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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. Withmore 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 Grasss, 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 writers 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.
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