A Teach Me How To Dewey production

The Rundown:

• 030 General encyclopedia works
• 031 Encyclopedias in American English
• 032 Encyclopedias in English
• 033 Encyclopedias in German
• 034 Encyclopedias in French, Occitan & Catalan
• 035 Encyclopedias in Italian, Romanian & related languages
• 036 Encyclopedias in Spanish & Portuguese
• 037 Encyclopedias in Slavic languages
• 038 Encyclopedias in Scandinavian languages
• 039 Encyclopedias in other languages

You want facts? They got your facts right here. Perhaps this section should be renamed “Bathroom Reading” as there are encyclopedias and fact books galore, including the perennial favorite Guinness Book of World Records and multivolume and multicolored World Book. Once the behemoths of research, this type of printed books seems to be either dead or dying as a primary resource for in-depth study. I feel like a dinosaur for remembering having the set at home and actually using it for school assignments. Despite their diminished status, I’ve come to see them as a great place for serendipity to reign. Open up to a random page and you’ll find something interesting or informative or even delightful.

Just imagine how differently Breaking Bad would have ended if Walter White had stocked his bathroom with encyclopedias instead of a personalized book of poetry. I’m not saying encyclopedias are better than poetry, but I guess I kind of am. Perhaps I’ll change my tune (or my verse?) when I get to the 800s.

The Dew3:

The Best of the Old Farmer’s Almanac: The First 200 Years
Edited by Judson Hale
Dewey: 031.02 BES
Random Sentence: “It’s one thing to be an expert gardener but quite another to win blue ribbons for your efforts at the county fair.”

Mental_floss Presents: Be Amazing
Edited by Maggie Koerth
Dewey: 031.02 KOE
Random Sentence: “The good news: Teleportation is possible.”

The New York Times Presents Smarter By Sunday: 52 Weekends of Essential Knowledge for the Curious Mind
Dewey: 031.02 NEW
Random Sentence: “The particles that produce the weak force are called W and Z.”