Before the internet decimated the reference shelf, there were hidden gems to be found there. General-interest dictionaries and encyclopedias, sure, but the best stuff was in the second-tier books that purported to offer a complete overview of a particular esoteric subject. Ah, the ludicrous audacity of a single finite volume proclaiming to be the definitive guide to anything! And who would stop them?
And so allow me to inaugurate a tour of some excellent reference books that offer way more amusement than information. To begin, let’s have an aperitif:
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