Reference Book Analysis

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Reference Book Analysis

• Library 150
• Week 4
• Winter 2005
• Valerie A.Stein

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306/.08 21 Fre

• Freeman, Dr. Dena, author
• (written and researched by Penelope Arlon, Lorrie
  Mack, and Zahavit Shalev)
  
• How People Live,
• London, New York, Munich, Melbourne and Delhi
• Dorling Kindersley, 2003
• ISBN 0789498677

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Arrangement

• The initial section of the book contains world
  maps outlining what is to be covered, followed by
  a table giving an overview of some world facts.
  
• Organized by continent, each main section is
  prefaced by a map detailing that continent. The
  section covering N America is organized by
  region other continents are covered mainly by
  cultural group.

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Indexing

• Each section covering a continent is prefaced by
  a table of contents for that section. A very
  thorough index follows the text.
  
• Photo credits, which may broaden interest or
  understanding, are numerous, and follow the
  index.
  
• No bibliographic information is noted.

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Scope and Currency

• As a book for children heavily weighted in its
  photographic content, this books subject matter
  is not covered in great depth. It is written
  about peoples of the modern world, touching
  briefly on their history to broaden understanding
  of the changes found within cultures throughout
  the earth.
• Published in 2003, and containing many modern
  images (the frontispiece shows some aboriginal
  children in traditional garb playing with a very
  modern laptop), this book is very current. It
  should remain so for some time, given its purpose
  as a supplemental resource for students at the
  elementary level.

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Intended Purpose

• This book gives an overview of diverse cultures
  of the world and the way they live to
  elementary-aged students, and to the casual
  learner at any level.
• Brief histories and interesting facts about many
  cultures of the world are presented photographs
  comprise the thrust of this book, adding another
  learning dimension with their abundance and
  clarity.

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Physical Format

• 8.77 x 11.14 inches
• 304 pages
• Available only in
• hardcover

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Special Features

• This book holds a special appeal for all ages
  expressly because of the myriad photos, which
  provide insight into the brief text.
  
• A table at the beginning, likening the global
  village of 6 billion to a village of 100, brings
  a complex concept down to understandable terms.

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Credential and Review

• Dr. Dena Freeman, Chief Consultant, has a PhD in
  anthropology and is a specialist in African
  indigenous people. She has written 2 books and
  several articles about Ethiopia, her area of
  expertise.
• What it lacks in completeness it more than makes
  up for in interesting details and information on
  both well- and little-known groups of people
  
• School Library Journal

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Personal Impression

• This is a really beautiful book, a wonderful
  photographic supplement to any information one
  might find on a given topic contained therein,
  and a great way to bring the global village home.
  It is not a stand-alone reference, as it has no
  bibliographical information whatsoever, and the
  information is brief though well-expressed. The
  photographs tell a much deeper story than the
  text. Nothing I found on the internet equaled
  the depth and quality of the photos, but there
  was much more information to be found in detail
  online with very little searching.

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Typical Reference Uses

• Ni-Vanuatu - Two pages of short entries and
  several photos covering a range of 6 or 7
  subjects, one page under the heading, Vanuatu
  Cultural Center, the other page devoted to The
  great Pentecost Jump.
• Maasai - Four pages, about half text and half
  devoted to photos. The entries describe daily
  life of men and women, the importance of cattle
  to the culture, the dependence on the sale of
  crafts for survival, and eunoto, the manhood
  ceremony.

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Internet Results

• Searching both articles and images with a simple
  Google search,
  
• Ni-Vanuatu yielded about 2530 hits and about 102
  image hits. One of the first ten was a very
  comprehensive travel blog which included a whole
  page of statistics about people and covered many
  other categories. No photos accompany, however.
• Maasai yielded about 88,000 hits and about 11,600
  image hits. Of the first ten, one was Amazon and
  one is a travel ad. The rest contain information
  about the Maasai, the most notable being
  www.maasai.infoline.org/
• created by The Maasai Association.