A picture is worth a thousand words, but never reproduces the true feeling of being physically in the place that is being portrayed. The photograph does not bring with it the scent of the earth, the wind, the sunshine and the heat of it on our skin. However, he is able to show us in a smaller proportion what it would be to be in that place. The Atacama Desert is among the most fabulous tourist places in the world. As a photographer, I consider it the most beautiful place I have visited, especially the altiplanic lagoons and the Puna. Nature has never been so intense and challenging in its extremes. Dry, high, colorful, silent and mysterious is the Atacama Desert. Simply amazing! I invite you to look through this book and get to know some of this fantastic desert.

How do animals find food, water, and shelter in the world’s driest desert? Toads do it. Penguins and flamingos do it. Lizards do, too. But why do lizards loose their tails? The desert will tell you its secrets! Animals of the Atacama is part of the It’s All Animals series. This high-interest series uses fascinating facts about animals to introduce life-science vocabulary and concepts about ecosystems and conservation. Read-UP! with 3 levels of readability. Each level (set of 5 books) contains a book on a different science subject so a student can keep reading in one content area if he or she prefers.

When famed archaeologist Francesca Pizarro discovers an ancient pre-Incan crypt, she unexpectedly uncovers more than a mere coffin. Strange apparitions appear before her, and she experiences a sudden wealth of advanced scientific knowledge. A black jaguar seems to observe her on many occasions, and a mysterious shaman keeps watch on her from afar. She becomes consumed with ancient prophecies concerning the return of Viracocha (the Inca creator god) and his wife-sister Khinchana. In Francesca's quest to unearth ancient mysteries, she discovers who she really is, and what her role is in securing the planet's future. Awaken and pay attention! Take the risk to venture into the unknown and reevaluate the possibilities of our origin. About the Author: David G. Rawson was raised in Invercargill, a small city at the southern end of New Zealand's South Island. Extensive trips to South America deepened his knowledge of local history and culture. Now retired after a career in public relations and marketing, Rawson resides in a remote part of Queen Charlotte Sound that is only accessible by boat. There he devotes his time to writing and is working on three other books, including a sequel to The Atacama Crystal. He also enjoys gardening, fishing, swimming, landscaping, and restoring his old house in his spare time. His first novel, The Inca Tapestry, won a national fiction writing contest in New Zealand in 2003. The Atacama Crystal was runner-up in the same contest two years later. Publisher's website: http: //www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/TheAtacamaCrystal.html

'The Andes - A Guide for Climbers' is the only comprehensive guidebook about the peaks of the Andes. This is the 5th English edition of the only complete guidebook to the peaks of the Andes. It covers many areas not described in any other source. Previous editions have been translated into French, Spanish, Polish and Czech. The author, John Biggar, is a very experienced high-altitude mountaineer who has been climbing and skiing in the Andes for 30 years and has made ascents of over 350 peaks higher than 5000m. The 5th edition includes route information for all 100 of the major 6000m mountains, plus over 300 other peaks. With over 200 diagrams, 270 photos and 80 maps it also gives the best ski-mountaineering peaks in over 10 areas across 5 countries. Because an unforgettable journey starts with a thorough preparation, find out everything you need to know about climbing and skiing the Andes in this guide ! ABOUT THE AUTHOR John Biggar is a professional mountaineering instructor based in Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland. His first publication was an internal report for the nuclear physics department at Edinburgh University, entitled "Anisotropies in the Sequential Break-up of Li6". Since those days John has done little nuclear physics but has been climbing and ski-mountaineering in the Andes a lot. He has climbed many of the highest peaks, including 19 of the 20 highest, made over 100 ascents of 6000m peaks, plus 180 ascents of Andean 5000m peaks. He has made first ascents of six 6000m peaks and also made the first ski descent of Domuyo, the highest peak in Patagonia. A professional mountaineering instructor, he runs a business which specialises in mountaineering, skiing and ski-mountaineering expeditions to South America.

Currently under construction in Northern Chile, the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) is the most ambitious astronomy facility under construction. This book describes the enormous capabilities of ALMA, the state of the project, and most notably the scientific prospects of such a unique facility. The book includes reviews and recent results on most hot topics of modern astronomy. It looks forward to the revolutionary results that are likely to be obtained with ALMA.

With the break up of the Spanish empire in South America, the continent split into nine independent states with often ill-defined boundaries. One of these was that between Bolivia and Chile, which were separated by the Atacama Desert, tone of the driest regions in the world. When it was realized that the area contained nitrates that the world needed for explosives and fertilizer the scene was set for the inevitable clash. When war broke out in February 1879, both sides found themselves unprepared for war. Rapid armament followed as the Peruvians were dragged into the conflict in support of their Bolivian allies. Initially there was a tiresome naval war of blockade and guerre de course. Two naval actions decided the naval campaign in favor of the Chileans who then proceeded to use their naval power to attack the Allies’ isolated armies and capture Lima two years after war had broken out. Fighting then developed into a cruel and ruthless guerrilla war in the Andes, sometimes even pitting Peruvian against Peruvian, before the Peruvians finally concede defeat. The war was notable in the West for fights involving ironclads, particularly the Battle of Angamos, which saw the only time ironclads were pitted against each other between the Battle of Lissa and the Battle of the Yalu River. The war helped formulate Captain Mahan’s thoughts in “The Influence of Sea Power upon History”. The land war was more or less ignored abroad, although it included some of the biggest battles ever fought on the continent, using all the latest technology, including breech loading rifles and cannons and machine guns. The armies on both sides initially lacked experience and training as well as modern equipment. The Bolivian Army started the war with 806 officers and only 1369 other ranks! In the end the Chileans won because of their more stable government, better financial situation and their control of the sea, due to their two superior ironclads. From the Atacama to the Andes tells the brutal struggle between two sides to control the wealth of the Atacama and for retention of Bolivia’s coast. The result was that Chile gained the mineral resources of the “New North” and Bolivia became the second landlocked country on the continent, paving the way for the even more catastrophic Chaco War 50 years later.