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.