The Oxford Essential Desk Reference

One of my favorite sections at bookstores has always been the reference/miscellaneous section, and I'm dumbfounded that it took me so long to stumble upon pocket encyclopedias such as this. I debated between this title, and the similar "Chambers Super-Mini Book of Facts."The Oxford book is much bigger, looking more like a regular paperbook novel in appearance and size, with cheaper paper and a dull presentation. But content-wise, it was the better book, and something that would've been nice to keep in my bag during my school days.The "World" section includes a detailed list of nations, a basic chronology, and listings of historical rulers."The US" has obligatory president and state lists, along with a chronology, governmental info, and reprints of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence."Sciences" covers medicine, chemistry (with periodic table), astronomy, meteorology, anatomy, and math. Physics is hardly touched on, and no list of formulas is included."Arts and Leisure" mostly consists of listings of notable authors and artists in the first half, and sports info in the second."Prizes and Awards" is fairly self-explanatory."Work and Home" is a hodge-podge of economics, English usage, communication (morse code, braille, sign language), and metric conversions.And while's much more than what I've listed, perhaps the biggest oversight in both the Oxford and Chambers books are maps. The Oxford does have some basic maps of the continents and their countries, but they could have been presented better. The only American map is the one used for time zones, and doesn't point out major cities. Also, there could have been more visual diagrams, and more on first aid and emergency procedures.A minor quibble is that this was last updated in 2001, so some of the data is inevitably out-of-date. (Curiously, the list of presidential elections includes 2000's, yet the list of presidents doesn't include George W. Bush.)So while this is a must-have, especially for students, it's probably best to supplement this with one of the heftier ref books, such as the "New York Public Library Desk Reference": one for the home and one for the road. And if/when a newer edition is ever released, just spend a few bucks to buy it and give your older copy to someone else.

This organizes and presents answers to reference questions, providing a quick way of finding facts on subjects ranging from practical information to entertaining fun facts. History, science, and culture blend in a coverage that includes illustrations, tables, and excellent sources for further information. Highly recommended as a library basic reference for browsers.

This desk reference is a handy, compact guide packed with all types of information at your fingertips. It has easy-to-use index tools to help you find what you're looking for. It's made up of facts and figures on a different variety of subjects. It contains current facts of background and historical information. There are sources at the end of each section for more information. This is great for educational study and for writers that's small enough to carry wherever you go. It's a unique desktop tool that's part almanac, encyclopedia, reference and facts book all roll up into one. The book is very up to date. Features a multitude of topics such as History, Current Events, Arts, Health and Fitness, Science and Technology, Geography and many more. It's also complete with maps, drawings, charts and tables. Who could ask for more in one great reference. I won't use any other reference guide but this handy, comprehensive reference. It's a plus to any working toolbox!