"This fascinating encyclopedia presents 325 historically significant scientific instruments from antiquity to the present. Instruments used for testing and monitoring in addition to those used for research are studied, including laboratory organisms such as E.coli. Each of the signed entries explains how the instrument works and how it is used, as well as tracing its invention, development, and distribution. The instrument's effect on the scientific community and society is also explored. Beautiful illustrations accompany many of the entries. The editors from the Science Museum in London and the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History have provided an excellent addition to the history of sciences".--"Outstanding Reference Sources : the 1999 Selection of New Titles", American Libraries, May 1999. Comp. by the Reference Sources Committee, RUSA, ALA.