The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science: 64 Daring Experiments for Young Scientists

Went through this with our grandsons and they had a blast. I remember several of these experiments from my youth.

I bought this for my nephew, though it was with reservation. I love books but he doesn't, and I've wasted a lot of money on books he's never bothered to open. Saw him yesterday, and the first thing he and his father (also not a reader) wanted to tell me about was this book! I had even forgotten I'd sent it, and they didn't want to talk about all the other cool toys and gadgets I've sent since then, they wanted to talk about this. Apparently, they've been working their way through the book and have enjoyed it more than they thought they'd ever enjoy "just a book". I did manage to sneak a look through it and it does a very good job of making science feel like fun and not a learning experience. They've certainly learned a lot without realizing it. A common problem with books like these is that the dramatic experiments tend to be too dangerous for a book like this and the experiments that get selected don't seem to do much. They've done a fantastic job of picking experiments with a high payoff. Either you feel like you accomplished something, you ended up with something very cool at the end of it, or it does something exciting. All this and none of the ingredients are terribly difficult to find even in a small town. I can remember books like this from my youth that had impossible experiments because you couldn't get the chemicals you needed. Overall, it's just a complete win and in a very tough category to boot!

Always at a loss what to give our nephew for a Christmas present, came across this book at a local hobby store and found a better price on Amazon. I thought it'd be really fun as the science experiments require stuff usually found around the house! I also thought it'd get a kid away from computer games,nurture some science exploration, and avoid the "gift card" commercialization of Christmas giving! Well...not. The kid sorta threw it to the side like..."another loser gift for Christmas" attitude. I don't know if it's because he's 11 and already passed this, or just a Playstation/Wii guy, but this was definitely not a good gift for him. (As a MOM I would buy this for MY kids if I was still at that stage in the game. I'm a Gram already though so would consider it for my own grandkids now and do the experiments with them myself). I WISH parents would nurture this kind of hands on learning more often versus letting kids sit at pc/tv games, but...oh well. As for the book itself, I think it was nicely written, fun and silly drawings to keep kids interested and amused, short and sweet directions, easy to find materials, real science theories... and I pictured it being a real hit. Can't figure it out : /

Got this book for our 8 year old son. He has loved it and we have done a few of the experiments in it with great success. The experiments are engaging, hands on and use materials that we usually have around the house. The layout of the book is great too and easy to read with information in small chunks with cool graphics. With other books, the materials used are often random and take a trip to the craft store or hobby shop...or they are included in an expensive kit. But in the case of this book, the material lists are simple and easily found around our house already. It's very good and just daring enough to keep a boy's enthusiasm high. My 6 year old daughter enjoys it as well.

My son started reading this book in his teacher's classroom and came home saying he had to have it. He is always asking me to do one of the experiments, which are fun and educational. It's a great gift for kids who love science!

I have bought this as a gift for families with children from ages 8 and up. Many kids are afraid of science, and this book will help them overcome that fear while having fun! Some experiments may require the help of a parent or other adult. Not only will the adults learn, but doing something fun together is a great way to bond with the children in your life.

The experiments described in this book use commonly found items at home, or easily bought if you don't have them already. You get short, easily followed instructions to create fun effects. Whether it is curdling milk with vinegar (in the "Turning Milk Into Stone" chapter, making a CD fly across the floor ("The CD Hovercraft") or "Do-It-Yourself Blubber", your young scientist will develop an enthusiasm for experimentation. Each chapter includes a paragraph called "The Scientific Excuse" which explains the principles behind the effect you see. The Book fo Totally Irresponsible Science, although not quite irresponsible, will help you fill vacation days, idle afternoons or rainy weekends into fun-filled fests.

The best thing about this book is that it helps a child to recognize the learning opportunities that exist in everyday objects and situations. The language is accessible by a third-grader. Happily, the experiments do not require large investments of time or money. So why not 5 stars? The experiments are indeed easy and fun, but the science sometimes goes awry. For example, the author tells the learner to expect water to float atop cooking oil because the oil is more dense than water. A drop of food coloring in the water will prove the author wrong. On the positive side, the occasional errors provide teachable moments about critical thinking and sound experimental techniques. The secrets are to enjoy this book in adult + child(ren) learning teams, and to help children to recognize errors.

The illustrations are dull and boring. The experiments are nice bit kids would be more inclined to pick up this book if it was interestingly curated.

In regard to the projects / experiments, there is no difference from the ones contained on most of the "ultimate, 101 science ...geek mom, dad, grandpa, grandma " or whatever geek/science/weekend science title is available this day. The big difference with the rest of the books in this category is that "The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science" is written in a way that is approachable by younger children too. If you have kids at an age between 5 and 9 this is your "go to" book to introduce them to science and to make them love it.

Fun book for my 7 year old aspiring mad scientist.

Good but not great, many of these have been seen everywhere before, Some are funny, some others are boring, the way it is presented, I was expecting a lot more. Don`t get me wrong, some experiences are cool, but many MANY others have been done before and does not bring any add on or variant. A good 3 stars on 5 ( for a 8 yrs old boy gift ) t