The New Fontana Dictionary Of Modern Thought

The New Fontana Dictionary of Modern Thought by Alan Bullock

ISBN 0002558718

a relatively new concept, having originated in the 1970s with Alan Bullock and Oliver Stallybrass. They felt that an ordinary dictionary contains "thousands of words familiar to us all", while an encyclopaedia contains (with regard to modern thought) "a vast amount of irrelevant material". They sensed the need for a dictionary of a new kind.

This book contains nearly 4,000 entries, typically half a column's length, as well as copious cross-referencing, and mini-bibliographies on many subjects. It covers (inter alia) the fields of anthropology, sociology, economics, philosophy, history, politics, physics, and biology. The entries are well written, and by and large would seem to distil the essential meaning and significance of every term. It is also written "in language as simple as can be used without over-simplification or distortion". In short, if anything has been a major topic of conversation during the past generation, it is likely to be found in this dictionary. I myself have been engaged in postgraduate studies, and have found it to be remarkably comprehensive and dependable, as well as giving me many useful leads in contemporary debate. No one could expect such a book to hold everything -- yet the amount of information that it does hold is surprising. It is not just a faddish idea. It has become one of my most valuable reference tools. -- Amazon Reviewer

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