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Review - Killer Energy - Nick Arnold

Definitely one of the better entries in the Horrible Science series, in which Nick Arnold introduces us to the concept of energy with all the verve and, well, energy you expect from a good young person's science book. And, unlike some of the other books in the genre, it gives you a good insight into some of the historical figures involved too - but in a fun way.

It's not just about energy per se - we find out about temperature too, and all the amazing happenings and high and low temperature (could have been more about the bizarre world of super-cold, like there's a passing reference that liquid helium climbs out of the jar without any exploration of the concept).

The laws of thermodynamics feature strongly - and that's a great thing. They're often one of the more overlooked aspects of fundamental science. And we don't miss out on human energy, perpetual motion machines and much more.

A couple of small niggles. As always the cartoon illustrations are a boon, but the illustrator insists on showing atoms as 1950s style mini solar systems, which looks very dated, not to mention misleading. Although it doesn't happen as much as in many of the other books, Arnold uses questions with upside down answers, which really break up the flow. And there's a rather credulous reference to spontaneous human combustion without thinking about the sheer quantity of water in the human body. But these are genuinely small points, and don't get in the way of it being an excellent book.

Best of all, there are plenty of gory bits, yucky bits and all the typical enthusiasms of the younger reader. Good stuff.

Reviewed by Martin O'Brien

* Our age range recommendation is an estimated guide, but individual readers outside the range could still enjoy the book!

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