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24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Kindle Edition review, April 25, 2010
I am reviewing the Kindle edition. I should have looked at the reviews more carefully before I purchased and realized that there were almost no Kindle reviews. I thought that as I was looking in the Kindle section the reviews were all for the Kindle edition. Not the case- they are all lumped together - Hardback edition, paperback edition and Kindle edition.
The Kindle edition has several large problems compared with the print editions. First of all, for some reason, there are large omissions from the print editions. I have no idea why since size should not be a factor when creating the electronic version. You actually are getting a greater volume of information when you buy the paperback.
Secondly, all the charts and graphs are scanned in somehow and are difficult to read. If the resolution of the scan was better, it might help. However, most of these tables could be made electronically just like the text. After all, that is how they are originally made before they are published in print form. Now I grant you that it must be more difficult to publish an almanac electronically compared with, say, a John Grisham novel (which is just one really large text file), but this is what the electonic medium should be about.
Also, the full index is not present in electronic form - just the table of contents. This makes it very difficult to find particular information you want to look up. Say you want to know the state flower of Indiana. The best you can do is find that USA section in the table of contents and then turn pages - one by one - till you find Indiana and then read. You could find it in the paperback in 10 seconds - it would take minutes on the Kindle. There is no reason they could not have a detailed index at the back.
Hopefully, this will get better as electronic book publishing improves over time. I have always thought it would be great to have an almanac on a device like the Kindle or Ipad to have all this info at your fingertips, but it will have to be in a much improved published format to be really useful.
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better than last year, November 19, 2009
Last year I complained LOUDLY that the 2009 World Almanac was missing some very useful information on zip codes, area codes, U.S. metropolitan area population rankings and town populations by state. I am pleased to report that the 2010 World Almanac reinstated all of the missing information. Thank you, World Almanac Books.
Zip codes and area codes are once again provided by town, where they used to be, of considerable interest and use to this Almanac user. Largest metropolitan areas ranked by population are included again, as are U.S. population for Places Of 10,000 Or More by state, all with 2008 estimates based on 2000 census data. The metro populations also include 1990 census data.
As expected, the full 2008 presidential election returns are provided by county and the section on Noted Personalities Entertainers of the Present & the Past remains a fun read for our celebrity-infatuated country. Alas, no listing for Jon & Kate but young women might like to know that Robert Pattinson has been added.
My only gripe in the 2010 World Almanac is that the section on state and county populations has been omitted. It is not enough for me to reduce the rating a full star, but it is enough to be a little annoying. It would be nice to have it back, please.
Since I want to end on a positive note, let me say that it never ceases to amaze me what a massive undertaking it is to update and publish this book, presenting such vast amounts of data in such a usable, understandable form. All that effort, the fact-checking and the proofing make this publication the annual treasure that it is.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A cornucopia of information, November 23, 2009
This annual publication is a necessity in our household. It brings all manner of knowledge to one's fingertips. It's hard to write a coherent review of a work that covers so many areas of information. Among subjects covered: 2009 in review; economy7, business, and industry; crime; military affairs; health and vital statistics; science and technology; consumer information; U. S. government; U. S. facts, history, and elections; U. S. cities, states, and population; world history and culture; sports. There is also an index at the end.
One way of getting a sense of the substance of this reference work is to note data and information taken at random by flipping to different pages throughout the volume. Page 55: consumption expenditures by category from 1990-2008 (categories include motor vehicles and parts, furniture and office equipment, clothing, health, education services and so on). Page 150: cigarette and alcohol use. Pages 342-343: descriptions of the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune (orbit, atmosphere, satellites, etc.). Page 473: areas administered by the U. S. Park Service; major territorial additions throughout American history (e.g., Louisiana Purchase, Alaska, Guam). Pages 652-653: ancient civilizations, such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China). Page 787: description of different countries on earth, such as Haiti and Honduras (with information on population, geography, type of government, monetary unit, transportation, and so on). Page 911: baseball (major accomplishments during 2009, such as Mark Buehrle's perfect game and final standings from the 2009 season).
As always, a wonderful source of information. I often find myself going to the latest edition to check out one obscure fact or another.
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