It’s the subtitle, rather than the title, that more accurately describes the contents of this book about scientists and explorers who put themselves in dangerous situations while proving a theory, creating an invention, or exploring uncharted territory. The scientists profiled include a few notables such as Benjamin Franklin and Marie Curie. However most are lesser-knowns such as Andreas Vesalius (the father of anatomy), Tom Crowley (inventor of the Avalung, a device for saving victims of avalanches), and Eugenie Clark (inventor of shark repellent) – people whose lack of fame doesn’t diminish their contribution to the development of science.

The profiled scientists range in time from the 16th century to the present and work everywhere from the depths of the ocean to outer space. All seem to have four basic traits in common: inquisitiveness, creativity, fearlessness, and persistence. Verstraete clearly reveals this in his detailed, tension-filled descriptions of their activities. Sidebars entitled Extreme Facts accompany many of the accounts, giving more information or listing related facts.

The use of a few small black-and-white line drawings, mature vocabulary and sentence structure, and rudimentary design makes this book more suitable for the older reader. In addition to having a better understanding of the content, readers 12 and up will appreciate the index, bibliography, and web site addresses at the end of the book if they wish to further research this interesting topic.