The Negro Almanac: A Reference Work on the African American (5th edition)

The Negro Almanac: A Reference Work on the African American.

With this latest edition, The Negro Almanac retains its preeminence as the most significant, comprehensive, and up-to-date reference work on the black experience in America. Formerly published by Wiley, this editon has a new publisher. The quality of the print and layout have both been improved. Now weighing in at more than seven pounds, and 71 pages longer than the 4th edition (1983), this is divided into 33 chapters, each of which has been thoroughly updated. Among the many changes are coverage of Jesse Jackson's 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns; coverage of the Reagan administration; a revision of the section "Blacks and the Supreme Court"; new tables on "Black Population"; and an expanded article on the "Black Family" incorporating new information on medicaid, AIDS, and drugs. The selected bibliography focuses on literature published since 1982. Minor criticisms include the failure to update some biographical sketches, particularly of lesser-known individuals, the lack of dates in the bibliography, and the increasing unwieldiness of the book. Additionally, the chapters on "Subsaharan Africa" and "Blacks in the Western Hemisphere" are very brief, and the subjects are better covered in other readily available sources, such as the Europa Yearbook . Overall, this is an outstanding reference source and a necessary purchase for all libraries.
- Brian E. Coutts, Western Kentucky Univ. Libs., Bowling Green
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.