Berkshire Encyclopedia of China.

Cheng, Linsun (editor).

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Publisher Karen Christensen introduces Berkshire Encyclopedia of China as “the first multi-volume, multi-authored Encyclopedia of China to be published outside China itself,” designed to be “an invaluable reference tool for general China studies” and “relevant outside the classroom for students planning careers in China-related business, communications and technology, and public service.” Among the many authoritative 500- to 6,000-word entries are those by the distinguished scholars William H. McNeill, Daniel A. Bell, and William Theodore de Bary. Some 300 (mostly university-affiliated) authors address topics as varied as Architecture, Blogs, Calligraphy, Cultural Revolution, Forbidden City, Gardens, Hangzhou, Intellectual property rights, Internet use, Jade, Olympic Games of 2008, Peking University, Three Gorges Dam, Yao Ming, and the upcoming World Expo 2010—Shanghai. Joan Lebold Cohen, of Harvard University, wrote the article on contemporary art; more importantly, perhaps, she took a large percentage of the encyclopedia’s more than 1,200 black-and-white photographs.

This is a very handsome and user-friendly encyclopedia, printed on “30% postconsumer recycled paper, processed chlorine-free.” The publisher “welcomes” teachers “to make up to 10 copies of no more than 3 articles for distribution in a single course or program.” To this end, each article begins at the top of a page and, if its last page is not full, is usually followed by a charming woodcut or epigram writ large in English, Chinese characters, and Pinyin transliteration. Likewise, all entry titles are in English, Chinese characters, and Pinyin transliteration, “writ” even larger. Each double-column entry is preceded by a short, boldface abstract and concludes with suggestions for further reading—usually books but also Internet sources. The first page of each entry superimposes its text on one of a small set of artful illustrations, often repeated, in light-gray tones. The generously sized illustrations include, in addition to photographs, historical and contemporary maps, woodcuts and engravings, architectural plans and drawings, film stills, and reproductions of paintings (all in black and white). Some articles incorporate statistical tables or boxed excerpts from primary sources. Bold subheadings set off sections of all but the shortest articles. Each volume begins with a comprehensive list of entries. The first volume includes a list of contributors and their entries; the last volume includes an extensive, though not comprehensive, index.

The encyclopedia is not perfect, but the riches are many and the shortcomings few. A photo caption identifies the Pearl Tower (in Shanghai) as visible on “this street in Beijing.” In Liu Hang’s interesting article Encyclopedias and dictionaries (borrowed and translated from the China Great Encyclopedia), there is a (translation-induced?) anachronism: “Encyclopedias of ancient times, such as the ancient Greek and Roman encyclopedias intended for education, were authored by individuals who used medieval methods of classification.” In the article Africa-China relations, a map distinguishes each (unnamed) African country in shades of gray, but there is no key to tell us in what way or degree any of these countries might relate to China.

Highly recommended for academic, public, and high-school libraries whose patrons are serious about understanding China. Also available as an e-book.