Features
- Cover Type: Hard Cover with 690 pages
- Published by: Wiley
- Edition: 1st Edition September 16, 1999
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 0471356751
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0471356752
-
Book Dimensions:
9.6 x 8 x 1.8 inches
- Weighs: 3.1 pounds
From Library Journal
This authoritative and affordable single-volume science desk reference covers a range of topics, including measurement, mathematics, chemistry, physics, astronomy, earth science, environment and ecology, biology, the animal kingdom, the plant kingdom, the human body, health and disease, computer science, technology, and inventions, discoveries, and prizes. Each chapter presents an overview of the subject, facts displayed as tables and diagrams, subject glossaries, a chronology, achievements of notable scientists, related web sites, and bibliographies for further reading. Given its readability, the great illustrations, and Scientific American's reputation, this reference is highly recommended for both academic and public libraries.
-Paul G. Haschak, Southeastern Louisiana Univ., Hammond Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Scientific American magazine has long set the standard for popular science writing in the U.S. by publishing articles that explain science to nonspecialists in a thorough yet understandable manner. This new book builds on the expertise of the magazine and provides the reader with a single-volume overview of the entire range of science and technology.
The work is divided into 16 sections representing different fields of science, from mathematics and physics to the environment, biology, and the health sciences. Each section contains brief essays covering the key concepts and research in the field, along with various tables and statistical data. Every section also provides the reader with a glossary, very brief biographies of important scientists, a chronology of events (generally current to mid-1998), links to relevant Web sites, and a bibliography of classic books. Black-and-white illustrations enhance the text, and a comprehensive index helps the reader locate a specific topic of interest anywhere in the work.
There is a great deal of good information in this single volume, allowing it to serve as a scientific encyclopedia, dictionary, chronology, and biography all in one. With its low price and authoritative provenance, it should become a standard science ready-reference tool for libraries serving high-school students, college students, and adults, especially if it is updated.
Reader Reviews
So you're not a physicist or a bio-chemist, or even a high school math teacher ... you still need this book. Perhaps you love quiz shows, or maybe just want to explain to your children how certain things in the world work. This is the book that can provide a great many answers about how things in this (and other) worlds work - and why. I can't tell you how many times some technical subject was mentioned on TV or in a movie or the paper, and then a day later I picked up this book, thumbed to the appropriate page and found meaningful answers. A great reference tool to have around the house, in your dorm room or in the classroom. And generally speaking, you don't need to be a professor (of anything) to understand the explanations given in the book (though basic math skills help in some areas).
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