Adele and Derek Jeter Grace the Cover of The World Almanac® and Book of Facts 2012

Best-Selling American Reference Book Reveals the Top 10 News Topics of 2011,

Greatest Sports Upsets, 2012 Election Details

New York, NY—Which 2012 election candidate plans to lower the presidential salary to less than $40,000? How many millions of smartphones were sold in the United States over the past year? Which U.S. state has the highest public high school graduation rate? Find the answers to these questions and more in The World Almanac^® and Book of Facts 2012, on sale November 22.

Gracing the cover of this year’s edition is singer Adele, whose 2011 album 21 broke the record for most consecutive weeks in the Top 5 of the Billboard 200. Adele is joined by NY Yankees veteran shortstop Derek Jeter, who this year became the historic franchise’s all-time hits leader, surpassing Hall-of-Famers Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, and Lou Gehrig.

The World Almanac^® and Book of Facts 2012 also boasts a new feature on “Greatest Sports Upsets.” Inspired by Japan’s unexpected victory in the Women’s World Cup and the underdog Dallas Mavericks’ six-game win against the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, the editors have compiled a list of the most surprising athletic outcomes of all time.

Speaking of fierce competitions, The World Almanac^® previews the 2012 election, with biographical and financial profiles of all serious contenders, as well as other key issues and facts. “The Changing United States,” a brand-new graphic feature, highlights the most fascinating aspects of the country’s changing population based on newly released 2010 census data, with bonus statistics on how Americans get to work, get paid, and manage their time. “Year in Review” recaps the top headlines, strangest news stories, and most striking images of 2011.

“From its cover to its content, The World Almanac^® embodies the record-setting events and surprising developments that characterize the year 2011,” said Sarah Janssen, senior editor of The World Almanac^®. “For more than a century, The World Almanac^® has chronicled fascinating people, news, and places. We are proud that even as the world swiftly changes, The World Almanac^® remains a constant, authoritative source for all entertainment, reference, and learning needs.”

After 140-plus years, The World Almanac^® still ranks as the best-selling American reference book, with 82 million copies sold. This year’s highlights include:

• Top 10 News Topics of 2011—What were Americans paying attention to in 2011? The editors of The World Almanac^® recap the top stories that led the conversation over the past year, from the Arab Spring to Occupy Wall Street.

• Time Capsule—The World Almanac^® lists the items that most came to symbolize the year 2011, including a copy of the NFL labor agreement that made the 2011 season possible and Princess Beatrice’s infamous hat from the British royal wedding.

• Offbeat News Stories—A recap of some of the wackiest news stories of the year, from the CDC’s preparations for a zombie crisis to the father who turned his daily attempts to embarrass his teenager into a blog with its own smartphone app.

• Year in Pictures: 2011—Striking full-color images from around the world in 2011, covering news, pop culture, and sports.

• 2010 Census Results—An up-to-date portrait of the changing face of the American people, based on newly released 2010 census data. Find dozens of new graphics, charts, and essential population statistics about demographics, typical households, and more.

• Election Preview 2012—Profiles of prominent contenders for the 2012 presidential election are included along with a schedule of caucuses, primaries, and other important dates.

• Greatest Sports Upsets—The World Almanac^® editors list the greatest athletic upsets of all time, including the “Miracle on Ice” in 1980 and many more that may surprise even the biggest sports fans.

• Sports—2011 World Series and Women’s World Cup soccer coverage, as well as a 2012 Olympic preview, accompany hundreds of pages of trivia and historical statistics essential for any sports fan.

• The World at a Glance—This annual feature of The World Almanac^® highlights surprising statistics and curious facts that define the changing world today.

• Education—All-new information on student bullying, charter schools, and how American students measure up internationally. Also highlights details on higher education costs, student debt, and distance education options.

• Colleges and Universities—An indispensable tool for college-bound students and their families that includes undergraduate graduation rates for the first time, as well as student enrollment, tuition, and other useful information on thousands of public and private U.S. colleges and universities.

• Economy and Employment—The World Almanac^®’s acclaimed economics content comes streamlined for greater accessibility and enhanced to emphasize the facts, figures, and indicators that matter most.

My thoughts:

I have to say that for the most part The World Almanac and Book of Facts is not something that would have ever interested me...but my son who has  a crazy unquenchable thirst to simply KNOW stuff loves it.  He has been enthralled with kids Guiness books for a year or two now and when we got the Almanac is was little overwhelming for him at first because there simply aren't many photos in this book. It really isn't designed for kids (which is why there is actually a kids version as well) but once I found a few things he would be interested in for him, it was all over.  He has gone to bed several nights in a row now with it tucked under his armpit to dive into before shutting the light off for the night.  And most mornings we will learn at least one of the many new things he discovered the night before.  I am really not sure if there will ever ne a real need for him to know MOST of the facts in the book but who knows maybe he'll win a ton of money on Jeopardy someday because of it!  But for now, I will just let him enjoy memorizing every March Madness winner since 1940 something because when the need to know and his love of sports collide, that kid is in heaven!!


Disclosure: We received a complimentary copy of The World Almanac® and Book of Facts 2012, however all opinions expressed are my own honest, personal feedback.