Methodist minister Melton here organizes America's known 2300-plus religious groups into 24 distinct families, adding 200 entries to this latest edition of his work. Also new are maps, charts, tables, and the Defunct Index. Following three introductory essays on the history of American and Canadian religion, each religious family gets an extensive overview essay including charts, tables, and graphs outlining that faith's formation and splinter history up through 2008. Subdivided by type within its respective family, each religious group's entry summarizes its beliefs, membership, publications, education, and source information. Entries cover mainstream faiths as well as atheists, humanists, rationalists, communes, Wicca, magick, psychics, and even Alcoholics Anonymous. The easy-to-read, accurate entries are unsigned, as all information has been obtained directly from the organization. Bottom Line Unfortunately, the binding will not hold up in this unwieldy single volume with small print and narrow margins. Still, it is a comprehensive directory to just about any North American religious organization.-Laurie Selwyn, formerly with Grayson Cty. Law Lib., Sherman, TX Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information.
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