No home was complete with an annual, affordable, all-round reference work: The Pear’s Cyclopaedia. It covered World Events (from 2234 B.C. to present day); A Citizen’s Guide to local and central laws, the United Nations, various Societies and recent legislation; The Gazetteer of the World, with maps and descriptions of other countries; Everyday Information, such as common abbreviations, synonyms and antonyms and entries of general interest, bank rates, conversion tables, exchange rates, postal information and how to address persons of rank; Home and Personal covered beauty, health, cooking, gardening, sports, radio, television, care of domestic pets and poultry and so much more. Publication of this vital handbook began in 1897 and ceased in 2017  as the internet finally won.