Science: 50 Essential Ideas, by Anne Rooney, is a simple and straightforward book that serves as an excellent introduction to some basic scientific concepts.

This book is not, and doesn't set out to be, an in-depth look at these ideas. This volume can serve many purposes. The first that come to mind for me are an introductory text for young readers (ideally with parents/guardians reading with them) and as an overview for those who just want a better understanding of science in general.

For any reader this can act as a jumping off point for whatever concepts intrigue them. While not having a bibliography each entry has key words and names that can be used to search online or in a textbook. From there, the possibilities are endless.

I would certainly recommend this for anyone wanting to have a basic intro to important science ideas, whether for themselves or their children. I also think those of us with education in the sciences can benefit from having a book that makes us step back and see these concepts from a general perspective, we can often get bogged down in whatever specific areas we like and lose the bigger picture that first sparked our interest. We can then, one hopes, share that excitement with others.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )