From the Publisher
For more than 40 years, the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology has been the first source readers around the world have turned to when starting research on any major scientific topic. With more than 7,000 articles written by leaders in their fields - including 30 Nobel Prize winners - the Encyclopedia is famed for the scope and quality of its content. Students, professionals researching areas outside their own specialties, "lifelong learners" - any reader with only modest background in the sciences - will benefit from the ease of access to information, the clarity of the text, and the 12,000 specially prepared illustrations. The new Ninth Edition carries on this tradition. Thoroughly updated, its 20 volumes contain 15,000+ pages and 7,100 articles, many new, rewritten, or revised. Using the 500 page analytical index, the topical index, or the Study Guides, readers will find the information they want on all the hottest areas of science and engineering: astronomy and space science; computational chemistry; environmental science; forensic science; information technology and communications; intelligent manufacturing; molecular biology and biotechnology; neuroscience; theoretical and applied physics, to name just a few. 61,000 cross references and 21,000 bibliography entries enable the reader to see the connections in the more than 90 disciplines covered and to continue their studies in greater depth.With the breathtaking pace at which science and technology are advancing, no science reference collection can afford to be without this latest edition of the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology.
The McGraw-Hill Editorial Staff (New York, NY) is one ofthe most skilled, experienced, and respected editorial teams in the field of scientific publishing.
The McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology has held the reputation of being a premiere source of information for the most up-to-date information about the sciences. Updated every five years...the 9th edition proves to be just as valuable as past editions. This new edition provides 7,100 entries in all areas of science, including biomedical sciences, information technology and computing, chemistry and chemical engineering, industrial engineering, environmental sciences, physics, and astronomy, just to name a few. The entries are edited by an impressive list of specialists, which are listed at the beginning of the volume along with their areas of expertise. More than 5,000 specialists have contributed to the entries--30 of which the publisher notes are Nobel Prize winners. Looking at the impressive list of scientists and scholars associated with this work, there is no doubt it is an authoritative resource...
This set remains an important reference tool for academic libraries and large public libraries. An online version of this encyclopedia is available that provides the same valuable information...
American Reference Books Annual
The McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology has held the reputation of being a premiere source of information for the most up-to-date information about the sciences. Updated every five years...the 9th edition proves to be just as valuable as past editions. This new edition provides 7,100 entries in all areas of science, including biomedical sciences, information technology and computing, chemistry and chemical engineering, industrial engineering, environmental sciences, physics, and astronomy, just to name a few. The entries are edited by an impressive list of specialists, which are listed at the beginning of the volume along with their areas of expertise. More than 5,000 specialists have contributed to the entries--30 of which the publisher notes are Nobel Prize winners. Looking at the impressive list of scientists and scholars associated with this work, there is no doubt it is an authoritative resource...
This set remains an important reference tool for academic libraries and large public libraries. An online version of this encyclopedia is available that provides the same valuable information...
Library Journal
Known for its tradition of excellence, the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology (MEST) sets the standard for science encyclopedias. First published in 1960, MEST serves as an excellent resource for those who need an authoritative overview of a subject within the major disciplines of science and technology. Contributed by 5000 internationally known researchers (1500 more than in the eighth edition), the 7100 articles are well written and well organized. The excellent illustrations, primarily drawings with some black-and-white photographs and color plates, are central to the text. The topical index groups article titles under broad subject categories, while the 500-page analytical index provides more specific indexing. The set is updated every five years, with this edition's comprehensive revisions emphasizing industrial engineering, information technology and computing, chemistry and chemical engineering, physics and astronomy, the biomedical sciences, and the environmental, earth, and climate sciences. The short bibliographies at the end of each article have been revised, and the study guides have been expanded to cover 15 major scientific disciplines such as agriculture, electronics, and environmental science. Aside from this, very little is changed from the eighth edition. Both MEST and the recent Encyclopedia of Physical Science and Technology (EPST) are excellent science encyclopedias and complement each other. Although the sets are comparable in size, EPST has only 790 articles, a difference that results from MEST's breaking up a topic into several individual articles. In contrast, EPST organizes the information into fewer chapter-length articles, making it better suited for self-study. Because MEST has slightly broader coverage and costs about $1000 less than EPST, most libraries would probably prefer to purchase this set if they have to make a choice. Highly recommended for all libraries. [Access Science, the e-version of this encyclopedia, is available at a price based on an institution's FTE, starting at $595 for a single user per year.-Ed.]-Teresa Berry, Univ. of Tennessee Libs., Knoxville Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.
Library Journal
This work continues to be the premier encyclopedia in science and engineering, covering every major discipline. Written by more than 3500 experts from universities, business, research centers, and government institutions worldwide, the articles have decreased from 7500 in the previous edition to 7100, with 1600 of them being new or revised. New topics discussed include the human-computer interaction, mad cow disease, paleoseismology, and Tourette's syndrome. The bibliographies cite mostly monographic sources, with publication dates ranging from the 1960s to 1996. More than 13,000 superb illustrations (1750 are new) help clarify and add to the information given in the text, although a few of the color plates are slightly blurry. Other features include a new 25-page "Activities Guide" with 20 suggested activities, which is not very substantial but which high school teachers may find useful. The index volume includes an analytical index with 170,000 terms, a topical index, study guides for six broad subject areas, and a section on scientific notation. This work has been compared to Academic Press's Encyclopedia of Physical Science and Technology (LJ 4/15/93), and the two sources are complementary. Academic's articles are longer and broader, making it an easier source for self-study. But it does not have the scope of McGraw-Hill, which remains essential for academic and large public science reference collections that can afford it. [A print/electronic combinationISBN 0-07-052418-1is available at the special price of $2400.Ed.]Teresa Berry, Univ. of Tennessee Lib., Knoxville
School Library Journal
Gr 9 Up--Updating a 20-volume set for a 5-year revision of Science & Technology is a difficult task. When original articles are written by experts in their fields, basic information may remain the same, but it is hoped that some "recent developments" would be added. Updated materials are evidenced in entries such as Asia, climate modeling, geologic thermometry, and global positioning systems. In some sections, such as compact disc, computer graphics, electric-power generation, gravitation, nuclear engineering, and production of human insulin, there are no changes to the text, but the bibliographies have been updated. Entries on acquired immunological tolerance, aircraft design, fingerprinting, industrial trucks, and narcotics have not been updated. There are new entries in this revision, such as climate history, clinical immunology, fullerene, global warming, geographic information systems, object-oriented programming, and nuclear medicine. Some of the entries have been completely rewritten by new authors, such as those on acquired immune deficiency syndrome, aircraft-collision avoidance system, breast disorders, geological time scale, North America, nuclear magnetic resonance, and radiation chemistry. Topics from 1994-1997 yearbooks, such as hanta viruses, are not included in this revision. According to the publishers, 23% of 7100 entries are new or totally revised, 1750 of 13,000 illustrations are entirely new, and 6 color plates are new. This encyclopedia set is recommended for high schools that do not have the 1992 edition. Note: be sure to keep the 1994-1997 yearbooks.--P. A. Dolan, Illinois State University, Normal
BookList
The only general-purpose, multivolume scientific encyclopedia for adults currently on the market, the "McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology" has been published regularly for over 30 years. Previous editions have generally been reviewed favorably by "RBB" ["RBB" S 15 87]. The current one is similar in format and style to earlier versions and will be very familiar to users of any previous edition
Parker remains the editor in chief, as she has for the past two editions. Some additions have been made in the editorial staff, bringing new personnel into the project for the first time in 10 years. Approximately 7 percent of the 3,000 contributors are new to this edition. While most of the contributors are academics, the editors have also made an effort to recruit writers from industry. The encyclopedia is international in scope, with articles written by scientists from around the world. Twenty-one Nobel Prize winners contributed to the set
The objective of the seventh edition remains the same as the previous six: to offer up-to-date, authoritative, and comprehensive coverage of each of the disciplines in science and engineering. To meet this goal, the editors have tried to keep up with the constant changes in scientific knowledge. The encyclopedia continues to be a work "of" science and not "about" science. It contains articles on theoretical, applied, and experimental scientific research but specifically excludes material of a purely historical, biographical, or sociological nature. Similarly, the encyclopedia concentrates only on well-established scientific theory and applications. It does not contain information on subjects not considered to be in the mainstream of the scientific establishment, such as creationism, astrology, or New Age science. While avoiding these topics maintains the scientific integrity of the work, it also excludes some subjects of great interest to readers. For example, the "cold fusion" debate, which made headlines worldwide as a potential advancement in the field of physics, is completely ignored here
The main body of the seventh edition contains approximately 7,500 entries. A random sample of entries from the sixth and seventh editions reveals the extent of revision of the set. Approximately 4 percent of the articles studied are new to the seventh edition. Each of these articles is a lengthy review of a topic of current interest, such as "Aircraft Design" and "Chaos". Six percent of the articles in the sample have been significantly lengthened and revised. Once again, these articles tend to be topics of current interest, such as "Optical Recording" and "Optical Communications"
To make room for the newer and longer articles, approximately 10 percent of the entries have been significantly shortened. These articles tend to discuss technologies of the past ("Airships"), areas in which little change has occurred ("Butter" and "Chlorine"), or topics that are no longer being heavily investigated ("Oil Shale"). Although it is unfortunate that the editors must drop some previous material, the choices made for reductions appear to be sound. Readers interested in older technologies or scientific concepts can refer to the previous editions of the encyclopedia. In addition to these reductions, approximately 200 entries have been dropped entirely from the seventh edition. It appears that relevant material from these entries has been incorporated into related articles. For example, material formerly contained in the entry "Terrestrial Frozen Water" is now combined with related material in the article "Ice". Once again, entries that have been eliminated represent topics not of current emphasis in the sciences
Many of the articles have been revised to include recent information but have not changed significantly in length. Some entries, such as "Agricultural Soil and Crop Practices", have been updated to incorporate new procedures while at the same time eliminating older material. Others, such as "Nuclear Power", received only minor revisions reflecting changes in government regulations regarding power plants. Approximately 15 percent of all the entries in the encyclopedia received such revision
Finally, the bibliographies of many otherwise unrevised articles have been updated. Over 18 percent of all of the entries received such treatment, with the latest dates of publication in the updated bibliographies ranging from 1987 to 1990. In most cases, the bibliographic references are to texts, reference works, and standard reviews of the topic. Some bibliographies contain journal article citations, but only when books do not adequately cover the field
More than 13,000 illustrations are used to supplement the text of the entries. The vast majority consist of two-color tables, charts, and drawings or black-and-white photographs. They are helpful to the reader, although not extremely attractive. The editors have made an attempt to vary the background colors of the illustrations, but this is done only from volume to volume, so that all illustrations within any one volume use the same color scheme. A few full-color plates are included within each volume but not in sufficient number to greatly enhance the overall appearance of the work. The editors state that over 1,900 illustrations have been revised or added to the seventh edition. From the sample of articles examined, no changes in illustrations were noted except in cases where an article had received a significant amount of revision. Even many articles that did receive significant revisions have not received any update in illustration. One noticeable physical change in the set's format is the reduction in size of the typeface. Although it is large enough to be readable without discomfort, it is slightly smaller than that used in the sixth edition
Readers of this work will require a significant knowledge of the sciences to be able to fully comprehend entries. Many require a high-level knowledge of calculus and other advanced mathematical skills, such as the ability to read partial differential equations. Most of the chemistry articles rely heavily on chemical equations and structures. Electronics articles use circuit diagrams, and nearly every entry of any significance requires the reader to interpret at least one chart or diagram. High-school students and the nonscientific layperson may be able to understand parts of an entry, but complete comprehension will be limited to persons with a college science background
Three indexes are included in this encyclopedia. A standard alphabetical index of over 160,000 terms refers readers to all articles with information of interest. In cases where the topic is a separate article in the encyclopedia, the index entry is marked with an asterisk. In addition, the set also contains a topical index and a study guide. The topical index lists all of the article titles related to a certain broad subject area, such as "Immunology", "Psychiatry", or "Theoretical Physics". The study guide provides outlines of major scientific fields, such as chemistry, biology, or physics. Within each outline, entries on related topics are listed together. For example, by using the "Geosciences" study guide it is possible to identify that glaciology, seismology, and volcanology are all branches of geophysics and that the set contains separate articles on each of these topics. In general, the study guides are more detailed and more useful to the reader than the topical index
This work remains one of the standard sources for scientific and technical information. Since almost two-thirds of the entries have received no textual changes (other than their bibliographies) since the sixth edition, some libraries that already own that edition may not need to invest in this one. However, the rapid pace of change in science and technology has resulted in significant revision of many articles. Any library serving college-level science students or practicing scientists should consider this work. High school libraries serving advanced science students will want to consider replacing the sixth edition too.
Booknews
**** Previous editions have been cited in BCL3, Sheehy, ARBA, and Best reference books 1986-1990. The preeminent comprehensive reference on topics in science and technology for laypersons as well as students and professionals, and one of the most frequently consulted and heavily used resources at the reference tables of both public and academic libraries since its inception in 1960, just three years after the launching of Sputnik. Some 3,000 noted scientists and engineers from around the world have contributed to the present, substantially revised and updated edition, which comprises 7,500 signed articles on topics in 81 major subject areas. The new edition not only reports on the latest research in each field, but also examines the theories and perspectives that have emerged since the publication of the sixth edition in 1987. The material on entire disciplines--including medicine, physics, chemistry, electronics, computers, telecommunications, and the earth sciences--has been revamped to reflect the trends and advances of the last five years. Each individual article begins with a clear definition of the topic under discussion and moves progressively from elementary to advanced concepts, addressing both the theoretical and practical aspects of the subject. The encyclopedia includes more than 13,000 drawings, maps, charts, diagrams, and photographs, all notable for their clarity, with 1,960 new to this edition. The indexing, peripheral to many references, is central to this one, which includes both an analytical index (with 160,000 entries) and a topical index which groups all the article titles into the 81 major subject areas. A Yearbook is available which will maintain the currency of the edition with updates on evolving fields. Simply indispensable. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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