Science: The Definitive Visual Guide

There is a paperback and hardcover version of this book. The paperback is about 8x10 with an edition date of 2011and the hardcover about 10x12 with an addition date of 2016. The latest edition has a picture of a microscope on the cover. The pictures and printed matter are nearly identical. I did find an update in the 2016 edition where the classification of species discussion now includes the Domain Level sitting above the Kingdom level. I went with an inexpensive used paperback so that the grandkids could enjoy the book without me worrying about damage. I had been receiving lessons in genes and chromosomes from a granddaughter and I found the discussion in the book a great addition. I also had been reading about quantum mechanics and relativity and I found the book summaries at exactly the right level to increase my understanding with simple explanations. The book is 522 pages. There are probably about two pages on about 200 topics as well as discussions on many of the great contributors to the field. I picked up the hard cover from the library to compare and I am thrilled to have my own copy on the coffee table.

This is more a "history" of science, than it is an actual science book. It gives information of inventors, and concepts and where scientific ideas came from and why. It's really great for kids and parents to check out together.We bought it to get some ideas on what kinds of things they kids might be interested in doing for the science fair.The kids also use it off and on for learning about scientific facts that we as parents don't always have the answer to, especially since it's a more condensed version of what they can get lost in on the internet.

I want to make clear what this book is and is not. It's a large-format visual guide from Dorling Kindersley, which means that it's filled to bursting with glorious color illustrations, detailed diagrams, and succinct summaries that help the non-mathematical novice understand the history of scientific thought. It is not, however, a reference for those who work in an academic setting, study at the college level, or consult the Encyclopaedia Britannica."Science" is helpful principally for young people who want a general overview of the progress of knowledge about our world, from its smallest elements to the vastness of the expanding universe, and who wish to achieve a quick grasp of basic terminology and principles. The coverage is a mile wide and an inch deep, but it does a good job of inspiring interest in the varied subjects it tackles. For in-depth information, more scholarly books will need to be consulted.The book is divided into five main eras: The Dawn of Science (before 1500), The Renaissance & Enlightenment (1500-1700), The Industrial Revolution (1700-1890), The Atomic Age (1890-1970), and The Information Age (after 1970). It traces the development of science from the earliest natural philosophers -- Aristotle and Alhazen, for example -- to modern scientists like Turing and Feynmann, and from early breakthroughs such as heliocentrism and the laws of gravity to recent ones like the atomic bomb and the structure of DNA.At the same time, scientific and mathematical principles are given good layman's explanations in words and pictures: algebra and geometry, buoyancy, inertia and friction, speed and velocity, optics, taxonomy, navigation, organic chemistry, thermodynamics, probability and statistics, evolution, digestion and reproduction, the periodic table, acids and bases, bacteria and viruses, electromagnetism, radiation, relativity, the Big Bang, fission and fusion, genetics, astronomy, ecology, plate tectonics, global warming, string theory, and much more.Inventions are given equally broad treatment: simple machines, gunpowder, printing, telescopes and microscopes, the steam engine, batteries and electric motors, surgery, immunization and vaccination, artificial lighting and electricity generation, the telephone, photography, the radio, flying machines, penicillin, plastics, rockets, codes, lasers, microchips, satellites, space travel, the Internet, artificial intelligence and robotics, in vitro fertilization and cloning, nanotechnologies, renewable energy, and yes, much more.I would particularly recommend this book to parents of middle- or high-schoolers who want to both pique their curiosity and answer their questions in clear, interesting ways. There are diagrams and brief biographical sidebars on most of the two-page spreads, as well as two-page timelines, summaries of turning points in the evolution of science, and somewhat more comprehensive biographies of major figures like Galileo, Newton, Darwin, Edison, and Einstein. The book ends with an extensive quick reference, including sections on measurement, astronomy, earth sciences, biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics, in addition to a "who's who," a glossary, and an index.

Ordered this for my niece who is very curious about the world and scientific minded. She and her Dad have poured over the pages and had great conversations about various phenomena presented in the text. I myself am a biologist and from my own exploration of the text the information is factual, concise and presented in a visually appealing as well as informative way. Highly recommend to anyone wishing to broaden their science knowledge and/ or learn more about topics they already have knowledge about.

Excellent for a general overview! We are homeschooling this year and bought this with the purpose of inspiring our girls (we are doing interest led learning). Its perfect for just that! (They discovered they wanted to know more about rocks and minerals, so we bought a more in depth book and have taken off in that direction.) This book has really awesome pictures, is worded really thoughtfully, and our girls are really enjoying it.

My 6 year old nephew loves this book! I’ve bought him the general encyclopedia from Smithsonian in the past and noticed he is most interest in science and space so I got him those 2 for his birthday. Every time I visit he wants to show pages in the book and information that he’s fascinated by. It’s filled with pictures, dissections, facts and history.If a child in your life is interested in knowledge and science I highly recommend these encyclopedias because it’s the best gift you can give them. His brothers are always interested in looking at it as well but he is the one that’s truly interested in the book.

I have bought many of the DK "Definitive Visual Guide" books over the past few years. These have ranged in quality from the excellent ( Earth , Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World's Wildlife , Human: The Definitive Guide to Our Species ), through the solid ( History: The Definitive Visual Guide - from the Dawn of Civilization to the Present Day , Ocean: The World's Last Wilderness Revealed ) to the occasional below-par effort ( Plant (Royal Botanic Gardens Kew) ).I am very happy to say that Science is probably the best book of the the entire series. It is packed with information, both technical and historical, and does an excellent job of explaining the complex in diagrams and text. My science-loving son was enthralled, and eager to read more of it.Best of all was the reference section near the back of the book, which summarises a great deal of human knowledge in a few pages - and includes the equations on which science is built. I can't find fault with this book, and it certainly deserves much recommendation! EarthAnimal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World's WildlifeHuman: The Definitive Guide to Our SpeciesHistory: The Definitive Visual Guide - from the Dawn of Civilization to the Present DayOcean: The World's Last Wilderness RevealedPlant (Royal Botanic Gardens Kew)

DK over the years has perfected the pictorially driven, graphically sumptuous genre of reference type books, and this glorious book is a supreme example.Captured between these covers is the simplified sum of man's scientific understanding of nature, life and the universe - stunningly presented with thousand of photos, cut-away diagrams and thoughtful full-colour illustrations, backed-up with comprehensible and useful text.Typically, the book teems with time-lines, info-boxes and cameo pieces which help fill the gaps usually ignored by standard treatments, and help fix the knowledge in one's mind.DK is also to be credited with treating science as a human story as well, giving welcome space to the personal details of the thousands of men (and women) across the ages, who with extraordinary ingenuity and perseverance have unlocked Nature's secrets - arguably mankind's greatest achievement.Inevitably on such a vast subject there will be some carping about lack of depth and detail, and a bias (PC?) in material selection which seems to short-change the German contribution in favour of a wider spread of individuals from other nations.....for which as a payoff, I learnt about Spanish scientists (to name only one group) that I had never even heard of.....In an instance of un-PC contrast though, Einstein's wife Mileva who apparently did the maths and co-authored several of his early papers, still remains unacknowledged even here, in one imagines is deference to the image of the icon....But all this is a pretty trifling detraction from what is overall a brilliant, entertaining, enlightening and beautifully presented book.Worth every penny.

This is not a just a good book:it is an utterly magnificent book! It looked good on the Amazon web site but when I actually got it I was immediately enthralled. There was ‘nothing’ on TV that night so I curled up in a comfy chair and began to dip in at random. Then I followed themes: steam, electricity, chemistry and the structure of atoms and so on. I continue to be completely absorbed in it. This must be one of the most complete general science books ever compiled. It is by no means a text book but it is a highly inspiring book which can stimulated the reader to dig deeper elsewhere on a particular subject once their interest has been sparked. Anybody with the remotest interest in ‘science’ (10 years of age +) would be delighted with it. DK produce splendid books but with this volume they have exceeded themselves.

This book is utterly amazing! It's absolutely packed FULL of all the scientific knowledge your brain could ever need to take in. I've browsed through the book and know that I'm going to love this once I start reading it. I don't know whether these could be a COMPLETE substitute for other books (bit of a contradiction here, I know), but by hell, they come very close though. Anyone wanting to know about science, DEFINITLEY get this. I'm so pleased I did.

Wow!Another DK masterpiece of a book.If you are looking for a comprehensive and beautifully illustrated and detailed one volume science book, you really do not need to look any further. This book is just marvellous - period.Highly recommended.