AQA foundation

Science foundations: science for AQA (3rd edn)

Alastair Lax

Cambridge: CUP 2006 | Pp365 | £15.95 | ISBN 0 521 68673 3

This third edition of an established textbook for the AQA Science GCSE course has been updated for the new specification, mainly by the addition of a section at the end of the book on 'How science works'. This useful section contains much helpful information on gathering and presenting data, interpreting graphs and evaluating data and evidence.  

This textbook works well as a repository of accessible knowledge thanks to its comprehensive glossary/index and also a 'fill the gap' -style What you need to know section at the end of each double-page spread. The completed paragraphs are given at the back of the book. Well laid out, with plenty of space, each double-page spread covers a different topic, eg What's in limestone?. Diagrams are clear, though rather small. In the Separating mixtures section the diagram suggests you can distil brandy with a Liebig condenser alone.