In the Cassell Dictionary of Science, “Keep it snappy” is the motto: most definitions take just a few lines, and space has been saved by cutting out references to great scientists, constellations, stars other than the Sun, and other items deemed vital in other science dictionaries. Weak on maths (no Fermat or Goldbach), Percy Harrison and Gillian Waites are good on technology (telling us what a fax is) and on biology, especially biochemistry—including the arcane abscissic acid on the first page. The emphasis is very British: who else needs to know what a Site of Special Scientific Interest is? Published by Cassell, £25, ISBN 0304344834.
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