The New York Public Library Desk Reference

Ok, yes, I know the concept of a reference book like this is outdated by the internet. But the browsing alone leads to hours of amusement. I mean, if you're a factoid nerd like me. A quick reference for so much, from who won the World Series in 1976 to how to get grass stains out. It might actually be faster than google for some questions. Just sayin'.

I bought this book years after I worked in a bookstore but still couldn't keep my mind off it. The data in the charts has grown stale (but isn't that what the web is for?), but it remains a real treat for browsing.

One of my great joys growing up was working on the "Saturday Evening Post" double-acrostic with my father. We made a good team -- he had an extensive reference collection and knowledge that was complementary to mine. I was more in tune with "current pop culture" and able to make intuitive leaps. So when I got older, I made sure to start my own reference library. This volume fits right in.

Handy little (big) book to have around--especially if you don't have a computer and/or internet access handy. Since my copy was published in 1989 the internet was rather uncommon if not unheard of and this was a much more called for/handy resource. This is still a very useful compendenium of info and sometimes is quicker and easier than a google search because it is WELL INDEXED--such an important component in these days and so very rare.

Back before the internet, back before Wikipedia, there was the NY Public Library Desk Reference. Such a wealth of information, important, obscure, and miscellaneous! I've never used mine, and it's sat on a shelf for decades. Time to pass it along.

I did not actually read the book but I looked through it completely. It is a handy reference. I did read all the text in red which was amusing trivia. At any rate it is worth having even if now somewhat out of date.

Chock-full of fun.