The Guinness Book Of World Records 2003 (Guinness World Records 2003)

Member Name: ms004902

Product:	Guinness World Records 2003
Date:	09/09/03 (715 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: The Discovery of The Beauty of Fact

Disadvantages: The Discovery of The Void of Fiction

The book is full of facts from front to back.
Facts that are weird.
Facts that are wonderful.
But, one thing that all the facts have in common is that they are records? world records!

You may already be convinced that the 2003 edition of this well-known saga is not for you. Afterall, you may not like fact books. If this is the case, it is not a problem. This is because GBOWR2003 (you must have expected me to abbreviate sometime!) is a book known in the book industry as a ?coffee-table? book.

A ?coffee-table? book is a term used to describe a book that is far too big in size that it can neither fit into a handbag nor a briefcase and is a book that is far too heavy that it is unlikely to be carried around quite as easily as that Austen?s or Dicken?s novel that fits so snugly into your coat pocket. Instead, ?coffee-table? books have only one place in the home. And, yes, you guessed it? on the coffee table! For those of you without a coffee-table, do not feel alienated; I have found placing it on the living-room bookshelf serves the purpose just as well.

Thus, we have established that GBOWR2003 is a ?coffee-table? book. But, this does not help those amongst you who although you may enjoy your coffee, do not share the same enjoyment for fact books. Thus, why do I believe it is essential that you should have a copy in your home?

GBOWR2003 is not a fiction book. The book is free from having either a beginning, middle, or an end. I will be the first to admit that GBOWR2003 is not a book that can be read from cover to cover? but nor is it meant to be. Indeed, I find that the most enjoyable way of reading/browsing through the book is to get the book, close my eyes, pick a page at random with my fingers, and then finally let a fact leap out at me from the page. And, the fact always seems to have the same effect. It is a fact that seems to always astonish, sometimes shock, but never ceases to amaze.

In fact, why not let
me give it a go now?
Getting the book?
Closing my eyes?
Picking a page?
And, the fact is? (Drumroll)
?Keenest Vision:
It has been calculated that large birds of prey have the keenest vision. They can detect a target object at a distance three or more times further than that achieved by humans. Under ideal conditions a peregrine falcon can spot a pigeon at a range of over 8km/5miles.?
5 miles! There you go. What did I tell ya? Amazing! Right?

Still not convinced.

What if I tell you that the 2003 edition of this popular series has undergone some major improvements. Because the content of each edition is pretty much the same year in and year out; the only differentiating factor between them is the type of format used to present these world records. And, in my view the 2003 edition has hit the nail on the head.

Improvement 1: The Cover
First and foremost, the cover is one of the best ones I have seen to date. I know what most of you are thinking because I am thinking it too (?Do not judge a book by its cover?). Indeed, this is true. But, wow? what a fabulous cover! The material that covers the book can be described as a shiny, silvery, and mirror-like material. Qualities that make the book seem both professional and immaculate. But, the reason why I like the cover so much is because it is symbolic. The gleam of the book seems to invite the reader to discover the wondrous treasures of facts that lie within. But, you will have to decide whether or not it is better than the 1986 front-cover that portrays various world recorder-holders as cartoon caricatures!

Improvement 2: The Colour
The 1986 edition had many different colours. Unfortunately, all of these colours were splashed out on the front cover. And, although, the 1986 edition contains photographs -they are all in black and white. I did not mind the absence of colour in the earlier editions but I must admit that some of the colour photographs in
the 2003 edition have certainly made the book come to life.
You must check out two of my favourite photographs:
?the golden necks? of the women of Paduang, a tribe in Burma, who hold the record for having the longest human necks in the world and the picture of the man who can hold the most straws in his mouth.

Improvement 3: The new Category entitled Human Achievement

Still not convinced.

Well, please give me permission to take up a few more minutes of your time and let me explain why although I do not wish this book to be placed on a pedestal, I do not believe it should be overlooked.
I remember in my Friday youth, I used to come home from school and plonk myself in front of the telly humming the theme tune to one of my favourite programmes that still continues today. The programme - Record Breakers. What happened on the programme? Oh, come on. The answer is in the title. People would come on the show to break records. The record would vary from running a mile in the fastest time or balancing a Mini on top of your head for the longest amount of time (for it was not enough just to balance a Mini on your head). The issue of the silliness of some of the tasks never dawned upon me.

The format was always the same: we, the viewers, would be presented with a record and then the presenter (the late Roy Castle) would introduce us to the contestant willing to take on this goliath of a task. Then, we would meet the official from the Guiness Book of World Records who would be there with his stopwatch in one hand and a clipboard in the other watching over proceedings with a scrutinising eye, and then the time came. (Drumroll) It would begin.

The timer begun. David took to Goliath. The timer stopped. Everyone would turn to the watchful eye of the official. These straight faced men kept you waiting for the conclusion for what seemed like forever but then you would hear it, ?No?. The contestant had not completed the task.
But, sometimes, not often, every once in a while, David exasperated from his efforts would be told ?Yes?. He had broken the record. Trumpets started blowing. The audience made up of children on a school trip started shouting and applauding. Everyone started smiling, yes, even the official!
All for what? A guy balancing glasses on his chin.

The cynics amongst you may laugh. ?Where will that get you in life?? they say. Indeed, the optimists amongst us may agree with them (where will it get you in life) But, that is not the point. The individual saw a task, he could see the peak of the task, and he knew that he could conquer that peak if he just put his mind to it. What could be more heart-warming than just browsing through a book full of stories showing the power of the human-will.

The publishing team really hit the nail on the head this year as they not only had a great cover that was full of colour but a new section entitled Human Achievement. Get one before the new one comes out or wait for the new one. Having a copy is not about having the latest addition in your house but is all about the wonders of the world that have surrounded us (Animals and Nature) that are within us (the Human Body) as well as the feat of man (the largest and tallest buildings)

Fiction takes us away from where we are.
Fact tells us where we are.
The Guiness Book of World Records shows us that where we are is quite magnificent.
Now, that can?t be a bad thing?
can it?

As always Stay Cool and Look After Yourself.


A4 SIZE BOOK
289pp
ISBN: 085112-1970
www.worldrecords.com

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