Encyclopedia of World Environmental History

This reference features 520 articles on subjects that address regional, national, and global environmental events, issues, people, natural resources, and culture. Topics were selected in categories that include art and architecture, literature, biomes, economic systems, energy sources, ancient civilizations, religion, and technology. The articles provide concise definitions and histories of the topics written so as to be accessible to high school and undergraduate students. The text is illustrated with b&w photos and several maps as well as sidebars containing excerpts from original documents. A random selection of topics includes acid rain, Aral Sea, Rudolf Bahro, fascism, free trade, goats, grasslands, ice ages, phylloxera, pristine myth, sprawl, and the World Bank. Entries are included for several countries and all the world's major geographic regions. The articles are signed and include short lists of further reading. The contributors are both freelance writers and academics worldwide. All three editors and the majority of the editorial advisory board teach at American universities. Distributed by Taylor & Francis. Annotation c2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)