The Guinness Book of World Records 1998

by Guinness World Records

Book Overview

Fully revised and updated, Guinness is crammed with more than 10,000 records, and includes more than 350 color photos, interviews with Olympic record holders, an illustrated feature on the Star Wars... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0965238350
• ISBN13: 9780965238359
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Viking Press
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 2.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 8.8" x 11.2"

Customer Reviews

Yes, the Best Selling Book of all Time!

ASAD's useless GUINNESS records (my fav's) 1) HEAVIEST NEWBORN The heaviest viable baby on record of normal parentage was a boy of 22 lb 8 oz born to Signora Carmelina Fedele of Aversa, Italy, in Sept 1955. 2) GREATEST WEIGHT DIFFERENTIAL The greatest recorded for a married couple is 922 lb in the case of Mills Darden (1020 lb) of North Carolina and his wife Mary (98 lb). Despite her diminutiveness, however, Mrs. Darden bore her husband three children before her death in 1837. 3) WORST TONGUE TWISTER: The most difficult tongue-twister is deemed by Ken Parkin of Teesside, England, to be "The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick" - especially when spoken quickly. 4) EARLIEST MAN The greatest age attributed to fossils of the genus "Homo" is for the remains of 8 adults and 3 children discovered in the summer of 1975 at Laetolil, Tanzania, by Dr. Mary Leakey, and dated by the University of Calif at Berkeley to between 3,350,000 and 3,750,000 B.C.. 5) MOST REJECTIONS (AUTHOR): The greatest recorded number of publisher's rejections for a manuscript is 137 for "One Man Versus the Establishment" by William E. E. Owens of Street, Somerset, England. 6) MOST CHILDREN (by one women) The greatest officially recorded number of children produced by a mother is 69 by the first of the 2 wives of Feodor Vassilyev (b 1707-fl. 1782), a peasant from Shuya, 150 miles east of Moscow. In 27 confinements she gave birth to 16 pairs of twins, 7 sets of triplets and 4 sets of quadruplets. The children, were born in the period c. 1725-1765. 7) RAREST DISEASE Kuru, or laughing sickness, afflicts only the Fore tribe of eastern New Guinea and is 100% fatal. This was formally attributed to the cannibalistic practice of eating human brains. 8) 100 x 1 MILE RELAY (MEN) The record for 100 miles by 100 runners belonging to one team is 7 hours 56 min 55.6 sec (4:46 avg/runner) by Shore Athletic Club of New Jersey, on June 5, 1977. (...)

Little gem is handy for settling arguments

Not only is this little gem now on the best-seller list, it's also handy to have around to settle arguments - a bargain too. Keep in mind, a new edition comes out every year. In case you're using it to settle an argument, you'd better know the year you're arguing about.Brainchild of Sir Hugh Beaver, managing director of Guinness Brewing in 1951, the book is a worldwide success. Published in 77 different countries, 38 different languages. The 1994 edition sold over 100 million copies. It's published by a host of editors and writers who strive mightily for accuracy. You are challenged to beat a record in the current edition of the book and the back pages tell you how to go about it. The editors are very upfront in their advice: "We are a very small editorial team, and receive hundreds of letters every week. "Please submit your request at least two months before your attempt so that we can give your inquiry the attention it deserves." As for the records themselves.., they cover almost every human activity and make for fascinating reading anytime, anywhere. Some samples...CASSEROLE OF ETERNAL LEFTOVERS: The world's largest delicacy is roasted whole camel, a Bedouin wedding dish with eggs stuffed into the fish, the fish stuffed into cooked chickens, and the chickens stuffed into a roasted sheep's carcass and the sheep's carcass stuffed into a whole camel.LARGEST MULTIPLE-MIRROR TELESCOPE: The MMT (multiple-mirror telescope) at the Whipple Observatory at Mount Hopkins, Arizona uses six 72-inch mirrors together, giving a 1ight-grasp equal to a single 176-inch mirror.MOST BORDER CROSSINGS: The most frequently crossed frontier is the border between the United States and Mexico, with over 500 million crossings each year.MOST FREQUENTLY SUNG SONGS: in English are, in order, `Happy Birthday to You" (1893); "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" (1781); "AuId Lang Syne" (1759).

12 people hit by lighting, at the same time, holding hands

Canning Youth Action Team was on a canoe trip. During the third day, they were portaging, and decided to stop for lunch. It clouded over and started to rain. They hid under a tarp, and were holding hands (for grace). The lake beside them was struck. The energy traveled through the lake and then up through the roots that they stood on. All twelve members survived, and only had a few symptoms. (Nausia, wrist, and chest pains).

i liked the book very much and think everyone should own it!

i think this book is for people of all age, size, and shape! I loved it very much! It had many intresting facts that will intrest you. When you pick it up you can't put it down. I think everyone should have this book!

very good

i thought it had lots of intriging informatio