The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2002 [Paperback]

Ken Park (Author)

Book Description

Series: World Almanac & Book of Facts | Publication Date: November 18, 2001

Now in its third century of publication, The World Almanac remains the one source people turn to when they need comprehensive and reliable information on just about any subject imaginable. Faster and easier to use than the Internet and other on-line sources, it's no wonder The World Almanac is a perennial bestseller on every national list and the one almanac found in homes, libraries, schools, businesses, and media outlets throughout the world. No other almanac comes close to matching The World Almanac's scope, breadth of information, authoritativeness, timeliness, and ease of use.

Completely updated from first page to last, and with more information than ever before, The World Almanac 2002 continues the 134-year tradition of providing the most information on the most topics, including:
-America Attacked: Front-of-the-book feature, with information on the attacks, the valiant rescue efforts, the response, and the repercussions; photo highlights, with memorable and indelible images of the Attack on America; and updates throughout the book that show the vast consequences of the attacks
-Detailed results and analysis of the Millennium Census
-Focus On Children: An in-depth profile of today's children and their families, with an essay by TV legend Mr. (Fred) Rogers
-People Power: Newly expanded section on Noted Personalities, with up-to-date information on thousands of personalities, living and dead - and more rock, country, jazz, and blues artists than ever before
-Expanded information in some of The World Almanac's most turned-to sections: sports, entertainment, consumer information, computers and the Internet and international news and information
-The Year in Pictures: Two full-color photo sections with highlights of the most dramatic events of the year
-The Digital World Almanac: Details on the new World Almanac Web Site and the free World Almanac Monthly E-Newsletter, featuring news and monthly updates of The World Almanac's most turned-to sections
-Plus, all the information people need on hundreds of other topics, including: arts and entertainment, awards, U.S. cities and states, nations of the world, sports, the environment, vital statistics, crime, employment, lifestyles, education, travel, science and technology, astronomy, health and nutrition, the economy and business, and much more

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The World Almanac is the most useful reference book known to modern man." -Los Angeles Times

"For the most information in one source, The World Almanac remains the champion." -American Library Association Booklist

"Useful to any human being on the planet. The World Almanac still reigns as the world's most powerful reference." -Seattle Times

"An institution...The range of records and data the book collects is staggering." -Dallas Morning News

"Provides brief, accurate information on an endless array of subjects." -The New York Times

"Presents otherwise hard-to-find information in one easy-to-find volume...It's one source you'll want at an arm's length no matter where you are in the world." -Honolulu Star-Bulletin

"As an all-purpose reference book, The World Almanac has always been an unfailing source." -Atlanta Constitution

"The most versatile single volume, and probably the biggest bargain on the shelf." -Esquire

"No home should be without one of these handy reference books." -Boston Herald

"A must for any home or office that depends on up-to-date data on almost every subject in any field." -King Features Syndicate

"The World Almanac is the King of the Jungle." -Andy Rooney

"I have kept The World Almanac within easy reach ever since my father bought me my first copy more than half a century ago." -Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.

"A literary institution." -Senator Bill Bradley

"I refer to
cf0 The World Almanac constantly and would be lost without it." - James Michener

"An indispensable volume for any newsperson's desk." - Walter Cronkite

"The World Almanac is the repository of all the facts you learned in school but forgot, and all the facts you never knew and won't ever need to know in your whole lifetime - except once. It is a treasure." -Lee Iacocca

"The World Almanac is a superb source book of facts with broad based information at your fingertips. I use it often." -Gerald Ford

"As a private citizen, as Governor, and as President, I have depended on The World Almanac for precise and accurate information - and for entertainment. Also, you have helped me win a lot of arguments (and lose a few)." -Jimmy Carter

"The World Almanac is the all-purpose reference guide for everyone." -Sidney Sheldon

From the Publisher

"The World Almanac is the most useful reference book known to modern man." -Los Angeles Times

"For the most information in one source, The World Almanac remains the champion." -American Library Association Booklist

"Useful to any human being on the planet. The World Almanac still reigns as the world's most powerful reference." -Seattle Times

"An institution...The range of records and data the book collects is staggering." -Dallas Morning News

"Provides brief, accurate information on an endless array of subjects." -The New York Times

"Presents otherwise hard-to-find information in one easy-to-find volume...It's one source you'll want at an arm's length no matter where you are in the world." -Honolulu Star-Bulletin

"As an all-purpose reference book, The World Almanac has always been an unfailing source." -Atlanta Constitution

"The most versatile single volume, and probably the biggest bargain on the shelf." -Esquire

"No home should be without one of these handy reference books." -Boston Herald

"A must for any home or office that depends on up-to-date data on almost every subject in any field." -King Features Syndicate

"The World Almanac is the King of the Jungle." -Andy Rooney

"I have kept The World Almanac within easy reach ever since my father bought me my first copy more than half a century ago." -Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.

"A literary institution." -Senator Bill Bradley

"I refer to The World Almanac constantly and would be lost without it." - James Michener

"An indispensable volume for any newsperson's desk." - Walter Cronkite

"The World Almanac is the repository of all the facts you learned in school but forgot, and all the facts you never knew and won't ever need to know in your whole lifetime - except once. It is a treasure." -Lee Iacocca

"The World Almanac is a superb source book of facts with broad based information at your fingertips. I use it often." -Gerald Ford

"As a private citizen, as Governor, and as President, I have depended on The World Almanac for precise and accurate information - and for entertainment. Also, you have helped me win a lot of arguments (and lose a few)." -Jimmy Carter

"The World Almanac is the all-purpose reference guide for everyone." -Sidney Sheldon

Product Details

• Paperback: 1008 pages
• Publisher: World Almanac; Revised edition (November 18, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0886878721
• ISBN-13: 978-0886878726
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,577,239 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars None better, January 6, 2002

By 

Brian M. Ayres (Valrico, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2002 (Paperback)

This is without a doubt the best reference book on the market. I've had other almanacs, but none provide a more wide-ranging topic field in tight-knit organization. From governments to sports to entertainment to financial to sociological, The World Alamanac covers every miniature detail. Need to find the GDP of Argentina or the what day your birthday falls on in, say, 2023. It's all in there.

It makes for a great companion to any writer, student or a pair trying to settle a bet.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This Year's Best Almanac, December 9, 2001

By 

Kent Braithwaite (Palm Desert, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2002 (Paperback)

No other almanac comes close. This one is hands-down the best. This book, in its various annual editions, has always proven to be among the most reliable of reference texts for both of my professions. With this edition, I particularly enjoyed the deailed census data as well as THE WORLD ALMANAC's thorough coverage of Major League Baseball. This year's news photos were excellent. So was the coverage of the events of September 11 and its aftermath, a story that was still evolving as the almanac was being prepared for publication. All in all, THE WORLD ALMANAC 2002 is a extraordinary work.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The standard in almanacs, December 10, 2001

By 

Brian Melendez (Minneapolis, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2002 (Paperback)

There are many imitators on the market, some of them quite good, but this almanac has set the standard for more than a century. The New York World newspaper began publishing an almanac in 1868, "a 120-page volume with 12 pages of advertising." The newspaper suspended the almanac's publication in 1876, but publisher Joseph Pulitzer revived it in 1886 as a "compendium of universal knowledge." The almanac has been published annually since, outliving the newspaper whose name it still bears. (The World Almanac is not the oldest almanac in publication, however: that distinction belongs to The Old Farmer's Almanac, which is "North America's oldest continuously published periodical," founded in 1792.)

The World Almanac contains much useful information that belongs in any serious basic-reference set. For the world, the almanac presents basic statistics about each nation, and about the world's major religions; and summarizes the world's history, with more detailed histories of the United States and of the preceding year. For the United States, the almanac reprints the nation's organic documents, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution; lists every community with a population over 5000, with its ZIP code and area code; lists every county (or parish or division) and county seat; contains a directory of the entire Federal government, including Congress and all congressional committees, every executive department, and every court and judge; presents basic statistics about each state and major city, and a short biography of each president; and much more. The almanac also contains bountiful information about education, science, sports, and many other topics. No other single volume offers such a wealth of information on such a variety of subjects.