In which I read the encyclopedia (again)

"Between [the Drake/Kendrick beef] and the Trump administration, I genuinely want an apology from everyone who gave shit to people talking about idiocracy becoming real. So yeah, read the encyclopedia. Someone should."- my favorite guy

First: please admire my new encyclopedia.

Yes, I bought a print encyclopedia. In the year of our Lord two thousand twenty and five.

I bought it for several reasons:

1. Partly I wanted an offline, non-digital single source of generally-agreed-upon facts in a world that feels increasingly like an auction in which the right to define "the truth" goes to the highest bidder.

2. Partly I wanted to see how print encyclopedias look these days, because I increasingly expect they are still valuable teaching tools (because see #1).

3. Mostly - we're talking like 60%/20/20 here) - I wanted to read it again.

"Again" isn't entirely accurate. I have never read a World Book encyclopedia before.

I have, however, read the entire 1964 Encyclopedia Britannica. I read it over the summers of 1993 and 1994. We lived 25 miles from anything resembling a town; I had no friends or other activities close enough to ride my bike to; and my parents worked. I was bored, so I read the giant books Mom kept on the bottom shelf.

I don't remember a lot of what I read. I don't think I understood a lot of what I read. Turning into a walking Jeopardy! clue board did not win me any friends. But I do remember enjoying the experience nonetheless.

So I'm going to do it again.

I bought the World Book for several reasons, too. First, it's the only English-language encyclopedia left that still publishes a print version. I could have ordered a 2012 Britannica on eBay (the last year Britannica published in print), but I wanted an updated knowledge repository.

Second, the World Book is written for a K-12 audience. It contains simpler language than the Britannica, shorter entries, and more illustrations. This format is a good fit for my adult brain, which is full of Adult Tasks and Adult Worries - something my tween brain didn't need to juggle.

Finally, I mean, just look at it.

This is the 2024 edition. The 2025 edition is available and has gorgeous Jazz Age-themed artwork. I spent a couple weeks trying to decide which one to buy. I settled on the spacescape because I loved it more each time I looked at it. (Plus, being the 2024, it's on sale.) The 2023 is also on sale and is shark-themed, if that's your jam. Earlier editions are available on eBay as well.

If you're curious about the World Book but committing to the price tag and/or storage of the books is A Lot, there are several earlier editions digitized on the Internet Archive. Finding specific years can be a challenge; expect to do a lot of browsing. I highly recommend the centennial edition, though (2017).

Last thing: I started this blog to keep my encyclopedia-reading contained away from my other projects, like my regular blog and my HTML/CSS sandbox. You're welcome to visit those, though, and/or email me at drmollytov@duck.com.