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Larousse publications have a long history of high-quality text and pictures. And the Larousse Desk Reference Encyclopedia (£30, ISBN 0 7523 0013 X) does justice to its lineage. Sections are colour coded, leading the user of this hefty tome to thematic treatments, be they Earth and the Universe, life on Earth, arts and culture. You can pick them out swiftly with a 60-page index to topics and maps. All in all a fascinating and indispensable general reference work for home, office and school.