Book Description

When the first sputnik was launched and the space era began, few gave thought to the possible negative impact that putting satellites into orbit may have. In fact, man's space activity has led to the formation of a new media named space debris, i.e. manmade objects and their fragments launched into space, currently inactive and no longer serving any useful purpose. Space Debris: Hazard Evaluation and Mitigation will be of interest to readers unfamiliar with the issues as well as experts and designers as it introduces concepts related to the problems of space ecology featuring actual data on the space debris environment, new mathematical models for space debris evolution, production and self-production, description of the existing software, and concepts for shield design. Methods of collision risk assessment depending on attitudes and inclinations of orbits, collision hazard evaluation and suggestions for preventative measures are also covered. ... Read more

Book Description

The job market is more complex and challenging than ever before.Although young scientists and engineers are facing a larger array of career choices, many of them are not getting the job hunting and career development advice they need to make wise decisions.

If you're a new scientist or seeking a mid-career change, Peter Fiske’s Put Your Science to Work:The Take-Charge Career Guide for Scientists gives you practical advice and proven techniques for finding both traditional and non-traditional jobs in science.It includes examples of resumes and cover letters, and stories of scientists who have moved into a wide range of careers.

Written with humor and insight, Put Your Science to Work gives readers a broad view of career possibilities and tools for choosing the best job options. Completely revised and updated from Fiske’s best-seller To Boldly Go:A Practical Career Guide for Scientists, this second edition offers expert help on how to achieve success now. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Put Your Science to Work works!
This book is a must for young scientists just starting out and mid-career scientists looking for employment opportunities in academic, research, and industry. It offers the best advice I've come across on a whole range of job search and career issues, from taking stock of where you are now and where you want to go, to getting there! It's helped me and I know it will help others who wish to make the most of their advanced science education. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Good single-volume reference works abound for individual branches of science--among them, to name but a few, the Cassell Dictionary of Chemistry, the Penguin Dictionary of Biology, P. H. Collins's Dictionary of Ecology and the Environment, and Oxford University Press's Dictionary of Earth Sciences and Dictionary of Astronomy.

Comprising more than 6,500 entries on terms used in medicine, information technology, engineering, chemistry, astronomy, and several other sciences, and carrying some 20,000 cross-references and 250 illustrations, the University of Chicago Press Science and Technology Encyclopedia does not wholly supplant such specialized reference works. It is, however, an extraordinarily useful compendium that ranges easily across several disciplines (and often combines material from them). The encyclopedia provides concise definitions of terms ranging from aa (a blocklike lava found in Hawaii and elsewhere) to zygote (the cell formed by the fusion of a male and female gamete). It also contains biographical sketches of important scientists, such as Kurt Gödel (who proved that the truth of certain mathematical statements can never be decided), Frederick Sanger (who discovered the structure of insulin), and Marie Curie (who described the properties of radium and several of its compounds). Compact enough to carry to class, the volume stands up well to casual browsing and directed searches. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Teacher and Engineer
Regarding to its price, it is worthy for the college student.The explaination is very easy to understand.

... Read more

Book Description

When it comes to pinpointing the stuff you really need to know, nobody does it better than CliffsNotes. This fast, effective tutorial helps you master the core concepts of Biochemistry II – and get the best possible grade. From biosynthesis and integrated metabolism to the molecular cloning of DNA, you get clear, jargon-free explanations of all the fundamentals, illustrated throughout with a wealth of figures and formulas. ... Read more

Book Description

Astronomy is expanding almost as rapidly as the universe itself, and the proliferating scientific jargon can sometimes baffle even the most dedicated amateur. Now, in some 4,000 concise, up-to-date entries, this dictionary cuts a clear path through the maze of complex technical language, offering full, clear definitions drawn from all aspects of astronomy. Compiled by Ian Ridpath, a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, and an expert team of contributors, A Dictionary of Astronomy contains the most recent entries from astrophysics and cosmology to galaxies and time.

Here are succinct definitions for the Big Bang theory, comets, eclipses, Magellanic Clouds, Mars, quasar, relativity, and variable stars.Entries on telescopes and other measuring devices, observatories, space missions, and recently named solar system objects show how astronomers have explored the universe.The Dictionary also provides biographical entries on eminent astronomers from Copernicus to Edwin Hubble.

From black hole to white dwarf, and from spiral galaxies to solar waves, A Dictionary of Astronomy opens a window on the universe for amateur astronomers everywhere. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A Labyrinth of Data
Although John North is to be congratulated on his diligence and tenacity in researching and producing this book, I have to say that it is heavy going and his infinitely detailed measurements and conclusions are so mutually entangled that it's very hard to form a clear picture of his conclusions and hence determine whether his science is really as soundly based as he claims. Part of his trouble is the very wide scope of the book. There is material for several substantial books crowded into this one and I feel sometimes the wood gets lost for the trees. Moreover the many drawings of alignments scattered through the pages are frequently lacking in clear notation. This is a pity, because I would like to believe most of the conclusions that I understand. His argument for rising star alignments on many monuments appears to stretch credibility; what about the obscuration of stars by atmospheric density close to the horizon? And for the Uffington White Horse, which I've visited many times and know well, he claims an alignment along a modern road, citing that it may well have followed an earlier track? Proof?
But it is a serious attempt to understand the minds of early architects and their society's relationship to the heavens, and as such is a very welcome addition to the growing archaeo-astronomy corpus.

excellent book, the author shows stoneage man watched
the skys more closely than other writers give them credit for. What sets this book apart from other stonehenge interpretations is this author takes the time, lots of time to support everything with astronomical alignments,time-dating, and mathematics.
Some other authors books claim only solar summer and winter solstice alignments for stonehenge whereas Mr. North shows there is far more to stonehenge than that.
This book is not a light fast read, so plan on spending alot of extra time to read it from cover to cover. This book covers great details missed or ignored by others.
If you are looking for just one book to read on this subject this is the book! 5 stars

Finally, The Truth
Mr. North exceeds my expectations in his book on the inhabitants of this magnificent area. Although it was at times tedious and heavy in the astronomical sense, I am an amateur astronomy buff so his interpretations were not totally lost to me. The most amazing breakthrough noted by Mr. North is our arrogance as a literal society to assume their intelligence as minimal due to the lack of a written legacy by these brilliant and sensitive people. Additionally, he subtley proposes that we should not judge the Stonehenge people as one because of a few isolated finds of deviant tribal rituals. The cosmological affect on the beliefs and practices of this era is well documented in Mr. North's book. Aristotle would have understood their aptitude given the tools and skills of the time. Nature is the most perfect teacher and the most accurate. Bravo Mr. North

A definitive look at Stonehenge
This is not the easiest book to read. John North is so painstakingly detailed that I occasionally had to set the book aside and let my mind rest a while. Once I finally was able to get all the way through, however, I was very glad I had made the effort. North has given us a definitive look at Stonehenge.

North starts with a fairly simple premise: In order to truly understand Stonehenge one should first study the many other comparable structures built in Britan and Europe during prehistoric times. North slowly works his way through these structures before finally arriving at the ultimate destination: Stonehenge.

The conclusions he finally reaches about Stonehenge are at once startling and fascinating. For instance, he shows that observations were not done from within the Stonehenge circle, but from a point many meters outside the circle.

I could go on, but suffice it to say that if you have ever been curious about Stonehenge, North's book is a must read. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The real thing
It is somewhat hard to say this of a book of more than forty years old but this would seem to be indeed what it is cracked up to be, an indispensable reference for anybody interested in the composition of scientific words. I would expect that someone would have come up with something better in the time since the appearance of this book (it first appeared in 1927, reaching the present form in 1956). However everytime I have a question on a scientific word this book produces something useful, usually an answer to my question or otherwise some interesting new bit of information.

The only quible I have regards printing quality. The original typography is very ambitious in trying to condense so much information on a page and it suffered a little in this facsimile reprint. Even so printing quality is pretty decent, it is just that it is short of the crispness I would like to see.

THE authority for taxonomers
I am not sure how many people will read a review for book which is #174,000+ on Amazons list. It is certainlyNOT a bestseller but it is a fantastic book nonetheless.If you are a taxonomer or just wish to knowabout word origins as used in scientific nomenclature, this book is foryou. I must admit, I rarely use my copy but I have it when I do need it. Besides having derivations from Latin and Greek, it has explanations usefulfor people who may wish to synthesize words for scientific use.At times,it is fun to use this book as a guide and make up scientific words for themost mundane things - try it and see how wonderful something like aflyswatter can sound. Levity aside, this is THE 882 page authority onhistory of the English language, The nature of Greek and Latin and theformation of scientific terms. ... Read more

Book Description

The coaching provided in this engaging text, based on many years teaching good presentation technique, will help scientists make the best of their presentations and remove some of the fear that makes them a daunting prospect. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A horrendous book by my former professor....
Upon reading and studying this guide, I wholly expected that it would provide me with knowledge and confidence in presentations. I was unfortunate enough to encounter Dr. Walters as a professor AFTER reading this title, and am appalled at his lecturing skills. One would think that he would take a few hints/pointers from his own text and apply them to his lecturing. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A valuable reference work, with one flaw
I thoroughly enjoyed hunting in this book for various conversion factors, and would recommend it with just one reservation.

Unfortunately, the authors were somewhat arbitrary in deciding which units any particular one would be converted to. If I had written this book, I would have included at least the following for each unit: (1) All other units in the SAME system (i. e., if we are talking about a pre-revolutionary French unit of length, all other pre-revolutionary French units of length) and (2) the nearest-sized SI unit. Unfortunately they frequently leave out conversions between units of the same system that would be useful, and often units of the same approximate size are converted to different SI units, making comparisons difficult. (For example, one foot-size unit may be expressed as so many centimeters, while another as such a fraction of a meter.)

Both of these omissions can be circumvented by using a calculator and working with what these authors have chosen to include, but the book would be easier to use if they had done what I would have.

More info then you'll ever need
This little book has saved me a couple of times. Full of data, tables, conversions, etc.... Spend the money and get yourself a copy. You'll be amazed how often you reach for it.

Great source of conversion factors.
This is a handy book with literally thousands of conversions. Look up your unit, and convert to metric, or convert from a metric unit to your unit. The units are identified by the country of origin including ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, China, etc. ... Read more

Book Description

This best-selling dictionary contains over 9,000 entries on all aspects of science. Ideal for both students and non-scientists alike, it provides comprehensive coverage of biology (including human biology), chemistry, physics, the earth sciences, and astronomy. Appendices include the periodic table, the solar system, geological time scale, animal and plant classification Other features include short biographies of leading scientists, full page illustrated features on subjects such as the Solar System and Genetically Modified Organisms, and chronologies of specific scientific subjects including plastics, electronics, and cell biology. ... Read more

Book Description

Mathematicians, scientists, engineers, and students can turn to this dictionary for definitive coverage of all branches of mathematics, both pure and applied. Featuring 3,600 terms, the book defines terms and expressions in algebra, number theory, operator theory, logic, complex numbers, finite mathematics, topology, and other areas--each with definition identified by the field in which it is primarily used. Included are numerous cross references and an appendix with tables of integrals and derivatives. ... Read more

Book Description

An easy-to-use reference source on the applications and management of biotechnology!

The Concise Encyclopedia of Bioresource Technology is a unique resource for state-of-the-art research findings on biotechnological innovations and their potential for commercial exploitation. This comprehensive reference gives you immediate access to information on the application of bioresource technology as it relates to industrial, food, and environmental biotechnology. Practitioners, academics, and researchers representing a wide range of disciplines examine vital issues including the production and applications of microbial enzymes and organic acids, fermentation, wastewater treatment, and air pollution.

The Concise Encyclopedia of Bioresource Technology will bring you up to date on advances in the applications and management of bioprocesses, biomass, bioenergy, biological waste treatment, biotransformations, and conversion and production technologies. This vital information has been organized in an easy-to-use format that lets you become familiar with highlights of the most relevant topics and includes photographs, figures, and tables.

Issues addressed in the book include:

agro-industrial residues for bioprocesses
solid-state fermentation for bioconversion of biomass
alcoholic fermentation
food grade yeast production
treatment of industrial effluents
anaerobic animal waste environments
reactors for wastewater treatment
and much more!

The Concise Encyclopedia of Bioresource Technology is a vital resource for practitioners, researchers, and academics working in the areas of biotechnology, chemical engineering, resource, energy and conservation sciences, process technology, applied microbiology, and farm and industrial waste technology. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Practical Reference on Food Science
Bioresource technology incorporates a wide spectrum of science and technology, including engineering sciences. It involves applied biological sciences for investigating the present-day subjects of biosciences, mainly for the industrial, food, and environmental sectors. Principles from such scientific disciplines as biochemistry, bioprocess technology, chemical engineering, enzyme technology, food and fermentation technology, molecular biology, microbiology, microbial technology, etc., are strongly practiced by biotechnologists, chemical engineers, resource, energy, and conservation scientists, process technologists, applied microbiologists, farm and industrial waste technologists, etc., in applying bioresource technology for industrial, food, and environmental applications. Gradual emergence of new technologies for large-scale conversions of renewable raw materials of biological origin to various industrial and energy markets has further widened the scope of bioresource technology. The editor has made a conscious and careful effort to select and discuss vivid topics related with the subject, including biomass, bioenergy, biowastes, production technologies, microbial growth processes, enzymatic methods, agricultural and food processing residues, municipal wastes, environmental protection, bioremediation, recycling, aerobic methods, anaerobic digestion, etc.
Forty-four chapters are covered in this encyclopedia, describing the application of bioresource technology in three sectors-environmental biotechnology, food biotechnology, and industrial biotechnology.
Part I, Environmental Biotechnology, comprises 11 chapters and 19 articles. The first chapter provides a brief overview of recent advances in biological wastewater treatment. Two related chapters are included, one on re-actors for wastewater treatment (biological reactors, membrane bioreactor, rotating biological contractors, trickling filters, and waste stabilization ponds) and another on treatment of industrial effluents (distillery effluent, pulp and paper mill effluent, removal of heavy metals from wastewater, tannery effluent, and textile and dye effluent). The development of such bioprocesses as biobeneficiation, biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, biofiltration, biological control of air pollution, biomethanogenesis, bioremediation, and microbiologically influenced corrosion are discussed in other chapters in this section.
Part II, Food Biotechnology, includes 14 chapters, two of which deal with fermented products, i.e., fermented vegetables products and fermented milk products. Food products production is an important area of food biotechnology, hence several chapters cover the production of food additives, food-grade yeast, mushrooms, nutraceuticals, prebiotics, probiotics, single-cell protein, vitamins, and xanthan gum. A chapter on kefir yeast technology provides information on recent technological developments in this area. The section also includes three chapters on biopolymer application, biotransformations of citrus flavone glycosides, and molecular methods for microbial detection and characterization for food safety.
The third and final part, Industrial Biotechnology, includes 19 chapters, incorporating 22 articles. The first chapter in this section, which covers alcoholic fermentation, describes bacterial alcoholic fermentation, fruit-based alcoholic beverages, fuel ethanol from renewable biomass resources, grape-based alcoholic beverages, malted barley, Scotch whiskey, beer, and thermotolerant and osmo-tolerant yeasts for alcoholic fermentation. Three chapters dealing with the production of alkaloids, aflatoxins and other secondary metabolites, amino acids, and antibiotics follow. A chapter on the applications of agro-industrial residues for bioprocesses describes specific examples of industrial residues from the cassava industry, coffee industry, palm oil industry, and seafood industry. Two related chapters discuss pretreatment of lignocellulosic substrates and recycling of agricultural by-products and residues for animal feeding. Yet another related chapter discusses solid-state fermentation for the bioconversion of biomass, providing insight about the general aspects, design, engineering, and modeling of solid-state fermentation. Several chapters describe the production of commercially important microbial metabolites and products, such as aroma compounds, biodiesel, biofertilizers, biosurfactants, pigments, polyhydroxyalkanoates, and xylitol. The process of biopulping, outlined in yet another chapter, is significant because it is environmentally friendly and offers several advantages. Enzymes and organic acids from microbial sources have important industrial applications. Several therapeutic enzymes have found new applications to treat dreaded diseases such as cancer. Articles in this section describe the production and application of important enzymes, such as inulinase, laccase, lignin peroxidase, lipase, pectinase, phytase, proteases, xylanase, and L-glutaminase, and organic acids, such as citric acid, gallic acid, and lactic acid.
... Read more

Book Description

. This dictionary contains the following subject fields: Atomic and atomic nucleus structure, chemical bond, chemical elements, chemical kinetics, chemical reactions, chemical thermodynamics, chromatography, colloid chemistry, conformation, coordination chemistry, electrical properties of molecules, electroanalytical methods, electrochemistry, electronic and stearic effects of atoms and atomic groups, fundamental particles, gravimetric methods, groups of elements, isomerism, isotopes, macromolecular methods, magnetochemistry, mechanisms of reactions, molecular structure, nuclear reactions, optical methods of analysis, periodic table, phase changes, phase systems, photochemistry, quantum mechanics, radiation chemistry, radioactivity, radiochemical methods of analysis, radiochemistry, spectroscopy, states of matter, statistical mechanics, statistics and error estimation, surface chemistry, thermochemistry, types of reagents, volumetric analysis. ... Read more

Book Description

Internationally renowned deep-sea pioneer and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Sylvia A. Earle, in consultation with experts from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is our peerless guide. This one-of-a-kind atlas immerses us in the infinite wonders of the world offshore through more than 150 cutting-edge maps, photographs, and satellite images. Atlas of the Ocean lays bare a realm as challenging and untapped as space—and as vital to our existence as the air we breathe.

Accompanying exquisite, up-to-the-minute maps, Earle’s compelling text reveals the beauty and complexity of the ocean structure—past, present, and future—and explores its flora, fauna, and diverse phenomena, from giant squid and kelp to the smallest microbial bodies. Fascinating point maps take us into the planet’s deepest abyss, the Mariana Trench; along the planet’s longest mountain chain, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge; on the migration route of humpback whales; and to a host of marine sanctuaries worldwide. An unequaled resource for both education and entertainment, Atlas of the Ocean also explores the progress of fascinating technological developments that will help scientists discover the ocean’s innumerable uncharted regions and life-forms.

Reviews (2)

Outstanding photographs, interesting maps, dodgy text.
If you are looking for a coffee book with excellent illustrations I would definately recommend this book. Should you wish to read it I would hesitate on recommending it. The text is disjointed and the main topic of a paragraph is often confused with numerous (tentatively linked) topics. Issues are readdressed time and time again, which leads me to think the book is more a series of strung together papers rather than a well thought out book. However, if you don't mind that, the book does introduce many interesting people involved in marine science and as I said, the illustrations are outstanding.

Barely an atlas
After hearing a discussion of this book on NPR, I ordered this book expecting a thorough atlas of the ocean floor. I was sorely disappointed. Although there are some good maps in this book, the bulk of the book deals with other topics such as: ecology or the need for protecting our oceans, current temperatures, predicting El Nino, etc. Don't get me wrong, it is a good book but it is far from what I expected. Full of pretty photographs and illustrations as usual for a National Geographic effort. I believe that the hype made me believe the book would have details associated with a land atlas. ... Read more

Book Description

Including more than 8,000 essential terms and definitions in the earth sciences, this comprehensive dictionary offers professionals, teachers, students, and general readers with an interest in earth science a complete and handy source for the latest terminology used in the fields of climatology, geochemistry, geodesy, geography, geophysics, hydrlogy, mapping, meterology, oceanograhy, and paleontology. Userful appendices are also provided. ... Read more

Book Description

This concise, straightforward book will help workers in all scientific disciplines to present their results effectively. Chapters include:"Writing a Scientific Paper" "Before You Lecture or Talk to Us, Please Read This" "Empty Numbers" "Preparation of the Script and Figures" "For Those to Whom English is a Foreign Language" "Preparation of a Doctoral Dissertation or Thesis" ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Vernon Booth: a classic in scientific writing
This book is by one of the first authors to recognise that communication skills are important in science, and that they are a craft that has rules and principles that any student can learn relatively easily. It deserves to be treated as a classic, and should be compulsory reading for any student of the life sciences.

I can recall reading it with much interest during my PhD in the 1980's, when it was about the only work available in this field, and various biochemical societies in the UK made it available to students. Much of the advice on straightforward communication style is still extremely valid today. In the later 80's and 90's, the field of writing skills took off, and now most University bookshops have several shelves of books on writing skills and how to write a thesis. Booth's book is short, direct, and the advice is very practical. Read it! ... Read more

Book Description

Examines 26 areas of knowledge from a biblical perspective in a unique daily devotional format. Includes the best evidence for creation, from over 70 expert sources. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Religious, but not scientific by any means
This book is clearly incapable of fulfilling its boastful back cover promises.First of all because a truely fact-based and scientifically accurate discussion of the topic cannot be attained without a huge load of background knowledge.Secondly because the sources quoted are by no means impartial in the evolutionary debate, but, instead, similarly premised and largely lack understanding of modern science.Thirdly, one of the main arguments presented, after stating some arbitrary "nice-to-know" item on biological facts, that "this cannot have come into existence by accident".Thus, the line of argumentation is neither impartial, nor even-handed, but simply a blunt attack on science based on the absence of the will to truly deal with the topic unbiased and in greater detail.

Simply disappointing.

Good, but not what I expected
What I expected from the description was a book presenting comparisons of evidence between creationism and evolution in point-for-point facts. A strong selling feature for myself was the comment of it being written in laymans terms. (as opposed to the scientific approach of other books)

Instead the book is actually made up of 365 (as in daily) facts dealing with several categories of creation supportive "mini-reports". Yes, these daily thoughts are listed starting with January 1st and go through the calendar to the end of the year. These extremely short items, while interesting, never go into any depth. They simply state a fact and then end with an appropriate or related Bible verse. Imagine an important event from history condensed to two paragraphs and it will give you an idea as to the "just getting started" feeling presented in this books "single page" format. I agree with the basis of the beliefs presented, but the format and lack of depth was disappointing.

A Closer Look at the Evidence
What an incredible book!!!! Clear, concise, well researched
and written for all ages to comprehend. Daily reading for one to
dwell on content or easy read for a devourer of creation vs
evolution truth seekers. I strongly recommend this book for a
daily dose of factual content to bolster ones belief. This is
not a controversial, in your face, polarizing read. Rather, a
factual presentation of sciences which raise the question is
evolution possible??? This causes one to think critically, from
the evidence about our origin. Also, each day has reference material included.This is a must read...

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE, EVEN SCEPTICS
Not only do I appreciate the content of this book, but it's great for anyone, whether they like to devour a whole book at once, digest it in smaller sections or use it as a daily reading, page by page.This is a great source for giving us evidence to questions we often wonder about.This book promotes the idea that Scripture should not only give us our spiritual education, but it also provides us with logical, scientific knowledge as well, if we are willing to look at the evidence.It contains strong evidence that evolutional science is not based on any real, provable theory, whereas a look at the evidence around us coincides with what the Bible teaches. ... Read more