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PHYSICS ALIVE by Rob Campbell; Longman Paul, 1996; 387 pp; $49.95

Reviewed by Keith Machin

Physics Alive is a Physics textbook for Year 13. It covers the course requirements for the present Bursary/Scholarship courses and also the new level 8 curriculum.

The book is well written and has many pleasing features. These include an eye catching cover, clear diagrams and photographs, well-balanced gender references and interesting historical references to important Physicists and their discoveries. The worked examples are clearly set out and there are useful extension exercises. Flip-page "movies" provide useful explanations which will be enjoyed by students.

I particularly liked the chapter summaries entitled "What do you know?" and also the inclusion of questions from the 1992 and 1993 Bursary Examinations and NZEST Examinations.

My overall impression is that this book provides very good explanations of Y13 Physics concepts and that it is written in an interesting and easy-to-follow way. In short, it makes Physics interesting! A number of similar texts have been published since 1991. However, this book must rate as one of the best in terms of readability and interest. My students certainly liked it.

If you are considering replacing Y13 textbooks in the near future, I recommend that you should seriously consider Physics Alive.

Keith Machin is a Physics Teacher at Rangi Ruru Girls' School in Christchurch