Post War America

This four-volume encyclopedia offers some 550 alphabetical entries detailing historical developments in the United States following World War II. Broadly speaking, the topics covered include arts and popular culture; civil liberties and civil rights; defense and foreign affairs; economy and labor; education; family, community, society; government and politics; health and medicine; legal issues, courts, and crime; race and ethnicity; religion and spiritual issues; science, technology, and the environment. The entries range from broad topics such as the automobile industry, day care, banking and credit, tort law, organized crime, death and dying, and anticommunism to the extremely specific, including the Kent State shootings, the My Lai Massacre, the Head Start program, Richard Nixon's "Checkers speech," Abscam, the Freedom of Information Act, and the Attica prison riot. Included in the fourth volume is a guide to print and broadcast cultural landmarks of the era, containing brief descriptions of works ranging from Allen Ginsberg's Howl to The X-Files. This is followed by a glossary, a topical bibliography, and a general index. Annotation c2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)