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Rating: 
Summary: An old friend
Review: Forget School Library Journal. I've had a version of this same atlas for 25 years, and when it became outdated--I looked until I found an updated version. Why? Because this Atlas has so much information, so clearly printed and accessibly arranged, that I couldn't find a comparable book (in the same size) without getting an updated version of the same thing. I just couldn't buy anything else until I found my old friend. One of the very great virtues of this book is that it's fully packed with info and doesn't weigh a ton. Great as a reading reference for light history or heavy fiction.
Rating:
Summary: An old friend
Review: Forget School Library Journal. I've had a version of this same atlas for 25 years, and when it became outdated--I looked until I found an updated version. Why? Because this Atlas has so much information, so clearly printed and accessibly arranged, that I couldn't find a comparable book (in the same size) without getting an updated version of the same thing. I just couldn't buy anything else until I found my old friend. One of the very great virtues of this book is that it's fully packed with info and doesn't weigh a ton. Great as a reading reference for light history or heavy fiction.
Rating: 
Summary: You get what you pay for
Review: I have had an older version of this atlas for years, but bought an updated paperback for a class I am currently taking. As a geography major, I have had looks at a lot of different atlases.
This one is basically worth what you pay for, which isn't much at all. The premise of this atlas is great: it includes side by side political and topographical maps for the same area, with alphabatized lists of a country's larger cities and physical features, AND a little chunk of facts on area, population, etc. However, all this data is shoved into 2 pages, which leaves the maps small, with an inch occasionally equaling 1000 miles! That is a horrid scale, and limits the amount of information you can put into a map. That also means the type font is small, not only on the maps, but in the lists, too. The atlas could also be printed larger - as my older edition is -because its currently the standard 8" x 10". The maps themselves are decent, but in the topographical and the occasional land use map, the color schemes are outdated, and it can be hard to differentiate the different altitude levels, or land use categories. Thankfully Hammond was smart enough to not do my number one pet peeve: Maps that extend on to the next page do NOT fall into the book seam. Thank God. This atlas may be most appropriate for young students, who frequently have to look at one country at a time in their studies. But keep in mind that it is not catered to learning about resident cultures, which other youth oriented atlases are.
Rating:
Summary: The Only Competent Political Reference in Existence
Review: I have two comments followed by examples. First... I believe that, for the book's price, the color quality is primitive and tacky (and most offensive when depicting national flags) and that a few of the maps are too small. Second, that being said, however, there are several qualities that make this, in my opinion, the finest World Atlas... One: if you enjoy atlases for precise political detail, the Hammond Citation Atlas is the most precise of them all. After surveying every atlas in Borders and Barnes & Noble, I found that 99% of the "prettier" and more expensive book failed utterly to present the political subdivisions of nations, except the US, Canada, Australia and, once in a blue moon, Mexico. Citation gives you Everything, no over-simplification, no mediocrity, no pretty and academically useless movie-poster maps. If you believe, as I do, that reference books should provide reference, Hammond Citation is the only one that fits that bill... Two: This Atlas does not ignore the existence of many small dependant territories like many of the "finer" atlases do. If you want to find St. Helena (UK) in the South Atlantic, by George, you'll find it. I have great respect for Rand McNally, a source of fine atlases. Unfortunately, they often don't place Navassa Is., south of Guantanamo, anywhere on earth, though it is a US outlying territory. Details such as those are the reason I appreciate Hammond. ... Three: as has already been observed, this book does not run its maps into the book seam. Four: Though a few maps are inexplicably mutilated, like Quebec, or uncomfortably small, like the Caribbean, the vast majority of these are excellently proportioned. Five: While the color scheme is poor for the topographic maps, it is outstanding for the political maps. Every other atlas either paints all the countries green, with those ugly black road lines, (which are irrelevant in a political map, and confusing) or chooses the tackiest colors to juxtapose, like orange, red, yellow and brown all clumped together in one continent, and every other color lumped somewhere else, with no regard for the rules of artistic composition. No so with Hammond, where political maps are their finest accomplishment. I wholeheartedly recommend this book for those who appreciate concise and precise geographic knowledge over pretty, but unscholarly, maps in an expensive book you can't use.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Book !!!
Review: I own the book of Hammond Citation World Atlas b/c I had to buy it for a recreation class in college in the past. When I got done with that recreation class with the Hammond Citation I went ahead and kept the book instead of sold it back to the college book store since the book was very helpful to me in the future! I can alway use that book to look up what city/town or village population and etc. Kim
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic resource!
Review: Ignore the clueless School Library Journal review. This atlas is perfect for basic reference and school projects. It is not intended to be a highly detailed ultra-refined reference work, and it is confusing to see people faulting it for that. Most maps are on ONE page (a miracle!), with small but helpful topographic, land use and agricultural maps. For the U.S. maps, state flags are reproduced, and basic state facts and gazetteers are along side the maps. This is an affordable, very useful basic atlas, with wonderfully clear maps that have county boundaries, county seats and larger cities clearly marked. Highly recommended for use at work, school or home.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic resource!
Review: Ignore the clueless School Library Journal review. This atlas is perfect for basic reference and school projects. It is not intended to be a highly detailed ultra-refined reference work, and it is confusing to see people faulting it for that. Most maps are on ONE page (a miracle!), with small but helpful topographic, land use and agricultural maps. For the U.S. maps, state flags are reproduced, and basic state facts and gazetteers are along side the maps. This is an affordable, very useful basic atlas, with wonderfully clear maps that have county boundaries, county seats and larger cities clearly marked. Highly recommended for use at work, school or home.
Rating:
Summary: WHY NO DISCOUNT ON THIS TITLE ?
Review: This is a great atlas, one of my favorites. I like the way that the states and countries are in different colors, so that it is easy to discern the boundaries. However, the buyer should be aware that amazon's LIST price for this is wrong! You can buy this atlas without the CD-ROM for ten dollars less than what AMAZON is claiming is the list price. With amazon's discount, your cost (without shipping) will be a few cents more than at a local bookstore. In other words, you will be paying the list price after amazon has discounted their mark-up price. (I checked this title at a local bookstore and matched the ISBN numbers.)
Rating: 
Summary: Fellow librarians of the world take note!
Review: This is an excellent atlas, particularly for school projects on the U.S., with individual state maps contained on one page (truly a rarity in the atlas world); county boundaries, larger cities and county seats marked clearly; small but nicely done topographic maps of each state; pictures of state flags; and basic state agriculture, industry and resource maps. Similar info on rest of world too. Highly recommended for library, school, or home.
Rating:
Summary: AtlasT :)
Review: though i'm not a connoisseur of atlases, this atlas has many different features, such as the population of countries, etc. i recommend it to travelers, those interested in geography, and those in need of a good atlas
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