The State of the World Atlas

This book is a remarkable achievement in combining graphics, charts, maps, statistics and analysis to give an overview of the world and its dynamics. The nine parts cover power, cost of living, differences, rights, war and force, money, the business of pleasure, life and death and general tables – with each part subdivided into around half a dozen areas. For instance, 'war and force' has sections on war, terrorism, military spending, armed forces, peacekeeping and refugees, while 'life and death' includes not only life expectancy but also malnutrition, mental health and the effects of smoking. Here we learn that 100 million people died from tobacco-related illnesses in the 20th century but the figure could be much higher this century due to the huge growth of markets in the developing world, where awareness of tobacco's dangers is lower. Then alongside malnutrition, there are now 1 billion obese adults (around one in six), with America leading at 61% of adults overweight. This is a comprehensive, highly informative and accessible reference work.