Encyclopedia of Capitalism (Facts on File Library of World History) 3 VOL SET by Syed B. Hussain

Hardcover: 1133 pages  Publisher: Facts on File (June 2004)  ISBN: 0816052247

Intended for grades nine and up, the approximately 727 entries in this encyclopedia fit under the categories of countries (97 entries); companies (95 entries, e.g., General Electric, Nestle); biographies (164 entries, e.g., Gorbachev, Mikhail; Washington, George); and economic terms and theories (190 entries, e.g., Keynesian economics, Say's Law), with the remaining entries split among organizations (World Trade Organization), industries (mining), events (American Revolution), and other topics tied to capitalism. All articles are signed and include a bibliography. Article length varies from one-quarter page to six pages, with longer articles leaning toward covering economic terms and theories.

The attempt to view subjects within a "capitalist paradigm" works well with most entries. For example, the article on the Bank of England not only provides a history of the bank, including reforms of the 1990s, but also describes the changing role of central banks within capitalist economies. On the other hand, some articles on companies provide little more than a company profile, with article references pointing to a company's Web page and Hoover's Online [http://www.hooversonline.com], neglecting articles and books.

Added features include a time line in volume 1, beginning in 400 B.C.E. ("Ancient market practices in Greece and Rome") and ending in 2002 ("Euro replaces currency of 12 European nations"). Adjacent to each time-line entry, volume and page numbers point to more information. All three volumes include a title list of articles and a list of 124 contributors with affiliations. Volume 3 contains a glossary; a resource guide (suggested books, journals, magazines, newspapers, and Internet sites); and two lengthy appendixes filled with charts and tables--"International Trade by Region" and "International Trade by Sector." Volume 3 also provides an index with main entries in bold. The index is the only place the reader will find see also references tying related entries together. More than 70 black-and-white photos accompany the text, but some, such as a person peering intently at a computer monitor, seem unnecessary.

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