The Handbook of Geoscience

This hefty handbook is designed by the authors as a ‘user-friendly overview’ of geoscience. They have defined the geosciences broadly, including in their coverage the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, pedosphere (soils), environmental science, geographic systems, geodesy, surveying, and cartography. The authors stress the ‘readability’ of the text, and it is indeed written in an attractive style. . . .The variety of topics in this single volume is extraordinary. It begins with the basics like measurements, units, and the scientific method, and then proceeds through the major disciplines of the geosciences, covering a little bit of almost every major topic. There are a good number of black-and-white photographs and several good . . . line drawings. Each section has an extended bibliography.

This is the sort of book which should be on the reference shelf of beginning students in the earth sciences, and undergraduates in any of the other sciences. Readers can use it to quickly look up basic terms, definitions, and concepts in geology, meteorology, astronomy, physics, chemistry, and mathematics, whether because they have forgotten them or because they never knew them to begin with. Prolific science writer Spellman (formerly, environmental health, Old Dominion Univ.) and Stoudt (radiation controls training instructor) clearly present most of the material in this large volume (seven parts and 30 chapters). Each chapter ends with a list of references and suggestions for further reading, and there is a glossary and adequate index in the back. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers and lower-division undergraduates

This reference work–a compilation of key facts related to earth science–provides a broad overview of all aspects of geoscience. Authors Spellman and Stoudt possess complementary backgrounds. Spellman earned a PhD in environmental engineering and has written more than 70 books on environmental matters. An expert in the demanding area of radiation controls, Stoudt has provided instruction to naval officers and to technicians at an atomic power laboratory. The authors’ collaboration has produced a reference book notable for its readability and utility. Incorporating relevant math operations and conceptual terminology, the volume surveys the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, pedosphere, and related areas. Force and motion; work, energy, and momentum; and circular motion and gravity receive their due. Sample entries include Acceleration, Biological diversity, Ecosystem, Evapotranspiration, Geodesy, Lentic habitat, Troposphere, Weathering, and Wind farms. The topically arranged entries range in length from a single paragraph to several pages. Example-driven definitions clarify many concepts. Sidebars provide ballast to the survey; for example, we learn that without plankton, there would be no living organisms on earth. Select black-and-white line drawings, photographs, and illustrations punctuate the text. A listing of references and recommended reading are provided at the end of each section. Appendixes include a 42-page glossary and a 9-page subject index. Undergraduates and general readers will find The Handbook of Geoscience up-to-date, accessible, and reliable. The clarity and economy of language of the presentation will appeal to nonspecialists. The work’s scope and command of data render it a useful addition to general reference collections.