Choice Review
The newest version of The Statesman's Yearbook (previously reviewed, CH, Feb'00, 37-3144) is the same high-quality, easy-to-use resource in a bigger package. Boasting new 2007 content, such as biographical profiles of current world leaders, expanded political histories and economic overviews, and essays on globalization and military expenditures, it dwarfs older editions in size. Profiles of 192 countries and their territories are arranged in A-to-Z format with a mix of short- and medium-length narrative sections and statistical tables. Sections include "Key Historical Events," "Territory and Population," "Climate," "Constitution and Government," "Recent Elections," and "Social Institutions." Also new for this edition are more detailed line maps of each country. A short list of further readings completes each entry. Front material includes a chronology covering April 2005 to March 2006, a list of ISO (International Organization for Standardization) codes, and descriptions of international organizations and treaties. Appendixes include abbreviations and a list of sources consulted. Supplementing the basic index is one of current world leaders. Expanded coverage of a country's political history shows in Iraq's entry--almost three pages spanning 3000 BCE to the aftermath of Saddam Hussein's ouster.Online access for one concurrent user is included in the price of the print edition. Site licenses are also available. The online version is updated to reflect election results and new statistics. Online content not in the print edition includes profiles of major cities. A nice feature of the online version is a built-in citation for each chapter in a country's entry. More detailed than the CIA's free World Factbook (CH, Feb'06, 43-3171), this yearbook is an annual purchase for most collections. Steep pricing and duplication with other sources make it an alternate-year purchase for smaller libraries. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers; general readers. M. Shores Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County
Library Journal Review
Originally designed for statesmen but now used by anyone needing information on the politics, cultures, and economies of the world, this yearbook is one of the longest-running annual publications in history. Compiled by Barry Turner, the yearbook's seventh general editor and author of numerous reference publications (e.g., the annual Writer's Handbook), the 2007 edition contains more than 20 percent new material, increasing its scope to 1.5 million words. A standout feature is the foldout section providing a political world map and flags for 192 countries. There are also biographical profiles of current leaders, government histories, and various historical statistics, as well as new and original essays on topical issues in international affairs. Perhaps the most important new feature is not the new print edition but the availability of the book's content onlinefor the first time. The newly created web site (www.states-mansyearbook.com), which is available at no extra cost to anyone who purchases the book, is accessed via a unique registration code found on the sticker on the book's cover. Updated regularly and offering various dowloading options, the site comes with a single-user licence giving online access to the fully searchable text. Especially noteworthy to librarians: unlimited user upgrades are available for libraries that want to network the online version for wider use, and full usage statistics can be made available at any time.-Mirela Roncevic (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.