Webster's New Biographical Dictionary (print)
Grades: All | Subject(s): Biography | Overall rating: 9
The name “Webster” is almost synonymous with the word “dictionary.” So, when I saw the Webster’s New Biographical Dictionary, I knew I had to review it as well. I was expecting short biographical synopses similar to a definition in a dictionary, and that is exactly what this book proved to be. The book started with several pages of explanatory notes, a guide to pronunciation, and a table to understand abbreviations. All this information was very helpful to learn how to find and interpret the information needed.
For the purposes of this project, I looked up Louis Armstrong and Elvis Presley. For both musicians, I was able to see their full names, how to pronounce their names, birth and death dates, nicknames, brief biographical information, occupation and or what they were most famous for. The descriptions are written similar to a definition and were very brief.
While the short biographical information is not enough for in depth research on the life and contributions of an individual, this resource is very helpful to get a brief idea of who a person was, when they lived, and a little about the contributions they made to our society. It would be a perfect resource to try to figure out how to spell a person’s name or recall basic facts such as their nickname or when they were born or died. I assigned a value of 9 for this resource. I think it is a helpful tool for quick look up in our library; however, I would have loved to see a few pictures or a bit larger print. But, I know this is a dictionary of biographical information and it meets and exceeds that purpose.
Book Source:
Merriam-Webster's biographical dictionary. (1995). Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster.
Grades: All | Subject(s): Biography | Overall rating: 9
The name “Webster” is almost synonymous with the word “dictionary.” So, when I saw the Webster’s New Biographical Dictionary, I knew I had to review it as well. I was expecting short biographical synopses similar to a definition in a dictionary, and that is exactly what this book proved to be. The book started with several pages of explanatory notes, a guide to pronunciation, and a table to understand abbreviations. All this information was very helpful to learn how to find and interpret the information needed.
For the purposes of this project, I looked up Louis Armstrong and Elvis Presley. For both musicians, I was able to see their full names, how to pronounce their names, birth and death dates, nicknames, brief biographical information, occupation and or what they were most famous for. The descriptions are written similar to a definition and were very brief.
While the short biographical information is not enough for in depth research on the life and contributions of an individual, this resource is very helpful to get a brief idea of who a person was, when they lived, and a little about the contributions they made to our society. It would be a perfect resource to try to figure out how to spell a person’s name or recall basic facts such as their nickname or when they were born or died. I assigned a value of 9 for this resource. I think it is a helpful tool for quick look up in our library; however, I would have loved to see a few pictures or a bit larger print. But, I know this is a dictionary of biographical information and it meets and exceeds that purpose.
Book Source:
Merriam-Webster's biographical dictionary. (1995). Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster.