The New American Desk Encyclopedia: Fourth Revised Edition [Paperback]

Concord Reference (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1997 | ISBN-10: 0451193202 | ISBN-13: 978-0451193209 | Edition: 4

Completely updated an expanded Over 1.5 million copies in print The only one-volume mass market paperback encyclopedia available More than 15,000 entries Includes current people and topics such as Bill Gates, Ebola virus, NAFTA and virtual reality Covers virtually every field of knowledge 16-page guide to space, and more than 240 location maps for the United States and foreign countries

Product Details

• Paperback: 1424 pages
• Publisher: Signet; 4 edition (August 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451193202
• ISBN-13: 978-0451193209
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 2.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #323,789 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Portable Reference!, December 31, 2000

By 

"wiscbadger95" (Wisconsin, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The New American Desk Encyclopedia: Fourth Revised Edition (Paperback)

I own an older edition of this book (published in 1989), and it helped to get me through my freshman year of college. Granted, it isn't an all-encompassing compendium, you can't expect that from a 1,400 page book that covers 15,000 subjects. However, I found it to be a wonderful resource when all you need is a short, general introduction to a topic.

I highly recommend a copy of The New American Desk Encyclopedia for everyone's desk. I guess that's why they call it the "Desk Encyclopedia"!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a treasure trove of knowledge, February 25, 2005

By 

Alejandra Vernon "artist & illustrator" (Long Beach, California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The New American Desk Encyclopedia: Fourth Revised Edition (Paperback)

An enormous amount of information is packed into this one volume, compact enough to keep on one's desk, and though the entries are short, they are quite thorough, on people, places and things of every sort.

For those like me who like to read writing on paper more than on a computer screen, this can be better that a search engine, and more accessible.

As a youngster I used to read the dictionary as if it were novel, and now as an oldster, I find myself going through the pages of this mighty little volume fascinated by its many subjects.

As an example, I will cite an entry for a composer not enough people know about:

"Vivaldi, Antonio (c 1680-1741). Venetian composer, notably for the violin. He wrote vocal music, sonatas, some 450 concertos for violin and other instruments (helping establish the three-movement form; see CONCERTO) and concerti grossi including the famous Four Seasons. His work has sparkling clarity, strong rhythms, and a wealth of melody".

It doesn't go into his life, but you get an idea of who he was, and why he merits an entry.

Yes, you need a good light to read it, and spectacles if your sight isn't all it should be without them; the font size is small, but that is to be expected, with so much packed into a book you can pick up with one hand.

An essential along with a dictionary and thesaurus, this is a reference book that I use constantly, and appreciate.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Compact and helpful, December 14, 2005

By 

M. Mackinnon (Cupertino, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The New American Desk Encyclopedia: Fourth Revised Edition (Paperback)

We have found this very helpful to students in our home. They always expect the internet to provide answers now, but this is often faster, and the internet and computer don't always work! The entries are surprisingly thorough and helpful for such a compact book - hence the small print. Portable for a backpack.