"Encyclopedia of American Indian Contributions to the World"
I wrote this review in September 2003.
I am reviewing another book in this month's issue. The book is
"Encyclopedia of American Indian Contributions to the World" (EAICW) by
Emory Dean Keoke and Kay Marie Porterfield. This is a very well
researched, and comprehensive book. It is quite monumental in its scope.
To give you an example, when I opened the book, I was on page 139. One
of the listings on this page is Ipecac. Many households know about this
medication. It is usually used to induce vomiting. Children often
swallow things they should not. The books goes into some detail about
where the plant was first found, how it is refined, and how it came to
be used by Europeans. It then lists some sources for further reading.
It also has a great Appendix section. It shows which tribes lived where,
including many good maps (something I wish I had in my book). The
Chronology section lists when different things were discovered or
invented by the indigenous people. It also has an appendix which lists
the book's entries by area, by subject and by which tribal group is
associated with that item.
I know how long it took me to do the research associated with my book. I
can only guess that the authors spent a long time putting together the
material in this book.
EAICW has a plethora (I love being able to use that word) of listings
and information. EAICW is 384 pages long and measures (in inches): 1.19
x 11.20 x 8.44. It would make an excellent addition to any well stocked
library.
