(4) 4-6 Scientific American series. Beginning with early attempts to understand scientific phenomena, these books progress through experiments and more refined theory to such topics as black holes, dark matter, and atomic colliders. Captioned illustrations and sidebars extend the texts, whose material is generally accurate if introductory. Gravity is current; Electromagnetism uses some outmoded examples (e.g., cassette tapes) and non-standard terminology. Reading list, websites. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Scientific American titles: Gravity, and How It Works and Electromagnetism, and How It Works.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(3) 4-6 Illustrated by Dan Stuckenschneider. Categorized by historical era, a series of double-page spreads identify major inventions, ranging from the ancient world's spears and pottery to today's nuclear reactors and computers. Enhanced by glossy color illustrations, each spread briefly yet sufficiently describes how the featured invention works, the impact it has had on society, and how it has evolved over subsequent years. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Peter D. Sieruta