The Great Society and the War on Poverty: An Economic Legacy in Essays and Documents

Burch (history, Univ. of Tennessee at Martin; Water Rights and the Environment; LJ reviewer) offers a one-stop volume for learning about the history and legacy of Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society, programs aimed at eradicating poverty and injustice. The introduction provides an overview and explains the reasons behind some of the successes and failures. Alphabetically arranged entries (with appended print and web resources and "see-also" references) cover policies, programs, and people, on both sides of the political aisle. Primary documents such as acts, letters, speeches, and reports are included, spanning 1962–2005. An epilog examines the Great Society's legacy. The index makes it easy to find information on these programs' impact on African Americans, Native Americans, and women but not on Hispanics. Mehmet Odekon's Encyclopedia of World Property overlaps with this title somewhat but has no primary documents. Many other books on this topic date from the late 1960s to the 1970s. John Herrick and Paul Stuart's Encyclopedia of Social Welfare History of North America has very little overlap. Frank Sticker's Why America Lost the War on Poverty—and How To Win It is very detailed on the whys but lacks primary documents.