"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...

**Just in time for the 75th anniversary, the first book-length investigation into one of the great unsolved mysteries from the early days of the Cold War, when an American cargo plane allegedly carrying an atomic bomb over the Atlantic Ocean disappeared, along with the US military and nuclear specialists on board.Pulitzer-Prize winning war reporter Tod Robberson examines this shocking true story from the early days of the Cold War and the origins of the ongoing, icy relationship be...

An irresistible and enchanting journey through human history—from mankind’s earliest fires to the latest smart phones—that tells the surprising and untold story of storytelling.Joan Didion told us, “We tell ourselves stories in order to live.” And yet, the story of stories has never been told until now. MIT technology pioneer Kevin Ashton was at the forefront of the digital revolution that led to the invention of the smartphone, the ultimate storytelling device. Th...

Meet the Gods of Sun and SacrificeStep into the dazzling world of ancient Mesoamerica with this engaging and accessible guide to Aztec mythology.#1 New Release in History of New Age & MythologyExplore the legends, gods, and cosmic cycles that defined one of the most powerful civilizations in the Americas. Far from a dry academic text, Myths, Gods, and Rituals of Aztec Mythology brings these...

*New enhanced edition of the best-selling guide to sea creatures: The World Beneath!*Meet the world's most fascinating sea creatures, see the lives and curiosities of colorful fish and coral reefs. This spectacular volume has more than 300 color photos and extraordinary text from a leading marine biologist and underwater photographer who is the international expert on seahorses.In this richly informative volume, brimming with new d...

A landmark collection of Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Kolbert's most important pieces about climate change and the natural worldA NEW YORKER BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR"To be a well-informed citizen of Planet Earth," Rolling Stone has advised, "you need to read Elizabeth Kolbert." From her National Magazine Award-winning series The Climate of Man to her Pulitzer Prize-winning book The Sixth Extinction, Kolbe...

Discover the epic history of human exploration and migration, and the stories of fearless pioneers the world over, with this stunning tour of history - map by map.Charting everything from the movement of early Homo species out of Africa some 1.8 million years ago to the astonishing voyages of Polynesian sailors across the Pacific from 4,000 BCE, and from the California Gold Rush to the Race for Space, entries explain the movements of people and cultures wh...