The "Scribner Writers Series has set the standard for literary reference for more than 25 years. In addition to addressing the lives and careers of important writers, the articles discuss the themes and a styles of major works and place them in pertinent historical, social and political concerns for today's readers. Novelists, playwrights, essayists, poets, short story writers, and more recently, genre writers in science fiction and mystery, are all expertly discussed in the more than 17 sets comprising this series. To see listings of writers for any volume in this section, go to the "Scribner Writers Series section online at www.gale.com/scribners. Specifically tailored for school and public libraries serving middle and high school students, this one-stop resource includes information on everyday life in Shakespeare's time; his life and career; analysis of his plays, poetry and dramatic techniques; and his enduring influence across four centuries. The articles, ranging from "Actors and Acting" to "Food and,Banquets" to "Science and Invention," have been edited by John F. Andrews, a former director of the Folger Institute in Washington, D.C., and one of the world's greatest Shakespeare promoters and enthusiasts.