The Knowledge Book: Everything You Need to Know to Get By in the 21st Century
The Knowledge Book is appropriate for high-school and college students or the lifelong learner. The foreword’s author, David Wallechinsky, encourages the reader to open the volume to any page and discover basic knowledge on a subject. Students might consider it a Cliff Notes for just about any assignment. The volume is divided by subjects, many that are courses in high school and college—“Biology,” “Religion,” etc. There are fewer and smaller color photos than in Firefly’s World of Facts, but there are still plenty of boxes, graphics, sidebars, time lines, and tables. A single page on Automotive engineering describes the subject, provides key facts, explains the motor and body of a car, and includes a description of a gasoline-powered engine.   This reference source will be popular in high-school, academic, and public libraries. --Christine Bulson