With the Internet providing a trillion-plus facts at your fingertips, why would anyone need a printed dictionary, encyclopedia or almanac? Well, for one thing, even Wikipedia has some limitations and errors. For another, it’s still very fun to flip through a printed book for random fascinating facts or targeted research needs.
The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2011 provides a very current look at events of 2010, as well as tens of thousands of facts and names from history. Want details about the Haiti earthquake or the Gulf oil spill? Gotcha. There are Lady Gaga and Tiger Woods; scandals of sports past and present; and some exciting four-color photos that I don’t remember in my well-worn 1970s almanacs.
There are also details about the new healthcare reform and plans for NASA shuttles in 2011. Want the average SAT scores by state? The world’s top tourist destinations? American cartoonists (missing: Alison Bechdel)? President Obama’s top appointments? It’s all there. In tiny type across more than 1,000 pages, this 2011 Almanac is a fun reference guide, giving you info you never even knew you needed.
There are some things of interest to LGBT readers, including hate-crimes stats based on sexual orientation, a brief mention of 1969’s Stonewall Riots, gay marriage, the Matthew Shepard murder, Bishop Gene Robinson’s history-making appointment in the Episcopal Church and basic stats on sexuality. These are topic areas my old almanacs pretty much ignored. It’s all brief, just like everything in the book, but it’s nice to have this inclusion.
Sure, you have that laptop or desktop or even your mobile phone for quick reference online. But for just $12.99, this is a great deal—and these are facts you can believe.