Pears Cyclopaedia, 1990-1991, 99th Edition - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0720719682 ISBN 13: 9780720719680

Publisher: Michael Joseph, 1990

Synopsis

A one-volume reference book containing a broad range of background information, alphabetical reference and articles on topics of special interest. Extensively revised every year, the 107th edition includes essays on the tiger economies of the Far East, the world of wine and the genius of Hitchcock, and the annual update of all regular sections.

About this title

Review

They've produced it 111 times and yet "custom cannot stale its infinite variety". Quirky Pears Cyclopaedia is surely the most delicious little reference book ever printed. Everything about it appeals. There's its neat size. You can actually hold it in one hand unlike most standard one-volume encyclopaedias which can weigh as much as a small sack of potatoes. Then there's the deliberate 1897 font, traditional fussy lay out and mysterious pagination which belie just how up to date the lasted edition is--with its focus on the aftermath of the 11September 2001 assault on America, the Afghan war and European Union expansion. That's attractive too.

Set out in 21 eclectically detailed sections ranging from the World of Science and Biblical Glossary to Prominent People and Atlas of the World, Pears manages to be a whole raft of specialist reference books all rolled into one. The Literary Companion section is especially good this time, having been expanded to include mention JK Rowling and of 2001 Booker prize winning novel, Peter Carey's The History of the Kelly Gang as well a detailing literary terms special topics and authors from Chaucer to Tolkein.

Pears makes for a entertaining browse too. On one page you read that a uhlan is "light cavalry officer armed with lance" That's a few pages away from the useful information that Zagreus was a son of Zeus torn apart and eaten by the Titans. Nearby are charts showing the Periodic Table and the Table of Elements and another listing all Britain's prime ministers since 1945. It's faintly eccentric but fun.--Susan Elkin

Review

'Pears is probably the most useful all-purpose reference book there's ever been...' Amazon.co.uk '... by any standards Pears is remarkable, cramming an extraordinary wealth of fact, analysis and speculation into its 1030-odd pages.' David McKie, Guardian (2001) 'A bestseller for the home bookshelf...its coverage is impressive.' THE TIMES

Edition details

• Publisher: Michael Joseph
• Publication date: 1990
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0720719682
• ISBN 13: 9780720719680
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 1056
• Editor: Christopher Cook