Reference Reviews, April 1, 2011
Apr 1, 2011ARTS & HUMANITIES
The Grove Encyclopedia of American Art. 5 vols. Oxford Univ. 2011. 2608p. ed. by Joan Marter. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780195335798. $750. REF
Marter (art history, Rutgers Univ.) has taken the American art content from Grove Art Online (which was in turn based on Grove’s 34-volume Dictionary of Art, 1996) and commissioned hundreds of new articles (on digital art, performance art, and other genres) as well as updates of existing articles and their selective bibliographies to create this authoritative and comprehensive alphabetically arranged guide to American artists, major movements, art institutions, critics, and architecture found in major U.S. cities. (The decorative arts—furniture, glassware, and other such objects that were covered in the 1996 Grove Encyclopedia of the Decorative Arts—are omitted.) Marter sees this current work as being “revisionist” in its approach, as it “reviews the history of the visual arts from the perspective of America’s position in the global arena...[and reconceptualizes American art] from the vantage point of a new millennium.” Helpfully included are 700 images and 128 color plates. BOTTOM LINE Readers may disagree with the amount of space given to one artist or institution over another. But as in any major work written by hundreds of scholar-contributors, this set is not consistent in its depth of coverage, for individual artists especially. The excellent content should be enough to override any quibbles. This will be an invaluable reference tool for high school and college students, scholars, researchers, and general readers. Most highly recommended. [As of March 2011, approximately 70 percent of the new material from this set has been reincorporated into Grove Art Online; upon completion, Oxford will begin adding the revised entries.—Ed.]—Marcia Welsh, Dartmouth Coll. Libs., Hanover, NH
BIOGRAPHY
Derks, Scott. Working Americans, 1880–2010. Volume XI: Inventors & Entrepreneurs. Grey House. 2010. 600p. illus. index. ISBN 9781592375653. $150. Online: Gale Virtual Reference Library, NetLibrary, MyiLibrary, ebrary, & OverDrive REF
This 11th volume in the “Working Americans” series follows the same format as previous volumes, this time focusing on inventors and entrepreneurs. Each chapter covers one decade from 1880 to 2010 and is made up of a general introduction and profiles of three individuals along with varying combinations of news features, time lines, charts, and illustrations. As in previous volumes, some of the profiles may merely be models of relevant historical figures. Each profile is presented in three bulleted lists divided into sections labeled “Life at Home,” “Life at Work,” and “Life in the Community.” Unfortunately, these bullet points contain little useful information and are written in an oversimplified style. The type of supporting material varies from chapter to chapter and may include excerpts from newspapers, personal correspondence, photographs, movie lists, price lists, and reproductions of advertisements. In many chapters, this supporting material is interesting in its own right but does little to supplement the accompanying profile. The author’s use of such seemingly unconnected sources makes the book feel disjointed and potentially confusing, especially for students. It is also notable that there are no footnotes or suggestions for further reading. BOTTOM LINE Not recommended. The author has included a number of engrossing facts and illustrations but without enough consistency and depth to make it a useful resource for students or adults. Overall, librarians will find that the book’s limited content does not justify its price. A better choice for those interested in American inventors and entrepreneurs would be Charles W. Carey Jr.’s American Inventors, Entrepreneurs and Business Visionaries (2002, Facts On File).—Jennifer Michaelson, Cleveland
HEALTH & MEDICINE
Encyclopedia of Human Body Systems. 2 vols. Greenwood. 2010. 667p. ed. by Julie McDowell. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780313391750. $125. Online: ABC-CLIO eBook Collection REF
The goal of this set is to give an overview of the physiology of all 11 human body systems. Chapter 1 offers an introduction to the human body; the following chapters are based on each body system and include an interesting facts section, chapter highlights, and bolded words to watch out for (later defined in the glossary, which has over 600 words and is available at the end of both volumes). The bibliography in the back of each volume is mostly made up of books and websites, and there are over 150 monochromatic illustrations. A science and health-care journalist, editor McDowell has authored or coauthored several books (e.g., The Nervous System and Sense Organs; The Lymphatic System). She has successfully aimed this content toward a high school audience or above in terms of readability, though the title is misleading because the book is not a traditional encyclopedia. Readers will find neither cross-references nor references at the end of the chapters; the majority of the material is organized by the chapters on specific body systems. BOTTOM LINE Recommended for high schools or public libraries seeking an introductory reference book for their collections in this specific area. The book also serves as a good middle-ground purchase for libraries that do not need a title geared toward kids yet do not want one that features overly technical language, though additional purchases may have to be made if patrons are seeking, e.g., color illustrations. A book that may fill that gap is Anatomica: The Complete Home Medical Reference (Firefly, 2010).—Rebecca Raszewski, Univ. of Illinois at Chicago Lib.
MAPS & ATLASES
Page, Nick. The One-Stop Bible Atlas. Lion UK, dist. by Trafalgar Square. Apr. 2011. 128p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780745953526. $16.95. REF
Page, a popular author, speaker, and teacher specializing in biblical history, provides geographical context for people and events in the Bible with a chronological arrangement featuring nearly 140 full-color topical maps in several formats and color illustrations. Also included are time lines for biblical sites: Bethel, Mount Sinai, Kadesh Barnea, Jericho, Shechem, Gaza, Bethlehem, Gibeon, Samaria, Caesarea, Nazareth, Damascus, and Joppa. Additional timetables feature kings of Israel and Judah, Assyrian emperors, Persian emperors, Seleucid kings, Maccabean/Hasmonean leaders, and rulers of Judea. Detailed mapping traces Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem; the Last Supper; and Jesus’s arrest, interrogation, death, and resurrection appearances. Paul’s journeys and final years are charted as well. A series of plans documents the evolution of the Temple in Jerusalem. The accompanying text is enhanced by chapter and verse citations from the Old and New Testaments. Indexes for places, people, and subjects assure ready-reference access to the wealth of information included in this atlas. It is similar in scope to the Oxford Bible Atlas (4th ed., 2009) but with many more maps. Other recently published biblical atlases for consideration include The IVP Atlas of Bible History (2006) and Ian Barnes’s The Historical Atlas of the Bible (Chartwell Bks., 2009). BOTTOM LINE The One-Stop Bible Atlas is recommended for all public libraries and as a handy resource for Bible study groups and individuals.—Edward K. Werner, St. Lucie Cty. Lib. Syst., Ft. Pierce, FL
Robertson, Ian. An Atlas of the Peninsular War, 1808–1814. Yale Univ. 2010. 160p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780300148695. $55. REF
From 1808 to 1814, British troops under the command of Lord Wellington fought armies from Napoléon’s France in a series of battles on the European peninsula formed of Spain, Portugal, and a portion of France. Robertson is the writer of three books on Wellington and travel guides for those countries. He’s used his knowledge of the military history of the time and of the countries’ terrains to produce a book that will appeal to amateur military historians. Seasoned Napoleonic War enthusiasts will probably know most of what is here, although they will enjoy the maps that Robertson and cartographer Martin Brown have created. The topography is in muted pastel colors, and the armies’ movements are in bold primaries: a reader can look at either individually without the other interfering, or look at both together. Along with each map, Brown includes a one- to two-page description of the battle and events leading up to it, often along with a picture or diagram. Brown starts the book with a chronology and a heavily illustrated essay giving historical context. For some, these written portions will be at least as interesting as the maps, despite them being in a small font that can make the text difficult to read. The small font serves a good purpose, though, keeping the book at a manageable size. BOTTOM LINE Not intended for scholars, this book is ideal for aficionados of the era’s military history. Yale bills it as an atlas, but it has more prose and is far smaller than most atlases. Excellent for at-home reading and recommended for the circulating collection of all public libraries.—Robert Mixner, Bartholomew Cty. P.L., Columbus, IN
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Encyclopedia of Information Communication Technologies and Adult Education Integration. 3 vols. Information Science. 2010. 1535p. ed. by Victor C.X. Wang. illus. index. ISBN 9781616929060. $1495. Online: IGI Global InfoSci-Books REF
Author and editor Wang (teacher education, California State Univ., Long Beach) has gathered an impressive cadre of experts to author the 68 chapters included in this three-volume set, the objective of which is to provide “comprehensive coverage and definitions of the most important issues, concepts, trends, and theories in adult education, adult ESL (English as a Second Language), and information communication technologies.” To call this work an encyclopedia is somewhat of a misnomer, however. Readers will quickly find themselves immersed in the topics covered and will be tempted to read from cover to cover rather than simply dipping in for quick reference. Chapters run an average of 15 pages in length, and most include both references and key terms and definitions. Topics include theories and models of adult education, evaluation and assessment of adult education, course design and program development, ethics, pedagogical technique, and the role of gender, race, and culture as they relate to the integration of communication technologies into adult education. Rapid obsolescence is a potential pitfall for any technology-related work of this magnitude and is addressed here by the inclusion of predictions for the future at the end of several chapters. Each volume concludes with a complete index to all three volumes. These indexes are rather oddly numbered—each begins on page 1 rather than continuing the pagination of the volume. BOTTOM LINE Despite some slightly quirky formatting (e.g., the pagination of indexes) and a hefty price tag, this set will be popular with both educators and students of adult education because it provides a comprehensive basis for expanding study of the integration of technology into this field of study.—Sarah W. Sutton, Texas A&M Univ. Lib., Corpus Christi
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Encyclopedia of Drug Policy. 2 vols. SAGE. Apr. 2011. c.1008p. ed. by Mark A.R. Kleiman & James E. Hawdon. illus. index. ISBN 9781412976954. $350. Online: SAGE Reference Online REF
This two-volume set focuses on America’s 100-year campaign against drugs, from a multidisciplinary perspective. The 450 entries, averaging between one and two pages in length, written by experts from across the United States, are arranged alphabetically. Entries cover topics such as laws and programs from each of the 50 states and nationally, court cases like United States v. Kuch, drug types (e.g., club drugs), and political and policy figures like Robert DuPont. Each entry contains cross-references and a bibliography of further readings. A reader’s guide organizes entries into key themes, including cases, countries affecting U.S. drug policy, laws and policies, people, and treatment and addiction. The work concludes with a glossary, a resource guide, appendixes containing remarks from President Nixon and the text of the Controlled Substances Act, and an index. Editor Kleiman (public policy, UCLA Sch. of Public Affairs) is the author of many works on policy analysis, drug abuse, and crime-control policy; coeditor Hawdon (sociology, Virginia Polytechnic Inst.) is the author of several works on drugs and sociology. BOTTOM LINE While similar resources focus on substance-abuse treatment, this one sticks to the social and public policy side of the issues. A good, basic, wide-ranging starting point of research for high school students or lower-division undergrads.—Samantha Schmehl Hines, Univ. of Montana Lib., Missoula
Encyclopedia of Social Movement Media. SAGE. 2011. 632p. ed. by John D.H. Downing. index. ISBN 9780761926887. $150. Online: SAGE Reference Online REF
“You are looking at the tip of the top of a gigantic iceberg,” begins the introduction of this single-volume media study, which considers alternative formats and grassroots experiences in communication media such as songs, graffiti, film, print, and the Internet. This encyclopedia focuses on 20th- and 21st-century social movement media, a topic on which editor Downing (director, Global Media Research Ctr., Southern Illinois Univ.) has written extensively. The A-to-Z entries come from varied and diverse contributors. A list of entries and an extensive index provide reference access, as does a reader’s guide with articles classified into areas such as “Human Rights Media.” Many entries encompass what we may not even consider media—dance in South Asia, music as social protest in Malawi, white supremacist tattoos. The geographical emphasis of place in the subject list and the entries themselves underscores a global experience, one that is likewise conscientiously inclusive of women and of languages other than English. Even current events in Egypt and Tunisia can be looked at through the large lens of social media examined here, with antidemocratic and antisocial forces in the world being confronted with the flow of information through these many channels. Other recent comparable titles are Understanding New Media: Extending Marshall McLuhan (Peter Lang Pub., 2010) and Communication Revolution: Critical Junctures and the Future of Media (New Pr. 2008). BOTTOM LINE Recommended for readers and scholars interested in community media, information policy activism, and feminist, gay, lesbian, and human rights media.—Laverne Mann, Piscataway P.L., NJ
REFERENCE SHORT TAKES
Abdullaev, Kamoludin & Shahram Akbarzadeh. Historical Dictionary of Tajikistan. Scarecrow. (Historical Dictionaries of Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East). 2010. c.448p. illus. bibliog. ISBN 9780810860612. $110. REF
In this revision of the 2002 edition, Abdullaev (From Xingjiang to Khurasan) and Akbarzadeh (Muslim Communities in Australia) have expanded the scope to incorporate political, economic, and cultural developments occurring since the nation’s peace settlement. An opening chronology sketches the contours of Tajik history up to the tumultuous summer of 2009, while an engaging introduction surveys the nation’s history and its political and topographical landscape. Afterward, alphabetized entries profile political and cultural figures and clarify the significance of particular places and events. Of particular note are new entries on foreign policy, economics, and finance-related subjects. An essential reference for understanding a still-developing nation.
Dunaway, David King. A Pete Seeger Discography. Scarecrow. (American Folk Music & Musicians, No. 14). 2010. c.283p. index. ISBN 9780810877184. $49.95. REF
This one-stop guide to all of Seeger’s recorded oeuvre will prove highly valuable to American folk music scholars. Dunaway (Singing Out) divides Seeger’s abundant releases into four major segments, grouping them as whole albums; singles; foreign recordings; and a very brief three-page “private pressings” list, which includes recordings never formally issued. Each segment is organized alphabetically by release title and details recording date, label, serial number, collaborator names, and complete track lists. It is an excellent accompaniment to Allan M. Winkler’s 2010 biography, Pete Seeger and the Power of Song, part of the “New Narratives in American History” series by Oxford University Press.
Gunter, Michael M. Historical Dictionary of the Kurds. 2d ed.Scarecrow. (Historical Dictionaries of People & Cultures, No. 8). 2010. c.410p. illus. bibliog. ISBN 9780810867512. $95. REF
For this update of the 2003 edition, Gunter (Kurds Ascending) has reconsidered each entry and expanded the book’s relaxed and edifying historical narrative to encompass recent events. Multiparagraph entries are organized alphabetically by terms translated from Kurdish. To orient readers, three maps detail Upper Kurdistan and postdiaspora pockets of Kurdish majority. A cache of black-and-white photographs at the book’s center offers an enriching glimpse of significant Kurdish sites and figures. And of special value to researchers is the 90-page, thematically organized bibliography, which rounds out the book. Wonderful informational background to for Michiel Hegener’s photographically rich Kurds of Iraq (Mets & Schilt, 2010).
Parker, Mara E. String Quartets: A Research and Information Guide. Routledge: Taylor & Francis Group. (Routledge Music Bibliographies). 2010. c.498p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780415994170. $150. REF
This indispensable bibliographic reference has been expanded to include titles published since the original 2005 edition. Parker (String Quartet, 1750-1797) organizes the book into six segments, presenting alphabetized primary and secondary sources for general research, subject-relevant history, composer monographs, techniques, groups, and critical works. Some resources are fully annotated with content exegeses provided. Two closing indexes, one by author and editor, another by subject, allow for rapid source location. Complements editor Robin Stowell’s insightful 2003 essay compilation on the legacy of classical quartets, The Cambridge Companion to the String Quartet.
Suarez, Rasiel. Eric II: Encyclopedia of Imperial Roman Coins. 2d ed. Dirty Old Bks. 2010. c.1456p. illus. bibliog. ISBN 9780976466413. $149.95. REF
Although twice the page count of the 2005 edition, ERIC II is not just an extension of its predecessor. It is a fundamental revision and scope expansion, including 60,000 entries that incorporate essential numismatic esoterica. The foremost subject resource since H. Cohen’s eight-volume Description historique des monnaies frappes sous l’Empire Romain of 1880-1892, ERIC II covers the 1500-year period between Augustus and the 1453 fall of Constantinople. Opening with an informative introduction that explains denominations and mint marks, Suarez (ERIC I) divides his subject into 15 chronologically organized chapters, surveying the ruling culture and detailing each imperial coin’s minted permutations. An absolutely vital guide for numismatists.
Wentzel, Wayne C. Samuel Barber: A Research and Information Guide. Routledge(Routledge Music Bibliographies). 2010. c.466p. bibliog. index. ISBN 9780415875585. $150. REF
Wentzel (music, emeritus, Butler Univ.) offers the most definitive compilation of Barber-related resources currently available. The update incorporates Barber-relevant titles published since 2001. While the chronology remains, the original biographical overview has been replaced by a short survey of advances in topic research. The annotated bibliographies that follow are divided into six segments, enumerating reviews and primary documents as well as secondary criticism. Included is a segment detailing extant Barber holographs. Three indexes, organized by author, historical figure, and performance group, reference specific entry numbers rather than generalized page numbers, which allows for rapid source location. An essential guide for Barber scholars and musicologists.
The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2011. World Almanac Bks. 2010. c.1008p. ed. by Sarah Janssen. illus. index. ISBN 9781600571336. $34.95. REF
Janssen (coauthor, Under the Covers) oversaw production of the 2011 edition of what is widely considered the world’s premier trivia book. Divided into broad thematic segments, e.g., crime, arts and media, military affairs, sports, and U.S. facts and history, the content is largely made up of quantitative and qualitative lists detailing firsts and superlatives like “Top-Selling Albums of All Time.” Perhaps of more enduring historical significance are the multidimensional Year in Review, by-state election results, Nobel Prize winner lists, minibiographies, and other collections of scientific facts. A general index facilitates specific subject location. A truly one-stop resource for internationally significant facts.—Savannah Schroll Guz, formerly with Smithsonian Libs., Washington, DC
