Published in two volumes, this review is based on Vol. 1. This volume, Trade Associations, is a listing of 23,641 business associations from the areas of industry, trade, crafts and services in 185 countries. Trade unions are also included. The main sequence covers 380 large format, four‐columned pages, and lists these associations in alphabetical order within countries, also alphabetically arranged. Thus the entries for Ireland start with the Article Numbering Association of Ireland and the Association for Purchasing and Supply, and conclude with the Wholesale Fruit, Potato and Produce Merchants’ Association of Ireland Ltd; the Willing Workers on Organic Farms – Ireland; and the Wine Development Board of Ireland. The individual entries contain the association’s name (with English translation, if given), official abbreviation, address, telephone, fax, e‐mail, homepage, year of establishment, president and general secretary, number of members (persons, organizations and companies), field of activity and periodicals produced. Entries are numbered consecutively in the main sequence, the number being the key to which reference is made from the three indexes. These indexes are an alphabetical index of all the trade associations; a subject index in which there are 390 areas of specialisation; and an index of 9,834 periodical publications. The work is bilingual – English and German – though preference is given to English forms of country and subject. There is a German‐English concordance to subject categories and abbreviations used. The arrangement of contents is logical and clear, despite the inevitable small print.
Volume two, Chambers of Industry and Commerce (not seen), is said (in the publisher’s notes) to contain all chambers of industry and commerce worldwide. Chapters include National Chambers of Industry and Commerce, Bi‐national Chambers of Industry and Commerce, and Associations of Chambers of Industry and Commerce. Beside the names, addresses of associations (including e‐mail and Web sites) and details of leading personnel, the entries include the opening hours of the respective organizations. There is an alphabetical index of all chambers and association names, an index of persons (presidents and general secretaries), and an index of periodicals.
K.G. Saur is one of the Gale/Thomson group of companies, and its Guide to Microforms in Print (RR2003/03) and World Guide to Foundations are but two of the massively comprehensive and immaculately compiled and produced titles by this publisher. One can only admire the effort that has gone into their production. All information is claimed to have been verified on the basis of a questionnaire and correct to mid‐March 2002. Commerce libraries should have no hesitation in purchasing one, if not both, volumes of this work.
