'œThis study is . a long overdue resource text for students of the music of the majority. The initial chapter explores a variety of music-related resources--bibliographic studies, songs, records, and sheet music--and probes a diverse literary field of biographical, historical, sociological, and technological studies. The following six chapters follow a consistent pattern of resource presentation and critical elaboration. It is rare to encounter a reference work of this scope which offers both the superb resource balance and the informed, literate commentary presented by Booth. American Popular Music: A Reference Guide should be a welcome addition to all libraries. Booth's even-handed approach to examining several popular music forms--country, folk, jazz, ragtime, and rock--and his clarity of presentation should meet the research needs of students, teachers, and scholars alike.'' Journal of Popular Culture.