This
book is the 23rd Edition of the Top 10 of Everything.
I had initially thought that this was a knock-off from the Guinness Book of
Records, but perhaps it was the other way around?
The book is huge, heavy, printed on glossy stock and gets
you in as soon as you open it. We as a species seem to have a fascination
for “lists”, and this book Top 10 of Everything 2012 (ISBN
978-0-600-62335-9, Octopus Books, produced for Hamlyn by Palazzo Editions
2011) certainly panders to that need. The pages are set up as if on a wall
and ‘post-it notes’ and thumb tack items placed on them. Each page has
interesting items dotted through it, being far more than just a list of top
10’s.
The chapters are varied and cover many items, including
the universe, deadliest animals, actors, music, health and illness, schools
and universities, but there is much more. As pointed out in the
introduction, the lists provide a shorthand glimpse of what is happening
with the world economy, global warming, deforestation, population growth and
densities and a “fascinating and entertaining overview of the amazing
diversity of our planet and its people.” Did you know, for example, that the
Chinese are launching what is called the Kuafu Space mission of three
spacecraft dedicated to monitoring the earth’s climate? I certainly did not,
and this book will finally erase the pictures of a nation on bicycles. Well
it did for me!
The collection of interesting facts is almost endless.
Did you know that there are newspapers which began publishing in 1656
(Haarlems Dagblad), 1664 (Gazetta di Mantiva) and 1665 (The London Gazette)?
And did you also know that Thailand comes in at 7th
equal as countries where the most reporters have died. Fortunately that does
not include book reviewers.
At B. 850 on the Bookazine shelves, it is a real bargain.
As a Xmas present for a young teenager it is ideal as it caters to the
natural curiosity of the young, and will teach them much more than simple
1-10 listing. It will even show them that there were some very successful
pop singers before Lady Gaga, though of course she gets her place in a top
10 as well. However, this book is not just for teenagers, I thoroughly
enjoyed going through it, and with it being a hard-cover publication, it
makes for an excellent resource book to be kept as well.
