For the scientifically inclined
Nutty professors and brainy enthusiasts take trips to the moon or one down memory lane
USA Today. December 2, 2002.
By Dan Vergano

Despite some setbacks for science — including physics scandals and a legislative brawl over stem-cell research — 2002 was a surprisingly good year for science books. Shopping for the science-minded provides lots of choices this holiday season:

And for young adults, this year saw the return of two old favorites, The Mad Scientists' Club and The New Adventures of the Mad Scientists' Club (Purple House Press, $17.95) by Bertrand R. Brinley. Some of the books' tall tales of homemade sea monsters, submarines and flying saucers first appeared in Boy's Life magazine 40 years ago, and they harken back to a time when teens played with ham radios and model rockets and helped little old ladies across the street. Fun and gentle, the books paint a picture of a more innocent boyhood (albeit one when girls sadly weren't often in the science clubhouse) where scientific know-how could save the day.