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The World Book Encyclopedia

World Book, Inc.

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Founder connections

  • David PackardChildhood study in his own account
    In The HP Way’s opening chapter, Packard recalls studying the natural-science entries in his family’s World Book Encyclopedia. His family’s edition is unknown; this is one reference-work family, not a claim about each volume.
    Source

Summary

The World Book Encyclopedia is a general reference work that introduces subjects across science, history, geography, arts and other fields. Its entries and illustrations are designed to help readers begin exploring a subject and find related questions.

The set is revised across annual editions. Packard’s childhood account identifies the work but not his family’s edition, so this record assigns no edition-specific ISBN and makes no claim that present entries reproduce what he read.

  • SourceThe World Book Encyclopedia — checked content · Publisher’s encyclopedia description; one continuing reference-work family. Current edition is content context only, not Packard’s childhood edition.

Why read it Our view

Use a reference work to start a chain of questions rather than end one. Look up a topic, follow related entries and find a fuller source for a claim that matters. Notice which pictures or explanations make you want to build or investigate something.