12.31.2005
Longitude
by Dava Sobel, 175pgs, hardcover
Overall Grade: C
Sobel writes very well for the lay-person. Her writing is very easy to read and she was a good way of explaining things that are inherently scientific and mathematical in simpler terms. However, she also loves to wax philosophically on the important of some things which don't need it or to give gradiose descriptions that soar off into lofty, self-important language. In any case, this book was about how determining longitude at sea is a lot different from determining latitude, and follows the attempts over centuries to find a remedy to this problem until it finally is surmounted by a creative, self-taught fellow with a genius for clockmaking. Recommended only to those interested in the topic, but not well-versed in any form of physical science or engineering, or nautical navigation for that matter.
Labels: genre: historical, genre: non-fiction, genre: science, media: book
