Paula Byers – Encyclopedia of World Biography (2nd edition, 26 Volumes)

Автор: Paula Byers
Название книги: Encyclopedia of World Biography (2nd edition, 26 Volumes)
Формат: PDF
Жанр: Биография и Мемуары
Год: 2007
Страницы: 500х26
Качество: Изначально компьютерное, E-book

A multicultural biographical source that covers notable individuals from every part of the world and from all time periods who have made significant contributions to human culture. Volumes 1 – 16 include almost 7000 entries, biographies through 1998. Volume 17 Index for the first 16 volumes. Volumes 18 – 26 Yearly supplements for 1999 – 2007. Each includes its own index. Mother Theresa. Princess Diana. Tom Clancy. Johnnie Cochran. Betty Shabazz. These are just a few of the people you'll find biographical information on in the Encyclopedia of World Biography. Thousands of high-resolution photographs — designed to produce clearer photocopies Updated entries and bibliographies — includes new developments since the last edition as well as newly discovered facts and interpretations of historical figures Easy-to-use page format — straightforward reference to satisfy students and patrons Multi-access, consolidated index — makes it easier to search than ever before And much more. Volumes 18 – 26 Each annual supplement to the Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd Edition, contains 200 biographical entries new to the set. Each volume includes a balance of historic and contemporary figures who, like those appearing in the Encyclopedia of World Biography base set, have made a significant contribution to human culture and society. Entries offer an in-depth biographical essay approximately 2,000 words in length, as well as a bibliographic section, which may include books, periodicals, or online websites to consult for further research. Many entries include a portrait of the individual.

The study of biography has always held an important,
if not explicitly stated, place in school curricula.
The absence in schools of a class specifically devoted to
studying the lives of the giants of human history belies
the focus most courses have always had on people.
From ancient times to the present, the world has been
shaped by the decisions, philosophies, inventions, discoveries,
artistic creations, medical breakthroughs, and
written works of its myriad personalities. Librarians,
teachers, and students alike recognize that our lives are
immensely enriched when we learn about those individuals
who have made their mark on the world we live
in today.
This new edition of the Encyclopedia of World
Biography (EWB) represents a unique, comprehensive
source for biographical information on nearly 7,000 of
those people who, for their contributions to human culture
and society, have reputations that stand the test of
time. Bringing together the first edition of EWB—published
nearly 25 years ago—and the supplemental volumes
that appeared over the years, this set features fully
updated and revised versions of EWB’s original articles,
including expanded bibliographic sections, as well as a
cumulative index to names and subjects. Also, to round
out the first set’s already illustrious, carefully selected
list of entrants, an additional 500 articles enhance
EWB’s coverage of women and multicultural figures
who, in the past, may not have received adequate attention
in general biographical reference works.
Articles. Arranged alphabetically following the letter-
by-letter convention (spaces and hyphens have been
ignored), the articles begin with the full name of the
person profiled in large, bold type. Next is a boldfaced,
descriptive paragraph that includes birth and death
years in parentheses and provides a capsule identification
and a statement of the person’s significance. The
long essay that follows is an average of 800 words and
is a substantial treatment of the person’s life. Some of
the essays proceed chronologically while others confine
biographical data to a paragraph or two and move on to
a consideration and evaluation of the subject’s work.
Where very few biographical facts are known, the article
is necessarily devoted to analysis of the subject’s
contribution.
Following the essay are a Further Reading section
and, when applicable, a list of Additional Sources with
more recent biographical works that have been published
on the person since the original edition of EWB.
Bibliographic citations contain both books and periodicals;
in addition, this publication of EWB marks the first
inclusion of Internet addresses for World Wide Web
pages, where current information can be found.
Portraits accompany many of the articles and provide
either an authentic likeness, contemporaneous
with the subject, or a later representation of artistic
merit. For artists, occasionally self-portraits have been
included. Of the ancient figures, there are depictions
from coins, engravings, and sculptures; of the moderns,
there are many portrait photographs.
Index. The exhaustive EWB Index, contained in volume
17, is a useful key to the encyclopedia. Persons,
places, battles, treaties, institutions, buildings, inventions,
books, works of art, ideas, philosophies, styles,
movements—all are indexed for quick reference just as
in a general encyclopedia. The Index entry for a person
includes a brief identification and birth and death dates.
And every Index reference includes the title of the article
to which the reader is being directed as well as the
volume and page numbers.
Because EWB is an encyclopedia of biography, its
Index differs in important ways from the indexes to other
encyclopedias. Basically, this is an Index about people,
and that fact has several interesting consequences. First, the information to which the Index refers the reader on a
particular topic is always about people associated with
that topic. Thus the entry “Quantum theory (physics)”
lists articles on people associated with quantum theory.
Each article may discuss a person’s contribution to quantum
theory, but no single article or group of articles is
intended to provide a comprehensive treatment of quantum
theory as such. Second, the Index is rich in classified
entries. All persons who are subjects of articles in
the encyclopedia, for example, are listed in one or more
classifications in the index—abolitionists, astronomers,
engineers, philosophers, zoologists, etc.
The Index, together with the 16 volumes of articles,
make EWB an enduring and valuable source for biographical
information. As the world moves forward and
school course work changes to reflect advances in technology
and further revelations about the universe, the
life stories of the people who have risen above the ordinary
and earned a place in the annals of human history
will continue to fascinate students of all ages.
We Welcome Your Suggestions. Mail your comments
and suggestions for enhancing and improving the
Encyclopedia of World Biography to:
The Editors