[.ca] Dk Ultimate Visual Dictionary 2001 (ISBN 0751309885)

From Amazon.co.uk:
Whereas an illustrated encyclopedia provides pictures to accompany the text, this bright and exciting book is centred around the images. The introduction explains that in The Ultimate Visual Dictionary, "you do not read definitions... you see them". It can be a reference book, although it is not a conventional dictionary. The pages are arranged by topics, covering the natural world, science, technology, society and the arts. It is easy to see how it could be browsed as much as used for reference. There are microscopic cutaways of plant cells, diagrams of planes and motorcycles, descriptions and illustrations of sports equipment and musical instruments. The coverage of scientific and technical topics is particularly good, emphasising the modern and the recently discovered. The 2001 edition has an additional section at the beginning of the book with new entries for the Internet, recent scientific breakthroughs and architectural wonders such as the Bilbao Guggenheim museum. The trademark Dorling Kindersley style of full-colour sharp photography on white backgrounds is exercised to full effect on every page. The result is a diverse book full of educational value and interest. Concise verbal introductions are given for each topic and all the pictures are extensively captioned, so the book works through an interplay of words and pictures. The editors intend it to supplement more conventionally arranged reference books and encyclopedias. It will have appeal across age ranges but is perhaps ideal for inquisitive young people eager to know the hows and whats of just about everything. --Frank Pennycook