Embargoed until November 5, 2007
Contacts:
Melody Serafino
Rachel Konik
212.255.8455 ext. 230
212.255.8455 ext. 235
The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2008:
The World’s Trusted Source for Facts
On Sale November 13—in Time for Holiday Gift Giving
America’s Best-Selling Reference Guide Celebrates its 140th Anniversary
With Complete, Original 1868 World Almanac Online
New York, NY (November 5, 2007)—What is the world’s most popular tourist destination? How much money did Americans spend on frozen pizza, beer, and ice cream in 2007? Which U.S. states are most likely to “swing” the 2008 presidential election? What nation hosts the most refugees? Which famous personalities will turn 90 in 2008? The answers to these and a million other intriguing questions can be found in The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2008, to be released November 13, by World Almanac Books.
Since its debut in 1868, more than 80 million readers have turned to The World Almanac, the best-selling American reference book of all time, for essential and authenticated facts. For surprising trivia, reliable homework help, historical and political insight, and pure entertainment, Americans from the Oval office to the classroom depend on The World Almanac; even New York Times crossword editor Will Shortz calls it his “#1 reference work for facts.” This year, readers of The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2008 can visit the redesigned www.worldalmanac.com for quotes, trivia, and historical anniversaries; exclusive bonus content; and daily facts and informative links from the World Almanac Blog. In celebration of its 140-year anniversary, the World Almanac Web site also offers the complete, original 1868 World Almanac, free and downloadable online.
“Even in the Internet age, millions of readers each year turn to The World Almanac for essential facts about the people, places, events, and statistics that define today’s world,” said C. Alan Joyce, editorial director of World Almanac Books. “The new worldalmanac.com lets us build on that relationship with our readers, with new facts and links each day from the editors of The World Almanac, bonus content from past editions of the book, and opportunities to engage in debate and conversation about timely issues.”
In addition to the annual round-up of fascinating facts that has made The World Almanac premier in its category, notable features in the 2008 edition include:
§ 2008 Election Guide—The World Almanac highlights the most important issues in the 2007-08 campaigns, and provides an overview of what is at stake in the 2008 elections.
§ Top Ten News Topics of 2007—From the war in Iraq to the threat of global warming, The World Almanac highlights the topics that dominated news headlines in 2007.
§ Offbeat News Stories—Believe them or not, The World Almanac editors found some of the wackiest news stories of the year that are not only hilarious, but true! Find out how much the nation of Belgium almost sold for on eBay, or why Taiwan’s parliament occasionally erupts into 4-hour, WWE-style wrestling matches.
§ Memorable Moments in Sports History—From amazing final plays to embarrassing moments, The World Almanac recounts the most unforgettable moments in sports history since 1950–from “The Shot Heard ‘Round the World” to “The Super Bowl Shuffle.”
§ The World at a Glance: Favorite World Almanac Statistics—Number ones, surprising facts, and signs of changing times give curious readers insight on trends and trivia of 2007 and beyond—from the world’s fastest roller coaster (Kingda Ka, 128 mph) to annual fat consumption in the U.S. (85.5 pounds per person) to noteworthy astronomical events in 2008 (don’t miss the total lunar eclipse in February).
§ 2007 Time Capsule—The editors’ selection of the twelve items that best capture the spirit of 2007, from the gavel used by Nancy Pelosi, the first woman elected Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, to an iPhone preloaded with an mp3 of journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” in honor of the last scene in the final season of The Sopranos.
§ The Almanac in the Internet Age—How does The World Almanac fit into an era where information is a mere mouse-click away? A history of the Almanac and why it has survived the Internet.
About World Almanac Books
World Almanac Books delivers the highest quality reference and educational materials in print and online for schools, homes, libraries and all age levels. The first edition of The World Almanac (www.worldalmanac.com) was published by the New York World in 1868. Annual publication was suspended in 1876, but Joseph Pulitzer revived it in 1886 with the goal of making it a “compendium of universal knowledge.” It has been published annually since then. World Almanac Books also publishes The World Almanac for Kids (www.worldalmanacforkids.com), the bestselling kids’ almanac in the United States.
World Almanac Books is part of The Reader's Digest Association, Inc., a global publisher and direct marketer of products that inform, enrich, entertain and inspire people of all ages and cultures around the world. Global headquarters are located at Pleasantville, New York. The company's main Web site is at www.rda.com.
TITLE: THE WORLD ALMANAC AND BOOK OF FACTS 2008PUBLISHER: World Almanac Books
PUB DATE: November 13, 2007
PAGES: 1,008—including 16 pages of color photos and 16 pages of color maps and flags
HARDCOVER: ISBN 10: 1-60057-073-9
ISBN 13: 978-1-60057-073-5
PAPERBACK: ISBN 10: 1-60057-072-0
ISBN 13: 978-1-60057-072-8
PRICE: Hardcover $32.99
Paperback $12.99
TRIM SIZE: Hardcover 10.1” x 7.5”
Paperback 5 3/8” x 8”