Today I’m sharing a wonderful information book inspired by the of the amazing women and men who have been honoured to be named as Nobel Prize Laureates in Physics, Chemistry and Medicine. I shall be spotlighting Mario J. Molina who’s pioneering work alerted the world to the dangers of CFCs.

Winter and El Fathi have also worked together to create ‘Peace and Me’ which features winners of the Nobel Peace Prize. If you’d like to hear more about the techniques used by Mickaël to create his beautiful illustrations, you can listen to him here on my podcast.

‘Discover some of the inspirational men and women who have received Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry and Medicine from 1901 to the present day, among them Marie Curie, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin and Donna Strickland. A glimpse into the often surprising lives and sometimes accidental discoveries of a group of extraordinary scientists, this fascinating collection shows that the science you learn at school really can change the world.’

As World Earth Day is approaching (April 22nd), I’ve chosen to highlight chemist, Mario J. Molina. In the early 1970s, Mario became interested in CFCs (chlorofluorocarbons) and discovered that in high quantities these CFCs can cause damage to the ozone layer which protects the earth. He and his team were determined that the scientific world would not turn their backs on such a global problem. His efforts eventually led to laws being passed to ban the use of CFCs to prevent further damage being done and global warming becoming worse. Thanks to his foresight and persistence, the global community came together.

What makes this book a little bit different to others in a similar ilk is that it focuses as much on the obstacles in the scientists’ way as it does in their amazing achievements. Lack of recognition, illness, sexism (“Housewife Wins Nobel Prize”) and political unrest are the backdrop against which many of these discoveries were made.

For each discover, Ali Winter encourages readers to reflect in what science means to them: giving hope? Calming fears? Seeing the world differently? What does science mean to you?

SCIENCE AND ME will be available in all good UK bookshops from April 1st and is out now in the USA & CAN! OR, buy your copy from Lantana’s online shop and donate a book to children who need books the most with your purchase: www.lantanapublishing.com

Library Girl.

*Many thanks to Lantana Publishing for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour*