The definitive reference work for children of 8 years and over - a must for every home, classroom and library, now revised and updated. * Volumes 1-7 give comprehensive coverage of subjects from Aborigines to Zoos. * The Biography volume includes the lives of 560 important people, both current and historical. * The Index volume includes an index of over 15,000 entries, a gazetteer of the countries of the world, and a timeline of world history. Notable updates for 2004 include: - the ´war against terrorism´, including the Afghan and Iraq wars - the genetic revolution (cloning, GM foods, the Human Genome Project) - technological developments such as digital photography and DVDs - the introduction of the euro and the expansion of the EU There are also a number of new biographical articles, including George W. Bush, Saddam Hussein and J. K. Rowling.