Young scientist journeys

Young scientist journeys

Paul Soderberg and Christina Astin (eds)

Canterbury, UK: The Butrous Foundation 2010 | Pp332 | £12.45 | ISBN 978 095 664 400 8

Reviewed by Hamish Kidd

A book about the life stories of former members of a science club at the International School in Bangkok in the 1960s did not seem to me initially to be one with universal appeal, but in fact I found this book to be inspiring.

The book is in many ways a tribute to the qualities of one science teacher, Philip Reeves, who arrived in 1960 to teach science at the above school for the children of foreigners living in Bangkok. He was a truly inspirational teacher who set up a science club for young people, which led on to the publication of their own Bulletin of the Student Science Society, and led many youngsters into science and related careers, and then on to the establishment of similar young people's science clubs around the world. As someone who was himself inspired at school by two wonderful chemistry teachers, I appreciate the 'ripple effect' of such inspirational teachers as Reeves.