Kirjahaku

More than two centuries before Einstein, using a crude telescope and a mechanical timepiece, Danish astronomer Ole Romer measured the speed of light with astounding accuracy. How was he able to do this when most scientists didn’t even believe that light traveled? Like many paradigm-shattering discoveries, Romer’s was accidental. Night after night he was timing the disappearance and reappearance of Jupiter’s moon Io behind the huge, distant planet. Eventually he realized that the discrepancies in his measurements could have only one explanation: Light had a speed, and it took longer to reach Earth when Earth was farther from Jupiter. All he needed then to calculate light’s speed was some fancy geometry.

The life story of Soichiro Honda, pioneering Japanese businessman and innovative motorcycle and car manufacturer.One day in 1914 when Soichiro Honda was seven years old, an astonishing, moving dust cloud appeared in his small Japanese town. The cause was a leaky, noisy automobile-the first the boy had ever seen. At that moment Honda fell in love with cars, and a dream took hold. He would one day make them himself. It took Honda many years to reach his goal. Along the way he became an expert mechanic and manufacturer of car parts. After World War II he developed a motorized bicycle, the forerunner of his innovative motorcycles. Eventually Honda began manufacturing cars, first race cars and then consumer cars. Constantly seeking ways to make his products better than his competitors', Honda grew into a global industry leader. Soichiro Honda had an inventive mind and a passion for new ideas, and he never gave up on his dream. A legendary figure in the world of manufacturing, Honda is a dynamic symbol of lifelong determination, creativity, and the power of a dream.

The "Story" chapter-book line debuts with this compelling biography of Soichiro Honda, the innovative motorcycle and car manufacturer and Japanese business pioneer.When Soichiro Honda was seven years old, an astonishing, moving dust cloud appeared in his small Japanese town. The cause was a leaky, noisy machine called an automobile--the first Honda had ever seen. At that moment he fell in love with cars, and a dream took hold: He would one day make them himself. It took Honda many years to reach his goal. In the process he became an expert mechanic and manufacturer of car parts. After World War II he developed a motorized bicycle, the forerunner of his innovative motorcycles. Eventually Honda began manufacturing first racecars and then consumer cars. He constantly sought new ways to make his products better and cheaper than his competitors'. Soichiro Honda had an inventive mind and a passion for new ideas. A legendary figure in the world of manufacturing, Honda remains a dynamic symbol of determination, creativity, and the power of a dream. This chapter book includes black-and-white illustrations as well as sidebars on related subjects, a timeline, a glossary, and recommended reading.Check out the other titles in this series: THE STORY OF ALL-STAR ATHLETE JIM THORPE - THE STORY OF BANKER OF THE PEOPLE MUHAMMAD YUNUS - THE STORY OF CAR ENGINEER SOICHIRO HONDA - THE STORY OF CIVIL RIGHTS HERO JOHN LEWIS - THE STORY OF MOVIE STAR ANNA MAY WONG - THE STORY OF OLYMPIC SWIMMER DUKE KAHANAMOKU - THE STORY OF CIVIL WAR HERO ROBERT SMALLS - THE STORY OF OLYMPIC DIVER SAMMY LEE - THE STORY OF TENNIS CHAMPION ARTHUR ASHE - THE STORY OF TRAILBLAZING ACTOR IRA ALDRIDGE - THE STORY OF ENVIRONMENTALIST WANGARI MAATHAI - THE STORY OF WORLD WAR II HERO IRENA SENDLER

Tucked away in a remote part of Africa, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau and Burkina Faso, three of the world's poorest countries, are in the throes of great upheaval. Globalisation has shown their people that a more comfortable life is possible, but as they strive to attain it, climate change, the population boom, the tyrants of the old guard and the firm grip of tradition block their way. The clash between old and new is explosive. Civil wars erupt without warning, with drugged up rebels fighting over blood diamonds, gold or a humble bowl of rice. Al Qaeda has set up camp in Burkina Faso. Colombian drug gangs have overrun Guinea-Bissau. Christian and Muslim fanatics battle for African souls, preparing their converts for Armageddon. In The Ringtone and the Drum, Mark Weston dives into this maelstrom. In an often-unsettling adventure, he travels around the three countries and immerses himself in local life. Combining the remarkable stories of those he meets with his deep knowledge of Africa's development, the book sheds new light on a neglected corner of the globe.

Sent to live on a remote island in the Tanzanian half of Lake Victoria, Mark Weston finds a community grappling with one of the world's great unknown environmental crises. "You used to be able to stand on the beach and fish. In my father's time you could catch them with your bare hands." Lake Victoria was once one of the most biodiverse places on Earth, but a predator released into its waters by East Africa's British colonisers has left a trail of destruction in its wake. The lives of millions of people have been upended, as a fateful confluence of overfishing, pollution and deforestation has triggered one of history's greatest mass extinctions. On remote Ukerewe Island, Mark Weston finds out how local communities are responding to the crisis. He lives for two years alongside the families and fishermen hardest hit by the upheaval and gets to know the aid workers, sorcerers and holy men whose businesses are booming. A captivating blend of travel writing and environmental reportage, The Saviour Fish paints an intimate picture of rural Tanzanian life, and of the human cost of biodiversity loss.