http://bloomberg.com

Bloomberg.com is a rich source of financial news and information, geared towards financial and business professionals worldwide. Bloomberg does a great job of pulling together business and financial news in a way that allows busy people to get the information they need without a lot of digging. Top headlines are immediately available on the front page, and links to news about current issues are displayed in the header, making them easy to find. But don't just stop at the news. Bloomberg offers a surprising amount of market data for free, including fairly detailed information about the stock of publicly traded companies. General information about the stock market indexes and such can be found under the heading "Market Data" but you can also search for information about a specific company in the little search box at the top left of every page. Simply enter the symbol of the company you want to research. For example, try "REV" to pull up all the information about Revlon's stock. Granted, if you aren't familiar with financial-industry-speak you might have to do a bit of research on what all the terminology means, but that should be easy via Google and Wikipedia.

Bloomberg Mobile makes a nice addition to your favorites on your mobile browser. In fact, for the casual observer of financial information, this might be the preferable means of accessing this kind of information. The top headlines are right at your fingertips, and you can see real-time market snapshots from all over the world. It is a very convenient way to stay on top of the financial industry news.

Whether you're a financial industry professional or just writing a research paper on a publicly traded company, Bloomberg has a little something for everyone. Add it to your desktop favorites, or check in from your mobile phone, and indulge your inner financial genius.

Reviewed by Library Staff Member - Robin Dodge

Latin American Graphic Design is a lavishly illustrated survey of Latin American graphic expression, covering the 20th century up to the present day. The book has been designed in a "user friendly" fashion, with a historical essay anchoring the volume, which explores the evolution and contributions of Latin American graphic design beginning around 1900. Following this essay is the heart of the book, which highlights the work of nearly 200 designers and design agencies, each profiled in a 2-3 page entry which features full color examples of work, along with a brief overview and appreciation.

The entries are presented in A-to-Z directory format. Following the core section of the book is a useful index, which lists key information for each designer or agency in the book, such as contact information, publications credits, educational affiliations, and awards. Text is in English, German and French. Overall, this is handsome, ambitious survey, weighing in at over 500 pages, is an important and vibrant addition to world design literature.

Reviewed by Library Staff Member - Evan Carlson