McGraw Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology (20-Volume Set)

Reviews from previous edition:

"The McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology has held the reputation of being a premiere source of information for the most up-to-date information about the sciences. Updated every five years [...] the 9th edition proves to be just as valuable as past editions. This new edition provides 7100 entries in all areas of science, including biomedical sciences, information technology and computing, chemistry and chemical engineering, industrial engineering, environmental sciences, physics, and astronomy, just to name a few. The entries are edited by an impressive list of specialists, which are listed at the beginning of the volume along with their areas of expertise. More than 5000 specialists have contributed to the entries – 30 of which the publisher notes are Nobel Prize winners. Looking at the impressive list of scientists and scholars associated with this work, there is no doubt it is an authoritative resource [...] This set remains an important reference tool for academic libraries and large public libraries. An online version of this encyclopedia is available that provides the same valuable information [...]"
- American Reference Books Annual 20040316 Teresa Berry, Univ. of Tennessee Libs., Knoxville

"[...] sets the standard for science encyclopedias [...] the 71,000 articles are well written and well organized [...] suited for self-study [...] Highly recommended [...]"
- Library Journal 20021115 Reviewed by H. Robert Malinowsky

"It has been 5 years since the publication of the eighth edition of this internationally known encyclopedia and 42 years since the first edition. For students, the general public, and researchers, the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology has become the most-used general encyclopedia covering science and engineering technology. From its first edition in 1960, its goal has been to provide information that was understandable and authoritative for the general public, secondary school students, undergraduates, and researchers. The principle purpose is stated in the preface: "To provide the widest possible range of articles that will be understandable and useful to any person of modest technical training who wants to obtain information outside his particular field of specialization." It has maintained this goal through the years, with no other science encyclopedia targeting such a wide range of readers. There are still 20 volumes, printed in double-column format, with good use of white space, excellent illustrations, bibliographies, and a detailed analytical index. The ninth edition contains 7100 signed articles written by more than 5000 authors from universities, industry, and government agencies, including 30 Nobel Prize winners. Each article begins with a definition and concise overview of the topic, followed by a discussion, and ends, in most cases, with a brief bibliography. Within the articles there are some 62,000 cross-references to related articles, providing the reader the widest possible access to all related topics. The index volume contains a list of all contributors with their affiliations and the titles of each article that he or she has written. Of particular use are the 15 subject study guides that provide a program of study and reference that can be used by educators in secondary schools and colleges. These guides permit an individual to become informed on a particular topic. The topical index is a useful tool that groups the 7100 articles under 87 major subject categories. Finally, the analytical index provides access to all of the information included in the 19 volumes of text. The color of the line drawings has changed from a lavender tone to a turquoise tone. The color illustrations are the same and excellent. However, the black and white photographs were in many cases better and crisper in the eighth edition. The binding should hold up to extreme use. Though editors state that the encyclopedia has been extensively revised and new entries have been added, the total number of articles is the same as reported in the eighth edition. There is no indication which articles were dropped and which are new. With an encyclopedia covering such a wide range of topics, one cannot expect all articles to be completely rewritten. However, one would expect articles on topics of great interest to the general public to have some revision. The entry for Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) has had no revision, even though great advances have been made in the treatment of the disease, and there is no bibliography. In spot-checking other articles, it appears that revisions are minimal. Some articles have had one or two new additions to the bibliography. There has been some expansion on material relating to the human genome, biotechnology, neuroscience, and forensic science. When the total number of articles remains the same, it makes one wonder what was dropped to add the six new entries covering forensic science. All in all, this is still a highly recommended encyclopedia for general information on science and technology. It is not intended to be the last stop for the latest information on current "hot topics." For libraries on a limited budget, the ninth edition may not be necessary if the eighth edition is owned, especially if a good collection of up-to-date, specialized encyclopedias and dictionaries have been purchased."
- Booklist 20021029, November 2002 review

"If budgeting allows, this encyclopedia should be in every science or engineering reference collection. It contains approximately 7100 articles on major topics in all categories of science and technology, written for the non-specialist. Each entry begins with general information on the topic. Detailed information follows under headings so the reader can focus on specific areas of interest. For example, the entry on "Moon" (Vol. 11, p. 404- 414) is sub-headed as follows: Motions, Selenodesy, Body properties, Large-scale surface features, Small-scale surface features, Atmosphere, and Lunar resources. All but general survey articles have a bibliography at the end. There is extensive cross-referencing between articles that leads to related topics. No biographies are included, although the work of important scientists is mentioned in subject entries where appropriate. Scientists who have been major contributors to their field (including 30 Nobel Laureates) wrote many articles. The index volume contains a list of contributors, a guide to scientific notation, study guides, a topical index (87 subject areas), and an analytical index. For the 9th edition, new information has been added in many areas including the human genome project, forensic science, and computer science. Many articles have been revised, for example, in neurobiology and astronomy [...] Purchasing the Yearbooks will help to stay more current (i.e. the 2002 Yearbook, available for $175.00, not reviewed here, contains the entry "Genetically Engineered Crops"). Regardless, the McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology gives the best and broadest coverage of all science encyclopedias."
- Science Books & Films, 20020924