'Pears is probably the most useful all-purpose reference book there's ever been...' Amazon.co.uk '... by any standards Pears is remarkable, cramming an extraordinary wealth of fact, analysis and speculation into its 1030-odd pages.' David McKie, Guardian (2001) 'A bestseller for the home bookshelf...its coverage is impressive.' THE TIMES

Dr Chris Cook is an economist and historian who has published many books for both Penguin and Longman. He lives in Wimbledon, SW19.

Historical events; prominent people; background to world affairs; political compendium; money matters; the world of science; background to economic events; biblical glossary; myths and legends; ideas and beliefs; gazeteer of the world; general information; literary companion; the world of art; the world of music; the cinema; sporting companion; the environment; dictionary of computing; medical matters; atlas of the world.