Why do people need rivers? What causes rivers to flood? These are just a few of the questions answered by this fascinating introduction to rivers.
Minerals are chemicals that are the building blocks of rocks. Metals, crystals, and gemstones are all minerals found in rocks. This interesting book describes how to identify minerals, where they can be found, the rock cycle process, the uses of minerals, and how they are mined.
This amazing book provides a snapshot of the arts and cultures across various ancient civilizations. Read about: Egypt's pyramids, temples, royal tombs, and palaces; Chinese games and pastimes; Rome's sports arenas-the Colosseum and Circus Maximus.
The scientific contributions of the early Islamic empires to science, medicine, and mathematics is considerable. This revealing book explores: their public hospitals, libraries, and universities; their achievements in mathematics and astronomy, and the pursuit of alchemy; Arabic numbers; optics; music and musical instruments; poetry; and education.
This informative book describes how the Muslim religion started, including the life of the Prophet Muhammad; the Hegira and Kaaba; caliphs; the split of the Sunni and Shi'a and the beliefs of both; Sufism; the Muslim calendar; key events that are remembered in Islam today; and the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Makkah.
Rock collecting is a hobby that is easy to start. This engaging book describes how to dig, where you can and can't dig (restricted in national parks), the necessary equipment, how to identify rocks and gems, and the proper recording and storage of your collection.
What is the Rock Cycle describes the natural transformation of one type of rock into others. Beginning with igneous rocks made in volcanic eruptions, rock is weathered and eroded gradually to form a sediment. This sediment is then deposited and pressed into layers making sedimentary rocks. These in turn are transformed by heat and pressure into metamorphic rocks. Heat makes these melt into magma which, together with molten rock from the core of the Earth, make new igneous rocks.
It all starts with erosion for sedimentary rock. Worn down bits of rock become pressed together under pressure into strata, or layers. The formation of rock such as sandstone, shale, limestone, and dolomite is explained in this fact-filled book. Readers will also learn that this type of rock is useful in determining the Earths geological history because its layers often hold fossils and other geological clues.
Crystals are made up of minerals hardened into distinct shapes with regular repeating patterns. This informative book takes a look at the underground process that creates crystals, from sparkling quartz to ordinary salt, as well as where they are found and how they are mined.
This fascinating book explains how plants and animals become fossils, how they are extracted from excavation sites, and how paleontologists and geologists piece together Earth's history by studying these ancient clues.
Igneous rock has a dramatic beginningit requires red-hot volcanic activity. This fact-filled book explains how granite, lava, basalt, silica, quartz and feldspar are formed after hot, molten rock cools. Readers will also learn about volcanoes and tectonic plates, the minerals that make up igneous rocks, and the crystallization of rock material.
Heat, pressure and stress can also change some igneous or sedimentary rocks into other kinds of rocks. This fact-filled book describes the process that turns limestone into marble, shale into slate, and granite into gneiss. Metamorphic rocks are often used as materials for floors, roofs, and counter tops because of their beauty.
Life in a Suburban City looks at living in cities that have spread from the center far into the countryside. Many people live and work in areas that are miles from downtown. Los Angeles, California is the featured example, and focuses on family life in a typical suburb.
Life in an Industrial Citylooks at everyday life in cities that have grown up around a particular industry. Most people in these cities work in factories, warehouses, ports, airports, or transportation. Houston, Texas, is used as an example showing how people live, work, and relax in the industrial part of the city.
Mining People mine for coal, oil, minerals, and metals. These are used for energy and as raw products to make things. In various parts of North America there are huge areas rich in one or more of these natural resources. Gillette, in Wyoming, is the coal-mining capital of the USA. Nearby is the small community of Moorcroft. The community developed from an old wild west cattle-ranching center and is now largely based on oil and coal-mining. About 900 people live in the small town.
Trees were one of the first natural resources used by man. In North American, most native and early European settlements were set up near forests from where wood was harvested for firewood, building homes and boats, and for fortifying villages. Western Canada had, and continues to have, huge coniferous forests. McKenzie in British Columbia, Canada, is a community based on timber mills, timber supply and tourism. It has a population of 5,450 people.
Few people live in the business district of big modern cities. The area where people live in a big city is usually filled with office buildings, banks, insurance companies, and stores. This book focuses on New York City, and looks at the everyday life of workers in the business district.
Life in a Residential City looks at living in the housing zone of a big modern city. City life, with lots of people, traffic, buildings, and roads, is busy and fast-paced. Toronto, Ontario, is the featured example. It looks at houses and apartments, and how people commute to work.
This revised edition of England the People features the ways of life in early England from early Roman settlements to Viking invasions, and the legacies of the Angles, Saxons, Celts, and Normans, Englands culture is rich in heritage. Learn about the daily life of the English people, and what they eat, where they learn, and what they do for fun.
Updated statistics and new photographs are featured in this revised edition of England the Land. England's landscape is rich in beauty and dotted with history. From the breathtaking Lake District to the southern downs, take a journey across England with the help of full-color photos that depict the country's cities, countryside, and wildlife.
This title looks at offshore fishing. Around the coast of much of North America, fishing stocks have greatly declined as a result of overfishing, pollution, and global warming. Nova Scotia, in the northeast of Canada, once had a huge fishing industry. In 1753, people from Germany, Switzerland, and France came from Europe to set up colony at Lunenburg on the coast. They soon set up a fishing and shipbuilding industry. The community grew until about 1980, when the fishing industry largely stopped. Since then, the community has had to reinvent itself. It is still largely based on the old industries, but tourism is as important. Lunenburg has a population of about 3500 people.
People first domesticated wild animals and plants more than 10,000 years ago. The first peoples of North America quickly learned to farm using hand- and animal-power. As technology developed, farming machines were invented. These helped develop farming in many regions of North America previously too difficult to cultivate. From 1840 to 1880, Wisconsin USA became the breadbasket of America, and crop- and livestock-farming developed quickly. The village of Monticello is famous for its dairy farming and cheese. The community is still largely based on this. It has a population of about 1,200 people and is the focus of this book about life in a farming community.
Updated facts and statistics highlight this new second revised edition of India the Land. Spectacular photographs feature Indias varied geography from snow-covered mountaintops to tropical rainforests. Learn about Indias major cities, its disputed borders, foreign influences, and current challenges.
Explore ancient religions and other facets of India's rich and colorful culture in this new second revised edition of India the Culture. Updated facts and statistics and breathtaking photographs bring to life this rich and ancient culture rooted in religion.
This revised edition features the vibrant, influential culture of England. New full-color photos have been added that help trace Englands contributions to world culture, such as the development of the English language, the works of William Shakespeare, and the founding of the Church of England.
