Contributions
These are projects to which I've made smaller contributions—as a writer, scientific consultant, or editor.
Date: 2023
Title: Knowledge Encyclopedia (Third Edition)
Publisher: DK/Smithsonian.
Consultant.
360-page general science book for ages 10+.
Date: 2022
Title: The New Children's Encyclopedia
Publisher: DK/Smithsonian.
Consultant.
Book for ages 7-11.
Date: 2019
Title: Scientists Who Changed History.
320-page biography of the world's great scientists.
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley.
Edited by Victoria Heyworth-Dunne.
Consultant.
Awards:
Booklist starred review,
November 2019
“...comprehensively researched and beautifully designed... scope and inclusivity... an excellent resource to both browse and to serve as a launch pad for further research.”
Booklist, 2019.
“... A unique journey, from chemistry to genetics, with a mix of texts and images 'with a very strong visual impact'. A book for everyone, a pop book. Dedicated to those who have been famous for over fifteen minutes.”
Opinione, 2021.
Date: 2019
Title: Explanatorium of Science.
A 320-page photographic feast of (physical) science.
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley.
Consultant.
Date: 2016
Title: The Way Things Work Now by David Macaulay, Neil Ardley, Jack Challoner.
Latest reissue of the mammoth illustrated guide to everyday technology.
Edited by Jenny Sich.
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley/Penguin
Consultant.
Awards:
School Library Journal Starred Review, 2016
San Francisco Chronicle Best of 2016
Amazon Best Children's Books of the Year: NonFiction, 2016
A New York Times bestseller.
It was an absolute honour to help out on the latest version of this all-time classic.
“By building bridges between the digital and the physical, Macaulay tries to extend the sense that technology is a world governed by evolution—a vast world, to be sure, but one that works by a comprehensible system.”
Rebecca Onion, Slate, October 2016.
“... embrace this long-awaited update to one of the more original books ever printed.”
School Library Journal, October 2016.
Date: 2015
Title: Picturepedia
A 360-page visual guide to science, space, nature, and history.
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley/Penguin
Consultant.
Awards: Longlisted for the
North Somerset Teachers' Book Award 2016.
Date: 2015
Title: Inventors of... Technology
A set of seven ~150-page books, recycling many of my old biographies from the old Marshall Cavendish Inventors books.
Edited by Hilary W. Poole.
Publisher: Cavendish Square
Contributor.
Date: 2014
Title: DK Utterly Amazing Science by Robert Winston
Pop-up science book for young readers.
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley
Edited by Ben Morgan.
Consultant.
Awards: Winner:
Royal Society Young People's Book Prize 2015.
Date: 2014
Title: Superhuman by Steve Parker.
A stunning 200-page guide to the limits of the human body.
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley/Penguin
Contributor of the "Future humans" chapter.
Awards: National Science Teachers Association/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book for 2015.
Date: 2013
Title: Eyewitness Invention
Revision and reissue of one of the classic Eyewitness titles.
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley
Contributor and consultant.
Date: 2009
Title: The New Children's Encyclopedia
Publisher: Worldwide: Dorling Kindersley.
Edited by Bridget Giles.
Contributor: technology topics.
Book for ages 7-11.
Date: 2006
Title: DK Encyclopedia of Science
Publisher: Dorling Kindersley
Consultant and contributor to major update
448-page general science book.
Date: 2006
Title: Globalization: An Encyclopedia
Publisher: USA: Routledge
Edited by: Roland Robertson and Jan Aart Scholte, with Hilary W. Poole.
Articles about the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and World Trade Organization.
Awards: Booklist Editor's Choice, Reference Sources, 2007.
Date: 2006
Title: Drugs and Society
Publisher: USA: Marshall Cavendish
Edited by Wendy Horobin.
Various psychology and psychiatry articles for high-school students.
Awards:
Chosen as one of the Twenty Best Bets for Student Researchers, Booklist, 2006.
“...clear, well-written entries... Visually appealing, clear, color diagrams, photographs, text boxes, tables, and charts aid in understanding. The attractive layout will encourage browsing.”
School Library Journal, April 2006.
“...highly recommended to community library collections as well as school libraries who will want to consider it a standard reference acquisition.”
Children's Bookwatch, March 2006.
“The encyclopedia succeeds in providing comprehensive coverage of its subject, and does so in clear, readable prose and an accessible, attractive format.”
Booklist, February 2006.
Date: 2006
Title: World War II
Publisher: Scholastic USA/Canada.
Article on the importance of science and technology in World War II.
Date: 2006
Title: Encyclopedia of Earth and Physical Sciences (2nd edition)
Publisher: USA: Marshall Cavendish
Articles on physics and materials science.
“...well-written articles...”
American Reference Books Annual, March 2006.
“The articles are easy to read and would be well-suited to high-school students with little or no background knowledge.”
Booklist, February 2006.
Date: 2004
Title: Encyclopedia of Life Sciences (2nd edition)
Encyclopedia set for children aged 13-17.
Publisher: USA: Marshall Cavendish
Writing 8 articles on psychology, psychiatry, and medicine.
Awards:
Chosen as one of the Twenty Best Bets for Student Researchers, Booklist, September 2004.
“With an attractive spatial layout and lots of colorful illustrations, this revised encyclopedia will quickly grab the attention of students browsing for life sciences topics....The wide-range of subjects covered and the visually appealing nature of this set make it a good choice for an introductory reference on a variety of life science topics. Recommended.”
Library Media Connection, October 2004
Date: 2004
Title: Biology Matters!
Publisher: USA: Grolier
Encyclopedia set for children aged 11-13.
Awards:
Chosen as one of the Twenty Best Bets for Student Researchers, Booklist, 2006.
“...the writing is straightforward and should be accessible to young adult readers”
Booklist, October 2005
Date: 2003
Title: Business and Industry
Publisher: USA: Marshall Cavendish
Encyclopedia set for high school/adults.
Edited by Hilary W. Poole.
Writing 5 articles on business and environmental topics.
“Highly recommended.”
Choice, March 2004.
“...a unique and beautiful multivolume reference work that will help young people and others begin to learn about principle business concepts that impact so much of their daily lives and their future. For most high school and public libraries, this work will provide a much more appealing approach to a variety of rather complex topics that are often intimidating or just presented elsewhere with a drier than dust approach... a very pleasing addition for the high school and public library.”
Reference and User Services Quarterly, Winter 2004.
Date: 2003
Title: Exploring Technology
Publisher: USA: Marshall Cavendish
Encyclopedia set for children aged 10-14.
Writing 50 articles.
Awards:
Chosen as one of the Twenty Best Bets for Student Researchers, Booklist, September 2004.
“There are few available resources on technology for middle readers. Agriculture and food, engineering and construction, medicine, transportation, and the history of invention are just some of the areas covered here. The colorful and eyecatching presentation should appeal to an upper-elementary and middle-school audience.”
Booklist, 2004.
Date: 2002
Title: Encyclopedia of Psychology
Publisher: USA: Grolier Academic Reference
Writing 10,000-word article on Communication and 3500-word glossary.
“...authoritative... effective... attractive...”
School Library Journal, 2003
Date: 2002
Title: Science & Technology Almanac 2002
Publisher: USA: Oryx Press
Writing 16 (journalistic) stories for Technology News.
Date: 2002
Title: Encyclopedia of New Media
Publisher: USA: Sage Publications
Writing 8 articles.
Edited by: Professor Steve Jones, University of Illinois, Chicago, with Hilary W. Poole.
Awards:
Booklist Editor's Choice Best of 2003
“Scholars and students finally have a reference work documenting the foundations of the digital revolution. Were it not the only reference book to cover this emergent field, Jones's encyclopedia would still likely be the best.”
Choice
“The articles are interesting, entertaining, well written, and reasonably long... highly recommended as a worthwhile and valuable addition to both science and technology and social science reference collections.”
Reference user Services Quarterly, American Library Association
Date: 2002
Title: Exploring Earth and Space Science
Publisher: USA: Marshall Cavendish
11-volume encyclopedia set for US grades 3-5.
Writing 48 articles.
Awards:
Chosen as one of the Twenty Best Bets for Student Researchers, Booklist, September 2002.
“...a succinct and clearly written resource...”
School Library Journal, February 2002.
“There is much to recommend about this set. The format is user friendly and very accessible to students. Many of the illustrations are excellent and support the articles very well.”
American Reference Books Annual, 2002.
Date: 2001
Title: Science and Technology Almanac 2001
Publisher: USA: Oryx Press
Writing 16 stories for Technology News.
Date: 2000
Title: Inside a power boat, Inside a jet plane
Publisher: USA: Grolier
Edited by Tom Jackson.
Two books for children aged 7-11
“Recommended.”
Book Report, May/June 2001.
“...highly recommended for elementary school libraries and juvenile reference collections in public libraries.”
American Reference Books Annual, April 2002.
“Editor's choice.”
Science Books and Films.
“Recommended.”
Book Report, May/June 2001.
Date: 2000
Title: Cutting-Edge: An Encyclopedia of Advanced Technology
Publisher: USA and UK: Oxford University Press
Edited by Jill Pope.
Writing 16 articles.
Awards: New York
Public Library Best of Reference 2000
“…the quality of content is very good and standard of presentation is excellent…. An excellent example of how technical information should be written.”
PC Update, October 2000.
“...a very useful addition to science and technology collections”
Booklist.
Date: 1999
Title: Encyclopedia of Technology & Applied Science
Publisher: USA: Marshall Cavendish
Edited by Susan Watt and Andy Oppenheimer.
Writing approx. 20 articles, general editing across 10 volumes, content planning across 10 volumes.
“The set does a good job of providing a wide range of important technological topics with reference to both the science that preceded them and their current and potential uses....this is a good addition to junior-and senior-high-school and public libraries and to college curriculum centers supporting teacher education.
Booklist.
“An outstanding encyclopedia set for those at the middle to high school grade levels....This set is sure to have lasting use.”
Children's Bookwatch.
“readers seeking answers to specific questions and nontechnical but meaty discussions of technology-related topics...will be well served here.”
School Library Journal.
“...Students wanting general information or connections from one technological advance to another will have plenty to look at in this comprehensive set. Recommended.”
The Book Report.
“...an excellent addition to the secondary school library”
American Reference Books Annual 2001.
Date: 1999
Title: GCSE Design & Technology 2000 CD-ROM
UK: Dorling Kindersley
Multimedia editing
Date: 1999
Title: Inventions and Inventors
Publisher: USA: Grolier
Edited by Bridget Giles.
Writing most of "Power and Energy" volume and contributing to other volumes.
“This is an excellent set of books for studying the history and advancements in various fields...”
Book Report, May/June 2000.
“Inventions and Inventors will greatly enhance the technological literacy of readers.”
Science Book & Film, Jan/Feb 2001.