Reference Reviews

Doug’s Student Reference Room

Entertaining from Ancient Rome to the Super Bowl: An Encyclopedia, edited by Melitta Weiss Adamson and Francine Segan. 2 vols., 628 pp. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-313-33957-8. $199.95.

This two-volume set examines dining and entertaining practices and traditions from various cultures and historical periods. The alphabetically arranged entries range in length from several hundred words to lengthy entries of more than five thousand words, often with an anthropological perspective. We learn, for example, that in post-Revolutionary times, Russian couples “began to feel freer to reject those parts of a traditional wedding celebration they didn’t like or didn’t want for themselves,” and the entry on rent parties provides a poignant glimpse into the lonely lives of many Depression-era Harlem residents. Cross-references in bold print help readers make connections among topics; each entry concludes with a brief list of recommendations for further reading and sometimes a list of recommended web sites. Both volumes begin with an alphabetical list of entries, followed by a guide to related topics, which teachers may find useful in planning units and research assignments. Simply perusing the list of entries reveals intriguing possibilities for further research, from “Doilies and Coasters” to “Kitchen Staff Dress,” from “Coffeehouses in London,” to “Childhood in South India.” Perhaps the most provocative juxtaposition is the entry on Martha Stewart, which directly precedes the entry about Sub-Saharan Africa. The language of the individual entries will be accessible to most high school students. Sidebars and illustrations add interest to the volumes and the set concludes with an extensive bibliography and a general index. Recommended for high school and public libraries.