Arranged in alphabetical order and written by experts, this set's more than 900 clearly written, well-organized entries provide an excellent source of background information for the lay reader, college student, and professional. Length ranges from a hundred words or so for basic definitions to several thousand words for "each of the most important sectors and disciplines" of the field. Some entries include charts, graphs, and tables. It is disappointing that no websites are included in the brief bibliographies that conclude each entry. See also references that point the reader to related topics. Adding considerable value, back matter includes core documents in the field (for example, "The Oath of Hippocrates," "World Scientists' Warning to Humanity"), an annotated bibliography of historical and contemporary works, and a topical outline of the contents.

Arms control, Child mortality, Filth diseases, Homicide, Medical waste, Oil spills, Race and ethnicity, and Street violence are examples of some of the entries in this work. More than 40 entries are biographical, covering such individuals as Joseph Lister, Walter Reed, and Margaret Sanger. Readers looking for information on public health administration and agencies will not be disappointed; nor will those seeking information on the history, philosophy, and ethics of public health. Here too is information on communicable and noncommunicable diseases and conditions, injury related to acts of individual and mass violence, epidemiology, environmental health, behavioral and community health issues, personal health services, nutrition, and public health and the law. The editor and contributors clearly understand the field's breadth and depth, and the diverse entries reflect their appreciation for its vitality.

Over the past decades, the availability of works on medicine and health has surged, and today the reference output in both print and electronic formats in these fields continues to grow. Most other sources emphasize individual health rather than population health, so this work fills a gap in the literature. The Board extends an unqualified "thumbs up" to the editor and his contributors for successfully imparting to the reader an understanding of the extraordinary progress of the field of public health. Strongly recommended for academic libraries and medium-sized and large public libraries. RBB
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