Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology ANNOTATION
Audience: Practicing scientists and professionals in all scientific fields�consultants and technical personnel, high school, college, and graduate students; writers, researchers, or educators working with a scientific vocabulary; and general readers interested in science.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Four years in the making, the Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology is a 2,400-page work covering 124 fields of science. Containing complete, up-to-date definitions for all areas of science and technology, the Dictionary is distinguished by its "Windows." For each of the 124 disciplines covered in the Dictionary, a recognized leader in the field offers a brief overview of the area - including its meaning, history, and implications for the future. Boxed and shaded for easy reference, these "Window" essays offer practical, concise synopses that make the terminology of each field easier to understand. Some of these "Windows" and their distinguished contributors include Astrophysics by S. Chandrasekhar; Biochemistry by Arthur Kornberg; Biology by R.C. Lewontin; Chemistry by Glenn T. Seaborg; Crystallography by Linus Pauling; Electromagnetism by Arno Penzias; Endocrinology by Rosalyn Yalow; Entomology by Edward O. Wilson; Evolution by Stephen Jay Gould; Geography by Gilbert Grosvenor; Microbiology by Joan W. Bennett; Oceanography by Roger Revelle; Plasmids by Joshua Lederberg; Surgery by Michael DeBakey; and Vaccinology by Jonas Salk. The Dictionary is designed for use by practicing scientists and professionals in all scientific fields - consultants and technical personnel; high school, college, and graduate students; writers, researchers, or educators working with a scientific vocabulary; and general readers interested in science. If your corporate, academic, or institutional library serves any of these, then the Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology is the only scientific dictionary you need. The definitions are clear and accessible to the nonspecialist, yet they provide all the technical information that the specialist needs. Traditionally, dictionaries have been prepared by compiling a single alphabetical word list. A given definer or editor is assigned a certain section of the alphabet and deals with all the words in that section. Th
FROM THE CRITICS
BookList
Several excellent science and technology dictionaries and desk encyclopedias have been published in the last four years, including McGraw-Hill's "Dictionary of Scientific and Technical Terms" (4th ed. ["RBB" Je 1 89]), "Chambers Science and Technical Dictionary" (Cambridge, 1988), "Van Nostrand's Scientific Encyclopedia" (7th ed. ["RBB" My 1 89]), and the "McGraw-Hill Concise Encyclopedia of Science and Technology" (2d ed. ["RBB" S 15 89]). All have had favorable reviews, and each, to some extent, provides definitions of unique terms and has varying methods of presenting the information. Since Academic Press is a major publisher of science and technology information, it is only natural that it would produce its own one-volume reference tool
This large 2,432-page dictionary has a place on all reference shelves, even if the aforementioned titles are owned. This outstanding work covers 124 fields of science and technology from acoustical engineering to cartography, graphic arts, microbiology, organic chemistry, radiology, and zoology. Each of the fields has a brief "window" essay, written by an authority, defining the field, presenting some historical facts, and indicating its current emphases and applications
The dictionary is easy to use with as few complicated instructions as possible. Entries are listed alphabetically letter by letter. There are entries for single words and compound words, abbreviations and acronyms, proper names, and geographic terms. Brief biographical entries include years of birth and death (if applicable). Pronunciation is given for terms where the spoken form of the word may be in question. Each entry has one of the 124 scientific fields assigned to it to further help in understanding the definition. Also included for some entries are etymology, variant spellings, and plural forms of the word. There is a generous use of cross-referencing
The definitions are concise and written on a professional level but can be understood by high school users as well. Illustrations are usually crisp and clear; 24 pages are in full color. Appendixes include symbols and units, fundamental physical constants, measurement conversions, the periodic table, atomic weights of the elements, Solar System data, a geologic timetable, classification of organisms, and a chronology of modern science, including an entry for 1992
Comparing the Academic Press volume with those from McGraw-Hill, Van Nostrand, and Cambridge, the work under review provides the most comprehensive coverage of terminology, with more than 125,000 entries produced over four years through the efforts of more than 400 experts. Terms were gleaned from specialized encyclopedias, dictionaries, and glossaries; textbooks and professional books; and journals and scientific periodicals. The "Academic Press Dictionary of Science and Technology" captures the terminology of today and gives modern definitions. This dictionary is highly recommended for all public, academic, and high school libraries.
Booknews
A comprehensive reference providing current definitions for 133,007 terms in 124 areas of science and technology (The editor characterizes it as "the largest scientific dictionary ever compiled in the English language."). A special feature of the Dictionary is the inclusion of boxed essays providing brief overviews for each of the 124 fields covered, contributed by leading figures in each field. Black-and-white illustrations are sprinkled throughout and there are 24 glossy pages of color photos. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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