Selected New Reference Books

"Encyclopedia Latina is a groundbreaking, interdisciplinary reference work that deals with Latino history and culture in the United States from the age of discovery to the present. Comprehensive and analytical, this unique encyclopedia presents all aspects of Latino life in the United States as well as the influence and contributions of Hispanic culture. The 650 substantive, signed articles cover topics, issues, organizations, events, themes, movements, U.S. states and cities, national groups, and people." --From the publisher's website (http://www.scholasticlibrary.com)

"The Oxford Dictionary of Plays provides essential information on the 1000 best-known, best-loved, and most important plays in world theater. Each entry includes details of title, author, date of composition, date of first performance, genre, setting, and the composition of the cast, and more. A synopsis of the plot and a brief commentary, perhaps on the context of the play, or the reasons for its enduring popularity, follow. Around 80 of the most significant plays - from The Oresteia to Waiting for Godot - are dealt with in more detail. Genres covered include: burlesque, comedy, farce, historical drama, kabuki, masque, melodrama, morality play, mystery play, No, romantic comedy, tragicomedy, satire, and tragedy." --From the publisher's website (http://www.oup.com/)

Written by an ARL librarian, Researching National Security and Intelligence Policy examines and annotates the rich variety of unclassified print and electronic resources available to users studying the formulation of national security policy in the U.S. and throughout the English-speaking world.

Resources analyzed for their accessibility and usefulness include U.S. Government executive branch documents and other national security policy documents produced by English language governments. Coverage includes the print and electronic literature produced by independent agencies and commissions, public policy and academic research think tanks, and in books and scholarly journals.

Background information on the origins and development of national security policy study in the U.S. is included as are sidebar features that provide unique and useful tips on high-interest national security topics including:

"For a city like no other comes a book like no other. In tens of thousands of chronological entries, The New York Chronology marches year by year through the defining and incidental moments in the great metropolis's history, from the arrival of Giovanni da Verrazano in 1524 to the closing of Ratner's Delicatessen on the Lower East Side "after 97 years of serving blintzes, kasha, latkes, and matzoh brei." With impeccable scholarship, humor, and an astonishing level of detail, here is an entertaining and essential book for New York lovers."

--From the publisher's website (www.harpercollins.com)

Encyclopedia of Literature and Science
Edited by Pamela Gossin
Olin Library Reference PN55 .E53 2002

In Hans Bynagle's Philosophy: A Guide to the Reference Literature (Olin Ref Z7125 .B97x 1997), this Companion is described as making "fair claim to being the premier single-volume encyclopedic dictionary of philosophy in English...no similar work has elicited the involvement of quite so many eminent figures in contemporary philosophy including Isaiah Berlin, Sissela Bok, Ronald Dworkin, Paul Feyerabend, Alasdair MacIntyre, W.V. Quine, Anthony Quinton, Nicholas Rescher, John Searle, and Peter Singer..[it] ranges at some level over all of the world's major philosophical systems and traditions, Eastern and Western, historical and contemporary...It also provides, of course, all the usual entries for major branches, figures, concepts, terms, and controversies of Western philosophy, and a few unusual ones as well. Among the latter are entries for 'brain in a vat', 'deaths of philosophers', and 'nothing so absurd' (from a remark of Cicero's). Other noteworthy features include brief bibliographies accompanying most entries, portraits of major philosophers, a chronological table, fifteen 'maps' of philosophical domains, positions, or theories, and a table of logical symbols." (Bynagle, 28-9)

The second edition improves on this by revising and updating existing entries, and adding 300 brand new pieces on a range of current topics such as animal consciousness, cloning, corporate responsibility, the family, globalization, and terrorism.

"This new reference source provides a compact, fact-filled guide to the economies of 224 countries and major territories..Each chapter opens with a brief introduction setting the political and institutional background to the country's economy; a well-coloured and clear map indicating the country's location in relation to its neighbors, as well as the position of its capital and other major towns and cities; and a set of key demographic and financial indicators. Each overview is divided into almost 10 sections addressing the various sectors (Agriculture, Industry, Services, External Trade, Government Finance, and International Economic Co-operation), and concludes with a Survey and Prospects account of recent economic performance and likely future developments."

Material contained in this book has been reproduced from sources such as U.N. Demographic Yearbook, Statistical Yearbook, Industrial Commodity Statistics Yearbook, Yearbook of Labour Statistics, and much much more.

--From the publisher's website (www.routledge.com)

"Providing rich and detailed essays on the Arctic's environment, wildlife, climate, history, exploration, resources, economics, politics, indigenous cultures and languages, conservation initiatives, and many other topics, the Encyclopedia of the Arctic is the only major work and comprehensive reference source to have yet been produced on this vast, complex, changing, and increasingly important part of the globe. The book will not only be an up-to-date interdisciplinary work of reference for all those involved in teaching or researching Arctic issues, but a fascinating and comprehensive resource for residents of the Arctic, and all those concerned with global environmental issues, sustainability, science, and human interactions with the environment."

--From the publisher's website (www.routledge.com)

This second edition, three-volume set retains the same format as the first edition. It includes entries that encompass genres, major subjects and critical biographies of writers. Entries from the first edition have been updated, where appropriate; nearly 200 new entries have been added, and, in many cases, bibliographies have been updated to take into account new critical techniques. It covers the history and development of the literatures of the colonies of the former British Commonwealth and the Philippines and includes original research relating to the literatures of some fifty countries and mandated territories. In addition to the entries by genre, subject, and biography, there are also important "Overviews" for selected major subjects and genres in the form of comparative essays which explore the issues over a variety of countries. A comprehensive index to authors, subjects, and works is also included.

"Reading or using material on the occult is fraught with pitfalls. Too many editors and authors trade on the gullibility, ignorance, and wishful thinking of their readers. It is refreshing to review a book that has useful information on this subject and is still mindful of the humbug that permeates many publications in this area. While admitting he is a pagan, Greer does not get caught up in justifying every detail as metaphysical truth. In many cases, he points out the historical inconsistencies and claims that are less than accurate.Greer's encyclopedia has 531 pages of entries encompassing explanations of aspects of all the occult sciences, astrology, numerology, necromancy, and more, while other essays put the subjects in historical context and with biographical material on the major players in this arcane field. While there are no pictures of witches, there are diagrams and illustrations of pertinent symbols that explain pagan practices. Each essay has entries that reference the 22-page bibliography. If the user were to read the titles in this list, they would come away with a balanced view of modern occultism. There is no separate index, but there are see references to other essays within each section.In fact, the only lacuna in this book is that it contains only modern, twentieth-century information on the occult. The bibliography has few entries from before 1900 and those are the standard classical works and the books written by the various members of the Golden Dawn group. However, for those wanting to know what is currently of interest to the modern pagan and how the occult is viewed, this is the book of choice."

Reviewed by Kennith Slagle - Asst. Director for Collection Management, Jackson Library, Univ. of North Carolina at Greensboro for ARBA 2004.

Encyclopedia of Recreation and Leisure in America
Gary S. Cross, editor in chief
Olin Library Reference GV53 .E53 2004+

"This two-volume encyclopedia offers a broad look at the diverse and often misunderstood issue of homelessness, both in the United States and around the world. Covering a variety of issues and perspectives, Levinson aims to debunk the standard misconceptions of the homeless population as a mass of single, alcoholic adult men (think women, adolescents, and families, including many children) and offers the researcher a comprehensive place to begin any exploration of the topic. The general entries are thorough, ranging from one to seven pages and includes references for additional reading; entry topics include countries (e.g., Australia, Japan, Nairobi) populations (e.g., families, older persons, women), legal issues, organizations, and service systems and settings. Included in this 928-page set are 5 appendixes that comprise nearly one-third of the book. One such appendix lists 23 primary source documents that give the reader a brief, yet wide-reaching history of homelessness, beginning with a list of relevant bible passages. In another appendix one will find a nearly complete directory of Street Newspapers throughout the world, listed alphabetically by country or state. However, page 638 is missing, and along with it the listings for papers in U.S. states such as Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington-all of which carry such publications. Of particular note is the resulting absence of the Seattle-based paper entitled Real Change, which is mentioned elsewhere in the entry for Street Newspapers. Overall, this encyclopedia does an excellent job of accomplishing what Levinson set out to do, and establishes itself as an engaging, definitive resource on homelessness. The extent to which the causes, history, and potential solutions of homelessness are explored, make this work a welcome contribution to the literature. The Encyclopedia of Homelessness is highly recommended for academic, public, school, and special libraries, as well as for the layperson."

"The Museum of Broadcast Communications was founded in 1987. It aims to document the moving target the television arena represents and to provide a forum for education and study of media issues. To that end, it makes its vast archive available to researchers and the general public alike. This admirable encyclopedia—1,948 elegant pages in 3 massive volumes—is an extension of that effort.Newcomb and his 14-member advisory board have employed both ends of the telescope to concoct a worthwhile portrait of the medium. Important shows and individuals (actors, writers, producers, journalists, network executives) rate their own entries, along with general topics and corporate entities. The English-speaking countries get most of the attention, but there are essays on television developments in many other places. However much one may quarrel with isolated choices (is The Outer Limits less significant than Honey West?), the thousand-subject format contains no glaring omissions.Contributors number in excess of 300, so a unified viewpoint (or singular prose) is out of the question. From My Little Margie to The Forsyte Saga to Beavis and Butt-Head, everything is viewed as equally deserving of one's time. No hierarchies or discouraging words need apply. Still, an enormous mass of material has been brought together, in a useful and attractive presentation. The alphabetic arrangement encourages browsing as much as serious endeavors; all names are indexed. This set is a must for reference libraries, but it also affords the casual reader much pleasure."

Reviewed by Walt Mundkowsky - Freelance Film and Music Critic, Beverly Hills, Calif for ARBA 1998.

This second edition contains almost 200 new entries and approximately 500 updated entries accounting for developments since 1997 such as change in cast or other personnel, industrial developments, changes in executive ranks, or series endings. Also includes 486 photographs that are entirely new to the second edition.