(4) K-3 Zoom In on Technology Pioneers series. These early-reader biographies give the most general facts about each figure's early life, career accomplishments, and legacy. Choppy texts are adequately illustrated with archival and stock photos on cleanly designed pages. Among the modern-day (male) tech entrepreneurs profiled, the volumes on nineteenth-century chemist and physicist Curie and early-twentieth-century nuclear physicist Wu feel pro forma; contemporary female technology pioneers are out there. Timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Zoom In on Technology Pioneers titles: Bill Gates, Chien-Shiung Wu, Jeff Bezos, Jerry Yang, Marie Curie, Steve Jobs.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(4) 4-6 Big Brands series. This series provides insight into the workings of four mega-corporations. Each book presents a brief history of the company's founding and struggles encountered on its way to success. Operational procedures and key individuals involved in creating the "household" brand are discussed. Photographs, statistics, quotes from company leaders, and even a few trade secrets add interest, but the busy design is distracting. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Big Brands titles: Minecraft, McDonald's, Samsung, and Amazon.

Reviewer: Luther B. Clegg

(4) 4-6 Newsmakers series. This accessibly written series is notable for its clean layout, including color photographs, sidebars, and charts. The mostly complimentary narratives are solid overviews of their subjects' early lives, successes, and failures. A "Stop and Think" feature offers discussion questions that can be used for assignments. For the living subjects, the content will soon become outdated. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind. Review covers these Newsmakers titles: Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Vladimir Putin, Malala Yousafzai, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Nelson Mandela, and Pope Francis.

Reviewer: Cyrisse Jaffee

(4) YA Business Leaders series. These biographies focus on the technologies that their youthful subjects developed--Facebook, Google, Amazon.com, and Twitter--and the way each company has changed from small startup to international phenomenon. The subjects' lives and inventions are explained in clear language with embedded definitions when necessary; some details are more important than others. Numerous photos (mostly relevant, some not) support the texts. Timeline, websites. Bib., ind. Review covers these Business Leaders titles: Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg, Google Founders, Jeff Bezos, and Twitter.

Reviewer: Frieda F. Bostian

(4) YA Publishing Pioneers series. Stretching across the centuries, from the first printed volumes (1400s) to today's realm of bookselling in cyberspace, these biographies portray the lives of achievers who have shaped the world of books. The writing is bland but accessible; students will come away with an appreciation of the far-reaching social impact of each individual's innovations. Sidebars, period illustrations, photographs, and maps augment the texts. Reading list, timeline. Bib., glos., ind. Review covers these Publishing Pioneers titles: Barnes & Noble, Jeff Bezos, Randolph Caldecott, Melvil Dewey, and Johannes Gutenberg.

Reviewer: Carolyn Shute

(4) YA Internet Biographies series. Six visionaries responsible for landmark contributions to computer-technology history are profiled in this series. Their successful businesses follow a similar trajectory, through persistence and optimism, obstacles overcome, philanthropy, and future goals. Though the financial details will be difficult for the intended audience to grasp, familiarity with Pixar, AOL, Amazon.com, and Microsoft products will fuel interest in the books. Bib., glos., ind. [Review covers these Internet Biographies titles: Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Esther Dyson, Bill Gates, Larry Ellison, and Steve Case.]

Reviewer: Paula M. Cairo

(4) 4-6 Latinos in the Limelight series. These formulaic biographies profile well-known Latinos in business, the arts, and sports. After a chapter about the subject's childhood and early years, the books provide basic background information about his or her career. The adulatory texts are accompanied by average-quality photos. A chronology and, where appropriate, lists of accomplishments and awards are appended. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Jeannine M. Chapman

(4) 4-6 Techies series. These run-of-the mill biographies trace the personal and professional lives of three leaders in the computer technology revolution: Jobs of Apple Computer, Andreessen of Netscape, and Bezos of Amazon.com. Jobs is the best of the three with its balanced description of the visionary taskmaster; Bezos is the weakest, due to choppy writing. Bland stock photos add little to the volumes. Bib., ind.

Reviewer: Tanya D. Auger