9. Reference What is Reference?: Absolute Order: 21st Century Dictionary By Date: Chronicle of 20C By Name: Biographical Dictionary, Dictionary of Quotations Flexible Order: General: Factfinder, Visual Dictionary ------===ooo===------ What is Reference? A reference book is always there Sitting safely on your desk For a fact or a word It'll readily unfold Provided your key unkeys the lock. ------===ooo===------ Absolute Order Absolute order. An invention of man? Or a natural can-can? Look! The clock! Things happen in time So let's play the mime. Here's a letter! If all things we name We'll define expicitly when we mean by this game. So hooray! We can order our facts And stop the knowledge lax. ------===ooo===------ 21st Century Dictionary: a handy desk dictionary from Chambers. The elegant design encourages frequent use; layout being so important in a reference work. The etymological detail (date of first use and derivation of words) is a real plus, not normally found in works of this size. Affordably priced, a real gem (1996). ------===ooo===------ By Date Second, minute, hour Don't look so sour. Day, month, year Yeah! It's time to cheer! After so much time We can now measure well. Although not decimal A Mayan sexigesimal. Second, minute, hour Don't look so sour. Day, month, year Yeah! It's time to cheer! Ordered by date and hour Ordered by rate and flower A neat working system A neat working system Second, minute, hour Don't look so sour. Day, month, year Yeah! It's time to cheer! ------===ooo===------ Chronicle of 20C: here we have a desktop masterpiece. Each month of each year in this eventful century is given a dazzling large-page layout; a narrow column on the left listing the days and prominent events, the rest presented as imitation newsheet; 3 or 4 lively articles with headlines and photo accompaniments. Lovely to browse and look it, a real beast of a work (1988). ------===ooo===------ By Name Fung? Sir! White? Sir! Manning? Sir! All present and correct Kate? Vanessa? Michelle? A-ten-tion! Stand to, and we'll order by name. By Name. ------===ooo===------ Biographical Dictionary: a generous offering from Cambridge University Press. In a slim 500-page volume, over 14 000 entries are presented; concise life summaries, with important dates and contributions. Medium-sized, cardboard cover (1996). ------===ooo===------ Dictionary of Quotations: the masterly offering from Oxford University Press. Breadth of coverage is its main strength. English quotations, of course, predominate, but there are choice selections from French & German, Latin & Greek, and Russian. These xenobic tidbits are quoted in the original, with a friendly translation following. Classic hardback (4th edition, 1992). ------===ooo===------ Flexible Order Hey ho! Hey ho! Hey ho! Hey ho! Buy lo! Buy lo! Buy lo! Buy lo! Bub bub! Bub bub! Bub bub! Bub bub! Be Be Be Be He He He He Du Dol! Du Dol! Du Dol! Du Dol! Doo Doo Doo Doo Eer Eer Eer Eer Bi! Bi! Bi! Bi! Ka chum! Ka chum! Ka chum! Ka chum! B e e e e a a a e e e e r. Boom. Flexible? Not flexible at all. ------===ooo===------ General general not specific genus not species generation not specification genius not spenius When I say general I mean 4 stars. General Fung. ------===ooo===------ Factfinder: the one-stop source for all your information needs. With the authority of Cambridge University, and under the expert guidance of David Crystal, this solid paperback is hard to beat. Now in a mature 3rd edition, its layout has crystallised into a beautiful form; 14 areas of knowledge, neat subdivisions, and a comprehensive index (over 100 pages!). A work that should adorn every desk. Medium-sized cardboard cover (1998). ------===ooo===------ Visual Dictionary: over 800 pages of eye-candy from Macmillan. In glorious colour we have archetypal images of almost everything; starting with the Celestial Co-ordinate System (in Astronomy) and ending up with Currency Abbreviations (in Symbols); along the way traversing 28 delectable chapters. What does an Oral Hygiene Center look like? Or a Cloverleaf Road System? This book has the answers. Sunptuous softcover (1995).