The Order of Things: How Everything in the World Is Organized into Hierarchies, Structures, and Pecking Orders; Revised Edition (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Barbara Ann Kipfer has outdone herself with the taxonomy of the world's everything. Organized by subject (such as "Life Sciences," "Technology," "Religion," "General Knowledge," and "The Arts"), life's schema and constructs spell out the various ways man orders his existence. Take "Domestic Life," for example. It lists anniversary gifts (paper for the 1st, tin for the 10th), birthday stones, and zodiac qualities, clothing sizes (coats, shirts, shoes, socks, and such for men, women, and children, by U.S., U.K., and European systems), luggage sizes (steamer trunk to cosmetic case), and kitchen tools by type of use. Gem cuts are illustrated, bed sizes are charted (with dimensions) from crib to California king, and steel wool grades are defined, from super fine to extra coarse. The only notable omission from The Order of Things: How Everything in the World is Organized into Hierarchies, Structures, and Pecking Orders is The Order of Things itself, which belongs foremost among the world's great reference books. --Stephanie Gold

From Library Journal

Prolific reference author Kipfer (Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, LJ 9/1/92) here presents a collection of hierarchies and lists of information (rather than definitions or explanations) covering a wide range of topics, from animal classification to the Mafia to silverware. The book is arranged in 13 broad categories, with the lists within those categories arranged alphabetically. Kipfer asserts that she has included the "essential and interesting orders" in each subject area, but, inevitably, information has been left out. For instance, one will find poker hands but not the ranking of the suits in bridge and Norway's rulers but not Sweden's. Generally, no sources are cited, even for cancer survival rates. While the contents partially overlap with many reference books, this title is unique in its emphasis on hierarchies. It will be handy for ready reference, but the uneven coverage and lack of citations make it less than essential. [BOMC alternate, Writer's Digest Book Club, and Newbridge Book Club.]?Debra Moore, Loyola Marymount Univ. Lib., Los Angele.
-?Debra Moore, Loyola Marymount Univ. Lib., Los Angeles
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Random House Reference; Revised edition edition (March 31, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0375701648
• ISBN-13: 978-0375701641
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,720,496 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect for Fact Junkies!, December 28, 2000

By	"0083page" (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews

I picked this book up after seeing it mentioned in David Sedaris' "Me Talk Pretty One Day" - he had referred to it as an excellent source for verifying just about any fact or figure you can think of, and he was right. The Internet can answer just about any nagging reference question you may have, but here you will have it in a handy volume you can also pour over just for fun. Excellent for settling debates with know-it-alls and Cliff Clavens everywhere.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The ULTIMATE refernce book., June 25, 2000

By	Joshua Villines (Atlanta) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Order of Things: Hierarchies, Structures, and Pecking Orders (Hardcover)

OK, I admit it, I'm a reference book geek. I love to have as much information crammed into the smallest space possible. The Order of Things does just that, and it does it exponentially well. This is an invaluable reference for anyone who wants to know "How is X related to Y" or "Which of these is better, older, more important..." Any trivia, history, or fact buff would love to find this under their birthday wrapping paper.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars List of lists, September 3, 1998

By A Customer

The Order of Things answers thousands of trivia questions and provides an excellent summary starting-point for researchers. Learn the Roman Empirical heirarchy, list the moons of Jupiter by size, or follow the pictorial brewing of beer -- then go to the library and get the details.