Reference Reviews

Reference for Students

UXL Encyclopedia of Water Science. Edited by K. Lee Lerner and Brenda Wilmoth Lerner. Detroit: U*X*L, 2005. 3 vol. 510 p. $165.00. ISBN 0-7876-7617-9.

This reference is a good introduction to everything you need to know about water.

Water is essential to life for plants and animals. Water divides geographical locations and requires laws and agreements between countries, states and communities. An introduction to everything you ever wanted to know about water science and water issues with accompanying research and activity ideas can be found here with an international perspective. Volume 1 includes Science: Basics of water science; oceans and saltwater; fresh water; estuaries and wetlands; ice; and water, weather and climates. Volume 2, Economics and Users, includes science and technology; science and research; economic uses of water; recreational uses of water; and history and culture. Issues, environmental and legal and political issues are found in Volume 3. Each volume begins with the same "Reader's Guide," 26 pages of "Words to Know" and "Research and Activity Ideas." They each end with "Where to Learn More" and an index to all three volumes. Individual articles have books and Web sites to look for additional information. Sidebars also have "Words to Know" and inset boxes offer additional information, biographies and descriptions of water related activities. Each volume has color pages of color photographs placed together within a chapter. Other photos and illustrations are black-and-white. Show this to your science teachers. It will be helpful also to social studies teachers who can use the information on this scarce commodity as a prelude for the creation of laws. Recommended for upper middle school and high school.