This is the third edition of this popular reference book. It aims to give the fastest, most accurate answers to the widest possible range of questions. As usual it is a storehouse of general and not so general knowledge for anyone needing information in a hurry, from schoolchildren, students, academics and business people to quiz and competition enthusiasts. It is created by the Cambridge Encyclopedia people and the editor has divided the work into fourteen sections: the universe, the Earth, the environment, natural history, human beings, world history, geography, society, religion and mythology, communications, science and technology, arts and culture, knowledge and sports and games. A detailed table of contents leads the user to general overviews of a topic, while an excellent 130‐page index refers to specific facts.
One of the better features of the factfinder which will be particularly useful in public libraries and schools is the country‐by‐country discussion in the human geography section. For each country, the information provided includes local name, time zone, area, population, status (republic, monarchy etc.), languages, ethnic groups, religions, currency, GNP/GDP, and a list of heads of state or government. Each country has an accompanying map showing major cities and rivers. Many of the other articles are no less detailed. There is a world chronology of events, for example, covering the years 9000 BC to the present day. Even British car index marks are included. The range of information has to be seen to be appreciated.
There are some criticisms, of course. For example, the list of governing bodies in world sport does not include any addresses, which would be useful. And as this is a paperback edition, overuse may cause some problems with wear‐and‐tear. Overall, though, I cannot recommend this reference book highly enough, especially for public and school libraries. With more up‐to‐date facts and figures than any other similar work available, the Cambridge Factfinder is an excellent, inexpensive, easy to use reference tool for the library.
