Chemical and Biological Weapons in Our Times (Single Title: Social Studies: Current Events)

Rating:
Summary: Rudimentary, at best... and no "recipes"!
Review: I can't believe this is a textbook for an undergraduate biology course at UCLA. It's written at about a sixth grade reading level; the author has a perverse need to define words like "vaccine" and "virus", words that should already be common knowledge to anyone interested in the topic. Only children would be impressed by the rudimentary vocabulary and easy reading level, but I can't imagine a child reading a book on the subject of bioterrorism! Besides this failing, the book does give a broad (though altogether too basic) overview of bioterrorism today, though numerous other books accomplish the same task much more effectively. If you are a UCLA undergrad planning on taking the bioterrorism course, DON'T buy this book - the online class notes cover the material in its entirety (and are free, sans printing costs...) and are more thorough. If you are a general (adult) reader, I would recommend that you purchase a different book on the topic. If you are a kid who desires to fulfill a sinister fantasy about killing everyone in your town with biological and chemical weapons, you are probably still too advanced for this book, and besides, don't expect any recipes or formulas (those are contained in the UCLA course notes; concentrate on your schoolwork so you can get into that school...).

Rating:
Summary: Rudimentary, at best... and no "recipes"!
Review: I can't believe this is a textbook for an undergraduate biology course at UCLA. It's written at about a sixth grade reading level; the author has a perverse need to define words like "vaccine" and "virus", words that should already be common knowledge to anyone interested in the topic. Only children would be impressed by the rudimentary vocabulary and easy reading level, but I can't imagine a child reading a book on the subject of bioterrorism! Besides this failing, the book does give a broad (though altogether too basic) overview of bioterrorism today, though numerous other books accomplish the same task much more effectively. If you are a UCLA undergrad planning on taking the bioterrorism course, DON'T buy this book - the online class notes cover the material in its entirety (and are free, sans printing costs...) and are more thorough. If you are a general (adult) reader, I would recommend that you purchase a different book on the topic. If you are a kid who desires to fulfill a sinister fantasy about killing everyone in your town with biological and chemical weapons, you are probably still too advanced for this book, and besides, don't expect any recipes or formulas (those are contained in the UCLA course notes; concentrate on your schoolwork so you can get into that school...).