Synopses & Reviews
Ideal for librarians, instructors, and students, this superior, one-stop reference guide makes finding answers to natural history questions or doing research a breeze. More than just an answer book on natural history, this unique guide provides understanding into the history of science itself. Readers get rare insight into the beginnings of a scientific event, how it evolved, and who were some of the key scientists along the way. Recent scientific controversies also are included. Covering the history of earth and its living creatures, this special reference contains 30 chapters on topics in geology, oceanography, climatology, meteorology, biology, paleontology, and anthropology.
Review
...this compendium of essays quickly introduces the reader to the main biological and geological aspects of natural history....This work will be useful to reference librarians but also to those seeking a quick overview of a topic. All levels.Choice
Review
...the book is easy to use and its broad scope will satisfy students' requests for that elusive nonencyclopedia resource.School Library Journal
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...a good place to turn for quick answers to questions on the history of biology, geology, and astronomy....interesting sidebars are scattered throughout.C&RL News
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...for the student looking for a concise, accurate summary of the subject, this guide quite admirably fits the bill....this cogent dip into several billion years of natural history is worth the price.VOYA
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...nicely designed....attractive presentation and readability.ARBA
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...a useful reference in science collections for advanced students or teachers.Book Report
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The volume is thoroughly indexed with chapters heavily cross-referenced to other relevant chapters, making information extremely easy to locate....This is a "must have" reference for all schools and libraries and a wonderful present for students.The Social Studies Educator
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 221-222) and index.
Table of Contents
Preface
Amphibians
Animals
Arthropods
Atmosphere
Bacteria and Viruses
Birds
Classification of Organisms
Climate and Weather
Cytology
Dinosaurs
Earth
Earthquakes
Evolution
Extinction
Fish
Fossils
Fungi
Genetics
Geologic Time Scale
Humans
Life
Moon
Mountains
Oceans
Plants
Protista
Reptiles
Solar System
Universe
Volcanoes
Appendix A: Careers in Natural History
Appendix B: Natural History Sites on the World Wide Web
Glossary
References
Index