Later, I introduced the encyclopedia to my kids. They had never used a print encyclopedia, and they looked at me like I was an alien, almost as if I were speaking a different language (such a trite expression, but man, is it accurate). I had hoped they could use the encyclopedia as an old-fashioned reference, but so far, they have completely and utterly rejected it, not even expressing interest or opening it once. That aspect of my plans for the encyclopedia has been a big failure.

They grew with internet, they can read about whatever they want in a few minutes. You can’t compete with that. When encyclopedias were popular, you had to go to the library to find about a topic you may be interesting in. If your encyclopedia had some sort of information (let’s be honest, most encyclopedias from the 70s or 80s weren’t that good), it was such a relief and you felt empowered. Knowing about something was very valuable, because very few people had that knowledge. A kid from the 2000s will never experience this.

That’d be neat to have… 1200 bucks!? get outta here

Alternative for those who don’t have $1k+ and a whole load of shelf space: Kiwix - You can download an offline copy of Wikipedia.

It’s actually quite useful when/if you go traveling or live near low-signal areas. Can get a copy on your phone for quick reference for pretty much anything.