> My family's reaction was disappointing, but I don't mind that the encyclopedia set is just for me.
That's just coping after burning a bit of money on an useless shelf decoration... I'm sure he will use it occasionally instead of wikipedia just to feel he didn't threw away that money.
I bought a new set in 2009 to ‘enrich’ the kids. They never read it, but the books came in handy for crafts when you need to weight something down and for securing marble-coaster and hotwheel tracks at the top of the stairs.
I started reading them from start to finish. Gave up after a while, but at least I now know a lot of trivia about things that start with A, B, C, and D.
That's just coping after burning a bit of money on an useless shelf decoration... I'm sure he will use it occasionally instead of wikipedia just to feel he didn't threw away that money.