Mathematics: Macmillan Science Library. 4 Volume Set

"Like the crest of a peacock so is mathematics at the head of all knowledge." –Anonymous
This quote helps demonstrate the content, scope, and nature of this encyclopedia. The rich content covers the gamut from Abacus to Zero. Coverage is given to figures in mathematical history and development such as Galileo, Grace Hopper, and Pythagoras. Careers that rely on mathematics, like air traffic controller, insurance agent, radio disc jockey, and stonemason, have one-half to one-page articles describing how mathematics and a knowledge of it are essential to the profession. Standard mathematical and arithmetical topics are covered as well. The numerous contributors include college and university professors, K-12 teachers, and curriculum specialists.

This work is designed to give users a view of how mathematics functions "in everyday life, as well as its role as a tool for measurement, data analysis, and technological development." The "broader look at mathematics" means that articles are written as simply as possible, and topics one would not ordinarily think of being in a work entitled Mathematics (for example, Cooking, measurement of; IMAX technology; Quilting; Television ratings) are included.

Because this encyclopedia takes a refreshing, cross-disciplinary approach, it is hard to compare it to existing standard mathematics encyclopedias such as The Prentice-Hall Encyclopedia of Mathematics (Prentice-Hall, 1982) or The VNR Concise Encyclopedia of Mathematics (2d ed., Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1989), where most pages are full of "pure" mathematical explanation and symbols. Here, articles are arranged alphabetically, and headings, subheadings, and nicely spaced text make the reader more comfortable than seeing a mass of symbols and very little text. Terms are defined in the margins, and in many cases, the bibliography at the end of an article contains Internet resources as well as books.

This work is an excellent complement to the handbook variety of mathematics encyclopedia. It meets its goal of presenting mathematics in a realistic, practical manner and is recommended for school and public libraries. The Library of Congress has assigned to it the subheading of Juvenile Literature, but this should not deter universities from considering it a great addition to an undergraduate collection where many works on this subject do not exist. RBB