Front cover image for The new dictionary of cultural literacy

The new dictionary of cultural literacy

"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."--Jacket
Print Book, English, 2002
Completely rev. and updated, 3rd ed View all formats and editions
Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 2002
Encyclopedias and dictionaries
xix, 647 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm
9780618226474, 9780965766432, 0618226478, 0965766438
50166721
The Bible
Mythology and folklore
Proverbs
Idioms
World literature, philosophy, and religion
Literature in English
Conventions of written English
Fine arts
World history to 1550
World history since 1550
American history to 1865
American history since 1865
World politics
American politics
World geography
American geography
Anthropology, psychology, and sociology
Business and economics
Physical sciences and mathematics
Earth sciences
Life sciences
Medicine and health
Technology
Includes index