The subject of these two encyclopedia volumes is perhaps more relevant than ever in the past. We are constantly being bombarded by international news, most of which concerns our country in some manner. Parts of the world about which we seldom heard can now be critical to our well-being. Thus, in the past few years, learning about education in some of these countries can help explain why citizens and governments behave as they do. But not all events mean the same thing in different countries. We need to be able to evaluate each place on its own peculiar history, economy, and education. This encyclopedia is thus very timely, innovative in its arrangement, and fills a gap in comparative education.

This publication is arranged into two very distinct parts. The first part consists of extensive articles on eight issues and subjects that can affect social and political structures of education systems worldwide, such as gender, formal education, sociopolitical and cultural issues, and others. The second more extensive part deals with countries of the world, arranged by region. Within each region, such as South America, post-Soviet nations, and East Asia, the educational system of each country is detailed. Subjects and article length vary according to characteristics of the country, but each article begins with a useful short history and contains statistical tables and references for further reading.

Volume 1 begins with contents for the entire work, followed by a page that lists editors, board of directors, and contributors from around the world. Volume 2 contains contents for that volume alone as well as an extensive glossary and index. A helpful addition would have been short bios of the two editors, especially since their names appear at the end of a majority of the articles in the encyclopedia. I could find no other reference to them beyond their listing on the covers, title pages, and the editorial page. I did discover through Google that Daniel Ness is listed as a faculty member at Dowling College in New York with an extensive list of publications. I also found some information on Chia-Ling Lin and the honors she has received. The omission of such basic information which would add prestige to the publication is puzzling.

This encyclopedia will be unique now in the field of international education. The second edition of Rebecca Marlow-Ferguson’s World Education Encyclopedia: A Survey of Educational Systems Worldwide (Gale, 2002) dealt with the same subject but is now much out of date. There exists a new online resource, Yvonne Hebert and Ali A. Abdi’s Critical perspectives on International Education (Sense, 2013), but it deals with the subject in a very different manner.

A large audience, including students in high schools, colleges, and universities, will find the encyclopedia useful not only for international education but for other social sciences as well.

As a resource highlighting global changes, the volumes can also be of use to anyone interested in specific countries as well as a quick reference and valuable resource for libraries. Considering its uniqueness, it is highly recommended for academic, education, and large public libraries.