World Almanac® and Book of Facts 2010 Press Release
World Almanac 2010 Press Release (MS Word Format)FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Rachel Konik, 646.695.7049, RachelK@rosengrouppr.com
The World Almanac® and Book of Facts 2010:
The No. 1 Best-Selling American Reference Book of All Time
On Sale November 23
~ The World Almanac® Takes a Look Back: The Decade in Review, The Bush Legacy, Most Memorable Sports Moments~
New York, NY (November 23, 2009)—What social networking website was the most popular in 2009 with 92.2 million monthly visitors? How much of their disposable income did Americans put in to savings last year versus 20 years ago? Where is the world’s fastest roller coaster? The answers to these and a wealth of other intriguing questions can be found in The World Almanac® and Book of Facts 2010, on sale November 23.
New this year, The World Almanac® features a special Decade in Review—a year-by-year look at the big events, forgotten favorites, and lasting trends that came and went over the past ten years in categories such as pop culture, the economy, technology, science and global events. Additional retrospective sections include a review of the Bush presidency and policies and memorable moments in the past decade of sports, from the record-breaking Michael Phelps to the Red Sox World Series victory.
“As the first post-Y2K decade comes to a close, we are tapping into the overwhelming desire to look back, reflect and learn about—and from—the past ten years,” said Sarah Janssen, senior editor of The World Almanac®. “The World Almanac® and Book of Facts 2010 delivers the same great content readers know and love, as well as these special features that are sure to make the 2010 edition the best yet.”
In addition to the annual favorites that make The World Almanac® the best-selling reference book in the U.S. year after year, notable features in the 2010 edition include:
- Top Ten News Topics of 2009: The World Almanac® lists the topics that dominated news headlines in 2009, from the Obama inauguration to the recession, developments in Iraq and Afghanistan, Iranian election protests, the health care policy debate and global swine flu pandemic.
- The Bush Legacy: President George W. Bush’s time in office has ended, but his administration’s influence is still felt in the U.S. and around the world. The World Almanac® offers a concise survey of some of the legislative achievements and thwarted reforms of his tenure and how they impact our world today.
- The Most Memorable Sports Moments of the Past Decade: The decade in sports had it all: broken records (Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps at the 2008 Beijing games), amazing upsets (the New York Giants win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII) and even the end of a legendary curse (Boston Red Sox win the 2004 World Series). The World Almanac® recounts the top moments of triumph and heartbreak that fans will be talking about for years to come.
- Swine Flu Coverage: Based on the latest scientific and epidemiological information available, The World Almanac® shares the essential facts about the swine flu outbreak of 2009, what to expect in the upcoming flu season, how to protect yourself and comparisons with past epidemics.
- Offbeat News Stories: Believe them or not, The World Almanac® editors found some of the wackiest news stories of the year that are not only hilarious, but true! Find out which famous celebrity’s likeness was banned from the annual Iowa State Fair butter sculpture exhibit and how one Israeli student is using Twitter to help people all over the world “talk to God.”
- The World at a Glance: Fascinating World Almanac® Statistics: Fully revised and updated, this annual feature highlights surprising stats and curious facts that define the changing world today, from the busiest U.S. airport with 90 million passengers (Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta, GA) to the state with the largest percentage of citizens without health insurance (Texas at 24.9%) and the top country for U.S. foreign adoptions (Guatemala).
- 2009 Time Capsule: World Almanac® lists the ten items that symbolize the year 2009, from the serious (a $4,500 “cash-for-clunkers” voucher) to the silly (Jon & Kate’s divorce papers).
The most popular and respected book of its kind, the 2009 edition spent 9 weeks on the USA Today Best-Selling Books list.
About World Almanac Books
For more than 140 years, the World Almanac® has published award-winning reference titles, including the iconic best seller The World Almanac® and Book of Facts. More recently, the World Almanac® launched a children’s imprint, The World Almanac® for Kids, which publishes a best-selling children’s reference book of the same name.
The World Almanac® brand is part of Infobase Publishing (www.infobasepublishing.com), an educational media company that owns such well-known imprints as Facts On File, Films for the Humanities & Sciences, Cambridge Educational, Chelsea House, Bloom’s Literary Criticism, and Ferguson Publishing. Infobase is a portfolio company investment of Veronis Suhler Stevenson (www.vss.com), a private equity firm that invests in the media, information, and education industries.
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| TITLE: | THE WORLD ALMANAC® AND BOOK OF FACTS 2010 |
| PUBLISHER: | World Almanac®, an imprint of Infobase Publishing |
| ON SALE DATE: | November 23, 2009 |
| PAGES: | 1,008 pp., including 32 pages of full-color inserts |
| PAPERBACK: | ISBN 13: 978-1-60057-123-7 |
| PRICE: | Paperback $12.99 |
| TRIM SIZE: | Paperback 5 3/8” x 8” |
