THE ROLLING STONE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ROCK & ROLL.Includes biographies,discographies,group personnel,chronologytradepaperback bigThis latest incarnation of an authoritative encyclopedia first published in 1983 boasts over 100 new entries and many revisions to the 1800 entries found in the 1995 edition. The coverage increase was made possible by the omission of three kinds of "nonartist" entries: the Grammy Award boxes, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame boxes, and the style and genre definitions. As with the previous editions, the scope is excellent: few works can compete in terms of blanket coverage of the major rock'n'roll players, which dates from the 1950s to the present and includes names as diverse as Elvis, Chad and Jeremy, Britney, and Eminem. The alphabetically arranged entries contain birth and, when applicable, death dates; a discography; and an essay that attempts (usually successfully) to put the performer's or group's work in critical and historical perspective. The introduction by coeditor Romanowski cogently sums up the criteria and methodology, and though her reasons for featuring or deleting artists are subjective, they are hard to counter. This latest edition even offers an index of acts cut from the second edition. Useful, reasonably priced, and including well-written essays by respected music writers, this is highly recommended for any public or academic library