The Scribner Science Reference Series: The Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution

This series was specially written and designed for students to support science, history and social studies research in Grades 7-10. Each volume contains about 90 profiles of scientists throughout history and from all parts of the world. Sidebar stories, timelines, illustrations, and marginal definitions illuminate the text and each volume concludes with a comprehensive index. This continuing series will introduce two volumes each year covering scientists, events and issues.

Gr 7-Up These attractive and informative volumes each present biographies of 90 scientists. Following introductions that discuss the highlights of each period, time lines provide chronological listings of important achievements. The body of each book contains alphabetically arranged entries ranging in length from one paragraph to three or four pages. Each profile begins with the subject's name, birth and death dates, and area of scientific specialty. After a brief introduction to the person's life, each accessible article focuses on the individual's career and achievements. Both men and women are represented as are a number of disciplines, e.g., botany, optics, cartography, anatomy, parasitology, chemistry, immunology, paleontology, anthropology, psychology, and others. Longer entries are subdivided for easier reading. Sidebars offer anecdotes or related information. Definitions of starred words are noted in the generous margins. Some articles include captioned black-and-white pictures of the scientists; others incorporate engravings, charts, or diagrams. Each volume concludes with an up-to-date bibliography divided into three areas: History of Science, Biographies, and On-Line Resources as well as a comprehensive index with numerous cross-references. Student-friendly volumes for both school and public libraries. Dana McDougald, Cedar Shoals High School, Athens, GA

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

The initial volumes of the new "Scribner Science Reference" series each contain biographical sketches of 90 key figures in science. Volume 1 covers scientists of the Renaissance and Enlightenment from 1490 to 1799, and Volume 2 focuses on life scientists of the 20th century. Each title starts with a brief overview of the era's discoveries and major scientific trends as well as a scientific time line. The biographical profiles that follow discuss the discovery made by the scientist and often some background on his or her life. Scientific terms and words difficult for younger readers are highlighted in the text and defined in the margin, and sidebars offer additional information. These heavily illustrated volumes also contain a short list of suggested readings, both in print and online. The publisher is planning to release two volumes a year in this series, with life sciences before the 20th century coming out as Volume 3. This series is well suited to students and those who know very little about the history of science. Libraries not wishing to purchase this entire series can still consider the single-volume Gale's World of Scientific Discovery (LJ 4/15/94), which contains shorter entries. The Scribner set is highly recommended for school and public libraries. Eric D. Albright, Duke Univ. Medical Ctr. Lib., Durham, NC
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

This title is the first in the Scribner Science Reference Series. Life Sciences in the Twentieth Century is volume 2. Volume 3, expected this year, will cover the life sciences before the twentieth century. Each volume has about 90 biographical entries, edited by professors in the history of science. The entries have a nice layout, with the biographical text in a two-third-page column. Photos, definitions, and sidebars are on the left one-third of the page. Defintions are also included in a glossary. The first time a name is used in an entry, is it cross-referenced if it also has an entry. The sidebars include details about an invention or about the personal life of a scientist. The coverage reflects modern scholarship in the history of science, and the information presented is for the most part accurate and up to date.

The series is intended for nonspecialists and students. There are several other science biography resources suitable for this audience, among them Marshall Cavendish's Biographical Encyclopedia of Scientists (1998). These titles include biographee-specific bibliographies and citations for works by the scientists, both of which the Scribner volume lacks. Encyclopedia of the Scientific Revolution: From Copernicus to Newton [RBB D 1 00] provides better biographical information. The Renaissance and the Scientific Revolution: Biographical Portraits will supplement existing scientific biographical reference sources. RBB
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