Each of the three volumes of this reference discusses three separate areas of the industrial revolution in the US: iron and steel, railroads, and steam shipping. The text contains narrative chapters, each concluding with a list of references, that describe various aspect of the revolution. The chapter topics of all three volumes are: origins and development, innovations and inventions, major entrepreneurs and companies, lives of the workforce, labor organizations, environmental impact, immigration's impact, societal impact, gilded age art and literature (which discusses works that refer to that volume's revolution), and the modern era. Some of the ten contributors are academics, others are freelance writers. The volumes are written in a style appropriate for high school level students and general readers. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)