Review by Choice Review
In this follow-up to The Rainbow and the Worm (3rd ed., 2008), geneticist Ho (Institute of Science in Society, United Kingdom) provides a compendium of current research into the microstructure of water and its behavior on the nanoscale. The novice physical chemist interested in aqueous solutions might appreciate the discussion of emerging and established directions in research, including self-assembly and interactions with dissolved macromolecules. Unfortunately, the broad, but notably shallow, review of current research suffers from the fact that many citations refer to Ho's own poorly referenced blog. More importantly, the author spends much of this book delving into the pseudoscientific depths of water. Ho presents the idea of "burning water," uncritically, as a potentially world-changing energy source. Homeopathy is substantiated with misguided connections to reproducible, peer-reviewed science. Shockingly, the author questions only the mechanism by which the "memory of water" resuscitates life in filtered samples, not the reproducibility of the data. In spite of its ostensible roots in peer-reviewed research, this book reads like a search for an alchemical panacea. Summing Up: Not recommended. B. D. Spiegelberg Rider University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
