Reference Books
Rather than reviewing a book or two as I usually do in this column, I'd like to explain and explore my love of seemingly dry reference books. I think that my early exposure to this sort of book, along with the insatiable thirst for trivia that followed, led directly to my life's work as a librarian and researcher. The recent holiday season reminded me of my favorite pastime: reading and memorizing information.
I grew up reading the phone book for fun. Yes, I was a strange child. Shelf after shelf of picture books were offered up for the reading, but I steered clear. My parents noticed this, and one Christmas in the early eighties, I received a present that looked and felt like a brick. It was thick and heavy and rectangular and I had no idea what it was. Upon unwrapping it I discovered it was the latest edition of The World Almanac and Book of Facts. I had never seen one before, and I had no idea what a treasure trove of information it was! To this day I practically salivate when I get my hands on the latest edition. Where else can you find out your favorite celebrity's real name, who won the silver medal in skeet shooting the year you were born, which bridges are the longest, and how many televisions and telephones per capita the countries of the world have? This an much more, all in the same book! Of course it is also a handy reference for finding out populations and capitals, state birds and mottos. The 1995 edition weighs in at 1,008 pages.
The success of the first reference book gift led to my receiving two books each year: the Almanac and also the Guinness Book of World Records. Back then, the Guinness Book was in the same format as the almanacs, a stubby little paperback, with newsprint thin paper and tiny print. I remember reading with glee all about the biological wonders that some of the record holders had achieved. The world's tallest and shortest humans, longest fingernails, and fattest twins come to mind. The pictures have stayed with me through all these years, I can even remember the picture of the guy who had a beard of bees. In recent years, the Guiness Book has become much glossier with shiny hardback covers and color pictures, but the content remains just as fascinating! On the Guinness website you can even order a fascimile edition of the first Guinness Book from 1955.
While most people think of reference books as a place to turn in search of a particular answer, I treat them as entertainment. If you've forgotten what it is like to fill your head with trivial tidbits, I suggest returning to your childhood curoisity and giving these old standbys a second look. They can't hurt your Trivial Pursuit game either! Thanks, mom and dad, for giving me a terrific gift all those years, the gift of curiosity and knowledge. I benefit from it every day.