Reference

Published in 1989 and again in 1999, this baseball classic now boasts more than 10,000 entries and 18,000 definitions. The author of many best-selling books, including Baseball's Greatest Quotations, Baltimore native Dickson has devoted 25 years to creating the definitive guide to the language, lingo, and lexicon of baseball for the sport's fanatics and lovers of language as well as nine-year-olds looking for a clear definition of the infield fly rule. The terms and phrases cover everything from statistics and strategies to the history of terms and the date they came into play. BOTTOM LINE This grand book is truly a baseball lover's dream come true. From the first to the last page, it provides an enjoyable experience for readers to treasure. Of special note are the handsome presentation, adequate type size, and editorial care taken with photos and layout that makes the book accessible without compromising comprehensiveness. An essential guide to America's pastime. [Not available online.]—Kathleen A. Welton, Chicago

The study of climate change and its impact on our past and present has increased in recent years. Part of ABC-CLIO's "Contemporary World Issues" series, this compact volume provides a useful introduction to the history and current scholarship on climate change. Written by Downie (Fairfield Univ.), the editor of other textbooks on the topic who is here joined by Kate Brash (Columbia Univ.) and Catherine Vaughn (International Research Inst. for Climate and Society), the book comprises of eight chapters, chronologies, biographical sketches, and a directory of organizations, among other features. The first three chapters cover the topic in great detail, tackling both controversies and solutions from a worldwide perspective. At first glance, the last four chapters (serving more like appendixes) seem like filler material, but the 25-page chronology (beginning in 1750), 51-page data and documents index, and even the directory of organizations all add currency and value. BOTTOM LINE This unassuming book may deceive the selector into passing on it, but while it remains current, it will be useful to older teens and adults doing introductory research on climate change. Optional for libraries already owning The Reference Shelf: Global Climate Change (Wilson, 2006). [Online: ABC-CLIO.com, Ebook Library, MyiLibrary, ebrary, & NetLibrary.]—Katherine Mossman, Everett P.L., WA

Ness (political science, Brooklyn Coll.), author of numerous works on labor organizing, trade unions, migration, and unemployment, has assembled a team of contributors from around the world to work on what may easily become the definitive reference on the topic of protest. The set begins with short bios of the editors and contributors, then launches into an introduction outlining the project and aims of the set: to cover 500 years of protest and revolution from a historical, social, cultural, and political view so that readers may understand the origin, significance, and success of various world events from a neutral and inclusive perspective. It then offers a chronology of significant events followed by a lexicon organizing entries under subject headings, followed by a set of political maps of the world. The 1600-plus A-to-Z entries (from "Abalone Alliance" to "Zwingli, Huldrych"), ranging from 500 to 5000 words in length, contain cross-references to other relevant entries as well as lists of suggested readings. BOTTOM LINE The exhaustive nature and truly impressive scope of this set make it a valuable research tool for scholars. Those who opt for the e-version will benefit from regular revisions and new entries added annually, links to other online resources, and open URL linking. [Online: Blackwell Reference Online; for more information, go to www.revolutionprotestencyclopedia.com.]—Samantha Schmehl Hines, Univ. of Montana Lib., Missoula

Originally published in 1993 (with 215 entries) and supplemented in 1995 (with 78 entries), this revised edition representing 45 non-Anglo countries now contains 380 signed articles ranging from five to eight pages in length and covering fiction and nonfiction authors from the sixth century B.C.E. to the 21st century (e.g., C.S. Lewis, Plutarch, Elie Wiesel, William Woodsworth, Jorge Luis Borges, and the Brothers Grimm). Seventy-one of the original articles have been updated, and there are new entries on authors like Douglas Adams, Roald Dahl, James Herriot, A.A. Milne, and J.K. Rowling. Each article includes vital statistics, an adequate black-and-white author photo, a statement of the author's literary importance, biographical information, analysis of the author's work, discussion of one to five individual titles, a summary statement, a current bibliography of the author's works and additional reading, and a "Discussion Topics" sidebar. A comprehensive table of contents appears in each volume, but the lack of a general index and cross-references makes access a bit awkward at times. BOTTOM LINE This companion set to Magill's Survey of American Literature (2007) is less comprehensive but more affordable than the titles from Gale's "Author" series. It also nicely complements Scribner's World Writers in English (2003). A solid choice for anyone in need of an inexpensive, broad biocritical literary reference title on world literature. [Online: limited free access to the e-version is provided with the purchase of the print set.]—Laurie Selwyn, formerly with Grayson Cty. Law Lib., Sherman, TX

This second edition of the Encyclopedia of the United Nations updates the editors' single-volume work from 2002 with over 100 new and revised entries, including those on the African Union, Hans Blix, conflict diamonds, Darfur, human trafficking, the Millennium Project, al-Qaeda, and the Volker report. Political scientist Pubantz and historian Moore, who previously collaborated on a textbook on the UN, have assembled more than 500 A-to-Z entries, generally a page or longer in length; a 20-page bibliography with suggested readings arranged by topic; and a collection of appendixes that make up half of the second volume. These appendixes cover several significant documents, including the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, important UN resolutions, and selected Conventions and Declarations. There is also a list of important UN web sites for readers to access more information. The black-and-white illustrations are included selectively. BOTTOM LINE Comparable with Edmund Jan Osmancyzk's Encyclopedia of the United Nations and International Agreements (Routledge, 2003), this comprehensive, worthy update will appeal to a wide range of users. [Not available online.]—Ryan Johnson, Univ. of Mississippi, Oxford

Allaby is the general editor of Oxford Dictionary of Natural History and The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Ecology, as well as a leading expert in environmental science. His last two editions of the Dictionary of Zoology have become best sellers, primarily because they are more contemporary than other comprehensive dictionaries in the field, including Anthony Leftwich's Dictionary of Zoology (1973). Using simple, easy-to-understand language in all of the 5250 entries, Allaby expands this edition with the vocabulary of cytology, behavioral ecology, and conservation biology. He has also scrutinized and revised the entries from the previous editions that describe animal behavior, cell structure, ecology, evolutionary concepts, genetics, physiology, taxonomic principles, and zoogeography as well as added biographical notes on some key individuals in the field and included many illustrations, See also references, and detailed appendixes. BOTTOM LINE An outstanding reference compendium and an excellent research tool for biology students, teachers, and naturalists. Of considerable value are the many quality web sites that expand the author's definitions, which are kept up-to-date in the companion web site (www.oup.com/uk/reference/resources/zoology). [Online: Oxford Reference Online.]—Hazel Cameron, Overlake Hosp. Medical Ctr., Bellevue, WA

According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, nearly 11.7 million cosmetic surgical and nonsurgical procedures were performed in the United States in 2007. This resource provides an overview of the controversial topic. Rinzler has written 27 books on food, health, and nutrition, including the latest edition of Facts On File's New Complete Book of Food. The entries here are mostly short, ranging in length from a paragraph to a couple of pages. Those dealing directly with cosmetic procedures include descriptions as well as discussions of risks and complications, outlook, and lifestyle modifications. Other kinds of entries encompass body systems involved in plastic surgery, diseases and disorders treatable with plastic surgery, and even nonsurgical alternatives. The work also has an appendix of mostly medical association web sites, a glossary, and a bibliography of sources consulted such as books, periodicals, pamphlets, reports, and web sites. Although there are cross-references throughout, there are no references at the end of the entries, an omission that somewhat limits the work's usefulness as a research tool. BOTTOM LINE Serving best as an introduction to the topic, this encyclopedia may be good for a library that does not own or normally buy cosmetic or plastic surgery books. Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery Sourcebook (2007) by Omnigraphics is a more comprehensive resource for consumers. [Not available online.]—Rebecca Raszewski, Lib. of the Health Sciences, Univ. of Illinois, Chicago

Handsomely produced new dictionaries are always welcome. Dalzell, a prolific compiler of books on words and the editor of our most important slang dictionary, the two-volume New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English (2006), here "extracts" from the New Partridge those words and short phrases that are clearly American. The 25,000 entries include dated quotations from a wide variety of print and nonprint media as well as the Internet. Old terms like hoochy koochy that remain in use made the cut, along with such newer words as chat room. Readers may be surprised to learn that a seemingly modern term like coke for cocaine dates back to 1903. Not so shocking: many entries deal with the functions of private body parts and scatological usages. One wishes, however, that the criteria for inclusion were clearer. For example, UK words used commonly in America are sometimes included (chop-chop) and sometimes not (pixilated). Chopped rag is identified in the New Partridge as American, but it is not included in this compilation; the New Partridge lists eight U.S. usages for chopper, but Dalzell uses only four of them. BOTTOM LINE Despite some shortcomings, this set is an important complement to such slang dictionaries as the New Partridge, the Oxford Dictionary of Slang (1998), and James Maitland's American Slang Dictionary (Stevenson Pr., 2008), the latter two of which have the advantage of thematic access to their entries. Online slang dictionaries (e.g., onlineslangdictionary.com and www.slangsite.com) can provide additional information not found in standard reference books, but they generally share the authoritative uncertainty associated with sites such as Wikipedia. [Not available online.]—Peter Dollard, Mount Pleasant, MI

The topic of gun control has been covered in several publications: Glenn Utter's The Encyclopedia of Gun Control and Gun Rights (Oryx Pr., 2001) and Gregg Lee Carter's Guns in American Society: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, Culture, and the Law (ABC-CLIO, 2002) are two fairly recent examples. Spitzer (political science, SUNY Cortland), who has published other works on the issue, including The Right To Bear Arms: Rights and Liberties Under The Law (ABC-CLIO, 2001) and The Politics of Gun Control (Chatham House, 1995), has compiled 54 documents arranged into eight broad categories. Each document is followed by an analysis of the significance and meaning of the document regarding gun control. The volume covers constitutional and other government documents, court decisions, acts passed by legislatures, as well as other writings such as the Federalist Papers. BOTTOM LINE There is very little overlap between this work and Greenwood's Gun Control Debate: A Documentary History (1997), edited by Marjolin Bijlefeld, which consists of speeches and editorials as opposed to the preponderance of legal documents in Spitzer's volume. The two volumes are more complementary than duplicative. The added analysis in Spitzer's work also separates it from the earlier effort. Ideal for undergraduates. [Online: Greenwood Digital Collection & via partnership with Blackwell YBP Library Services.]—Ryan Johnson, Univ. of Mississippi, Oxford

Anyone interested in spies will know the name Nigel West. Currently the European editor of the International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence, West is also the author of several Scarecrow books on espionage, including Historical Dictionary of British Intelligence and Historical Dictionary of International Intelligence. As we learn from this resource, sex has played a significant role in a surprising number of espionage cases. For example, FBI agent Earl Pitts sold secrets to the Soviets to ease his financial burdens, which came from his habitually heavy use of male and female prostitutes. Yuri Nosenko collaborated with the CIA after having misappropriated KGB funds to entertain expensive women while on official duties in Geneva, and Aleksandr Ogorodnik of the Soviet foreign ministry was persuaded to become a spy by his pregnant Spanish lover, an agent recruited by the CIA. You will also find here details of Delilah's seduction of Samson in 1161 B.C.E.; John F. Kennedy and his lover, Mary Meyer; and much more. BOTTOM LINE An insightful resource by the authority on the subject, this volume is suitable for all armed forces libraries, university and college libraries, and interested public libraries. [Online: NetLibrary.]—Al Vara, Temple Univ. Lib., Philadelphia

In 1988, Clarke (history & sociology of religion, emeritus, Oxford) coedited a reference work for G.K. Hall with the same main title as this resource by Routledge. Here, Clarke, Beyer (sociology of religion, Univ. of Ottawa), and 48 other contributors explore the religions of the world not only in the context of the regions with which they are associated, but also in relation to such complex issues as the interaction of different religions and the rise of new spirituality movements around the world, among others. A lengthy introduction, which also serves as an overview of current religious studies, is followed by 54 chapters ranging in length from 5000 to 10,000 words and treating a wide range of topics: "African traditional religion and its modern fate," "animism," "Confucian heritage," "defining religion," "fundamentalism," and "Zoroastrianism." BOTTOM LINE The language, topics, chapter lengths, and depth of discussions render this scholarly, attractive work beyond the needs of general audiences. For upper-division undergraduates through faculty. [Not available online.]—Rosanne M. Cordell, Indiana Univ. Lib., South Bend