Greenwood Press

The European Renaissance in American life.

Renaissance faires, costume parties, outdoor festivals, company names, Shakespeare movies, and a new love for the principles of Machiavelli are among the evidence American scholar of the Italian Renaissance Grendler cites for a renaissance of the Renaissance in the US over the past couple of decades. Before describing the recent incarnation, he summarizes the first Renaissance, from 1400-1620. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

The Greenwood encyclopedia of African American folklore; 3v.

Covering a wealth of topics — in areas that include conversational genres, language, dance, festivals, events, folklore scholars and collectors, foods, material culture, music, quilting, and religion — the over 700 entries of this reference demonstrate the wide impact of African American folklore throughout American culture. Many entries are devoted to countries and regions, particularly in Africa and parts of Central and South America, describing genres found there and their areas of influence. Characters in Black folklore are well represented in separate entries, and many entries are biographies. Cross references are incorporated in bold type within the text. Each entry is signed and includes a list of further reading. Many inset boxes are included, containing quotes gathered from oral history and literature. This fascinating and thought-provoking resource is suitable for high school and undergraduate students as well as the general reader. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Medieval cathedrals.

Clark (art history, Queens College) examines the religious architecture found in the cathedral ("chair" of the bishop) or great church, studied in terms of its architecture, sculpture, and stained glass. Coverage includes an overview of the concept of the bishop and his role within the church hierarchy; the growth of the church in the early Christian era and its affiliation with the bishop; the social history of cathedrals; patrons, builders and artists; and planning and construction. The text also includes a "gazetteer" of 25 important examples; a chronology; a selection of 53 primary documents, including historical documents about important events or social situations pertaining to cathedrals or ecclesiastical officials, and descriptive documents about cathedrals; a glossary of terms; and annotated bibliography. Academic but accessible to the general reader. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Medieval castles.

Stokstad (art history, U. of Kansas, Lawrence), the author of a well- regarded history of medieval art, has written an account that describes all aspects of medieval castles, with many specific examples and a rich collection of primary sources. Written for high school students and the general reader, the text provides a nuanced look at castles, with attention to their architecture, methods of fortification, methods of warfare, functions besides defense, inhabitants, their fate after the invention of gunpowder, and the romantic attachment to their architecture from the 18th century to the present. This volume focuses mainly on examples in England and France; it is supplemented nicely by examples in another book in this series, also written by a senior scholar, that focuses on the Crusades. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Science and technology in medieval European life.

Aimed at college students and interested general readers, this reference presents a wealth of examples illustrating the impact of science and technology on daily life in medieval Europe. Wigelsworth (Calgary Institute for the Humanities) begins with an overview of the era, followed by a chronology. The main part of the volume is organized into nine chapters dealing with general themes (agriculture, transportation, medicine, etc.). Each of these is further divided into concise entries on individual topics (the crop system, road construction, and childbirth, for example). The volume concludes with a glossary and some suggestions for further reading. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Screens fade to black; contemporary African American cinema.

In this study, Leonard examines a sampling of recent African American films in order to assess the extent to which they reflect racial progress or help perpetuate racial inequality and white privilege. Most of the films analyzed were written, directed, and starred by black artists. These include (for example) Antwone Fisher, Prison Song, Drumline, Barbershop, and Bamboozled. Leonard teaches comparative ethnic studies at Washington State U. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Sex from Plato to Paglia; a philosophical encyclopedia; 2v.

This compilation of over 150 experts' articles includes such topics as abstinence, bestiality, consent, dysfunction, French feminism, Hinduism, the law, nudism, phenomenology, seduction, sexual violence and utopianism, along with explanations of the thought of such as John Boswell, Havelock Ellis, Michel Foucault, Thomas Hobbes, Gottfried Leibniz, Saint Paul, Robert Rimmer, the Marquis de Sade and Baruch Spinoza. The result is eclectic but thorough, with a wide range of figures, topics/concepts and history/schools of thought within the subject. Lest we forget the most important elements, entries also describe thought on friendship, humor, language and love. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)

Urban sprawl; a comprehensive reference guide.

Sprawl is a national event that is an issue not just of land use but a legal, political, and social concern as well, affecting schools, the environment, and human relations. Writing primarily for high school students and undergraduates, Soule (Northeastern U.) and his contributors (architects, academics, policy makers) explore the dynamics and impacts of sprawl and how localities are dealing with it. (Annotation ©2007 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)