International Encyclopedia of Science and Technology [Hardcover]

Steve Luck (Editor), Chris Humphries (Editor), Frances Adlington (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 5, 1999

This lavishly illustrated encyclopedia makes an ideal home reference, accessible to high school and college students as well as adults with a general interest in science. It is the perfect companion for avid readers of newspaper science pages.
Here is indeed a wealth of information. The encyclopedia boasts 6,500 alphabetically arranged entries, each written by an expert in the field, covering virtually every aspect of science and technology, from the structure of atoms to the functioning of the cell. Readers will find brief informative biographies of scientists and inventors as well as clear explanations of terms from all areas of science--including astronomy, chemistry, biology, botany, engineering, physics, and medicine, to name a few. In addition, dozens of major topics--such as the Solar System, the Computer, or the Human Body--receive expanded, one- or two-page spreads for more in-depth coverage. The volume also has 700 special-feature boxes that explain key topics, inventions, and processes, ranging from air conditioners and aerosol cans to bicycles and binary stars. There is a 40-page time-line detailing significant moments in the history of science and technology, plus a ten-page ready reference section that covers everything from SI units and the elements to constellations and Nobel Prize winners. And the entire volume boasts marvelous illustrations--over a thousand color diagrams, tables, and photographs--that do not merely decorate the page, but offer important visual information about the topics under discussion, with thoughtful captions that complement the text.
Beautifully designed, highly informative, and easy to use, The Encyclopedia of Science and Technology is an essential addition to all home libraries.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The International Encyclopedia of Science and Technology starts with aa, ends with zygote, and covers more than 6,500 items of science and technology in between. Some entries, such as the one for DNA, feature a full page of illustrations and explanatory text, detailing structure and purpose. Other entries, such as dongle and Dobzhansky, Theodosius, get their points across in a pithy inch of text each. The book tells you what you need to know to comprehend the gist of the concept or term, or to learn the significant contributions of over 850 scientists. This makes The International Encyclopedia of Science and Technology a versatile text for home or school.

It's written clearly and accessibly, such that a high school student could easily understand its explanations. Its breadth of topics makes it exceedingly handy as a reference tool for a writer. And the variety of topics on any given page, as well as the addition of many color illustrations, makes this a browser's delight. A random flip gives you bacteria (with a fascinating full-page illustration), the ballpoint pen, Sir Joseph Banks, barbiturate, and an engaging explanation of how the barcode works.

Also of interest is the "Chronology of Science," a 61-page timeline that starts at 10,000 B.C., with the domestication of the dog, and wends its way through to 1998, when Dolly the cloned sheep gives birth, noting the world's important discoveries in color-coordinated columns, one each for astronomy and space, physics, chemistry, biology, medicine, farming and food, transport, engineering and technology, and communications. It's interesting to get a perspective on all that's gone on between the invention of the wheel and the invention of the Internet. --Stephanie Gold

From Booklist

Aimed at the secondary-school or college student, this work is Oxford's version of a general science encyclopedia. It contains more than 6,500 entries covering all the disciplines of the sciences throughout history. In addition to scientific topics and theories, more than 850 biographies of important scientists are included. Because of such ambitious coverage, this work is really more of a scientific dictionary than encyclopedia. Entries are alphabetically arranged and are very short, rarely more than a couple of sentences. With such little space devoted to each entry, the encyclopedia provides only the most superficial coverage of any given topic.

In addition to the alphabetical entries, there is a 60-page chronology of science. Students can use the chronology to study the development of various scientific disciplines throughout the ages. The real strength of this work is in its illustrations, which are clear and colorful and enhance the entries in the text. Other one-or two-volume general science encyclopedias, such as the McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Science and Technology (4th ed., 1998) or Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia (8th ed., 1995), provide more complete coverage (but no biographies) and will continue to be the standard sources for this type of information. However, the low price and excellent illustrations in the Oxford volume make it a fine ready-reference companion for those other sources.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 560 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (June 5, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195215311
• ISBN-13: 978-0195215311
• Product Dimensions: 11.9 x 9 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,765,679 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)