The New Standard Encyclopedia Book Set with World Maps Inside Hardcover – January 1, 2004

Review is for 2004 edition not others. Some sellers did not even specify date! Nice (but very concise) encyclopedia. This was the 2004 edition & was from the only seller that did specify the publication date for this listing--most did not. One of the most recent, bound, decently priced encyclopedia sets I could locate. Though I use Wikipedia & write in it, I wanted a recent bound set to put in a bookcase and be able to just grab a book, open it to a subject rather than have to look at a computer screen. The set's index frequently is necessary to use and is good: one can find many things that do not have their own entries. As with most US published encyclopedias, too much (for me)emphasis is on US material as opposed to non US material--e.g. there is more on Utah than Ukraine! However, the historical entries are not as chauvinistic or jingoistic and US slanted as some others that read like high school civics course material. Set is fairly well balanced in that respect.Mine had been in a Middle School but I think it is written at a level quite a bit above the reading and comprehension level of most under the 11th grade or under college level. This is not as expansive as Britannica or World Book. It is a Very Nice Concise Set, that is well worth the price!