Chambers Dictionary of Science and Technology

A must book for any undergraduate or upper level Biology or Chemistry major. Having problems finding definitions in your textbooks? Are you resorting to Websters like I was, with minimal or no results, followed by a fruitless search over the internet? Your search is over. My daughter put this under my Christmas tree well before Christmas and I had a paper to write. I opened it early knowing that the answer to my problems was wrapped neatly under my own tree. She's ticked off, but she'll get over it and I'm breathing a sigh of relief. I have a virtual library of Biology, Botany, and Chemistry books and still have trouble finding some of the key definitions. It makes you want to "bop" those authors. This book was 4 for 4 right off the bat. I only wish I had this book much earlier in my studies. It would have saved me a lot of time and effort.

As a patent attorney, I am constantly faced with new technologies and a duty to utilize accurate terminology. I just bought my second copy of this book today so I would have one at work and one at home. I also purchased a copy for a friend's son who is in high school. Get this book and make it a rule to look up terms that are new - you will be surprised how satisfying it is not to be intimidated by techno-speak.

There are many science dictionaries on the market and most cater primarily to one or two scientific disciplines. This work not only includes all areas of science, but also technology related terms and mathematical concepts. For many of the entries illustrations are provided. However, the prime strength of this book are the additional 300-500 word breakout sections for key terms and concepts. All entries are clear and where possible written in non-scientific language. This makes this work an excellent reference for anyone with an interest in science. A s a science writer, I have found this book to be an invaluable reference.

I am not a scientist, physicist or engineer, but I do a lot of work for institutes in such fields. In the past I was embarrassed by the number of terms I could only crack a guess at spelling. I have been able to find most words I have looked for, and even as a non-scientist, I enjoy getting a sense of what the terms mean -- while at the same time I have a great reference book for proper spelling and punctuation for otherwise hard-to-find terms. The book is also very pleasing aesthetically: quality of paper, print, design and layout -- and, most importantly, content -- get 5 stars from me.

As an undergraduate science major I have found this reference guide to science and technology extremely useful. Breadth is well balanced by depth in this text, and all of the concepts are covered at a level appropriate to both secondary science students and researchers alike.