Guinness World Records 2001 (Library Binding)

by Tim Footman (Editor), Guinness Media (Editor)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Searching for the name of the most tattooed woman, or in desperate need of knowing which NFL team has accomplished the highest number of consecutive wins? As always, the Guinness Book of World Records is the prime source of such top-ranked trivia, and this fancy edition for 2001 is no exception. With its large, hardcover format, bright colors, numerous photos, and quality print job, this book deserves a permanent home on your coffee table. Divided into color-coded sections such as crime, gadgets, spacecraft, weather, sports, and the ever-fascinating human body, you'll find everything from the bestselling hip-hop album (CrazySexyCool by TLC) to the rarest living creature (an Abingdon Island giant tortoise by the name of Lonesome George). Fun high-tech categories include most-visited Web sites (www.france98.com), fastest-selling PC game (Myst), and fastest-spreading worm (the dreaded "I love you"). Showcasing some of mankind's proudest achievements, the two pages devoted to robots present us the slightly absurd "most cocktails mixed by a robot," accomplished by Cynthia and Rastus from Cynthia's Cyberbar, along with many more-practical successes.

Young and ambitious readers will find one short section especially inspiring. At the back of the book, specific instructions tell you how to go about setting your own world record, including contact information, guidelines, and suggestions on how to prevail without becoming a world-class athlete or permanently altering your body. Following this helpful information is a list of some of the more unusual accomplishments that resulted in new records: marshmallow nose blow, heaviest ear lift, longest bubble, and fastest ketchup drinker are but a few. Whether you use this book to settle bar bets, entertain the family, or inspire yourself to dizzying heights of personal achievement, it's a sure hit for trivia buffs of all ages. --Jill Lightner

Product Description
The best-selling copyrighted book of all time is better than ever! The ultimate snapshot of our amazing world! Over 1,000 extraordinary new records. More than 300 full-color pictures. Completely updated sections on computer games, the internet, special effects, martial arts, dance music, the prehistoric world and much more.

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Product Details

• Library Binding: 288 pages
• Publisher: I B S Books Stocked (September 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 189205101X
• ISBN-13: 978-1892051011
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,024,413 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Compelation of World Feats, November 13, 2000

By	Eric J. Hughes (Lancaster, PA (USA)) - See all my reviews

Guiness has yet again made a great book. In its great monstosity and colorful fotos, the Guiness Book of Records for the year 2001 is a fun and education read. This book is packed with feats mastered from around the globe with records set from anywhere between most days spent in an attic to farthest pull of a train with the use of teeth.

I really enjoyed looking at the broad pictures while reading what was being performed in the fotos. These "athletes" from around the globe deserve a standing ovation for their wonderful talents and their kindness to publish their feats in a world renown book.

The Guiness Book of Records is really for any ages and offers a very convenient category index so you don't have to keep searching to find the record you want to look at.

As I have said, i really enjoyed this book and anyone who buys will feel the same. Happy reading and thanks for looking at my review!

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars What has happened to the Guinness organization?, December 15, 2000

By	mx5mike (Alexandria, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Guinness World Records 2000 (Guinness Book of Records, 2000) (Mass Market Paperback)

When I was younger, I would read the Guinness book (1976 edition) with awe and fascination. Now I read it with disdain. I never did like the "stunt" records, always preferring the more "natural" records - longest snake, deepest lake, fastest train, highest building, largest national park - stuff like that. Now I'm given dumb stuff like "Most Valuable Piece of Madonna Clothing" or "Most Extreme Sports Participated in by a Dog" or "Fastest Cyclist on a Glacier." Please, give me something that I can care about! Did I see a commercial for the Guinness TV show about a guy who tried to put the most clothespins on his face?!? What is that?!?

The Guinness organization, once the definitive authority for world superlatives, has turned itself into the leading provider of answers to questions that nobody is asking.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Useless drivel clutters otherwise valuable resource, December 27, 2000

By	Tom Hinkle (Tulsa, OK USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This is definitely not the Guinness Book of my youth. Since I had possessed my last Guinness Book of World Records (circa 1972), crass commercialization has hit the Guinness organization in the form of the TV series of the same name. New useless categories have been invented (like the longest distance someone has shot spaghetti from their nose). That has served to cheapen the product. Also of very limited value are the hi-tech categories, especially the computer category. What's the use of listing the record for the biggest hard drive when that record was probably already broken by the time the book first hit the stores? Consult the latest computer magazines for the current "biggest and best".

Once past these obstacles, there is a lot of good information here. Many of the categories are quite educational, especially dealing with science, transportation, the human body, and (legitimate) athletics. In addition, the book is a treat for the eyes, with color photographs and color-coded sections. All in all, this is a publication of varying usefulness, but it's almost always entertaining. Almost.