Rating: 
Summary: Setting the record straight...
Review: The 2003 edition of the Guiness Book of World Records is definitely one for the internet-surfing age. It has pieces of information is byte-sized and bright-coloured boxes -- one almost wants to click on the pages of the book. Unlike older versions of this book from days of yore, it is not a 'dictionary' of facts. This is printed on glossy, full-colour process paper and inks, full-colour and fascinating photographs on every page, both as highlighted items as well as background/'desktop' images. Unique to this edition is an introduction that has 'the best of the best', records that are new and include everything from top-grossing animated films (which has, ironically, been surpassed since the printing), and what had to have been a last minute edit regarding Britain's Queen Mother, as the oldest royal. There is a brief section up front on how to set your own record, as well as what it takes to document the setting or breaking of a record. Also included here is some criteria for what makes the cut in the print edition of the record book -- be warned, just as this is not the dictionary-variety edition of old, it is also not encyclopedic. It is a selection of records, but not the complete record. More records are kept on file, and plans are that different records are to be published each year; other records may be accessed online. This book starts with the main section on Human Achievement -- this is a nod of honour and recognition to those who set records during the 9-11 disaster; not all records are happy ones (as in, greatest number of firefighters lost during a single incident). Human Achievement is a separate category from sports -- that comes at the end, and is greatly expanded in this edition (as those tend to be the most popular, and to a certain extent, the most record-prone endeavours). Included here is the standard fare of buildings and architecture (tallest building, smallest church, etc.), natural world (highest mountain, deepest ocean chasm), entertainment, money, politics, etc. A new-ish section is on military issues -- this included weaponry and armaments, people and their actions, battles (longest, shortest), ships, planes, personnel and numbers statistics. Again, given the frequency of wars in the media, this section is here by 'popular' demand. There is a useful index, should the basic categorisation fail. While I like the layout and design of this volume, and in particular the photographs and full-colour feel, I regret the loss of countless types of records. Who was the most miserly? Who has done the most sit-ups? Alas, you won't find those here -- of course, they are available online, for those who have such access. All in all, it is a fun book to have -- this hard-back is more impressive to look at that its predecessors, in any event. And who isn't fascinated by at least one record?
Rating: 
Summary: Buy 2004
Review: There is realy no point of buying this book because you can buy the 2004 edition which is three times better then this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Lack of information comparable with Guinness 2002
Review: yupe, i agree that the paper of the Guinness 2003 has better quality and the color is much better. but in term of the records, it seem like Guinness Editor take out some of the part of the records such as in Guinness 2002 (Fame and Money). And Information for the "building and Structure" seem LACK of information comparable to Guinness 2002... i would said that this year Guinness 2003 is NOT RECOMMENDED to own it... it's wasted of money... here, i hope that the editor of Guinness would take this as review for the next edition (2004)...
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