Summary | Excerpt | Reviews | Beyond the book | Read-Alikes | Genres & Themes | Author Bio
Critics' Opinion:
Readers' Opinion:
First Published:
Sep 2004, 400 pages
Paperback:
Oct 2005, 400 pages
Book Reviewed by:
BookBrowse Review Team
Buy This Book
This is an excellent book to read cover to cover or just
to dip into at anytime - we keep our copy in the bathroom!
Britannica is the oldest continuously
published reference work in the English Language. It had its birth in Edinburgh,
Scotland in the late 18th century (a period known as the Scottish Enlightenment),
Colin MacFarquhar, a printer, and Andrew Bell, an engraver, decided to create an
encyclopedia for the new era and formed a 'Society of Gentlemen' to publish the
work. They hired William Smellie, a 28 year-old scholar, to edit it.
Their aim was to create an encyclopedia that would be arranged alphabetically and
"compiled upon a new plan in which the different Sciences and Arts are
digested into distinct Treatises or Systems."
Just like the Oxford English Dictionary (which was begun sometime later in
1861), Britannica was originally published in 'fascicles' (installments) over a three-year period
beginning in 1768. The first three-volume edition was completed in 1881 and
sold out quickly.
The second edition boasted 10 volumes and was published and distributed between 1777 and
1784. The third edition was completed in 1797 and was the first to include
articles by outside contributors. By 1809, when the fourth edition was
published, it had expanded to 20 volumes.
The first copies available in the USA were from a pirated edition printed in
Philadelphia in 1790 by Thomas Dobson. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson
and Alexander Hamilton were all proud owners.
A.J. Jacobs' latest project is to spend 365 days following the rules of the Bible as closely as he can. The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Obey The Bible as Literally as Possible is due to be published by Simon & Schuster in 2007, and movie rights have already been optioned by Paramount. The director of Men In Black, Barry Sonnenfeld, has an option on The Know-It-All.
This review
first ran in the October 19, 2005
issue of BookBrowse Recommends.
If you liked The Know-It-All, try these:
by Anne Curzan
Published 2024
A kinder, funner usage guide to the ever-changing English language and a useful tool for both the grammar stickler and the more colloquial user of English, from linguist and veteran professor Anne Curzan
by Ken Jennings
Published 2019
From the brilliantly witty and exuberant New York Times bestselling author Ken Jennings, a history of humor - from fart jokes on clay Sumerian tablets all the way up to the latest Twitter gags and Facebook memes - that tells the story of how comedy came to rule the modern world.
The House on Biscayne Bay
by Chanel Cleeton
As death stalks a gothic mansion in Miami, the lives of two women intertwine as the past and present collide.
The Flower Sisters
by Michelle Collins Anderson
From the new Fannie Flagg of the Ozarks, a richly-woven story of family, forgiveness, and reinvention.
The Funeral Cryer by Wenyan Lu
Debut novelist Wenyan Lu brings us this witty yet profound story about one woman's midlife reawakening in contemporary rural China.
Your guide toexceptional books
BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.
