Page Navigation

HOME PAGE
AUTHOR BIO
LINKS
REVIEWS
CONTACTS
NEWS & EVENTS

To purchase books online, click below:

Book Reviews

"Encyclopedia of Politics: The Left and the Right"
Reviewer: Library Journal (July 1, 2005)

" During the French Revolution, those favoring preservation of the monarchy were seated to the right of the Assembly while promoters of a more egalitarian republic sat to the left. Today, the misunderstood terms Left and Right pepper our discourse-and polarize political debate-yet defy traditional definition. In this two-volume set, movements, ideologies, political parties, and people are split into Left and Right volumes. Thus, affirmative action, environmentalism, and Thomas Jefferson meet in Volume 1: The Left, while capitalism, unilateralism, and George Will appear in Volume 2: The Right. This juxtaposition of diverse elements spotlights the complexity of defining political ideas in simplistic terms. Some entries, like health care and welfare, are covered in both volumes with slightly different perspectives. The inclusive scope emphasizes recent events while paying homage to 19th-century changes in political landscape. The 450 articles have been written by an impressive array of world scholars, creating an appropriately global perspective (editor Carlisle is Professor Emeritus at Rutgers University). A brief time line of politics and a helpful glossary of terms are appended, along with a reader's guide and index. Bottom Line The accessibility of the articles recommends this set to public libraries serving high school students and interested adults, while the inclusion of article bibliographies speaks to its appropriateness for the academic library market. Although the subjectivity of loose political tags may raise debate among scholars, the work is a solid and lasting contribution to the understanding of the issues that divide us politically. Highly recommended for its readability, scholarly content, and uniqueness."

Kelli Perkins, Herrick Dist. Lib.
MI Copyright 2005
Reed Business Information

List of reviews: