Email News Release: Wiley Acquires Nature Publishing Group's ReferencePortfolio

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Date: Tue, 21 Dec 2004 11:59:07 -0500
From: ARBrown@wiley.com

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Email News Release
December 21, 2004

Contact:
Susan Spilka
Wiley (U.S.)
(201) 748-6147
sspilka@wiley.com

Sue Deeley
Nature Publishing Group (U.S.)
(212) 726-9230
s.deeley@nature.com

Wiley Acquires Nature Publishing Group's Reference Portfolio

Chichester, England, December 21, 2004— John Wiley & Sons Ltd.,
announced today that it had completed the acquisition of the reference
portfolio of Nature Publishing Group (NPG), a division of Macmillan
Publishers Ltd., on December 3. The terms of the purchase were not
disclosed.

The acquisition brings to Wiley a collection of three major reference
works, including the flagship Encyclopedia of Life Sciences (ELS), an
online and 20 volume print resource for life scientists.  Launched in
2001, ELS has quickly become a major online publication with a significant
customer base. It is widely recognized as a leading scientific resource,
with content that is frequently updated, and approximately 3,000 articles,
written by 5,000 leading experts in the field.

"The acquisition of Nature Publishing Group's reference works forms part
of our strategy to build quality reference content in electronic and print
forms alongside our primary journal content," said Dr. John Jarvis, Senior
Vice President, Wiley Europe. "Nature Publishing Group has an excellent
reputation for reference publishing, and we are delighted to have the
opportunity to extend the development of this important portfolio at
Wiley."

In addition to ELS, Wiley also purchased from Nature Publishing Group the
Encyclopedia of the Human Genome (EHG) and the Encyclopedia of Cognitive
Science (ECS). These three new titles will enhance Wiley's already vibrant
collection of major reference works, and will contribute to its growing
online STM book business.  The acquisition further builds Wiley's strength
as a leading publisher in the area of Life Sciences.

"We are delighted that we have been able to find such an excellent home
for the NPG Reference Works.  We are confident that John Wiley & Sons will
be successful in developing these titles in print and online.  I would
like to thank everyone who has contributed so much to these marvelous
scholarly resources over the years," said Richard Charkin, Chief Executive
of Macmillan.

About the Encyclopedia of Life Sciences

Encyclopedia of Life Sciences is a unique and dynamic resource that covers
the entire range of life sciences research. It highlights structures,
processes, methods, systems and applications across the biological and
biomedical sciences. With 6,000 color illustrations, 30,000 internal
cross-references and 30,000 external bibliographic references for further
reading ELS directs undergraduates, graduate students and researchers to
the next level of research.

About the Encyclopedia of the Human Genome

Encyclopedia of the Human Genome is the first major reference resource
devoted not only to the scientific basis of human genome research, but
also to its ethical, philosophical and commercial ramifications. It
contains 1100 carefully structured articles written by many leading
international experts, and presents a comprehensive overview of current
genome science and its groundbreaking applications. EHG examines the many
topics that surround the field from the differing perspectives of history,
philosophy, ethics, law, medicine, public health, and industry.

About Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science

Encyclopedia of Cognitive Science contains 700 articles that cover the
most important methodologies used within the cognitive sciences, including
neuropsychological studies, neuroimaging, computational approaches and
behavioral methods. It also includes articles on historical landmarks and
biographies of key contributors.

The three reference works will in due course be available to customers
through Wiley's online STM content delivery service, Wiley InterScience
(www.interscience.wiley.com).

About Wiley InterScience

Since its commercial launch in January 1999, Wiley InterScience
(www.interscience.wiley.com)  has earned its reputation as a world-leading
Internet resource for quality research material promoting discovery across
the spectrum of scientific, technical, medical and professional endeavors.
Today Wiley InterScience features a vast reservoir of must-have content
from more than 1000 journals, books, reference works, databases and
Current Protocols laboratory manuals.

About Wiley Founded in 1807, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., provides must-have
content and services to customers worldwide. Its core businesses include
scientific, technical, and medical journals, encyclopedias, books, and
online products and services; professional and consumer books and
subscription services; and educational materials for undergraduate and
graduate students and lifelong learners. Wiley has publishing, marketing,
and distribution centers in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia, and
Australia. The Company is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the
symbols JWa and JWb. Wiley's Internet site can be accessed at
http://www.wiley.com

About Nature Publishing Group Nature Publishing Group (NPG) is a division
of Macmillan Publishers Ltd, dedicated to serving the academic and
professional scientific community. NPG's flagship title, Nature, is the
world's most highly-cited weekly multidisciplinary journal and was first
published in 1869. Other publications include Nature research journals,
Nature Reviews, Nature Clinical Practice, and a range of prestigious
academic journals, including society-owned publications.

NPG is a global company, with headquarters in London and offices in New
York, San Francisco, Washington DC, Boston, Tokyo, Paris, Munich and
Basingstoke.  For more information, please go to www.nature.com.

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