Synopsis
Brief presentations of one hundred famous archeological sites and discoveries, including dinosaurs, the first humans, early civilizations, ending with the wreck of the Amsterdam in 1750.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 1997-12-01 |
Industry Reviews
Gr 3 Up An ambitious but flawed attempt to introduce readers to personalities, discoveries, and natural phenomena from ancient times to the present that have profoundly influenced our world. Each volume identifies and briefly describes 100 notables in 12 diverse categories. Uninspired one-page articles include such topics as the Chernobyl nuclear accident, the invention of the battery, cornea transplants, and Anne Frank. The introductory remarks in each book do not define the process by which topics were selected. For instance, "100 Greatest Disasters" includes the sinking of the ill-fated Titanic, but not the Andrea Doria. Also, the medical catastrophes caused by Thalidomide are investigated, yet DES usage is not addressed. The usefulness of this tool is further hindered by the lack of a consistent organizational structure. For example, "100 Greatest Explorers" is divided into geographic areas, which are printed on the top of each page. This arrangement is not indicated in the table of contents, which, throughout the set, proves to be inaccurate and misleading. The entries are presented in large, clear type and broken up with boxed inserts of well-composed background information. Unfortunately, many of these aids partially obscure illustrative matter. As a result, the impact of many of the high-quality, instructively captioned, black-and-white and color photos and maps will not be fully realized. In spite of its faults, this resource will pique readers' interest and stimulate inquiry. However, it is more appropriate for browsing than in-depth research. Failed Technology (UXL, 1994) provides comprehensive coverage of 20th-century technological disasters and Eureka! Scientific Discoveries and Inventions That Shaped the World (Gale, 1995) chronicles scientific milestones from the Industrial Revolution to the modern era. Hillary Jan Donitz-Goldstein, New York Public Library
Divakaruni
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