Reviewed with Archaeology of Ancient Mexico and Central America.
There is no encyclopedia with which to compare this work, which is highly readable for nonspecialists. Very little technical language is used. Bibliographies accompany each entry, and a subject guide by country and an index facilitate access. The work is recommended for large public and academic libraries where study of the social and urban aspects of this historical period may be augmented by knowledge gleaned from these digs.
“A masterful title that weaves together social, scientific, anthropological, and geographical influences on world history, this set will be the benchmark against which future history encyclopedias are compared… [and] belongs on the shelves of all high-school, public, and academic libraries. In short: buy it. Now.”
"Students seeking information about nontraditional drama careers will find this an essential handbook. . . . Highly recommended for libraries at all levels." Choice
The very small library, especially the 'One Person Library' (OPL), has all of the problems of a big library but with litle or no help to handle the multiple tasks. Books must be ordered, checked into the system, checked out and back in, and eventually disposed of. In addition to all this there are the problems of any other business or organization: budgets, technology, the impact of the internet and planning for the future. This book covers all of these aspects of small library management including ten brilliant comments on time management (Sample: Myth: Get more done, and you will be happier. Truth: No, you will just get more done.)
This mild nostalgia piece takes on the 1970s, continuing the progression of Paradox Press!s Big Book series. Vankin (Conspiracies Cover-Ups and Crimes; The Big Book of Bad) divides the book into four parts: Freaky Fads, The Players, And That!s the Way It Was, and Entertainment Explosion. Each section is further divided into several subsections, with entries on topics such as kung fu, John Lennon, energy crisis, and Sesame Street. Most entries are a few pages long, giving the reader a flavor for the personality or topic but not a great deal of depth. The artwork is primarily playful but in some instances serious; in each case, the art supports the text nicely. There isn!t enough substance here for serious investigation of the 1970s, for the observational pieces are brief and the insights revealed in these sketches are small. Recommended for large public libraries, and academic libraries where cartooning studies are offered."
