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Current threats to biodiversity, extinction of species, and major changes in human behavior that experts think are needed to conserve existing biodiversity are all addressed. Successful examples of biodiversity conservation provide a hopeful conclusion for the book. Filled with data, anecdotes, and examples, Biodiversity will capture the interest of a variety of readers from students to scientists.

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Library Journal Review

Biological diversity, or biodiversity for short, is a hot topic. Early in this decade, only a handful of books on the subject were available; since the mid-1990s, however, as interest in such topics as global warming, rainforest destruction, and endangered species has increased, several hundred have been published. Becher (The New Key to Costa Rica, Ulysses, 1996. 13th ed.) has done an exceptionally good job of collecting, organizing, and describing the subject and its resources. The first 50 pages comprise a comprehensive overview, including definitions, history, and discussions of the importance of biodiversity, threats to maintaining it, and conservation efforts. Other chapters provide a chronology, biographical sketches, statistics and documents, a directory of organizations (including web-site addresses when available), print resources, nonprint resources, and a glossary. Each item receives a lengthy annotation. The table of contents is detailed and eminently useful and the index thorough. One would have a hard time finding a better reference guide to an individual subject. Highly recommended for high school, academic, and public libraries.‘Lynn C. Badger, Univ. of Florida Lib., Gainesville (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

This new title from the ABC-CLIO "Contemporary World Issues" series does a respectable job of succinctly outlining relevant aspects of this new and highly publicized interdisciplinary field of science. Becher has split the handbook into seven main sections: "Biodiversity: An Overview," including short writeups on the definition of biodiversity, its evolution and importance, and threats to it; "Chronology," describing important historical events in the study of biodiversity; "Biographical Sketches,"in which 23 personages are outlined; "Statistics, Illustrations, and Documents"; "Directory of Organizations"; "Print Resources"; and "Nonprint Resources." A five-page glossary of terms and a 13-page index are provided. However, there is too much emphasis on videotapes and films, and too little on evolutionary/paleobiological aspects of biodiversity and the technology of biodiversity measurement (remote sensing, GIS, etc.); there is no listing of important periodical articles; and occasionally sloppy editing and frequently bad text mar the work. Also, it should be noted that as a "reference work" it will not meet the needs of advanced students and professionals; instead, it is primarily designed for use by newcomers to the subject. Within that constraint, however, it provides a quite appropriate array of information. For advanced high school students, the public, and undergraduates. C. H. Smith; Western Kentucky University

Booklist Review

These new titles in the Contemporary World Issues series follow the series format of providing background, chronology, biography, statistics, documents, organizations, and print and nonprint materials. Adoption has quite a bit of information about policies and legal aspects. Biodiversity reprints several useful tables and illustrations. Both include online resources in their lists of materials.

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Anne Becher ,University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, is an accomplished writer specializing in environmental matters. She is the author of ABC-CLIO's American Environmental Leaders: From Colonial Times to the Present .