This book provides a simple, clear overview of major science topics, ranging from radioactivity to plate tectonics to vaccines. The colour pictures (including the recent first image of a black hole!) are a nice addition, and this book will be of interest to young science nerds as well curious adults wanting to brush up on their general scientific knowledge.

I enjoyed this book. I found the tone to be conversational and the book was easy to read, yet hard to put down. Although the “ideas” chapters are short, they provide surprisingly broad stories. The illustrations are excellent and help clarify many things. If the book had one fault, it would be how certain very broad ideas were broken up into different, non-consecutive chapters. But that didn’t really affect how I felt about the book. Thank you to Netgalley and Arcturus Publishing for the digital review copy.

Science: 50 Essential Ideas is a book full of selected key scientific concepts described at a high level so anyone can understand them. The book is illustrated which really does aid understanding. There are all sorts of concepts from evolutionary biology to quantum physics. Many of the major scientists and their well known theories are included. I found the order and structure of the book a little challenging but it will definitely have you up to speed on all of the most important scientific discoveries.