 | The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know by E. D. Hirsch
Buy new: $18.87 / Used from: $14.28 Great survey of facts everyone needs to know.
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 | Illustrated Dictionary of Essential Knowledge: Information That Everyone Needs to Know by Reader's Digest
Buy used from: $0.36 Excellent for learning essential facts if you haven't much time. I think this is out of print, but if you can get a used copy that's great, if not get the cultural literacy book above instead.
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 | Pears Ultimate Quiz Companion by Jim Hensman
Buy new: $13.95 / Used from: $0.99 I highly recommend this one for anyone preparing for quiz shows. Your knowledge level will increase dramatically if you peruse this on a regular basis.
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 | The New York Times Guide to Essential Knowledge: A Desk Reference for the Curious Mind
Buy used from: $6.99 |
 | The New Penguin Dictionary of Modern Quotations (Penguin Reference Books) by Robert Andrews
Buy used from: $0.33 Shakespeare, Churchill, Napoleon quotes are essential.
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 | The Literary 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Novelists, Playwrights, and Poets of All Time by Daniel S. Burt
Buy new: $14.96 / Used from: $3.44 Learn about all the greats of literature. A knowledge if literature is essential for quiz preparation.
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 | A Dictionary of Allusions (Oxford Paperback Reference) by Andrew Delahunty
Buy used from: $0.79 Another fantastic book and good to peruse at your leisure. Use this as a companion in reading the great works of literature.
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 | The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2004 by Editors of World Almanac
Buy used from: $0.01 Up to date and accurate account of the year that was and more. Lots of facts here.
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 | Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, 16e by John Ayto
Buy used from: $17.73 Good for learning about fables and mythology and all kids of facts.
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 | The 100: A Ranking Of The Most Influential Persons In History by Michael H. Hart
Buy new: $15.30 / Used from: $6.50 Do you agree with the top 100? Highly recommended.
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 | The Scientific 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Scientists, Past and Present by John Galbraith Simmons
Buy new: $21.95 / Used from: $9.75 Interesting account of the great scientists.
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 | Benet's Reader's Encyclopedia: Fourth Edition by Bruce Murphy
Buy new: $33.75 / Used from: $2.35 Excellent resource for learning about all things literary.
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 | Complete Idiot's Guide to Geography by Thomas E. Sherer
Buy used from: $0.01 If you read a newspaper, you need to know about the places you read about.
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 | National Geographic Atlas Of The World 7th Edition by National Geographic Society
Buy used from: $52.60 The best atlas out there.
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 | Rise to Globalism by Stephen Ambrose
Buy new: $8.00 / Used from: $4.86 Accessable and highly recommended account of the Cold War.
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 | Story of Philosophy by Bryan Magee
Buy new: $16.47 / Used from: $7.50 Everyone must know about the great philosophers. Check out Bertrand Russell's History of Western Philosophy too.
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 | The Age of Extremes: A History of the World, 1914-1991 by Eric Hobsbawm
Buy new: $12.92 / Used from: $5.02 A Marxist account of the 20th Century.
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 | Concise Oxford English Dictionary: Thumb Edition
Buy used from: $4.87 A well developed vocabulary is essential.
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 | Mensa Family Quiz Book by Robert Allen
Buy used from: $0.01 This is the best quiz book I have come across. Keep practising - because the more quizzes one does, the better.
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 | A World of Ideas: A Dictionary of Important Theories, Concepts, Beliefs, and Thinkers by Chris Rohmann
Buy used from: $5.59 If you are interested in the world of thinkers and ideas you will love this book.
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 | The New York Public Library Desk Reference by Paul Fargis
Buy new: $34.95 / Used from: $4.49 Not as good as the first two books I listed, but good nonetheless.
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 | The Story of Art by E.H. Gombrich
Buy new: $19.77 / Used from: $10.04 Excellent.
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 | Test Your Cultural Literacy IQ, Updated & Revised by Diane Zahler
Buy new: $7.99 / Used from: $0.01 How culturally literate are you? This is good for measuring you knowledge. So, if you don't do well you can identify your weaknesses and work at it by getting back to the books.
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 | A Writer's Companion : A Handy Compendium of Useful but Hard-To-Find Information on History, Literature, Art, Science, Travel, Philosophy and Much More by Louis D. Rubin
Buy used from: $0.47 This is an excellent book and you will learn so much from this.
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