At over 350 pages, this profusely illustrated hard cover is a tad too substantial to fit in the glove compartment of an alien spaceship – or on a bedside table – the two places it most belongs.

But both Earthlings and Aliens will be well rewarded for reading Earth – A Visitors Guide because [speaking as a native earthling] it is one of the most fascinating and absorbing cultural histories I have read.

Although beautifully designed and visually appealing, the visual component is secondary to the factual information: as an arresting and intriguing overview of 21st century factoids and trivia, the book is unequalled in any Universe. ( )