Under The Microscope

SCIENTIFIC STYLE AND FORMAT -- The CBE Manual for Authors, Editors, and Publishers; Cambridge University Press, 1994; 825 pages; $49.95

The best way to review a book of this sort is to sit it on the shelf for a while and see how often it proves useful.

This manual has passed that test with flying colours, providing ammunition for and acting as final arbiter in a number of office "discussions" over various fine points of usage. I was happy to recommend it to a client who was looking for a comprehensive reference, even if I don't agree with all the conventions used.

And comprehensive it is, with an excellent section on general style conventions (using science-related examples) as well as the more specialised scientific conventions. This sixth edition has been produced by the Style Manual Committee of the Council of Biology Editors established by the National Science Foundation and the American Institute of Biological Sciences.

The manual does not confine itself to things biological, having solid chapters on chemical, geological and astronomical usage. A well set-out index makes finding the appropriate information a simple affair.

Finally, it should be noted that the manual doesn't read like something put together by a committee -- there's a three-page section dealing with unneeded words and phrases that should be handed to any would-be committee member in New Zealand.

Vicki Hyde, NZSM