México en 500 libros is an indispensable research guide to the study of Mexico. Its contributors and editor Enrique Florescano have accomplished much more than their stated purpose, which was “to offer an annotated guide of readings on our country, which was compiled with the goal of informing all those who seek a general knowledge of its historical process and its contemporary situation" (p. 12). Not only was this purpose met, but it was surpassed. In fact, it can be said that of the existing annotated bibliographies on Mexico in Spanish, México en 500 libros is currently the most up-to-date, comprehensive, and well defined.
The entries include materials from all disciplines and subject matter ranging from the humanities to the hard sciences. Selection of the works included in the guide was determined by the following criteria: (1) only published books were reviewed; (2) exclusively books in print were included; (3) the guide is restricted to solely Spanish-language materials; (4) where various studies exist on the same subject or theme, the best suited for a general audience was selected (p. 13). It was further determined that the annotations of each entry offer a concise description of the content of each study. Since the guide is interdisciplinary, the contributors were selected from scholars representing social sciences, humanities, and the natural sciences. The annotations themselves are well written and certainly fully convey the contents of each entry. An index of authors is included.
México en 500 libros will be used by both general readers and specialists. One can only hope that a similar guide on materials in English and other languages will follow to complement this outstanding work.
