Being sick is horrible. But it used to be worse. Inside this book, you'll see evidence of the plagues of the past—rotting skin, dissolving lungs, and sinister swelling all over the body. Diseases like the Black Death wiped out whole towns and villages. Tuberculosis consumed young people like a bloodsucking vampire. And Smallpox left its victims scarred for life—if they survived. At the time, no one knew where these killer diseases came from or how to treat them. But eventually doctors disc...

Take an enthralling journey from the Stone Age onward, and see how our ancestors became great builders and rulers. They grew food, discovered metals, made tools, and invented writing. You will see a mighty civilization in Egypt, wise Chinese philosophy, Maya culture in Central America, the colossal Roman Empire, and much more. Illustrated maps let you compare what is happening across the globe at various moments in time. While the Santorini volcano was wiping out the Minoan civilization, f...

From wild tornadoes to blinding blizzards, learn what makes our climate and weather work in this stunning visual guide.Fiercer hurricanes, hungrier wildfires, flash floods, and desertification are becoming a part of daily life as our climate shifts and changes. Weather covers the most important areas of this timely topic, delivering up-to-date expert information on everything from the water cycle to winds, cloud galleries, fog, and snow, and from extreme weather like hurricanes, su...

How do planes stay in the air? What is vertical takeoff? How does a pilot control altitude in a hot-air balloon? Join the Stickmen to find out how mechanisms work. Get an insider's view of these airborne wonders!

The elements of the periodic table come alive in the first book in a stellar nonfiction comic series illustrated by Shiho Pate!From oxygen to hydrogen, carbon to plutonium, Animated Science: Periodic Table makes chemistry come alive! In this book you'll meet the building blocks of you, the world, and the universe and see how they come together to make everything you see, do, and use every day.With a narrative nonfiction text, kid-friendly information, and Shiho Pat...

Jump behind the wheel of the sleekest, swiftest automobiles, both on and off the race track. Prepare to burn up the tarmac in the Bugatti Veyron—the latest version of the first supercar reaches 269 mph (433 km/h)! Race in the Ultimate Aero, whose carbon-fiber body weighs less than its driver. Get an adrenaline rush in the jet-powered Thrust SSC, it carries the world land speed record of 760.343 mph (1,223.65 km/h)! These streamlined supercars blast off the page in true-to-life illustration...

The ancient birthplace of some of the world's major religions and now a modern nuclear power, India is experiencing spectacular economic growth. In twenty-five years its population will overtake that of China, making it one of the most populous and rapidly-developing countries in the world. We all need to know more about this intriguing country.John Farndon explores the changing face of modern-day India and its fundamental contradictions. The country is leading the world in cutting...

With a population of 1¼ billion people and the world's second largest economy, China is fast becoming one of the most powerful and important countries in the world. But while it is one of the world's oldest civilisations, China refuses to conform to expectations. The country's controversial policies, ranging from the one child policy to the repression of opposition groups, have placed it at odds with other world powers, and yet its influence in the world is growing ever stronger. We all ne...

Legendary singer, songwriter and poet Vladimir Vysotsky (1938-1980) is loved and admired like no other. A recent survey placed him as the most important cultural figure of twentieth century, and some say he is the greatest Russian poet since Pushkin; others talk of him as the Russian Bob Dylan, or Jacques Brel.His songs championed the underdog, and even today, forty years after his death at a tragically young age, people in countries as far apart as Bulgaria and Kazakhstan weep at ...

Amongst people of the former USSR, legendary singer, songwriter and poet Vladimir Vysotsky (1938-1980) is loved and admired like no other. A recent survey placed him as the most important cultural figure of twentieth-century Russia, and some say he is the greatest Russian poet since Pushkin; others talk of him as the Russian Bob Dylan, or Jacques Brel. His songs championed the underdog, and even today, forty years after his death at a tragically young age, people in countries as far apart ...

Rocks and minerals come alive in the next Animated Science book, an outstanding comic series illustrated by Shiho Pate!From gemstones to fossils and beyond, Animated Science: Rocks and Minerals is the definitive guide to rocks and minerals for grade school readers. In this book, readers will explore the substances that make up our Earth through comic illustrations and hilarious characters.With a narrative nonfiction text, kid-friendly information, ...

Where would humanity be now without fire, vaccinations, farming … or wine? A great idea is one that has changed the path of human civilisation. But which is the greatest of them all? John Farndon, author of the bestselling Do You Think You're Clever?, has set out to find the answer. A distinguished panel of experts agreed on a list of 50 ideas, and each chapter of The World's Greatest Idea sees Farndon explore the argument for a different one. The candidates are intriguingly varied: Electr...