Atlas of the World: Twenty-Eighth Edition

One sees a lot of VERY diverse reviews here. Luckily, some were positive, and led me to order this book. It's truly great!Of course one wonders why a $150 atlas would be selling for a massive discount here on Amazon ($30 when I bought it). Plus, the shipping was free when I ordered (which is a good thing since it's really heavy!)Well, at this point, I don't care why it was such a bargain. I'm just happy, period -- especially because not every bookseller is discounting it, as I write this review anyway.I'm educated enough to expect high quality from a reference volume like this. After all, I don't plan to ever buy another one in the near future. Well, to my eye, the maps are *well* above average. All the labeling is clear, shapes and lines are well-defined, the colors well-chosen, the printing excellent. I couldn't ask for more... but I got more, anyway!For instance: the satellite and other aerial images are stunning. The availability of diverse levels of detail, such as the city maps, allow one to pursue multiple geographical questions that might come to mind while browsing, all without having to get up and look for some other source.That encyclopedic quality extends to the inclusion not only of a lunar map, but indeed a chart of the solar system, and maps of the stars in the night sky from both hemispheres. Everything you need to put this one little planet in perspective!As for "life on earth," the Oxford Deluxe Atlas covers that, too -- not just the land itself. In other words, you can find maps showing population trends, economic activity, and other ways that human beings relate to the planet. That includes climate change, of course, and much more.Are there faults? I suppose that every individual has some notion of what constitutes a "logical" organization of so much data, so that it can be found without resorting to an index of some kind. For instance, I wanted to show a child where the "Continental Divide" is in North America. I did not see any easy way to find this phrase in the index, and was frustrated at first.But lo and behold, I discovered that there is a map of North America in which all its major watersheds are marked and color-coded! So, although there was no line marking the somewhat colloquially-termed demarcation line that I was seeking, there was in fact a map that showed the *meaning* of that term -- far better than I might have expected! In a sense, the book made me smarter by showing me the question that I should have asked.Is the binding a problem? No, not at this price! But I think, IF I had spent the full price of $150, perhaps I would have wished for a sturdier binding. As noted, I figure to own this for a while. I'd hate to drop it, which would be easy considering its size and weight.In the same regard, I am somewhat nervous about turning school-age kids loose on it. Don't misunderstand me -- the book is not a little wisp made of tissue paper! But it isn't as sturdy as a typical school textbook, or even a child's hardbound reading book. So you might want to give a couple of speeches to the kids and set rules for the book's treatment, to ensure its survival.After that, then throw caution to the wind and stop worrying. I mean, as an adult I like it a lot! But this publication would be wasted if were only ever used by grownups. Somebody besides me should be buying it, and setting kids free with it. Let them sit on the floor with it, and roam the earth at will. I did this as a child, with atlases that were nowhere near as grand! Just make sure to keep food, drink, and pets away from the book while it's open!I can't quite relate to the review that criticized the slipcase, of all things! What I care about is mostly between the covers of the book. Is the slipcase adequate to protect the book and its contents? It sure seems so to me.Geography being what it is, who knows -- maybe an atlas as "old" as this (two years) is outmoded already by some people's standards. But as others have noted, it was very current at the time of its publication, so I'm content with the data it contains.Above all, it is a visual feast. I opened mine, and after sitting with it and paging through it in awe for twenty minutes, I put it aside and had the sense that I had *already* gotten my money's worth out of it! I recommend it highly.

**This atlas has nice satellite photographs, as well as political maps, and physical maps where topography is easily understood. It also has a large index, more than 100 pages.The first 142 pages of the book, are full of interesting facts:*Table of Countries with Area, Population, Capital, Annual Income.*List of cities with more than 900,000 inhabitants.*Overview of Oceans and Seas*Some amazing satellite images.*A list of all countries with their flag, a small map showing their location, and a paragraph general describing the political and economical situation of the country. (32 pages)* Star Charts* Solar System with some planetary data* Moon Phases* GMT Map* Earth Data* Continental Drift* Fault Lines* Map of Pressure and Surface Winds* Climate Regions (Rain forest, Monsoon, Desert, Dry Winter, Tundra....)* Average temperature map (January and July)* Average year precipitation map* A section on Climate Change and Global Warming* A diagram showing the Hydrological Cycle* Water Scarcity map* A table listing the longest rivers in the world (About 40 entries)* A world population map* Demographic information on populations in the world* Pie Charts on World Crop Production (General)* World map of urban density* World migration maps* Language Map* Religion Map* Global Peace Index Map* Maps and Charts on Energy (Balance, Consumption, Production, Oil Movements, Energy Reserves)* World map of mineral distribution (General)* A section on Employment and Industry (2 pages - a lot of information on each page)* A section on trade (2 pages)* A section on health (2 pages)* A section on wealth (2 pages)* A section on standard of living (2 pages)* 32 pages of city maps (2-4 cities on each page)-The information is very general, good to have, but I wish the authors would of went into more detail, of course that could not happen in one volume, the book is already large.-It also does not include a map of the ocean floors.**Overall an excellent atlas, I am happy I purchased it.

I wanted to update my old world atlas...I miss the days of being able to go to a bookstore and actually see and feel the book. Overall happy with lay-out and maps. However, the last 100 pages are with an index to all the cities in the world. Not sure I really need this. The book is so heavy and cumbersome, I actually tore out the whole last section and set it aside. Makes the book a little easier to handle. If I'd seen this, I probably would not have bought it, but will keep it at least for a while and may give it to the grand kids at some point and get a lighter book for myself.

I purchased this as a gift for my history loving husband and he absolutely loved it! Incredibly high quality and craftsmanship. Highly recommend!

I absolutely love this book. Great value for the price. The key index on the front and back inside covers and especially helpful in quickly finding maps of any part of the world. In addition to detailed maps with cities and roads, there are political maps, physical maps, imagery from space, and lots of statistics and information.