For the fourth edition of this book the author has increased the number of entries by 20%. The section on Shakespeare now includes a personae of all his plays while the heading "mythical countries" has been increased by 30 places. Included for the first time are the complete Greek and Hebrew alphabets and a section on various poisons. In all, along with a new introduction, more than 250 lists of subjects have been added or edited, including sports, games, painters, sculptors, poets, musical terms, capital cities, chemical elements, fish, biblical names and biographies. Many entries are cross-referenced.