Review by Booklist Review
From the authors of The Science of Supervillains0 (2004) 0 and The Science of Superheroes0 (2005) 0 comes this lighthearted examination of the real-world truths behind the fantasy world of 007. Can a tossed bowler hat really decapitate a man? Can a car really fly, or turn into a submarine? Can a simple wristwatch do all the wondrous things Bond's watches have done over the years, from garroting people to detonating bombs to shooting out laser beams? The authors take none of this too seriously: the book is written in the spirit of the Bond films, with a wink and a nod. But there is a wealth of fascinating information here for fans of Fleming's superspy, and some readers might be surprised at just how many of the fictional gadgets were based on, or evolved into, real pieces of hardware. The book is being published to coincide with the release of the new Bond flick, Casino Royale0 , so expect some demand. --David Pitt Copyright 2006 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Everyone knows which secret agent drives a car that turns into a boat at the flick of a switch, leaves fake fingerprints and, of course drinks his martinis shaken, not stirred: Bond. James Bond. Gresh and Weinberg, having surveyed the science of supervillains and superheroes, turn to Bond and all the wonderful toys conjured up for him by Q, as well as the weapons created by his enemies. They explain how "dirty bombs" work while noting that Goldfinger's plot to contaminate Fort Knox with one wouldn't work, because the radiation would turn gold into liquid mercury. Biological agents were also used by one of Bond's foes. Fortunately, Hugo Drax's Moonraker scheme to destroy humankind with a poison made from orchids was fairy tale stuff. Gresh and Weinberg's book goes up against last year's Death Rays, Jet Packs, Stunts, & Supercars by Barry Parker,, but they write better and their book is more accessible to Bond fans who've forgotten their high school science. Readers might check out the appendix on the Bond martini first, so they'll have something to sip while enjoying this lively read. (Sept.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
