The following are some new reference sources of interest:

First, U.S. News' The Best Hospitals in America for those considering the golden parachute. Rankings are provided in 16 specialties from geriatrics to pediatrics, from cancer to cardiology.

Some of our ailments come from diet and addictions. Statistics on Alcohol, Drug and Tobacco Use explains trends in this area. Data is provided in table and graphic formats.

Crime can also result in a visit to a hospital. Crime in America's Top-Rated Cities: a Statistical Profile, 1995-96 can help you avoid the wrong locations. This source includes statistics for the past 20 years in all major crime categories. In addition, Violent Children, a Reference Handbook provides a survey of the available literature and references for further research. Causes, treatment and prevention as well as statistics are covered.

On a related topic, war, The Oxford Companion to World War II is a comprehensive one- volume guide to a subject of continuing interest and relevance. A wide diversity of views are reflected in the entries. New information that has recently become available from long closed archives such as those in the former Soviet Union, is incorporated. It is now over 50 years since the end of the War, and historians view some issues from a different perspective.

On, hopefully, a brighter note is the Encyclopedia of Climate and Weather, although the weather can certainly be calamitous enough, as we saw this past winter. This two volume set demonstrates that the weather is no longer simply about clouds and rain, but also concerns biomes, fuels, oceans, exotic species and new energy systems. The

editor believes the articles will be of use to a broad spectrum of readers.

Some researchers may prefer a more esoteric and cerebral resource, such as James Joyce A to Z, the Essential Reference to the Life and Work. This volume will help the reader to decipher the abstruse expressions, references and terms found in Joyce's works. Others may prefer to escape to the world of making money. For them, Gale Research's new Encyclopedia of Business defines concepts, issues and terms at some length covering both the practical and theoretical. Many entries include references for further research.