Reference Short Takes

This revision of the 2005 edition considers Americans as health-care consumers and documents their medical problems, therapeutic choices, and lifestyle inclinations. It is an accessible portrait depicted exclusively through a page-by-page collage of 300 charts, graphs, and tables organized under one of the 14 A-to-Z topic categories—from Addictions to Weight. The book is, above all, a statistical guide, including very little text. The editors of the New Strategist have culled the data from several governmental agencies, including the Census Bureau and the National Center for Health Statistics.

Cronin (The Hand of Science) brings together 13 meticulously considered information technology topic discussions by 22 internationally based specialists. The subjects covered include data retrieval, activity theory, mapping, information science, education, and the concept of genre. In some cases, the text expands beyond its intended boundaries into the realms of linguistics, semiotics, pragmatics, and behaviorism. The text is fluid but highly specialized; many chapters conclude with bibliographies whose entries number in the double digits. Recommended for all information science and library science collections.

In this first publication devoted entirely to the complex subject of multiagent systems, Lin (computer science, Univ. of Houston) organizes the work of 51 international field experts thematically, beginning with fundamental concepts, continuing through design issues and intelligent modeling approaches, and concluding with system applications. Eighteen chapter-long essays offer the most advanced research on software architecture and modeling. Studded with concept illustrations and engineering terminology, this book is written for the specialist and belongs in computer science collections.

With increased awareness of homeopathic therapies comes the revision of this essential, information-dense survey of over 150 herbal supplements, both popular and obscure. An update of the 2002 reprint, it is fully revised and includes 20 new entries, although it omits several key profiles, e.g., Olive Leaf, a natural bacterial suppressant. Barnes (Univ. of Auckland) Linda A. Anderson (a London-based pharmaceutical officer), and David Phillipson (emeritus, Sch. of Pharmacy, London) outline each herb's chemical components, toxicity, contraindications, and preparation names. Significant entries include "kava," banned in Canada for hepatoxicity. Scientific yet accessible; highly recommended for both pharmacological and public library collections.

In this timely volume, DeWitt (historian, Social Security Administration), Daniel Béland (States of Global Insecurity), and Edward D. Berkowitz (Mr. Social Security) have compiled 170 primary-source documents to chronicle the history of this hotly debated system. Following a detailed introduction that traces the administration's 71-year span, the book steps back to locate the European roots of "social insurance," originally conceived by Otto von Bismarck. Without significant illustrations, the nine subsequent chapters are text heavy and essentially make available original document texts. Illuminating and studded with surprising details, this is highly recommended for all academic collections.

Edwards (Argentina, forthcoming) and series editor Huck (Latin American studies, Tulane) open this text-heavy yet engaging introduction to Brazil with a 258-page, four-chapter narrative. Illuminated are Brazil's geography and history, evolving economic and political structures, and social and cultural conventions. The book's second, leaner segment is a quick-reference guide that comprises a chronology dating to 1415; paragraph-long, alphabetized profiles of noteworthy historical figures; a detailed list of relevant cultural and political organizations; a nine-page recommended reading list; and a glossary. For South American-oriented collections.

This stunning introductory reference spans the period from 754 B.C.E., Rome's traditionally recognized founding, to its fall in 476 C.E., when the Goths deposed Romulus Augustulus. Gabucci (The Colosseum) profiles the empire's principal figures, events, sites, and daily customs largely through crisp, abundantly annotated photographs of portrait busts, coins, architecture, and related artifacts. Insightful quotations by cultural figures and a time line of significant events run on the introductory page of each new profile segment. Highly recommended for Western civilization collections in public libraries.

Griffith (Practical Handbook of Homeopathy) has composed 36 multipage entries that explore the healing properties of individual herbs, crystals, domesticated fish, and opaque stones, both natural and human-made. Each entry provides historical evidence for therapeutic usage from the antique, Egyptian, and biblical periods. The precise impact of these preparations on specific chakras and body regions are discussed in detail. Case studies, describing both helpful and deleterious effects, conclude each entry. Requiring close study to facilitate genuine comprehension, the book should be used only by those working with a professional homeopathic adviser. Recommended for alternative therapy and spiritual healing collections.

Defining Polish cinema exclusively as films created by Polish filmmakers within Poland's political boundaries and pre-1918 territories, Haltof (Polish National Cinema) offers alphabetized, multiparagraph definitions of Polish cinema's principal figures, movies, studios, and organizations. Included are a slender film-still segment and a valuable list of abbreviations. A historical chronology prefaces the dictionary, and two numbered lists of "Best Box Office" and "Best Post-War Television Movies" follow. A thematically and chronologically ordered bibliography rounds out the volume. With few exceptions, authentic Polish spellings are used throughout. The only dictionary of its kind, it is highly recommended for comprehensive Eastern European collections.

Hogan (Terra Obscura) assembles a revealing and highly engaging reference to Andy Warhol's favorite band. Sprinkled throughout are informative sidebars illuminating relevant figures and subjects, like Lou Reed's literary heroes and Nico's enigmatic past. The book provides not only a fascinating record of band members, their collective development, and their impact on subsequent movements but also glimpses of the cultural ascension of intersecting figures, like contemporary fashion guru Betsey Johnson. The book's three sections follow the band's development and dispersion over six chapters, account for group and solo albums, and offer further Velvet source material. Highly recommended for music, contemporary art, and cultural studies collections.

Spanish linguistics scholar Leonard (Cruel Fictions) has created the most comprehensive guide available to translated literary work by Latin American women authors. Spanning the period between 1898 and 2007, the book contains seven indexes categorizing writers by 16 alphabetized countries of origin, surname, narrative title, biography or autobiography title, anthology title, and both novel by title and novel's country of origin. Altogether, 3060 titles by 500 authors are accounted for. An 18-page bibliography provides further reading sources. An invaluable resource for literary, cultural, and women's studies scholars.

Higgins (Are You Rich?) and BBC Cash in the Attic host Hearnden have brought together ten subject specialists to identify and value items in 70 A-to-Z categories. Documenting 5000 items from 350 international dealers, the book is filled with stunning photographs. While far-reaching in scope, it is not as comprehensive as might be expected. It omits collectibles like McCoy ceramics and provides only a survey of popular selections from other trade names. A valuable six-page directory of specialists, a four-page index of collector's clubs, and an A-to-Z listing of antique markets conclude the book. Suitable for antique collections in large public libraries.

To support neuropsychology's swift clinical development and legal applications, Horton (Psychotherapeutic Treatment Approaches) and Wedding (Behavior and Medicine) have revised and updated this respected field guide. Forty-eight subject specialists contribute 27 essays that are divided into five thematic categories. Highlighted are the fundamental issues, clinical assessments, ethical and practical concerns, exceptional cases, and projected expectations relevant to neuropsychology. Divided into helpful subheadings that facilitate comprehension, each essay is followed by three to five pages of bibliographic references. Intended principally for clinical professionals, this book employs specialized language and field-specific acronyms throughout. Recommended for psychiatric and related medical collections.

Answering the need for a comprehensive subject guide, this first half a two-volume set explores the biology, geochemistry, circulation, and sediment patterns of Late Cenozoic oceans, using the most advanced research tools and methodologies available. Included are 19 detailed, subject-specific essays by 34 internationally dispersed scientific scholars. Editors Hillaire-Marcel and de Vernal, both affiliated with the University of Québec, Montreal, have organized the essays into three thematic segments: "Sediment Properties," "Biomarkers," and "Geochemical Tracers." Highly recommended for geological and oceanographic collections.

Divided into six thematic categories and 62 chapters, this excellent resource has been revised to include the field's newest data. American-centered statistics have been collected from nearly 20 government agencies to illustrate explanatory text. The issues explored include genetic predispositions to stress, exacerbating environmental factors, diverse physical consequences, and management techniques. Sutton (Fitness and Exercise Sourcebook) astutely incorporates a conceptual overview of stress and its promotion of illness. The book concludes with a ten-page list of federal and private-sector organizations supporting stress education. Although intended for professionals, it is accessible to the lay reader. Highly recommended for medical and psychiatric collections.

Drawing from his international travels, New Zealand palmist Webster (Practical Guide to Past-Life Memories) has compiled an A-to-Z catalog of 500 objects and actions closely associated with various superstitions. Focusing exclusively on Western-based popular myth, entries run from a single paragraph to multiple pages and sometimes offer brief scientific explanations for seemingly mysterious phenomena. Fully cross-referenced, these engaging and occasionally surprising entries often make reference to relevant literature and historical practice. Nine pages of textual citations and a five-page further reading list round out the book. Recommended for cultural studies collections.