, j \ « * Herald & lantern 1 August '84 67

I County Library I by Kathleen Duffy

■ Science is rttind expan- ^ ding. In 1983 approximately 40,000 science and technology books were pubkshed at the average co6trlf ^18.45. They cover animal life, astronomy, biology, computers, * energy, earth sciences, environmental science, health sciences, mathematics, paleontology, physics, plant sciences, psychology, general technology and transportation. It would b& impossible f for any one person- to keep up with theNnumbers of science books and the diyersity of the subject matter. What follows are short 'annotations of some of the best titles which require no. special background to be appreciated. Sample several by borrowing them from ihfcCape May County lyibrSrJ-^Htsijranches . how to be y\ur own Power \compa^y. by David Morris from tjtodale Press gives an undebetan9 dable account of the technical and legal aspects

of producing one's own electricity and selling it. Includes wind, hydroelectric, and photovoltaic generating devices, cogeneration ( producing both heat and electricity at once), and solar power. Basis for the book is the Public Utilities Regulatory Policies Act, which encourages the growth of small power companies and enables them to sell power to public utility companies. ACID RAIN by Robert H. Boyle and Alexander Boyle from Schocken Press is a well-written account of both the technical and the political aspects of acid rain, a topic of growing importance on an international scale. It describes the nature of acid rain, its effects on the environment, the politics involved, and the power of controls needed. HEN'S TEETH AND HORSE'S TOES by Stephen J. Gould from Nor-

i ton Publishers contains essays which are marvelous windows on the world of scientific research and theory from one of the i most prolific science popularizers of our time. The essays range widely, from a discussion of the evolution of the Hershey bar or an appraisal of Teilhard de Chardin's role in the Piltdown forgery to the parental behavior of Galapagos Island boobies. 100 BILLION SONS: THE BIRTH. LIFE AND DEATH OF THE STARS by Rudolf Kippenhahn f rote Basic Books is an interesting, often anecdotal account of the evolution of the stara^y the director of the Max lfemck Institute for Astrophysics, who descries manjS^iis computer calculationsoNjmdel stars. Attention is givemte^ exterrestrial life and^ planetary Origin. PROJECT SPACE STATION: PLANS FOR A PERMANENT MANNED SPACE CENTER by Brian aracfc ctrvitK Dy tsrian

O'Leary from Stackpole Publishers is a readable e text accompanied by several photographs for the lay person. The first of two sections is devested to a description of existing and past space projects. The second predicts possible projects in the _i990's, including a manned space station (echoed in President Reagan's State of the Union message) and space colonies. , SEX AND THE BRAIN by Jo Durben-Smith and Diane DeSimone from Ar- , bor House is an excellent . treatment of a subject that i has received much recent attention from sociologists, I biochemical researchers and behavio^ts. Don't be misled by tlw title. , This is a serious, scholar- ( ly treatment of gender differences in brain structure and development and their j implications for j mathematical, spatial and verbal abilities in men and women. The writers, both j science journalists, present j their material in a clear, readily comprehensible style. ELECTRONIC LIFE by Michael Crichton from Knopf Publishers is for all those people who still have uneasy feelings about computers. Crichton, author of the Andromeda Strain and director of movies such as "Westworld ', should go a long way toward, relieving their anxieties. Very readable, in a light-hearted style, the book explains computers, progrrmming. and related topics in a way sure to please lay people THE ALLERQY SELF HELP BOOK by Sharon Faelton and Prevention Magazine editors from Rodale Press is an in-depth coverage of allergies, theip— _ diagnosis, treatment, causes and their effects on the human body~_'\ The Jxxjfc~-dffers \helpful ^ suggestions for /dietary j \ treatment of specific V-jftlergies, and identifies specific substances that are frequent inducers of allergic reactions Should have wide appeal since most people have at least one readily identifiable allergy and probably suspect that they are sensitive to other substances they'd like to pinpoint. This book will help do just that. BRIDGES TO INFINITY by Michael Buiilen from

Houghton-Mifflin is for people who like mathematics and want to broaden their understanding. Guillen ranges widely, covering such major topics as games theory, probability, and topology. Despite the difficult subject matter, the book is written in nontechnical language and enlivened with anecdotes. A welcome addition to the small number of good books for the general public on mathematics. QUARKS THE STUFF OF MATTER by Harald Fritzsch from Basic Books is a complex topic of quarks, subatomic particles currently believed to contain other more familiar particles such as neutrons and protons, is treated in a style that does not require extensive understanding of physics. PLANT EXTINCTION: ^ A GLOBAL CgJf&T by ^^*?fS!'8ld"4f«Jp!fwitz and Hilary Kaye from Stackpole books, is a stark, - startling report on the rapid extinction * of the world's plant population and the implications for human survival. The book provides excellent documentation of the critical human dependence on a wide range of plant species for medicine, fuel, shelter, and food. Guidelines for preserving these species into the 21st Century fill out this essential reading for anyone even mildly interested in ecology/environmental science. THE MEASURE OF THE UNIVERSE: OUR t FOREMOST SCIENCE WRITER LOOKS AT THE WORLD LARGE AND SMALL by the prolific Isaac Asimov from Harper Books is one of the most unusual of the hundreds of books Asimov has written. In it he lists examples from nature to explain the relative values of various types of measurement (length, mass, area, dura lion, pressure, temperature, density, and speed) His examples for mass center on one kilogram and range down to the mass of a photon and up to the mass of the entire universe This book will make relative values more meaningful for laypeople. TAMING THE TIGER THE STRUGGLE TO CON TROL TECHNOLOGY by Witold Rybcznski from Viking Press presents a rational basis for human consideration and assessment of technology According to Rybcznski to control technology we need to con trol ourselves The book, international in scope, describes several situations showing the sociological and en- f vironmental impact of . technology Accounts of classic problems, such as — the Luddites fighting the changes brought on by the Industrial Revolution provide historical prospective Farrell Now AF Captain OCEAN CITY - Kenneth M. Farrell, son of retired Air Force Master Sgt. Francis and Carolyn L. Farrell of 816 Seventh St., has been promoted in the U.S. Air Force to the rank « of captain.

Our Readers Write Planning Board Unprofessional To The Editor: It was a privilege for me to attend the Lower Township Planning Board meeting on July 19. I found it to be unprofessional and amateurish. After witnessing their performance, it became very clear why members of the board were reluctant to speak up so we the public could hear them. I felt like I was in confession. Someone from the council should pay attention to what is going on. This group is setting precedent§.that will affect future decisions of the planning boafd. They dillydallied, laughed, and were unprepared. Our time is very valuable, and because of t^eir ineptness we must return a second time concerning a variance request involving our immediate neighborhood. J The small homeowner shpufti be in a separate category from the commercial enterprise, since Aheir needs and solutions vary and differ greatly. / JOHN FERRIS f Cape May Beach What About Plant? To The Editor: | I think the borough of Avalon has its priorities in the wrong order. In seeking funding for various projects, the most pressing one was overlooked. Avalon is a nice town. It has many impressive homes, beautiful dunes, a lovely beach, but perhaps it also has the ugliest and most foul smelling sewage treatment plant imaginable. * When you speak of beautifying and improving Dune Drive, save all your traffic signals and parking plans. Anyone with common seaseds aware that the block between 39th streefand 40th street is the location most in need of help. R.J. MORAN Avalon t > "> A Drink for All Oc^ions— v -£\ J (From Page 66) ^ \ / Vb&srTOwfne bar can become, moreUhipprtant than meetings. Svnow many luncheon clubs WonH thtee is no r ^ , Jhis is what the raingj$tl us is responsible for irresponsible youth drunk driving which yearly kills 5,000 between the ages of 13 and 24. Peer pressure and adult drinking in all sorts of public pqmeS by, not the bums, but America's better people. WeiriHsrTHi?^* ^ | V^KkAMILTON AULENBACH > Claremont, Cal. <* (ED. NOT£: Rev. Aulenbach is rector emeritus of Christ Churchi and St. Michael's in Germantown. Pa., and will be preaching at St. Mary's Church in Stone Harbor at > 10 a. m. Aug. 12.)

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