December eBook of the Month: The New Grove Guide to Wagner and His Operas

December eBook of the Month

The New Grove Guide to Wagner and His Operas, By Barry Millington
Oxford University Press, 2006

The December eBook of the Month profiles the life and the work of one of the most controversial figures in the history of ideas as well as music. Drawing upon the scholarship of The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, the most comprehensive dictionary of opera in the world, The New Grove Guide to Wagner and His Operas offers a concise survey and guide, providing both seasoned Wagner-lovers and neophytes with all they require for an in-depth appreciation of Wagner.

Author Barry Millington has completely updated the original pieces and contributed four new chapters on Wagner, including a summary of Wagner productions from 1876 to the present day, a suggested listening and viewing guide, complete chronology of Wagner's operas, and a glossary of terms that will delight any opera-goer. In addition, there are detailed entries on each of Wagner's operas, a main biographical section, and a group of separate articles on such
topics as Leitmotif and Gesamtkunstwerk, as well as a newly revised updated article on Bayreuth.

The December eBook of the Month is provided through the generous support of Oxford University Press and will be available to the Mount Aloysius College community with free, unlimited access December 1-31 through the Library webpage (on Library home page click Library Databases and scroll down to OCLC NetLibrary and eBook of the Month) or by following this link: http://www.netlibrary.com

Please take a look at this resource and share your comments and suggestions with the library staff or email askalibrarian@mtaloy.edu

Xreferplus online reference library

Xreferplus online reference library is currently avaialable to the Mount Aloysius College community on a trial basis. Xreferplus provides access to a reference collection of 219 reference books from over 50 publishers, powered by a network of cross-references that cut across topics, titles and publishers.

Xreferplus can be accessed from the Library webpage by clicking on Trial Databases link or by following the below URL:

http://www.mtaloy.edu/academics/library/trial_databases.dot

Please forward your comments and questions to askalibrarian@mtaloy.edu

JSTOR Health & General Sciences collection update

Two new journals have been added to the JSTOR Health & General Sciences collection and are available immediately:

Cancer Causes and Control (Health & General Sciences)
Release Content: Vols. 1 – 13, 1990-2002
Moving Wall: 3 years
Publisher: Springer Science + Business Media
ISSN: 0957-5243

European Journal of Epidemiology (Health & General Sciences Collection)
Release Content: Vols. 1 – 17, 1985-2001
Moving Wall: 3 years
Publisher: Springer Science + Business Media
ISSN: 0393-2990
Note: No issues were published in 2002. Volume 18 published in 2003


Following titles have been updated with previously missing issues:

The American Journal of Nursing (Health & General Sciences Collection)
New Content: Vol. 58 (Issue 11), 1958
Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
ISSN: 0002-936x

Philosophical Transactions: Biological Sciences (Health & General Sciences)
Release Content: Vol. 356 (No. 1405) – Vol. 357 (No. 1428), 2001-2002
Moving Wall: 3 years (previously 5 years)
Publisher: The Royal Society
ISSN: 0962-8436

Philosophical Transactions: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences (Health & General Sciences and Mathematics & Statistics Collections)
Release Content: Vol. 359 (No. 1778) – Vol. 360 (No. 1801), 2001-2002
Moving Wall: 3 years (previously 5 years)
Publisher: The Royal Society
ISSN: 1364-503x

Proceedings: Biological Sciences (Health & General Sciences Collection)
Release Content: Vol. 268 (No. 1462) – Vol. 269 (No. 1509), 2001-2002
Moving Wall: 3 years (previously 5 years)
Publisher: The Royal Society
ISSN: 0962-8452

Please send your comments and questions to askalibrarian@mtaloy.edu

November eBook of the Month: From Vietnam to 9/11: On the Front Lines of National Security

November eBook of the Month: From Vietnam to 9/11: On the Front Lines of National Security

Avoiding dry, detached analysis, the November eBook of the Month presents the revealing story of an insider's involvement with international affairs and the lessons he learned from those experiences. Written by Congressman Jack Murtha, From Vietnam to 9/11 offers refreshingly candid observations of the most important international crises in recent history. From Vietnam and Lebanon to Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq, this eBook details America's failures as well as its successes, pointing out where policymaking was misguided or ill-informed and offering perceptive analyses of resource allocation and policy direction for the coming century.

Tthe November eBook of the Month is provided through the generous support of Penn State University Press and will be available to the Mount Aloysius College community with free, unlimited access November 1-30 through the Library webpage (on Library home page click Library Databases and scroll down to OCLC NetLibrary and eBook of the Month) or by following this link: http://www.netlibrary.com

Please take a look at this resource and share your comments and suggestions with the library staff or email askalibrarian@mtaloy.edu

NEW DATABASES

Dear Community:

The following databases have been purchased with the Title III funds in support of teaching and learning:

OCLC FirstSearch A group of related databases that allows users to locate books, dissertations, magazine and journal articles, electronic books and audiovisual media in libraries worldwide. Currently, the only resources available full-text in FirstSearch are selected electronic books.

MLA International Bibliography (An EBSCO Database) MLA International Bibliography is an index of journal articles, books and dissertations. Produced by the Modern Language Association, the electronic version of the Bibliography dates back to 1963 and contains over 1.7 million citations from more than 4,400 journals and series and 1,000 book publishers. Coverage is international and subjects include literature, language and linguistics, folklore, literary theory & criticism, dramatic arts, as well as the historical aspects of printing and publishing.

CQ Researcher Provides in-depth analysis about the most current and controversial issues of the day. Contains full text articles on social, political, economic, and international issues.

JSTOR Health and General Sciences Collection This database includes several of the most important scientific journals including such titles as American Journal of Nursing, Journal of Community Nursing, Environmental Health Perspectives, PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences), and the publications of the Royal Society of London with some journals reaching back to the seventeenth century. In September 2006 the General Science Collection was renamed the Health & General Sciences Collection to reflect the inclusion of ten to fifteen journals in the health sciences. Because of JSTOR (NEW)'s archival mission, there is a gap, typically from 1 to 5 years, between the most recently published journal issues and the back issues available in JSTOR (NEW).

Please take a look at this resources and share your comments and suggestions with the library staff or email askalibrarian@mtaloy.edu

October eBook of the Month: The Facts, the Fiction, and the Fear Driving the Greatest Scientific, Political, and Religious Debate of Our Time

October eBook of the Month:

The Facts, the Fiction, and the Fear Driving the Greatest Scientific, Political, and Religious Debate of Our Time


There has been much recent debate about the merits, dangers, and nature of stem cell research. Some see in it the answer to every debilitating disease known to man, while others see it as a step away from human cloning.

In the search for the truth about stem cell science, the author of the October eBook of the Month has interviewed the scientists whose cutting-edge research is at the very heart of this hot-button issue. This eBook explains what they have accomplished so far, what they’re currently doing, and what they see on the horizon.

The Stem Cell Divide does not take sides, and the author debunks the distortions and exaggerations that come from every camp. This eBook does not tell readers what to think, but gives them the facts necessary to form their own opinions about one of the most divisive, complex, and potentially life-changing developments in history.

Tthe October eBook of the Month is provided through the generous support of AMACOM Books and will be available to the Mount Aloysius College community with free, unlimited access October 1-31 through the Library webpage (on Library home page click Library Databases and scroll down to OCLC NetLibrary and eBook of the Month) or by following this link: http://www.netlibrary.com

Please take a look at this resource and share your comments and suggestions with the library staff or email askalibrarian@mtaloy.edu

Trial Database: Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center

Trial Database: Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center

"This popular social issues database illuminates all sides of the story. With reference material from Greenhaven Press, Gale and Macmillan Library Reference as well as full-text periodical content from The New York Times, Time, Newsweek and much more, the Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center is a premier source for social issues."

Here are the access details:

Go to: http://access.gale.com/pubacd

User name: book (case sensitive)
Password: review (case sensitive)

Click on the link "Curriculum" on the left side of the page

Scroll down and choose Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center by clicking on the word "Database"

Please take a look at this resource and share your comments and suggestions with the library staff or email askalibrarian@mtaloy.edu

September eBook of the Month: The History Highway: A 21st-Century Guide to Internet Resources, Fourth Edition

September eBook of the Month: The History Highway: A 21st-Century Guide to Internet Resources, Fourth Edition

Just in time for back to school. The September eBook of the month will help save hours upon hours of research time. Extensively revised and expanded, The History Highway, Fourth Edition (M.E. Sharpe, 2006) is widely recognized as the one essential tool for students, teachers and researchers seeking a reliable guide to history sites on the web. Now, with live links to all of the websites covered in the eBook, access to this information is just a mouse click away.

Since its inception in 1996, The History Highway has become a valuable resource for anyone conducting web-based research. Offering the broadest, most current coverage of historical information available online, this best-selling reference covers U.S. and World history and provides detailed, easy-to-use, and up-to-date information on more than 3,000 web sites.

The September eBook of the Month is provided through the generous support of M.E. Sharpe and will be available to the Mount Aloysius College community with free, unlimited access September 1-30 through the Library webpage (on Library home page click Library Databases and scroll down to OCLC NetLibrary and eBook of the Month) or by following this link: http://www.netlibrary.com/

Please take a look at this resource and share your comments and suggestions with the library staff or email askalibrarian@mtaloy.edu

Trial Database: CQ Researcher

The CQ Researcher offers in-depth, non-biased coverage of today's most important issues. Each report is on a single topic-more than 12,000 words of text and extensive bibliographies. The CQ Researcher has been the choice of librarians for over 80 years. Each weekly issue provides up-to-date information on controversial subjects written by CQ's staff of experienced reporters. The Mount Aloysius College Library has subscribed to the print edition of this valuable resource since 1991. (Earlier issues, known as Editorial Research Reports, are also available in the Library from July 1968 - 1991.) The CQ Researcher online database affords immediate access to the newest CQ Researcher reports as they are published.

The CQ Researcher covers a wide range of social, economic, political, and environmental issues. Each report is divided into specific sections to guide research. Students can go directly to the section they need or can read the entire report. In each report you will find the following:

Abstract - A summary of the article (125 words)
Overview - A 1,200-word introduction to the issue, plus two or three detailed pro-con discussions of the hottest debates relating to the subject (about 4,000 words total)
Background - The history of the issue (up to 2,500 words)
Current Situation - The most recent events relating to the controversy (up to 1,500 words)
Outlook - Long-range projections of where the issue is headed (700 words)
Special Focus - Maps, graphs, tables, charts, and up to three related articles
Chronology - One-page timeline of the history of the topic
Pro/Con - A one-page debate, with equal coverage of the two sides.
Bibliography - Works cited in the article or consulted by the author in its production
Next Step - Additional periodical readings to support further research
Contacts - Information for contacting relevant organizations and associations
Footnotes - Annotations citing external resources used within the article

For a copy of the CQ Researcher Online Reference Guide, go to http://cqpress.com/docs/CQR_Reference.pdf.
The Reference Librarians are available if you need further assistance.

To access the CQ Researcher follow the below link and click on CQ Researcher Online:
http://www.mtaloy.edu/academics/library/trial_databases.dot
User name: mac Password: trial (for off campus use)

August eBook of the Month: Blacked Out: Government Secrecy in the Information Age

August eBook of the Month:

Blacked Out: Government Secrecy in the Information Age

With the recent revelations about the Bush administration's domestic surveillance programs, the issue of what governments can and cannot do to keep secrets has been thrust directly into the spotlight. The August eBook of the Month, Blacked Out: Government Secrecy in the Information Age (Cambridge University Press, April 2006), directly addresses the issue of government transparency during this age of global terrorism threats.

Written by Alasdair Roberts, a prominent lawyer, public policy expert, and international authority on transparency in government, Blacked Out: Government Secrecy in the Information Age offers a comprehensive look at the global efforts to restrict secrecy and provides readers with a clearly written guide to those areas where the battle is most intense. Drawing on cases from many different countries, Blacked Out powerfully illustrates why transparency matters and why the struggle for openness is so difficult.

The July eBook of the Month is provided through the generous support of Cambridge University Press and will be available to the Mount Aloysius College community with free, unlimited access August 1-31 through the Library webpage (on Library home page click Library Databases and scroll down to OCLC NetLibrary and eBook of the Month) or by following this link: http://www.netlibrary.com/

Please take a look at this resource and share your comments and suggestions with the library staff or email askalibrarian@mtaloy.edu

More NetLibrary eBooks Now Available through Mountlink

The complete contents of more than 13,000 NetLibrary eBooks are available in electronic form through Mountlink, the library's online catalog. Each eBook can be located by title, author, and subject in Mountlink, and viewed from any computer with access to the catalog, on campus and off. Subjects covered range across all major areas, academic as well as general interest. Contact the library staff with comments or questions about this exciting service!

Some examples of eBooks available from NetLibrary:

Health assessment through the life span. Hogstel, Mildred O. (2005).
Measurement problems in criminal justice research workshop summary. Pepper, John. (2003).
Understanding Asperger syndrome and high functioning autism. Mesibov, Gary B. (2001).
Modern crime and suspense writers. Bloom, Harold. (1995).
The science of superheroes. Gresh, Lois H. (2002).

July eBook of the Month: Climate Change: Turning up the Heat

July eBook of the Month:
Climate Change: Turning up the Heat

Is climate change really happening and does it matter? The answer from the scientific community is a resounding yes, yet debates about the reality of climate change and what measures to take are slowing our response.

In NetLibrary’s July eBook of the Month, leading climate researcher Barrie Pittock argues that we need to act urgently to avoid increasingly severe climate change. Climate Change: Turning up the Heat looks at the controversy around global warming and other predicted changes, examining the scientific basis of the changes observed to date, how they relate to natural variations and why the evidence points to larger changes later this century. The effect of these changes on our natural systems and our lifestyles will be considerable and could include wild weather, shifts in global ocean circulation, decreases in crop yields and sea-level rises.

The July eBook of the Month is provided through the generous support of CSIRO PUBLISHING and will be available to the Mount Aloysius College community with free, unlimited access July 1-31 through the Library webpage (on Library home page click Library Databases and scroll down to OCLC NetLibrary and eBook of the Month) or by following this link: http://www.netlibrary.com/

Please take a look at this resource and share your comments and suggestions with the library staff or email askalibrarian@mtaloy.edu

June eBook of the Month: Magill's Choice: Immigration in U.S. History

June eBook of the Month:

Magill's Choice: Immigration in U.S. History

Now, more than ever, questions about race, politics, and security dominate the immigration debate. For students, educators, and anyone interested in immigration reform, the June eBook of the month will provide a broad historical context on today's headlines, covering U.S. immigration from the early 17th century through to the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Like all titles included in the bestselling Magill's Choice series, the new and updated 2006 edition of Immigration in U.S. History offers concise, essential reference in an accessible and easy-to-read format. The two-volume set includes 193 essays and explores topics ranging from border control and law enforcement to discrimination, race, economic and labor issues, immigration law, bi-lingual education and much more.

The June eBook of the Month is provided through the generous support of Salem Press and will be available to the Mount Aloysius College community with free, unlimited access June 1-30 through the Library webpage (on Library home page click On-Line Databases and scroll down to NetLibrary eBook Collection) or by following this link: http://www.netlibrary.com/

Please take a look at this resource and share your comments and suggestions with the library staff or email askalibrarian@mtaloy.edu

Trial Database: EMBASE: Radiology & Nuclear Medicine (Ovid Technologies)

Trial Database:

EMBASE: Radiology & Nuclear Medicine (Ovid Technologies)

A subset of the EMBASE database, EMBASE: Radiology & Nuclear Medicine from Elsevier Science includes only information pertinent to the specialty of radiology and nuclear medicine. This database covers information on radiodiagnosis, radiotherapy, radiobiology, ultrasound diagnosis, thermography, adverse reactions to radiotherapy, and techniques and apparatus. Coverage of nuclear medicine includes diagnostic and therapeutic applications of radioisotopes in biomedicine, the radiobiology of radioisotopes, aspects of radiohygiene, new labeling techniques, and tracer applications.

A free trial 30-day trial of EMBASE: Radiology & Nuclear Medicine is avaialable to the Mount Aloysius College Library patrons, courtesy of PALINET. To access the database go to the Library homepage and click on Trial Databases or follow this link:

http://www.mtaloy.edu/academics/library/trial_databases.dot

Send your comments to askalibrarian@mtaloy.edu

Database Usage

May eBook of the Month: Work Less, Live More: The New Way to Retire Early

May eBook of the Month:

Work Less, Live More: The New Way to Retire Early

As baby boomers age, many are finding themselves professionally exhausted, looking for ways to slow down their busy lives and pull out of the full-time employment rat race. The May eBook of the Month gives great advice, tips and specific strategies anyone can use to create a more fulfilling life.

In Work Less, Live More: The New Way to Retire Early author Bob Clyatt offers an alternative to the daily grind: early semiretirement. This enlightening eBook illustrates how to work fewer hours, taking the time to realize goals and dreams and spend time with loved ones-and do it all years, even decades, before the "normal" retirement age of 65. Work Less, Live More: The New Way to Retire Early is for anyone who is beginning to plan their retirement, as well as the new generation of workers hoping to retire early.

The May eBook of the Month is provided through the generous support of Nolo and will be available to the Mount Aloysius College community with free, unlimited access May 1-31 through the Library webpage (on Library home page click On-Line Databases and scroll down to NetLibrary eBook Collection) or by following this link:
http://www.netlibrary.com/

Please take a look at this resource and share your comments and suggestions with the library staff or email askalibrarian@mtaloy.edu

Database Usage

Please send your comments to askalibrarian@mtaloy.edu

Trial Database: BioOne

BioOne

BioOne is unique web-accessible database aggregation of dozens of high-impact bioscience research journals. The titles in BioOne are published primarily by scholarly societies, and most have been previously available only in print.

A free trial of BioOne is avaialable to the Mount Aloysius College Library patrons during March, 2006, courtesy of PALINET. To access BioOne follow this link and use the below user name/password:

www.bioone.org

User name: palinet
password: libsA

Questions/Comments: askalibrarian@mtaloy.edu

Searching for eBooks in Mountlink

You can create a list over 1800 eBooks available through Mountlink, the library's online catalog.

Doing a subject keyword search in Mountlink for "electronic books" (in quotes) lists all netLibrary titles, including 101 reference titles. You can also combine this phrase with a specific subject term to limit the search results to just those eBooks about your topic.

Don't hesitate to ask the library staff for help in locating eBooks through the library catalog.

More NetLibrary eBooks Now Available through Mountlink

The complete contents of more than 1800 NetLibrary eBooks are available in electronic form through Mountlink, the library's online catalog. Each eBook can be located by title, author, and subject in Mountlink, and viewed from any computer with access to the catalog, on campus and off. Subjects covered range across all major areas, academic as well as general interest. More eBooks will be added to Mountlink in the near future. Contact the library staff with comments or questions about this exciting new service!

Good Luck, Eileen

Eileen Bentsen has accepted a library positon at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. She began her duties there on January 17th. You may contact her by sending e-mail to Eileen_Bentsen@baylor.edu . Above are some pictures from her farewell party . Clicking on a picture will bring you an enlarged version.

Trial Databases

Following Databases are Available on Trial Basis Feb. 1-March 31 through OCLC FirstSearch:

ATLA Religion (ATLAReligion): Religious and theological literature for students and faculty

• Supports religious and theological scholarship in and faculty research.
• Contains thousands of citations from international titles and multi-author works in the field of religion.
• Includes a full range of index citations to journal articles, essays in multi-author works, and book reviews from three ATLA print indexes: Religion Index One (RIO), Religion Index Two (RIT), and Index to Book Reviews in Religion (IBRR).
• Spans over 50 years with selected records going back to 1818.

ATLA Serials Database (ATLAS): Full-text articles on religion and theology

• Supports religious and theological scholarship in and faculty research.
• Contains the full text of thousands of journal articles and book reviews from international titles and multi-author works in the field of religion.
• Spans over 50 years.

General Science Abstracts (GenSciAbs): General science literature from the U.S. and Europe

• Covers everything from supernovas to marine pollution and is the ideal source for researchers seeking information on a variety of scientific topics.
• Abstracts leading journals and magazines from the United States and Great Britain.
  Describes biographical sketches, symposia, conferences, review articles, selected letters to the editor, special issues of journals published as supplementary issues, review issues, laboratory guides, and book reviews.

MLA International Bibliography (MLA): Literature, language, linguistics, folklore

• Provides over one million citations for items from journals and series published worldwide.
• Indexes books, essay collections, working papers, proceedings, dissertations, and bibliographies.
• Contains in each record a bibliographic citation for a journal article, book, or other item including information about the libraries that own the library resources.
• Includes the MLA Directory of Periodicals, which provides full information on more than 4,000 journals and series in the MLA International Bibliography Master List of Periodicals. The Directory of Periodicals includes many of the periodicals that are indexed in the MLA International Bibliography database. The electronic Directory of Periodicals is updated every six months.

Email your comments to: askalibrarian@mtaloy.edu
Your feedback is vital to our on-going efforts to serve your research needs. We need to hear from you and will be looking forward to your comments.

February eBook of the Month:
The Little Book That Beats the Market
Two years in business school won't teach you how to beat the market. Two hours with the February eBook of the Month will. In The Little Book That Beats the Market, Columbia Business School Professor and hedge fund manager Joel Greenblatt offers a "magic formula" that, over time, consistently outperforms the market.
Using basic math skills and simple concepts, Greenblatt shows how successful investing can be made easy for investors of any age. Through entertaining anecdotes and practical pearls of wisdom, The Little Book That Beats the Market explores the basic principles of successful stock market investing and reveals the secrets to buying good companies at bargain prices.
The February eBook of the Month is provided through the generous support of John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and will be available to the Mount Aloysius College community with free, unlimited access February 1-28 through the Library webpage (on Library home page click On-Line Databases and scroll down to NetLibrary eBook Collection) or by following this link:
http://www.netlibrary.com/
Please take a look at this resource and share your comments and suggestions with the library staff.
Josip Mocnik
Library Director
jmocnik@mtaloy.edu

Some Recently Added Reference Titles

Encyclopedia of disability / general editor, Gary Albrecht. Thousand Oaks, Sage Publications, c2006. Reference HV1568 .E528 2006

Editor Albrecht and over 500 authors from around the world contributed more than 800 entries. Almost 200 of the entries are biographical, treating individuals from Homer and Socrates to Helen Keller and Franklin Roosevelt. Others treat history, types of disability, medical and health concerns, legal and social matters, attitudes and conditions affecting daily life and more. A series of entries under the heading Experience of Disability discusses conditions in 13 countries, including Brazil, Ireland, and Japan. Entry length generally ranges from around 200 words to 10 pages. Most entries conclude with citations for further readings, and many also offer lists of Web sites. The text is supported by a number of black-and-white illustrations, many of which show depictions of disability in works of art and film. All of the illustrations are contained in volume 5, which is also home to documents representing the "first effort at compiling primary source materials on disability." The documents are organized by historical period and arranged chronologically, from ancient Sumerian proverbs to Andrea Dworkin's 2005 essay "Through the Pain Barrier." Each document has a brief introduction that supplies context. Following the documents are a chronology and a section on finding and evaluating Web sites. To aid the reader, each volume includes an alphabetical list of entries and a "Reader's Guide," which groups entries under broad subject categories. Documents are also listed under pertinent categories here, providing useful links between documents and related text. Volume 4 contains a 120-page bibliography and the set index.

Encyclopedia of international organized crime / Carlo DeVito. New York, Facts on File, c2005. Reference HV6441 .D48 2005

In the U.S., organized crime has largely been associated with the Mafia. What this encyclopedia attempts to do is provide a definitive reference source that reveals the depth and breadth of all organized criminal activity around the world. In 450 entries, it covers all of the major criminal groups, detailing their origins and operations and showing their interconnectedness. The encyclopedia includes entries on crime bosses as well as gangs, nationalities, drug cartels, activities, and crime-fighting laws and groups. Examples include Bonanno crime family, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Human trafficking, Jamaican Posse, Motorcycle gangs, Tongs, and Triads. One also reads about the POBOB, or Pissed Off Bastards of Bloomington, a group of bikers who attended a rally held in Hollister, California, the weekend of July 4, 1946, which legend holds to be the genesis of outlaw gangs; POBOB later became known as the Hell's Angels. This is just one of the interesting bits of information that make the encyclopedia so readable.

Encyclopedia of life sciences / Gina Fullerlove. New York, Nature Publishing, c2002. Reference QH302.5 .E54 2002

This thorough and comprehensive encyclopedia covers all areas of biology. Molecular topics are treated in great detail, and physiology, evolution, ecology, and similar classical topics are also covered thoroughly. The 3,000 articles, written in clear, straightforward, academic prose by scholarly authorities, are masterful and thorough. Topical articles are typically 4,000 to 9,000 words long, with five to ten major subdivisions; biographical articles are briefer. Articles from the Nature Yearbook of Science and Technology describe each country's major biological institutions. Cross-references point to related articles, and each article usually cites five to ten general items (typically, recent standard books or review articles) labeled "Further Reading," and often ten to 50 references, mostly journal articles, some as recent as 2000. The articles themselves are divided into those considered elementary, secondary (more specialized and advanced), and supplementary (peripheral special topics), reflecting more the specificity than the difficulty of each article. Primary articles are pitched at the Scientific American level, while the secondary range up to that of the "Nature Reviews" series. Necessary mathematics and chemistry are used, but none of the content should be beyond the comprehension of an advanced undergraduate specializing in biology.