It’s probably safe to say that reference librarians are probably one of the only groups who, when encountering a new encyclopedia, actually consult the introduction to get a sense of the scope and intent of the authors and editors. (This is because the introductions are generally boring.) Imagine the surprise one of those reference librarians might receive when they encounter this in the introduction by editor Robert C. Sickels: “100 Entertainers Who Changed America. The title alone is fabulously intriguing and evocative and the kind of thing likely to fuel endless debate about the choices contained herein, and that’s just what a collection encompassing this topic should do” (xi). Fabulously intriguing? This is an introduction worth reading! Sickels goes on to defend the entertainers he’s chosen to include in the two-volume set and points out that those who grumble about who’s not included may be mistaking popularity with influence—a good point. Sickels also goes on to explain that “entertainers” can be those involved in film, television, music, sports, and generally those whose longevity and breadth of influence has permeated across popular culture. Sickels seems defensive of his choices, however, when he writes, “I don’t pretend to have a definite formula, but the fact of the matter is that neither does anyone else in the world; after all, it’s not math—there’s no right or wrong here” (xii).

So who made the cut? Elvis Presley, of course, and Martha Stewart, Billie Holiday, Chuck Berry, and Oprah Winfrey. While I am not certain the world needs any more general-interest essays on incredibly well-known people and their influence on the rest of us, the strength of the set lies in the essays about those who may seem surprising choices, such as voice actor Mel Blanc, rapper Chuck D, soap opera creator Agnes Nixon, and the rock group the Velvet Underground. Each essay focuses on the entertainer’s career with brief biographical information. Some of the essays are unconventional, such as the one on Woody Allen, which is a kind of memoir about growing up as a self-professed bookish comedy nerd with some long passages about Woody Allen films (there is also, strangely, almost nothing biographical about Allen in the essay). Most of the essays follow the standard format, however, and could be useful to those looking for a broad overview of popular figures.

While not for every collection due to the chance of finding equally valuable information in a variety of print and online sources, 100 Entertainers Who Changed America is entertaining (get it?) and a load of fun to browse through.