*Starred Review* This encyclopedia brings together an outstanding amount of diverse material on the ideas, attitudes, laws, and practices of sex, love, and courtship in cultures all around the world and through the centuries. Each volume covers a particular era: The Ancient World, The Medieval World, The Early Modern Period, The Colonial and Revolutionary Era, The Nineteenth Century, and The Modern World. Although the important topics of abortion, marriage, contraception, homosexuality, and divorce are all covered, subjects such as obstetrical manuals, eunuchs, pornography on the Internet, seduction literature, dowry, bestiality, and impotence are also discussed. Other general topics, such as euphemisms and slang, clothing and fashion, and religion, are analyzed in relation to sexuality and love in different cultures and times. Well-known persons who influenced sexuality, such as Casanova, Marquis de Sade, and Margaret Sanger, are covered, as are people whose writings either expressed or influenced sexuality. Each volume has its own editor and contributors, and all volumes are arranged in an A–Z format except the first, which is divided first into 10 ancient cultures and then into alphabetical entries. Volumes open with a list of entries, an introduction that surveys the era, a guide to related topics, and a chronology. The entries range from a few paragraphs to three or four pages in length and include see also references and further readings. The inclusion of Web sites that contain documents and information is an outstanding addition that will be very helpful to students researching these topics. Each book concludes with a selected bibliography, an index, and information about the contributors. The important aspect of the encyclopedia is that a topic such as marriage, divorce, or abortion can be followed through time. Since each volume has a different editor, treatment is not uniform. For example, there are entries on Judaism in some volumes, but in others, the reader will have to use the index to find information about the sexual aspects of Judaism. A set index would have been helpful. Despite some shortcomings, the encyclopedia is an outstanding reference source, bringing together a vast amount of information that would otherwise be difficult to find. Although there are thousands of books on sexuality and love in different cultures, this set synthesizes this information for students and general readers. An invaluable resource for college and public libraries. Also available as an e-book. --Merle Jacob
Review
"Intended for high school and college students, along with the general public, this six-volume set provides an overview of sex, love, and courtship from prehistoric times to the 21st century in approximately 793 entries. Each stand-alone volume includes a time line highlighting significant activities and societal changes regarding love, courtship, or sexuality."
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Library Journal
"Each volume is a useful resource, not only for the coverage of sex and love, but also for the portraits it offers of the culture, people, and arts of its time."
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School Library Journal
"This encyclopedia brings together an outstanding amount of diverse material on the ideas, attitudes, laws, and practices of sex, love, and courtship in cultures all around the world and through the centuries….The inclusion of Web sites that contain documents and information is an outstanding addition that will be very helpful to students researching these topics. Each book concludes with a selected bibliography, an index, and information about the contributors. The important aspect of the encyclopedia is that a topic such as marriage, divorce, or abortion can be followed through time….[T]he encyclopedia is an outstanding reference source, bringing together a vast amount of information that would otherwise be difficult to find. Although there are thousands of books on sexuality and love in different cultures, this set synthesizes this information for students and general readers. An invaluable resource for college and public libraries."
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Booklist, Starred Review
"… this guide makes a valuable contribution to the study of social history."
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Lawrence Looks at Books
"Although there are thousands of books on sexuality and love in different cultures, this one synthesizes this information for students and general audiences."
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Booklist
"Taken as a whole, The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Love, Courtship, and Sexuality through History offers a fascinating historical survey of a topic that nearly everyone is curious about. While it is a serious and scholarly work, it is also accessible to advanced high school students and general readers."
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Against the Grain
". . . appropriate for large public libraries and academic institutions. . ."
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ARBA
