Chemical Education Today edited by
Book & Media Reviews
Edward J. Walsh Allegheny College Meadville, PA 16335
Van Nostrand’s Scientific Encyclopedia, Revised 8th Edition on CD-ROM edited by Douglas M. Considine and Glenn D. Considine. Wiley-Interscience: New York, 1999. ISBN 0471293237. $235. reviewed by Deborah McCool
The Van Nostrand’s Scientific Encyclopedia, revised 8th edition on CD-ROM, is an excellent resource. With its ability to change the installation file location, the program was easy to install. There is also a choice of installation options, although the CD-ROM must be in the drive to run the program. The program is very easy to navigate, and it has several window options. The CD contains anything you would want to know about every field of science and then some. It is an alphabetical listing of persons, places, and things that have to do with science. The areas covered include biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science, astronomy, earth science, geology, mathematics, computer science, and medicine. The various levels of presentation make this encyclopedia useful to everyone, from elementary school students through high
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school, college, and graduate students. There is something for each to glean from the articles. The presentations are very clear and concise. They have excellent overviews for general information and very in-depth presentations for the more serious learner. The links, using Folio VIEWS technology, are very helpful. These links connect to pictures, charts, graphs, a dictionary, and related topics. The search engine allows one to quickly find the desired topic. The program provides three levels of searching: simple query using natural language, custom query templates, and advanced query, which is very specific using exact words. A hit list gives the results of the search and the links to follow each “hit”. The program has a unique option that allows users to add their own notes, highlight information, and even add additional information. There is also an option to add the Internet browser and do a Web search. The user has the ability to customize menus, toolbars, and keystrokes. This really creates a customized, personal information system. Overall, I found the Van Nostrand’s Science Encyclopedia on CD-ROM to be an excellent resource and a great addition to anyone’s library. Deborah McCool teaches at Penn Cambria High School, Cresson, PA 16630, and the Cambria County Area Community College, Johnstown, PA 15905.
Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 77 No. 1 January 2000 • JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu
