We are paying new attention to the old idea that we should treat animals better. Eating a meatless diet is more popular than ever. People from philosophers to musicians work to end laboratory testing on animals. Yet animals provide us with food and clothing. Medical treatments tested on rats and chimpanzees save lives every day. Is it impossible for humans to live without using animals? Or should we stop making animals serve us? Should We Treat Animals Better? travels through history to pr...

Wildfires helped keep nature in balance for millions of years. But today’s wildfires burn hotter, last longer, and happen more often because of climate change. The latest book in the Planet in Danger series, The Threat of Wildfires explains the links between human-caused climate change and these dangerous events. Cutting-edge science describes what conditions spark the flames and detail the human activities involved. Dramatic images take readers onto the hot and smoky front lines while ext...

Ancient lakes turned into wastelands. Vast fields of brown grass. Desperate people on the move in search of water. Droughts have become a threat around the world. The Planet in Danger series delves into the science behind this often-overlooked catastrophe. In Drought: The Quiet Disaster, experts discuss climate change’s role in causing more frequent and intense droughts. Eyewitnesses tell vivid stories of life during drought and share hopeful accounts of finding solutions to problems. Colo...

People depend on biodiversity. But today, plant and animal species go extinct faster than at any point in human history. The latest book in the Planet in Danger series, The Loss of Biodiversity explores the relationship between human beings and the living world and the threat to it posed by climate change. On-the-ground stories highlight how people maintain biodiversity to better their own lives. The latest research details the fascinating ways living things play a part in our food, medici...

The weather becomes more extreme as Earth’s atmosphere heats up. Today’s storms drop record amounts of rain that cause disastrous floods while massive snowfalls shut down cities. The Planet in Danger series presents Extreme Climate, Extreme Storms, an in-depth look at today’s super-strong rainstorms, hurricanes, and floods. Climate refugees provide eyewitness stories of lives uprooted by extreme weather while scientists share expert viewpoints and the latest research. Fast facts give reade...

Sea ice at the Earth’s poles air condition the planet. Glaciers store huge amounts of water. But as climate change melts the ice, the planet heats up faster and the ocean levels rise. Planet in Danger: Disappearing Sea Ice and Glaciers looks at how events in the polar regions threaten small communities and giant cities around the world. The latest science news provides details and expert accounts. Full-color images take readers into rushing floodwaters and onto Arctic ice floes. Fast facts...

Dengue fever. Heat waves. Grief. Human-caused climate change presents challenges to people’s physical and mental well-being. In The Impact on Public Health, the Planet in Danger series introduces readers to the diseases and disasters unleashed as the Earth becomes warmer. Scientific voices describe research and solutions. Eyewitnesses share experiences in places hit hard by climate-related health problems. Full-color images and maps offer helpful visual information. Fast facts fan reader i...

Fashion icon. Admired businessperson. Immigrant success story. Carolina Herrera turned her eye for style and love of clothes into a billion-dollar company. This book in the Notable Hispanic Americans series follows the legendary designer from her childhood in Venezuela to her rise to the top of American fashion. Herrera’s life included friendships with celebrities and First Ladies. But her decision to start a fashion business brought her face-to-face with a high-pressure career and the nee...

José Andrés arrived in the United States with $50 and a set of professional chef’s knives. As a chef, he made Spanish food popular in America and opened several acclaimed restaurants. But a devastating hurricane in Haiti changed his life. Andres’s group, World Central Kitchen soon provided food to people in need after earthquakes and other natural disasters—before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine presented an enormous new challenge. This book in the Notable Hispanic Americans series tells the ...

The daughter of Puerto Rican immigrants, Sonia Sotomayor lived a difficult childhood that included two troubled parents and learning to cope with a serious illness. Her talent for debate and love of hard work propelled her through top universities while her successful career as a lawyer and judge prepared her to become the first Hispanic to serve on the United States Supreme Court. This book in the Notable Hispanic Americans series, Sonia Sotomayor tells the dramatic story of a Latina icon...

Raised by an educator mother, Antonia Novello survived a childhood illness to become a physician who specialized in treating children. Her work in the Public Health Service made her the first woman and first Latino to serve as Surgeon General of the United States. This book in the Notable Hispanic Americans series follows an extraordinary figure from her childhood in Puerto Rico through a historic career as a public health leader who blazed new trails handling emergencies like teen smoking...

Growing up without much interest in science, Ellen Ochoa discovered physics in college and studied electrical engineering. Sally Ride’s historic example inspired Ochoa to enter NASA’s astronaut program and in time, she made history as the first Hispanic woman in space. This book in the Notable Hispanic Americans series tells the extraordinary story of a trailblazing woman who played an important role on four space shuttle missions, became a NASA leader in a time of tragedy and change, and ...