Why do human beings cook their food? What does a gene look like? How do insects see the world? The answers to these intriguing questions and 998 more, ranging from astrology to zoology, are revealed in this fascinating book. Find out everything you want to know about the world around us: our mysterious universe; the human body; the secrets of nature; our changing planet; the everyday world, and the marvels of science and technology. This book will help you keep up with new phenomena and new technology and learn to understand the world around you in a fun and engaging way. Lavishly illustrated, this book is a fund of accessible information for all the family.

Reveals the amazing truths about animals and their sensitivities, skills, and strengths, from the bat's ability to catch insect prey in complete darkness to animals that cure their own ailments by using herbs in their habitats.

"To most of us there have come exceptional, unworldly moments, like unsuspected deeps in a stream, when we fell through appearances - fell through ourselves - into an intuition of majesty and wonder." - Bhikkhu Nyanasobhano in Landscapes of Wonder Landscapes of Wonder deftly transports the spirit of Buddhist contemplation off the cushion and into the natural world. With a lyricism and spiritual immediacy reminiscent of Thoreau and Emerson, in eighteen meditational essays Bhikkhu Nyanasobhano considers Buddhist themes through the prism of nature. The reflections captured in these satisfying literary explorations will appeal to all who appreciate contemplation of the natural world and our place in it.

In a world without wood, we might not be here at all. Without wood, we wouldn't have had the fire, heat, and shelter that allowed us to expand into the colder regions of the planet. If civilization somehow did develop, our daily lives still would be vastly different: there would be no violins, baseball bats, chopsticks, or wine corks. The book you are now holding wouldn't exist. At the same time, many of us are removed from the world where wood is shaped and celebrated every day. That world is inhabited by a unique assortment of eccentric craftsmen and passionate enthusiasts who have created some of the world's most beloved musical instruments, feared weapons, dazzling architecture, sacred relics, and bizarre forms of transportation. In A Splintered History of Wood, Spike Carlsen has uncovered the most outlandish characters and examples, from world-champion chainsaw carvers to blind woodworkers, the Miraculous Staircase to the Lindbergh kidnapping case, and many more, in a passionate and personal exploration of nature's greatest gift.