Encyclopedia of climate and weather /

The second major encyclopedia devoted to the study of weather and climate, this work is very similar to Encyclopedia of Climatology, ed. by John E. Oliver and Rhodes W. Fairbridge (CH, Apr'87). The information in Schneider's work is more current, both in the text and in the bibliographies that accompany the entries. The editors also incorporated sections concerning the effects of weather on people. Included are biographies of those who have helped advance the study of weather and climate and entries on the influence of weather on religion and literature. Schneider provides an extensive glossary. This work encompasses a more diverse range of weather-related topics than Oliver and Fairbridge's encyclopedia and will benefit a wider audience. Highly recommended for all libraries. J. C. Stachacz Dickinson College

There are few encyclopedias on weather and climate (the last was John Oliver's The Encyclopedia of Climatology, Van Nostrand, 1987), so this two-volume set is welcome. Edited by a Stanford University professor, it is an alphabetical arrangement of over 300 short articles written by "the world's experts" on everything from clouds and tornadoes to human influences on weather and climate (e.g., acid rain, deforestation, and effects of aerosols on the ozone layer). While vast in scope, it still has a few omissions: as a horticulture librarian, this reviewer naturally looked for "hardiness zones" or "climate zones for gardening," for which there was no discussion or United States Department of Agriculture map. Nor was there a listing for Heinrich Walter, an author of important climate diagrams in Europe, though some biographical entries are included. The set contains over 400 black-and-white line drawings, photographs, charts, and maps, as well as a glossary. Written at an adult level, it may also be useful to exceptional high school students. Buy where needed for specialists and serious researchers but not for elementary-school assignments or collections where attractive color illustrations and catchy, simple synopses are required.‘Laura Lipton, Univ. of Washington Lib., Seattle (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.