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“More current than its closest rival in size....This is a ‘buy’. ” — Booklist STARRED REVIEW

As Oxford's flagship American dictionary, the New Oxford American Dictionary sets the standard of excellence for lexicography in this country. With more than 350,000 words, phrases, and senses, and hundreds of explanatory notes, this dictionary provides the most comprehensive and accurate coverage of American English available.

The dictionary draws on the two-billion-word Oxford English Corpus and the unrivaled citation files of the world-renowned Oxford English Dictionary to provide the most accurate and richly descriptive picture of American English ever offered in any dictionary. The Third Edition offers a thoroughly updated text, with revisions throughout and approximately 2,000 new words, phrases, and meanings. Many new words relate to fast-moving areas such as computing, technology, current affairs, and ecology, while others have recently entered the popular lexicon. Usage notes have been updated in light of the most recent Corpus evidence.

One of the hallmarks of the New Oxford American Dictionary is the way it reflects the living language. Unlike in more traditional dictionaries, where meanings are ordered chronologically according to the history of the language, each entry plainly shows the principal meaning or meanings of the word, organized by importance in today's English. Thus readers can be confident that the first definition they see is the one most likely to be used by people today, and is not a sense that has been obsolete for two centuries.

Offering clear, authoritative, and precise information, with the in-depth and up-to-date coverage that users need and expect, the New Oxford American Dictionary is the benchmark by which all other American dictionaries are measured.

This critically acclaimed biographical dictionary of American economists offers in-depth biographies of the most important economic figures in American history from the seventeenth century to the present day. All of the major schools of American economic thought are represented, from the Constitutional school to the Keynesian school, and the dictionary includes in-depth coverage of the many overlooked women who have influenced economic thought in America. Individually, the entries capture important contributions to the development of economic thought in America; collectively, they encapsulate the rich diversity of that thought and the influences that have been at play on America economic thinking over four centuries. The Biographical Dictionary of American Economists is an essential reference source for anyone interested in the history of economics and American intellectual history.

A joint effort between Oxford University Press and the renowned American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR), this comprehensive work analyzes the archaeological and linguistic data that pertain to the broad cultural milieu of the ancient Near East, the crossroads of three of the world's most influential religions – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Ranging from prehistoric times up to the early centuries of the rise of Islam, the work covers the civilizations of Syria-Palestine, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Iran, Arabia, Cyprus, Egypt, and the coastal regions of North and East Africa.

With 1,100 entries written by 560 contributors from more than two dozen countries, the scope of the encyclopedia is wide and provides a full range of perspectives and approaches to archaeological endeavors. Articles span from Bahrain to Libraries and Archives to Ziggurats and offer cultural, historical, and religious perspectives to a wide range of topics of interest to both scholars and lay people.

‘an essential reference tool for any archaeologist’ - Professor Mick Aston

With over 4,000 entries covering the essential vocabulary for everyday archaeological work in the English language, this up-to-date dictionary is the most wide-ranging and comprehensive of its kind. There is coverage of principles, theories, techniques, artefacts, materials, people, places, monuments, equipment, and descriptive terms - from amphora to ziggurat, and Beaker Culture to molluscan analysis.

The dictionary focuses especially on Europe, the Old World, and the Americas, and covers legislation relating to the United Kingdom and the USA. The archaeology of a selection of key sites from around the world is also described.

Written by a leading authority, the dictionary's detailed but clear entries provide an essential reference source for students, teachers, professionals, and enthusiasts alike.

New to this edition are recommended web links for over 100 entries.

The Oxford Companion to Architecture is a new reference book on a popular and much-debated subject. It contains over 1500 A-Z entries covering all aspects of architecture, from architects, building types, and movements and styles to materials, aspects of design, and definitions. It is particularly strong in its coverage of architecture around the world, and of modern and vernacular architecture. The Companion is strongly rooted in an approach to architecture that looks at its social, technical, and practical aspects, as well as viewing it from an art-historical perspective.

With high-quality illustrations to complement and enhance the text, and a bibliographic essay, the Companion is an invaluable reference resource for architects, designers, teachers and students of architecture and architectural history at high school and college level, and the general reader interested in architecture.

It has been written by a team of over 150 contributors, including many distinguished architects and academics, under the editorship of Dr Patrick Goode and two consultant editors, Stanford Anderson and Sir Colin St John Wilson.

Over 4,000 entries

This dictionary is a key reference for those who need familiarity with—and comprehensive knowledge of—Australian legal terms. Designed specifically for students, it uses clear and concise language and explores the terms encountered in everyday practice, focusing on core legal knowledge and practice areas. Written, reviewed, and edited by legal experts, this edition features new terms relating to taxation, business law, and company law and has been updated to include relevant cases and legislation.

Over 4,700 entries

The Benezit Dictionary of Asian Artists consists of more than 4,700 entries on Asian artists representing all regions of the continent, including the Middle East, and every era from antiquity to the present. The content is drawn from the most recent edition of the Benezit Dictionary of Artists (Editions Gründ, 2006), supplemented by fifty new entries on contemporary artists commissioned for this publication and over one hundred updated biographies.

Although most of the articles are on East Asian artists, primarily from China and Japan, the overall geographic and chronological scope is considerable, representing artists throughout the continent, and from ancient periods into the 21st century. This dictionary provides a compact, accessible collection of entries on Asian artists from ukiyo-e printmaker Hiroshige to Indian cubist painter Maqbool Fida Husain to Jin Dynasty painter Gu Kaizhi to Israeli artist Yaacov Agam. The artists specialize in a wide range of media, from calligraphy to performance art.

Entries provide concise narratives of artists’ careers, and many include bibliographies, exhibition histories, collection holdings, or auction records; additional entries are illustrated with images of artists’ signatures.

Over 130 entries

This publication, the first of its kind since 1898, represents the work of more than one hundred internationally recognized experts from nearly a dozen countries. It has been designed to satisfy the growing thirst of students, researchers, professionals, and general readers for knowledge about China. It makes the entire span of Chinese history manageable by introducing the reader to emperors, politicians, poets, writers, artists, scientists, explorers, and philosophers who have shaped and transformed China over the course of five thousand years. In 135 entries, ranging from 1,000 to 8,000 words and written by some of the world's leading China scholars, the Dictionary takes the reader from the important (even if possibly mythological) figures of ancient China to Communist leaders Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. The in-depth essays provide rich historical context, and create a compelling narrative that weaves abstract concepts and disparate events into a coherent story. Cross-references between the articles show the connections between times, places, movements, events, and individuals.

The work features a range of appendices, including a timeline of key events, a pronunciation guide, a bibliography, lists of rulers and other prominent people, and other supplemental materials for students of Chinese history and culture.

Over 100 entries

The fourth volume of the Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography covers the years 1979-2015, providing a riveting new way to understand twenty-first-century China and a personal look at the changes that have taken place since the Reform and Opening Up era started in 1979. One hundred key individuals from this period were selected by an international group of experts, and the stories were written by more than 70 authors in 14 countries. The authors map the paths taken by these individuals-some rocky, some meandering, some fateful-and in telling their stories give contemporary Chinese history a human face. The editors have included – with the advice of myriad experts around the world – not only the life stories of politicians and government officials, who play a crucial role in the development of the country, but the stories of cultural figures including film directors, activists, writers, and entrepreneurs from the mainland China, Hong Kong, and also from Taiwan.

The "Greater China" that comes through in this volume has diverse ideas and identities. It is often contradictory, sometimes fractious, and always full of creative human complexity. Some of the lives rendered here are heroic. Some are tragic, and many are inspirational. Some figures come in for trenchant criticism, and others are celebrated with a sense of wonder and awe. Like previous volumes of the Berkshire Dictionary of Chinese Biography, this volume includes a range of appendices, including a pronunciation guide, a bibliography, and a timeline of key events.

The work features a range of appendices, including a timeline of key events, a pronunciation guide, a bibliography, lists of rulers and other prominent people, and other supplemental materials for students of Chinese history and culture.

2006 ALA/RUSA Outstanding Reference Source

2005Booklist Editor's Choice

2005 Choice Outstanding Academic Title

The second edition of Black Women in America, edited by Darlene Clark Hine, provides expanded coverage of the achievements and contributions of African American women.

Winner of the Dartmouth Medal for Outstanding Reference Publication of 1994, the first edition of Black Women in America broke new ground—pulling together for the first time all of the research in this vast but underrepresented field to provide one of the strongest building blocks of Black Women’s Studies. Hailed by Eric Foner of Columbia University as “one of those publishing events which changes the way we look at a field,” it simultaneously filled a void in the literature and sparked new research and concepts regarding African American women in history. Since the first edition was published, a new generation of American black women has flourished, demanding this landmark reference be brought up to date. Women such as Venus and Serena Williams, Condoleezza Rice, Carol Moseley Braun, Ruth Simmons, and Ann Fudge have become household names for their remarkable contributions to sports, politics, academia, and business. In nearly 600 entries, Black Women in America celebrates the remarkable achievements of black women throughout history, highlights their ongoing contributions in America today, and represents the new research the first edition helped to generate.

‘Provides a global approach to the world of the book and is, in every way, a monumental achievement’ – CHOICE

The Oxford Companion to the Book is a unique work of reference, covering the book, broadly conceived, throughout the world from ancient to modern times. It includes traditional subjects such as bibliography, palaeography, the history of printing, editorial theory and practice, textual criticism, book collecting, and libraries, but it also engages with newer disciplines such as the history of the book and the electronic book. It pays particular attention to how different societies shape books and how books shape societies.

The work includes a substantial series of introductory essays alongside an A-Z section of over 5,000 entries, all linked by thorough cross-referencing and served by a classified index of entries.

The essays provide histories of the subject ranging from writing systems, the ancient and the medieval book, through central aspects of book production, to editorial theory and textual criticism, the economics of print, and the sacred book, as well as 29 surveys of the history of the book around the world, including the Muslim world, Latin America, and Sub-Saharan Africa (these can be found under ‘Essay’).

The entries cover every aspect of this exceptionally rich and diverse subject, ranging from brief definitions and biographical entries to more extensive treatments. The text is illustrated throughout with reproductions, diagrams, and examples of various typographical features.

The Companion is the only reference book of its kind in the field, and has been written by 400 of the world’s best scholars in bibliography and book history.

Much loved for its wit and wisdom since 1870, Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable takes you on a captivating adventure through its trademark blend of language, culture, myth and legend. As Susie Dent explains in the foreword, Brewer’s “is not a straightforward dictionary, nor is it an encyclopaedia. It is, in fact, unlike any other reference book that exists, anywhere.” This nineteenth edition encapsulates all the charm and wit that characterise its predecessors and maintains the standards of scholarship and eclecticism that have long been its hallmark.

Thoroughly updated with over 100 new and revised entries – think crowdsourcing, cyberpunk, iPad and mash-up – this unique resource is guaranteed to delight, entertain and inspire in the best Brewer’s tradition. Discover Brewer’s take on angels, heraldry, pub signs and recluses, and delve into the lexicographical world of the eggcorn. Whether you are a committed Brewerphile or a newcomer to its pages of fascinating entries, this edition will draw you in and keep you glued to its rich mix of eccentric nuggets.

This dictionary features broad-ranging entries on the history and doctrines of the major Buddhist schools, information on the spread of Buddhism in Asia and the West, and coverage of issues of contemporary concern such as human rights, abortion, euthanasia, ‘engaged Buddhism’, and the role of women in Buddhist teachings.

1991 Reference Reviews Best Specialist Reference Work

1992 Choice Outstanding Academic Book

With more than 5,000 entries by an international group of eminent historians, this is the standard research tool on 1,100 years of Byzantine history. Exhaustive in its coverage, entries on patriarchy and emperors coexist with entries on surgery, musical instruments, and the baking of bread, bringing to life this vastly important culture and empire, from the 4th century to the 15th.

A comprehensive and accessible survey of the whole of Celtic mythology, legend, saga, and folklore. It covers the people, themes, concepts, places, and creatures of Celtic mythology, from both ancient and modern traditions, in 4,000 entries ranging from brief definitions to short essays.

Over 3,200 entries

This dictionary provides definitions and explanations for chemical engineering terms in areas including: materials, energy balances, reactions, separations, sustainability, safety, and ethics. Comprehensively cross-referenced and complemented by over 60 line drawings, this dictionary is the most authoritative of its kind. It also covers many pertinent terms from the fields of chemistry, physics, biology, and mathematics.

‘“No home should be without one” certainly applies to this splendid medical dictionary’ – Journal of the Institute of Health Education

Over 12,500 entries

This bestselling and market-leading dictionary covers all aspects of medical science and terminology. Written by a team of medical experts, it has been fully revised and updated for this new edition to reflect the latest in medical knowledge and practice. Accessible entries are complemented by over 150 illustrations. The 10th edition includes over 250 new entries and features up-to-date coverage of public health medicine and general practice, drugs and pharmacology, endocrinology, cardiology, and radiology, among other specialist areas. Recommended web links are provided for many entries, and a list of entries by subject has been added to aid navigation.

Selling over a million copies in previous editions, this is an essential A–Z for students and those working in the medical and allied professions, including nurses, pharmacists, physiotherapists, social workers, hospital administrators, and medical secretaries. It is also an invaluable home reference guide for the general reader.

Over 3,250 entries

The third edition of this dictionary is an authoritative and invaluable reference source covering every aspect of its wide-ranging field. It spans grammar, phonetics, semantics, languages (spoken and written), dialects, and sociolinguistics. Clear examples—and diagrams where appropriate—help to convey the meanings of even the most technical terms. It also incorporates entries on key scholars of linguistics, both ancient and modern, summarising their specialisms and achievements.

With existing entries thoroughly revised and updated, and the addition of 100 new entries, this new edition expands its coverage of semantics, as well as recently emerging terminology within, for example, syntactic theory and sociolinguistics.

Wide-ranging and with clear definitions, it is the ideal reference for students and teachers in language-related courses, and a great introduction to linguistics for the general reader with an interest in language and its study.

Over 3,000 entries

Authoritative and reliable, this A–Z reference work provides jargon-free definitions for even the most technical mathematical terms. With entries ranging from Achilles paradox to zero matrix, it covers all commonly encountered terms and concepts from pure and applied mathematics and statistics, for example, linear algebra, optimisation, nonlinear equations, and differential equations. In addition, there are entries on major mathematicians and on topics of more general interest, such as fractals, game theory, and chaos.

Almost 200 new entries have been added to this edition, including terms such as arrow paradox, nested set, and symbolic logic. Useful appendices complement the A–Z dictionary and include lists of Greek letters, formulae, and tables of inequalities, moments of inertia, Roman numerals, a geometry summary, trigonometric values of special angles, probability distributions, and many more.

Over 1,700 entries

Written by a leading team of political scientists, this dictionary embraces the multi-disciplinary spectrum of political theory including political thinkers, history, institutions, theories, and schools of thought, as well as notable current affairs that have shaped attitudes to politics.

Fully updated for its fourth edition, it has had its coverage of international relations heavily revised and expanded, reflected in its title change, and it includes a wealth of new material in areas such as international institutions, peace building, human security, security studies, global governance, and open economy politics.

The dictionary is international in its coverage and will prove invaluable to students and academics studying politics and related disciplines, as well as politicians, journalists, and the general reader seeking clarification of political terms.

Over 6,000 entries

Based on the highly acclaimed Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, this is an indispensable guide for both students and the general reader. It provides authoritative coverage of theology, patristic scholarship, churches and denominations across the world, canon law, and the church calendar, as well as entries on theologians, philosophers, artists, musicians, and mystics.

The third edition has been updated to reflect recent changes in the Church. Over 100 new entries cover topics such as the Antonian Movement, dispensationalism, Heilsgeschichte, Alvin Plantinga, Garima Gospels, and Intelligent Design. It also includes a new appendix listing the Archbishops of Canterbury and a list of recommended web links.

Over 8,000 entries

The most up-to-date dictionary of building, surveying, and civil engineering terms and definitions available.

Written by an experienced team of experts in the respective fields, it covers in over 8,000 entries the key areas of construction technology and practice, civil and construction engineering, construction management techniques and processes, and legal aspects such as contracts and procurement. With increasing emphasis on sustainability and energy efficiency of buildings and civil engineering key terms are addressed. Illustrations and entry-level web links complement entries where necessary.

Its wide coverage makes it the ideal reference for students of construction and related areas, as well as for professionals in the field.

Winner of the 2005 Annual Book Award at the American Association of Sexuality Educators Counselors and Therapists.

This comprehensive scholarly reference work provides authoritative coverage of the full range of topics in the study of human sexual behavior throughout the world. The Encyclopedia brings together an international team of 200 leading sexologists to provide complete view of the field. Entries represent the highest quality of scholarship, but are written in a manner accessible to student and non-specialist readers. They include full bibliographies to aid further research. A range of topics is explored including gender-conflicted persons, unconventional sexual patterns, contraception, AIDS, sexual dysfunctions, and therapies, and the work features 62 in-depth country overviews.

This is the first comprehensive reference work devoted to philosophy in Britain. In addition to biographical entries on the lives and works of individual thinkers, it incorporates major historical surveys of the core philosophical topics, mini factual entries to facilitate reference, and detailed entries on themes, movements, institutions, journals, influences and theories through the ages. The Encyclopedia brings together 2,500 entries contributed by over 500 international experts. It is a unique resource for students and specialists to tap into the development and transmission of philosophical ideas over time, across disciplines, and to and from other countries.

The Encyclopedia employs a broad construal of “philosophy” in line with historical usage, making it a source of continuities, connections and paths for future inquiry. It is a highly important database for teaching and research in philosophy, as well as in history, science, literature, religion, politics, psychology, sociology and economics.

This is the most wide-ranging and up-to-date dictionary of critical theory available, covering the whole range of critical theory, including the Frankfurt school, cultural materialism, gender studies, literary theory, hermeneutics, historical materialism, and sociopolitical critical theory. Entries clearly explain even the most complex of theoretical discourses, such as Marxism, psychoanalysis, structuralism, deconstruction, and postmodernism. There are also biographies of important figures in the field, with feature entries for those who have heavily influenced areas of the discipline.

Covering all aspects of the subject from globalization and race studies, to queer theory and feminism, this multidisciplinary A-Z is essential for students of literary and cultural studies and is useful for anyone studying a humanity subject requiring a knowledge of theory.

‘A must-have volume’ The Times

The second edition of this dictionary is a unique single volume reference on all aspects of dance performance. The work covers all aspects of the diverse dance world from classical ballet to modern, from flamenco to hip-hop, from tap to South Asian dance forms and includes detailed entries on technical terms, steps, styles, works, and countries, in addition to many biographies of dancers, choreographers, and companies.

Fans today are likely to attend performances as varied as Indian bharata natyam, Japanese butoh, and post-modern dance. With an emphasis on performance—the dance we see in our theatres today—readers will find both fact and analysis on a wide range of subjects.

With 150 new entries, this new edition charts developments that have occurred over the last ten years, including the rise of new digital technology in the creation and staging of dance and the move to the mainstream of formerly fringe genres such as hip-hop, as well as the arrival of a new generation of dancers and choreographers to the scene.

Over 3,900 entries

This best-selling dictionary contains entries on all aspects of accounting, including financial accounting, financial reporting, management accounting, taxation, auditing, corporate finance, and accounting bodies and institutions. Its international coverage includes important terms from the UK, US, Australia, India, and Asia-Pacific.

New entries reflect the latest developments in the accounting profession, e.g. Accounting Council, European Financial Stability Mechanism, and General Anti-Abuse Rule. Existing entries have been updated to cover the latest developments, most notably the Financial Reporting Standard Applicable in the UK and the Republic of Ireland, which sets out new rules in areas such as goodwill, hedge accounting, and fair value accounting. There is increased coverage of topics such as corporate governance, accounting ethics, accounting scandals, and major firms and professional bodies.

This dictionary is essential for students and professionals in accounting and finance, and an ideal source of reference for anyone seeking a clear guide to the often-confusing world of accountancy terms.

From the pharaohs to Frantz Fanon, Dictionary of African Biography provides a comprehensive overview of the lives of the men and women who shaped Africa’s history. Unprecedented in scale, DAB covers the whole continent from Tunisia to South Africa, from Sierra Leone to Somalia. It also encompasses the full scope of history from Queen Hatsheput of Egypt (1490–1468 BCE) and Hannibal, the military commander and strategist of Carthage (243–183 BCE), to Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana (1909–1972), Miriam Makeba, and Nelson Mandela of South Africa (b. 1918). Subjects are drawn from all walks of life, including philosophers, politicians, activists, entertainers, scholars, poets, scientists, religious figures, kings, and everyday people.

Over 350 entries

This new dictionary provides clear and authoritative definitions of terms within the fast-growing field of African Politics. It includes coverage of elections, parties, judiciaries, popular protest, gender relations, the politics of development, and Africa’s international relations as well as major events and figures within African Politics. Entries range from Afrocentrism and the Bandung Conference to ‘Rhodes must fall’ and Sino–African relations and include key terms of particular relevance to Africa such as neopatrimonialism, queue voting, and post-conflict power-sharing. The dictionary also showcases the remarkably vibrant and insightful political language used in Africa, including a range of vernacular terms that are essential for a deep understanding of local political realities.

Written by a world-leading expert on the political science of Africa, this dictionary is an essential guide for both undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as academics, journalists, and researchers working on African politics.

Over 2,000 entries

This new dictionary covers both agriculture and land management, including animals and crops, farm machinery and systems, estate management, forestry and woodland, the environment, and rural recreation. It addresses the increasing overlap between agricultural sectors and the demands of the management of rural land and property.

Offering authoritative and up-to-date information on subjects ranging from soil management and renewable energy to land law, tourism, types of trees and crops, and organizations, policies, and legislation, it is an invaluable guide to agricultural terminology and a must-have for students of agriculture and land management, as well as for professionals in the agricultural and land-management sectors. Entries are complemented by illustrations and tables, including types of trees, crops, and soils, as well as of farm animals and diseases.

‘an excellent publication and a very useful quick reference tool’ - Carl Waldmann, Consultant in Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Reading UK

Over 170 entries

A Dictionary of Anaesthesia clearly defines and describes essential terms relating to the science and practice of anaesthesia. These entries include the specific drugs that anaesthetists utilize, the techniques they apply to induce anaesthesia, the equipment and monitoring they use during surgery, and problems or emergencies that can arise during the process. In addition, a comprehensive weblinks section is provided with hyperlinks to important professional and educational material in the world of anaesthesia. New to the second edition is the inclusion of a number of schematic diagrams that accompany and enhance selected entries within the dictionary. All of the entries have been categorized according to the latest Oxford Taxonomy classification system, allowing for optimal search and reference facilities. These entries expand on and provide links to the coverage of the topic already present in Oxford Reference’s general medical dictionaries. Recently updated to include significant advances in the field of anaesthesia, the second edition of this dictionary provides an authoritative and specialist source of reference and teaching for students and practitioners.

Over 480 entries

Covering every aspect of animal behaviour from adaptation to warning, this accessible A–Z also includes terms from the related fields of ecology, physiology and psychology. Clear and informative entries on topics such as communication, learning, and navigation are backed up by examples and illustrations where appropriate. The new edition adds 80 new entries, expands coverage of behavioural ecology, cognitive ethology, and evolutionary theory, and brings the text up to date with new theories and research.

An essential source of reference for students of biology, psychology, and zoology, and fascinating reading for all those interested in animal behaviour.

‘a valuable piece of scholarship, and the definitive reference work on architecture and landscape design’ – Hannah Malone, Architectural History

Over 5,000 entries

Beautifully illustrated and written in a clear and concise style, this dictionary covers every period of Western architectural history. The text is complemented by over 250 beautiful and meticulous line drawings, labelled cross-sections, and diagrams. There are more than 900 new entries, including hundreds of new biographical entries on leading historical architects, as well as subjects such as algorithmic design, digital architecture, and parametric design, and many entries expanding the coverage of landscape architecture.

‘An enormous amount of obscure data is satisfactorily explained here’ Times Literary Supplement

Over 4,300 entries

Compiled with the help of a team of expert contributors under the editorship of renowned author and broadcaster Ian Ridpath, the third edition of this dictionary covers everything from space exploration and the equipment involved to astrophysics, cosmology, and the concept of time. The dictionary also includes biographical entries on eminent astronomers, as well as worldwide coverage of observatories and telescopes. Supplementary material is included in the appendices, such as tables of Apollo lunar landing missions, the constellations, and planetary data, and numerous other tables and diagrams complement the entries.

The entries have been fully revised and updated for this edition, and around ninety new entries have been added to reflect the recent developments within the field of astronomy, including Bennu, Euclid, Mars Orbiter Mission, and slowly pulsating B star.

A Dictionary of Astronomy is an invaluable reference source for students, professionals, amateur astronomers, and space enthusiasts.

Over 5,800 entries

This new eighth edition has been fully revised and updated to reflect recent progress in the fields of biology, biophysics, and biochemistry, with particular expansion to the areas of ecology, cell biology, and plant and animal development. Over 150 new entries include de-extinction, ecological footprint, rewilding, and Zika virus.

Numerous appendices include classifications of the animal and plant kingdoms, SI units, Nobel prizewinners, and a new appendix on anatomical terms. With new diagrams and updated web links, this remains the market-leading dictionary for students of biology, both at sixth form college and university level.

“Another volume for every local historian's bookshelf” - Local Historian

This revised edition of the Dictionary of British Place-Names includes over 17,000 engaging and informative entries, tracing the development of the featured place-names from earliest times to the present day. Included place-names range from the familiar to the obscure, among them 'Beer', 'Findlater', 'Broadbottom', and 'Great Snoring'. The A to Z entries are complemented by a detailed introductory essay discussing the chronology and development of English, Irish, Welsh, and Scottish place-names, as well as an extensive bibliography, maps of Britain showing old and new boundaries, and a glossary of common elements in place-names.

Both accessible and up to date, this dictionary is an ideal companion for anybody travelling around the British Isles, as well as for researchers and students with an interest in toponomy, local history, cartography, and lexicography.

‘will help to demystify terms such as bear hugs, white/grey knights, cash-cows and churning … strongly recommended’ – TES

Over 7,000 entries

This wide-ranging and authoritative dictionary covers all areas of business and management, including marketing, organizational behaviour, business strategy, law, and taxation. Now in its sixth edition, it features recent developments such as social media and peer-to-peer lending, as well as the financial crisis and the subsequent sovereign debt crisis.

Existing entries have been updated, and over two hundred new entries added including bitcoin, Cog’s Ladder, mobile commerce, Six Sigma, social media, theory of institutional deficiencies, and zero-hours contract. There is expanded coverage of financial regulation and corporate social responsibility, including entries such as aw-shucks defence and Financial Conduct Authority.

The new edition of this bestselling dictionary elucidates modern financial and management jargon, defining entries in a clear, concise, and accessible manner. It remains essential for business students, teachers, and professionals, and useful for anyone needing a guide to business terminology.

Over 650 entries

This accessible new dictionary provides clear and authoritative definitions of terms, approaches, and techniques in the area of business research methods. It covers research philosophies including research design and qualitative and quantitative methods, types of data and data collection techniques, and organizing and reporting research finding. It is an invaluable resource for students, academics, and professionals learning about research methods as part of a business degree, and undertaking research in many fields including sociology, psychology, and marketing.

From Toussaint L’Ouverture to Pelé, the Dictionary of Caribbean and Afro-Latin American Biography will provide a comprehensive overview of the lives of Caribbeans and Afro-Latin Americans who are historically significant. The project will be unprecedented in scale, covering the entire Caribbean, and the Afro-descended populations throughout Latin America, including people who spoke and wrote Creole, Dutch, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. It will also encompass the full scope of history, with entries on figures from the first forced slave migrations in the sixteenth centuries, to entries on living persons such as the Haitian musician and politician Wyclef Jean and the Cuban author and poet Nancy Morejón. Individuals will be drawn from all walks of life including philosophers, politicians, activists, entertainers, scholars, poets, scientists, religious figures, kings, and everyday people whose lives have contributed to the history of the Caribbean and Latin America.

Over 5,000 entries

Fully revised and updated, the seventh edition of this popular dictionary is the ideal reference resource for students of chemistry, either at school or at university. It covers all aspects of chemistry, from physical chemistry to biochemistry.

The seventh edition boasts broader coverage in areas including nuclear magnetic resonance, polymer chemistry, nanotechnology and graphene, and absolute configuration, increasing the dictionary’s appeal to students in these fields.

New diagrams have been added and existing diagrams updated to illustrate topics that would benefit from a visual aid. There are also biographical entries on key figures, featured entries on major topics such as polymers and crystal defects, and chronologies charting the main discoveries in atomic theory, biochemistry, explosives, and plastics.

Over 6,500 entries

Previously named A Dictionary of Computing, this bestselling dictionary has been fully revised by a team of computer specialists, making it the most up-to-date and authoritative guide to computing available. Including expanded coverage of multimedia, computer applications, networking, and personal computing, it encompasses all aspects of the subject. Terms are defined in a jargon-free and concise manner, with helpful examples where relevant, and the appendices include useful resources such as generic domain names, file extensions, and the Greek alphabet. This dictionary is suitable for anyone who uses computers, and is as valuable for home and office users as it is indispensable for students of computing.

Over 8,000 entries

This is the most up-to-date dictionary of its kind, covering the key areas of construction and civil engineering.

This new edition has been fully updated to span the subjects of sustainability, new technologies, disaster management, and building software, and provides authoritative and reliable definitions to a wide range of terms. More than 600 new entries have been added to include terms such as asset management, hydraulic failure, sustainable development, and value engineering, providing broad coverage of construction and civil engineering, management techniques and processes, as well as legal aspects such as contracts and procurement. Detailed illustrations complement the text, and a further reading section is included to guide the reader towards suggested materials.

Written by a team of more than 130 experts from around the world, this dictionary is an authoritative resource for engineering students, construction professionals, and surveyors.

‘Concise, current information … highly recommended’ – Choice, the magazine of the American Library Association

Over 2,800 entries

The authoritative dictionary provides informative and analytical entries on the most important people, organizations, events, movements, and ideas that have shaped the world we live in. Covering the period from 1900 to the present day, this fully revised and updated new edition presents a global perspective on recent history, with a wide range of new entries from Tony Abbott, the European migration crisis, and ISIS to Narendra Modi, Hassan Rouhani, and UKIP. All existing entries have been brought up to date. Handy tables include lists of office-holders for countries and organizations and winners of the Nobel Peace Prize.

This comprehensive reference resource will be invaluable to students of history, politics, and international relations as well as to journalists, policymakers, and general readers interested in the modern world.

Over 750 entries

The most authoritative and up-to-date dictionary of critical theory available, covering the Frankfurt school, cultural materialism, cultural studies, gender studies, film studies, literary theory, hermeneutics, historical materialism, Internet studies, and sociopolitical critical theory. It explains complex theoretical discourses, such as Marxism, psychoanalysis, structuralism, deconstruction, and postmodernism clearly and provides biographies of figures who have influenced the discipline, such as Deleuze and Foucault.

This new edition has been updated to extend coverage of diaspora, race, and postcolonial theory, and of queer and sexuality studies, ensuring that it remains invaluable for students of literary and cultural studies and anyone studying a humanities subject requiring a knowledge of theory.

Over 400 entries

This new dictionary provides concise, authoritative definitions for a range of concepts relating to cultural anthropology, as well as important findings and intellectual figures in the field. Entries include adaptation, kinship, scientific racism, and writing culture, providing its readers with a wide-ranging overview of the subject.

This accessibly written and engaging text presents anthropology as a dynamic and lively field of enquiry. Complemented by a global list of anthropological organizations, more than 15 figures and tables to illustrate the entries, and weblinks pointing to useful external sources, this is an essential text for undergraduates studying anthropology, and also serves those studying allied subjects such as politics, economics, geography, sociology, and gender studies.

Over 200 entries

This new dictionary provides definitions of terms covering disaster research and management. It features practical terms, key concepts in disaster research from a social science perspective, and key organizations involved in disaster management, allowing readers to access definitions on the most important topics within this developing field.

Terms include famine, disaster diplomacy, event-tree analysis, and humanitarian principles. Some are short and concise, while others elaborate on the history and diversity of complex concepts such as resilience or climate change. Illustrations and weblinks offer additional context and resources.

This work focuses on the practical managerial dimension of disaster management and covers terms that a student of disaster management will need to understand. It is an essential reference source for students and professionals in this area.

Over 6,500 entries

Written in a clear, accessible style, this authoritative and wide-ranging dictionary contains entries on all aspects of ecology and related environmental scientific disciplines such as biogeography, genetics, soil science, geomorphology, atmospheric science, and oceanography. Entries cover topics such as plant and animal physiology, animal behaviour, pollution, conservation, habitat management, population, evolution, environmental pollution, climatology, and meteorology. It also includes many line drawings and useful appendices.

Fully revised, updated, and expanded, with over 300 new entries that include beach replenishment, delta method, urban heat island, and zonal soils, this new edition is invaluable to students of ecology, biology, and environmental and conservation studies, and professionals in related areas, as well as the general reader with an interest in the natural world.

Over 3,500 entries

This authoritative and comprehensive dictionary contains clear, concise definitions of key economic terms. Covering all aspects of economics including economic theory and policy, applied microeconomics and macroeconomics, labour economics, public economics and public finance, monetary economics, and environmental economics, this is the essential reference work in this area.

Entries are supplemented by entry-level web links, and useful appendices include a list of institutional acronyms and their affiliated websites, a list of Nobel prize-winners in economics, the Greek alphabet, and a list of relevant websites.

This dictionary is an essential guide for students and teachers of economics, business, and finance, as well as for professional economists and anyone who has to deal with economic data.

Over 1,000 entries

Education is of relevance to everyone but it involves a specialized vocabulary and terminology which may be opaque or unfamiliar to those new to the field. This UK-focused dictionary provides clear and concise definitions for the terms that anyone studying education or working in the field is likely to encounter – from A* to zero tolerance. Coverage includes all sectors of education: pre-school, primary, secondary, further and higher education, special needs, adult and continuing education, and work-based learning. It also includes major legislation, key figures and organizations, and national curriculum and assessment terminology.

The second edition covers the reforms to the schools examinations system and teacher training in England and Wales, and more detailed entries for terms relating to disability and inclusive practice, such as autistic spectrum disorder, attention deficit, and dyslexia, and to professional development, such as mentoring.

Supplementary material includes a timeline of landmark educational legislation since 1945 and a glossary of acronyms. In addition, there is a table of comparative terms used in the US, Canada, Australia, and South Africa. This concise yet authoritative dictionary is essential for all students of education, teachers, and lecturers on development programmes, and it is strongly recommended for governors, classroom assistants, and parents.

Over 5,200 entries

This popular dictionary, formerly published as the Penguin Dictionary of Electronics, has been extensively revised and updated, providing clear, concise, and jargon-free A-Z entries on key terms, theories, and practices in the areas of electronics and electrical science. Topics covered include circuits, power, systems, magnetic devices, control theory, communications, signal processing, and telecommunications, together with coverage of applications areas such as image processing, storage, and electronic materials. The dictionary is enhanced by dozens of equations and nearly 400 diagrams.

A Dictionary of Electronics and Electrical Engineering is the most up-to-date quick reference dictionary available in its field, and is a practical and wide-ranging resource for all students of electronics and of electrical engineering.

Over 700 entries

This new dictionary covers terms related to energy technologies and their impact on the world’s energy use. It sets out the principles behind each technology’s operation, as well as its economic, environmental, and social impacts. Coverage includes energy demand and conservation, electricity generation and distribution, energy storage, renewable energy and fossil fuel technologies, nuclear energy, environmental issues, energy and society, and biographies of eminent energy scientists. The text is complemented by illustrations, a chronology, and global statistics on energy use.

This topical dictionary appears at a time when the development of alternative technologies to fossil fuel is particularly important in trying to limit global warming, and is significantly affected by energy policy and politics. It is an invaluable resource for students of science, geography, and economics, and for professionals in energy-related industries.

Over 10,000 entries

A Dictionary of Environment and Conservation provides entries on scientific and social aspects of the environment—its key thinkers, treaties, movements, organizations, concepts, and theories. Covering subjects such as sustainable development, biodiversity, and environmental ethics, this is the ideal reference for students of environment and conservation, as well as for professionals in the field.

Over 2,000 entries

This sixth edition of A Dictionary of Epidemiology—the most updated since its inception—reflects the profound substantive and methodological changes that have come to characterize epidemiology and its associated disciplines. Sponsored by the International Epidemiological Association, this work remains the essential reference for anyone studying or working in epidemiology, biostatistics, public health, medicine, or the growing number of health sciences in which epidemiologic competency is now required.

More than just a dictionary, this text is an essential guidebook to the state of the science. It offers the most current, authoritative definitions of terms central to biomedical and public health literature—everything from confounding and incidence rate to epigenetic inheritance and Number Needed to Treat. As epidemiology continues to change and grow, A Dictionary of Epidemiology will remain its work of record.

Over 5,500 entries

The sixth edition of this bestselling dictionary has been fully revised and updated to take into account the ever-developing financial landscape of the last five years. This comprehensive A–Z defines terms from all aspects of personal and international finance, including money markets, private investments and borrowing, central banking, foreign exchanges, monetary policy, and public and government finance. Now with expanded international coverage to reflect the ongoing globalization of financial markets and rapidly developing areas in finance and banking, with new entries such as village banking, Islamic Development Bank, and revolving loan fund.

With clear and accessible definitions, this jargon-free dictionary is a companion volume to the other financial titles in this bestselling series—A Dictionary of Business and Management, A Dictionary of Accounting, and A Dictionary of Economics—and provides accurate and valuable information for students, practitioners, private investors, and readers of the financial pages alike.

Over 5,300 entries.

The new edition of this best-selling Dictionary has been fully revised and updated, with over 1,000 entries either new or revised. These focus in particular on recent terminology, institutions, and safety measures coined or introduced since the economic crash of 2008–9, including reactions to the crisis such as the Asset Protection Scheme. The dictionary defines terms from all aspects of personal and international finance, including money markets, private investments and borrowing, central banking, foreign exchanges, monetary policy, and public and government finance. Now with expanded coverage of capital structure and corporate restructuring. Recommended up-to-date web links for many entries provide valuable extra information.

With clear and accessible definitions, this jargon-free dictionary provides accurate and valuable information for students, practitioners, private investors, and readers of the financial pages alike.

Over 430 entries

This new dictionary provides clear and accessible definitions of a range of terms from within the fast-developing field of Gender Studies. It covers terms which have emerged out of Gender Studies, such as cyber feminism, the double burden, and the male gaze, and gender-focused definitions of more general terms, such as housework, intersectionality, and trolling. It also covers major feminist figures, including Hélène Cixous, bell hooks, and Mary Wollstonecraft, as well as groups and movements from Votes for Women to Reclaim the Night. It is an invaluable reference resource for students taking Gender Studies courses at undergraduate or postgraduate level, and for those applying a gender perspective within other subject areas.

Over 7,500 entries

This eighth edition of A Dictionary of Genetics contains over 7,500 up-to-date and cross-referenced entries, including 540 that are newly written. The entries include the latest terminology, concepts, theories, and techniques, covering not only genetics but also such overlapping disciplines as cell biology, medicine, and evolutionary biology. The fully revised six appendices are a unique source of detailed supplementary information, including a chronology of scientific and technological breakthroughs spanning the period from 1590 to the present, lists of useful internet sites and journals, and a table of sample genome sizes and gene numbers. A Dictionary of Genetics continues to be the definitive reference work for students, educators, and clinicians in the field of genetics.

Over 3,000 entries

Covering all aspects of physical and human geography, this dictionary is an essential guide for students at all levels. It has been fully revised and updated, and includes more than 400 new entries, recommended web links for many entries, and over 15 new illustrations.

‘can really claim to offer comprehensive coverage of the earth sciences’ TES

Over 10,000 entries

This leading dictionary covers all areas of geoscience, including planetary science, oceanography, palaeontology, mineralogy, and volcanology. In this edition, 675 new entries have been added and include expanded coverage of planetary geology and Earth-observing satellites. The entries are complemented by more than 130 diagrams and numerous web links, while appendices supplement the A–Z and have been extended to include three new tables on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale, Avalanche Classes, and the Volcanic Explosivity Index. It is an essential, authoritative, and jargon-free resource for students of geology, geography, geosciences, physical science, and related disciplines.

Over 2,000 entries

This essential A–Z provides an in-depth guide to all aspects of human geography, including cultural, social, developmental, economic, political, and health geography. It offers clear and accessible entries ranging from acronyms, organizations, and basic terms to biographies, concepts, and major periods and schools in the history of human geography.

Up-to-date, accurate, and accessible, it is a reliable reference for students of human geography and ancillary subjects, for researchers and professionals in the field, and for interested generalists.

It also includes recommended, and regularly updated, entry-level web links.

‘A book so good every journalist will ask: “Why didn't I think of that?”’ – Roy Greenslade

Over 1,400 entries

This accessible and authoritative A–Z covers the wide range of terms likely to be encountered by students of journalism. It offers a broad, accessible point of reference on an ever-topical and constantly changing field that affects everyone's knowledge and perception of the world.

Assuming little or no prior knowledge of the subject, it covers terminology relating to the practice, business, and technology of journalism, as well as its concepts and theories, organizations and institutions, publications, and key events. Related topic areas are covered where they impact on or offer explanations of journalism: for example, in law and sociology. There is also a chronology of developments in journalism.

It is an essential companion to all students taking courses in Journalism and Journalism Studies, as well as related subjects such as Communications Studies, Media Studies, and Television and Radio Production.

Over 4,800 entries

This bestselling dictionary is an authoritative and comprehensive source of jargon-free legal information. Its entries clearly define the major terms, concepts, processes, and organization of the English legal system.

Now in its ninth edition, this A–Z has been fully updated to incorporate the latest legislation, such as The Modern Slavery Act 2015, the EU referendum, and changes in consumer, immigration, and family law. Over 100 new entries have been added, including entries such as Article 50, Brexit, and the Consumer Rights Act 2016. In addition, there is a useful Writing and Citation Guide in the end matter that specifically addresses problems and established conventions for writing legal essays and reports. Now providing more information than ever before, this edition features recommended web links for many entries, as well as including a list of general links in the end matter.

Described by leading university lecturers as ‘the best law dictionary’ and ‘excellent for non-law students as well as law undergraduates’, this classic dictionary is an invaluable source of legal reference for professionals, students, and anyone else needing succinct clarification of legal terms. Focusing primarily on English law, it also provides a one-stop source of information for any of the many countries that base their legal system on English law.

Over 2,100 entries

An accessible and wide-ranging A–Z, providing over 2,100 entries on topics spanning terms for traditional marketing techniques (from strategy, positioning, segmentation, and branding, to all aspects of marketing planning, research, and analysis), as well as leading marketing theories and concepts. Both classic and modern marketing techniques are covered. Entries reflect modern changes in marketing practice, including the use of digital and multimedia, the impact of the World Wide Web on advertising, and the increased influence of social media and search engines on advertising and the rise of global brand management. This new edition includes more global content, with the appendices incorporating a greater number of examples of iconic international brands, and more non-Western case studies. Overall it is an indispensable resource for students of marketing and related disciplines, as well as a practical guide for professional practitioners and people with a general interest in marketing.

Over 8,000 entries

This Dictionary provides definitions and explanations for mechanical engineering terms in clear and concise A to Z entries, many illustrated. This new edition greatly expands the coverage of materials engineering terms, with a complete revision of the existing entries and the addition of more than 200 new ones in this area. Other new entries include atomic force microscope, epitrochoid, fundamental physical constant, light-emitting diode, motor generator unit, Ohm’s law, and turbomachine. Also touched upon are related subject areas such as acoustics, bioengineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, aeronautical engineering, and environmental engineering.

It is the most comprehensive and authoritative dictionary of its kind, and an essential reference for students of mechanical engineering and for anyone with an interest in the subject.

Over 7,400 entries

This new Dictionary provides definitions and explanations for mechanical engineering terms in the core areas of design, stress analysis, dynamics and vibrations, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics, in over 7,400 clear and concise A to Z entries, many illustrated. Topics covered include heat transfer, combustion, control, lubrication, robotics, instrumentation, and measurement. The dictionary also touches on related subject areas such as acoustics, bioengineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, aeronautical engineering, environmental engineering, and materials science.

This excellent new work is the most comprehensive and authoritative dictionary of its kind. It is an essential reference for students of mechanical engineering and for anyone with an interest in the subject.

Over 3,600 entries

‘…not only a dictionary of communication and media but also a liberal education that enables users to see interesting relationships between many of the concepts it discusses.’ Professor Arthur Asa Berger, San Francisco State University

This authoritative and up-to-date A–Z offers points of connection between communication and media and covers all aspects of interpersonal, mass, and networked communication, including digital and mobile media, advertising, journalism, social media, and nonverbal communication.

In this new edition, over 2,000 entries have been revised and more than 500 have been newly added to include current terminology and concepts such as artificial intelligence, cisgender, fake news, hive mind, use theory, and wikiality. It bridges the gap between theory and practice and contains many technical terms that are relevant to the communication industry, including dialogue editing, news aggregator and primary colour correction. Additional material includes a biographical notes appendix, and entries are complemented by approved web links which guide further reading.

This is an indispensable guide for undergraduate students of media and communication studies and also for those taking related subjects such as television studies, video production, communication design, visual communication, marketing communications, semiotics, and cultural studies.

Over 950 entries

From the Arts and Crafts Movement to Postmodernism, Apple to Frank Lloyd Wright, this fascinating dictionary covers the past 160 years of international design, with accessible entries on branding, graphics, industrial design, functionalism, and fashion. New entries on digital design and sustainable design bring the coverage up to date. The dictionary’s international focus takes in major movements, key concepts, design terminology, and important design institutions, museums, and heritage sites.

The new edition reflects the growing global importance of design, with coverage of India, China, and the countries of the Pacific Rim, Eastern Europe, and East Asia, and demonstrates how developments in the design of technology influence everyday life, with new entries on fonts, games developers such as Gunpei Yokoi of Nintendo, Android, Samsung, and Blackberry, and a fully revised entry on Apple.

The A–Z entries are complemented by an extensive bibliography and a timeline.

Over 10,200 entries

This bestselling dictionary provides comprehensive and authoritative coverage of all aspects of nursing. The new edition has been fully revised and updated to take account of recent developments in nursing practice and related fields. New coverage focuses in particular upon key areas such as nutrition, medical research, lymphology, and critical care nursing.

Written by medical and nursing specialists, it provides concise entries on the theory and practice of nursing, and comprehensive coverage of the ever-expanding vocabulary of the nursing professions. As well as nursing-specific terms, there are also many entries in the fields of medicine, anatomy, physiology, nutrition, statistics, and pharmacology. Almost 100 illustrations, and 16 appendices covering the Code of Conduct 2015, the calculation of drug dosages, essential skill clusters, religion and nursing practice, recommended alcohol intake, and much more, help to make this an essential reference tool for all nursing students and professionals.

Over 4,000 entries

This new eighth edition has been fully updated to reflect progress in physics and related fields. It sees expansion to the areas of cosmology, astrophysics, condensed matter, quantum technology, and nanotechnology, with 125 new entries including, Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, kilonova, leptoquark, and muscovium.

The dictionary’s range of appendices, updated for the new edition, includes the periodic table, the electromagnetic spectrum, and a detailed chronology of key dates. Seventeen new diagrams add to the clarity and accessibility of the text, with almost 150 line drawings, tables, and graphs in total.

This popular dictionary remains the most up to date of its kind: the essential introductory reference tool for students encountering physics terms and concepts, as well as for professionals and anyone with an interest in the subject.

Over 7,700 entries

This new fourth edition has been completely revised and updated, covering all aspects in the field of plant sciences including biochemistry, plant physiology, cytology, ecology, genetics, evolution, biogeography, earth history, and earth sciences. Over 600 new entries, including Rosales, physical dormancy, menthol, and codeine, enhance the dictionary's coverage of botanical terms, key drugs and medicines derived from plants, and plant orders, families, and genera. It also explains many ecological terms, and expands beyond plants to describe fungi and bacteria and how they affect plants.

New timelines show important moments in plant evolution, and vernacular plant names have been transferred to a new appendix for ease of use, fully cross-referenced to the A to Z entries. The most up-to-date dictionary available on its subject, this is an essential resource for students of plant sciences and amateur botanists, as well as an entertaining and valuable guide for the plant enthusiast.

Over 5,000 entries

This dictionary covers terms used in public health science and practice, including areas such as communicable disease control, epidemiology, genetics, nutrition, toxicology, social work, sanitation and public health engineering, environmental sciences, and administration. It offers definitions, discussion, and an occasional brief commentary on the relevance of each term to people and their health.

The second edition expands coverage of terms relevant to the following areas, amongst others: health policy, health economics, and health services, including the Affordable Care Act and related topics; preventive medicine, health promotion, and behavioral sciences; risk assessment and risk management; emerging diseases; emergency preparedness; and bioethics and essential legal terms relevant for public health. It includes a list of useful web links and c.300 bibliographic references, directly linked from relevant entries. It continues to be a trusted resource for answers to questions that arise in the course of public health practice, whether in the office or in the field, in interactions with the public or with the media.

This new dictionary covers the full range of publishing-related topics, defining terms encountered in the processes of editing, producing, printing, and distributing books and digital content. With entries ranging from proofreading and binding to discoverability and royalties, and covering contemporary areas of publishing such as digital workflow and digital rights management, the dictionary provides easy-to-find and accurate information on key terms and concepts. It is an invaluable reference resource for students of publishing, as well as for those currently working in the industry.

Over 350 entries

This new dictionary provides accessible definitions of the terms that the growing number of students of Sikhism will encounter. It covers beliefs, practices, festivals, sacred sites, and principal languages, as well as the social and religious processes through which Sikhism has evolved. A major focus is the teachings of the founder of Sikhism, Gurū Nānak, and doctrinal developments under subsequent Gurūs. Incorporating the 500-year history of Sikhism, from its birth in northern India to its more recent spread around the world, it covers the interplay between the Sikh tradition and other religious traditions, including Hindu and Sufi. It is an invaluable first reference for students and teachers of Sikhism, religious studies, South Asian studies, philosophy, and the related disciplines of history, sociology, and anthropology, as well as for all practising Sikhs and anyone with an interest in Sikh religion and culture.

Over 1,700 entries

The new edition of this dictionary has been fully revised to provide up-to-date definitions of terms from the field of social care, concentrating on social work as a significant area within this field. Covering social work theories, methods, policies, organizations, and statutes, as well as key terms from interdisciplinary topics such as health and education, this is the most up-to-date dictionary of its kind available. It also provides extended entries on specialisms such as children and families, domestic violence, and residential care and has been updated to include new legislation.

Useful appendices include a glossary of acronyms and a Table of Legislation, Regulations, and Codes of Practice. Entry-level further reading recommendations and web links provide further resources.

It is a must-have for students of social care and related subjects, as well as for qualified social workers undertaking continuing professional development programmes.

Over 2,300 entries

This fascinating and expansive dictionary covers all aspects of space exploration, from A-Train to Zvezda. This jargon-free new edition has been fully revised and updated to take into account the new developments in space exploration on an international scale over the last 13 years, with new entries such as Hitomi, Space X Dragon, and Ariane 5 Rocket.

All entries are fully cross-referenced for ease of use. In addition, the dictionary also contains links to over 250 space-related websites, and a comprehensive chronology of space exploration. The entries are supported by over 75 photographs, illustrations, and diagrams.

‘…this gem of statistical terms is highly recommended to users of statistics at all levels’ – Significance (the magazine of the Royal Statistical Society)

Over 2,300 entries

This invaluable dictionary covers all aspects of statistics, including terms used in computing, mathematics, and probability, presented in a clear and practical way. It also provides biographical entries on over 200 key figures in the field, plus coverage of statistical journals and societies. The new edition features expanded coverage of applied statistics.

Entries are complemented by over 120 figures and diagrams, and many provide worked examples. Wide-ranging appendices include a historical calendar of important statistical events, lists of statistical and mathematical notation, and statistical tables. It also features recommended web links for many entries, which provide valuable extra information.

It is an invaluable dictionary for statistics students and professionals from a wide range of disciplines, including economics, politics, market research, medicine, psychology, pharmaceuticals, and mathematics, and provides a clear introduction to the subject for the general reader.

This is an encyclopedic dictionary covering hundreds of important philosophical, literary, and political terms and concepts that defy easy--or any--translation from one language and culture to another. Drawn from more than a dozen languages, terms such as Dasein (German), pravda (Russian), saudade (Portuguese), and stato (Italian) are thoroughly examined in all their cross-linguistic and cross-cultural complexities. Spanning the classical, medieval, early modern, modern, and contemporary periods, these are terms that influence thinking across the humanities. The entries, written by more than 150 distinguished scholars, describe the origins and meanings of each term, the history and context of its usage, its translations into other languages, and its use in notable texts. The dictionary also includes essays on the special characteristics of particular languages--English, French, German, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.

Originally published in French, this one-of-a-kind reference work is now available in English, with new contributions from Judith Butler, Daniel Heller-Roazen, Ben Kafka, Kevin McLaughlin, Kenneth Reinhard, Stella Sandford, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Jane Tylus, Anthony Vidler, Susan Wolfson, Robert J. C. Young, and many more. The result is an invaluable reference for students, scholars, and general readers interested in the multilingual lives of some of our most influential words and ideas.

Over 4,000 entries

This wide-ranging dictionary contains a wealth of information on all aspects of history, from prehistory right up to the present day. Accessible, clear, and concise entries include biographies of key figures in world history (living and dead), separate entries for every country in the world (summarising key historical events), and in-depth entries on religious and political movements, international organizations, and major conflicts and events and their after-effects.

For this new edition, existing entries have been revised and updated to reflect the very latest global events including changes in leadership, wars, political situations, and the statistical information given for each country (population counts, currency, languages, religions). New entries have been included for key figures who have recently come to prominence, and world events.

The dictionary also contains twenty-five detailed maps linked to key historical events and topics. Also included are over 200 country maps.

Encyclopedic in scope, this ambitious A to Z provides an excellent overview of world history both for students and anyone with an interest in the subject.

2004 ALA/RUSA Outstanding Reference Source

2003 Library Journal Best Reference

2004 Choice Outstanding Academic Title

International in scope and spanning all time periods of human history, The Oxford Encyclopedia of Economic History includes 900 original articles by noted scholars from more than thirty-five countries. Articles range from 500-word entries on inventors, theoreticians, and industry leaders to overarching, 8,000-word essays on markets, industries, and labor. With coverage ranging from accounting and advertising to zoning and zoos, this landmark works stands at the busy intersection of history and the social sciences.

The general conceptual categories of the work are: Geography (entries on cities, countries, and regions); Agriculture; Production Systems, Business History, and Technology; Demography; Institutions, Governments, and Markets; Macroeconomic History and International Economics; Money, Banking and Finance; Labor; Natural Resources and the Environment; and Biographies.

More than 800 entries

This much-loved work was produced under the auspices of the Library of Congress, and published by the US Government Printing Office during World War II. Its contributors comprise the founders of the profession of Chinese history research and its teaching in the United States. The 2016 Berkshire edition contains the original biographical sketches as well as its extensive front and back matter. The Wade-Giles transliteration has been converted to modern pinyin and the book includes a pinyin / Wade-Giles conversion table and an up-to-date bibliography. The introduction is by Professor Pamela K. Crossley, who digitized part of the original publication, and who touches upon the historical context of this publication as well as its continuing importance for modern readers and researchers.

The Encyclopedia of Aesthetics is the first reference work to survey the full breadth of critical thought on art, culture, and society from classical philosophy to contemporary critical theory. A 1998 RUSA Outstanding Reference Source, the Encyclopedia features 600 articles on the major concepts, thinkers, and debates about the meaning, uses and value of all the arts. Distinguished scholars from many fields and countries have contributed to this comprehensive and pioneering achievement, which is now available for the first time in e-book form.

Because the concept of aesthetics ranges across cultures and disciplines, the Encyclopedia gives extensive coverage to painting, sculpture, music, theater, dance, television, film, and popular culture as well as a wide array of philosophical and sociological theories. Of particular note are in-depth articles on such concepts as Autonomy, Formalism, Semiotics, Moral Rights of Art, and Perception. Entries on the aesthetics of France, Russia, China, and many other nations emphasize the international scope of the Encyclopedia, while cross-references and bibliographies provide quick access to further scholarship.

Featuring 815 articles by distinguished scholars from many fields and countries, the Encyclopedia of Aesthetics is a comprehensive survey of major concepts, thinkers, and debates about the meaning, uses, and value of all the arts—from painting and sculpture to literature, music, theater, dance, television, film, and popular culture.

Expanded from the 1998 first edition, the second edition of the Encyclopedia surveys the full breadth of critical thought on art, culture, and society—from classical philosophy to contemporary critical theory. The second edition includes increased coverage of international aesthetics, modern aesthetics, new media like computer art, and areas like neuroaesthetics that were not thoroughly covered in the first edition.

The Encyclopedia of Africa presents the most up-to-date and thorough reference in world history, politics, and culture on this region of ever-growing importance. Its core is comprised of entries focusing on African history and culture from 2005’s acclaimed five-volume Africana—nearly two-thirds of these 1,300 entries have been updated, revised, and expanded to reflect the most recent scholarship.

The articles cover prominent individuals, events, trends, places, political movements, art forms, business and trade, religions, ethnic groups, organizations, and countries throughout Africa. In-depth articles examine contemporary nations of sub-Saharan Africa, ethnic groups from various regions of Africa, and European colonial powers. Two hundred illustrations and demographic sidebars further guide and inform research.

This remarkable work traces the transition from the Reconstruction Era to the age of Jim Crow, the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights Movement, and the ascendant influence of African Americans on the American cultural landscape. With coverage up to and including the 2008 election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States, the Encyclopedia contains approximately 1,200 fully cross-referenced entries all signed by leading scholars and experts, offering the most reliable and extensive treatment to be found on African American history in this era.

It is impossible to understand America without understanding the history of African Americans. In nearly seven hundred entries, the Encyclopedia of African American History, 1619-1895 documents the full range of the African American experience during that period—from the arrival of the first slave ship to the death of Frederick Douglass—and shows how all aspects of American culture, history, and national identity have been profoundly influenced by the experience of African Americans. This landmark achievement, originally published in three volumes, is now available for the first time as an easily-searched, quick access e-book.

The Encyclopedia covers an extraordinary range of subjects. Major topics such as “Abolitionism,” “Black Nationalism,” the “Dred Scott case,” “Reconstruction,” “Slave Rebellions and Insurrections,” the “Underground Railroad,” and “Voting Rights” are given the in-depth treatment one would expect. But the encyclopedia also contains hundreds of fascinating entries on less obvious subjects, such as the “Black Seafarers,” “Buffalo Soldiers,” the “Catholic Church and African Americans,” “New York African Free Schools,” the “Secret Six,” and much more. In addition, the Encyclopedia offers brief biographies of important African Americans—as well as white Americans who have played a significant role in African American history—from Crispus Attucks and John Brown to Olaudah Equiano, Frederick Douglass, Sarah Grimke, Nat Turner, Phillis Wheatley, and many others.

All of the Encyclopedia's entries are accessibly written and free of jargon and technical terms. Selective bibliographies and cross-references accompanying each article direct readers to related entries within the Encyclopedia and to primary sources and scholarly works beyond it. A chronology of major events and nearly 300 black and white illustrations enhance the work's usefulness.

For most of history, humans have made every possible effort to accurately foretell the weather, evolving from the use of guesswork, rule of thumb, and signs in the sky to the development of contemporary forecasting techniques drawn from two scientific disciplines, climatology and meteorology.

Encyclopedia of Climate and Weather, Second Edition summarizes this knowledge and presents it in a compendium of over 330 entries that cover:

Each entry features numerous cross references and definitions of weather and climate-related terms as well as additional sources for further study. Over 250 photographs, maps, and charts offer highly evocative depictions of various weather and climate conditions.

2002 Booklist Top 10 Science Reference Sources

2002 Choice Outstanding Title

2003 ALA/RUSA Outstanding Reference Source

370 entries

A comprehensive guide to the essentials of evolutionary biology, these entries by leading experts survey essential concepts and theories, present methods, models and findings, and discuss both the history of the field and current controversies. Readers will find brief treatments on discrete concepts and individuals to illuminating lengthy essays by towering figures in the field. Topics include: Darwin, natural selection, human origins, behavioral ecology, diversity, mathematical models, and cell and developmental biology. Special essays include Stephen Jay Gould's “Macroevolution” and Jane Goodall and Elizabeth Vinson-Lonsdorf on “Culture in Chimpanzees.”

Encompassing tsunamis, elephant conservation, ocean pollution, mining regulation, and permafrost melt, the 300 authoritative articles in this unique and wide-ranging encyclopedia investigate all types of phenomena that change life on Earth. The entries cover a range of general research categories: altered ecosystems, climate change, food and water supply, population, politics and global change, institutions and policies, biographies, and case studies.

‘an ultimate in natural history books’ - Irish Times Written by an international team of experts and edited by renowned zoologist Professor David Macdonald, this new edition of The Encyclopedia of Mammals has been comprehensively revised and updated to reflect the most recent developments in modern zoology. It covers the behaviour, diet, distribution, and evolution of every known living mammal in the world in clear, accessible language, and is superbly illustrated throughout with photographs and original artwork. There are also feature articles on a range of fascinating topics, such as: Why do primates have big brains? Why do lions roar? And what are the costs of motherhood for seals?

The Encyclopedia of Rhetoric is a comprehensive survey of one of the Western world's oldest disciplines. Its 150 entries, written by leading scholars, bring together expertise in classical studies, philosophy, literature, literary theory, cultural studies, speech, and communications in a comprehensive treatment of the art of persuasion. The Encyclopedia is the most wide-ranging reference work of its kind, combining theory, history, and practice, with a special emphasis on public speaking, performance, and communication.

Co-published by the National Association of Social Workers and Oxford University Press, the 20th edition of the Encyclopedia of Social Work is widely considered the cornerstone of reference in its field. This new edition includes coverage of areas that have come to the fore since the 1995 publication of the 19th edition, including demographic changes from immigration, technology, the implications of managed care, faith-based assistance, evidence-based practice, gerontology, and trauma and disaster.

The Encyclopedia contains four hundred subject entries and two hundred brief biographies of key figures in the history of social work. Clearly arranged in A-Z format, each article is fully cross-referenced and includes a select bibliography to guide interested readers to primary sources and the most important scholarly works on a given subject. The work also includes a comprehensive index and topical outline. Comprehensive in coverage and international in scope, the Encyclopedia is a valuable resource to social work practitioners, scholars, and students alike.

2003 Booklist Editors' Choice

2003 Library Journal Best Reference Source

2004 Library Journal Starred Review

2004 Choice Outstanding Academic Title

700 entries

Covering the “long” Enlightenment, from the rise of Descartes' disciples in 1670 to the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy in 1815, these 700 articles by leading scholars range from discussions of mercantilism and democracy to the battlefield to the dissemination of ideas in salons and coffeehouses. Breaking conventional geographical boundaries, coverage includes not only Western Europe but also North America, Brazil, and Iberian, Russian, Jewish, and Eastern European cultures.

A collaborative work of over 600 scholars from more than forty countries, the Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages provides 3,000 concise and detailed articles on all aspects of the period from the fifth to the fifteenth century. It explores art, architecture, religion, law, science, language, philosophy, and theology, as well as cultural, religious, intellectual, social and political history. With a focus on focus on Europe and Christendom, the Encyclopedia also covers the rise of Islam and people of other cultures with whom Europeans came into contact.

A breathtaking insight into underwater life, this Encyclopedia offers unrivalled coverage of the fish and aquatic invertebrates that inhabit our rivers, lakes, and oceans. It describes in detail the anatomy, behaviour, habitat, breeding, and conservation status of species: from microscopic, single-celled organisms swept along by water currents to gigantic powerhouses of the deep. Fascinating feature articles examine some of the strangest and most interesting aspects of these species in more depth, such as the origins of coral reefs; the cycle of the salmon; and how fish produce and use artificial illumination.

Over 2,000 entries

This accessible dictionary is packed full of authoritative information on foods and drinks, types of diet, sports and activities, exercises, physiology, training methods, and calorie requirements. The new edition includes over 200 new entries covering advances in the science of health and diet such as genetic disposition and nutrigenomics, high-profile diets such as the five–two and palaeo, fitness tracking and technologies, and developments in food labelling and the psychology of diet and fitness.

With over seventy diagrams, many providing guidance on how to carry out certain exercises, and tables covering recommended dietary intakes, the composition of selected foods, and average energy expenditure for various activities and sports, this is an ideal quick reference for students of sports and nutrition, and for anyone interested in diet and fitness.

Over 8,000 entries

This dictionary offers jargon-free entries on food, nutrition, diet, and health that clearly explain even the most technical of nutritional terms.

From abalone to zymogens, its coverage spans types of food (including both everyday and little-known foods), nutritional information, vitamins, minerals, and key scientific areas including metabolism and genomics. This new edition includes expanded coverage of food safety and relevant organizations, and of the nutritional information included for many foodstuffs. It also incorporates over 40 new line drawings, including numerous illustrations of the chemical structures of nutrients.

It is an essential resource for students of nutrition, dietetics, food science, and health and human sciences; professionals within the food industry, including nutritionists, cooks, and food manufacturers; and anyone interested in food who wants to discover more about what they eat.

Over 1,300 entries

Forensic scientists apply scientific analysis in a legal context and play a vital role in solving crimes. Sometimes the collection of forensic evidence is the only way to establish or exclude an association between suspect and victim or crime scene, or to establish a likely order of events. Profiting from recent scientific developments and the advancement of technological equipment, forensic science is a rapidly evolving discipline that encompasses many sciences and the law.

This dictionary covers in over 1,300 entries the key concepts within forensic science, including a wide array of relevant specialist terms from areas such as chemistry, biology, anthropology, art, engineering, firearms, toolmarks, trace evidence, crime scene investigation, case history, biographies of investigators and criminals, as well as forensic computing. Ranging from crime scene to fibres and fluorescence to RAM, this new dictionary is the most up-to-date of its kind and is international in scope.

Many entries are complemented by case examples (Dr Crippen, Mary Ann Cotton, etc.), figures, and photographs, which makes this A to Z an ideal reference for students of forensic science, as well as professionals and those with an interest in forensics.

‘offers impeccable advice’ – The Times

Over 6,000 entries

This world-famous guide to the English language has been cherished and consulted by writers, editors, academics, and anyone who values good writing, for its practical and reasoned guidance on grammar, style, punctuation, spelling, and word choice since it first appeared in 1926. The new edition – the first in 18 years – has been thoroughly but sensitively revised to reflect English usage in the 21st century, and offers a clear, authoritative, and enlightening picture of the English we use today.

International in scope, the Dictionary provides in-depth coverage of both British and American English usage, with reference also to the English of Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, and South Africa. The entries are packed with usage examples, some from established literary figures such as Chinua Achebe, Raymond Carver, Iris Murdoch, Harold Pinter, and Vikram Seth, and others from a vast range of newspapers, journals, books, broadcast material, websites, and other digital sources from across the globe, and include references to topical personalities such as Stephen Fry, Prince Harry, Jeremy Paxman, and Wayne Rooney.

Based on the evidence and research of the Oxford Dictionaries Programme, this is the most comprehensive and authoritative guide to usage available.

“The Grove Book of Operas, Second Edition, should be on every opera-lover's short list of indispensable reference books. Highly recommended. ” - Gary Hoffman, Opera Today. First published in 1996 to great critical and popular acclaim, the Grove Book of Operas, is a collection of synopses and descriptions of over 250 operas. Each succinct yet insightful entry is written by a leading authority on the opera and includes a full synopsis of the plot, a cast list, a note on the singers in the original production, and information on the origins of the work and its literary and social background. Contributions conclude with a brief comment on the particular work's place in operatic history. The second edition brings the book up to date with several recently composed operas. Recent additions to the operatic repertory included for the first time in this edition include Nicholas Maw, Sophie's Choice; Poul Ruders, A Handmaid's Tale; John Adams, Death of Klinghoffer; and Mark Adamo, Little Women. Covering all operas in the current repertory along with some less-well-known early and very modern ones, this is an ideal volume for the general opera lover.

Over 9,000 entries

The Grove Dictionary of American Music, second edition is the largest, most comprehensive reference publication on American Music. Twenty-five years ago, the four volumes of the first edition of the dictionary initiated a great expansion in American music scholarship. This second edition reflects the growth in scholarship the first edition initiated. At eight volumes, it provides greatly expanded coverage, particularly in the areas of popular music, cities and regions, musical theater, opera, concert music, and music technology, as well as the musical traditions of many ethnic and cultural groups.

The articles of the dictionary range from small definitions of dance styles and musical terms to mid-length biographies of important performers, composers and music patrons, to longer examinations of larger subjects such as the history of jazz, musical instruments, music education in the United States, and the American history of the orchestra.

The dictionary's articles are supplemented by over 400 images and 140 musical examples and other materials. An abbreviations list, list of contributors, and tips on the use of the dictionary make navigation easy. With well-researched, informative articles by 1500 authors, including most of the top scholars in the field, The Grove Dictionary of American Music is accessible to scholars, academic specialists, and the general public.