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The Encyclopedia of Magic and Alchemy. By Rosemary Ellen Guiley. New York: Facts On File, 2006. 384p. alkaline $82.50 (ISBN 0-8160-6048-7).
Rosemary Guiley's encyclopedic work is intended "only [to] give an overview and a glimpse of a topic as if seen through a glass darkly" (ix) . Fhe four hundred brief entries in A-Z order are intended to be a first resource on a topic. One can start by discovering that the magical word "abracadabra" actually has an origin and use, and end by learning about the ancient alchemist Zosimos. Those wishing to learn more can pursue a topic through further readings listed in one or more of the bibliographic citations that follow most entries. A complete bibliography is also provided. At the end of the book an excellent and extensive index includes indicators of which entries include illustrations.
The scope of this work reaches back...