Reference

The Abraham Lincoln Companion. Omnigraphics. 2008. 484p. ed. by Helene Henderson. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-7808-0823-2. $65. REF

There are other books on Lincoln miscellanea out there, but none holds the extensive information compiled here by Henderson (ed., Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Sourcebook) with the help of hundreds of contributors. The volume is made up of 5000 entries, all dealing with Lincoln—his childhood, early adult life, debates with Stephen Douglas, and presidency, to name a few topics. Also included are poems, songs, and tributes, as well as important speeches and writings by Lincoln, along with a chronology and contact information for organizations pertaining to Lincolniana. Andrew Ferguson's Land of Lincoln: Adventures in Abe's America is interesting, but it does not have the up-front colloquialisms of this compilation. Competing volumes miss the mark in other ways as well. For example, they do not list the many web sites available for associations, educational institutes, landmarks and historic sites, libraries, and museums, available in Henderson's. On the other hand, this volume lacks a subject index and fails to communicate the humor and storytelling ability that made Abe so famous, not only as president. BOTTOM LINE Considering the nature and popularity of its subject, this unique volume belongs in all public and academic libraries. [Available in print only.]—Al Vara, Temple Univ. Lib., Philadelphia

Compton's by Britannica is traditionally geared toward home users rather than libraries. The 2008 edition contains thousands of updates and hundreds of new photographs and maps, which set it apart from previous annual editions that saw few revisions. Each volume begins with a topical index; examples of topics include the arts, physical science, living things, and the curiously named "potpourri," a sophisticated (and somewhat meaningless) word addressing the younger ages in the target audience of ten to 17 years. Volume 1 instructs users to "always begin with the fact index," which is Volume 26. A sort of mini-encyclopedia, the fact index contains alphabetically arranged entries. Most are around 50 words in length and refer to entries in the encyclopedia proper; longer entries are available for such as Alanis Morissette, that didn't receive an encyclopedia entry. In addition to the topical index, each volume includes an "Exploring" section, which consists of a list of questions and the page number of their answers (e.g., "Where does iced tea come from? Page 46"). An impressive number of color photographs and illustrations will appeal to the student audience, but the larger images seem pixilated; some reveal the incredibly dated material in an entry. For example, in the entry for tennis, the editors have chosen to include photos of Seventies and Eighties tennis stars Jimmy Connors, Chris Evert, and Björn Borg—closer inspection reveals that neither Serena Williams nor Venus Williams is mentioned anywhere in the set. BOTTOM LINE This is a behemoth of an encyclopedia that, despite the publisher's assertion of recent updates, remains dated. For the money, libraries and even home users would be better off with other Britannica products, such as its online or print version of Encyclopaedia Britannica. [The online version of Compton's is apparently no longer available. Home users receive a variety of CD-ROMs and a six-month subscription to Encyclopedia Britannica Online.]—Katherine Mossman, Everett P.L., WA

This second edition of Davis's 2002 work provides nearly 500 entries on natural disasters, almost 50 of them new and others updated. It covers avalanches and landslides, earthquakes, famines and droughts, plagues and epidemics, cyclones, hurricanes, ice storms and snowstorms, tornadoes, and typhoons. It is organized by type of disaster, and each section includes a list of the disasters by geographical location, a chronology of these events, and an introduction to the type of disaster. Each entry begins with a short description of the disaster followed by a more in-depth recitation, the human toll and consequences, and the disaster's significance. Such entries span a few brief paragraphs to several pages, with most being under a page. The 80 scattered black-and-white photos are of poor quality, which might be understandable for the reproduction of some historic photos but not for recent ones. Even the 20 color photos appear overexposed. The writing can sometimes be quirky (e.g., one wonders why one billion is written as 1,000 million in the entry on avian flu?), but there is also frank discussion of political issues on such topics as the responses to the AIDS and SARS epidemics and Hurricane Katrina. The text is appropriately written for the target audience of middle and high school students, and the new entries on Katrina, Tropical Storm Erin, the Sumatran earthquake and subsequent tsunami, SARS, and the mudslide on the island of Leyte in the Philippines may be enough to justify purchasing this updated edition for libraries that found the first edition popular. Although information on various disasters is readily available on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's "Extreme Weather and Climate Events" or National Geographic's "Natural Disasters" web pages, the bibliography and list of web sites will be helpful research tools. BOTTOM LINE Recommended for middle school, high school, and public libraries where information on disasters is a popular topic. Such libraries may wish to purchase a second copy for their circulating collection. [Available in print only.]—Rosanne M. Cordell, Indiana Univ. Lib., South Bend

Editor Leong is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA) and a 2007 corecipient of the APA Award for Distinguished Contributions to the International Advancement of Psychology. With the help of other experts, he has collected a wealth of expert knowledge in an interdisciplinary approach to the domain of the counseling profession, which encompasses counselors, social workers, psychiatric nurses, psychologists, and psychiatrists. The scope, depth, breadth, currency, arrangement, and authority of this work reflect the thorough, in-depth approach of the entire editorial and publishing team.

The encyclopedia contains over 600 entries, whose distinguished authors read like a who's who in the field. The main areas of thought articulated in each volume are as follows: Volume 1 (Changes and Challenges for Counseling in the 21st Century) looks back at theories, models, and trends and seeks to evaluate the paradigm shifts occurring now. Volume 2 (Personal and Emotional Counseling) broadens the scope to healthy personality, causality factors in determining mental health, assessment, and intervention. Volume 3 (Cross-Cultural Counseling) looks at the forces that have shaped counseling and therapy from a cross-cultural viewpoint. Volume 4 (Career Counseling) evaluates career-counseling models via a framework of questions.

Advancing current thought and models in the field, this work provides an unparalleled attempt to approach this important subject from many perspectives. Moreover, each volume has a list of entries, a reader's guide, and information about the authors and the contributors. The reader's guide incorporates substantive topics, e.g., assessment, testing and research methods, biographies, coping, counseling general economic/work issues, human development and life transitions, legal issues, psychosocial traits and behaviors, physical and mental health, theories and therapies, techniques, and interventions. Additionally, the almost 200-page index at the back of Volume 4 is analogous to the "Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms." See and See also notes, extensive bibliographies, and web sites increase the set's appeal. BOTTOM LINE Combining the comprehensive nature of Handbook of Asian American Psychology (2006) with The Psychology Research Handbook for Graduate Students and Research Assistants (2005), both edited by Leong, this is an essential addition to graduate and research collections; its clear and concise content also makes it appropriate for undergraduates. To give credit where it's due, Elizabeth's Altmaier's textbooks Global Promise (2008) and Intervention in Occupational Stress (2001) laid the groundwork for the distinctive manner in which this work was put together. [Available electronically through SAGE eReference as well as Gale Virtual Reference Library.]—Marianne E. Giltrud, Catholic Univ. of America Lib., Washington, DC

First published in 1996 (see the review in LJ 7/96), this reference set covers the Western Hemisphere from Mexico to the tip of South America. The second edition presents more than 500 new essays among the almost 6000 entries. The new "mega essays" cover many broad topics (e.g., Hispanics in the United States; economic development). In addition, many entries have been updated or substantially revised. The extensive biographical entries provide hard-to-find information on many lesser-known Latin American authors and other cultural and historical figures. Many articles contain cross-references and include bibliographic sources in English, Spanish, and Portuguese; a thematic outline and a table of biographies by profession also provide helpful access. Color photographs, maps, charts, and other illustrations enhance the text. BOTTOM LINE While a few English-language encyclopedias covering this region have been published since the 1970s, this work is certainly the most comprehensive and useful on this vital part of the world and includes distinctive entries not found in a random search of other reference sources. An outstanding encyclopedia that will serve a wide range of users from high school students to Latin American scholars, this is highly recommended for public and academic libraries. [Ebk. ISBN 978-0-6843-1590-4; ebook pricing depends on account type and population served; more information is available online at www.gale.cengage.com.]—Donald Altschiller, Boston Univ. Libs.

American musicals have achieved and maintained great importance to the American public more than any other performance art. This is an impressive single-volume source targeting this beloved American form. Written by Hischak (SUNY at Cortland), who is highly regarded in the performing arts field, having published 20 plays and 16 books on film and theater, the resource takes a close look at the entire history of American musical theater, from modern hits like Spamalot and Rent to the ageless classics like Oklahoma, with insightful information on productions, composers, choreographers, directors, lyricists, musicians, and performers. The more than 2000 A-to-Z entries are brief (approximately half a page long) but give a detailed, accurate overview. They run the gamut, beginning with Alex Aarons, producer of musicals by the famed Gershwins, to George Zucco, a British character actor specializing in mad scientists and sinister henchmen. Clever icons are inserted next to the title of the entries to indicate stage work, film, or television. The author discusses not only major musicals like The Lion King and people like George Cohan but also less important subjects, e.g., Paleface (1948), whose lively tunes made the film, proving the broad scope of American musicals. BOTTOM LINE While some of the facts can be found in other sources, such as, for example, John Kenrick's Musical Theatre: A History (Continuum, 2008), this title is considerably more comprehensive. The only disappointment is that it is not currently available as an e-book. Recommended for all music aficionados, students, public, and academic libraries. [According to Oxford, the title is being considered as an addition to Oxford Music Online.]—Bobbie Wrinkle, McCracken Cty. P.L., Paducah, KY

With the help of contributors from across the country in the areas of history, law, and political science, Finkelman (law & public policy, Albany Law Sch.) and Lesh (vice chair, National Council for History Education) have assembled the important documents of America's history from the Colonial period to the 21st century. Each entry provides the complete text of the document and an analysis. At the end of each entry are questions for further study, a glossary of terms found in the document, a bibliography, related documents, web sites for further information, and the complete text of the document. Volume 1 furnishes teachers with guidelines and lesson plans for incorporating primary-source documents into history lessons. The set also includes almost 250 photos and illustrations. BOTTOM LINE This is an excellent resource to teach students about primary-source materials. A nice addition to high school media centers, public libraries, or small academic libraries. [Each library that purchases this print set receives a free subscription through December 31, 2011, to Salem History, an online history database that includes all the content from this set, plus content from any additional set in the "Milestone Documents" series that the library may own.]—Diane Fulkerson, Univ. of West Georgia, Carrollton

Strodder's (The Encyclopedia of Sixties Cool) love of Southern California's famous theme park shines in this essential reference book. After the introduction, maps are provided that show each land and where the shops, restaurants, and attractions were or are currently housed. Next, he examines in alphabetical order everything that ever existed in Disneyland; each reference has a map tag so readers can go back and look at where an operation used to be. Under chronology, Strodder shows the operation's opening date and closing date, or whether it still exists (in which case it says "ongoing"). When mentioning an individual Disney legend like Bob Gurr, the designer of the original Monorail, the chronology is still used, which is a bit odd. After the map and chronology, an intriguing history fills out the entry. Complete in every way, this guide even has entries for such attractions as the Dalmatian Celebration, which lasted for six weeks at the end of 1996. Reading this book from cover to cover would be difficult, but it is perfect for browsing. BOTTOM LINE Disneyland fans looking to learn about their favorite attractions of the Happiest Place on Earth that no longer exist will find this fun to read. Essential for a Disney collector and recommended for large collections. [Available in print only.]—Jeff Ayers, Seattle P.L.

Film historian Thomson's introduction to his essential yet personal list of "must-see" films offers a sweeping overview of how critics have rated movies throughout culture shifts and time periods. By lifting the veil, he allows us to see that any attempt to list the best films of the last 100 years is doomed to break at the point where familiarity, popularity, and subjectivity intersect. Yet, armed with an astounding breadth of knowledge, Thomson, a frequent contributor to a host of national publications, presents his answer to the oft-repeated "what should I see" question. From the outset, it's apparent that his list is not without some capriciousness. For example, his original opener entry, "Abe Lincoln in Illinois," was replaced by the far sillier "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein." Thomson also offers an insightful defense for his inclusion of the movie Adaptation despite an admission that he twice nodded off. Entries are arranged alphabetically with a chronological index. BOTTOM LINE This companion volume to Thomson's New Biographical Dictionary of Film (first published in 1975 and last updated in 2004) offers more of the author's charming prose and opinion. Although not as pop-biased as Peter Travers's 1,000 Best Movies on DVD or as fact-stuffed as Halliwell's Top 1000, it nevertheless ranks as a digestible introduction to a wealth of great films. Recommended for film studies collections in medium to large public libraries. [Available in print only.]—Kelli Perkins, Herrick Dist. Lib., Holland, MI