http://tamaranth.blogspot.co.uk/2016/12/201673-inflight-science-guide-to-world.h... ( )

A book meant to accompany you on a plane fight and explain some of the science behind what you're experiencing as you zoom through the skies. It covers most of the stuff you'd expect: the physics of flight, the nature of clouds, why your ears hurt like that, etc., but also works in lots of other scientific topics, from the optics of color to the nuclear processes that make the sun shine.

There really wasn't much of anything here that was new to me, and the writing is very clear and simple, rather than trying to be especially entertaining, so I personally didn't get as much out of it as I might have hoped, but if you're interested in learning some scientific basics while munching down on your little packet of peanuts, it's worth a look. ( )

If you are interested in flight, travel a lot, or want to learn more basic science, this is a book for you. I was very impressed with both the organization and content of Inflight Science. Clegg walks you through the entire process of modern air travel, from the moment you enter the airport until you leave at your final destination. Written for a lay audience, but definitely not light on the science, this book will keep you reading page after page. Having done a lot of travel in the past few months, I have new appreciation for all the complicated systems needed to keep us all safely flying.

INFLIGHT SCIENCE by Brian Clegg is chock full of facts. Using flight as a launching pad (okay, yes, pun intended), Clegg relays scientific facts about altitude, astronomy, quantum physics, the earth, color...and much much more. Not only does Clegg describe the science behind much of those things (why IS the sky blue?), and real world examples of the science, he also provides experiments for readers to try to illustrate the scientific concepts he's describing.

I thought of my brother when I read this book, a science-y (and dare I say it, geeky?) kind of guy even as a kid, he would have loved this book.

This would be a great book for any science buffs out there, and for teachers to either use in their classroom or have in a classroom library for kids to read. ( )

What’s fun about this book is that, if you’ve been a frequent flyer, many parts of the physics you were experiencing are now explained. Clegg does a very good job of delivering straightforward explanations, using terminology that would stand up well in a physics class.

Unfortunately, I felt Clegg struggled to decide on the age or education level of his reader. In fact, the book would be more helpful if it was clearly directed to Young Adults, for example, as a real-life, everyday introduction to many fascinating concepts in science.

I think every adult reader would have said “but I want to know more about …” or “but you didn’t include the science behind …” I agree with other reviewers that the topics weighed more heavily toward what was outside the window rather than the mechanics of the plane, its communication, or the airline systems your flight depends upon.

In spite of these shortcomings, Inflight Science is a fun and worthwhile read, great for packing into your carry-on bag.