Review by Choice Review
Sreenivasan, a scholar and author of books about social justice, edits a succinct, evenhanded encyclopedia that is neutral and nonjudgmental, letting readers determine from the facts whether programs that the US government planned (or that were proposed to it) have worked to alleviate poverty and suffering. The book includes a good index, essays about the effect of different levels of government (local, state, federal, and tribal), excerpts from some 40 primary documents, and entries on various people and programs tried throughout US history. More than 170 entries include cross-references, suggested readings, and relevant Web sites. The closest comparable reference might be Poverty in the United States (CH, Jun'05, 42-5642), ed. by G. Mink and A. O'Connor. Though many recent works about government and poverty present material that reflects their authors' own views of poverty eradication, Sreenivasan neither touts nor heavily criticizes programs. Neither does she offer solutions sponsored by one group or another; instead she presents research that should enable people to reach their own conclusions and decide on their own agendas. This is a useful information source for students, practitioners, and citizens in political science, education, justice studies, human rights, and social activism. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers. J. Q. Vance Walla Walla Community College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
Much time and effort have been devoted over the years by governments, private charities, and individuals trying to eradicate poverty or mitigate its effects. This historical encyclopedia chronicles these attempts in the U.S. from English colonization to the present time. Policy initiatives, legislation, important individuals, and organizations are discussed in 170 alphabetically arranged entries, ranging from the specific (Great Depression, Social Security Act) to the general (Criminal justice system and poverty). All entries include cross-references to related entries; most include a source list and a brief list of related Web sites. Written for a general audience, the entries provide basic descriptive and historical information in language that is easy to understand. A strength of the encyclopedia is its incorporation of 45 primary documents into the body of the work, an effective way of introducing sources such as presidential speeches, signing statements, statutes, and government reports. Another strength is thorough coverage of issues related to poverty among Native Americans. Many entries include photographs and sidebars that enhance the reader's understanding of the topic and the historical and social context. The encyclopedia opens with an alphabetical list of entries. A topical listing would have been a helpful addition. The list of entries is followed by four introductory essays on poverty and local governments, state governments, the federal government, and tribal governments. The 44-page Chronology of the Government and Policy summarizes major legislation, events, and milestones. Better indexing would have improved the work; the Eugenics entry discusses sterilization but is not referenced under sterilization in the index. Recommended for college and public libraries. Also available as an e-book.--Lewis, Janice Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
This two-volume set contains 170 articles by Sreenivasan (Utopias in American History), who has also written numerous children's books. Volume 1 begins with four essays addressing poverty in relation to local governments, state governments, federal governments, and tribal governments in the United States. A 40-page chronology follows. Subsequently, 170 alphabetically arranged articles focus on U.S. policy, as well as influences on individuals or groups important to the topic of poverty. The articles are generally two to three pages long, including brief bibliographies, with most covering topics relevant to the 20th and 21st centuries, but there are also articles on issues from earlier times. Sample entries include "Jane Addams," "Child Abuse & Poverty," "Great Society," "Earned Income Tax Credit," "Eugenics," "Indian Removal Act of 1830," and even "Public Libraries." Forty-five of the articles are followed by primary sources, often excerpts from a larger document. While many are cited as having been extracted from print, several are cited web pages. In randomly visiting five of the cited web pages, three did not retrieve the cited document, although, as in the case of the Franklin D. Roosevelt address, it was possible to navigate the site to locate the document. Bottom Line Recommended for high school, public, and college libraries, especially those supporting a curriculum need. Libraries already owning ABC-CLIO's 2004 Poverty in the United States: An Encyclopedia of History, Politics, and Policy or looking for a strictly academic approach may be satisfied with that title.-Lura Sanborn, St. Paul's Sch. Lib., NH (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 Up-A concise, comprehensive look at poverty and how the U.S. government has grappled with the problem, this title approaches its subject through 4 essays about local, state, federal, and tribal governments; a 45-page chronology of events and concepts from the 1500s to 2008; and 170 alphabetically arranged articles. The latter resources include discussions about, and sometimes the text of, legislation (e.g., the Sheppard-Towner Maternity and Infancy Act of 1921, the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Homestead Act of 1862) and broad topics (e.g., eugenics, full employment, Eleanor Roosevelt, Social Security Act). Articles are easy to read with single-sentence definitions starting each one. There are 45 primary-source documents and extensive sidebars. Sources and Web sites are included in each article. Librarians should consider this set, as its historical perspective is extensive, its writing style is clear, and its material is useful.-Linda Beck, Indian Valley Public Library, Telford, PA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Choice Review
Review by Booklist Review
Review by Library Journal Review
Review by School Library Journal Review
