The focus of this encyclopedia is explaining the sciences of plants, rather than simply providing a text on botany. The set also would be valuable as a resource for career education because many topics include photos and descriptions of careers for that technology or basic science. Technological applications, including fibers, wine, and beer, as well as historical episodes involving plant sciences such as the Potato Blight go well beyond the typical study of plants. Luther Burbank, noted horticulturist whose Burbank potato was introduced in Ireland to help combat the Blight, rates a two-page citation. Entries titled Genetic Engineer, Genetic Engineering, and Transgenic Plants all give a comprehensive account of this emerging field. Current ecological topics are abundant. The readable text and beautiful illustrations provide simplification and clarification for some difficult concepts, and encourage enjoyable browsing. The extensive explanation of photosynthesis is particularly commendable. Each topic has a bibliography for further study. The cumulative index will be most helpful for finding specific information not located readily with the alphabetical topical listings. DNA is discussed under Molecular Plant Genetics. This reference includes fewer topics but offers more comprehensive information than in traditional encyclopedias. One might well find youth returning to this series for pleasure after the first encounter. This resource is an expensive but valuable update for your science reference collection. Glossary. Index. Illus. Charts. Biblio. Chronology. 2001, Macmillan Library Reference, 957p. in 4 vols. PLB $325/set. Ages 11 to Adult. Reviewer:Marilyn Brien—VOYA, December2001 (Vol. 24, No. 5)
This four-volume encyclopedia is aimed primarily at middle and high school students and is the first of projected similar treatments of other science fields (biology, math, computer sciences, animal sciences). Alphabetically arranged entries, written in accessible language, range in length from a few paragraphs (), to several pages (. Along with entries about the fundamentals are biographies and information about careers and related fields such as agribusiness, conservation, and ethnobotany; generally the content is tied to what's studied in middle and high school introductory classes. Each entry has bibliographical references. The pages are laid out with single column text and wide margins; color photos are included, but the reproduction is somewhat flat. Each volume includes a glossary, a listing of entries according to subject area, and its own index. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
