referencebooks

Laboratory Health and Safety Dictionary

By W. Carl Gottschall and Douglas B. Walters.

Published by Wiley Interscience, 2001.

This is a 6" by 9" paperback running to 458 pages including four appendices, plus a brief preface.

The back of the book says,

Chemical health and safety are impacted by federal, state, and local regulations, notably the OSHA Laboratory Standard, and are of concern to a wide range of personnel. Laboratory Health and Safety Dictionary defines basic and essential terms, making it a core reference for experienced as well as novice health and safety professionals. It will also help people with limited understanding and/or varying backgrounds better understand the vocabulary that is encountered in the field.

This authoritative compendium of chemical and health and safety concepts contains approximately 2,500 entries covering the broad spectrum of health and safety issues including all essential elements of a chemical hygiene plan, safety procedures, chemical exposures, etc. Words, terms, and expressions are included that are found or referenced in documents and regulations such as OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard and the Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in the Laboratory Standard, Material Safety Data Sheets, Right-to-Know Legislation, and numerous other documents and lists of "hazardous" agents...

For a sense of the kind of terms defined, here is a list of the first sixteen entries in the "V" sequence:

• V
  
• VA
  
• vaccine
  
• vacuum
  
• valence
  
• validation
  
• vanadium (V)
  
• van der Waals, Johannes Diderik
  
• van der Waals forces
  
• van't Hoff, Jacobus Henricus
  
• vapor
  
• vapor density
  
• vapor pressure (VP)
  
• variable
  
• variance
  
• Vaseline™
  

Definitions are very minimal, usual just one short sentence. They sometimes require some background knowledge in biology or chemistry to understand. Here are a few typical examples:

kaolinosis     A form of pneumoconiosis caused by inhalation of kaolin dust, usually a result of grinding, milling, or other operations.

hot zone     The area in a hazardous waste operation where contamination occurs.

gavage     Feeding by means of a tube inserted via the mouth and throat into the stomach.

enflourage     The extraction of odorous components of flowers in the production of perfumes and essential oils.

rolfing     Deep massage.

shall     The word used to denote a requirement or regulation as opposed to a recommendation.

This is a handy book for anyone working in a chemical or biological laboratory.

Encyclopedia of Bioethics, Revised Edition

Warren Thomas Rich, Editor in Chief

Published by Simon & Schuster Macmillan, 1995

This is a five volume work measuring 8.5" by 11" and running to a total of 2950 pages including an appendix that provides some codes, oaths, and directives related to bioethics; a list of additional resources, and an index; plus 65 pages of preferatory material that include a preface, an introduction, lists of contributors and members of the advisory board, and an alphabetical list of the article titles.

Some reference books are so important that they play a substantial role in the development of a scholarly field. This is one of those, at least if you believe the editor in his introduction, discussing the first edition, which was published in 1978. Bioethics has expanded greatly in importance since then, and since the publication of this one as well, over ten years ago. Probably a new reference work of this scope and depth is warranted. For the moment this one is probably an acceptable standard. In its nearly 3000 pages there are 464 articles on bioethics, understood as having a scope that includes the following topics:

• medical professional/patient relationships
  
• public health
  
• other sociopolitical issues (racism, torture, prostitution, interpersonal abuse, the death penalty)
  
• health care
  
• fertility and reproduction
  
• biomedical and behavioral research
  
• mental health and behavioral issues
  
• sexuality and gender
  
• death and dying
  
• genetics
  
• population ethics
  
• organ and tissue transplantation and artificial organs
  
• animal welfare
  
• environmental issues relating to health
  

The full list of articles in the "C" sequence, not including sub-parts, which are listed in the table of contents:

• Care
  
• Casuistry
  
• Children
  
• Chronic Care
  
• Circumcision
  
• Civil Disobedience and Health Care
  
• Climatic Change
  
• Clinical Ethics
  
• Commercialism in Scientific Research
  
• Commitment to Mental Institutions
  
• Communication, Biomedical
  
• Compassion
  
• Competence
  
• Confidentiality
  
• Conflict of Interest
  
• Confucianism
  
• Conscience
  
• Cryonics
  

Opening volume five at random, I'm looking at the article on "Value and Valuation," which is a highly philosophical topic, not limited to bioethics but definitely underpinning much discussion within it. This article is just over five pages including the lengthy bibliography and paragraph of See Also references. Like all the articles in the book, this one is signed by the specialist responsible, in this case Thomas Ogletree. Ogletree, in this article, uses a writing style that is clear without sacficing intellectual depth, and covers the subject admirably given the limitations of length.

Opening volume one at random, I'm looking at the entry on "Adoption," another five-pager. This article has the section headings, "Historical background," "Contemporary adoption practice in the United States," "Special needs and biracial adoption," "Intercountry adoption," "The sealed-record controversy," "Search and reunion," "Open versus closed adoption," "Court battles between birth parents and adoptive parents," "Conclusion," "Bibliography." The bibliography is about three quarters of one of these 8.5" by 11" pages in length.

This is an excellent and thorough reference work, but a little dated at 11 years old.

The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Fossils

By Ida Thompson. Photographs by Townsend P. Dickinson. Visual Key by Carol Nehring.

Published by Alfred A. Knopf, 1982.

This is a 4" by 7.5" book with a flexible plastic cover. It runs to 848 pages of thin paper. It's a compact little volume that will fit easily into a coat pocket.

Audubon field guides are standard resources for birdwatchers, amateur geologists, and all sorts of other nature lovers who want a quick reference to information about what they're seeing out in the field. This book is the Audubon Society's guide to fossils commonly found on this continent.

The book is organized into three parts, plus a 98 page introductory section that provides information about geological eras, about geology, etc. The first part has about 500 color plates, which are very clear photographs of examples of different fossil types, divided by broad zoological classification but also by shape. This section also has maps, a thumb-guide tab, and other guides to using the plates. The next part has the textual descriptions of the fossils, about 430 pages worth, divided by classification. These descriptions are mostly just under a page in length and provide detailed descriptions, age ranges, and other useful information for fossil-hunters. The third section has appendices including such things as Phylum Illustrations, a guide to collecting and preserving fossils, a glossary, a list of fossil discoveries, a list of geological surveys, and a list of specimen localities.

This is a very handy book for anyone interested in fossils.

Endangered Animals: A Reference Guide to Conflicting Issues

Edited by Richard P. Reading and Brian Miller.

Published by Greenwood Press, 2000.

This is a 6" by 9" hardbound book running to 383 pages including the bibliography, index and contributor list, plus an introduction.

The introduction, after discussing the "present extinction spasm" in general terms, says:

Case studies provide in-depth analyses rich with lessons for learning and for improving performance. The 49 case studies presented in this book demonstrate the causes and context of endangerment for a wide variety of animals, mostly vertebrates. A diversity of case material is included from a range of perspectives. Although there is a predominance of U.S. authors and case studies, the book includes contributors from 16 nations and addresses species inhabiting over 20 countries (and several oceans) and a wide variety of ecological systems on every continent except Antarctica.

Each case study begins with a general description of the animal, a discussion of its natural history, a discussion of conflicting issues (debate), and a section discussing its future.

This book is far from a catalog of endangered species and shouldn't be used as one. While the number of case studies included make it potentially useful as a reference book, the real value of it is as a monograph that provides insight into the situation of endangered species.

Grant's Atlas of Anatomy, 11th Edition

By Anne M.R. Agur and Arthur Dalley II.

Published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2005.

This is a 9.5" by 11" hardbound book running to 848 pages including the index, printed in full color.

Grant's has been a standard since 1937, when it was published as A Method of Anatomy, Descriptive and Deductive (By Dr. John Charles Boileau Grant). New knowledge and ideas have been incorporated in successive editions. The basics of the Atlas of Anatomy have been consistent in recent editions: classic dissection illustrations, schematic illustrations, surface anatomy, and diagnostic images, all arranged in sections for areas of the human body. The areas covered are:

1. THORAX
   
2. ABDOMEN
   
3. PELVIS AND PERINEUM
   
4. BACK
   
5. LOWER LIMB
   
6. UPPER LIMB
   
7. HEAD
   
8. NECK
   
9. CRANIAL NERVES
   

Opening the book at random, I'm looking at pages 510 and 511, in the section called "JOINTS OF PECTORAL GIRDLE AND SHOULDER," looking at illustrations 6.41 and 6.42, "Anterior aspect of shoulder joint" and "Posterior aspect of the interior of shoulder joint." The illustrations are not photographs but dissection drawings designed to represent structures clearly and accurately. They're labelled with the scientific names of specific parts ("transverse humeral ligament," "synovial fringe"). On the lower portion of each of these pages are descriptions of the structures you are seeing with reference to their function.

This is a very useful text for people studying the human body.

The Handbook of Trace Elements

By István Pais and J. Benton Jones, Jr.

Published by St. Lucie Press, 1997.

This is a hardcover book measuring just over 6" by 9" and running to 223 pages including the bibliography and index, plus a brief preface.

The preface begins:

This book summarizes, by element, 41 elements that are found in the environment (earth's crust, soil, water, plants, animals, and man) in relatively low (<0.1%) concentrations. These elements are generally referred to as trace elements or, for the seven trace elements essential to plants, micronutrients. In addition, there is a chapter on rare earth elements.

The information presented is factual and practical, covering chemical and biochemical applications of trace elements in hosticulture, agriculture, nutrition and medicine. The introductory chapter, which is 80 pages long, covers basic information on trace elements in soil, oceans, fresh water, etc.; information on the biological classification and function of trace elements; physiology of animals and plants; and trace elements in food and livestock feed. Other chapters are devoted to 41 trace elements by element, rare earth elements by element, plant micronutrients, soil testing for micronutrients, and procedures for testing for trace elements.

This is a compact, practical and fact-filled book, useful for people working in biology, medicine, nutrition, agriculture and food science.

A Field Guide to Animal Tracks

Text and illustrations by Olaus J. Murie.

Published by Houghton Mifflin, 1975.

This is a 4.75" by 7.5" hardbound book that runs to 375 pages including the bibliography and index, plus an editor's note; acknowedgements; a "key to tracks" that lets you look up animal tracks visually; and the author's "Life List" of animal tracks seen.

The book presents detailed discussions and illustrations of animal tracks. It's divided into chapters by zoological family (common names given first), and then species or species group within those chapters, by common name.

Opening the book at random we're at the entry for "Meadow Vole or Field Mouse." This entry has nine pages of illustrations and text. The text discusses this group of animals and how they live in their habitat, with detailed discussion of variations in their tracks within each season. The illustrations and text are very clear and informative.

This is an example of an old reference book that hasn't lost a bit of its value over time. Very useful for biologists and anyone interested in wildlife.

Biotechnology from A to Z, 3rd edition

By William Bains

Published by Oxford University Press, 2004.

This is a regular-sized paperback book, measuring 6" by 9" and running to 413 pages of relatively large type.

The foreword explains the scope of the book and describes it as a "mini-encyclopedia," which is accurate: entries are longer and fewer than in a dictionary, but briefer than what you'd find in an encyclopedia. The foreword goes on to say, "Each entry gives a quick description of the concept, mentions related terms and ideas, and gives an indication of what the science or technology has really achieved." The entries are extensively cross-referenced and the index is thorough. The foreword also notes what is not included in the book that some might expect to find. Not included are entries on aspects of biological science that underpin biotechnology (other reference works do that job), and entries on biological warfare. There are only a handful of entries on individual people and companies, as those aren't the focus of the book.

One notable aspect of the book is that it is written in surpisingly non-technical language for such a technical subject, and for a reference book from Oxford University Press. The articles are informative but very readable for non-scientists, and go into at least a bit more depth than a popular magazine.

The author is not shy about showing his biases, which often makes it seem that he's not being completely thorough in his presentation of some topics. The article on bioethics is terrible in this regard, and actually makes the author seem somewhat ignorant about the field.

Despite that, it is a valuable book in the amount of information it communicates about biotechnology in an easy-to-understand way.

The Bird Almanac: The Ultimate Guide to Essential Facts and Figures of the World's Birds

By David M. Bird, PhD.

Published by Firefly Books, 1999.

This is a paperback book measuring 5.25" by 8". It's rather thick, running to 460 pages not including the contents pages and preface.

The book is a very handy and compact compilation of information about birds and information of use to bird-lovers.

The major sections of the book are as follows:

• World Checklist of Birds [the longest part]
  
• Classification of the Class Aves
  
• Suggested Fossil History of Birds
  
• Anatomy
  
• Physiology
  
• Reproduction
  
• Mortality
  
• Threatened and Endangered Bird Species
  
• Mascot Birds
  
• Assemblages of Birds
  
• Records in the Bird World
  
• History of Who's Who in Bird Biology and Conservation
  
• Presidents of Major Ornithological Societies
  
• Presidents of Major Bird-Watching Societies
  
• Distinguished Awards Won by Ornithologists
  
• Bird Watching Record Holders
  
• New Jersey Audubon Society's World Series of Birding
  
• Ward World Bird-Carving Championships
  
• United States Federal Duck Stamp Artists
  
• Bird-Watching
  
• Attracting Birds to the Backyard
  
• Resources for Bird Lovers
  
• Resources for Ornithologists
  
• Glossary
  

Among the information included in these sections are such things as contact information for birding festivals by month of the year; listserv addresses for getting rare bird reports; contact information for ornithological and bird-watching organizations in most countries of the world; tips for choosing a pair of binoculars; pictures of different egg shapes and patterns of pigment on eggs; data on altitudes, flight speeds and distances covered by different kinds of birds; data on heart weight, heart rate, and blood content of different birds; British/English/Latin translations of bird names; and a long list of all the known birds in the world, by zoologic Order.

This is a great little book for anyone interested in birds.

Encyclopedia of Human Emotions

Edited by David Levinson, James J. Ponzetti, Jr., and Peter F. Jorgensen

Published by Macmillan Reference USA, 1999.

This is a two-volume hardbound set measuring 9" by 11" and totaling 768 pages including the bibliography index and subject index, plus 18 pages of preferatory material.

This Encyclopedia brings together information from psychology, psychiatry, biology, sociology, anthropology, communication studies and other fields to summarize what we know about "the nature, causes, expression, and societal role of emotions - today, in the past, and across cultures."

There are 156 articles in the set, each signed by an expert whose institutional home is listed. The "S" sequence contains articles with the following titles:

• Sadness
  
• Sartre, Jean-Paul
  
• Satisfaction
  
• Seasonal Affective Disorder
  
• Self-Esteem
  
• Sensation Seeking and Risk Taking
  
• Shame
  
• Shyness
  
• Sin
  
• Smiling
  
• Sociology of Emotions
  
• Spinoza, Baruch
  
• Sports
  
• Stress
  
• Sullivan, Harry Stack
  
• Surprise
  
• Sympathy
  

The article on satisfaction is almost seven pages in length. It begins with a paragraph defining the emotion, and then has sections with the headings, "Satisfaction as a Concept;" "Satisfaction Compared to Related Concepts" (with subheadings "Pleasure," "Happiness," and "Joy,"); "Cross-Cultural Research on Satisfaction;" and "Conculsion." It finishes with see-also references to "Achievement Motivation," "Happiness," "Hope," "Motivation," and "Pleasure," followed by a bibliography of 44 items for further reading.

The textual discussion is non-technical and very informative. Most people's knowledge of emotions is intuitive, and it is almost surprising to see how much study has gone into human emotions in different disciplines and what the contours of our knowlege of emotion are.

Articles on related emotions, such as Envy and Jealousy, Shame and Guilt, Anxiety and Fear, and Sympathy and Empathy, are all written by different experts, which allows you to get different versions of the distinctions between them.

This is a very interesting encyclopedia, useful in many types of research. The odd thing about its subject matter is the unlikelihood of someone turning to it whose research might be helped by it, because of its focus on subjective experience rather than the outward realities that are usually in focus. People doing work in theatre, film, literature, art, persuasion, psychology and some other social science disciplines seem most likely (to me) to find a good use for this encyclopedia.

Encyclopedia of Hormones

Helen L. Henry and Andrew W. Norman, editors-in-chief

Published by Elsevier Science on their Academic Press imprint, 2003.

This is a three volumne work, 8.5" X 11", hardbound, totaling 2154 pages plus preferatory materials (contents, editors' bios, preface, section on how to use the encyclopedia).

The "Guide to using the encyclopedia" says:

"The Encyclopedia of Hormones is a comprehensive description of all known hormones in vertebrate animals, insects, and plants. It includes hormones in the classical sense of the term (chemical messengers) but also in the expanded contemporary sense (local paracrine and autocrine signaling).

"This reference work consists of three separate volumes and includes about 300 different articles on various aspects of the subject of hormones. Each entry in the encyclopedia provides a focused description of the given topic, intended to inform a broad spectrum of readers, ranging from research professionals to students to the interested general public."

For a sense of what's in this encyclopedia, check out the article titles in the "S" sequence (with length in pages):

• Salicylic Acid (7.5 pages)
  
• Secretin (6 pages)
  
• SERMs (Selective Estrogen Receptor Modulators) (5.5 pages)
  
• Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin (SHBG) (4.5 pages)
  
• Sex Hormones and the Immmune System (4 pages)
  
• Sexual Differentiation, Molecular and Hormone Dependent Events In (7.75 pages)
  
• Sexual Differentiation of the Brain (6 pages)
  
• Sgk Protein (Serum- and Glucocorticoid-Inducible Protein Kinase) (9.5 pages)
  
• Signaling Pathways, Interaction of (7 pages)
  
• Somatostatin (9 pages)
  
• Spermatogenesis, Hormonal Control of (5.5 pages)
  
• Stem Cell Factor (10 pages)
  
• Steroid Hormone Receptor Family: Mechanisms of Action (7 pages)
  
• Steroid Nomenclature (10.5 pages)
  
• Steroid Receptor Crosstalk with Cellular Signaling Pathways (7 pages)
  
• Stress (5.5 pages)
  
• Stress and Reproduction (5.5 pages)
  
• Systemins (3 pages)
  

As you can see from the article titles, the content of this encyclopedia is technical and requires relevant knowledge of biology in order to use it.