The American Heritage Science Dictionary - Hardcover

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary defines the vocabulary of the sciences in language general readers will understand and enjoy. With 8,500 entries, it covers all the major fields of science, from the fundamental disciplines of chemistry, physics, biology, and mathematics to the applied realms of medicine, earth science, technology, and anthropology.

Each entry has a clear, concise definition that gets to the meaning and importance of each term. There are 175 notes on key scientific concepts, such asrelativity, genomic sequencing, nanotechnology, and plate tectonics, as well as 320 biographies of notable scientists from ancients such asAristotle and Archimedes to modern greats like Rosalyn Yalow andLeo Szilard. Illustrations accompany more than 350 entries.

Fully updated for 2011, the dictionary covers the latest scientific discoveries and developments. There is information on the newest named element,copernicium, and the discovery of element 117. Entries encompass the latest finds in anthropology, including information onHomo floresiensis, as well as newsworthy items such as the suspected carcinogenbisphenol A.

This is the perfect resource for people looking to improve their science literacy or understand the scientific breakthroughs reported in the news.

The Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries and of other reference titles published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt are trained lexicographers with a varied array of interests and expertise. Most of the editors hold graduate degrees and have studied at least one foreign language. Several have degrees in linguistics or in the history of the English language. Others have degrees in science or sometimes other disciplines. All the editors familiarize themselves with the vocabulary in specific subject areas, collect materials on new developments and usage, and work in association with consultants to ensure that the content of our publications is as accurate and up-to-date as possible.