This book is a treasure for the predictions alone. They lead off the book in chapter one "the other side of the looking glass: predictions of present-day psychics". It also has predictions by psychics of the past and modern day scientists. Notables include the Berkeley Psychic Institute, Nostradamus, Leo Tolstoi, Daniel Bell-Sociology prof at harvard, Arthur C. Clarke, Paul Ehrlich of Stanford who wrote the population bomb, Orville Freeman- former secty of Agriculture, Herman Kahn- the 300 pound economist, Margaret Mead, McGeorge Bundy, and Roger Revelle: Dean of research at the Univ. of Calif. and Al Gore's original mentor on the environment. The rest of the book is chock full of interesting tidbits. The self-purported difference between this Almanac and others is that this one avers that it gives you facts with truth and honesty. That is to say it avoids special-interest propaganda and government double-talk. The authors present it as a reference book that tries to be entertaining while giving the reader in-depth material on selected topics rather than endless, dry, bare-bones dates and figures on all subjects. Buy it and be the judge. This is a collector's item for all aging hippies from the Age of Acquarius.

I bought my copy of this great book over twenty years ago as a teen. What I love most is that it is not a dry compilation of facts, but a wonderful collection of information presented in a fascinating and entertaining way. After all this time, I still get it down from my bookcase and read for the hundredth time about "Footnote People in U. S. History" or "Man-Made Disasters." If you can find a copy, buy it. You won't be disappointed.

David Wallechinsky & Irving Wallace have compiled a veritable tome of useful information, widely held and little known facts, and astonishing revelations about the world around us. But it's not merely a fact book or a reference book, it has personality, humor and a kind of charm. It feels like an old friend whenever you consult it. This book is indispensable for your home book collection. Read through this book and you'll find you can't put it down. I've owned this book since it was first published in 1972(?) And find myself consulting it frequently ever since. It's quite tattered and taped now, having been loaned out and re-read so often, but it's still my favorite book.

At the first time (1992) I bought The Complete Book of the Summer Olympics it impressed me with details. The 2000 edition is my third and I do not have any doubt: this is the most complete guide about the Olympic History.

When I first bought this book, I thought it would be like all of my other Olympic Resources. Giving some imformation, but not every detail you could want. This book replaces all of my others when it comes to stats, politics in the olympics, drugs, and others. Although not having many pictures, it makes up for all of the wonderful info it contains. Tell me that you knew that only 1 country entered in the, get this, a team parallel bar competition in 1896. I reccomend it to anyone.

If you are interested in the history, politics, rules of the games, and human-interest stories of the modern Olympics, this is the book to have by your side while you watch the games this September.

I bought this book to research a trivia question, started reading it, and couldn't put it down. Never having been too interested in sports or the Olympics, I was surprised how quickly I was caught up in Wallechinsky's book. Now, I can't wait for the games to begin.

I've used this book so much over the years I wore it out. It makes for great conversation at parties etc. It has become a classic!

I have had this book for many years and still love to pick it up every once in a while and go through it. It has great bits and pieces of history that is fascinating, funny and informative. I still recollect facts that I'd learned from the book years later and surprise people with bits of history that they never knew.

Unbelievable in the amount of information presented, it's been on my bedside table for just over 10 years now and I still have not come across every page. It is not just a type of encyclopedia, rather it comes across as a sort of dictionary about certain aspects of history that is actually fun to read. And that is in part of what I must stress to the future reader; it is immense, and enjoyable reading.

This is one of those books to keep in the car and, when you have to wait in a doctor's office, dine alone, or wait in line for something, this book will entertain you over and over again with its fascinating (and often amusing) facts. Yes, it is a book you can pick up and put down, but you'll always enjoy it when you open it and read. As an example that made me laugh out loud... one of the ten songs with outrageous titles that were actually published is one titled, "It's Hard To Say I Love You, When You're Sitting On My Face!" I'd have bought it for that one alone.

Before people had the Internet as a source of trivia, this book was the next best thing. The lists, a masterpiece of compilation, are still a delight: they include a summary of Creasy's Most Decisive Battles, the world's greatest libel suits, the biggest recipients of cold war military aid, and famous virgins. The sequel was somewhat racier than the original but just as good. This book - if you can get hold of it - still has the power to keep you happy during down-time in your summer hammock or your winter chalet.

This book is amazingly interesting, it shows the unbelievable origin of ordinary events and names through history. It is great to share with friends and for readings at parties. It's also very easy to read since you can pick any piece of the book without loosing meaning or context. I saw this book first when I was in high school, some 13 years ago. I liked it so much that I bought it for my dad then, though we lost it on a moving about 8 years ago. I've tried to find the Spanish edition ever since with no success, now I'm eager to find it whether in Spanish or English. It's a great gift for any kind of reader!

Although this book is out of date (1988 is the last games covered), it is an excellent resource for anyone who is interested in the complete Olympic results. It covers information about each participant in each event and has excellent stories to boot. For example, did you know Grace Kelly's father, Jack, won a gold medal in a rowing event? Or that Hilter made a pass at the American winner of the women's 100-yard dash in 1936?

Midterm Report by David Wallechinsky is a great book about the 60s by the people who lived through the times they write about. Wallechinsky profiles graduates of the class of 1965 from all over the United States. These Baby Boomers who grew up in the 50s and 60s discuss their lives with honesty and humor. This is a fascinating book that you won't put down until you're finished. It's almost like reading a diary of the 60s. This book made me wish all the more that I had grown up in what was surely the most interesting decade of the 20th century.

Probably the most interesting and compulsive books I have ever read. Everything you didn't know you always wanted to know. Some of the information is a bit out of date, but the amount of useful trivia, facts and nonsense makes up for that. Written in true "People's Almanac" style, the dispassionate viewpoints of the authors is makes for an unique reading experience and makes it impossible to put the book down. If you have even the slightest interest in trivia, this is the book for you.

If you are a Summer Olympics fan, this is THE book for you. The book contains every modern Olympiad from 1896 Athens to 1992 Barcelona. Every event, every athlete in a top score, every Olympic record, every country and over 1,500 anecdotes and dramatic moments in the Olympic Games is here. A valuable list can also be found of the medal count of all countries participated. See for yourself which country won the most gold medals and total medals. You might be surprised. Over 860 pages of information you just need to know with more than 200 classic photographs of Olympic athletes. Know the Olympic record before it appears on the tv screen and watch the record get broken right before your eyes.

I am a "People's Almanac" "Book of Lists" junkie. I own them all. I swear if I took one item with me to a desert island, this would be it. Some people that have read these books cover to cover like I have, may notice some items are the same as in previous books. Who CARES?! This is the stuff of life. I just wish the book wasn't so dang heavy!

The content of this book is amazing, but most impresssive is the manner in which is laid out. In the various sections you get subheadings with the background, the information and the follow up where deemed appropriate. It is ideal for anybody who has an interest in general knowledge or just enjoys finding out more about specific topics. As with most books of it's type you can put it down and return back to it and immediately be engrossed in the content. Great information on wierd and strange happenings also. Highly recommended

Have you ever met somebody at a party who just seems to know all sorts of interesting stories and anecdotes? He's probably read this book. The publishers advertise this as "History with the dull parts left out," and that's exactly what it is. A compendium from three prior "People's Almanacs" published in the mid-70s, this book takes all the material that deals with the 20th century, in many cases updating it since the 1970s. Topics are both mainstream and offbeat: everything from infamous assassinations to famous people in literature, U.S. presidents to notorious kidnappings. The book is filled with off-beat quotes and surprising facts and figures--it's akin to a Ripley's Believe It Or Not combined with a world almanac, only better than both. And for the price, it's a steal. If you want a fun page turner that will also make you a little better-informed every time you read it, a light "popular" history of the 20th century that's most substantive than most other books of its type, this is for you. You might also want to look in used bookstores or online for the original Peoples Almanacs--dated, but still fascinating.