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Contents:

Lefèvre-Balleydier A. Seas and Oceans. 0 550 10159 4
Chémery L. Weather and Climate. 0 550 10158 6
Sciama Y. Endangered Species. 0 550 10160 8.

Review:

These three small books are part of a series aimed at providing an introductory overview on a range of key topics. Seas and Oceans acts as a basic course in oceanography, covering all the main ideas. We start with a review of oceans through time - geologically and in terms of sea level changes. The next topic is ocean chemistry which focusses on salinity but also sea temperature and ice. From this point the work changes to consider ocean physics: the movement of water through circulation, waves and global ocean temperature differentials. The final part of this ecosystem is the biosphere and here the reader learns more about the distribution of species with special mention of abyssal areas and coral reefs. Human use and misuse follows with examination of exploitation, mariculture, physical resources and the issue of sovereignty. The next section is a very good overview, including maps, of each of the 4 key oceans - Pacific, Indian, Atlantic and Polar. The book finishes with a look at some current global issues; in this case eutrophication and temperature changes.

A similar approach is used in the other texts. In Weather and Climate the opening section looks at the distribution of the world's climates, some idea of changes and how we can forecast conditions. This scene-setter gives way to some good, if standard, work on atmospheric dynamics including a small piece on ocean-atmosphere interactions. Next comes solar radiation and how it affects the climate both as a general phenomenon and in more special cases such as the greenhouse effect. The fourth section covers water in all its aspects from the water cycle to clouds and precipitation. Just as the Ocean text looked at key oceans, this looks at key climate types with a two-page spread on each major climate. The next two sections follow up some aspects raised here in more detail. Extreme climates (polar and desert) are discussed in one section and local climates (island, urban) in the other. The final section dealing with current issues tackles climate change. Our third example is Endangered Species. The opening section examines the role of extinction (part of a natural sequence) and the impact of people (greatly enhancing this part of the sequence). There's also note of some of those species which have become extinct since 1600. This moves on to look at where these species live and where we have the most biodiversity. People are the main problem as the next section illustrates especially through agriculture, desertification, industry and land development. Hunting is also a problem but that receives its own section. The fifth section takes a more measured look at the issue by asking which species are endangered and how we know this. It's not all loss with a section dealing with sustainable action and conservation. The current issues in this volume focus on large carnivores.

The most striking thing about these books is the wealth of full colour illustrations. There are numerous pictures and diagrams but, unlike many similar texts who use diagrams to fill up the space, these actually add significantly to the understanding of the text. Even though the size is restricted, each covers a considerable amount of ground in each area with every basic element at least mentioned. The writing is technically accurate but written with the reader in mind so jargon is rare. Overall, these are great little books. They would encourage the most reluctant of readers and as such should be in every school library.