Encyclopedia of Anthropology

As noted in the foreword by anthropologist Birut Galdikas, this is "the first comprehensive international encyclopedia of anthropology. Editor Birx (anthropology, Canisius Coll.) has made sure that thorough coverage is given to a wide range of topics in physical anthropology, archaeology, cultural anthropology, anthropological linguistics, and applied anthropology. More than 250 respected anthropologists and scholars have contributed over 1000 A-to-Z articles, most of which are relatively short (though some fill up as many as five pages). Numerous biographies of prominent anthropological researchers and theorists are included, as well as See Also references and "Further Reading" lists. Color photographs accompany many of the articles and lend the encyclopedia a pleasing appearance. The signed entries are written in accessible, nonscholarly language, which makes the work suitable for undergraduate students and informed lay readers alike. Overall, this encyclopedia provides reasonably comprehensive coverage of significant topics and is based on sound scholarly research, although certain specialized areas (e.g., ethnobotany) and lesser-known cultures (e.g., Afro-Caribbean cultures of many of the smaller West Indian islands and the cultures of the islands of Micronesia) have been left out. Bottom Line This balanced and user-friendly resource will be a good starting point for basic anthropological research. Highly recommended for academic libraries with anthropology collections and large public libraries where there is interest in anthropology. [H. James Birx is an LJ reviewer.-Ed.]-Elizabeth Salt, Otterbein Coll. Lib., Westerville, OH Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.