Choice Review

The Worldmark Encyclopedia provides information on current religious practices around the world, emphasizing the impact of religions on daily life. Each volume contains a cumulative index for the set, a glossary defining the various religions and terms used throughout the set, a chronology showing when certain religions were founded, a list of quotations about beliefs, notes on the contributors to the set, and a list of holy days. Readers can also view population maps that display a faith's distribution throughout the world. For each major religion section, 18 subsections describe the religion's "distinctive qualities for that country." For example, one can learn about the mode of dress or dietary practices of Roman Catholics in Portugal or discover what is considered sacred to someone of the Eastern Orthodox religion. This encyclopedia, which offers over 500 illustrations, will be useful to anyone wanting to learn more about the major religions of the world. It is also available in electronic format. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. All levels. D. L. Luce Faulkner University