An authoritative, up-to-the-minute survey of the major ideas animating work in the life and physical sciences today is organized into such topics as theory building, the origin of life on earth, and others.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
Grade 6 Up-Gallant succinctly describes topics ranging from genetics to behavior to thermodynamics. Traditional discussions of food chains and electromagnetism are mixed with less common subjects, such as biofeedback learning and science's role in societal problems. Unfortunately, the book straddles too many worlds to succeed. The entries are too short to be effective as an encyclopedia, and the text is too disjointed to be used as a science book. For instance, over 100 pages before molecules are defined, the author has briefly mentioned complex molecules like carbohydrates, nucleotides, and the hormone FSH. Even the book's subtitle is misleading: "Ideas that change the world." The book never defines such key concepts as the periodic table of elements, how DNA is translated into proteins, or quantized energy levels. Finally, there are points at which the book is simply sloppy: proteins are not always giant molecules, India is not now the basket case the author's 1981 data indicates, and it is unfair to cite "radiation from dumps containing waste from nuclear plants and atomic weapons plants" as a cause of human genetic mutations while ignoring naturally occuring radioactivity. Black-and-white photos and diagrams are scattered throughout and help to clarify the concepts presented, but libraries will be better served by focused science books and true encyclopedias.
Alan Newman, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Alan Newman, American Chemical Society, Washington, DC
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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