The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-09-07
The Book World

because most capsule knowledge turns out
ID to be fake, the experienced reader looks
with doubtful eye on any one-volune c0npen-
dunn of all things. Except for the Bible, the dc
tionary and the World Almanac. the one volume
best able to hurdle that prejudice Of the wary
IS the Columbia Encyclopedia. which the Colum-
bia University Press will release to the public on
Oct II. 1T will sell for $3.50, or SIS by pre-
publication order to your bookstore).
We have not found 1t superior to the reputa-
BILE larger encyclopedias, as claimed by some Of
its enthusiastic friends But it is far superior to
anything the book world has seen in that field
approaching its size or price.
OF course, it can hardly be called a capsule
il weighs nine pounds in which are crowded 1000
pages on about So 900 subjects. DR.. Clarke E.
Ansley, the editor-in-chief, has labored with his
many assistants for eight years.
Thanks to small but clear type, thin paper
and tabloid editing, this volume is able to cover
most, if not all, Of the important subjects
handled by its 20-volune competitors.
A an example of the space given
N Theodore Roosevelt gets almost two
columns, Herbert Hoover less than one and
half, Benito Mussolini one column Franklin D.
Roosevelt and Adolf Hitler each a trifle less than
a column while the ancient Hittites rate two
thirds of a column compared with a half column
each for Josef Stain. George Bernard Shaw and
J. P. Morgan.
Russias new economic policy" of 1921 rates
separate short article, but the New Deal is
scattered through the Franklin Roosevelt and
other articles The Rooseveltian biography ends
in this manner:
although both houses remained Democratic
by a large majority definite split away from
the New Deal policies developed within the DEM
ocratc ranks, as in the nation at large
On the subject Of nationalism versus inter-
nationaism, after stressing the war and Dictator
ship evils of extreme nationalism it concludes:
yet the forces working for internationalism
continue to operate and even in an increasingly
natiOnalistlc world, there remain many hopeful
advocates Of international cooperation and
union"
A S in the case Of all encyclopedias, it is posi-
"A to show that some important subjects have
been sighted. Here for instance there is no
separate article on the United States Supreme
Court. The subject Of unemployment is dis
missed in 100 WOrdS-abOut the same space as
given to Nauvoo, Ill. city of 966 population
This volume also has the common fault Of
all the large American and British encyclopedias
in seeing world history and knowledge too much
in Western rather than partly Oriental terms,
and in Anlerican-British rather than partly
Germaiic and Latin terms
Perhaps that kind Of nationalstic cultured
distortion is inevitable when most Of the con-
tributors are of culture and nationality writ
ing for readers of the same.
But in the fairness this work is to be judged
in relation to similar works available. 1t appears
to be much more authoritative and comprehen-
sve than any small encyclopedia. The American
public is indebted to the Columbia Press and the
editorial staff for this achievement.