The new dictionary of cultural literacy / E.D. Hirsch Jr., Joseph F. Kett, James Trefil.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hirsch, E. D., Jr. (Eric Donald), 1928-

Contributor:

Kett, Joseph F.

Trefil, James, 1938-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Civilization.

United States--Civilization--Dictionaries.

United States.

Civilization--Dictionaries.

English language--Dictionaries.

English language.

Genre:

Dictionaries.

Physical Description:

xix, 647 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm

Edition:

Completely revised and updated, third edition.

Other Title:

Cultural literacy

Place of Publication:

Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 2002.

Summary:

In This Fast-Paced Information Age, how can Americans know what's really important and what's just a passing fashion? Now more than ever, we need a source that concisely sums up the knowledge that matters to Americans -- the people, places, ideas, and events that shape our cultural conversation. With more than six thousand entries, The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy is that invaluable source.

Wireless technology. Gene therapy. NAFTA. In addition to the thousands of terms described in the original Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, here are more than five hundred new entries to bring Americans' essential knowledge bank up to date. Are you familiar with the digital divide, European Union, Kwanzaa, pheromones, Type A and Type B personalities, spam? Or, test your knowledge on cultural icons that have stood the test of time: Odysseus, Leaves of Grass, Cleopatra, Winston Churchill, the Taj Mahal, and many, many more. Numerous original entries have been revised to reflect the many recent changes in world history and politics, American literature, and, especially, science and technology.

As our world becomes more global and interconnected, it grows smaller through the terms and touchstones that unite us. As E. D. Hirsch writes in the preface, "Community is built up of shared knowledge and values -- the same shared knowledge that is taken for granted when we read a book or newspaper." A delicious concoction of information for anyone who wants to be in the know, The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy brilliantly confirms once again that it is "an excellent piece of work ... stimulating and enlightening" (New York Times) -- the most definitive and comprehensive family sourcebook of its kind.

Contents:

The Theory Behind the Dictionary: Cultural Literacy and Education xii

The Bible 1

Mythology and Folklore 27

Proverbs 47

Idioms 59

World Literature, Philosophy, and Religion 83

Literature in English 115

Conventions of Written English 147

Fine Arts 163

World History to 1550 202

World History since 1550 217

American History to 1865 251

American History since 1865 277

World Politics 311

American Politics 329

World Geography 356

American Geography 408

Anthropology, Psychology, and Sociology 425

Business and Economics 448

Physical Sciences and Mathematics 473

Earth Sciences 509

Life Sciences 523

Medicine and Health 546

Technology 587.

Notes:

Includes index.

ISBN:

0618226478

OCLC:

50166721

Online:

Publisher description