Customer Reviews

The New York Times 2003 Almanac

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John Wright and team put up a brave effort here. However, some of the statistical data they tendered are too old. Again, this is not the type of almanac to purchase if your quest for information is with a global outlook. This book brims with excellent U.S. coverage, but that is all! It gave poor coverage to most other countries. Intending almanac buyers whose interests include versatile global data should not rely on it. Look for something that touched the four corners of the world. For sure, a reputable encyclopaedia may cost more, but would be of better value than this almanac. The choice is yours!

This 'Almanac of Record' from the 'Paper of Record' struck me as excessively U.S.-centric, save for an almost 200-page review (in a 1000-page book) in its mid-section entitled 'Nations of the World.' This part alone was a redeeming factor and made me feel that I got some value from my purchase. These country-by-country write-ups are - for the most part - outstanding & help place each country's recent history and vital statistics in appropriate context.

Here's an example: I had to do some research on Ghana. I pulled another book from my shelves as a starting point. That one recited facts like the country's impressive 1998 economic growth (twice the African average), its eye-poppingly high female work participation rate (at 51%, only Cambodia's is higher), and its relatively low rate of registered unemployment.

Reading the NYT 2003 Almanac's review of Ghana, I got a totally different *and more realistic* picture. Placing all these facts and figures in context, the Almanac revealed that:

- In 1998 the Ghanian economy had nowhere to go but up after 5+ years of brutal stagnation. Plus, the World Bank got involved that year and put together a restructuring program that actually seemed to jump-start things.

- The situation got so bad in the 80s and 90s under Lt. Jerry Rawlings' rule that a fair percentage of the workforce fled to Nigeria to look for work (thus the high female particpation rates and low rate of 'official' unemployment).

So kudos to this Almanac for revealing the stories behind the figures.

Of course, this is not done without some irritation. This same write-up on Ghana - in a 2003 guidebook, mind you - quotes major city population figures from 1988. Similar books have 1998 figures. Obviously, the differences between the two estimates are material.