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Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life, 2nd ed. Edited by Timothy Gall & Jeneen Hobby. 5 vols., 3447 pgs. Detroit: Gale Cengage Learning, 2009. ISBN: 978-1-4144-4891- 6

Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life goes beyond geopolitics to explore superstitions, traditional and contemporary dress, even table manners of more than 500 cultural and ethnic groups. The scope of the project is comprehensive. The set documents tribes like the Siberian Nivkhs, who trace their inhabitance of Sakhalin Island to the Neolithic era, but whose population had dwindled by 2002 to only 5,162. Like its companion, Worldmark Encyclopedia of the Nations, the five volumes are arranged by continent, with two volumes devoted to areas of Asian and Oceania. Now in its second edition, Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life attempts to treat each distinct culture and ethnic group across the globe. The area maps at the beginning of each article are an excellent demonstration of multiple cultures existing and overlapping within with a single nation's borders. The entries are detailed, beginning with an essay providing a historical overview. Because the articles are authored by regional experts, the tone varies. Some writers are more subjective than others, but the articles share a similar structure. The diversity of written and spoken language is described, and vocabulary -- days or week, numbers or common nouns -- may be listed with or without pronunciation. Each culture is explored in terms of folklore and religion, holidays and festivals, and a segment titled "Interpersonal Relationships" serves as an etiquette primer. Discussion of living conditions, food, and family structure allows for comparisons between cultures and nations, and salient information about popular sports, entertainment, and clothing should be engaging for young people. Up-to-date sociopolitical information is a particular strength of the Encyclopedia, and could provide fodder for studies in comparative government. Those segments provide detail on labor conditions, social problems, educational systems, industries and gender issues, including legal status of gays and lesbians within the culture. Descriptions of national health insurance systems, for instance, might provide an interesting point of analysis at the moment. The country index at the beginning of each volume is indispensable for identifying which cultural groups are associated with a given nation, which is important because the organization can at times be difficult to predict. For example, most of Italy is consolidated into a single entry where regional distinctions are noted. The entire index, replicated in each volume, includes countries grouped by language, which could provide an interesting wrinkle for foreign language classes seeking to look for more nuanced cultures than provided by national boundaries. Unfortunately, the glossary does not always address terms that might be culturally specific. The authors seem to assume some working vocabulary and do not often define or parenthetically explicate new terms. While we read that "in 2003, more than 65% of Welsh voters support devolution" (v. 5, p. 521), devolution is not among the terms defined in the glossary. One particular strength of the books is the concentration on U. S. immigrant groups and Native Americans, both of which recur in school curriculum. A valuable resource for libraries of any size, deep familiarity with the Encyclopedia will only make it more useful, but color illustrations and maps would probably increase student appeal.