The Eighties in America: Recessions-yuppies

Put together by Berman (U. of Rochester), this three-volume reference collects 663 essays, ranging from 1 to 6 pages in length, describing topics of relevance to developments in the United States during the 1980s. Entries follow a uniform format that includes short definitions, longer explanations with greater detail, and discussion of the broad importance or impact of the topic at hand. Entries also include guides to further reading. The entries fall under the following general categories: African Americans, art and architecture, Asian Americans, business, Canada, court cases and the law, crime and punishment, disasters, economics, education, environmental issues, film, health and medicine, international relations, journalism, Latinos, legislation, literature, military and war, music, Native Americans, people, politics and government, popular culture, religion and spirituality, science and technology, sexuality, social issues, sports, television, terrorism, theater and dance, transportation, and women's issues. Also included are some 300 black and white photographs of people and events and sixty sidebars, including lists, time lines, tables, graphs, and excerpts from speeches. The final volume includes 16 appendixes containing additional information, including major films, Academy Award winners, major Broadway plays and theatrical awards, most watched television shows and Emmy award winners, best-selling books and recipients of literary awards, popular musicians, Grammy award winners, winners of major sporting events, major decisions of the Supreme Court, and important legislation passed by Congress. These appendixes also include a glossary of new words and slang, a time line, an annotated general bibliography, and a guide to Web resources on the 1980s. Annotation c2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)