Review by Choice Review
Subdivided into the three conventional domains of natural and applied sciences, social sciences, and humanities, the three volumes in this set may be used independently, since each contains an identical introduction to Internet basics. Each of the 43 "subject-oriented" guides identifies different types of Internet resources, e.g., Web pages, gopher sites, listservers, and newsgroups. The volume for the social sciences, business, and law contains 18 specific subject guides, ranging from six to 40 pages in length. Several very specific topics are included, but there are no general subject guides for history, sociology, psychology, or geography; instead, one long guide attempts to identify resources for all social sciences. The volume for the humanities contains 16 guides, including several for religious studies, two for theater, and one each for architecture, journalism, music, and philosophy. The volume for health and science has nine guides, including such specialized topics as neurosciences, aquatic biology, and aerospace engineering, but there is no mention of physics, mathematics, or computer science. Coverage in all three volumes is spotty. Each is written by a different contributor and is dated to indicate when last modified. There is little structural consistency among the chapters; instead, the authors' comments are tailored to the distinctive features of their respective topics. A good subject index rounds out each volume. The paperback format lacks durability, but the binding is adequate, since Internet guidebooks remain useful only for a short time. Librarians should also consider the new paperbound Gale Guide to Internet Databases (CH, Nov'95), which is more comprehensive and better indexed. The Compendium is recommended for larger libraries. M. M. Bohn University of Nebraska at Omaha
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
