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This is the time of year that everybody puts out an Almanac.
National Geographic has published theirs. Titled “The Knowledge Book: Everything You Need to Know to Get By in the 21st Century,” it is big and beautiful and certainly includes a world of information.
In a Foreword, David Wallechinsky, author of “The 20th Century: History With the Boring Parts Left Out,” writes
“By learning about the ideas that were prevalent in other eras and the events that have taken place in the past, we are better able to understand aspects of the present which otherwise seem baffling, and we are more easily able to anticipate the trends of the future. The present, after all, is just a moving dot on the continuum connecting the past to the future.”
The book jacket promises “the range of human knowledge”, from the birth of the planet to the complex world of our 21st century.
Organized into seven lavishly illustrated sections that are complemented by fact boxes, cross-referencing, and sidebars, the book is designed to be read through or browsed. It is a survey of humankind’s most significant ideas and attempts to distill thousands of years of thought and achievements, all the while explaining how they are linked and why they are important.
The seven sections span the range of human knowledge: cultural history, the stars and planets, life on Earth, social issues, spirit and soul, the arts, and modern life.
It summarizes ideas, discoveries, and movements; it places them in context historically.
Sidebars enhance the text with relevant details about particular processes, inventions, discoveries, and movements, and illustrated boxes explore significant individuals or issues. Self-contained sections and cross-referencing let a reader tailor his or her reading experience.
More than 2,000 illustrations function as a visual catalog of the major fields of knowledge, ranging from the Earth’s origins to modern life and health, from stars to sports. There is information about the big bang, the birth of instrumental music, the amphibian life cycle, the development of literature — and that is just skimming the surface.
Humankind’s darkest hours are also on display, as well as its finest: we see the rise and wrath of dictatorial forms of government, but also learn about discoveries of the first mathematicians. Learn about the history of science, politics, writers, philosophers, art through the ages.
Page 5 instructs us how to use the book, and maps the various elements to be found on any double page:
- a box of “Key Facts” lists the most important information of the section
- a Background box enhances the main text with interesting and relevant information
- a Monographic box dives into a specific theme or subject in detail
- an “Insider Knowledge” box provides interesting, easy to remember facts regarding the subject
- a 21st Century box gives up-to-date facts regarding the page’s subject, linking it to the present day
- an Analytical box breaks down a specific term or concept integral to the page’s subject matter
- gorgeous graphics ranging from engaging images to maps to factual diagrams
Surely all that would make for a cluttered, confusing experience? Not so. Each page has a restful feel, legible and beautiful. The book is a pleasure to look at as well as to read..
A desk reference for yourself, for your family, for your favorite student. If you buy a yearly almanac, consider this one for 2008 .
The Knowledge Book, published by National Geographic, 2007, costs $35.00. In November 2007 it was available at Barnes and Noble at 20% off. ISBN 978-1-4262-0124-0.
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