Farmer Buckley's Exploding Trousers: And other odd events on the way to scientific discovery [Kindle Edition]

This was a fascinating book of science related facts. I particularly found it nice to have on Kindle and read on my phone kindle app on the train.

A great book that can be read at random if so wished. The trousers do not appear until well inside but the reader is informed about many other instances of how science may not be our best servant. This reader was fascinated due to having experimented as a young boy with the very chemicals that caused such consternation to Farmer Buckley, but, happily, without dire consequences! Highly recommended.

i love all the new scientist books. I do subscribe the magazine as well. So funny and educated book that everyone can read and have a good laugh at the same time.

A slightly patchy collection, quality-wise, but lots in it to entertain and therefore well worth taking on holiday. I'll not be keeping it ont' Kindle though.

Before Terry Deary had written `Horrible Histories', he had already created a series of true story books for children. These true stories took the given perception of something and added eccentric and interesting things to it. `Farmer Buckley's Exploding Trousers' is the adult equivalent of one of these books. A series of short articles look back on strange scientific discoveries. Why did father Buckley's trousers explode? Would you go so high up in a hot air balloon that you almost die? Science is full of great minds, but `Buckley' suggests that genius is truly close to madness.

At its best `Buckley' is an informative and very entertaining book. Some of the more macabre stories are pure entertainment, but are based on solid historic and scientific evidence. When the aim is to entertain the book works, it is when the `New Scientist' aspects of the book come out that things begin to drag. This collection was originally taken from the well-known science periodical so is aimed towards a cerebral crowd. When going into great depth on some of the subjects the book is just plain boring. I know that I am reading a book about scientific discoveries, but I don't need to know all about them.

With around a quarter of the vignettes dragging out too long, `Buckley' is not the perfect book. However, the majority of the stories are well written, interesting and very enjoyable. Any fan of nonfiction or history will get something from the book.

This book was bought because we already have three previous titles of the New Scientist books, and this is just as good a read as the others - brilliant.

I really enjoyed reading this book as I love science and also it has some amusing facts that will intrigue readers.

This book is ideal for the "pick up for a short read" type. Just full of interesting stories of scientific and product development. Could inspire the budding inventor!