The Encyclopedia Americana Volume 23 (Pumps to Russellville)

Plot

& This is the 2003 edition of the venerable general interest and general readership encyclopedia that has been around since 1829 (!) and is cited in Books for College Libraries, 3d ed. and Guide to Reference Books ; since 1935, it's been revised annually, and the 2004 edition is due in March 2004. Alphabetical entries, from the letter A to the Russian-American engineer Vladimir Kosma Zworykin, encompass a range of topics and personalities, including kinds of animals; current and historic ethnic groups, religions, and languages from around the world; historic, scientific, political, and cultural figures; academic disciplines and concepts; historic events and eras; and important literary and artistic works, among other broad subject areas. With "tens of thousands" of entries, readers will likely find most information that they're searching for, even if it is not necessarily as detailed as they might hope ("further reading" bibliographies are only occasionally included). The final (30th) volume is solely dedicated to the index, directing the reader to articles, topics within articles, and cross references. Annotation 2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR