The world of nuclear physics is made accessible and entertaining for young readers in Luis Alvarez: Wild Idea Man. Alvarez's wild ideas touch areas of widespread interest, including the Egyptian pyramids, the extinction of the dinosaurs, and the creation of the first atomic bombs. The opening page gives a succinct introduction to the life of this physicist and makes continuing to read attractive. A few questions about his life apart from his work remain unanswered by the text, but a good summary is given. The pages are neatly decorated with photographs, which are placed well and captioned clearly. Most interesting are the clever cartoons, created by the author. These brightly colored illustrations include a range of humor to entertain a variety of readers. The science behind Alvarez's work is explained simply enough to be understandable not intimidating. The connections to our everyday lives are clear. Vocabulary words are defined directly in the text, as well as in a glossary. Reviewer: Jennifer Lehmann
