Atlas of the World: Deluxe Edition

User Review: - up to date but simply
This Oxford Atlas of the World de luxe edition shows some positive things:its very clear but simple cartography ,which makes a very easy and
direct reading;its section about cities maps,the most complete I've ever seen;the very up to date sections of other matters(climate changes,etc..)but... on the contrary,it has a very simple and incomplete cartography of some parts of the world like the always forgotten Africa,South America,Oceania,...except these of North America and Caribbean.I supose it's due to the main destination is the american public...To sum up,a very clear but quite improvable Atlas in comparision with others(the Times for example)though better than this one in digital images and cities maps.You need to buy more than one item to have a complete information of nowadays world.Its weight suggests more...

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User Review: - I've got the whole world in my hands!
What an impressive book! My goodness! If you want to learn about the world you live in, get a good globe (mine is a 12" from National Geographic) and get this atlas! You can't beat a globe for some things and you can't beat this atlas for all the others. This completely top-of-the-line authority of our planet is truly a gold mine of information. I can't list all the things you can learn from a work of this magnitude. Understanding where you are in relation to all the other places helps you understand so much of what is happening in our world today. If you want to hear yourself say "Oh wow! Look at that." and "Goodness I never knew." and "No kidding", get this book! It is truly an eye-opener. You won't be disappointed!

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User Review: - geographic atlas
I've got with much pleasure the book ATLAS of the WORLD, DELIVERED BY YOU.
Both the content and the print quality being at a high level, I appreciate your services and I will ask for your help in future as well.
Respectfully yours,
Necula Emil

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User Review: - They did it better in the old days
Since 1967 I have depended on the first "The Times Atlas of the World, Comprehensive Edition", with its wonderfully detailed but very clear maps, and its extremely comprehensive Index-Gazetteer. But a lot of borders have changed in the last forty years, and I felt the need for a new Atlas. I am sorry to say that I find the "Oxford Atlas of the World, Deluxe Edition" inferior in almost every respect to my forty year old Times Atlas. I use the new atlas much, much less than my old one.

In 1967 Eliot Fremont-Smith said in his review in The New York Times "In sum, this is a most impressive work of reference:it does honor to those associated with its making, as well as to our present general and accepted knowledge of the world. 'The Times Atlas of the World' will be with us for quite a while." I can't say that about the Oxford Atlas.

I was sorry to read other reviewers saying that the Times Atlas has deteriorated in its newer editions. With so many things moving forward, why has the art of atlas making gone backwards in the last forty years? Is it because we are unwilling to pay for what a truly fine atlas would cost?

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User Review: - Impressive volume, great for reference or browsing
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.

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