Earlier this week I read on TechCrunch‘s article about the Encyclopaedia Britannica giving out free one-year subscriptions to web publishers. Michael Arrington writes,
This is certainly a valid point, although I still remember the time when the full edition of the Encyclopaedia landed on the shelves in one of Moscow’s major bookstores. I have used the encyclopaedias when I was a student: it was just great to dive into Britannica or Larousse to gain more information or to obtain a different perspective on a subject. Later on, when it came to researching professionally, I’d use the Dictionary of National Biography much more often. As often on such occasions, the habit of taking a dictionary off the shelf dates back to my childhood. We had a thick Large Encyclopaedic Dictionary at home, and as I was growing up and beginning to ask difficult questions, my grandmother would often take the dictionary off the shelf and read it with me.
So, I jumped at the opportunity to apply for a free one-year subscription, and I’m delighted to let you know that I was successful. I took the image of the page to show what you find inside, once you’ve completed the subscription process. On the right, your options are: Featured Video, Britannica Blog, Advocacy for Animals, Geography & Travel, Science & Technology, History & Society, Arts & Entertainment. I opened the History & Society page, and the featured article is on Scottish Enlightenment (do I need to tell you that I want to read it now?). Below are several further options, which include Photo Quiz, Born This Day, Quote of the Day, Featured Contributor, etc.
Furthermore, as an email from J. C. Miller explained,
And so, speaking of Born This Day feature… I’d have forgotten about Al Pacino birthday, had it not been for the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Evidently, there are more benefits of being a Britannica subscriber than one would’ve thought, and if you click the link in his name above, you should be able to view the full article on Britannica‘s website. I won’t list all Al Pacino’s films I’ve seen: he’s one of my favourite actors, and naturally I’ve seen more than just one film starring him (by the look at what Wikipedia lists as his “main” works, I’ve almost done my “Essential Al Pacino”). I haven’t seen Angels in America, which is why I’m using a 2004 Golden Globes image of the series team: there you can see not only Al Pacino, but the wonderful Meryl Streep, as well. It gets better though: Al Pacino is currently filming Dali & I: The Surreal Story. And he plays Dali. And opposite him is the Irish prodigy, Cillian Murphy. The film is due to be released in 2009.
My sincere greetings go to Al Pacino and the no less sincere gratitude – to the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Wonderful days, my friends. If any of you wishes to use the generosity of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, please read their blog post about it and follow the instructions.
2 Comments
I think Encarta runs a similar online encyclopedia but as yet I’m not sure if they operate a free sub as yet. Of course in the age of the internet, and with so much information at our fingertips, one wonders just how useful encyclopedias are becoming. The dictionary has (almost) become redundant (I tend to type the word into google and let it correct it for me) and one must think the encyclopedia is next. There was an article about a year or two back saying that wikipedia is about as accurate as Britannica. Take that with a pinch of salt, but it does suggest that free alternatives are catching up to the great encyclopedias of old such as Encarta and Britannica. It’s a few days late now, but since you mentioned birthday wishes I should tell you that Harper Lee, author of the great To Kill a Mockingbird, celebrated her 82nd birthday on the 28th April. Lee’s book was a Pulitzer prize winner, which I am sure you’re aware of, and on a more fun note Atticus Finch, one of the central characters in the story, was voted as the greatest hero in literature (or something like that) a few years back. Another great post madamoiselle.
Great comment, thank you. Well, they did suggest that Britannica has been a tad bit late, but that it could still remind Wikipedia of who has the last laugh. J.