Reference

Gillespie (Univ. of California, Berkeley) and Clague (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Inst.) have here compiled close to 250 topics in "island science" written by 300-plus international scholars. These articles, arranged alphabetically by title, are intended for the informed public, and each begins with an introduction that gives the reader a definition of the topic and its significance. The areas covered include geography, island types, geologic processes, biogeography, ecology and evolution, oceanography and climatology, plants and animals, human impact, history, and prehistory. The content throughout is enriched by color illustrations and maps, cross-references, a glossary, a list of contents by subject, and a subject index with more than 3200 entries. Oddly, under the topic section "Important Islands," Cyprus, Cozumel, and Surtsey have their own entries, while Greenland, New Guinea, and Crete do not. However, discussion of these islands in various articles is readily found through the index. BOTTOM LINE For patrons requiring information about various islands not easily located online in a packaged format, this distinctive resource offers one-stop access to current studies and is recommended for researchers in public and academic libraries.—Edward K. Werner, St. Lucie Cty. Lib. Syst., Ft. Pierce, FL

Containing almost 900 entries, this A-to-Z covers both well-known peoples (e.g., Arabs, Israelis, Turks) and little-known groups (e.g., the Oromo of Ethiopia, the Ovambo of Southwest Africa) of Africa and the Middle East, with entries ranging in length from a few sentences to several pages. The text is enhanced with some illustrations, chronologies, maps, and biographical sidebars. Several appendixes, a lengthy concluding chronology covering prehistory to modern times, and a glossary further enhance this work. The longer essays are informative and provide helpful bibliographies, but several entries contain only a few sentences and little in-depth information. BOTTOM LINE Some may question the absence of web citations in this work, but others—especially teachers—may be pleased that a self-contained print volume such as this still has unique value in itself. Recommended for larger public libraries; the price may be too high for secondary school libraries.—Donald Altschiller, Boston Univ. Libs.

With these two inaugural titles—updated and enlarged from their 2002 incarnations in the "Global Studies Handbook" series—ABC-CLIO is launching a brand new series titled "Asia in Focus." The title on China is slated to join them shortly. Ellington (Univ. of Tennessee, Chattanooga) and Connor (Korea Acad. for Educators) authored the earlier titles in the series as well. Connor wrote the bulk of the newer The Koreas, and there are five subchapters by contributors. Prefaces in these books stress the need for global awareness in general and an increased understanding of Asian countries in particular. To that end, each title covers the awareness aspect with sections on geography, history, government and politics, economy, society, culture, and contemporary issues. A historical approach serves The Koreas particularly well, emphasizing the relative recency of the political division between north and south. Supplemental material makes up more than a quarter of each book, including a glossary, a compilation of facts and figures, a description of holidays, a listing of organizations, an annotated bibliography of recommended works, a thematic index, and a general index. BOTTOM LINE Financially strapped libraries holding the earlier "Global Studies Handbook" titles may skip these. Otherwise, they are recommended to public, school, and academic libraries as highly readable, information-rich resources on regions and peoples playing increasingly large roles in our economic future. Librarians may choose to place them in circulation where they would be more appreciated.—Teresa R. Faust, Vermont Dept. of Libs., Berlin

Among other info-bits contained in this book, one learns that in sunny Ecuador, "the government generally treats religion well." Meaning that the large and in-charge generalissimo throws only members of minority faiths in jail during full moons and on Friday the 13th? Generally speaking, this reviewer notes that the word general is a generality throughout this tome. In fact, the bulk of it is a nation-by-nation overview of freedom of religion—a topic too slippery for a reference work since a) subject matter cannot adequately be qualified or quantified; b) constitutional language concerning religious tolerance amounts to a guideline rather than a rule of law; and c) many third-world nations change governments on a regular basis. In any event, this book is merely a reinterpretation of the sources used to create it: Report on International Religious Freedom, published annually by the U.S. Department of State, and The CIA World Fact Book, also a yearly publication. It should, however, be noted that Merriman is the author of ABC-CLIO's commendable two-volume Religion and the Law in America (2007). BOTTOM LINE That old saying "consider the source" is good advice here. Forget this rehash and go straight to the raw material mentioned above.—Michael F. Bemis, Washington Cty. Lib., Woodbury, MN

One of the world's foremost Islamic studies scholars, Esposito (religion & international affairs, Georgetown Univ.) has substantially updated Oxford's highly regarded Encyclopedia of the Modern Islamic World from 1995. This six-volume set not only concentrates on the modern Muslim world, as did its predecessor, but it has also been expanded to include religious and historical background on Islam going back to its inception, plus Muslim communities in regions outside of traditional Islamic spheres (e.g., North America and Europe). Thoroughly revised, the encyclopedia's 1050 A-to-Z entries, written by an international community of 550 scholars, cover such topics as history, geography, law, religious belief, culture, politics, economics, and mysticism. All articles are signed and range in length from short essays to lengthy commentaries on important topics (e.g., "Sunni and Shi'i Islam," "The Qur'an"). Terms are given in the original Arabic with English translations where needed. Written in clear, jargon-free language, this is a balanced, well-rounded, and evenhanded resource for both scholars and general readers interested in understanding Islam and its place in the world. BOTTOM LINE While Brill's Encyclopedia of Islam remains the standard reference work in the field, its slow production and immense cost make this a far more reasonable option for many libraries. Highly recommended for all academic and public libraries; essential for religion collections.—Amanda K. Sprochi, Univ. of Missouri Lib., Columbia

To express their faith, people create temples, construct sculptures, and paint pictures. With this work, Ross (art history, Dominician Univ. of California; Artists of the Middle Ages) aims to shed light on those faith-inspired creations. Volume 1 deals with prehistoric religions, ancient Greek and Roman religions, pre-Columbian religion in the New World, native Polynesian, and native religions in Africa. Volume 2 covers Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Shinto. Each running about 30 pages in length, the chapters are easily read and are arranged in four segments: a history of the religion, principal beliefs and practices, traditional art works and architecture of the religion, and examples of the art connected with that religion. Although the books don't go into great detail about each religion, they can provide a useful overview. BOTTOM LINE This work will probably be most appreciated at an undergraduate college or in a public library with a large interest in religion. It could also be useful to anyone looking for general information or a beginning place for information about religion, architecture, and religious artifacts.—James Langan, Univ. of Pittsburgh Lib., Johnstown

With more than 1000 entries, this encyclopedia provides essential and up-to-date information on the state of business in our world. It reflects both where business is and where it is going in the 21st century. Key features include insights into the development and current business situation globally, with coverage on individual countries; the processes, responsibilities, and ethics of business in the global market; and business policies, regions, countries, dimensions of globalization, economic factors, international agreements, financial instruments, accounting regulations and approaches, theories, legislation, and management practices and approaches. These four volumes offer clear overviews of the important business topics and themes, ranging from competitive forces, cultural environments, and ethics to human resources, legal and labor issues, and marketing. The wealth of topics represents an integrated vision by the editor along with entries by experts from diverse fields. Each entry provides bibliographic information and recommendations. Also noteworthy is a glossary and an extensive appendix that looks at World Trade Organization statistics. Wankel (management, St. John's Univ.) holds a doctorate from New York University, where he was admitted to the Beta Gamma Sigma national honor society for business disciplines. He also has extensive international experience, ranging from the United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Japan, Malaysia, and Singapore to Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Mexico. BOTTOM LINE This is a general, nontechnical resource for students, professors, and librarians as well as investors and managers seeking to understand the development of business as practiced in the United States and internationally. Highly recommended.—Kathleen A. Welton, Chicago

This compilation of well-written essays on the social history of the American Civil War by Frank (editor, Women in the American Civil War) is a new installment in ABC-CLIO's "Perspectives in American Social History" series. Unlike most books written about the Civil War, this one explores the impact the conflict had on ordinary citizens, soldiers, African Americans, Native Americans, women, children, immigrants, religious organizations, cities, and towns. Students who use this book will come away with a better understanding of how one of the major events in U.S. history brought about many changes to the lives of citizens throughout the country. Included in each chapter are in-text citations, black-and-white photographs, and sidebars about specific individuals. The book contains an excellent time line that covers the period from 1833 to 1894 and 17 primary-source documents such as letters, diary entries, newspaper articles, music, and poetry. There is an extensive bibliography and a glossary of terms associated with the Civil War. BOTTOM LINE This well-rounded book would be a nice addition to a school media center, two-year college, or public library collection. [See also Jazz Age below, which belongs to the same series.—Ed.]—Diane Fulkerson, Univ. of West Georgia Lib., Carrollton, GA

Part of ABC-CLIO's "Perspectives in American Social History" series, this volume covers the period extending from the end of World War I to the start of the Great Depression (1918–30), otherwise known as the Jazz Age. The focus of this entry and the series as a whole are the consequences of the era's pivotal events on the lives of ordinary people. Ten chapters, written by American scholars including editor Newton-Matza, range in length from 15 to 30 pages. Each is liberally illustrated with photographs, contains references for further reading, and covers a group of people differentiated by their race (e.g., African Americans), occupation (e.g., farmers, gangsters and bootleggers, musicians, writers, and business persons), and beliefs (e.g., evangelists, reformers, and socialists). Although there is no chapter devoted to women, the dramatic impact of events on their status and roles is touched on in most chapters. Also included are an index, a bibliography, a reference section (including brief definitions and descriptions of relevant people, places, events, and ideas), a collection of primary documents (e.g., legislation, court cases, speeches), and a chronology of events from 1918 to 1930. Editor and contributor Newton-Matza, who holds a Ph.D. in the history of law and labor from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, has contributed more than 30 encyclopedia and reference articles and has been published in scholarly journals like the Journal of Juvenile Law. BOTTOM LINE Well executed and balanced, this covers a brief but important period in America's history; most suitable for undergraduate academic and high school libraries. [See also Civil War above, which belongs to the same series.—Ed.]—Sarah Sutton, Texas A&M Univ.-Corpus Christi Lib.

Part of the "Praeger Perspectives" series, this magisterial compilation highlights the significance of the revolution in thinking about domestic violence since its beginnings over 30 years ago. What you'll learn here is that an estimated 13,000 books and monographs about domestic violence have appeared since the early 1970s. Stark (Women at Risk) and Buzawa (Domestic Violence) started the project by scouring this literature for the major trends and for "cutting-edge" ideas about family abuse. To unlock the knowledge contained in what Yale University political scientist James Scott calls the "hidden transcripts" of these disadvantaged and abused lives, they remind us why it is necessary to listen directly to the voices of those who experience battering as well as their abusive partners. The editors admit that two groups of practitioners may be unhappy with views expressed in these volumes. The first is a significant minority of researchers who morally opposes the use of violence in any form and believes that trying to distinguish the use of force by its motive, context, or consequence or by the relative standing of its victims expresses a personal bias. The second group opposes vigorous state intervention in abuse and is willing to accept a wide range of hurtful behavior to preserve privacy. BOTTOM LINE Even though it covers a touchy subject that stirs all sorts of reactions, this is an important resource that every public and academic library should own.—Albert C. Vara, Temple Univ. Lib., Philadelphia

Presenting in-depth discussions of 24 inventions from the 1400s (Gutenberg's printing press) to the early 2000s (a satellite), Klooster (The Granting of Inventive Rights) defines "iconic invention" as one that is "so significant [it is] widely utilized by and known to the public." Organized chronologically, the 24 chapters ranging in length from 13 pages (Food Preservation) to 65 pages (Electric Power) include an illustration of the invention under discussion. Sidebars on related or other important inventions such as gunpowder appear throughout the text. Retired patent attorney Klooster has selected the entries based on their potential appeal to young adults and emphasizes the invention's history, the inventor's life, and the invention's commercial success. Unfortunately, Klooster relies exclusively on words to convey meaning, and his writing style tends toward verbosity. For example, his explanation of the sewing machine's locking stitch employs five lengthy statements when it would've been much easier for readers, particularly younger teens, to digest simpler sentences and a diagram. BOTTOM LINE While heavy on the history of the invention and the inventor's life, all of the information found here is available through other sources, including books such as Dan Stuckenschneider's What a Great Idea!: Inventions That Changed the World (Scholastic, 2003) and Rodney Carlisle's Scientific American Inventions and Discoveries (Wiley, 2004). Most suitable for older teens and adults.—Laurie Selwyn, formerly with Grayson Cty. Law Lib., Sherman, TX

This thoroughly updated and expanded encyclopedia on the solar system is the second edition of Salem's 1998 work, which was itself largely a collection of articles from previous Magill publications. Editors Fisher and Erickson, both in the astronomy department at Lycoming College, added some 58 new topics to the 122 revised essays, each running about 2000–5000 words over the course of three to seven pages. The signed essays are made up of a brief definition or statement of its significance, an overview (which may be several pages long), a section on the methods of study used or knowledge gained or applications for the topic, and a section on the historical context. An annotated listing of further readings for each essay focuses on print sources, and See also references finish the entries. A table of contents, a list of units of measure, an alphabetical list of contents covering all three volumes, and a category list of contents are in each volume. Volume 1 also includes a list of all contributors and their affiliations; Volume 3 contains an extensive glossary, a general bibliography, a list of 110 authoritative web sites, and a subject index. The content, written for college students or a general adult audience, would be rather technical for younger readers, but the formatting and A-to-Z arrangement make the book rather easy to navigate. Some 200 black-and-white photos and illustrations accompany the essays, but given the ready availability of high-quality color photos, these seem outdated and disappointing. BOTTOM LINE Despite some shortcomings, this is an excellent and thorough resource, recommended for academic and public libraries.—Rosanne M. Cordell, Indiana Univ. Lib. South Bend