In “All the Knowledge in the World,” Simon Garfield recounts the history of the encyclopedia — a tale of ambitious effort, numerous errors and lots of paper.

But according to Simon Garfield's delightfully meandering new book, On the Map: A Mind-Expanding Exploration of the Way the World Looks, this is nothing new.

Simon Garfield’s new book, “All the Knowledge in the World,” is a fascinating history of the encyclopedia and what we have lost as it becomes obsolete.