Previous editions are cited in Books for College Libraries, 3d ed, Guide to Reference Books, and Walford. Notable scientists based in the US--and Canada-- appear in short biographical entries, arranged alphabetically, in this massive eight-volume reference. The current edition features entries for 132,877 people of which about 4,000 are new. Only living scientists are profiled; readers are referred to earlier editions for the deceased. Each entry provides information concerning birthdate and place, citizenship, name of spouse, names or number of children, field of specialty, education, honorary degreees, professional experience, honors and awards, memberships, research information, and contact data. Volume One lists recipients of major honors and awards in 2003 and 2004 and contains tables with statistics on the number, age, and location of scientists in various fields. Volume 8 is devoted to an index that groups entrants by specialty using the 192 subject specialties identified by the National Science Foundation. It is unfortunate that the index page headers do not indicate the many disciplines listed within each major specialty; readers must skim through all of Engineering, for example, to find, in small print, the headings for agricultural engineering, bioengineering, biological engineering, and so on.
Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

This respected resource is a biographical dictionary of the significant players in the physical, biological and related sciences. Each edition includes biographical entries on approximately 120,000 living scientists, providing birthdate; birthplace; field of specialty; education; honorary degrees; current position; professional and career information; awards; memberships; research information; and addresses for each entrant where available. Volume 8 of the set is a comprehensive index listing scientists by field, and by state under field.