'With every passing minute, it becomes more and more apparent that our world is one community. "The Encyclopedia of Community" serves as recognition of this trend and as a needed resource. The four-volume set not only explains the emerging buzz words of community such as 'social capital' or 'civic engagement' but also tells many stories of community institutions that work, such as public libraries' - Sarah Ann Long, Past President, (1999-2000) American Library Association. 'A lot of conscientious work has gone in to the compilation process, the cross-references and the indexing are accurate, and the publishing production is elegant and attractive' - Reference Reviews. "The Encyclopedia of Community" is a major four volume reference work comprising of over five hundred detailed articles, that seeks to provide a comprehensive exploration of one of the most widely researched topics in the behavioural and social sciences. Community itself is a concept, an experience, and a central part of being human. This pioneering major reference work seeks to provide the necessary definitions of community far beyond the traditional views. Arranged in an A-to-Z fashion, this Encyclopedia can also be viewed topically via a Reader's Guide. This allows for interdisciplinary 'compare and contrast' among topics such as types of communities, social capital, technology, urban life, politics and law, community design, and global studies. Historical perspectives, contemporary analyses and communities of the future are all featured in this truly comprehensive Encyclopedia. Edited by the award-winning team at Berkshire Reference and assisted by an international editorial board of renowned scholars, the "Encyclopedia of Community" will prove to be one of the most widely used reference works in any library collection. This encyclopedia covers communities of the past and present, from 19th century utopians to the communes of the 1960s, to today's Rotary Club, Amish, and cyber communities. It contains over 500 articles and features high-profile international contributors. It consists of 4 volumes and 2200 pages. It is intended as a reader's guide. It includes a master bibliography and over 300 sidebars and photos. The entries include: the Amish, Asian-American Communities, Fascism, McDonaldization, Public Libraries, Rebellions and Revolutions, Refugee Communities, Social Capital, Virtual Communities, and Warsaw Ghetto. They are a range of lengths, cover a spectrum of topics, and depict quite a bit of international perspective.