Health Organization (who got rid of smallpox and now tackle HIV-AIDS and malaria), this chatty and browsable title in the Sci-Hi: Earth and Space Science series takes on the sweep of historical breakthroughs in science and technology. Of course, that is a huge subject to make accessible in one small photo-essay, and some essentials, such as the genetic code and antibiotics, are not mentioned. The exclamatory text sometimes gets condescending (Try it!), and predominantly Hindi India is wrongly designated Islamic. But the current international connections are exciting: how the Internet facilitates ideas and breakthroughs across continents; the International Space Station; global rescues by Doctors without Borders; and more. And the hot contemporary issues range from global warming and evolution to animal testing. A photo that sums up it all shows a Namibian woman in tribal dress busy on her cell phone.--Rochman, Hazel Copyright 2009 Booklist