The New York Times Almanac 2000 (Reference)

The New York Times 2000 Almanac is a dazzling achievement, with a thousand pages of densely packed information that cover the U.S., the world, the economy, health, sports, science, and technology with depth and perspective, while its "Almanac of the Year" chapter includes a "Chronology of the Year's Events," "Obituaries from 1998-1999," "Novel Prizes," "The Millennium," and "Major News Stories of 1999." And the almanac provides 16 color pages of maps, covering time zones and a current depiction of the world's nations, provinces, and states.

The index alone is 29 pages long. A glance at the P's illustrates the extraordinary scope of this almanac. A small sample includes Pittsburgh, Pa. (with population statistics, climate, crime, government, rents, and Web sites), Planets (glossary, characteristics, visibility, and 1998 to 1999 discoveries), Plate tectonics theory, Pledge of Allegiance, and Poetry (with Pulitzer Prize, Bollingen Prize, and National Book Awards), as well as Poland (with area codes, economy, geography, government, etc.), Polar regions, Political action committees, and James K. Polk. There are 65 entries under Population, plus entries for Poverty, Presidential elections and administrations, Prisons, Professional sports, Public schools, Purchasing power of the dollar, and Purim.

In topic range and quality of reporting, the Times Almanac outshines its competitors. It likewise surpasses them in usefulness and sheer quantity of detail. Though the print is small and the pages are thin, the Times 2000 Almanac will no doubt become the reference standard for researchers and writers, students and professionals who require easy access to abundant and accurate information. --Stephanie Gold