The assassination of Archduke Ferdinand was the first step in what was to become a global conflict. When the United States entered the war on the side of the Allies, most believed that the “war to end all wars” would soon be over. This reference covers WWI from the sinking of the Lusitania to the Treaty of Versailles, beginning each chapter with an excerpt from a song, poem, letter or speech from the time. There are maps, photographs, posters and paintings throughout the book, but I was disappointed that there was so little primary source text material.  The book ends with a timeline, glossary and a list of resources for further reading. I would only recommend this for 4-7th grades; it does not have the depth of information necessary for any kind of research at the secondary level.

The Harlem Renaissance, the period of time when art and literature of the African American culture flourished, is briefly explored in the preface of this book. The chapters are devoted to well-known artists and writers such as Duke Ellington, Langston Hughes, and Josephine Baker, in addition to others with whom I was not familiar such as Aaron Douglas, Arna Bontemps, and Alain LeRoy Locke. I was disappointed that there were no excerpts of any of the authors’ works or reproductions of the artists’ works. There were photographs of the people profiled and further resources.

This book explains the history of the theories of the universe. Miller provides a short segment on Egyptian and Babylonian cosmology before exploring the Greek theories that eventually formed the basis for Christian thinking on the geocentric view of the universe. These views became so fixed in church doctrine that anyone questioning the theories was deemed a radical and an enemy of the church.

Miller does an excellent job explaining the theories of the scientists who have considered the nature of the universe over time: Anaximander, Aristotle, Ptolemy, Copernicus, Kepler, Brahe, Galileo, and Newton among others. The information is accessible even for those who are not well-versed in science. His emphasis, however, is on the courage the scientists of the Renaissance and later displayed in the face of condemnation by the church for their pursuit of knowledge. While many people are aware of Galileo’s trial, not as many know Copernicus, who died in 1543, was buried in an unmarked grave and the Catholic Church banned his book. His remains were not discovered until 2005 and he was finally given an honorable burial in 2010. Photographs, sidebars, a glossary and a list of additional resources provide even more information on the topic. This book was surprisingly interesting and would make a excellent addition to a school library’s nonfiction section.

This reference presents essays that discuss not only the historical background of the Kurds, but also the actions against Kurds in modern Turkey and Iraq. The first chapter provides the background information, including information on the Turkish Settlement Law and the actions of Saddam Hussein against Kurds. Chapter two presents essays about several controversies, such as whether Hussein’s actions constituted genocide, whether the Kurds should be granted an independent state, whether Turkish actions against Kurds constitute genocide and more. The third chapter recounts personal experiences, such as a Turkish American Kurd who was tortured in Turkey, a Kurdish politician’s first impressions of Hussein in his early days of power, and others who experienced atrocities at the hands of Hussein and his forces. I don’t think many of our students know about the persecution of Kurds, and I think fewer understand the root of the problems; this book does a good job explaining it. There are exercises at the start of each chapter, including analysis of data and political cartoons, writing prompts and group activities. The reference includes a timeline, maps, and lists of websites and books for further information.  I see this as an excellent addition to a high school library, both for students looking for more information on genocide or teachers interested in developing a lesson/unit on the topic, particularly one supported by primary source documents.

This volume focuses on three topics related to the Taliban: the power of the Taliban, the relationship between the Taliban and Afghanistan’s drug trade, and how the United States should deal with the Taliban. Each section provides at least four viewpoints on the topic, as well as questions to consider as you read each essay. After each essay restates the main argument made and poses questions to help the reader evaluate the argument asks how the next author would respond to the argument, what other facts the reader would need in order to  This book takes a complex topic and makes it comprehensible even if it is a little simplistic in scope. There are photographs, maps, charts, and political cartoons that prevent the book from being too text-dense. Included at the end of the book are basic facts about the Taliban and organizations to contact and sources for more information.