The Pacific Islands: An Encyclopedia

A genuinely authoritative, encyclopedic treatment of the islands of the Pacific, drawing on the expertise of hundreds of Pacific scholars and writers. Focuses on the traditional culture regions of Melanesia, Polynesia, and Micronesia, with considerable attention also paid to the Maori and Aboriginal peoples, although the latter two groups are not profiled separately. The 40-some subjects are organized into major sections covering the physical environment, peoples, history, politics, economy, society, culture, and island profiles, as well as some 200 brief biographies of important figures. Throughout, emphasis is placed on presenting contested views on aspects of culture, politics, history, and other matters. Hundreds of color and b&w photographs, maps, and graphs. Includes a searchable CD-ROM version which includes hyperlinks connecting contents and indexes to the text. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)