"A rich introduction to the snake world" filled with spectacular color photos and fascinating facts about six hundred different species ( The Wall Street Journal).For millennia, humans have regarded snakes with an exceptional combination of fascination and revulsion. Some people recoil in fear at the very suggestion of these creatures, while others happily keep them as pets. Snakes can convey both beauty and menace in a single tongue flick and have held a ...

Updated to reflect the most recent species classifications, a second edition of the beautifully illustrated and beloved guide to 600 members of the suborder Serpentes.For millennia, humans have regarded snakes with an exceptional combination of fascination and revulsion. Some people recoil in fear at the very suggestion of these creatures, while others happily keep them as pets. Snakes can convey both beauty and menace in a single tongue flick, and so these creatur...

A lavishly illustrated overview of the world’s lizardsLizards are one of nature’s great success stories: survivors from the time of the dinosaurs, they have taken advantage of almost every habitat on earth, from tropical rainforest to Arctic tundra and even our homes. From chameleons and skinks to geckos and iguanas, there are close to 7,000 species of lizards around the world. This expert guide explores their extraordinary diversity and adaptations.Liz...

A gorgeously illustrated guide to the incredible diversity of snakes around the worldSnakes are found on every continent except Antarctica and have evolved to occupy a vast range of habitats, from mountains to oceans and deserts to rain forests. Snakes of the World explores their extraordinary diversity, with an in-depth introduction covering anatomy, behavior, habitats, reproduction, conservation, and other essential topics. This expert guide also include...

A richly illustrated guide to the world’s frogs that includes species from every familyWith more than 7,600 known species, frogs exhibit an extraordinary range of forms and behaviors, from those that produce toxins so deadly that they could kill a human many times over to those that can survive being frozen in ice. Frogs of the World is an essential guide to this astonishingly diverse group of animals. An in-depth introduction covers everything from the or...

Explore the extraordinary natural history of lizards in this stunning fact-packed book. Here you will find out why lizards are more numerous and successful than any other group of reptiles and trace their evolution from dinosaurs, pterosaurs and ichthyosaurs to the rich diversity of species in existence today. On the way you will witness some amazing tactics for survival, such as how lizards bodies and watertight skins work so that they can live on minimal amounts of food and water. Meet t...

How the meaningless process of natural selection produces purposeful beings who find meaning in the world . . .“A challenging though rewarding exploration of the meaning and purpose of life” that blends evolutionary biology and philosophy (Kirkus Reviews).Evolutionary biologist David Haig explains how a physical world of matter in motion gave rise to a living world of purpose and meaning. Natural selection, a process without purpos...

"An outstanding contribution. . . . The glossary and illustrations are excellent and most helpful. This book will be the standard for years to come." —Robert M. Timm, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, and past president, American Society of MammalogistsDouglas A. Kelt and James L. Patton provide a long-overdue update to Timothy E. Lawlor's Handbook to the Orders and Families of Living Mammals in their new, wholly original w...

"A riveting narrative history about early attempts to crack down and even stamp out the Ku Klux Klan's reign of domestic terrorism . . . magnificent." —Douglas Brinkley, New York Times–bestselling author of American MoonshotIn the years following the Civil War, a new battle began. Newly freed African American men had gained their voting rights and would soon have a chance to transform Southern politics. Former Confederates and other white supremaci...

The YouTuber behind “Journey to the Microcosmos” offers a beginner’s guide to the extremely small and utterly strange life that surrounds us.Over 100 stunning images and fascinating insights reveal the wonder of nature—and our place within the universe—from a totally new perspective.James Weiss was feeling lost in life when he first discovered his interest in the microscopic world. With his own microscope and a little homespun ingenuity, he...

The ultimate collection of classic science fiction stories and poems from the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning author of the Forever War Series.An omnibus edition of his collections None So Blind and Dealing in Futures, this volume features the best of Joe Haldeman's short speculative fiction, including such gems as the Hugo and Nebula Award–winning "The Hemingway Hoax," in which a forged Hemingway manuscript takes the reader on a journey through tim...

An "absorbing" look at how our species evolved, from the curator of human evolution at the American Museum of Natural History ( Kirkus Reviews).What makes us so different from those other animals? How did we get this way? How do we know? And what exactly are we? These questions are what make human evolution a subject of general fascination. Ian Tattersall, one of those rare scientists who is also a graceful writer, addresses them in this delightful book.