Let me give you an example of the great comprehensiveness of this volume...

Yesterday, I happened to watch a re-run of STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION, the episode in which Picard talks about Fermat's Last Theorem, how it might never be proved. Remembering that it was proved some years ago, I looked up "Fermat's Last Theorem" in my BCE and saw that it had been finally been proved in 1994. Finding an episode guide for ST:TNG online, I saw that that particular episode had been first broadcast in '89. It was really cute to see that the theorem, first referred to in Fermat's notebook in 1637 (!!), was finally proved only 5 years after Picard was made to say that it might never be done.

(Moral of the story: "Never say never"!!)

This is a condensed version of the great 32-volume work. You can't have too many reference works that you never actually use anymore in your life (now that most of it is on the web), so I thought I'd check this out. What's one more weighty tome that I never read that sits on the shelf?

Well, that was my first reaction. Actually, this is a very nicely done book. It has 28,000 articles and many beautiful, color illustrations, and it's actually a pretty good book to just browse through and look at. It's comparable to the well-known Columbia Encyclopedia, which I have often used in libraries, and now in its 6th ed. It has many more entries, at 51,000, but it's not as concise either, but the Columbia work has suggestions for further reading. Both books are fine reference works, however, and should serve you well whichever one you decide to buy.

This is must for any home. This one book will answer almost any trivia contest you and your friends have.

The book would make a wonderful gift for elderly friends and relatives. It takes an in depth look at seniors (some famous faces included) living exciting and productive lives well into their golden years. Pamela Valois' beautiful photography complements the interesting side bar text making for a perfect addition to your cofee table.

At about 10 mos. my younger daughter started taking interest in this video. The muppets are interspersed with live-action clips of kids w. babies (as well s farm animals & dogs) which really grabs her attention. Elmo himself is very bright and animated, which attracts the attention of kids younger than the recommended ages (3-6). I would note that my almost-5-y.o. was bored by this after one or two viewings, but is more than happy to explain to her younger sibling what is going on in the video.

I noticed that the other Sesame Street videos we have do not interest my toddler like this Elmo's World video does. It seems less tedious and faster paced with more emphasis on visuals than the other Sesame Street videos do. I would recmmend this one as a nice 'first' introduction to Sesame Street beginning in the toddler years. It dosen't bother with counting and the alphabet like more 'grown up' Sesame Street, but rather focuses on this that are really facinating for really little ones like babies (like themselves!) and animals.

Highly recommend - and sooner rather than later.

My son is 2 and he just loves his Elmo. This is the only one I bought him so far and he just loves all the characters in this one since they include babies and animals. He would sit there and watch it over and over again. Elmo is always educational and fun. My husband and I have a good time watching the DVD w/ him too, mind you only for the first couple of times. We usually have to restrict the time he sits in front of TV watching this.

I'm interested in finding out from other parents what other Elmo video/DVD would they recommend to increase our collection.

Our daughter LOVES this video! She cries for it every day, and we have to watch it over and over again. She especially loves watching the babies and puppies. She will go and get her stuffed dog and sit down with it. We will buy more Elmo videos for her (also telling the grandparents).

I highly recommend this video to other mothers.

The locations are wonderful, and there is some very interesting historical background about the towns, but the maps are very vague and confusing. I have gone on four of the hikes, and have managed to get through most of them without getting too lost, mainly because of using supplementary maps.

There are several errors in directions (go left instead of right, for example!) and they tend to be a little vague. I would recommend trying the trips only with a good map, and perhaps some help from another book such as the New York Walk Book. However, it is helpful to have information on public transportation, and overall the trips are very interesting.

We followed this book to Cold Spring for a day-trip but ended up lost in the woods. It took 8 firefighters to rescure us from the mountain. According to the firefighters, we were the third group that got lost this year because of this book.

While this book provides a well-designed day-trip routes, it lacks a detailed map for inexperienced travelers to follow.

Only use this book to plan your trip but ***DO*** use a comprensive map from NYNJTC(New York-New Jersey Trail Conference, for each locale.

I had three travel books with me for my three week trip to Russia. At the beginning of the trip I would bring along all three. Within four days I was leaving this book back at my hotel. It doesn't have nearly enough maps, the directions are incredibly hazy and I obtained a lot more historical information about the sights I was visiting from other books. It is entirely worth buying two books on the two cities, rather than trying to economize by just purchasing this one, because the attempt fails.