If the title of this book is somewhat cumbersome, the How to Find It, How to Use It series title is stark enough, and certainly accurate in this case. This book offers a subject guide to sources of information provided by international governmental organizations, national governments, and other commercial, public and university bodies. The authors justify their work on the grounds that although many of the sources described here are freely available on the internet, finding or using them can be difficult. I am sure many of us face this situation and it is, surely, no coincidence that a practical solution to the problems of finding information in this complex subject area has been compiled by two librarians. On a grander level, the authors make the point that:
Global issues are of paramount importance in a networked world of rapid, almost instant, dissemination via the internet, and researchers, students, government officials, policy makers, and data users need access to a ready reference source to current government information on an international and national level.
Part 1 of the book is a chapter on general information sources. An overview is followed by a description of major international governmental organizations such as the United Nations, European Union, and the Organization of American States. There is then an account of general resources (e.g. Database of International Organizations; Encyclopedia of Associations; International Document Task Force Web Links), biographical sources, and style manuals.
Part 2 features 21 chapters on subjects ranging from agriculture and food, communication, crime and criminal justice, to trade, transportation, and women and children. Each chapter provides descriptions of web sites (mostly free), books, reports, and other important materials, and concludes with research strategies and tips on the most efficient ways to search for certain types of information. A standard approach is adopted starting with a brief overview followed by featured government sources (national and international), then non‐governmental organizations, each with sub‐headings giving:
bibliographic and/or access details;
a summary of coverage; and
a detailed description which highlights selected characteristics of the resource.
After the accounts of individual resources there follows a Research Strategies section which includes evaluations, comparisons and recommendations. Further reading and other web sites are also noted. By way of illustration, in the chapter on Laws and Treaties, the government sources featured include the CELEX Database; CURIA: Court of Justice of the European Communities; EUR‐Lex: the Portal to European Law; and Global Legal Information Network (GLIN). The United Nations Treaty Series is one of the items under the United Nations heading; while non‐governmental sources include World Legal Information Institute and World Treaties Index. Resources covered are described in two parts: firstly a summary giving the purpose, background, and mission of the organization, and secondly there is a detailed description. Each subject resource is categorized by type, for example, internet resource, periodical, database, or yearbook. There are two appendices, one listing acronyms, and the second listing the web sites of international agencies. There is an index of the sources covered in the book and broad subjects.
The majority of the subjects featured are of a social and political nature. While US publications are well to the fore, the strength of this work is in its coverage of international sources. In fact, sources related to a single country and those provided by national governments were conspicuous by their absence. The “country information” proclaimed in the title is to be found in the global resources featured.
It is nice to see discussion on important web sites from the viewpoint of the user, with a guide to which are the best and how best to use them, all contained in a well‐designed hardback. There has been good critical selection and the work is ideal for the reference shelves. The series How to Find It, How to Use It is a model for the new information librarianship – good web sites are not always found by using a search engine, and users do need guidance on how to get the best out of them. Experienced users may find the prose a little pedantic, but newcomers to the subject area will value the careful instructions. This book is a useful source for students and experts alike, in all countries.
