Need an authoritative source of information? Try an encyclopedia. Even kiddie encyclopedias (World Book) contain simple, authoritative answers to many of the very good questions posted here in the last few days. You will find well written articles ranging from food canning to firearms to human physiology. You can buy a new encyclopedia for a few thousand dollars, or pick up a used set from a public library or used bookstore, maybe ten to fifty dollars. Invaluable when you know NOTHING about a topic.

-- james hyde (hydesci@gte.net), December 27, 1999

Answers

Or, you can go to Britannica.com for free.

-- Rob (maxovrdrv51@hotmail.com), December 27, 1999.

Rob,

Well, yeah, sure....if you've got the juice to get online and if the dang thing holds together so you can actually get to that site.

Glad I hung onto all my old reference books.

-- Wilferd (WilferdW@aol.com), December 27, 1999.

We sure do. And just today,we bought our 5 year old daughter the Child's First Book of Science, the Child's First Book of Animals, the Child's First Book of People and Places, a World History Encyclopedia for kids, and a Child's First Atlas. All hardcover, all nice. The most expensive out of the bunch was $ 9.99.

-- preparing (preparing@home.com), December 27, 1999.

Re: Encyclopedias. The real old ones are great. Twenty years ago I Bought a 1909 Encyclopedia Britannica, written when England ruled the world; it's totally non-PC, Anglocentric, and, best of all, so detailed in describing the (from our viewpoint)rudimentary "scientific" solutions to problems that it will be perfect for y2k problems. And, it's just plain fun to look at all the old maps. Lots of used book stores still have these sets for sale -- saw one just week at Rogers Book Barn in Craryville, New York.

-- wifey (dromano03@snet.com), December 27, 1999.