Living the Scientific Life (Scientist, Interrupted)

tags: book review, children's questions, Father Knows Less, Wendell Jamieson

Why do ships have round windows?

Can a crow peck your eyes out?

Why do policemen like donuts?

When Wendell Jamieson's four-year-old son, Dean, began asking questions, odd questions, Jamieson was amused by them. So amused that he decided to write down those questions and share them with his son after he'd gotten older. But after thinking about it, Jamieson then decided that he would give his son the gift of .. knowledge, by giving him a truthful answer. So Jamieson set out find the answers to every one of his son's questions. But instead of finding these answers by reading books or Googling them, Jamieson, who is a journalist, went to the experts to get the information "straight from the horse's mouth" and put those questions and answers together into a book. And so this book, Father Knows Less Or: "Can I Cook my Sister?" (NYC: GP Putnam's Sons; 2007), was born.

Jamieson interviewed, emailed or called a variety of experts in search of answers to the quirky questions posed by his son, his son's friends and by their friends, and even to questions posed by strangers' kids. In his quest, Jamieson left no stone unturned. He spoke with a variety of scientists, and with medical doctors, engineers, United States senators and state supreme court justices. But the identity of some of the experts that Jamieson found were as interesting as the answers themselves; experts such as a magician, a zookeeper, a hand-writing expert, a pigeon racer, the former mayor of NYC, Yoko Ono and even a professional dominatrix are featured. In addition to the questions that appear at the beginning of this review, some of the questions that Jamieson's experts address include; What happens when you eat gum? (p. 59) Is hummus like dinosaur poop? (p. 201) Why is there war? (p. 148) Why can't I pick my nose in front of other people? (p. 185) In Antarctica, are people upside down? (p. 231).

Despite this book's obvious celebration of a child's curiosity, it is not intended for children at all. Between the questions are thoughtful, amusing and often touching essays that reveal Jamieson's recollection of his own childhood and reflect his changing relationships with his own aging father as well as with his growing son. Throughout the essays in the book, the author introduces and explores several recurring themes; Estes toy rockets, Pluto's status as a planet, dinosaurs, the tragic events of 911, Dunkin Donuts and life in NYC. The result is this delightful and beautifully-written book that is sometimes a memoir, sometimes a collection of scientific information, and sometimes a parenting guide, but it is always entertaining and educational.

This hardcovered book is a surprisingly quick read despite its length (258 pages). It is divided into sections with titles such as "Weird Science" and "That's Gotta Hurt" and "Deanosaurus". I was disappointed to realize that this book, inexplicably, does not have a table of contents, an index, nor any listing of the information at all, so it is nearly impossible to find a particular passage again without re-reading large sections of the book (or perhaps this was intentional?). Despite this minor flaw, this charming and interesting book is defintely worth reading. [By the way, the answers to the questions at the top can be found on the following pages, respectively; 71; 210; 8].

Wendell Jamieson, city editor for The New York Times, is no stranger to writing: he has been a journalist for twenty years. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, acclaimed nonfiction author Helene Stapinski, their two children, three-year-old Paulina and seven-year-old Dean -- who figures prominently in Father Knows Less.