Chapters present exhaustively researched, detailed narratives of the given subjects, from indigenous culture through the present day. For example, the chapter on "Music" in The Pacific Region explores such styles as indigenous tribal music, Asian-American composition, the Mexican-American "ranchera and "nortena genres, Latin and West Coast jazz, Hawaiian slack key music, surf rock, Haight-Ashbury psychedelia, underground L.A. Metal, Northwest garage and grunge rock, and Long Beach ska, among others. Multiply this depth of coverage by 13 chapters and again by eight volumes to get a sense of the phenomenal wealth of information presented in this set. Furthermore, each chapter is enhanced with sidebars, photos and illustrations, and a Resource Guide (including print, electronic, film, and organizational entries). Finally, each volume includes two maps--a conventional map of the region and a map of physical geography--and concludes with a bibliography and an index. This set was designed in coordination with both the National Standards for United States History and the Curriculum Standards for Social Studies.