School Library Journal
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Gr 6 Up-This comprehensive resource includes more than 1300 alphabetically arranged entries covering a wide range of scientists, from Ernst Abbe to Vladimir Kosma Zworykin. Fields include astronomy, biology, botany, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, medicine, and physics. Each entry begins with a fact box with important dates, nationality, and occupation for each person. Longer entries also include a short chronology highlighting accomplishments. The clear articles range from a half page to two pages in length and provide far more information than those found in the World Book Encyclopedia. In addition to the biographical entries, the set includes 27 articles that feature the work of the scientist in the preceding entry. Cross-references and special features are indicated by bold type. The appealing layout incorporates more than 700 black-and-white and full-color photographs and illustrations. Each volume concludes with a cumulative index; the final volume includes a glossary; a list of Nobel Prize winners; and indexes by occupation, nationality and ethnicity, and century. This set is more inclusive than Marie Ellavich's Scientists (UXL, 1996), Brigham Narins's Notable Scientists from 1900 to the Present (Gale, 2001), and Richard Olson's Biographical Encyclopedia of Scientists (Marshall Cavendish, 1997). However, each entry in the latter publication includes a helpful list for further reading. World Book's Biographical Encyclopedia will be a useful addition to any reference collection.-Maren Ostergard, Bellevue Regional Library, WA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.