Macmillan Color Atlas of the States

Documents important aspects of every state in the Union using four-color maps, charts, and other illustrations. The book devotes seven pages to each state, detailing basic facts, cultural features, climate and environment, history, population and government, ethnicity and education, and economy and resources. Well designed and easy to interpret. A useful feature is the comparisons of the state to its region and to other states. . . for school and public libraries. Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin Using copious color it provides all the information noted and delves a bitdeeper.Rettig on Reference

Nothing takes the place of a fine atlas. Whether you're on the road, planning to be so, or just dreaming about it, an atlas is ideal for providing a lot of information without requiring a cartful of books. In just a few pages per state you get the goods on location, size, and boundaries, state flag and seal, festivals and events, finances, and the state's population statistics compared to other states in its region. There's a map, of course, with major attractions, national parks, and freeways clearly labeled, and facts on state weather, topography, flora, and fauna. This is all followed by a quick history of the state, myriad population statistics, ethnicity, education, and economics. A map of Arizona, for example, is dotted with little icons of beef, sheep, coal, cotton, fruit, and sorghums, showing not only how much, but also which regions are devoted to which products. Each state takes just seven pages or so to convey this trove of information.

Let's say you're contemplating a move and your kids are in high school. You can learn that in 1990, Massachusetts spent $6,351 per pupil, the mean SAT verbal score in 1991 was 426, and the average teacher's salary in 1992 was $37,300, compared to Kansas, which spent $5,044, had mean verbal SATs of 493, and paid $30,700 to teachers.

There's an enormous amount of information here, but the best part is that it's easy to access and easy to understand. For students, business travelers, and armchair sociologists, the Macmillan Atlas is an exceedingly useful tome, but it's downright required for a family road trip. The map would certainly be useful, but better still the atlas would give the kids something to do while you're looking for the next rest stop. --Stephanie Gold