Now in its 40th edition, this thoughtfully prepared reference offers convenient access to a great deal of otherwise scattered material and serves as a strong launch pad for further research. The cover announces the contents: "Current events that chronicle the year; introductory essays that build understanding; primary sources that aid research." The table of contents shows the month-by-month organization of 160 documents, each of which is described in several sentences. Following is a thematic table of contents, which groups documents according to topics such as American life; business, the economy, and labor; energy, environment, science, technology; international affairs (of each continent); and rights, responsibilities, and justice, among other themes. The volume includes a cumulative index, 2007-2011. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)