Encyclopedic Text Research Articles

The Devil's Rights and the Redemption in the Literature of Mediaeval England (review)

216 Reviews Accordingly, a large part of the 80-page Introduction is devoted to contextualising the prefaces, providing historical background and so forth. It is followed by a substantial bibliography of works mentioned in the Introduction. The explanatory notes, largely devoted to identifying figures named in the texts or scriptural passages, seem pitched at an audience beginning medieval studies. Each text is presented uncluttered by the apparatus usually ignored by students grappling with the basics of comprehension, and the emendations and transcriptional minutiae are removed to a section of textual notes at the end. One might expect, therefore, more in the way of aids to translation, either in a section on language in the introduction, or in the notes. As in Magennis's edition, the glossary is comprehensive, and parses the individual forms and occurrences of words. The book, however, lacks the kind of syntactic notes and other language material that Magennis provides. In examining one of the more orthographically difficult texts, the Preface to the Letter to Sigeferth (8d), which survives in the mid-twelfth-century manuscript Cotton Vespasian D.xiv, I found that the glossary's general comprehensiveness and accuracy failed. The spelling form emb is not cross-referenced to or listed under ymb; nor main to mann. Healden does not appear under the entry for healdan. There is no entry for the verb semen. Gewriten in the phrase on /Engliscen gewriten does not appear under gewrit, nor is the irregularity of inflexion discussed. Most texts, fortunately, are preserved in more regular late West Saxon form. This book proves a useful tool for introducing students to iElfric, his works and the culture of the reformed monasteries, but the teacher may find it necessary to provide further aids to translating the texts it contains. Greg Waite Department of English University of Otago Marx, C. W., The Devil's Rights and the Redemption in the Literature of Mediaeval England, Cambridge, D. S. Brewer, 1995; cloth; pp. x, 184; 4 illustrations; R.R.P. £29.50, US$51.00. The notion of the traditional rights over mankind held by the Devil is a theological concept much used in the (surviving) medieval literature produced in England. Necessarily it needs to be considered closely in the appraisal of these various formulations concerned with the redemption. There Reviews 217 has been a tendency to regard its presence in these texts as anachronistic, an inheritance from patristic writing. Marx's study is concerned to detect the persisting influence of such theological arguments and concepts in literary texts. The selected topics are treated sequentially and in considerable detail: the twelfth-century controversy and its origins; commentaries on and encyclopaedic texts treating of this matter; the Gospel of Nicodemus; Grosseteste's Chasteau d'Amour; various instructional writings; and various more or less familiar mystery plays. The Sentences of Peter Lombard (c. 1100-60), one of the most widely used textbooks of theology in the twelfth century, followed on from the Augustinian formulation that the Devil was responsible for the death of Christ, and that God was just in freeing humanity from the Devil who had abused his given power. Christ's death, then, meant the forgiveness of human sins and so the reconciliation of man with God. As in De Trinitate, the language of ransom—redemptio and pretium—recalled for early historians the 'ransom theory' which had been used by such Greek theological writers as Origen and Gregory of Nyssa. But the Devil's inability to understand the true nature of Christ meant his inevitable defeat. Yet it seems that Augustine's statements 'imply that God chose to respect some element of right in the Devil's possession of humanity which was over and above that power which depended upon humanity's state of sin' (p. 15). This power seems to have givenriseto the notion of iura diaboli. In this formulation and its derivatives, the Devil is conceived as a figure within a controlled model of society—a servant of the king, a jailer, and a law-breaker to be treated like any other such. In the second chapter Marx turns to biblical commentaries, to the Glossa Ordinaria, Aquinas and the commentaries of Hugh of St. Cher...

Anderson's Pathology

First published in 1948,<i>Anderson's Pathology</i>was for many years the principal encyclopedic text of general pathology in North America. It was widely used as a sophomore pathology text for medical students until the appearance of the briefer and zippier<i>Robbins Pathologic Basis of Disease</i>(first edition, 1974) and more recently the even more succinct and colorfully illustrated<i>Pathology</i>, edited by Emanuel Rubin and John L. Farber (first edition, 1988). The last incarnation of<i>Anderson's Pathology</i>was the 1990 edition edited by John Kissane; this latest edition is a completely new book with two new editors, Ivan Damjanov, chairman of pathology at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, and James Linder, vice chairman at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The book has exploded from 42 to 80 chapters and from 58 to 170 contributing authors of whom 136 are from the United States. It has nine sections, including

Principles of Neurosurgery

edited by Setti S. Rengachary and Robert H. Wilkins, ill., London, Wolfe, 1994. This single-volume work attempts to summarize the key points found in an encyclopedic multivolume text by the same editors (Neurosurgery, 2nd Ed., 1996). To achieve brevity, they have used over 200 color illustrations to convey the complexity of neurosurgical problems without need for a wordy text. Principles of Neurosurgery may meet many of the …

Going belly up: Entries, entrees, and the all‐consuming encyclopedic text

Going belly up: Entries, entrees, and the all‐consuming encyclopedic text

AUTOMATED KNOWLEDGE ACQUISITION FROM ENCYCLOPEDIC TEXTS

A computational model for the acquisition of knowledge from encyclopedic texts is described. The model has been implemented in a program, called SNOWY, that reads unedited texts from The World Book Encyclopedia, and acquires new concepts and conceptual relations about topics dealing with the dietary habits of animals, their classifications and habitats. The program is also able to answer an ample set of questions about the knowledge that it has acquired. This paper describes the essential components of this model, namely semantic interpretation, inferences and representation, and ends with an evaluation of the performance of the program, a sample of the questions that it is able to answer, and its relation to other programs of similar nature.

Textbook of Pulmonary Diseases, vols 1 &amp; 2

In an unusual letter to the editor, Brooks¹is critical of the author of a book review who candidly acknowledged that he had not read the book he had reviewed! In another communication, "Read the book at least once..." is first on a list of eight "Guidelines for Writing a Book Review."²Although I heartily endorse those sentiments, the reader should understand at the outset that I have not read all of the 1800+ large, double-column pages of this encyclopedic text. All of the subspecialties of internal medicine have a selection of extensive, detailed, and all-inclusive textbooks. The pulmonary field is no exception, and, in its amalgamation with critical care medicine, now has perhaps more and larger reference-type texts than exist in other fields. Few of these books fade away. Rather, they undergo periodic revision to a varying degree and reappear with a new color, new format, more

On the historiographical orientation of Chinese archaeology

This year, as it seems every year, news comes from China of another spectacular archaeological discovery. What is the framework of ideas and research that studies these treasures? And how does the special character of Chinese history, with its long, near-continuous record of dynasties, written sources and encyclopaedic texts, give archaeology a different place, whether higher or lower, among the other historical and social sciences?

Oculoplastic, Orbital and Reconstructive Surgery

This text is the second volume in a two-volume set on oculoplastic, orbital, and reconstructive surgery. The first volume was published in 1988 and is entitled<i>Eyelids</i>. In the preface, Dr Hornblass remarks, "There is a need for an encyclopedic text in the field of ophthalmic plastic and orbital reconstructive surgery," and "the two volume comprehensive text presents all phases of the diseases of the eyelids and orbit, with major surgical procedures discussed and illustrated." In an attempt to accomplish this goal, volume 2 is composed of 75 chapters and encompasses approximately 800 pages. Its list of authors is a veritable "Who's Who" in oculoplastic surgery. The text's 75 chapters comprise 13 sections and include discussions of new diagnostic techniques in orbital disease, infectious disorders of the orbit, thyroid orbitopathy, orbital neoplasms, and orbital trauma. In addition, heavy emphasis is given to a variety of orbital surgical techniques, including fracture

Vascular Surgery: Principles and Practice

This is at least the third encyclopedic text of vascular surgery to appear in recent years. Its major sections include assessment of disease, medical treatment, peripheral occlusive disease, aneurysms, cerebrovascular disease, visceral arterial disease, vascular disorders of the upper limb, venous and lymphatic disorders, trauma, arteriovenous fistula, and miscellaneous topics related to infection, amputation, transplantation, and sexual function. The editors chose to enlist several "second-generation" vascular surgeons as contributors. This is certainly laudable, since it is common practice to see the same authors in similar volumes with little evident differences in the material that is covered. Most of the contributions are first-rate and valuable even for the experienced vascular surgeon. However, there are some disappointing aspects to the effort that must be mentioned. The chapter "The Clinical Examination of the Vascular Patient," has several problems. The vasospastic disorders are classified under "special varieties of occlusive peripheral vascular disease," which is

Clinical Interpretation of Laboratory Tests

This is the ninth edition of a paperbound book designed to assist clinicians in "selecting laboratory procedures, interpreting reported results, and synthesizing data into useful and coherent clinical contexts." The current edition has undergone extensive revision, and new sections have also been added. Although there are several encyclopedic texts devoted to clinical interpretation of laboratory data, there is a need for a handy reference source like this, and it is certainly as useful as similar competitive publications. Organized along conventional lines (ie, major sections devoted to hematology, immunology, chemistry, and microbiology), material is presented in crisp, easy-to-read fashion. In fact, if there is a weakness to the book, it may well be that some areas are too crisp and therefore lack enough detail to develop important clinical points. For example, although the author stresses use of "charts, lists, and tabular material," the section on hepatitis B is presented without the

Designing Research Experiences for Students

A person looking back on his college course in American Government in the Forties or Fifties probably recalls its encyclopedic text full of details of the structures of government and the mechanics of politics with a second dose of the same — interspersed with normative exhortations — from his professor's lectures. The prof probably got away with verbal murder in promoting his own interpretations and conclusions as if they were equal to facts from the text. Probably most profs took their title quite literally; that is, they professed or declared their views, often with a passionate conviction. In those days, a prof could be reasonably sure he would not be contradicted by the students who were generally well-mannered, neat, clean, and docile. Today, the majority are well-mannered, neat, clean, and hypercritical.

Hematology of Infancy and Childhood

The classic pediatric hematology text, with everything you ever wanted to know but could not find or remember where you had filed it, is now conveniently located within two volumes. It is exciting but sobering to realize that within seven years, the core scientific knowledge of pediatric hematology has doubled. These volumes are a smooth integration of cellular biology, physiology, and biochemistry with their logical extension to clinical manifestations. Pediatric hematology is really nothing more than the practice of applied basic science. Now, the reader has it all together. In addition to the editors, 57 world-renowned experts have contributed to this encyclopedic text. Nevertheless, an extremely high literary standard is maintained throughout. One author's style shines with masterful skill in the chapter on RBC maturation (normally pure drudgery to read). Don't skip the introductory, historical perspective; surrounded by our scanning and transmission electron microscopes, and radioimmunological techniques, we lose sight

Devotion in the Bhāgavata Purāna and Christian Love: Bhakti, Agape, Eros

AbstractThe Bhāgavata Purāna, a ninth century encyclopedic Hindu text, combines Vedantic non-dualism and Vaiṣṇava devotionalism or love of God. Its non-dualism accommodates the reality of the universe with its individual selves in the all-encompassing reality of God. The BhP has two forms of devotion: one is a meditation which absorbs the devotee within the unity of God's reality; the other is an ecstasy which glories in separation from God in order to love God more. The Eros-Agape motif is used to compare this tradition of the love of God with those of Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism. Like them, the BhP stresses the personhood of God; unlike them, it stresses an ontological, not a mystical or spiritual, union of Deity and devotee.

Grant's Method of Anatomy by Regions Descriptive and Deductive

For more than 40 years, this text has been employed by students of anatomy. The concept of regionalization employing logical deduction initiated by the late Professor Grant remains as viable today as the day of publication of the first edition. The full text has been condensed 10%, notwithstanding "cautious" introduction of new text and illustrations. The reader's concentration is often jarred by the need to shift many pages to relate an illustration to the text. This is difficult to remedy and is another reason why a more encyclopedic text or atlas should be used in conjunction with<i>Grant's Method</i>. The 30 radiographs suffer in reproduction—they often appear to be overexposed and provide little, aside from affording a freshman medical student the novelty of viewing a picture of an x-ray film. The text is suitable for the clinician who wishes to correlate his hazy recollections of anatomy with a current clinical

Pediatric Hematology-Oncology

Dr Lanzkowski calls his new textbook of hematology-oncology "a treatise for the clinician," and it seems to fit this description well. The book is not presented as an encyclopedic text of pediatric hematology-oncology. Rather, it presents a practical clinical approach to the differential diagnosis of hematologic disorders. The book was written to appeal particularly to the medical student, to the student of pediatric hematology-oncology, and to physicians practicing clinical pediatrics. It is easy to read and well indexed, and it includes a large number of tables. In this regard, Dr Lanzkowski has gone to great lengths to tabulate and summarize large blocks of data for concise presentation. This type of presentation is a great aid to the busy clinician or haggard house officer who lacks the time or inclination to read extensive discussions in the text. The first ten chapters include disorders of RBCs, WBCs, and platelets. There is an

Living New World Monkeys (Platyrrhini), with an Introduction to Primates.

In this long-awaited work, Philip Hershkovitz provides the most thorough and comprehensive treatise ever published on New World monkeys. The volume gives a detailed account of the origin, evolution, dispersal, and behavior of platyrrhines and a systematic arrangement of all known forms, living and extinct. During an eleven-year period, Hershkovitz examined more than 3,100 museum-preserved specimens and relevant primate fossils and observed hundreds of animals in captivity and thousands in the wild state. He presents his results in an elegant and encyclopedic text, lavishly illustrated with 520 figures and 7 color plates. Hershkovitz opens the study with a brief history and a definition, characterization, and comparison of primates as a taxonomic unit. Basing his work on nearly all known genera of living primates, the author deals with New World monkeys from comparative anatomical and evolutionary points of view. He examines display characters, pelage, the evolution of color patterns, primate locomotion, cranial and dental morphology, and the central nervous system. The final and most extensive part of the volume is devoted to the taxonomy and biology of the family Callitrichidae, comprising marmosets and tamarins, and the family Callimiconidae, represented by the callimico alone. Hershkovitz concludes with an exhaustive bibliography of more than 2,500 published works and a gazetteer of essential geographic data.

Contact Lens Correction

Contact Lens Correction by Bier and Lowther is a lengthy and encyclopedic text. The book is divided in five sections. In the introductory section, basic anatomy and physiology of the ocular structures relevant to contact lenses are well presented. In addition, there is a rather detailed chapter on the optics of contact lenses. Included in this first segment are chapters on lens materials and manufacture and on various solutions and containers required for care of lenses. The proper examination of the contact lens patient is also outlined in depth. In the second section, there are detailed chapters dealing with haptic or scleral lenses. Their value is discussed as are the methods of production and fitting. Certainly one gains a rather clear view of the techniques involved. Section 3 concerns hard corneal lenses. Again we are exposed to an exhaustive teaching guide to the production, design, fitting, and modifying of these

Gradwohl's Legal Medicine

The late Dr Camps, formerly Professor Emeritus of Forensic Medicine at the University of London, edited the second edition of this text in 1968, but died before the third edition could be completed. Robinson and Lucas, both of London, completed the edition and in their preface expressed their intention to preserve it as a "multiauthored" encyclopedic reference text on medicolegal problems. This essentially British work, with 36 contributors, is in eight parts: historical and general law; examination and identification of the living and the dead; death, injury, and disease; the medicolegal aspects of medical treatment; mental health; alcohol and crime, medicolegal aspects of drugs; and "late extra U. K." (three pages of 1975 abstracts). In the new revision, articles on operational deaths and anesthetics have been combined and the order of the toxicology sections rearranged. Absent are the detailed chapter on paternity testing and the passages on individual state laws

Functional Neuroanatomy of Man

This large and extensive text represents the part of the 35th British edition of Gray's Anatomy that concerns the central nervous system (CNS), the peripheral nervous system, and the organs of special sense. Extractions of these sections from the parent volume, largely for economic reasons, have resulted in certain unusual features: (1) a pagination that begins on p 746 and ends on p 1170; (2) the absence of a coordinated bibliography; and (3) the presence of cross references as they appear in the parent volume. Only the lack of a coordinated bibliography in an encyclopedic text of this nature presents any problem, and this is offset by an appended list of publications and footnote citations. In almost every sense, this is probably the most complete modern neuroanatomical text, covering virtually every aspect of the subject in an orderly, systematic fashion. Its organization, use of headings and subtitles, and particularly the

Living Blood Cells and Their Ultrastructure

This magnificent encyclopedic text of hematological morphology will be a classic for years to come, both as an atlas of 751 superb illustrations and an equally detailed, lucidly written text. The purpose of the book is quite succinctly stated in the preface, namely, to show the three-dimensional aspects and ultrastructure of the hematological cells so that their physiology and pathology can be understood in context. There is no doubt that the book achieves its purpose. A review cannot begin to do justice to the high quality of the illustrations both from the photomicrographic and technical points. Illustrations include the conventional and special optics, special stains, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and all of the recent techniques, including freeze etching and time-lapse photography. The textual material is also extremely detailed and complete, with more than 5,000 references. Nevertheless, the text is not dull but written in lucid prose that conveys the