Ice Scientist: Careers in the Frozen Antarctic

Right from the opening, the author places the reader smack in the middle of the Antarctic scientific scene. After learning about the history of exploration there and the hardships of those explorer scientists, the reader learns that 46 countries have agreed to use the area for scientific study. The bulk of the book has a lot of text, colorful photographs, and text boxes. The meaty content here is the chapters that focus on a different scientist. These men and women are profiled and their work explained. Readers even get advice on careers in science in the "So you want to be a..." sections. Paleontologist, geologist, ecologist, glaciologist, astrophysicist, marine biologist, and oceanographer--all are covered. It is encouraging to learn that funding for graduate school is often possible in the sciences. The average salary figures and career outlooks are from the 2006-07 Occupational Outlook Handbook online. Engaging, informative, and useful, even students not interested in the sciences will find something to interest them here. Recommended., Library Media Connection May/June 2009