*Starred Review* The goal of the editors was to make this hefty set "the standard reference work on Asia," intended not only for scholars and students but for a broader audience of "journalists, tourists, government officials, writers, teachers, and the general reading public." More than 2,600 accessible entries ranging from 200 to 4,000 words from hundreds of contributors have achieved a further editorial goal of expressing the diversity of modern Asia from a variety of Asian perspectives while also indicating Western viewpoints. The focus is on twentieth-century Asia and on earlier people and events whose impact is still felt. Thus, there are entries on Basho, the seventeenth-century Japanese poet, and on Confucius (as well as separate entries on Confucianism in China, Japan, and Korea).
The editors define Asia as extending from Japan in the east to Turkey in the west, and from Kazakhstan in the north to Indonesia in the south. Thirty-three nations are covered in depth, while other regions and countries that might have received greater coverage are treated in less depth: the Caucasus, Siberia, Australia, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and the Arabian peninsula nations. The editors note extensive treatment of the latter five in Macmillan's Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East (1996) as well as in other works. Some countries, such as Australia, were felt to be culturally and politically closer to Europe.
Among the subjects of entries are countries, cities, regions, natural features, religions, social issues, languages, people, events, customs, and grown and manufactured products. Primary coverage of countries and regions is broken down into consecutive entries. Bangladesh, to take one example, is treated in a four-page profile, followed by entries on its economic system, education system, history, and political system and on the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Bangladesh-India, and Bangladesh-Pakistan relations. The numerous entries on regional relations and, in many cases, relations with the U.S. are a valuable feature of the encyclopedia. For a nation like China, there are hundreds of relevant entries scattered throughout the set. These can be located using the "Reader's Guide," a table of contents organized first by five major subregions of Asia, then by topic, then by country. Under the topic "Arts, Literature, and Recreation" alone are almost 80 entries for China, among them Ang Lee, Architecture--China, Beijing Opera, Birds and birdcages, Ginseng, Hungry Ghost Festival, and Lacquerware. Repeated at the front of every volume, the "Reader's Guide" is a useful finding aid.
Each entry is followed by a list for further reading. Supplementing the entries are some 1,300 black-and-white illustrations, sidebars, and tables; 90 maps; regional and topical outlines; and, in volume 6, a 230-page index. Sidebars add an interesting mix of content, including excerpts from primary source documents such as literary or religious texts, preambles to national constitutions, and travelers' accounts. Cross-references between entries are infrequent. Coverage is up-to-date enough to cover the post-Taliban government in Afghanistan. One misses more extensive coverage of Russia, covering as it does northern Asia from Europe to the Pacific, though there is nearly a page of index entries under the heading Russia.
The only resource providing such comprehensive and diverse treatment of the topic, Encyclopedia of Modern Asia is highly recommended for academic and public libraries. Its accessible style makes it worth considering for high-school libraries as well. RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
"...An important sub-theme is the relationship between particular countries, which is explored in 100 articles on subjects like US-Japan and India-China relations. Sprinkled throughout are accompanying maps, sidebars with interesting tidbits like recipes or quotes, and black-and-white photographs."
-- Reference & Research Book News (May 2003) (Reference & Research Book News 20030501)
"Gr 10 up- County entries begin with a paragraph about location and population, followed by generally lengthy article that include a fact box. Broad topics, such as literature, the arts, clothing, cuisine, religions, and international relations, are identified by country or region. There are also entries on individuals, geographical areas, tribes, etc. The sum is a comprehensive look at 20th-century Asia."
-- School Library Journal (June 2003) (School Library Journal 20030501)
"More than 2,600 accessible entries ranging from 200 to 4,000 words from hundreds of contributors have achieved a further editorial goal of expressing the diversity of modern Asia from a variety of Asian perspectives while also indicating Western viewpoints. The focus is on twentieth-century Asia and on earlier people and events whose impact is still felt... The editors define Asia as extending from Japan in the east to Turkey in the west, and from Kazakhstan in the north to Indonesia in the south. Thirty-three nations are covered in depth, while other regions and countries that might have received greater coverage are treated in less depth... Among subjects of entries are countries, cities, regions, natural features, religions, social issues, languages, people, events, customs, and grown and manufactured products. Primary coverage of countries and regions is broken down into consecutive entries... The numerous entries on regional relations and, in many cases, relations with the U.S. are a valuable feature of the encyclopedia. For a nation like China, there are hundreds of relevant entries scattered throughout the set. These can be located using the Reader?s Guide, a table of contents organized first by five major sub-regions of Asia, then by topic, then by country... The only resource providing such comprehensive and diverse treatment of the topic, Encyclopedia of Modern Asia is highly recommended for academic and public libraries. Its accessible style makes it worth considering for high-school libraries as well."
-- Booklist (June 2003) (Booklist 20030401)
"In more than 2,600 articles, this encyclopedia covers the breadth of Asia, largely during the 20th century, from Turkey to Southeast Asia... Articles about countries typically include an overall profile (geography, the people, language, history, politics, economy) and more focused topical articles (economic system, education system, history, political system), giving readers the option of a summary approach or more detailed coverage. Many other topics appear by subject, with separate articles by country or region (e.g., Literature-Central Asia, Literature-China). Given the varying ways in which topics are presented, effective use of the encyclopedia is greatly enhanced by a lengthy Reader's Guide, repeated in each volume, and a subject index. Typical of good encyclopedias, all the articles are signed (the preface notes the participation of more than eight hundred scholars and experts from around the world), include references to related articles, and conclude with Further Reading bibliographies. Other features include nearly 1,400 black-and-white maps (a section of regional maps is repeated in each volume), photographs, tables, chronologies, sidebars (many quoting source documents), and a roster of contributors... Articles vary in depth, with many too superficial for more than quick reference or undergraduate background information. Nevertheless, the encyclopedia will be a unique resource appropriate for most reference collections. Summing Up: Essential. General and academic collections."
-- Choice (May 2003) (Choice 20030301)
"Four years in the making, this comprehensive, multidisciplinary encyclopedia of modern Asia uses a broad definition of the continent, offering in-depth coverage of 33 Asian nations as well as the Caucasus and Siberia... About 800 academics contributed the 2,600 signed articles, w
|
![The Great Depression in America [Two Volumes] [2 volumes]: A Cultural Encyclopedia](http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0313335206.01._SX355_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg)
![The Concise Encyclopedia of World War II [2 volumes] (Greenwood Encyclopedias of Modern World Wars)](http://images.amazon.com/images/P/0313330506.01._SX355_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg)
Comments (0)
All
