The Concise Columbia encyclopedia

About this book

The one-stop reference with all the facts and information you most frequently need. THE CONCISE COLUMBIA ENCYCLOPEDIA was prepared under the guidance of a distinguished panel of scholars in art. literature, music. law. history, geography, international affairs, religion, life sciences, space exploration, sports and many more. It was designed for clarity, completeness and ease-of-use. • Over 15.000 entrie€ covering every field of information • Over 3,000 articles on up-to-date scientific and technical subjects—from computers and robotics to quarks • Broad coverage of people and topics of contemporary importance—from Sandra Day O'Connor and Luciano Pavarotti to genetic engineering and herpes simplex • Over 5,000 biographies of notable men and women, past and present • illustrations, diagrams, charts, national and regional maps • Over 50,000 cross-references to additional information • Written in complete sentences in easy-to-read type (With a pronunciation guide for difficult names) • Metric equivalents for all measurements • Plus special tables listing U.S. presidents, Supreme Court iustices, popes, prime ministers, rulers. royal dynasties. national parks, theaters, orchestras, languages, elements—and much more.