The instructions are friendly, humorous and so understandable they set a still-current industry standard for anyone-can-do-it clarity.

    Born in Pisa, Italy, in the sixteenth century, Galileo contributed to the era's great rebirth of knowledge. He invented a telescope to observe the heavens. From there, not even the sky was the limit! He turned long-held notions about the universe topsy turvy with his support of a sun-centric solar system. Patricia Brennan Demuth offers a sympathetic portrait of a brilliant man who lived in a time when speaking scientific truth to those in power was still a dangerous proposition.

    Now, straight from the Hogwarts School Library, come two textbooks used by Harry and all his fellow wizards-in-training. Written by J. K. Rowling under two delightful pseudonyms, Quidditch Through the Ages and Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them come packaged in a fabulous box set.Did you know that in 1938 the wizard Zacharias Mumps set down the first full description of the game of Quidditch? Written by a renowned Quidditch expert (and "the author of many Quidditch-related works"), Quidditch Through the Ages reveals everything readers need to know about the most important sport in the wizarding world. From the evolution of the flying broomstick and the rules for playing Quidditch to the changes in the sport since the 14th century (up until today) and details about all the Quidditch teams of Britain and Ireland, this book is a must-have for Quidditch fans old and new. Well researched and filled with diagrams, definitions, and more, Quidditch Through the Ages is what every wizard-in-training needs to be a pro. Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them offers a complete listing of all the fantastic beasts that exist in Harry Potter's world. From the Acromantula ("a monstrous eight-eyed spider capable of human speech") to the Yeti ("also known as Bigfoot, the Abominable Snowman"), here's well-researched information on where they come from, what they look like, what they eat, and, most important, what to do if you ever meet one face-to-face. This indispensible textbook also includes insight into Muggle awareness of fantastic beasts, information on why Magizoology matters, and much more. Adding to the fun and authenticity, Fantastic Beasts & Where to Find Them features scribbled comments in the margins from Harry Potter, the previous owner of this book, as well as his friends Ron and Hermione.

    From Alcatraz to Devil's Island, this book tells the extraordinary tales of men who risked their lives for their freedom.

    Sacred ruins, grand hotels, wildlife preserves, hilltop villages, snack shacks, castles, festivals, reefs, restaurants, cathedrals, hidden islands, opera houses, museums, and more. Each entry tells exactly why it's essential to visit. Then come the nuts and bolts: addresses, websites, phone and fax numbers, best times to visit. Stop dreaming and get going.This hefty volume reminds vacationers that hot tourist spots are small percentage of what's worth seeing out there. A quick sampling: Venice's Cipriani Hotel; California's Monterey Peninsula; the Lewis and Clark Trail in Oregon; the Great Wall of China; Robert Louis Stevenson's home in Western Samoa; and the Alhambra in Andalusia, Spain. Veteran travel guide writer Schultz divides the book geographically, presenting a little less than a page on each location. Each entry lists exactly where to find the spot (e.g. Moorea is located "12 miles/19 km northwest of Tahiti; 10 minutes by air, 1 hour by boat") and when to go (e.g., if you want to check out The Complete Fly Fisher hotel in Montana, "May and Sept.-Oct. offer productive angling in a solitary setting"). This is an excellent resource for the intrepid traveler.Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

    This edition has been revised and edited by Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Justin Kaplan.

    Especially now, at a time when the sanctity of the wild and its inhabitants is increasingly threatened by human development and natural disaster, Adamson's remarkable tale is an idyll, and a model, to return to again and again.Illustrated with the same beautiful, evocative photographs that first enchanted the world forty years ago and updated with a new introduction by George Page, former host and executive editor of the PBS series Nature and author of Inside the Animal Mind, this anniversary edition introduces to a new generation one of the most heartwarming associations between man and animal.

    --Kirkus Reviews

    Don't let it fall into the wrong hands!Do you believe in dragons? Now, for the first time, the long-lost research of renowned nineteenth century dragonologist Dr. Ernest Drake is presented in all its eccentric glory, happily bridging the gap between dragon legend and fact. The meticulous Dr. Drake assigns Latin names to various dragon species, ruminates on why dragons are able to speak, speculates on how they could fly, and explains the true purpose of their notorious hoarding habits. Here are just a few of DRAGONOLOGY'S fascinating features:-- Novelty item on every spread, including tactile samples of dragon wings, dragon scales, and dragon skin -- Booklet of dragon riddles (indispensable to the burgeoning dragonologist) -- Sealed envelope containing a powerful dragon-calling spell -- Embossed faux leather cover with silver foil, encrusted with three dragon gemsIn his afterword, Dr. Drake reveals that one of the crucial goals of dragonologists is to preserve the magnificent creatures of their study wherever possible - a goal this tongue-in-cheek volume most affectionately achieves. An incomparable gift for secret dragonologists everywhere!

    These were the concerns of Socrates, who spent his days in the ancient Athenian marketplace asking awkward questions, disconcerting the people he met by showing them how little they genuinely understood. This engaging book introduces the great thinkers in Western philosophy and explores their most compelling ideas about the world and how best to live in it.In forty brief chapters, Nigel Warburton guides us on a chronological tour of the major ideas in the history of philosophy. He provides interesting and often quirky stories of the lives and deaths of thought-provoking philosophers from Socrates, who chose to die by hemlock poisoning rather than live on without the freedom to think for himself, to Peter Singer, who asks the disquieting philosophical and ethical questions that haunt our own times.Warburton not only makes philosophy accessible, he offers inspiration to think, argue, reason, and ask in the tradition of Socrates. A Little History of Philosophy presents the grand sweep of humanity's search for philosophical understanding and invites all to join in the discussion.

    Designed to resemble popular networking Web sites, the pages of this book feature "homepages" for each of the chemical elements -- complete with witty and informative profiles written by the elements themselves, plus a personally chosen picture.

    

    35), do the perfect manicure (p. 82), or make your own lip gloss (p. 11).Feel like impressing your friends? Show them how you can make a crystal (p. 16), juggle one-handed (p. 33), or deal with a bully (p. 42).Bored and need something to do? Not anymore when you find out how to keep a secret diary (p. 88), make a scrapbook (p. 9), or put together a dance routine (p. 24).And tons of other neat-o things you need to know how to do!

    Including Sleeping Beauty, Bluebeard, Cinderella, Thumbelina, and Hansel and Gretel, as well as many others, this collection provides a historical introduction for each tale and a general Introduction which traces the history of fairy tales collected in Asia and Europe long before they appeared in English.

    But if it helps you to know your Greek gods, and survive an encounter with them if they ever show up in your face, then I guess writing all this down will be my good deed for the week." So begins Percy Jackson's Greek Gods, in which the son of Poseidon adds his own magic--and sarcastic asides--to the classics. He explains how the world was created, then gives readers his personal take on a who's who of ancients, from Apollo to Zeus. Percy does not hold back. "If you like horror shows, blood baths, lying, stealing, backstabbing, and cannibalism, then read on, because it definitely was a Golden Age for all that." Dramatic full-color illustrations throughout by Caldecott Honoree John Rocco make this volume--a must for home, library, and classroom shelves--as stunning as it is entertaining.