Barkham Burroughs' Encyclopaedia of Astounding Facts and Useful Information, 1889

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

14091

Title

Barkham Burroughs' Encyclopaedia of Astounding Facts and Useful Information, 1889

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Barkham Burroughs' 1889 compendium offers a vast treasury of practical knowledge, ranging from household recipes and remedies to business advice and scientific curiosities. This eclectic volume serves as an indispensable reference for everyday life, blending moral instruction with useful facts on everything from penmanship to the highest buildings in the world.

Summary up to 500 words

Published in 1889, Barkham Burroughs' *Encyclopaedia of Astounding Facts and Useful Information* serves as a comprehensive universal assistant for questions arising in everyday life. The text opens with earnest moral exhortations intended for both young and old, urging diligence, honesty, frugality, and sobriety as the foundations of success. It posits that luck is irrelevant to the successful man, who must instead rely on self-reliance, perseverance, and manual labor. A significant portion of the work is dedicated to practical skills, beginning with a detailed guide to penmanship. Burroughs emphasizes neatness and accuracy in business correspondence, analyzing materials such as steel pens, black ink, and foolscap paper. He further instructs readers on proper posture, noting that sitting squarely with feet firmly on the floor prevents spinal curvature and maintains health. The encyclopaedia transitions into an extensive collection of domestic arts, featuring over 500 recipes for puddings, preserves, and meats alongside instructions for destroying household pests and managing injuries. Specific culinary directions include methods for making marmalade, preserving green peas in suet or cans, and preparing various puddings like Aunt Nelly's and Swiss Apple Pudding. The book also addresses scientific wonders accessible to the layperson, such as the consumption of air during activity versus repose, the hardness of different stones like granite and basalt, and the expansion of rocks due to temperature changes. It details minute workmanship, recounting how a blacksmith once crafted a lock and key weighing only one grain of gold. Further sections explore historical blunders in art, such as paintings depicting figures in anachronistic clothing or armed with modern weapons, and provide statistical data on the Bible, including counts of verses and words. The tone throughout is didactic and instructional, aiming to equip readers with knowledge ranging from calculating compound interest to understanding geological facts about the Earth's center. Ultimately, the book functions as a treasure-house of information, blending moral philosophy with practical utility to guide daily living.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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data/epubs/pg14091.epub

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• Handbooks