Reseñas proporcionadas por Syndetics

Booklist Review

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) compiled this atlas in commemoration of its fiftieth anniversary. It is a collection of facts on the who, what, and where of food and nutrition in map, graph, and narrative form. Attractive color photographs and reproductions of stamps and commemorative coins related to food or the FAO are found on almost every page. Statistics are current to 1990-92. Color maps and graphs show such things as biological diversity, contributions of women to agriculture, staple foods in various countries, and foreign debt. There is an index and a bibliography listing mostly FAO publications. The work has four major sections: "Food and People" describes the food pyramid, availability of food, types of food, and effects of poverty; "Protect and Produce" discusses land use, water availability, fishing, and genetic engineering; "Building the Global Community" deals with food aid and global trade; and "Food and Agriculture: The Future" focuses on how the FAO is working to improve people's lives and developing a plan of action for the twenty-first century. A few things will challenge the typical American student. All measurements are metric, with no equivalents. Numbers in the thousands are punctuated with a blank space rather than a comma. British spelling and usage abound (e.g., per caput for per capita). The maps are small with no country names; readers must refer to a labeled map in the back of the book. This unique and informative book will have many uses in high schools and colleges from science to math to social studies. Most libraries will want to have a copy. (Reviewed April 1, 1996)

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Geoffrey Lean is environmental correspondent for The Observer .