Dictionary of Scientific Literacy (Wiley Science Editions) [Paperback]

Richard P. Brennan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1991 | Series: Wiley Science Editions

It has been estimated that there are more new words in a science course today than there are in an introductory foreign- language course. Because of the burgeoning role of science and technology in our lives we are all, in effect, students on a crash course in technical terminology. The aim of this book is to aid the quest for scientific literacy by providing a quick, but comprehensive reference guide to the vocabulary. The dictionary contains over 650 alphabetical definitions.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Scientific literacy allows us to understand phenomena encountered in our daily lives and to make informed decisions about public issues involving science and technology. This dictionary provides 650 selective entries arranged alphabetically without regard to subject. It gives cross references and over 100 drawings, diagrams, and photographs to aid understanding. The concise definitions are followed by a sentence or two relating the technical term to something understandable to laypeople. The book is not comprehensive; it must be used in conjunction with the McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms (McGraw, 1988. 4th ed.) and specialized dictionaries. Other recent books on science literacy, e.g., Robert Hazen and James Trefil's Science Matters ( LJ 1/91) and the New York Times Book of Science Literacy ( LJ 2/15/91), differ in that they present articles, not definitions, arranged by subject. Recommended for general science reference collections.
- Bruce Slutsky, St. John's Univ. Lib., Jamaica, N.Y.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 334 pages
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc; Unknown Edition edition (November 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471532142
• ISBN-13: 978-0471532149
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,363,564 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Glaring omission, December 20, 2005

By 

D. A. Lloyd - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Dictionary of Scientific Literacy (Wiley Science Editions) (Paperback)

I bought a book club edition of this work several years ago, and was immediately disappointed to find that it did not contain entries for "science" or "scientific." This information could be particularly useful in relation to the current public debate over "intelligent design" versus Darwinian natural selection for use in high school science lessons as explanations for the origin of species. Otherwise a useful little reference no home should be without.