Magill's Encyclopedia of Science: Plant Life

This 379-entry publication incorporates essays from six extant Magill's publications, updates and revises them, and also adds 200 new articles. Aimed at nonspecialists, high school and above, coverage is broad, but does not treat plants as food or medicine. Entries are preceded by definitions and followed by reading suggestions. The smallish four-page entry, Tropisms, for example, gives a one-sentence definition, and describes tropisms related to gravity, light, touch, water, and sun; the entry ends with a seven-book annotated bibliography of suggested readings. The longish, seven-page Bacteria is preceded by a two-sentence definition, and discusses reproduction, nutrition, motility, and several other characteristics. Volume four's appendices include concise botanist biographies, a plant classification table, common-scientific and scientific-common dictionaries, chronology of botanical discovery and practice, glossary, subject bibliography, categorized webography, and categorized and biographical indices. Annotation (c) Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)