Reference

Centered in New York City and distinguished from the Beats and the "New York Intellectuals" of the same era, the New York School Poets are united by commonalities of style rather than by time or a specific New York City milieu. Diggory (English, Skidmore Coll.), a prolific writer on modern American poetry, here divides the "New York" school of poets into three chronological generations: the first coalesced in and around New York City after World War II and was followed by a second group in the 1960s and a third group in the late 1970s. This A-to-Z includes about 450 unsigned, mostly biographical and bibliographic entries, written by nearly 60 contributors, most of whom are academics but many of whom are themselves poets. The entries are typically about 750 words long and cover all central poets of the movement, including John Ashbery and Frank O'Hara, as well as those that were influenced by them, notably Andy Warhol, W.H. Auden, and Robert Lowell. The entries also provide extensive coverage of such related subjects as places, specific works, magazines and journals, and other arts. BOTTOM LINE Clearly and accessibly written, this unique compilation is suitable for college undergraduates and advanced high school students whose class work or interests take them in such a specifically focused direction.—Peter Dollard, Mt. Pleasant, MI

Podewell (theater, Tulane Univ.), founder of the Shakespeare Festival at Tulane, has directed more than 150 stage productions, including 22 of Shakespeare's plays. As a director, he has encountered numerous questions from actors concerned about Shakespeare's use of time and place, which inspired him to take on the challenging task of researching their use in the plays. To answer the King Lears who ask, "How many days does it take me to travel from Glouster's manor house to Dover," and the Romeos who inquire, "What time is it when I arrive at Juliet's tomb?" Podewell began writing time-and-place schemes and gave them to his actors; thus a thoughtful, scene-by-scene analysis of the Bard's 37 plays was born. Other books have addressed this topic, but none matches Podewell's comprehensive assessment. P.A. Daniel's Transactions of the New Shakspere Society, a time analysis of the 37 plays, dates back to 1879, and, as Podewell states, "Daniel's perspective ignores the actor." BOTTOM LINE This book will mostly benefit working theater artists and directors but is also strongly recommended for theater historians. Serious Shakespeare fans may find value in it as well.—Lisa Block, Atlanta

Guiley has written many books within the context of folklore, myths, and religion and is considered one of the leading authorities on the paranormal. Her web site (www.visionaryliving.com) provides a wide variety of information on the topics explored in her books. The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft and Wicca (2008) and The Encyclopedia of Angels (2004), both published by Facts On File, represent some of her more traditional writing. Moving into the paranormal, this encyclopedia delineates beliefs about demons and demonology. The text emerges from an exploration of the darker aspects of folklore, myths, culture, and religion, covering major issues, people, and events in a historical and phenomenological perspective. Its over 400 A-to-Z entries cover topics such as demons in different cultures and religious traditions, possession, exorcism, and demon types. With cross-references, brief bibliographies at the end of a major treatment of a topic, a general bibliography, a general index, and 80 black-and-white images, the work strives to be seen as scholarly, and much research has been done to bring it to life. Still, the inclusion of specific indexes—a name index, a chronological index of events, and an index listing demons alphabetically—as well as a glossary would have boosted its reference value. BOTTOM LINE Clear, concise, and balanced, this will attract a range of nonscholarly audiences, especially those interested in the occult, paranormal, folklore, myths, and religion. A solid addition to public libraries.—Marianne E. Giltrud, Catholic Univ. of America Libs., Washington, DC

Cullen-DuPont, an award-winning author of several books on women's history, including Women's Rights on Trial, provides a thorough and in-depth analysis of the complex issue of human trafficking—the official term for the modern-day slave trade. In the first part of the book, Cullen-DuPont provides an excellent overview of human trafficking from the global and U.S. perspectives. She also does an excellent job of combining research with personal stories of individuals who were victims of human trafficking. These personal stories reinforce the statistics and documents in the book. Anyone who uses this book for research will quickly learn that human trafficking goes beyond forcing women and children into prostitution; it also includes forced marriages, sweatshop labor, child military service, involuntary domestic servitude, and involuntary organ harvests, among other things. The second part of the book provides documents from the United States and other countries pertaining to human trafficking. These include international treaties, UN resolutions, news articles, and excerpts from the United States Trafficking in Persons Report. Also included is a substantial section on how to research human trafficking, which provides maps, charts, an annotated bibliography, and a list of organizations working to end human trafficking. BOTTOM LINE This latest addition to Facts On File's "Global Issues" series is a well-researched and eye-opening resource on a difficult topic. It would make an excellent addition to high school media centers as well as college and public libraries.—Diane Fulkerson, Univ. of West Georgia Lib., Carrollton

Littlejohn and Foss, who previously coauthored Theories of Human Communication (Thomson/Wadsworth, 2008), now in its ninth edition, among many other publications on the topic of communications, are eminently qualified to edit this highly useful encyclopedia. They have assembled an international editorial board and a group of contributors to present a broad spectrum of theory related to the study of human communications. Access points include an alphabetical list of entries, a reader's guide in which the entries are grouped into 17 themes, an A-to-Z list of theorists, a selected bibliography of major works by topic, and a chronology of major themes and developments in communication theory that extends from classical Greece and Rome through the present day, in addition, of course, to an extensive index at the end of the second volume. The articles each range in length from 1000 to 3000 words and include references to other entries within the encyclopedia as well as further readings on the topic, covering everything from theories, theorists, orientations to theory, and methodology. Topics in the selected bibliography mirror topics covered in articles and expand upon the further readings suggested at the end of each article. BOTTOM LINE The authors of the articles have minimized the use of jargon and taken pains to make their writing accessible not only to fellow scholars but also to undergraduates, making this encyclopedia equally suitable for large public as well as all academic libraries.—Sarah Sutton, Texas A&M Univ., Corpus Christi

This set takes a very broad approach to legal history, covering private, public, and constitutional law throughout the world and history from ancient to modern times. Under the editorship of Princeton professor Katz (Colonial America: Essays in Politics and Social Development) and with contributions from noted scholars in the field, the work focuses on nine areas in which scholarly information exists—ancient Greek, ancient Roman, Chinese, English common, Islamic, medieval and postmedieval Roman, South Asian, African, and Latin American law—and most of the 1000 A-to-Z main entries are subdivided by these areas. For example, "Adoption" contains five subentries: Ancient Greek, Chinese, English common, Islamic, and Hindu law. Bibliographies follow each subentry, and helpful cross-references direct the reader to more information; for example, the reader of the "Adoption" entry is directed to a variety of others to find the history of Roman law on the topic. Entries are a comprehensive length, ranging from one and a half page up to ten or more, and some 350 illustrations are sprinkled throughout the first five volumes. The sixth volume contains a topical outline, a directory of contributors, and case and subject indexes. The subject index will help those interested in a specific legal tradition (e.g., South Asian). BOTTOM LINE Likely the first of its kind, this is an exceptional, contextual, and thorough treatment of international legal history. It's essential for law programs and highly recommended for most academic libraries, as well as any public library supporting this specialized need.—Katherine Mossman, Everett P.L., WA

Lurie (history, Seton Hall Univ.), Peter O. Wacker (emeritus, geography, Rutgers), and Michael Siegel (geography, Rutgers) have created what is for all intents and purposes the "Atlas of New Jersey," similar to those produced for other states. Thirty-three contributing authors provide the authoritative commentary for more than 75 contemporary historical maps, 120 thematic maps (individual and composite), satellite images, graphs, and illustrations in full color divided into six chapters: "Environment," "Land Use," "Demography," "Transportation," "The Economy," and "History and Politics," comprising 38 articles, each with its own bibliography. This is truly a treasure trove of information about our most densely populated state, encompassing the 400 years from Colonial times to the present. The wide range of topics treated includes the proliferation of telephone area codes, radon risk levels, the evolution of the 21 counties, and the original location and subsequent diaspora of the Lenape (Delaware) Indians, New Jersey's original residents. The maps for "How the State Voted" in presidential and gubernatorial elections are limited to 1856–2008 and 1854–2006 respectively since they rely on blue and red for Democrat and Republican. Results for all elections would have been an interesting addition, with results shown by county with all contesting parties. BOTTOM LINE This unique publication, beautifully crafted yet moderately priced, is an essential purchase for New Jersey residents, former residents (like this reviewer), U.S. history buffs, and all reference collections in and outside of the state.—Edward K. Werner, St. Lucie Cty. Lib. Syst., Ft. Pierce, FL

Offering an opportunity "to get away from the mundane, the everyday, and the routine," this trade reference suggests a limited number of adventure (e.g., gorilla tracking in Rwanda), relaxation (e.g., Elixir Spa, Attica, Greece; Gramercy Park Hotel, New York), sports (e.g., skiing), scenic (e.g., Amtrak's Coast Starlight train; Grand Canyon), and space vacations. Organized by continent, the signed, single-column entries each include symbols indicating cost, amenities, activities, at least one web site for further research, and information about the location. The text is complemented by 800-plus stunning color photos. Because the book aims at worldwide coverage, the variety and range of entries are limited, with France garnering 64 entries, Italy 58, United States 52, Belize three, and Bermuda one. Despite the editor's statement that average folks can now afford to visit such locations, they are still unlikely to do so. An inexpensive trip to Ushant, an island in France's Finistère department, could easily cost approximately $2000 (if not more, given the weak exchange rate) for roundtrip airfare, one week's room and board, and local transportation, while a "free," weeklong Grand Canyon vacation would cost someone living in the southern United States approximately $1000 (according to such bargain-conscious travel sites as www.expedia.com). There are three helpful indexes (escapes, general, and destination), but a price index would have further enhanced the value of this work. Brief biographical information on the 63 contributors indicates that they are travel writers, critics, or experienced world travelers; Arnold herself has written for numerous magazines, including Travel Weekly. BOTTOM LINE Reading more like a sales brochure than an informative, well-balanced collection of travel insights, this book adds little value to reference collections and minimal value to circulating collections. Most useful to globetrotters, travel agents, or tour guides; not recommended for libraries.—Laurie Selwyn, formerly with Grayson Cty. Law Lib.

When looking for health-related information, middle and high school students may have difficulty finding material at their reading level. Now in its fourth edition, the Encyclopedia of Health is geared exactly to them. It is two volumes larger and over 1000 pages longer than the previous edition. The text covers five main topics—body; diet and nutrition; human behavior; illness, injury, and disorders; and prevention and cure—and entries are color coded by topic, as are the cross-references at the end of each entry. Most entries are about a page long, and each has a Q & A box with a minimum of one item related to the topic. In addition to both a cumulative and a thematic index, Volume 18 includes additional resources, such as a first aid manual and a chronology of landmarks in health and medicine. Oddly, its glossary and pronunciation guides are not merged. BOTTOM LINE This easy-to-read encyclopedia is fully accessible to its target audience. A similar set and a good companion for those needing more detailed information would be The Facts On File Encyclopedia of Health and Medicine (2006). For all school libraries.—Rebecca Raszewski, Univ. of Illinois Lib., Chicago

Aiming to introduce some of the "pitfalls and potential solutions" of medical decision making so that better decisions can be reached "with less regret," Kattan (chair, Cleveland Clinic; medicine, Case Western Reserve Univ.) has collected more than 300 essays prepared by over 200 international contributors. The collection attempts to synthesize two schools within the 50-year-old discipline: prescriptive studies, which investigates the process and technology involved in medical decision making, and descriptive studies, which examines how medical decisions are made. The signed entries, ranging in length from two paragraphs to six pages, cover a variety of topics, from bayesian evidence synthesis (which refers to a combination of multiple sources of evidence) to developmental theories (which concern changes that occur over the lifespan as a result of maturation and experience). The average reader may be able to manage such entries, but topics such as factor analysis, principal components analysis, and computational limitations will prove challenging to most. Thus, despite Kattan's claims that patients may use the encyclopedia to understand and interpret "the level of risks and benefits of treatment options," this work is more appropriate for those working in the field. BOTTOM LINE The only resource available on medical decision making, this is an excellent starting point for research by academics and medical practitioners. Recommended for university libraries and medical and research institutes.—Kam W. Teo, Weyburn P.L., Sask.