Reseñas proporcionadas por Syndetics
Booklist Review
This is the third set in the Salem Press/Magill Twentieth Century series that gave us Great Athletes [RBB Jl 92] and Great Events [RBB Ap 15 93]. Like its predecessors, it is geared for middle-schoolers and up. This time the focus is on "important scientific and technological achievements that have influenced the way in which people live and work." The set covers 21 disciplines, including agriculture, astronomy, biology, computer science, food science, transportation, and weapons technology. As with any attempt to single out the "greatest," cries of "Why wasn't X included?" can be expected. For example, why wasn't the Golden Gate Bridge included? What about videophones? Arranged chronologically, the volumes span 1880-1994, with each volume covering 8 to 25 years of history. The only 1994 event is the Hubble Space Telescope's transmission of images to Earth, an endeavor actually begun with its deployment in April 1990. Interestingly, the volumes covering the fewest years are those for 1950-58 and 1958-64. Apparently, these were years of great scientific achievements. The 367 articles have a format similar to the previous sets in the series: large type, a black-and-white illustration, plenty of white space. Each entry runs three pages and includes a half- or full-page illustration. A boxed synopsis of the event appears below the entry title. Close by is a boxed list highlighting what (i.e., a discipline such as medicine), when, where, and who. The articles are divided into three parts. The first two discuss the achievement and pertinent background; the last, its impact. Definitions for difficult scientific terms (e.g., empiricism, chlorofluorocarbons) are unobtrusively given in parenthesis in the text. Pagination is continuous throughout the set. Each volume includes four cumulative indexes: chronological, alphabetical keyword, discipline, and personages. Volume 10 also includes a subject index and a time line. Unlike the chronological list, which gives date, event, volume, and page number, the time line provides date, event, country, and region. Unfortunately, no footnotes, bibliography, or other references to further reading appear anywhere in the set. Thus there is no way to track down such stories as the yellow fever epidemic in Santo Domingo, which killed 29,000 of Napoleon I's 33,000 troops there. This caused him to change his plans to send troops up the Mississippi; instead he sold the Louisiana Purchase to the U.S. All in all, this source meets the standards set for the series. Middle-school and junior-high report writers will find it useful. The layout will appeal to older reluctant readers and ESL students as well. Browsers will also enjoy dipping into its pages. (Reviewed November 1, 1994)
