The New Book of Knowledge 1/A [antikvár]

PREFACETHE NEW BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE is uniquely related to the needs of modern children, both in school and at home. It is written for the children of today, who are standing on the threshold of a new world. Knowledge in every field is bursting its bonds. Old "truths" are becoming invalid; new "truths" are opening vistas never before imagined. The encyclopedia is addressed to the children of this new world.Today's children need an encyclopedia as different from those that have gone before as today's world is different from that of yesterday. Over one thousand advisers and contributors, together with a staff of two hundred editors, artists, and related personnel, worked for six years to complete an alphabetically arranged, curriculum-oriented encyclopedia, a reference set designed for today's world . . . THE NEW BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE.SCOPETHE NEW BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE will be useful to a wide range of readers, starting with preschool children and including students in school up to the age when they are ready for an adult encyclopedia. For the very young child there are carefully selected illustrations that will catch attention and provide early background, as will the various games and activities and the story material composed of recognized classics. Parents wiU find material to read aloud to preschool children, both for pleasure and as answers to their questions. Students will find a wealth of information and a clarification of concepts that will be useful in their schoolwork. Activities, projects, and experiments are incorporated in order to increase the educational value of subject articles. The content of the encyclopedia was selected by educators who analyzed the curriculum requireipents of school systems across the nation and by librarians familiar with the research needs of children. The encyclopedia is designed for the library and the classroom as well as for educational use at home.AUTHORITYACCURACYREADABILITYThe articles in THE NEW BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE are written or reviewed by scholars and experts eminent in their fields. All articles a page or more in length are signedas are many of the shorter ones. The contributor's or reviewer's position appears with his signature so that readers can see immediately the writer's authority. Many articles are signed not only by an author but also by a reviewer. This is true of the articles on the countries of the world, for example, which have been written by experts in geography and then reviewed by distinguished nationals of the particular countries. The short, imsigned articles are written by staff editors, many of whom, in addition to being editors and subject-matter specialists, are authors in their own right. A complete list of contributors, consultants, reviewers, and staff writers appears in Volume 20.To insure utmost accuracy, every article, map, drawing, photograph, diagram, and chart is checked by skilled researchers. Wherever possible, information is checked against primary sources. Where authorities disagree or information is unknown, the reader is so informed. An underlying principle of editorial policy is the presentation of fact, not opinion.The Dale-Chall readability formula is used to test the reading level of every article in THE NEW BOOK OF KNOWLEDGE. Professor Jeanne Chall of Harvard University serves as reading consultant to the encyclopedia. Under her direct supervision articles were tested with children to