This is the biggest book in our house, at 2500 pages and 350,000 entries. The usage and spelling are American, and there are many entries for American history and geography terms, but there is a lot of international content as well. This second edition was published in 1993, and includes current terms like F.A.Q. for frequently asked questions, as well as medical and scientific and other specialized vocabulary. There are brief encyclopedic and factual entries for general reference. It includes colored maps at the end, and small ink drawings of animals, plants, buildings, equipment and small maps on most pages. It's a very interesting home reference, suitable for libraries as well. ( )