The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2011 (World Almanac Books)

In the era of search engines, the World Almanac might not be as indispensable as it once was. But aside from its attraction to people who love holding paper and ink in their hands, the annual compendium remains an enormous, well-organized and researched body of knowledge. Fact checking matters. Where Wikipedia is potluck, the World Almanac is the gourmet buffet of science, history, geography, sports and pop and other culture along with vital statistics of all sorts. In a nod toward keeping up with the fast pace of news, the 2011 edition includes the results from the November 2010 election. And yes, that is Lady Gaga on the cover, alongside a photo of the space shuttle.