The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives: 1991-1995, Vol. 3

Library Journal

Beginning with the third volume, The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives (Vol. 1, LJ 2/15/99) has reduced the scope of its coverage from five to three years. Volume 3 contains biographies of 306 people who died between January 1, 1991 and December 31, 1993, while Volume 4 features 313 individuals who died between January 1, 1994 and December 31, 1996. Biographees "came from every race, ethnic group, socioeconomic class, and region of the United States" and made significant contributions to American life. Some were household names, others were known only to those in their professions, still others had obtained a certain notoriety. For example, these recent volumes profile actress Lana Turner, author Alex Haley, chemist Cyril Ponnamperuma, marathon swimmer Florence Chadwick, playwright Alice Childress, president Richard Nixon, religious leader David Koresh, and television personality Redd Foxx, among others. The biographees' major accomplishments are placed in historical and cultural context, and each well-written essay includes the usual biographical data as well as annotated bibliographies. Photographs accompany most entries. Each volume has a "Directory of Contributors" and indexes for occupations and subjects cumulative for that and previous volumes. This valuable, high-quality reference work is highly recommended for school, public, and academic libraries. Charles L. Lumpkins, Pennsylvania State Univ., State College Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Booknews

Volume 3 of this ongoing biographical reference program contains 306 biographies of persons who died between January 1, 1991 and December 1993. These original biographies, signed by noted scholars, describe the lives of individuals who have made a lasting impact on American society. The essays are arranged alphabetically. They includel dates of birth and death, names and occupations of parents, number of siblings, educational institutions attended and degrees granted, names of spouses and dates of marriages and divorces, and number of children. Whenever possible, they also provide information on residences, cause of death, and place of burial, as well as an appraisal of significant life circumstances and influences. The subjects represent every race, ethnic group, socioeconomic class, and region of the US. A b&w photograph accompanies most entries. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)