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A wealth of information on modern cultures and ethnic groups resides in this one-volume work, primarily a product of Israeli scholars (and published first in Israel in 1993). Articles tend to focus more on the political and geographical histories than on the cultural and linguistic differences that distinguish peoples. Peoples are defined as broadly as nationalities; for example, there is an entry for Americans as well as for the many ethnic groups that comprise the U.S. population. Articles contain both the common and indigenous names of groups and provide cross references to related entries. Maps highlight the locations of lesser-known peoples. This encyclopedia contains much more detail than another one-volume work, Oxford Illustrated Encyclopedia of Peoples and Cultures (Oxford Univ. Pr., 1992), which mixes shorter and fewer descriptions of cultural groups with concepts, biographies, and definitions. Compared with the eight-volume Encyclopedia of World Cultures ( LJ 3/15/91), however, it falls short of providing the rich level of description that makes a definitive reference work. Nevertheless, it is highly recommended for public and academic libraries as a current guide to the peoples of the world. - from Amzon