Guinness World Records 2001 - Hardcover

This is not so much a book as an institution. It's not only the trivia buff's Bible, it even has its own TV show. The fans can be assured: beneath the garish purple cover, the world's most famous reference book is better than ever, with startling pictures, snappy text, and an awesome range of records. From the youngest DJ to the oldest living person, the biggest snail to the fastest goal in first-class football (2.8 seconds), the most cocktails mixed by a robot to the biggest railway station, there's every kind of extreme you could ever want.

This book doesn't just have all the records you'd expect, it has records for things you've never even dreamed of, with blink-because-you-can't-believe-it photos that add enormously to the effectiveness of the text. Check out the shots of the world's longest fingernails (total length 6.15 metres, 20 feet 2.25 inches), the world's fastest furniture (a great image of the happy record-holder speeding along on his motorised sofa) and a winceworthy image of the world's strongest beard (a woman's hanging from it). All the classic records are still there: you can find the tallest, smallest, fastest, slowest, oldest of just about anything--you name it, it's there. For sports fans there's a major section, and other big areas include: the natural world; music, films, TV and other media; wealth, valuables and very rich people; technology; and transport. There's even a page on how to set your own world record and get it onto Guinness's database. Now there's fame. --David Pickering