When one is asked to name sources of personal inspiration, the answers are often knee-jerk in nature. Those of us with established beliefs invariably turn to written sources for support - be it the Bible, the Koran, or "Chicken Soup for the Soul."

But these books are often spiritual in nature, requiring preset assumptions or faith in ancient (and often fantastic) happenings. For those of us who are doubtful by nature, such events are often hard to swallow. What then, is left to us? Where does the stick-in-the-mud skeptic go for inspiration?

To other people. If one wishes to reaffirm their “faith” in humanity, there are few better sources than the achievements of others. And nowhere are these achievements more famously demonstrated than in the Guiness Book of Records.

Whether measuring the world’s longest fingernails (a total of 6.15 meters on the left hand of India’s Shridhar Chillal) or the world’s tallest building (the 185-story CN Tower in Toronto), no other publication has been as adept and as successful at measuring the length and breadth of mankind’s greater (and lesser) achievements. With a reputation for accuracy and an undeniably impressive scope, it is a striking and often humorous archive of the extreme.

The idea for a book of records originated in 1951 by the Englishman Sir Hugh Beaver. While on a shooting party, Sir Hugh became embroiled in a dispute over European game birds, and especially over which one, in particular, was the fastest in the air. Claims were made in favor of both the golden plover and the grouse, and with no definitive source to turn to, the argument went unresolved.

In pondering this incident, Beaver (referred to hereafter as “the Beav”) was struck with the idea of a book that would provide the answers to these sorts of random questions. Believing that this concept could be a commercial success, he commissioned Norris and Ross McWhirter – who together managed a fact-finding agency in London – to take charge of the project. The finished product, named the Guiness Book of Records (after the famous brewery of which the Beav was the managing director), went to print Aug. 27, 1955. By the end of that year, it was the best-selling book in England.

Since that time, the Guiness Book of Records has itself come to hold the record for the best-selling copyrighted book of all time. Having sold more than 100 million copies in 37 languages, and with new editions being published annually, the Guiness has become the perpetual leader in recording the extremes of science, nature and humankind.

Says Stewart Newport, keeper of the records, “No other enterprise collects, confirms, accredits and presents world-record data with the same investment in comprehensiveness and authenticity. A fact may only become a Guiness World Record when it’s tested, verified and elevated above all suspicion.” For those seeking to set records of their own, the folks at Guiness have laid out a step-by-step process:

The first priority on the to-do list of record-breaking hopefuls should be contacting the Guiness to let them know of your aspirations. To do this, you must fill out the necessary forms, which are available at www.guinessworldrecords.com If you seek to set a new record in some pre-existing category, they can give you details and guidelines to follow. If your feat would set the record in some category that has never before been broached, this is their chance to decide whether the proposed category is one they would like to establish. Not only will this save you the trouble of attempting something that will not be recorded, but in the event of a refusal it also gives them the opportunity to let you down easily, perhaps suggesting some other category you might wish to go after.

In most cases, it will take from eight to ten weeks to respond to an inquiry – though, in light of the bulk of such queries they receive (around 65,000 per year), sometimes the waiting period will be even longer. However, at the price of 250 English pounds, Guiness World Records offers a Fast Track service through which you can get a response within three days. Details for this are available on the Web site.

Should your record attempt be accepted and successfully carried off, you will receive a certificate recognizing your achievement. The cost of making a record attempt is usually nothing so there isn’t a monetary reward for those included. The reasons for this are both financial and philosophical – for, as the record keepers themselves say, “…our record holders are fueled not by financial gain but by the satisfaction of setting, achieving and surpassing their goals.” In addition to their advice for prospective record-breakers, the people at Guiness also offer some warnings.

Out of all the attempts at record-setting that are made (many of which are successful), the annual publication of the Guiness Book of Records only has room for the inclusion of about 4000 records. Though all new records are kept in the company’s database, there is no guarantee that they will all be included in the book.

Secondly, there are some records that, for various reasons, you should probably not be trying to break. Aside from not being enough of a challenge, being unbreakable or being too subjective, there are some that present too much of a risk – not only to the record-breaker themselves, but to others. As Guiness World Records says, “Some records suggestions are frankly far too dangerous for us to accept, especially if there is risk to spectators and members of the public as well as the individual participants.”

In other words, while the bakers of the world’s largest cookie will find their way paved with gold (or at least achievement certificates), those hoping to break the world record for the largest mass suicide are probably in for a disappointment.