From the "deliriously clever" ( Boston Globe ) Simon Garfield, New York Times bestselling author of Just My Type , comes the wild and fascinating story of the encyclopedia, from Ancient Greece to the present day. New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice "A brilliant book about knowledge itself." --Deirdre Mask, author of The Address Book "Garfield's witty history captures the obsessive, quixotic and sometimes error-filled quests of those--from Pliny the Elder in the first century A.D. to Wikipedians in ...
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From the "deliriously clever" ( Boston Globe ) Simon Garfield, New York Times bestselling author of Just My Type , comes the wild and fascinating story of the encyclopedia, from Ancient Greece to the present day. New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice "A brilliant book about knowledge itself." --Deirdre Mask, author of The Address Book "Garfield's witty history captures the obsessive, quixotic and sometimes error-filled quests of those--from Pliny the Elder in the first century A.D. to Wikipedians in this one--who have attempted to corral all the world's information into a single source." -- New York Times The encyclopedia once shaped our understanding of the world. Created by thousands of scholars and the most obsessive of editors, a good set conveyed a sense of absolute wisdom on its reader. Contributions from Albert Einstein, Sigmund Freud, Orville Wright, Alfred Hitchcock, Marie Curie and Indira Gandhi helped millions of children with their homework. Adults cleared their shelves in the belief that everything that was explainable was now effortlessly accessible in their living rooms. Now these huge books gather dust and sell for almost nothing on eBay. Instead, we get our information from our phones and computers, apparently for free. What have we lost in this transition? And how did we tell the progress of our lives in the past? All the Knowledge in the World is a history and celebration of those who created the most ground-breaking and remarkable publishing phenomenon of any age. Simon Garfield, who "has a genius for being sparked to life by esoteric enthusiasm and charming readers with his delight" ( The Times ), guides us on an utterly delightful journey, from Ancient Greece to Wikipedia, from modest single-volumes to the 11,000-volume Chinese manuscript that was too big to print. He looks at how Encyclopedia Britannica came to dominate the industry, how it spawned hundreds of competitors, and how an army of ingenious door-to-door salesmen sold their wares to guilt-ridden parents. He reveals how encyclopedias have reflected our changing attitudes towards sexuality, race, and technology, and exposes how these ultimate bastions of trust were often riddled with errors and prejudice. With his characteristic ability to tackle the broadest of subjects in an illuminating and highly entertaining way, Simon Garfield uncovers a fascinating and important part of our shared past and wonders whether the promise of complete knowledge--that most human of ambitions--will forever be beyond our grasp.
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Add this copy of All the Knowledge in the World: The Extraordinary to cart. $20.92, like new condition, Sold by GreatBookPricesUK5 rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Castle Donington, DERBYSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2024 by William Morrow & Company.
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Fine. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 400 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Add this copy of All the Knowledge in the World: The Extraordinary to cart. $23.34, new condition, Sold by GreatBookPricesUK5 rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Castle Donington, DERBYSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2024 by William Morrow & Company.
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New. Trade paperback (US). Glued binding. 400 p. In Stock. 100% Money Back Guarantee. Brand New, Perfect Condition, allow 4-14 business days for standard shipping. To Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. protectorate, P.O. box, and APO/FPO addresses allow 4-28 business days for Standard shipping. No expedited shipping. All orders placed with expedited shipping will be cancelled. Over 3, 000, 000 happy customers.
Add this copy of All the Knowledge in the World: the Extraordinary to cart. $16.73, new condition, Sold by Book Outlet rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Jefferson City, TN, UNITED STATES, published 2024 by William Morrow & Company.
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New in new dust jacket. New, Publisher overstock, may have small remainder mark. Excellent condition, never read, purchased from publisher as excess inventory.
Add this copy of All the Knowledge in the World: the Extraordinary to cart. $19.21, good condition, Sold by Omega Books and More rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Springdale, AR, UNITED STATES, published 2024 by William Morrow Paperbacks.
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Good. **PLEASE READ** Cover may have some rubbing scratches and or bends. There may be some highlighting handwriting in this book. FAST shipping FREE tracking and GREAT customer service! We also offer EXPEDITED and TWO DAY shipping options on qualifying orders.
Add this copy of All the Knowledge in the World: The Extraordinary to cart. $24.56, new condition, Sold by Ingram Customer Returns Center rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from NV, USA, published 2024 by William Morrow & Company.
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