ThisAvicennabibliography,theresultoftwentyyearsofresearch,seekstocontinuetheworkbeguninthisdomainbyG.C.Anawati.Newtimesproducenewpossibilities,andindeed,withtheadventofthecomputerandinter-librarynetworking,arenewedapproachbecomesnotonlyapossibilitybutalsoanecessity.Inthisbibliography,moreextensiveandsystematicattentionispaidtonon-Westernpublications,especiallyArabian,persian,TurkishandRussian.OfspecialinterestistheinclusionofanumberofIndianpublications.Thepublicationsareorderedaccordingtoaconsistentthematicdivision,withcross-referencesbeingprovidedwherenecessary.Separatechaptersarededicatedtothescientificandmedicalcontributions,whilethephilosophicalworksaretreatedintenchapters.InallinstancesanintroductionisprovidedwhichattemptstooutlineboththemediaevalcontextofAvicenna’sthoughtandtheactualformofhisthinking.Specialattentionispaidtobiographicalandbibliographicalstudies,aswellastothe’Millenium’ofpublicationsthatresultedfromtheUnescosponsored1980memorialoththemilleniumofAvicenna’sbirth.Finally,andinfactmostimportantly,anovervieuwisgivenofthenumerouseditionsortranslationsofAvicenna’swork,whichareidentifiedaccordingtothenumberingoftheclassicbibliographiesofG.C.AnawatiandM.Mahdavi.Almostallpublicationsareannotatedwithasummarypresentationoftheirmostoriginalpointsandashortcriticalevaluation.ThetextthusservesasafirstorientationforthereaderintotherichnessofAvicenna’slegacy.Insum,thisbibliographyaimsatprovidingaclear,conciseandcomprehensivepresentationofthematerial,andisthusanindispensiblework-instrumentforallfutureAvicennaresearch.
