Reference Reviews

Reference for Students

The Gilded Age and Progressive Era: A Student Companion. By Elisabeth Israels Perry and Karen Manners Smith. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. 1 vol. 430 p. $60.00. ISBN 10: 0-19-515670-6; 13: 978-0-19-515670-6.

According to the authors, the Gilded Age began after Reconstruction in 1877 and ended with the onset of the Progressive Era around 1900. This is period of economic development with improved mass production techniques. The buying power of workers increased, labor unions flourished, and the United States grew to be a world power during this time. Here are found notable individuals, political, cultural and economic concepts, and technology and inventions. For individuals, articles begin with birth and death dates and places, education, and accomplishments and their contributions. Articles have "see also" references and brief bibliographies with suggestions for further reading. Many have sidebars explaining the black and white photographs or other illustrations. Appendixes include "Important Dates during the Gilded Age and Progressive Era," "Further Reading," and "Websites." The two column format makes easy reading even though the print is small. This is useful for middle school as well as high school students who will enjoy this attractive resource. Their teachers can encourage them to use this to help them choose topics for further research.