The New York Public Library Desk Reference

At last, a comprehensive single volume containing all of the most frequently sought information--not an almanac, not an encyclopedia, but a user-friendly ready reference. Hundreds of illustrations and color maps.

A new reference tool put together by Stonesong Press, a packager, with a staff of freelancers. The project bears the imprimatur of the New York Public Library, and former President Gregorian has written a brief introduction. More like an almanac than anything else, this includes much information found in standard yearly almanacs. Its strength is that it concentrates on information most frequently sought and picks out bits and pieces found in familiar reference sources, such as Chase's Annual Events, Bullfinch's Mythology , the Abbreviations Dictionary , and many more to intersperse among the almanac-type information. Symbols, orders of animals, brief surveys of major writers, etiquette, forms of address, and stain removal are just a few of the topics covered. Although the book won't replace anything already owned, the language is clearer and simpler than that found in most almanacs, making it an easier first choice to search for information. Some areas are glossed over, such as math formulas, some are extraneous, such as giving "representative" zip codes for cities, and some appear arbitrary, such as including Ethical Culture as a major world religion. The book's biggest drawback, though, seems to be currency. Publication dates of suggested readings at the end of chapters are generally old. And since a large part of the book is devoted to addresses and phone numbers, currency is extremely important here. In spite of these few limitations, this appears (galley was seen without charts, maps, illustrations, or index) to be a useful new compendium. Good for libraries and as a home desk reference.
- Marguerite Mroz, Baltimore Cty. P.L.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.