Review by Choice Review
Millero and Sohn write for undergraduates, but their book is really a diverse compendium of tables and diagrams, the level of detail and complexity of which often extend well into graduate-level chemical oceanography. Examples are accompanied by telegraphic description that would surely leave most undergraduates "at sea" without detailed explanations by a lecturer. There are evidences of shortcuts in conception and preparation: graphical work varies almost randomly, from hand-drawn sketches, through variable-quality photocopies and simple drafts, to professional-quality illustrations. Even more serious is the arbitrary treatment of referencing. Many figures and tables taken from the literature are undocumented; students will be unable to follow up the diagrams for better explanation and background. Better basic works are R. Chester's Marine Geochemistry (CH, Jan'91), S.M. Libes's Introductory Marine Geochemistry (1992), or even the classic by H.U. Sverdrup, M.W. Johnson, and R.H. Fleming, The Oceans (1942). F. T. Manheim; SUNY at Stony Brook
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
