The Seventies in America Review

“This three-volume work provides 650 alphabetically arranged entries concerning the 1970s in the United States and Canada. The content emphasizes popular culture, politics, the arts, sports, and science. Articles vary in length from part of a page to several pages long and the writing is particularly clear and to the point. Not only do the writers summarize the topic well, but point out its impact and significance to the larger society. For example, the section under the "Bee Gees" explains changing musical tastes and the arrival of disco culture. Under the subject "Book Publishing," the writer discusses the impact of the paperback on American culture. Every entry has a subsection called "impact," which further explains the cultural significance of the topic…The work has a table of contents, lists for further reading, illustrations, graphs, recommended Websites, and a glossary, as well as lists of best films, best books, and most popular music. There is a subject index as well as an index arranged by names. Historians and political science majors, undergraduate, and graduate students will find this work useful. The Seventies in America is recommended for all academic libraries.”
-ARBA

“…Like its predecessors, The Seventies in America covers a broad range of subjects relevant to the decade, including such period symbols as the Equal Rights Amendment, punk rock, Skylab, Earth Day, Gary Gilmore, Star Wars, the Chicano Movement, and the Ford Pinto. A total of 672 essays are arranged in 34 general subject categories. All essays are presented in the context of the impact on the US and Canada. For example, although there is no entry for Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, he is referenced in essays related to US and Canadian foreign policy. The essays, which range from 500 to 3,000 words, include important background information, as well as material on subsequent relevant events, where necessary. Each essay is authored by a US or Canadian scholar and includes a brief definition (or identification in the case of persons), an overview, a discussion of the topic's impact, and suggestions for further reading. Volume 3's three indexes and 16 appendixes set this publication apart from other works on this decade. Some of these appended extras include listings of popular films, plays, music, books, and major award winners; overviews of important legislation and court decisions; a time line; a list of Web sites; and a glossary. This title is a well-written, well-organized, and thorough resource on this most transitional of decades in American history. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and general readers.”
-CHOICE