Gale Encyclopedia of Science Set

by K. Lee Lerner (Editor)

First published in 1991, revised in 1996, and here presented in its third iteration, this six-volume reference is written for high school students and lay adults and is intended as an authoritative, accessible source of information about all fields of science. Arrangement of some 2,000 entries is alphabetical, and, somewhat redundantly, each volume devotes 19 pages to an alphabetical listing of all topics in the set; the subject index is in volume 6. Unfortunately, a thematic listing of entries is not provided. This deficiency makes it difficult to determine how material has been selected or balanced among the disciplines and to understand what types of entries (e.g. biographies, animal descriptions, diseases) predominate. Each signed entry includes a short listing of books, periodicals, and other resources, as well as cross references--which could have been aggregated to prepare a thematic index. Key terms are highlighted in bold type (a distraction for some readers); handily, definitions are included in boxes within the articles, but a comprehensive glossary would have been useful. Photos (most in color) and some diagrams support rather than dominate the text. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Hardcover

First published November 1, 2007

About the author

"K. Lee Lerner is an author, editor, and producer of science and factual media, including four editions of the Gale Encyclopedia of Science and the Encyclopedia of Espionage, Intelligence, and Security. His expansive writing on science, climate change, disasters, disease, and global issues has earned multiple book and media awards, including books named Outstanding Academic Titles. An aviator, sailor, and member of the National Press Club in Washington, his two global circumnavigations and portfolio of work in challenging and dangerous environments reveal a visceral drive to explore and investigate. With a public intellectual's broad palate and a scientist's regard for evidence-based analysis, Lerner dissects and accessibly explains complex issues."

"For more than three decades, whether in print, broadcast media, or online, K. Lee Lerner's writing and personal column, 'Taking Bearings,' have ranged across the human intellectual enterprise. His award-winning writing ranges from knowledgeable articles on the history of science to insights into modern advances in biotechnology; from the scientific analysis of engineering failures to evidence-based reporting on public health issues; from coverage of attempts to preserve historic cultural sites to on-location coverage of the human tragedy inherent in the displacement vulnerable populations by war, civil unrest, and natural disasters." — Projects at Harvard, Displaced by Disaster

His Academia site consistently ranks among those most frequently accessed by students, scholars, and decision-makers from around the world."— National Press Club biography

K. Lee Lerner has served on the board of advisors for the venerable American Men and Women of Science since 2003. He is a member of the Harvard Alumni Association, the Harvard Club of Boston, and the National Press Club in Washington, DC. His fiction writing is published under a nom de plume.

Photo: K. Lee Lerner, National Press Club, Washington, D.C. ©LMG All Rights Reserved.