The Soap Opera Encyclopedia

This is a truly phenomenal reference book on daytime as well as primetime soaps. I have the 1987 edition. Too bad there isn't a more up-to-date edition available. The book includes a very nice and fact-filled 7-page long history of the soaps, individual sections for each soap, a 'Who's Who in Soaps', The Nielsens (only for daytime), the Emmies (only for daytime), and more. The book also includes 32 pages of b/w photos. To put it in Schemering's words, this is "a history of the phenomenon for the student, a reference guide for the librarian, a fact-filled binge for the fan."

I received my order in a record amount of time, i didn't even expect it so quick. Great service!!!!!

I've used this book a lot over the years, for both personal and professional research. It is an alphabetized guide to every soap opera TV show until 1987, with background info and a quite-robust cast list for each. It's amazing to read through and see how familiar the names become -- how many actors and actresses hopped from show to show over the years. Ironically, the author comments that he did a second edition because the soap opera world had changed "tremendously" from 1985 to 1987! Twenty years later, that's all the more reason for an update.

This book is just what it says, an encyclopedia of EVERY soap opera with story sumaries and cast listings up unto the time of publication. The best part of it is it's insight in the behind the scenes of the shows! I've had this book for years and still love it! I agree with the other reviewer and wish there would be an update! Highly recommended to anyone who is interested in the history of soaps!

No soap opera enthusiast should be without this immaculately researched and detailed manual of daytime television. Brilliant in its simplicity and execution and I still find myself referring to it for accurate information. I don't know why there hasn't been an update, but even so...it still serves as one of the all time handy authorities on the subject of the American Soap Opera.