From Library Journal
Originally published in London in 1991 as Cultural Icons , this American edition offers half-column discussions/evaluations of over 1000 "key" 20th-century figures. Showing a decided Western/British bias in the selection process, the listings, arranged alphabetically from Achebe to Zappa, try to illustrate what, in the contributors' assessment, these individuals did to justify their claim to fame. Of the 13 men and women who authored the book, the majority (11) have backgrounds solely in the arts--music, film, literature, and TV. Suffice to say, this is not the standard biographical dictionary to be used by students or lay readers searching for facts as opposed to opinions. Icons is, rather, a Who's Who or Cultural Literacy for the trendy set or those who have the time to browse through the book and "discover surprising connections," as the depressingly biting introductory essay suggests.
- Deborah Hammer, Queens Borough P.L., New York
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Deborah Hammer, Queens Borough P.L., New York
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.
