From: sbrock@teal.csn.org (Steve Brock)
Newsgroups: alt.books.reviews,rec.arts.books
Subject: Several reviews of new reference books
Date: 21 Dec 92 01:38:31 GMT
Organization: Colorado SuperNet, Inc.

Here are reviews of several new reference books:


HAWLEY'S CONDENSED CHEMICAL DICTIONARY, 12TH EDITION by Richard J.
Lewis, Sr.  Van Nostrand Reinhold Publishing, 115 Fifth Ave., N.Y.,
NY  10003.  Illustrated, three appendices.  1275 pp., $69.95.
0-442-01131-8

                             REVIEW

     In Penn and Teller's "How To Play With Your Food," there is a
hilarious episode where an insistent acquaintance demands the
recipe for something you made.  The recipe happens to be one that
was passed down in your family for generations with a vow of
secrecy.  The recipe you give them (a copy of which ran in the New
York Times on 12-15-92) is one that causes a reaction which makes
a total (but relatively easy to clean up) mess all over the kitchen
counter.  Hawley's Chemical Dictionary won't tell you why there are
so many overbearing people in the world, but it will tell you
exactly what happened in the kitchen.
     The volume (the first edition appeared in 1919), is arranged
alphabetically, and each entry gives information on numerous
characteristics of the chemical or compound: synonyms, Chemical
Abstract Service (CAS) registry number, formula, properties, source
or occurrence, derivation, grade, hazards, uses, and shipping
regulations.
     In the twelfth edition, the primary focus was a revision of
the trademark information, which includes a new method of notation
from numbers to company names.  Lewis has also kept up with new
regulations, noting in certain cases that local or state restric-
tions may exist, even though the product is not officially banned.
     While the book is concise, there is much more than an
alphabetical list of chemicals.  There are short biographies,
descriptions of equipment, and definitions of concepts, such as air
pollution.  The three appendices provide information on the origin
of principal chemical terms, a short history of chemistry, and a
list of manufacturers of trademarked products.
     This work is essential for the lab chemist, manufacturer,
researcher, engineer, toxicologists, and hazardous materials
emergency response teams.  I'd be negligent if I didn't mention
that this is a reactionary work, full of animation and sure to
cause excitement.






THE AMERICAN ALMANAC 1992-1993, by the U.S. Bureau of the Census. 
The Reference Press, Inc., 6448 Highway 290 E., Suite E-104,
Austin, TX  78723.  Index, maps, six appendices.  979 pp., $14.95
paper.  1-878753-07-X

                             REVIEW

     There's a new semester on the horizon, just beyond those New
Year's parties.  Do you have the statistical tools to build the
foundations for those papers that will inevitably be assigned? 
Here's an idea for a subject: "What does a statistic have to be to
be vital?"
     The U.S. Bureau of the Census has compiled this almanac, a
trade version of the U.S. Government's "Statistical Abstract of the
United States," with additional information from both public and
private sources.
     The almanac begins with weights and measures conversion
tables, a guide to the interpretation of statistical tables, sample
data from the 1990 census, and a list of contacts for further
information.  It would have been helpful to provide the Internet
addresses for the organizations in the latter category.
     The bulk of the almanac consists of statistical tables grouped
into thirty-one sections.  Major topics include population, vital
statistics (births, deaths, marriages, divorces, etc.), health,
education, environment, elections, employment, price indices,
finance, business, communications, energy, science, transportation,
agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and domestic and international
commerce.
     The appendices contain information on how certain statistics
were gathered (sources and methodology), a list of omitted tables,
and a guide to the interpretation of new tables.
     New to this edition is a restructuring of the textual
introductions to each section.  The material is presented in a two-
column format and in a larger typeface.  An "In Brief" box on the
first page of each section details highlights of the section.  This
data, however, is very meager.  Other changes include expanded
coverage of population, construction, housing, banking, and
communications, with new tables on family planning, outpatient
surgery, crimes with handguns, high-tech employment, household net
worth, and minority-owned businesses.
     This volume is indispensable for the reference section of
every library, and every student should have it readily available
for spring semester papers, whether for that single statistic, or
the raw data for further statistical analysis, namely regressions.






THE MCGRAW-HILL RECYCLING HANDBOOK by Herbert F. Lund.  McGraw Hill
Publishing, Professional Book Group, 11 W. 19th Street, N.Y., NY 
10011.  Illustrated, index, glossary, bibliography, list of
acronyms, sample worksheets.  1184 pp., $84.50 cloth.  
0-07-039096-7

                             REVIEW

     One of the greatest needs in getting the fullest use of
recycling programs is to provide businesses with information on
what technologies are available - connecting increasing regulation
with the availability of markets.  The goal of this handbook is to
fill that gap, as well as to help establish a comprehensive and
cost-effective recycling system, whether it is an in-house process
or separation and sales to a recovery firm.
     The handbook consists of thirty-five chapters, addressing all
phases of recycling, from curbside pickup to quality control, with
individual chapters on specific materials, such as tires, batter-
ies, bottles, and plastics.  Beginning with an analysis of current
regulations, Lund has assembled material on public awareness
programs, marketing strategies, processing possibilities, and case
histories involving small and large, urban and rural conditions.
     Some processes, though, are lacking from the volume, such as
the recycling of printed circuit boards and fluorescent lights, or
problems with and new technology for the disposal of dross and
salt-cake residue from the recycling of aluminum cans.  Also, some
of the chapters are lacking in continuity.  The need for public
awareness is addressed in Chapter Nine, while public awareness
programs aren't discussed until Chapter Thirty. 
     The main strength of the book lies in its ability to outline
waste streams and the development of programs to recover, reuse, or
properly dispose of materials within regulatory guidelines.  With
this book, a comprehensive recycling strategy is possible from the
individual level all the way up to the large city or firm.





THE FOUNDATION 1000, 1992-1993 EDITION: IN-DEPTH PROFILES OF THE
1000 LARGEST U.S. FOUNDATIONS, compiled by The Foundation Center
and edited by Francine Jones.  The Foundation Center, 79 Fifth
Ave., Dept. PE, N.Y., NY  10003-3076.  Four indexes.  2810 pp.,
$195.00 paper.  0-87954-445-7

FOUNDATION GRANTS TO INDIVIDUALS, 7TH EDITION, edited by Suzanne W.
Haile.  The Foundation Center, 79 Fifth Ave., Dept. PE, N.Y., NY 
10003-3076.  Bibliography, indexes.  517 pp., $40.00 paper.
0-87954-387-6

                             REVIEW

     Those who will be receiving their PhD's in the near future and
are directed toward a university career or postdoctorate research
need to be developing relationships with sources of research
funding.  Nonprofit organizations looking for funding sources will
also benefit from this material.  These two books are the bibles of
funding information.
     "The Foundation 1000" is just what it says: an alphabetical
encyclopedia of funding institutions, exhaustively researched and
easy to use, with helpful tips on getting through the red tape of
the application process.  
     Each entry provides information on the purpose of the
foundation, the priorities and limitations of their grantmaking,
areas of support, specific programs, application deadlines, a
detailed analysis of previous grant amounts (broken down by
subject), and analyses of the types of recipients, types of
support, contributions to special populations, and a geographic
distribution of funds.  The data has been updated for approximately
20% of the foundations to reflect 1991 awards.
     This volume is easily utilized.  The five indexes at the front
of the book group the organizations by foundation name (though this
is redundant), subject field, type of support, geographic location,
and a new index that outlines grantmakers by the names of officers,
donors, and trustees.  Those looking for funding will effortlessly
find organizations that target them.
     In "Foundation Grants to Individuals," targets individual
research with an alphabetical list of 2,021 funding sources.  The
book is divided into three areas: educational support, general
welfare, and arts and culture.  Three smaller sections outline
grants to foreign individuals, grants given by nomination, and
funding for employees of the funding institution.
     Each entry presents data on limitations of the award,
financial data, application deadline, helpful publications, and a
lengthy program description.  
     This guide not only provides information on grants, but also
includes fellowships, loans (be careful here), internships, and
residencies.  The award I received from the Edna Bailey Sussman
Fund for my internship at the Environmental Defense Fund, however,
is not listed.  Maybe I can find a funding source for my thesis on
the Animas La Plata water project in this volume.  Stay tuned.
     These books are crucial for reference sections of libraries,
nonprofit institutions, and university offices that administer
grants to their faculty members.
     The Foundation Center also publishes books on funding in
specific research areas, such as environmental protection.