Guinness World Records 2010: The Book of the Decade [Hardcover]

Guinness World Records (Author)

Book Description

Release date: September 15, 2009

Guinness World Records 2010 continues to build on the intriguing, informative, inspiring and instructional records and superlatives that have made Guinness World Records one of the most famous brands and an annual best-seller around the world. Over 100 million copies have sold since the first edition was published in 1955. Nearly 4 million copies are sold every year in more than 100 countries and in 25 languages.

What's new in GWR10?...

- Free downloadable content, including videos, photographs, screensavers and interviews
- 100% new photographs and fully updated records
- Brilliant new "steampunk" graphic novel design
- New sections and record threads celebrating the first decade of the 21st century
- Top 50 Records of the Decade
- Record of the Day - one for every day of the year
- Unbreakable Records (those that will seemingly never be broken)
- Lasts (records such as the last living survivor of the Titanic disaster, or the last known dodo)
- The Name's Bond (celebrating the James Bond phenomenon)
- Culture Shock (unusual rituals and festivals around the globe)
- Gold (the commodity that never loses its luster)
- Updated gazetteer sections covering records in all major regions of the world
- Fully updated regular sections, including Space, Planet Earth, The Animal Planet, The Body, Human Achievements, Engineering and Technology, The Modern World, Arts and the Media and, of course, Sports.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Guinness World Records (September 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1904994504
• ISBN-13: 978-1904994503
• Product Dimensions: 11.7 x 8.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #171,573 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #41 in Books > Education & Reference > Almanacs & Yearbooks > Yearbooks & Annuals

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars REVIEW: GUNINESS WORLD RECORDS 2010 October 22, 2009

By JUDY

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

GREAT BOOK THAT ARRIVED RIGHT ON TIME. THIS WAS A GIFT FOR AN 10 YEAR OLD WHO HAS NOW BECOME THE "FAMILY QUIZ-MASTER".

THE PHOTOS ARE BEAUTIFUL, AND, THERE IS SOMETHING IN THERE FOR ANYONE OR ANY AGE.

VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED AS A GIFT, OR FOR YOURSELF.

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for tweens October 20, 2009

By Carrie E. Nelson

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

My 9 year old came home with a book order form from Scholastic and really, really, really, wanted the Guinness 2010 and the price was $[...]! I said "ya know I will" and then she finished my sentence with "check online to get a better price". I so love that kid and all my kids because they know that if you shop around online you can ALWAYS get it cheaper. I have 2 stores one on eBay and a non-eBay and I can dig a bargain out of anything. She just got it (and before the book order other item she ordered) and we almost had to take the book away to get her to bed. I love it when reading is so fun and they get excited to read.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another entry in this fascinating annual series! November 20, 2009

By Steven A. Peterson TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Each year, I eagerly await the arrival of the updated "Guinness World Records." Indeed, it seems to get a bit wilder each year, as new (and sometimes wacky) records are reported. The rules as to what qualifies as a record are laid out (as they are each year). The fun begins even just by randomly leafing through pages (my favorite way of perusing these volumes).

The first page begins with "Firsts," such as the first cloned animal (Remember her name? Dolly!); the first in-flight movie (in 1925); the first e-mail; and so on. Some random entries. . . Pages 36-37: the most productive copper mine; the highest active volcano; the longest column of ants (a 328 foot long procession of army ants); the narrowest country. Pages 52-53: the newest Iguana; the most endangered reptile; the largest snake of all time.

But it's really the human achievements, I think, that intrigue most people. Among these (pages 76 and following): the farthest washing machine throw by an individual (a hair over 11 feet); heaviest vehicle pulled by hair (count me out in trying to match this feat!); longest waterfall descent in a canoe; greatest distance covered in a pedal-powered boat; circumnavigation of the globe on a bicycle).

The volume is organized by a number of overarching categories--Space, Planet Earth, Animal Planet, The Body, Human Achievements, Travelers' Tales, Gazetteer, Modern World, Engineering & Technology, Art & Media, and Sports.

A couple examples from a few of these categories to add some flavor. Engineering & Technology: tallest structure, first manned hydrogen-powered aircraft, largest machine ever built, highest capacity chicken manure station (on page 185; this isn't a joke!). Art & Media: fastest-selling download single; most effects shots in a movie; first film with digital water ("Antz"). Sports: Highest pole vault (female), most beach handball championships (female), most centuries in a test series (cricket; I'm clueless), fastest shot in NHL history (hockey), fastest 100 meter dash (male), and so on.

So, the preceding examples give a sense of the book for those who have never looked at it. For those who have? You'll know what you're getting. This won't be for everyone, but for those who like real records and quirky records alike, this is hours of amusement (and amazement).