Scuba Diving

School Library Journal

Gr 5-8Two muddled offerings. Rock Climbing is attractively laid out, but the text seems dumbed down and repetitive and frequently reads like a wooden translation from another lanaguage, e.g., ``Giving an upper belay to someone climbing below you is an introduction to protecting a climber.'' Without providing a sufficient foundation for the topic, the author devotes several pages of text and diagrams to ropes and knots. There are typographical errors, and the glossary is inadequate (``Belayingto obtain a hold during rock climbing'' isn't even accurate.) In comparison, Steve Ashton's Climbing (Lerner, 1993) is an excellent choice. Scuba Diving is unclear about some critical points. In describing the uses of a diver's watch, Italia states that timing is crucial in ``...avoiding the possibility of the bends.'' However, no contextual clues are given to explain what ``the bends'' means, and the term is not included in the glossary. Also, the definition of ``atmosphere'' is given as ``the surrounding influence''not exactly a useful one in this context. A list of 25 safety rules, some of which have not been explained in the text, concludes the book, leaving readers somewhat confused. The information on computerized equipment is up-to-date and accurate. In both titles, the full-color photographs harmonize reasonably well with the material and illustrate the beauty and allure of the sports. Unfortunately, the limited strengths of these offerings do not compensate for their shortcomings.Joel Shoemaker, Southeast Jr. High School, Iowa City, IA