I have been meaning to get one myself. Problem is it is so darn expensive
They are much cheaper if the edition is just a bit older, like 2020.
I bought the only physical encyclopedia still in print
121–130 of 199 posts
Re: I bought the only physical encyclopedia still in print
#122I have tons of memories of reading my parents' World Book Encyclopedia growing up. Honestly, getting a print copy for my kids to browse through doesn't seem a bad idea.
Though the reports indicate that kids don't like them.
Re: I bought the only physical encyclopedia still in print
#123> My family's reaction was disappointing, but I don't mind that the encyclopedia set is just for me. That's just coping after burning a bit of money on an useless shelf decoration... I'm sure he will use it occasionally instead of wikipedia just to feel he didn't threw away that money.
>for the information apocalypse
I wrote it in other comment but just...copy wikipedia locally if that's your problem ?
Re: I bought the only physical encyclopedia still in print
#124We have an old set, and some friends were over with their third grader, who had to write a report. She tried using wikipedia, but it popped up a 30 page article on an advanced topic she was trying to find a definition of. I handed her the encyclopedia, and showed her how to look up the word. One paragraph later, she said "that's EXACTLY what I needed." Indeed.
Try simple English Wikipedia
Re: I bought the only physical encyclopedia still in print
#125>Later, I introduced the encyclopedia to my kids. They had never used a print encyclopedia, and they looked at me like I was an alien, almost as if I were speaking a different language (such a trite expression, but man, is it accurate). I had hoped they could use the encyclopedia as an old-fashioned reference, but so far, they have completely and utterly rejected it, not even expressing interest or opening it once. T…
F&W had a bad reputation (I had a copy as well as a child, for the same reasons, purchased a volume at a time at the grocery store), but it wasn't that bad. Microsoft eventually purchased the rights to it and many of the articles from their 1990s CD-ROM Encyclopedia (Encarta) were either taken directly from F&W or only slightly edited.
Re: I bought the only physical encyclopedia still in print
#126>Later, I introduced the encyclopedia to my kids. They had never used a print encyclopedia, and they looked at me like I was an alien, almost as if I were speaking a different language (such a trite expression, but man, is it accurate). I had hoped they could use the encyclopedia as an old-fashioned reference, but so far, they have completely and utterly rejected it, not even expressing interest or opening it once. T…
I remember this vividly. The end-cap on one of the aisles was where the encyclopedias were stocked. The "A" volume was sold for $0.01. One penny! I remember being incredulous at the low price. My dad: "Wait until you see what they charge for 'B', kiddo."
I bet there were a lot of essays written about Aardvarks at that time.
Re: I bought the only physical encyclopedia still in print
#127My quiet, somewhat socially anxious mother sold World Book door to door in the late sixties to get her family a copy for free. I really think those volumes were greatly responsible for the positive trends in my life. I loved reading the World book and following where the bread crumbs led. As I write this more comes back- I remember "E" was probably the best starting point with all the electricity articles. Amazingly,…
Similar, except my favorite was the combination W-X-Y-Z Lots of history in "W" :-|
I remember redirecting from article to article. Sometimes I would end in a loop. Even back then I sometimes became suspicious that unknown forces were hiding some things from me. Too many times tantalizing subjects would be mentioned and then dropped with no further information available.
Re: I bought the only physical encyclopedia still in print
#128In Germany the „Brockhaus Enzyklopädie“ used to have its place in every academic house hold. The 24 volume version filled an entire cupboard on its own, cost thousands but looked great with the volumes’ red shaded back and golden rims. Especially historic and technical articles were quite large and detailed and helped me with many homework assignments in the age before the Internet. They were much better than the typ…
I have Der Kleine Brockhaus (one volume) from 1925. I'm sometimes reading it for fun.
For example, "Feminism" is "effeminate nature in men; also: women's movement".
It's a fascinating view into not so long ago.
Re: I bought the only physical encyclopedia still in print
#129Earlier quoted context omitted.
My guess is that the price is comparable (adjusted for inflation) to what my parents' generation paid for encyclopedias in the 1950s and 1960s.
I think it's actually less when adjusted for inflation. I recall full sets like this being close to $2000 even way back when. Of course, back then you'd often "subscribe" to them, paying a smaller monthly fee and getting one book per month until you had the full set.
Used books were a thing even way back when; as a child in the mid-'80s, I bought (with my parents' money) a complete Encyclopædia Britannica set at the opening "friends and family" night of our local public library system's annual book sale for $100 or so, in "like new" condition and barely out of date.
Re: I bought the only physical encyclopedia still in print
#130Earlier quoted context omitted.
> it's widely considered the best Encyclopedia I've been hearing this since the pre-web days. Most of the people saying it, as I remember, were either Jerry Pournelle or his fellow travelers, and even as a youth I had to wonder how much of that was just nostalgia for the peak of the British Empire and all that went along with it.
Some people might enjoy the pre-war colonial grandeur and optimism, but the 11th is mostly notable for the quality of its authors including: Ernest Rutherford, Bertrand Russell, T.H. Huxley, James Jeans, Peter Kropotkin Before or after 1911, this level of scholar would not typically be found writing encyclopedia entries. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Encyclop%C3%A6dia_Britannica_E...
Shannon wrote the entry on "Information Theory" for the 12th edition.
https://archive.org/details/encyclopdiabrita12chic/page/n307...