Phoenix, January 19, 1999 - approximately 50% of the world’s population is female. Yet, historically, information specifically related to women and girls was difficult to find. Gender-specific information, however, has become far more prevalent in recent years and this new wealth of knowledge can be overwhelming. Women’s Almanac , edited by Doris Weatherford, organizes important information on women’s issues in a manageable, first-stop reference source. A remarkable new biennial compendium, Women’s Almanac features analyses of current news and issues that affect women throughout the world. Replete with diverse fields of information, this Almanac covers a broad range of both historical and contemporary knowledge. Statistical data, biographical sketches, US and worldwide chronologies, and other resources combine in this valuable one-volume, ready-reference source. Unlike some general reference sources, Women’s Almanac includes rare, lesser-known information. Included are such names as: Janelle Commisiong (Trinidad/Tobago), the first Black Miss Universe; Su Shueh-Lin (China), a writer and veretan of China’s 1919 May Fourth Movement for free expression; Samuramat, legendary queen of Assyria; and Rose Pastor Stokes (US), a prominent reformer involved in the New York City Shirtwaist Strike. A wealth of information can be found within the pages of this resource. For easy reference, the Almanac logically organizes this information in seven sections: current news and newsmakers - a brief recap of global news about the people and events from the past two years that influenced women’s lives; contemporary issues -an A-Z compilation of the current topics that concern women; country-by-country survey - statistical profiles of 190 countries including data on population, sex ratio, school enrollment and educational attainment figures for women, infant and maternal mortality, contraceptive prevalence, and illiteracy; profiles - historical and contemporary notable women throughout the world, such as Josephine Baker, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Jiang Qing, Hypatia and Indira Gandhi, as well as many lesser-known women; history - a US chronology, spanning from the colonial period to the year 2000; resources - information on government and international resources, organizations, publications and web sites; and calendar - important anniversaries for women, such as International Women’s Day (March 8) and the ratification of the 19th Amendment (August 26). With broad coverage and the inclusion of current news and hard-to-find facts, Women’s Almanac is destined to become the definitive reference source for information relating to women.