The Sage Encyclopedia of Quality and the Service Economy. Edited by Su Mi Dahlgaard-Park. Los Angeles: Sage Reference, 2015. 2 vols. Alkaline $375 (ISBN 978-1-4522-5672-6).

The purpose of this two-volume reference work is to provide a “comprehensive encyclopedia on the subject of quality and services” through contributions from more than two hundred of the world’s leading experts within the research areas of quality and service sciences” (xxix). The publisher’s goal is to explore major questions within the area of quality and service sciences. The volumes contain 240 entries written by international contributors described as leading academic experts on their specific topics.

The entries vary from two to six pages and also vary in subject matter from theoretical (system of profound knowledge) to practical (training, education and development of staff). They are arranged alphabetically. Some, such as excellence characteristics, have several subheadings such as fundamentals, excellence models and frameworks of excellence, and a code of excellence, while others, such as extreme tourism are pure text. Quality and service awards in different countries are also covered including the United States’ Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. The text of each entry is followed by the contributor’s name and affiliation, several ‘see also’ references, and two to fifty suggestions for further reading. The latter are included in the bibliography at the end of the book.

The volumes have continuous paging with the first volume covering the front matter and A-O and the second volume with P-Z, an extensive bibliography and a thirty-three-page index. The reader’s guide appears in each volume for ease of use. Front material includes an alphabetical list of entries, from accreditation of conformity assessment activities to zero defects. The reader’s guide groups the entries into broad subject categories such as award models for quality and service excellence, branding, culture, customer management, performance assessments and measurement, people management, and tools and methods for improvement. A short biography about the editor is followed by an alphabetical list of contributors and their affiliations. The introduction covers the historical background of modern quality control beginning in the 1930s, Deming’s and Juran’s efforts during World War II, the advent of Japanese ideas, the “rediscovery” of Deming in the 1980s, and publication of the first book on service management. The bibliography at the end of Volume Two contains 920 books, journal articles, and working papers and also a list of more than 100 websites. An excellent index concludes the volume.

This reference work is a nice blend of practical information and quality theory as it relates to the service industry. The presentation is straightforward and would be accessible to high school seniors as well as academic students and scholars and corporate venture managers. Because there is so much growth in this field, this latest work should be useful. The format is pleasant and easy to use. Although the book itself gives no indication of online access, the Sage website lists it as part of the Sage Knowledge Collection. This volume is recommended for those libraries with a comfortable budget.—Carol Krismann, retired business librarian, University of Colorado