All the Knowledge in the World - Simon Garfield

A gloriously illuminating history of the encyclopaedia (and how and why we have captured knowledge over the years) by the bestselling author of JUST MY TYPE and ON THE MAP. The encyclopaedia once shaped our understanding of the world. Now these huge books sell for almost nothing on eBay while we derive information from our phones. What have we lost in this transition? All the Knowledge in the World tracks the story from Ancient Greece to Wikipedia, from modest single-volumes to the 11,000-volume Chinese manuscript that was too big to print. It exposes how encyclopaedias reflect our changing attitudes towards sexuality, race and technology, uncovers a fascinating part of our shared past and wonders whether the promise of complete knowledge - that most human of ambitions - will forever be beyond our grasp. Review. Witty and geekily eclectic . . . celebrates encyclopaedias in all their quirky, leatherbound glory ― THE TIMES. Simon Garfields history of the encyclopaedia is full of jawdropping facts, and he turns what might have been a dry subject into an enjoyable, quirky, highly informative tour . . . fascinating ― MAIL ON SUNDAY. A delightful romp through the history of trying to summarise all there is to be known. Simon Garfield displays his inimitable mix of curiosity, learnedness and wit -- TIM HARFORD.Remarkable . . . engrossing. It is impossible to give readers an impression of the scope and power of Garfields knowledge and imagination ― SUNDAY TIMES.An erudite and a
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