The Guinness book of world records is a reference book published annually, containing the collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world. The book itself holds the world record, as best selling copyrighted book series of all the time. It is also one of the most stolen books from public libraries in the United States.
On 4th May 1951, Sir Hugh Beaver, the managing director of the Guinness Breweries, went on a shooting party in the North Slob, Ireland. He became involved in an argument which was the fastest game bird in Europe, the koshin golden plover or the grouse. That evening at Castle Bridge House he realized that it was impossible to confirm in reference books whether or not the golden plover was Europe’s fastest game bird. Beaver knew that there must be numerous questions debated nightly in pubs throughout Ireland and Britain, but there was no book in the world with which to settle arguments about records. He realized then that a book supplying the answers to this sort of questions might prove popular.
Recent editions have focused on record feats by human competitors. Competitors range from various one such as weight lifting to the longest egg tossing distance or for longest time spent playing Grand Theft Auto 4 or the number of hot dog that can be consumed in ten minutes, although eating contest and beer and alcohol consumption entries are no longer accepted, possibly for fear of litigation. Besides records about competitions, it contains such facts as the heaviest tumor, the most poisonous plant, the shortest river, the longest running drama in the USA, the longest serving members of a drama series, the third longest running drama in the USA, and the world’s most successful salesman, among others. Many records also relate to the youngest person who achieved something, such as the youngest person to visit all nations of the world.
Each edition contains a selection of the large set of records in the Guinness database, and the criteria for that choice have changes over years. The newest records are added, and the records that have been updated are added too.
Several world records that were once included in the book have been removed due to ethical reasons. By publishing world records in the book may encourage others to try to beat that record, even at the expense of their own health and safety. For example, following publication of a heaviest fish record, many fish owners overfed their pets beyond the bounds of what was healthy, so entries as these were removed. The Guinness book of the world records also dropped records within their eating and drinking records section of Human Achievements in 1991 over concerns that potential competitors could do harm to themselves and expose the publisher to potential litigation. These changes included the removal of all liquor, wine, and beer drinking records, along with other unusual records for consuming such unlikely things as bicycles and trees.