Map out your academic studies or armchair travels with this incredible book --- without a doubt, the most up-to-date, comprehensive atlas we have ever seen. This seventh edition puts a changing world, in 140,000-plus entries, in everyone's hands, and boasts state-of-the-art satellite imagery and the work of more than 50 cartographers, designers, editors, researchers and indexers. (The mountain, valleys and other landscape features were digitally painted over a period of a yea by one staff artist!) Expensive? You bet. But much cheaper than a trip around the world. But if you have to go, just don't try and pack it in your luggage; the book weighs close to 15 pounds!

O.K... not the greatest pun, but at least I got your attention! I wanted to tell anyone who is interested that I have owned this atlas for two years and I can now say in all sincerity that it is one of the best book investments I've ever made, hands down. I keep it in a very handy spot between my computer, my television and my bookcase, and pull it out whenever an unfamiliar geographic reference comes my way. Usually this leads to 20-30 minutes of sheer pleasure as I flip through the pages and bolster my understanding of distant and exotic places. The maps are clear and detailed, and very esoterically pleasing, and the index is one of the best I've ever seen in any book; I am constantly amazed that all of the maps are served by this one simple-to-use index. Bonus Information: I was browsing in a store which specializes in geography products shortly after I bought this atlas, and the salesman suggested a product called the "Magnabrite light gathering magnifier", a small clear glass object which rests on the page and brings small print and details forward clearly and dramatically. If you search "all products" on Amazon, I believe they have a catalog listing which will allow you to order one. Also, you can just Google for it easily. It's the best! Mine says on the box "Precision, Prefocused 4X - Magnifier"...but I believe it's available in four sizes. I hope this atlas serves as a great tool for you to delve deeply into the geography and topography of our beautiful planet. Enjoy it!

This atlas is an excellent balance between spectacular layout and user-friendliness. While still very, very large, the book is not as ungainly to handle as the huge Times atlas and I find the maps in the National Geographic Atlas to be easier on the eyes compared to those in the Times.

The book has a quite satisfying introductory section, especially the part dealing with the universe and earth's relative position in same.

As far as comprehensiveness is concerned, the maps and index serve all of my purposes, and I am very picky. If you need more detail, you probably should buy a road map for the area, especially pertaining to the individual states in the USA section.

In ordering such a tome, I personally suggest the next-day delivery option as it minimizes the time the book spends in transit and the resultant bother of having to secure a replacement for a damaged copy. My own copy arrived in perfect condition but I did use next-day shipping.

The National Geographic Atlas of the World is a worthwhile investment for any home or school and should give years & years of service for any map enthusiast.

Being an outdoors enthusiast with an appetite for cartographic excellence, I find it quite easy to state that this is the finest atlas I have ever seen. I routinely browse all the "latest and greatest" atlases on the market (and they do have some strong points), but for sheer quantity of information (that amazingly does not overwhelm the eyes), accuracy and aesthetic beauty (the shaded relief is magnificent) the National Geographic Atlas of the World 7th Edition is head and shoulders above the rest. This atlas is literally like the internet; I lose track of time while I journey throughout the globe. The atlas also has character; something the other atlases continue to miss.

National Geographic retains its reputation as one of the finest mapmakers of the world with the seventh edition of their atlas of the world. The maps look the same as the sixth edition, but a fully updated section of urban area maps has been included. Again, color usage is very sparse, but the relief shading has improved. What really makes this atlas more valuable than its predecessor is the thematic part. A large number of topics are elaborately treated. With the 140,000+ index, this atlas remains in the top 5 of best atlases ever produced.