Best Reference 2008
The year in reference left no subject uncovered
By Brian E. Coutts & Cheryl LaGuardia -- Library Journal, 4/15/2009
America's subprime mortgage crisis of 2007 spiraled into a global financial crisis in 2008. For much of the year, attention was riveted on the presidential primaries. A worsening economy made the election somewhat anticlimactic, but we rejoiced with the choice of our first “international” President.
With stocks tumbling and major firms seeking billion-dollar bailouts, the impact on reference publishers was particularly gloomy, with many reducing staff and limiting new projects. This was evident at conferences like the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting, where publishers and vendors unveiled fewer new products, instead focusing on breathing new, Web 2.0–friendly life into existing ones.
The acquisition of Greenwood by the family-owned ABC-CLIO caught many by surprise. SAGE's acquisition of CQ Press, on the other hand, was less surprising, since much of the publishers' content complements rather than competes.
On the e-reference front, 2008 saw a proliferation of products in less-treated categories, including much-needed ventures into popular culture via Greenwood's outstanding—and Dartmouth Medal–winning—Pop Culture Universe and the still-growing field of women's studies via Adam Matthews Digital's amazingly legible microfilm collection, Perdita Manuscripts 1500–1700.
On the required reading list for these challenging economic times are SAGE's Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society, with timely articles on “transparency” and “truthtelling,” and Academic Press's magisterial but expensive Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace & Conflict, providing background to ethnic clashes still raging worldwide.
The selection of Barack Obama focused renewed attention on the contributions of African Americans, some 4000 of whom are profiled in Oxford University's African American National Biography. Obama's Kenyan heritage, along with wars in the Sudan, AIDS in South Africa, and a worsening situation in Zimbabwe, could also be examined in Gale's expanded New Encyclopedia of Africa. Speaking of Gale, two of its classics received major overhauls in print and joined the Gale Virtual Reference Library on the web: The International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences and The New Dictionary of Scientific Biography.
The Welsh Academy Encyclopedia of Wales, the first-ever single-volume encyclopedia on the history of Wales, one of the oldest countries in Europe, was more than a decade in the making and is a fine example of the highest quality in reference publishing.
Reflecting the astonishing diversity of the subjects covered in last year's reference gems, the list that follows is organized by subject to help facilitate collection development practices. Similarly, because consideration of formats is no longer an afterthought but an integral part of librarianship, information about alternative formats is made more prominent throughout.
GENERAL REFERENCE
The Columbia Gazetteer of the World. 2d ed. 3 vols. Columbia Univ. 4390p. ed. by Saul Cohen. ISBN 978-0-231-14554-1. $595. Online: Columbia Gazetteer of the World Online
With 163,000 entries, the 1998 edition of this work provided authoritative information on places worldwide. This second edition adds 7000 new entries and revises and updates many of the old ones. Complete with its indispensable pronunciation guide, it uses recent national census data to describe features from demography and political boundaries to longitude, latitude and elevation, and more. Confused about whether it's “Mumbai” or the familiar “Bombay”? This will clarify; it's been the former since 1995. [Online version adds selected maps, although without links to the place-names.] ( LJ 10/15/08)
Credo Reference. Credo Reference. corp.credoreference.com
This growing online library, currently drawing on over 400 print publications on a variety of topics and from a range of publishers, including ABC-CLIO, Cambridge, Greenwood, Macmillan, Routledge, and SAGE, is a stable, reliable, and expert tool for any library. The main screen is clean and simple, with a “Search for” box midscreen, followed by an “in” drop-down menu that lets you search in all subjects, including Art, Business, Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, History, Literature, Technology, and Related Resources: Library Catalog, Google Scholar, and HighWire. ( LJ 2/15/09)
BIOGRAPHY
African American National Biography. 8 vols. Oxford Univ. 5404p. ed. by Henry Louis Gates Jr. & Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-19-516019-2. $995. Online: Oxford African American Center
When released in February 2008, after more than seven years of research, this work represented the culmination of the dream of Harvard editors Gates and Higginbotham. With 4000-plus entries from more than 1700 contributors, it was immediately hailed by the Washington Post as “a new and vast frame of reference” for African Americans. [Future plans include an expanded database of some 12,500 names].
Allardice, Bruce S. Confederate Colonels: A Biographical Register. Univ. of Missouri. 436p. illus. ISBN 978-0-8262-1809-4. $49.95.
Typically, it's the generals who bask in the glory of battles won or whose reputations suffer when defeated. However, as Allardice ( More Generals in Grey) notes, “among field officers in the Confederate Army, colonels had the greatest life-or-death power over the average solider.” After exhaustive research, he sheds new light on the lives of 1500-plus men who achieved the rank of full colonel and of whom 16 percent were killed or mortally wounded. An important contribution to Civil War biography.
New Dictionary of Scientific Biography. 8 vols. Gale Cengage. 3271p. ed. by Noretta Koertge. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-684-31320-7. $1045. Online: Gale Virtual Reference Library
The original Dictionary of Scientific Biography, published between 1970 and 1980 with supplements to 1989, became the standard biographical resource for scientific biography. This new edition contains entries on nearly 800 scientists, including 500 on scientists deceased since 1950. Wisely, articles on Alfred Russel Wallace and Charles Darwin, much in the news these days, are new. Coverage has been broadened to include more women and emerging sciences like ecology, computer science, and space science. [The complete 26-volume set is available as the ebook Complete Dictionary of Scientific Biography, comprising both the original set and this update.] ( LJ 6/1/08)
ARTS
Encyclopedia of Nineteenth-Century Photography. 2 vols. Routledge. 1523p. ed. by John Hannavy. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-415-97235-2. $545.
A companion to Routledge's Encyclopedia of Twentieth-Century Photography, this comprehensive work documents the rich traditions of photography's first century. Almost 2000 entries illuminate the lives of key figures in the invention of photography, including Louis Daguerre and William H.F. Talbot, and more obscure ones like Alexis Gouin. In articles relying heavily on primary sources, disputed facts are given new clarity. ( LJ 3/1/08)
Film & Television Literature Index with Full Text. EBSCO. www.ebscohost.com
Updated continuously and with a main screen resembling all other EBSCOhost 2.0 files, this bibliographic database superbly covers subjects in film and TV theory, preservation, restoration, writing, production, and cinematography. With cover-to-cover indexing and abstracts for over 300 publications, full text for 90-plus journals, and approximately 60 books, it is an essential addition to film, TV, visual arts, and cultural studies collections. ( LJ 9/15/08)
Moliterno, Gino. Historical Dictionary of Italian Cinema. Scarecrow. 449p. illus. bibliog. ISBN 978-0-8108-6073-5. $115. Online: NetLibrary
Few countries have contributed more to the history of cinema than Italy. Italian-born film specialist Moliterno here documents its rich tradition dating back to 1895. A chronology, introductory essay, bibliography, and appendixes listing Venice Film Festival Awards complement entries on actresses like Sophia Loren, who became the first female to win an Academy Award in a foreign-language film; actors like Marcello Mastroianni; and directors like Federico Fellini and Bernardo Bertolucci.
Pop Culture Universe: Icons, Idols, Ideals. Greenwood. www.greenwood.com/pcu
This Dartmouth Medal–winning all-things-pop-culture site combines the best aspects of web-based information (dynamic visual appeal, deep and broad content, and timeliness) with the best aspects of for-pay knowledge databases (reliable information with a minimum of bias). The text (and close to 7000 images) is culled from 300-plus recent Greenwood books, including African American Icons of Sport, Encyclopedia of Indie Rock, and Icons of Talk. [See the full list of print titles here.]
Schwartz, Ronald. Great Spanish Films Since 1950.Scarecrow. 417p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-8108-5405-5. $85. Online: NetLibrary
Few people know as much about Spanish films as Schwartz (emeritus, CUNY), who sees Spanish films moving to a less escapist and more realistic portrayal of life following the death of dictator Franco in 1975. Here he ably discusses more than 120 feature films, from the work of Luis Buñuel from the 1950s to the dynamic films of Pedro Almodóvar, listing credits, casts, plots, and awards.
LITERATURE
Bruccoli, Matthew J. & Judith S. Baughman. Student's Encyclopedia of American Literary Characters. 4 vols. Facts On File. 1476p. index. ISBN 978-0-8160-6498-4. $340. Online: Infobase Ebooks
Move over Salem's Masterplots. This comprehensive work by the late Bruccoli is designed to help students approach the study of American literature by discussing the most memorable characters from some of the greatest works (in 900 A–Z essays). Thus, you can find a piece on Gene Forrester, the narrator in John Knowles's eternally popular A Separate Peace, along with commentary on Atticus Finch, the central adult character in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. Certain to be heavily used in all libraries.
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Latino Literature. 3 vols. Greenwood. 1359p. ed. by Nicolas Kanellos. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-313-33970-7. $299.95. Online: Greenwood Digital Collection & via partnership with Blackwell & YBP Library Services
This unique reference source is an outgrowth of a project begun in 1990 to “recover the U.S. Hispanic Literary Heritage,” which to date has discovered 18,000 books and 1700 periodicals written or published by Hispanics prior to 1960. Organized alphabetically, it uses Latino to denote Hispanic peoples of the United States. Expanding coverage to recent times, the 700 entries discuss authors, genres, concepts, and associations of writers and artists. ( LJ 1/09)
Perdita Manuscripts: Women Writers, 1500–1700. Adam Matthew Digital. www.amdigital.co.uk
Established in 1997 by the Nottingham Trent University and now housed at Warwick University, this microfilm collection of 400 manuscripts, created by women in the British Isles during the 16th and 17th centuries, consists of accounts, autobiographical material, food recipes, medicinal recipes, poetry, and religious writings. Women's studies collections will want access to it, but so, too, will broader history collections. A fine, truly scholarly resource, this appeals to a wider audience than one may at first think. ( LJ 8/08)
HISTORY
The American Civil War Research Database. Alexander Street. alexanderstreet.com
A searchable file of information on 4.3 million Civil War soldiers and thousands of battles, with over 16,000 photographs related to the conflict. The database holds all known regimental rosters (over 5000), nearly 3500 regimental chronicles, military records for every individual solider, 1860 Census records, and over 1000 officer profiles. Based on content and what you can get at easily here, the file belongs in all American history collections—it's a bargain at consortial prices. ( LJ 6/15/08)
Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture. 2d ed. 6 vols. Gale Cengage. 5482p. ed. by Jay Kinsbruner & Erick D. Langer. illus. maps. index. ISBN 978-0-684-31270-5. $730. Online: Gale Virtual Reference Library
The 1996 edition of this work drew plaudits from critics everywhere and was an honorable mention for the Dartmouth Medal. This version adds 560 new entries, revises 900 others, updates 4000 bibliographies, and includes essays on major regional themes like “democracy” by Eduardo Posada-Carbó and “race and ethnicity” by Nancy P. Applebaum. Regrettably, editor Kinsbruner died shortly before the set was published. ( LJ 9/1/08)
The Encyclopedia of North American Colonial Conflicts to 1775: A Political, Social, and Military History. 3 vols. ABC-CLIO. 1188p. ed. by Spencer C. Tucker & others. illus. maps. index. ISBN 978-1-85109-752-4. $295. Online: ABC-CLIO.com, Ebook Library, MyiLibrary, ebrary, & NetLibrary
Students of American Colonial history will welcome this rich resource edited by distinguished military historian Tucker. One of a series of sets projected on American military history, it covers the first three centuries of North American history in well over 800 A–Z entries. While all of the familiar topics from the founding of New Spain to Pontiac's Rebellion are covered, so are topics like captivity narratives, described here as “part morality tales, part gory thrillers,” and cannon founding (it took six weeks to make a 24 pounder).
Encyclopedia of World History. 7 vols. Facts On File. 3294p. ed. by Marsha E. Ackermann & others. illus. maps. index. ISBN 978-0-8160-6386-4. $650. Online: Infobase Ebooks
This comprehensive resource on world history focuses on the key themes of technological progress, agriculture and food production, warfare, trade and cultural interactions, and social and class relationships. Approximately 2000 signed entries, based on recent scholarship, are arranged in A–Z format in six volumes, with Volume 7 comprising selected documents from the Code of Hammurabi to the UN Millennium Declaration. Particularly outstanding are the well-constructed maps scattered throughout. Ideal for high school students working on social studies essays and/or as a general reference on world history. ( LJ 12/08)
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through American History: 1900 to the Present. 2 vols. Greenwood. 820p. ed. by Amy T. Peterson & Ann T. Kellogg. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-313-35855-5. $199.95. Online: Greenwood Digital Collection & via partnership with Blackwell and YBP Library Services
Americans spend much of their disposable income on fashion. This entertaining resource examines the relationships between social, cultural, and political developments and fashion in the last 100-plus years via thorough essays focusing on what people wore and why they wore it. We learn, for example, that while men wore union suits to reduce germs and eliminate perspiration prior to 1950, by the 1990s they were wearing briefs, boxers, and boxer briefs. Fascinating inserts discuss the impact of the opening of King Tut's tomb in 1922 on Egyptian motifs and the Nehru jacket named after the prime minister of India. [ The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through World History ( LJ 4/15/08) was released in 2007.]
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Love, Courtship, and Sexuality Through History. 6 vols. Greenwood. 1620p. ed. by James W. Howell & James T. Sears. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-313-33359-0. $599.95. Online: Greenwood Digital Collection & via partnership with Blackwell and YBP Library Services
The way sex and love have been expressed has varied over time and differed from culture to culture. This intriguing resource describes via nearly 800 entries the wide variation of ideas, attitudes, and practices that have constituted sex and love around the world. Volume 1, which covers the Ancient World, is organized regionally with sections on Ancient Egypt and Ancient Rome. Many topics are recurring, like homosexuality, illegitimacy, pornography, and rape. ( LJ 4/1/08)
The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Modern World: 1750 to the Present. 8 vols. Oxford Univ. 4491p. ed. by Peter N. Stearns. illus. maps. index. ISBN 978-0-19-517632-2. $995. Online: Oxford Digital Reference Shelf
With a growing interest in world history, editor Stearns (George Mason Univ.) has assembled an international cast of scholars to write nearly 2000 articles covering the period from the initial phases of the industrial revolution to today. With greater sensitivity to populations as a whole and incorporating the rise of social history, the contributors discuss new trading patterns, diffusion of knowledge, changing migration models, and new disease trajectories in entries covering everything from aborigines and abortion to Zulu War. ( LJ 8/08)
Snodgrass, Mary Ellen. The Underground Railroad: An Encyclopedia of People, Places, and Operations. 2 vols. Sharpe. 746p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-7656-8093-8. $199.
Snodgrass has written a number of award-winning reference sources, and this is certainly one of her finest. Drawing on the most diverse sources from writings of people like Louisa May Alcott, sermons from people like Harriet Beecher Stowe, and human interest stories in newspapers of the period, she has pieced together a rich resource on the nation's first civil rights movement, complete with 1500 entries. When reading about the agents who sped the slaves along to households that ensured safe passage or browsing an appendix listing “passengers of the underground railroad,” it's easy to forget that this transit was carried out in secret. ( LJ 4/15/08)
CURRENT EVENTS
The Contemporary Middle East. The Political History of America's Wars. CQ Pr. www.cqpress.com
These two separate files from CQ Press are remarkably easy to use, especially for electronic scholarly books, and come with an affordable price tag. The former, the e-version of the 1320-page print volume of the same name (2007) by John Felton (a foreign affairs reporter for Congressional Quarterly, Inc., and National Public Radio), offers full-text and excerpted primary-source documents focusing on key events that have influenced the Middle East since World War I. The latter combines biographies, essays, and primary-source documents to depict the causes, events, and consequences of 50 U.S. wars. ( LJ 9/1/08)
Encyclopedia of Political Communication. 2 vols. SAGE. 858p. Lynda Lee Kaid & Christina Holtz-Bacha. illus. index. ISBN 978-1-4129-1799-5. $350. Online: SAGE eReference & Gale Virtual Reference Library
From articles on advocacy advertising to the political uses of the World Wide Web, this work's nearly 600 articles explore the themes of political communication from books, films, and other media. Major concepts like media bias and political advertising are treated in lengthy essays while persons and other topics limited in time are covered in shorter entries. A fascinating table reveals how often friends discuss politics in various parts of the world. ( LJ 5/15/08)
Encyclopedia of the First Amendment. 2 vols. CQ Pr. 1218p. ed. by David L. Hudson Jr. & others. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-87289-311-5. $240 . Online: CQ Press Electronic Library & CQ Press Political Reference Suite
Certainly few themes in American history are as hotly debated as the First Amendment, still serving as “the blueprint for personal liberty.” This is the most comprehensive resource on the topic to date; it opens with a series of essays addressing the two religious clauses, freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of assembly, petition, and association, followed by 1400 entries on Supreme Court decisions, people and laws, issues, and organizations. ( LJ 1/09)
Encyclopedia of Violence, Peace, and Conflict. 2d ed. 3 vols. Academic Pr. 2665p. ed. by Lester Kurtz. index. ISBN 978-0-12-369503-1. $995. Online: ScienceDirect
Much has happened since the first edition of this work was released in 1999. The events of 9/11 and cascading levels of violence worldwide have drawn new research on the topic, which, notes editor Kurtz, most societies are still ambivalent about. This meticulous resource covers everything from mediation and negotiation techniques to trade wars and serial and mass murderers via 190 multidisciplinary articles, 1000 cross-references, and more than 2000 bibliography entries.
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Encyclopedia of Counseling: Changes and Challenges for Counseling in the 21st Century. 4 vols. SAGE. 1870p. ed. by Frederick T.L. Leong. index. ISBN 978-1-4129-0928-0. $795. Online: SAGE eReference & Gale Virtual Reference Library
With the explosive growth in counseling programs in recent years, this resource will find abundant users among both students and the general public. Boasting 600 entries written by the most distinguished scholars in the field, it's made up of four distinct volumes: Volume 1 focuses on the challenges facing counseling in the new century and such topics as cancer management and genetic counseling; Volume 2 addresses personal and emotional counseling; Volume 3 deals with cross-cultural counseling, with entries on diversity and racism; and Volume 4 focuses on the timely topic of career counseling. ( LJ 9/1/08)
International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. 2d ed. 9 vols. Gale Cengage. 5602p. ed. by William A. Darity. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-02-865965-7. $1134. Online: Gale Virtual Reference Library
The Encyclopedia of Social Sciences (1930–35) and International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences (1968) expressed the state of the field to previous generations. This edition is an entirely new work that incorporates the changes in the study of the social sciences over the past 40 years. Some 2000 experts, including several Nobel laureates, wrote 3000 new entries for topics as diverse as abortion, same-sex marriage, and zero-sum game. The index alone consumes 324 pages. By far the most ambitious reference project of 2008. ( LJ 3/1/08)
BUSINESS/ECONOMICS
BusinessDecision. CIVICTechnologies. www.businessdecision.info/home.asp
Targeted at small-business owners, this sophisticated, elegantly designed reporting service combines GIS mapping technology with consumer household data, demographics, and market segmentation information. The interface is the same for both public and academic library versions, but the reporting options differ. The content includes reports and maps for Census 2000 Summary Profiles, Demographic and Income Profiles, Graphic Profiles, Housing Profiles, Market Profile Reports, Retail Expenditures, Standard Site Maps, Tapestry Area Profiles, and Thematic Maps. ( LJ 3/15/08)
Encyclopedia of Business Ethics and Society. 5 vols. SAGE. 2437p. ed. by Robert W. Kolb. illus. index. ISBN 978-1-4129-1652-3. $795. Online: SAGE eReference & Gale Virtual Reference Library
This timely work features leading experts discussing the relationship among business, ethics, and society in more than 800 entries on topics like antitrust laws, ethical issues of bankruptcy, corporate accountability, insider trading, and Ponzi schemes. John Boatright explains how the bankruptcy code in the United States has been used to avoid payment of heavy legal judgments in suits over defective products, while Ricardo Rodriguez elaborates on how gullible investors are lured into Ponzi schemes by improbably high returns. ( LJ 2/1/08)
ProQuest Entrepreneurship. ProQuest. www.proquest.com
This extensive collection of multimedia resources is aimed both at academicians and practitioners investigating start-ups and the growth of businesses. It includes start-up tool kits, data and market research, research articles and working papers, conference proceedings, dissertations, teaching resources, and video clips of successful entrepreneurs. The content is worth the cost, especially when combined with the canny way ProQuest has organized the file. ( LJ 10/1/08)
TRAVEL & GEOGRAPHY
Allaby, Michael & others. The Encyclopedia of Earth: A Complete Visual Guide. Univ. of California. 608p. illus. maps. index. ISBN 978-0-520-25471-8. $39.95.
The emphasis here is on the visual experience, with thousands of spectacular landscape photographs, detailed illustrations, cross-section cutaways, maps, and charts gracing the pages throughout. Using an original organization scheme, which arranges articles on broad themes—birth, fire, land, air, water, and humans—the authors present a fascinating picture of Earth as it is today and as it was yesterday. ( LJ 11/1/08)
Antarctica: Secrets of the Southern Continent. Firefly. 400p. ed. by David McGonigal. illus. maps. index. ISBN 978-1-55407-398-6. $59.95.
From albatrosses to brush-tailed penguins, from Amery to the South Shetland Islands, from early explorations of James Cook to the study of polar medicine, this is a rich resource about one of the least hospitable but most fascinating parts of the world. Travel writer McGonigal, who has made more than 100 journeys to the polar regions, and 23 experts on Antarctica here combine their talents to describe the region through text, color illustrations, and maps. ( LJ 11/1/08)
New Encyclopedia of Africa. 5 vols. Gale Cengage. 3079p. ed. by John Middleton & Joseph Miller. illus. maps. index. ISBN 978-0-684-31454-9. $575. Online: Gale Virtual Reference Library
This successor to the Encyclopedia of Africa South of the Sahara (Scribner, 1997) now spans the entire continent in 1000-plus articles by international scholars, many of whom are from Africa. Of these, 821 are essays including 53 composite entries on independent countries, 96 on cities, and 305 biographies. Numerous maps, illustrations, and a chronology of African history make this the richest source of information on the continent. ( LJ 2/15/08)
Strodder, Chris. The Disneyland Encyclopedia. Santa Monica Pr. 479p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-1-59580-033-6. $19.95.
More than half a billion people have visited Disneyland since it opened in 1955, making it the most visited park of its kind in history. Strodder, who first went as a child 40 years ago, has made repeated visits over the years. With the approach of the park's 50th anniversary, he began collecting materials about its history. The result is this treasure-trove of information about the attractions, from the Carnation Ice Cream Parlor to the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Whether you are planning a visit or are just a Disney fan, this is the book to own. ( LJ 9/1/08)
The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales. Univ. of Wales. ed. by John Davies & others. 1059p. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-7083-1953-6. $99.
As the new National Assembly for Wales opened in June 1999, planning began in earnest for an encyclopedia that would answer the basic question, “What is Wales?” This joint project of the Welsh Academy and University of Wales Press covers more than 3300 subjects, including biographical and more than 869 topographical entries. The illustrations superbly complement the text and range from a painting of Harlech Castle to a photo of harpist Catrina Finch. Arguably the finest one-volume reference work of the year.
SCIENCES
Buhlmann, Kurt & others. Turtles of the Southeast. Univ. of Georgia. 252p. illus. maps. index. ISBN 978-0-8203-2902-4. $22.95.
Ever wondered if a turtle can be removed from its shell? It can't, since its backbone is fused to its shell. These and a host of other questions are answered in this wonderful resource covering turtles native to 11 Southeastern U.S. states. The authors, all research scientists from the University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Lab, describe 42 species (75 percent of all U.S. species) arranged by habitat.
Encyclopedia of Global Warming and Climate Change. 3 vols. SAGE. 1136p. ed. by S. George Philander. illus. maps. index. ISBN 978-1-4129-5878-3. $375. Online: SAGE eReference & Gale Virtual Reference Library
On November 18, 2008, President-elect Barack Obama delivered the keynote address to a Governors' Conference in California focusing on global warming, noting that few challenges facing the world are more urgent than combating climate change. This is the theme of the 750 articles in this comprehensive work, complete with a “layman's introduction” by editor Philander (Princeton). Leading scholars explore topics like abrupt climate change, climate sensitivity, geospatial technology, retreating glaciers, and greenhouse effect. ( LJ 8/08)
Hillyard, Paul. The Private Life of Spiders. 160p. Princeton Univ. illus. index. ISBN 978-0-691-13552-6. $29.95.
If images of spiders spook you, best keep away from this book, whose 100 stunning photographs are so vivid you can almost feel the spiders crawling on you. With more than 100 different families and 40,000 individual species, spiders are among the most successful creatures on Earth. Hillyard, former curator at London's Natural History Museum, has traveled around the world to observe them in their natural habitats, which makes him highly qualified to compile a resource dedicated solely to spider anatomy, behavior, reproduction, social organization, and hunting.
HEALTH & MEDICINE
Salem Health. Salem. www.salempress.com
With 1000 essays, more than 400 illustrations, and nearly 650 sidebars and tables, Salem Health encompasses the complete content of the print version of Magill's Medical Guide ( LJ 2/15/08). It includes sections on Anatomy & Physiology, Diagnosis & Testing, Diseases, Disorders, & Symptoms, Mental Health, Prevention & Lifestyle, Social Issues, Specialties & Health Care Providers, and Treatment & Therapy. All the pieces are excellent separately, but taken as a whole they are truly outstanding. What's more, when you purchase the print set for $395, you get three years of free access to the database. [Print titles to be added to the database include Genetics & Inherited Diseases, Infectious Diseases & Conditions, Addictions & Substance Abuse, and Nutrition & Eating Disorders.] (LJ 4/15/08)
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Info-Sci Books. IGI Global. www.infosci-books.com
This product encompasses over 15,000 chapters from more than 800 scholarly and reference books published by IGI Global since 2000. With coverage focusing on computer science and information technology, this is a straightforward, no-unnecessary-frills file that delivers excellent content efficiently and satisfyingly. It is priced quite reasonably, considering the scope and nature of the material. ( LJ 6/1/08)
|
| Author Information |
| Brian E. Coutts is Professor and Head, Department of Library Public Services, Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green. Cheryl LaGuardia is Research Librarian for the Widener Library, Harvard University, and a regular contributor to LJ |
