Hungry Minds Announces Three Major Awards for Titles in Cooking, Wine and Sports.

Business Editors

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 13, 2000

Hungry Minds, Inc. (NASDAQ: HMIN), formerly IDG Books, Worldwide, Inc., a leading global knowledge company, announced that three titles have won prestigious awards:

WORLD'S FAIR COOKBOOK BEST SERIES IN WORLD AWARD

Paulette Mitchell's "15-Minute Gourmet" series won the World's Fair Cookbook Best Series in World Award for 2000. The annual competition, organized by The International Cookbook Revue, included more than 2,000 food and wine books from 26 countries in 18 languages. Author-chef Mitchell was honored at a gala ceremony in Perigueux, France on November 11, 2000.

Mitchell's three book series includes: The 15-Minute Gourmet: Chicken; The 15 Minute Gourmet: Noodles; and The 15-Minute Gourmet: Vegetarian. The series was lauded by the World Cookbook Fair officials as "excellent examples of how books written for fast cooks can have delicious recipes done with `slow' foods." Going into the competition, the series had already won as best series in English language. Competitors for world award included finalists from Germany, Spain, Italy, and Japan.

GEORGES DUBOEUF WINE BOOK OF THE YEAR

Felicia Sherbert's Unofficial Guide(TM) to Selecting Wine has won the Georges Duboeuf Book of the Year Award. The Duboeuf Foundation selects the best new book that illuminates the subject of wine for both the beginner and the connoisseur. "We want to recognize those authors whose work communicates the joy of wine in a compelling way." stated Bill Deutsch, President of W.J. Deutsch & Sons Ltd, East Coast importer for Les Vins Georges Duboeuf. Sherbert accepted her award at Le Zinc in New York on November 16.

THE UNOFFICIAL GUIDE TO SELECTING WINE is part of Hungry Mind's best-selling book series offering a new voice in business and lifestyle learning. Each title provides the most current, comprehensive and reliable information on daunting issues in the areas of business and personal finance, career planning, health and fitness, family and relationships, home and automotive and hobbies and recreation. More than 3.5 million UNOFFICIAL GUIDES have been sold.

FIELD & STREAM BEST OF THE BEST AWARD

Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia is the recipient of "Field & Stream's Best of the Best Award." This award acknowledges products that are new and/or improved and are most beneficial to Hunting and Fishing enthusiasts. Winners were announced in the December issue of Field & Stream Magazine. "Ken Schultz is a wonderful author to work with." says Kathy Nebenhaus, Publisher. "He has made this sport accessible to those folks who have `gone fishin.'"

Paulette Mitchell is known internationally for her quick-to-prepare healthful cuisine with gourmet flair. She has been a cooking instructor for 27 years, and is the author of ten cookbooks, including prior World Cookbook Fair award-winner, The Complete Soy Cookbook (Macmillan 1998). Adding to her teaching and writing accomplishments she lectures and travels year-round, presenting programs on healthful international cuisine, vegetarian cooking, spa cuisine and soy. She is also a contributor to several culinary magazines, including Cooking Pleasures.

Felicia Sherbert is journalist who has specialized in the world of wine for more than 15 years. A former senior editor at M. Shanken Communications, publisher of Wine Spectator, Food Arts, Cigar Aficionado, and Market Watch, a magazine specializing in wine and spirit trends, Felicia writes her popular "At the Bar" column in Market Watch. She contributes articles on wine and entertaining to several publications and Web sites. A founding member of the International Food & Beverage Forum, a think tank of food and beverage professionals, Felicia is also a frequent guest speaker on wine, spirits, restaurant, and retail trends.

Ken Schultz is the Fishing Editor of Field & Stream Magazine, and had been on staff as writer since 1973. He is also the frequent author of the outdoors column of The New York Times, and previously was a syndicated newspaper columnist for Gannett. He has authored a dozen books on sports fishing and has been a featured guest on CNBC, ESPN, and The Nashville Network, and appears regularly in assorted fishing segments for the Outdoor Life Network. A widely traveled angler, Schultz is a former holder of seven line-class world records, and was inducted into the Fishing Hall of Fame in 1998.

The 15-Minute Gourmet: Chicken by Paulette Mitchell 0-02-863279-6

The 15-Minute Gourmet: Noodles by Paulette Mitchell 0-02-862568-4

The 15-Minute Gourmet: Vegetarian by Paulette Mitchell 0-02-863529-9

Unofficial Guide to Selecting Wine by Felicia Sherbert 0-02-86366-8

Ken Schultz's Fishing Encyclopedia 0-02-862057-7

It's all possible! Hungry Minds, Inc. (NASDAQ: HMIN), formerly known as IDG Books Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ: IDGB) is a leading global knowledge company with a diverse portfolio of technology, business, consumer and how-to brands, computer-based learning tools, Web-based products and Internet e-services. Hungry Minds' best-selling brands include For Dummies, Betty Crocker, Bible, CliffsNotes, Frommer's, the Unofficial Guide, Visual, Weight Watchers and Webster's New World. Hungry Minds is also the publisher of AOL Press, Hewlett-Packard Press, Netscape Press and Novell Press. Hungry Minds has thousands of active titles in 39 languages. Additionally, www.hungrymindsuniversity.com , a Web site leading the way in e-learning, provides more than 17,000 online courses and learning experiences from trusted academic names, such as UC Berkeley, New York University and University of Maryland. Hungry Minds also owns the Web sites www.cliffsnotes.com, www.dummies.com and www.frommers.com. More information about Hungry Minds is available from the company's SEC filings or by visiting their corporate Web site at www.hungryminds.com.

Note to Editors: (C) 2000 Hungry Minds Inc. All rights reserved. Hungry Minds, It's all possible and Unofficial Guide are trademarks of Hungry Minds Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.