William Wilson (18) (1948–1999)

This book rates 6 stars on the pretentious meter. The authors are mildly entertaining, they'd probably be wonderful entertainment at a cocktail party. But if you'd really like to learn fragments of this sprawling series of subjects, do check out this thing called Wikipedia. Of course there was no such thing at the time this doorstop was published. And some of the information is well, old. The country summaries are a good example, but it somehow works in that you get a snapshot of what the USA thought about various countries in the 1990s. . Sections on Art History, literature, religion, science and lexicon, were very good. Philosophy and psychology sections made my eyes glaze over, as they should, I guess. I don't know about American History. I don't remember that first chapter. It was many months ago.… (mer)