From School Library Journal
Grade 3-4?Originally issued in 1988 with different titles, these look-alike entries from an unusually wide-ranging series have been redesigned and (slightly) updated. They still retain some of the originals' flaws?scanty information, sweeping generalizations, and filler illustrations?but they are easier to read than competing series, and are dependably accurate, as far as they go. Astronomy is the most specific of the lot, covering worldwide prehistoric evidence of celestial observation and developments in the field from the ancient Greeks to Galileo. Birth is largely a description of extra-solar space, from nearby stars to quasars and galactic bubbles and strings. In UFOs, the authors adopt a skeptical tone while presenting a perfunctory gathering of sightings and speculations. Illustrations (nearly all are full color) are not a strong point here: several disappear into gutters; photos, composites, and paintings are mixed confusingly; some, such as a starry sky in Birth or the crudely rendered "Close Encounter" scene that opens UFOs are blatant space fillers. Consider these titles as supplementary or replacement purchases only.?John Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Gr. 5-8. The series previously known as Isaac Asimov's New Library of the Universe appears in this revised edition as Isaac Asimov's 21st Century Library of the Universe. Originally published in 1988 and updated in 1995, this volume discusses the beginning of the universe and how scientists have learned about the subject. The book retains the same basic format of the previous edition, though the text has been revised somewhat to include bits of new information, and the back matter has been updated as well. Most of the same pictures reappear in the new volume, though the use of glossy paper enhances the clarity of reproduction, and the new layout is more effective. Since Asimov died in 1992, before either of the revised editions was published, it's hard not to wonder how he would react to this book. Even if he were satisfied with a few additions to the text, wouldn't he want more recent images to replace the old pictures? Buy as needed to replace the older volumes, but look for other sources on the universe as well. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Library Binding edition.
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an alternate Library Binding edition.
