Edited by Hund (formerly, sociology, United Arab Emirates Univ.) and Wren (retired, Asian & comparative literature, San Jose State Univ.), this comprehensive volume on the Himalayas features a chronology covering 3300 BCE to the present; 11 thematic essays on LGBTQ communities, climate change, religion, and more; 120 entries, from Afghan literature and film to Malala Yousafzai; ten primary documents; and a list of contributors. What's missing, however, is a discussion of the scope, purpose, or intended audience, as well as criteria for topic inclusion. The lack of a detailed introduction is a particularly significant omission in a reference work with such a broad focus but a limited list of subjects. VERDICT Recommended with reservations for collections serving graduate and undergraduate students in the social sciences and humanities, where other encyclopedias on the region are unavailable.—Rosanne Cordell, formerly of Northern Illinois Univ., DeKalb