The Kingfisher Science Encyclopedia
A popular science resource last published in 2000 has received a small dose of updating. Arrangement is topical, with 10 chapters covering subjects such as "Planet Earth," "Human Biology," and "Conservation and the Environment." Within chapters, following a brief introduction, an average of 27 entries cover a variety of smaller topics. Most entries extend over two pages and are equal parts text and colorful photographs, drawings, diagrams, cutaways, and other illustrations that are sure to draw interest. Each chapter closes with a page of "Facts and Figures." All topics are cross-referenced to entries containing related material.A "Ready Reference" section in the back of the volume includes units of measurement, conversion tables, geometric shapes, and brief descriptions of important scientists and discoveries. A two-page glossary has a sidebar devoted to computer terms.The topical arrangement makes a good table of contents and index essential. The table of contents is clearly laid out and easy to browse, but students may be frustrated by the index. Fourteen page references are provided fortelescopeand six fortelevision,for example, but the pages for the sections that specifically deal with these topics are not called out in any way.We found most evidence of updating in the "Space and Time" chapter, where small portions of text related to space exploration have been revised, and the number of moons in the solar system has been changed to reflect recent discoveries. Changes have been made to the "Facts and Figures" pages; for example, several lists of "Key Dates" now include twenty-first-century advances. Providing students with current science material is essential, and though the volume has not been extensively revised, libraries should acquire it to replace the previous version. This attractive, browsable, reasonably priced encyclopedia definitely has a place beside titles offering more depth, such as the six-volumeNew Book of Popular Science.Mary Ellen QuinnCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved