Gold: A Cultural Encyclopedia

Atomic number 79 seems a rather insipid number to accommodate a noble (in both chemical and cultural contexts) metal which from earliest times has exercised, and continues to exercise, such enormous influence on human affairs. How many countless lives have been sacrificed in its pursuit and through an often fanatical greed for gold? Certainly, then, gold merits treatment in an encyclopedia, and here receives a generally more than adequate coverage. The range of subjects in more than 130 entries is pretty comprehensive, and the articles themselves are consistently interesting.

Coverage is widespread, aiming “... to cover the most salient topics...