Beginning with George Washington's presidential staff of three, the executive branch of the U.S. federal government has undergone a tremendous transformation. Today it is the largest institution of its kind in the world, employing over 3.1 million people, with an annual budget of over $1.5 trillion. A Historical Guide to the U.S. Government chronicles its growth from its modest beginnings to its present state. Focusing on the federal executive branch and its constituent departments, agencies, commissions, and committees, the guide offers 180 historical accounts for each of these...

Chronicles world literature from the Classical Age through the twentieth century, discussing literary developments and the relationship between literature and the political and social climate of each historical period.

Encyclopedia of the World's Nations and Cultures comprises an extensive overhaul of the original Encyclopedia of the World's Nations. It provides concise and objective descriptions of the dominant political, economic, social, and cultural systems of the countries of the world. The encyclopedia features 193 country-by-country surveys in 40 separate categories, as well as tables, charts, and lists that are linked with narrative accounts of each nation's peoples, history, government, society, and culture. This edition includes articles on three additional countries, and 14 new sections on...

This outstanding reference work brings together profiles of the more than 450 scientists who have won the Nobel Prize in physics, chemistry, or medicine/physiology. Now available on the centenary of the Nobel Prize, this valuable resource illustrates, through the extraordinary contributions of the scientists profiled, the phenomenal growth of science and technology in the last 100 years.
Presented chronologically for easy reference, each entry provides a basic biography followed by information on the scientific career and achievements of the particular scientist. Also noted and discussed...