Reference Reviews

Lawrence Looks at Books

The World and Its Peoples: Eastern and Southern Asia. 11 vols. 1,583p. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish, 2008. 978-0-7614-7631-3; 2007-60865. $499.95.

The World and Its Peoples: Eastern and Southern Asia As the centers of two of the world's oldest civilizations, southern and eastern Asia have long played a prominent role in human history. Presently housing over two fifths of all humanity including the two most populous countries in the world, those same regions promise to be equally influential in the future. This geographical encyclopedia introduces students to 22 independent countries in addition to Taiwan, Macao, Hong Kong, Christmas Island and the Cocos Islands. Coverage stretches from Sri Lanka and the Maldives to Indonesia and the Philippines. The countries are divided regionally with separate volumes devoted to Japan and the Koreas, while India and China both receive double volume surveys. Each regional volume begins with a tour of the terrain, climate, flora and fauna. Country-specific overviews of history, government and the economy follow. Country sections also include basic facts, figures, chronologies and signed articles on major cities, daily life and cultural expression. Among the latter are examinations of literature, the fine and decorative arts, music, festivals and food. Religion, family, health, education and housing are among the attributes of daily life that are examined. More than 1,100 full-color maps and illustrations vividly portray the life and people of Asia. As additional aids to students, the final volume provides selective bibliographies, a comparative statistical survey of the region, a glossary, and numerous thematic indexes. This second set in the publisher's excellent geographical survey will serve high school and public libraries well.

— John Lawrence