The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2017

Editor: Sarah Janssen
Publisher: World Almanac; 2017 edition
Publication Date: December 2016
ISBN: 978-1600572050
Reviewed by: Holly Connors
Review Date: January 2, 2017

It's always a good day when the new edition of The World Almanac and Book of Facts arrives at my office. By the time it arrives, the old edition is a bit tattered and worn and in need of replacement and I'm happy to start fresh with the new edition.

First published in 1868, this ultimate reference guide covers topics in the political sphere, economic trends, as well as scientific statistics. There's also a plethora of educational information, sports records and so much more. Are you looking for "landmark decisions" made by the U.S. Supreme Court? It's here. Do you have a high school senior in your house looking for the perfect college? There's an all-inclusive table of four-year colleges that includes tuition/fees, enrollment and the all important graduation rates. Not sure your child can get in that top college with his SAT score? Check out your state's mean SAT scores in another table. There is so much covered in this reference guide that it's impossible to do more than lightly scratch the surface of what's inside its pages with a review.

New this year in The World Almanac and Book of Facts are several features including "2016 Election Results" - with just the facts - a perfect way to continue that political discussion and dazzle your opponent with the statistics/facts. A new "Statistical Spotlight" that provides statistics for the top stories of 2016 makes for fun reading while the "Top 10 News Topics for 2016" help round out the selections.

Every year when I receive the newest edition of The World Almanac and Book of Facts, I spend some time simply flipping through the pages to see what will catch my attention. I tend to lose track of time as I sift through the topics and inevitably learn quite a few tidbits about all sorts of things. Beyond the 'fun facts' that you'll find in this book, however, is information on everything you could possible need. I suspect that if the information is not found in this reference guide, then you will have a hard time finding it anywhere. Updated with several new topics and "Spotlights," this new edition is definitely worth purchasing. If you haven't seen this indispensible book in a while, or you don't have one at your desk, it's time to check it out!

Quill says: There's a reason The World Almanac and Book of Facts is the country's all-time top-selling reference book. If you don't have one in your office, you need to get one now.