Masters of Jazz (Chambers Compact Reference Series)

Looks at individuals who are important to jazz and links them with the vocal style or instrument with which they associated

Grade 8-12-- Despite a typeface from the very bottom of the eye-chart, and the lack of cross-references , these compact volumes will be useful sources of ideas and (relatively) nontechnical information. Although all have the same look--biographical and topical articles of four or fewer pages, boxed sidebars and quotations, occasional small black-and-white photos or drawings--they are clearly not assembly-line products . Arrangement varies considerably, and the authors describe their occasionally quirky selection criteria and individual points of view in long, thoughtful introductions. Religious Leaders and The Occult cover hundreds of figures, movements, and concepts in the history of religious philosophy and mysticism with surprisingly little overlap. The author of the former confines his survey to active movements in today's major organized religions, not including cults or pagan groups, and profiles only dead leaders--Teresa of Avila, but not Mother Teresa. The articles are arranged in a single alphabet, with a synoptic table of contents (plus the index) for thematic access. Natal, on the other hand, separates biographies from topical feuilletons, and closes with a discussion of occult ideas in the writings of Shakespeare, Balzac, and dozens of other authors. Masters of Jazz links musicians by instrument or vocal style; the clear descriptions and analyses of over 200 Musical Masterpieces are grouped by type--"Bagatelles," "Ballades," "Ballets," etc. In Great Scientific Discoveries , as well as Great Inventions through History and Great Modern Inventions , Messadie explores the links between ancient and modern science--Fleming discovered penicillin, but antibiotics were used in traditional Chinese medicine; paved streets were invented long before the Romans built their famous roads--and points out recent trends, such as the decline of individual invention. Small and medium-sized collections will find these wide-ranging "encyclopedic guides" affordable alternatives to larger or multivolume reference tools, from Kramer's Listen to the Music (Schirmer, 1988) to The Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology (Gale, 1984).
- John E. Peters, New York Public Library
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Originally published in France in the late 1980s, these inexpensive "encyclopedic guides" for adults and older students were translated and adapted for English readers in 1991 and are now being distributed in North America. In addition to the six titles reviewed here, the series includes Catastrophes and Disasters , Crimes and Criminals , 50 Years of Rock Music , Movie Classics , Mythology , The Occult , Sacred Writings of World Religions , Saints , and Space Exploration. Scheduled for publication in 1993 are Great Cities of the World, Movie Stars , Operas , and World Folklore. Prepared by specialists, the volumes under review are authoritative, reasonably comprehensive and current, and generally accurate, although several minor errors were spotted in Messadie's Great Modern Inventions ; for instance, food irradiation is not, as reported, illegal in the United States. The writing style tends to be textbookish but always readable. The illustrations, all black and white, usually enhance the text. In more than a few instances, American readers will be annoyed or frustrated by the British bias. For example, in Messadie's Great Inventions Through History , approximately half the article on insurance concerns Lloyd's, and the article "Lift" is not indexed under "Elevator." Finally, while these books contain much useful factual information not readily available in general encyclopedias, their insubstantial paperback formatis a drawback. Rebinding will be necessary if these titles are added to the reference collection.
- Ken Kister, author of "Best Encyclopedias," Tampa, Fla.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.