Diderot's Encyclopédie had a lot more in common with
everything than say, the
Encyclopedia Brittanica. It aimed to be a comprehensive
catalog of every piece of human knowledge. In addition to what we'd consider to be traditional entries, it's filled with etchings of insects and animals from around the world, weapons, things like the
methodology of manufacturing candles, and examples of alphabets from various languages.
Published in 28 folio sized volumes between 1751 and 1775, the Encyclopédie (like many other books) was banned in France upon its publication because it was, like Rousseau's Social Contract considered too dangerous for public consumption. Also like the Social Contract, it's cited (probably incorrectly) as a cause of the French Revolution. The Encyclopédie at the time sold for something like the equivilent of several hundred thousand dollars.
There are a number of copies of the Encyclopédie still in existance, including one in the special collections library of Dartmouth College that I was lucky enough to thumb through (after washing my hands thoroughly) as part of a history class.