Amazon.com (ISBN 0789414988, Paperback)

The Pockets Encyclopedia--which must be the world's smallest one-volume encyclopedia--gives new meaning to the idea of ready reference. This heavily illustrated mini-encyclopedia with maximum answer potential would make a thoughtful gift for just about anyone, especially students and trivia buffs. A vast amount of information is thematically organized into nine sections: Space, Planet Earth, The Living World, The Human Body, Science and Technology, Transportation, The World, People and Society, and History. Useful time lines delineate major developments in the history of buildings, art, music, and literature. Additional reference tables and indexes are also included. The curious reader can find out about crystals and cells, maps and mammals, rockets and reptiles, and places from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. Only one caveat--the print is tiny. But how else could they have included 10,000 facts, figures, and statistics? (Ages 12 to adult) --Marcie Bovetz