New Reference Books at Chesnutt Library

National Geographic Almanac of Geography [Ref G 123.N37 2005]

From the publisher –

Organized into four main parts for easy reference: What Is Geography, Physical Geography, Human Geography, and Places. The National Geographic Almanac of Geography provides an answer for every geographic question, from the history of mapmaking to the migration of people around the world to topics such as environmental hazards and cultural identity.

African States and Rulers [Ref DT 31 .S7859 2006]

From the publisher –

Now in its third edition, this is a bigger (more than 11,000 entries), updated (through late summer 2005) version of the 1989 original covering the enormous kaleidoscope of changing political boundaries, names, and rulers of Africa.

This exhaustive reference allows the user quickly to determine what happened in or to each country and when-changes of names, political systems, rulers, and so on. The term "state" is loosely defined to embrace, throughout the history of Africa, any area of land with recognized borders and evidence of a continuing governmental structure, almost always with a capital city.

Entries give official name of country, dates during which it went by that name, location, capital, alternate names including cross-references to previous and later incarnations, and a list of rulers with dates of power when known. A new table details AIDS in the African states.

Larousse Gastronomique [Ref TX 349 .L365 2001]

From Booklist –

For decades, the definitive reference book for chefs and anyone else devoted to the world of good food and cooking has been Larousse Gastronomique. The last English-language edition of this venerable French publication appeared in 1988, so the arrival of the 2001 edition comes onto the scene at just the right time to refresh reference collections. A translation of the French edition of 2000, this new work shifts the book's traditional focus more definitively to world cuisine, even though coverage still emphasizes the triumphs of European gastronomy in general and French cooking in particular. Although by no means comprehensive, articles on national schools of cooking are especially helpful to distinguish each country's or region's salient cooking ingredients and methods. Recipes abound, but they are designed as exemplars, and only skilled cooks will derive real direction from their abridged instructions. Many color illustrations add to the volume's attractiveness and its utility.