There Goes the Neighborhood: Cartoons of the Environment

Rating:
Summary: Great fun
Review: Sidney Harris' cartoons are immediately recognizable, if only for their intelligent handling of real science. His topics are often serious. This whole book is about what we've done and continue to do to the world we live in. Harris knows that a serious topic doesn't always need a grim discussion, and his teasing makes his points better than any harangue ever could.

This book was published in 1996, and collects many cartoons that originated earlier. Most haven't aged, though. There's the gas station attendant sitting dejectedly, for example: "I just saw my first electric car." As of today, the issues have only become more sharply draw - electric (or hybrid) cars are on the roads now, and the fossil fuel companies really haven't changed.

Science is too important to be reserved for scientists. Harris' humor does a lot to deflate over-stuffed egos. Even better, his humor creates memorable images about important ideas.

Enjoy!