Reference
Jun 8, 2010Atlases
Stephens, A. Ray. Texas: A Historical Atlas. Univ. of Oklahoma. 2010. c.417p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-8061-3873-2. $39.95. REF
This updated and rechristened edition of the 20-year-old Historical Atlas of Texas bears little resemblance to its predecessor. The volume is illustrated liberally with color photos, maps, and graphs, and the content has been greatly expanded. The original 64 chapters have been augmented to 86, and 175 newly designed maps are also included. Chapters are organized into three major sections: “Natural Texas,” “The Texans” (where chapters on Texas history are arranged chronologically), and “Modern Texas.” Although the content is primarily historical, the book also offers updated geological, meteorological, physiographic, and plant-life information. Also new is an appendix containing relevant primary documents, such as letters from William Barrett Travis and Sam Houston and secession documents from 1861. It rounds out with an index and a bibliography that is arranged by chapter. BOTTOM LINE This new incarnation of a well-loved book by Stephens (director, Texas History Inst.) will be highly relevant to public, school, and academic libraries in Texas, although large public libraries throughout the United States will also find it a fine addition.—Sarah Sutton, Texas A&M Univ. Lib.–Corpus Christi Law & Crime
Vile, John R. Encyclopedia of Constitutional Amendments, Proposed Amendments, and Amending Issues, 1789–2010. 3d ed. 2 vols. ABC-CLIO. 2010. 667p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-1-59884-316-3. $165; Online: ABC-CLIO eBook CollectionREF
Providing “a starting point for an analysis of various [Constitutional] proposals and issues,” Vile (political science, Middle Tennessee State Univ.) discusses the Constitution, its 27 ratified amendments, and the approximately 11,700 amendments proposed within the titular time frame to present “a unique window into American history and politics.” The alphabetical format and detailed index make information access a breeze, and the six appendixes provide a reprint of the Constitution along with charts of the number of proposals by decade, key events, and names of individuals submitting the proposals. The list of cases and cumulative bibliography provide users with additional access points as they continue their research. The succinctly written 525 entries, which range from one to two pages, include See also references and suggested reading bibliographies. A glossary would have been helpful as this title is intended for students and the general reader. BOTTOM LINE The first edition of this set was published in 1996 and received an LJ starred review and a Best Reference Book citation; this updated version will work nicely with more general titles on the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and American political history. Recommended for all libraries.— Laurie Selwyn, formerly with Grayson Cty. Law Lib., Sherman, TX
performing arts
Bryer, Jackson R. & Mary C. Hartig. The Facts On File Companion to American Drama. 2d ed. Facts On File. (Library of American Literature). 2010. 642p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-8160-7748-9. $85; Online: InfoBase eBooks REF
This excellent follow-up to the first edition (published in 2003) is updated with valuable new material, with plays from the Revolutionary period through 2009. Of importance is the inclusion of the three plays that conclude August Wilson’s “Century Cycle,” plus an entry about his 1982 play, Jitney, which was missing in the prior edition. Entries for three Pulitzer Prize–winning plays and 12 playwrights whose contributions to the theater have become clearer in the last seven years have also been added. But, as with all single-volume reference titles covering a wide range of material, there are weaknesses, along with questions of why some plays are given separate essays while others are not. Musical theater coverage should be considerably stronger—Stephen Sondheim, Bob Fosse, and Rodgers and Hammerstein still do not have separate essays, and while David Mamet’s Speed the Plow and George Axelrod’s The Seven Year Itch have separate entries, the musicals Follies, South Pacific, and Oklahoma do not. Perhaps the editors thought these did not qualify as “drama,” though lovers of these plays will beg to differ. BOTTOM LINE Quibbles aside, this is an excellent addition to the reference shelves of public, college, and school libraries.— Susan L. Peters, Univ. of Texas, Galveston political science
Kort, Michael. Weapons of Mass Destruction. Facts On File. (Global Issues). 2010. 366p. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-8160-7827-1. $45. REF
First Kort (social science, Boston Univ.) explores the history of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) from historical crude biological weapons to modern devices. A general overview is followed by an analysis of the United States’ weapons development, the evolution and implementation of WMD limitations treaties, and the steps that have been taken to halt, reduce, or limit the making and use of these weapons. A history and analysis of other countries’ WMD programs concludes the section. Part 2, which focuses on primary sources, contains selected documents dealing with weapons development and deployment, initially in the United States, followed by international treaties governing WMD. Part 3 begins with a chapter discussing how to research information on WMD and covers the benefits and drawbacks of many research tools. Other parts present charts, maps, and graphs that depict countries that own WMD and the quantity, their locations, and how long the countries have had them. Also included are brief biographies of select people involved in creating or implementing weapons and background on organizations that investigate or publish information about weapons. A minor drawback is the abundance of acronyms; while defined at the beginning of the book, the presence of so many of them can be a little confusing. BOTTOM LINE A useful resource for college and high school students beginning research on the subject of WMD. Purchase if your budget allows.—James Langan, Univ. of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Lib.
Watts, Duncan. Dictionary of American Government and Politics. Edinburgh Univ., dist. by Columbia Univ. 2010. 480p. ISBN 978-0-7486-3501-6. $125. REF
Edited by Watts (editor, “Politics Study Guides”), this volume, geared toward readers familiar with the British parliamentary system, focuses on U.S. government and politics post-1945, with emphasis placed on Clinton’s and G.W. Bush’s presidencies. There are over 400 entries in this slim and manageable work, which does not pretend to be comprehensive. Entries include biographies of political figures and descriptions of events as diverse as the Marshall Plan and the 1963 March on Washington. Concepts such as the “separation of powers” are lucidly explained with the prerequisite quotation from the U.S. Constitution, a helpful tool for those not well versed in American politics. A term rarely used or remembered today in the United States spoken by Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld—“Old Europe”—during the deliberation before the U.S. invasion of Iraq is included as a nod to British readers. Readers already familiar with American political lexicon and terminology will find statements such as “The Founding Fathers of the United States were the political leaders who met in Philadelphia” awkward. BOTTOM LINE Written in a clear and scholarly manner, this dictionary is highly recommended for students and scholars in and from British Commonwealth countries (e.g., South Africa, India, United Kingdom) but not for an American audience.—Kam W. Teo, Weyburn P.L., Sask.
psychology
Andrews, Linda Wasmer. Encyclopedia of Depression. 2 vols. Greenwood. 2010. c.570p. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-313-35366-6. $165; Online: ABC-CLIO eBook Collection REF
This is an excellent reference source for general readers on a pervasive mental health condition. Andrews has written extensively on psychological issues in popular health journals and coauthored 13 books, many focused on teenagers and mental health. In 300 alphabetical entries, she looks at the emotional, biological, chemical, and social manifestations of depression and covers both historical and contemporary people, events, theories, and therapies significant to major and minor depression. Although the individual entries are fairly short, varying from a couple of paragraphs to four or five pages, they are extensively linked through cross-referencing, a subject outline, and a topical guide, giving the reader solid coverage of the issues. All entries end with a short, up-to-date bibliography of related readings. BOTTOM LINE This title provides far more information on depression than The Encyclopedia of Mental Health (Facts On File, 2008), and the clinical/scientific aspects are made more accessible to lay readers than in The International Encyclopedia of Depression (Springer, 2009). This encyclopedia will be of practical value to anyone looking for basic information and guidance on mental depression. Recommended for all general collections.—Nadine Cohen, Univ. of Georgia Lib.
religion
Islam in the World Today: A Handbook of Politics, Religion, Culture, and Society. Cornell Univ. 2010. 1136p. ed. by Werner Ende & Udo Steinbach. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-8014-4571-2. $85. REF
A new and updated version of the classic Der Islam in der Gegenwart, now in its fifth edition, this first English-language translation gives non-German speakers access to one of the most authoritative works on Islam in the modern world. Editors Ende and Steinbach are distinguished professors of Islamic and Middle Eastern studies in Germany, and the 40-plus contributors come from equally distinguished academic backgrounds. The volume is divided into three parts; the first is a historical overview of the Islamic world from its beginnings in the seventh century to the present, including a description of the different sects and movements of Islam and their influence in the world today. The second, and most extensive, section discusses the political role of Islam in the modern world, Islamic economics, social systems, and law. Each of 24 essays covers a Muslim country, or a country with a significant Muslim population, in depth; communities in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, North America, and Europe are included. The final section describes Islamic culture and civilization, including art, literature, and architecture, and their intersection with the West. Multiple indexes aid the reader in finding topics, and a massive bibliography is included. BOTTOM LINE The volume has few pictures and is very text dense, but the language is engaging and the translation is excellent. An impressive reference at a bargain price; essential for all public and academic libraries.—Amanda K. Sprochi, Univ. of Missouri Lib., Columbia
sciences
Encyclopedia of Global Resources. 2d ed. 4 vols. Salem. 2010. 1280p. ed. by Craig W. Allin. illus. maps. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-1-58765-644-6. $395; Online: Salem Science. REF
This four-volume set provides a wide variety of perspectives about Earth’s natural resources and explains the interrelationships among resource exploitation, environmentalism, geology, and biology. Allin (political science, Cornell Coll.) presents 576 articles on resources such as oil and tar sands, nations from Argentina to Zimbabwe, government laws and conventions, and historical events. Essays range from 500 to 3000 words, and there are more than 150 charts, tables, and graphs in addition to 200 photos. Of special note are the nearly 200 entries on top mineral-based, biological-based, or energy-related resources, from aluminum to zirconium, and the myriad appendixes that feature an alphabetical and periodic table of elements, as well as a time line, glossary, and comprehensive list of websites. BOTTOM LINE This work’s first edition, Natural Resources , was named an Outstanding Reference Source of 1999 by ALA. With nearly 150 new articles, this edition offers real value and sheds important light on where we derive our mineral and biological resources, how they are processed, what they are used for, and how they fit into the global economy. A rich resource for reference collections in both academic and public libraries. —Kathleen A. Welton, Chicago
social sciences
The Oxford Encyclopedia of African Thought. 2 vols. Oxford Univ. 2010. c.1024p. ed. by F. Abiola Irele & Biodun Jeyifo. illus. bibliog. index. ISBN 978-0-19-533473-9. $295; Online: Oxford Digital Reference REF
There has been a spate of encyclopedias published in the last few years focusing on Africa: Oxford University’s Africana and Encyclopedia of Africa, Gale Cengage’s New Encyclopedia of Africa, and Routledge’s Encyclopedia of African History are all similar in scope, with a focus on history. But in this distinctive set, Irele and Jeyifo (both at the African and African American studies department at Harvard) seek to provide a broad view of African thought from the continent and its diaspora in the Americas and Europe and attempt to cover all that has contributed to its world view, including historical figures, philosophers, literature, social movements, and religion. Two hundred contributors offer about 350 signed, alphabetically arranged entries, all of which are followed by bibliographies and accompanied by a few black-and-white illustrations. Volume 1 also has a list of all entries, while Volume 2 includes a topical outline of the entries under 12 headings (e.g., Philosophy, Politics and History, Social Sciences, and Social Issues). BOTTOM LINE Although a reader could argue with the content of individual entries (the entry on “Abolitionism” focuses almost entirely on Great Britain and ignores the course of the movement in the United States), the well-researched and readable content along with the attractive layout and quality binding will entice scholars to purchase their own sets. Highly recommended for academic libraries supporting African, African American, or philosophy studies.—Rosanne M. Cordell, Indiana Univ. Lib., South Bend
