NOT just facts and trivia. This should be *the* textbook for college freshmen.

books:


	• The New York Times Guide to Essential Knowledge: A Desk Reference for the Curious Mind The New York Times St. Martin's Press, 2004 - 1104 pages average customer review:based on 20 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

NOT just facts and trivia. This should be *the* textbook for college freshmen.

This book is marketed as a book of facts, and the other user reviews support this. I, however, see this as much more than a compendium of facts. This book is the ideal summary of everything one ought to know. While Google and Wikipedia would offer info-grabbers the answers faster, this 'textbook' provides a concise summary to just about everything, and can be read section by section, just like a textbook. It is quite literally a condensed 101 course to every subject you would find in a university's undergraduate catalog. It is a beacon of light in an era where 'training' has replaced education. If I were the founder of a college, I would make this book the required textbook for freshmen students. It is an introduction to everything everyone should know.

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The NY Times Guide to Essential Knowledge

Absolutely one of the most entertaining books in the house. Filled with mind boggeling information.

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cool

lots of good info, if you like fun facts this is a good book for you. I gave it as a gift and the person loved it.

For Trivia Fanatics

Next time you have an argument over facts, don't open your laptop, reach out for this huge book. I recommend it to everyone who's crazy about trivia. I also recommed another book, Eightstorm to anyone fanatic about innovation.

A very nice resource to have on hand.....with some provisos

While many will say this book is good for trivia (and I am sure it is), I believe its main purpose is to find apposite information in a timely manner for the owner. Google is a very nice place to get information. But to walk to the computer, log on, perform a search, and sift through the results is a several step process taking time. Whereas, if one is looking for the Nobel Prize winner from three decades ago, or where the Olympics were held in the 1950's, all one needs to do is open this book up, and they will find the information very quickly. Much quicker than the internet, blasphemous as that may be in this internet-is-all era.

It should be noted that this does have its shortcomings however. In the medical section, "common" diseases are listed in alphabetical order, and believe it or not epilepsy is not listed, but Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is! Under the heading for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, it even says that approximately 1,000 cases are reported in the United States each year. If that is indeed the case, how did that make it onto their list of common diseases, when epilepsy is in fact one of the most common diseases affecting millions of people? They make no mention of their methodology for including, or not including, particular diseases, but oversights on areas such as this make me question the value of publications such as this. But even with that omission, this is a nice reference book to have on hand.

The internet clearly has its place as the place to go for exhaustive information on nearly any subject, but it should be noted that the tactile experience of books will never be replaced by silicon. To paraphrase mark Twain's famous expression: The reports of the demise of books have been greatly exaggerated.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4

The new standard in reference from the nation's leading newspaper:
A thorough, authoritative, easy-to-use guide offering deeper coverage on a broad range of essential subjects.

Whether you are researching the history of the world, interested in learning more about an obscure medical procedure, exploring environmental trends, studying a great work of literature, looking for tips on how to improve your crossword puzzle skills, or just trying to gain a deeper understanding of the latest current events, this book is for you. An indispensable resource for every home, office, dorm room, and library, The New York Times Guide to Essential Knowledge includes insightful sidebars by Times writers, and covers major categories including art, astronomy, business, sports, history, medicine, philosophy, photography, biology, film, and much more!

Years in the making, this one volume is designed to offer more information than any other book on the most popular subjects as well as providing easy-to-access data vital for everyday living. It is the only comprehensive reference book to include authoritative, engaging in-depth essays from experts in almost every field of endeavor, with innovative cross-referencing to allow for to even greater understanding.

Featuring:
- Biographical dictionary of nearly one thousand of the most important people of every field
- Writers Guide to grammar, usage and style
- The United States Constitution
- The most complete sports section of any one-volume reference book
- A thirty-thousand-word history of the world
- Crossword dictionary

Contributors include:
- Jane Brody on health matters
- Dennis Overbye on the Big Bang
- Linda Greenhouse on the Supreme Court today
- Andrew Revkin on the state of the world's environment
- John Noble Wilford on the oldest human fossil
- Michael Kimmelman on the origins of photography
- Will Shortz on crosswords
- Natalie Angier on war
- Nicholas Wade on how life began

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