The Usborne Young Scientist - Television

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Overall 3/5

The Usborne Young Scientist - Television Usborne £3.95 Edited by Lynn Inglis Television follows the same format as the Computers book, though sadly misses out on the practical side. Instead the level of detail is cranked up as the book takes you through the making of a television programme before finishing up with a quick look at film and the world of home video. As usual, concise explanations and uncluttered diagrams get the point across admirably, although some of the hardware illustrations make the latest, super up-to-date recording equipment look like they've stumbled in from 1963. The main problem with the book is that, unlike computer which seem to be constantly evolving, advances in TV technology come in bursts - and it looks as if Television went to print at exactly the wrong time. Things like HDTV, digital sets and giant concert television banks are squished in at the back, and widescreen TVs (the Next Big Thing) aren't mentioned at all. Still, what's there is good, and the book contains a splendid piece on the buttony mysteries of vision and sound mixing.