Ultimate Visual Dictionary of Science

by Neil Ardley, D.K. Publishing, Laura Maiklem (Editor)

Here's a science dictionary worth poring over for hours. The concise, well-written text and amazing photos and drawings in The Ultimate Visual Dictionary of Science provide an overview of science, from physics to biology, astronomy to mathematics--nine major fields in all. Within the larger sections, each fairly broad subtopic (such as "Reptiles," "Catalysts," and "Medical Imaging") gets a two-page spread. A brief beginning section introduces science as a concept and the work of scientists, while a useful section in the back bolsters the dictionary material with tables of measurements and data. The real strength of a visual dictionary is its images, and this one doesn't disappoint. The illustrations, including intricate cross sections, explanatory diagrams, and fascinating photos, are topnotch. This edition is up-to-date, with information on computer networks and mammalian cloning--a great family science reference. --Therese Littleton

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Reference

448 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Ardley joined the editorial staff of the World Book Encyclopedia in 1962, when the London branch of the American publisher was producing an international edition. This took four years, during which time he developed the skill of editing and writing introductory material for the young. After a brief period working for Hamlyn, he became a freelance editor in 1968 (which enabled him to continue with his musical career), and then in the 1970s moved into writing introductory books, mostly for children, on natural history (especially birds), science and technology, and music, such as What Is It?.

Just as his composing and performance had been moved forward by the introduction and development of technology, so too with his publishing career as computers began to become more and more important. In 1984 Ardley began to write mainly for Dorling Kindersley, producing a series of books which included the best-selling (over three million copies worldwide) and award-winning The Way Things Work, illustrated by David Macaulay.
When he retired in 2000 Ardley had written 101 books, with total sales of about ten million.

Reviews

[Hollowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Six ****** stars! This 1997 now-classic still holds its own as an excellent REFERENCE text ... even in this post-paper-Wiki-Kindle world. Leave it to DK to re-invent the paper book format for the digital "Wiki" age. Note by "wiki" I mean its innate Polynesian connotation: quick, accessible, succinct. DK releases HQ True-PDF versions which preserve most of their orig., paper fidelity -- but I haven't seen Ultimate Visual Science or (more-generic) Ultimate Visual Dict. in that iPad-friendly format. Hope DK True-PDFs their older titles -- they are worth it!

[Belle Meade School]

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