International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences

The previous 1968 edition, edited by Sills, is owned by 2,374 OCLC libraries and is cited in Guide to Reference Books and Books for College Libraries, 3d ed.; Resources for College Libraries inexplicably omits it. This new edition comprises nine volumes and has been completely rewritten. In addition to striving for accessibility to a general audience, editor Darity (Duke U.) has identified three major goals for the work: to achieve comprehensiveness in coverage, to include authors with a critical edge who will minimize hagiography, and to allow for the exploration of contested intellectual and ideological terrain. With approximately 3000 alphabetical entries from "abortion" to "z test," the encyclopedia also allots greater emphasis on the impact of critical theory, cultural studies, and the mathematicization of empirical research on the social sciences, which for Darity's purposes encompasses anthropology; archaeology; arts, media, and popular culture; demography; econometrics; economic development; economics; education; geography; history and historiography; interdisciplinary studies; international relations, organization, and law; law; linguistics; methodology; personality; philosophy of science; political science; professions; psychiatry; applied and general psychology; religion; social issues and policy; social sciences; societies; and sociology. Entries are signed, cross- referenced, and include bibliographies. An extensive general index is included in the final volume. The encyclopedia includes a larger number of "see" references than is typical, which will probably aid readers in locating their topics. Annotation c2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)