American women civil rights activists : biobibliographies of 68 leaders, 1825-1992 /

Hardy's book will provide inspiration for many research projects, from high school term papers to doctoral dissertations. Each entry focuses on one individual and includes three major sections: a chronological biography; background information; and bibliographical information (e.g., books and shorter works by and about each person, primary source materials, biographical sketches, media materials [i.e., films, slides, sound recordings], and other works such as plays). Hardy skillfully pulls together information not otherwise available in one source, and her expertise as a reference librarian shapes the form of the book. The crisp and factual style maintains brevity without sacrificing depth. In comparison with Women Champions of Human Rights; Eleven U.S. Leaders of the Twentieth Century, by Moira Davison Reynolds (1991), Hardy's work treats more people, has more extensive bibliographies, and includes ten excellent appendixes. Unfortunately, there are no photographs. College students and faculty are most likely to use this book, but it has great value at the secondary level. Recommended for all academic and public libraries. M. Caterson; American University

The term civil rights is used in its broadest sense here to include peace and the rights of the disabled, adoptees, children, gays, women, and the elderly, as well as African Americans, Native Americans, and Hispanics. Biographies cover both living and deceased women. Among the well-known subjects are Shirley Chisholm, Emma Goldman, Coretta Scott King, Maggie Kuhn, and Rosa Parks. The typical biography is about three pages in length and is followed by an extensive bibliography, often of equal length, listing other biographies of the woman; books, articles, and other media by and about her; and the locations of manuscript collections and historical sites and landmarks. The 68 women are listed in appendixes by birthplace, date of birth, ethnicity, fields of activity, location of civil rights activity, occupation, religious affiliation, schools attended, and tribal membership. A detailed index follows. As the bibliographies here note, biographies of most of these women are available elsewhere (e.g., Notable American Women, Notable Black American Women, American Reformers). It is the detailed bibliographies that make the book unique and useful for collections in high school, public, and academic libraries. (Reviewed Dec. 15, 1993)0899507735Sandy Whiteley