How do hurricanes form? Why do the seasons change? What are tetonic plates? Step inside the inner workings of Planet Earth to find out... This book takes you on an access-all-areas tour of the planet you call home. Dig deep underground, float amoung the clouds, and surf the ocean currents to get a close-up look at the fascinating processes that shape our world.

In this fascinating introduction to Planet Earth, large, colorful diagrams are brought to life by tiny people running around performing the actions that are explained in the text. With Earth’s processes visualized in this imaginative and fun way and accompanied by bite-sized, informative text, even complex ideas are easy to understand. Readers can take an in-depth look at the workings of our planet, from the water cycle and the atmosphere, to how the seasons change and why hurricanes happen. Double gatefolds give a large space in which to explore complex processes such as the rock cycle and evolution. A follow-up to the successful book, Stuff You Need to Know About the Human Body.

From the duo behind the massively successful and award-winning podcast Stuff You Should Know comes an unexpected look at things you thought you knew. Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant started the podcast Stuff You Should Know back in 2008 because they were curious—curious about the world around them, curious about what they might have missed in their formal educations, and curious to dig deeper on stuff they thought they understood. As it turns out, they aren't the only curious ones. They've since amassed a rabid fan base, making Stuff You Should Know one of the most popular podcasts in the world. Armed with their inquisitive natures and a passion for sharing, they uncover the weird, fascinating, delightful, or unexpected elements of a wide variety of topics. The pair have now taken their near-boundless "whys" and "hows" from your earbuds to the pages of a book for the first time—featuring a completely new array of subjects that they’ve long wondered about and wanted to explore. Each chapter is further embellished with snappy visual material to allow for rabbit-hole tangents and digressions—including charts, illustrations, sidebars, and footnotes. Follow along as the two dig into the underlying stories of everything from the origin of Murphy beds, to the history of facial hair, to the psychology of being lost. Have you ever wondered about the world around you, and wished to see the magic in everyday things? Come get curious with Stuff You Should Know. With Josh and Chuck as your guide, there’s something interesting about everything (...except maybe jackhammers).

'Bite-sized, cutting edge science delivered with enormous enthusiasm - all you need to travel the cosmos' CHRIS LINTOTT 'A lot of astrophysics is packed into this neat little book . . . I guarantee you will come away knowing your dark matter from your supermassive black holes' JIM AL-KHALILI This book is for anyone who wants to easily understand the mind-blowing fundamentals of our extraordinary, expanding universe. Written by Oxford astrophysicist Dr Becky Smethurst and composed of ten captivating, simple essays, it guides you swiftly through the galaxies, explaining the mysteries of black holes, dark matter and what existed before the Big Bang, presenting the evidence as to whether we really are alone, illuminating what we still don't know, and much more besides. If you have big questions about Space, this book will provide you with the answers in an engaging and succinct way.

Stuff You Need to Know virtually overflows with illustrations and information about 28 activities and objects from everyday life. In fact, the book is so jam-packed that eight gatefolds provide the extra room needed to explain complex activities. Each item is on a double-page spread filled edge to edge with informative text in numbered sequence. Accurate, lighthearted illustrations reveal everything a step at a time. The "stuff" ranges from taking out the garbage to launching a rocket. Here are some examples: Electricity -- Steam power, turbine, magnet, generator, current, transformer, mains, fuse, meter Making a Pizza (gatefold): How does a pizzeria deliver a pizza so quickly? Ingredients for the pizza base and topping, what they are, and where they come from. Microwave Oven -- Molecules, waves, cross-section of a microwave oven, protective layer, timer 3D Printer -- 3D model, CAD, programming in sections, nozzles, layers, spool, nozzle, acetone Setting Up a Satellite (gatefold) -- SatNet, geostationary, ACTS, transponder, thrusters, parabolic antennae Solar Panels -- Thermal energy, photo voltaic panels, pump, solar energy, solar power stations Toilet Tank -- Float, siphon tank, siphon ball, bowl, flow, suction, piston, valve, water supply pipe Weather Report -- Weather balloons, weather centers, satellites, GTS, supercomputer, chart, forecast. Stuff You Need to Know! has the fascinating stories behind the everyday activities that we all take for granted. Readers of all ages will be surprised where the answers take them.

Where on earth will you find a more exciting look at the world around us? Explore the world's continents, countries, and capital cities, and marvel at the planet's most extraordinary physical features-from the highest mountains to the deepest oceans-in a lighthearted mix of text, diagrams, maps, and amusing illustrations that will captivate children and encourage them to keep trekking. Divided into bite-size chunks, this book presents kids with a world of knowledge in the coolest ways possible and includes: a whirlwind tour of what planet Earth is made of and its position in the solar system. a look at the continents, with a listing of all the countries and their capital cities. forest fun facts and "tree-via." a chart of the world's largest deserts and the venomous animals that live there. an exciting journey across the ocean floor. Filled with hundreds of cool ways to remember the tallest, largest, longest, and most desolate, I Wish I Knew That: Geography is the perfect companion to help kids get a grip on the globe.

This book is a book of knowledge. It is not intended to go into depth in any one subject matter. Rather, it gives an overview of many different subject areas such as the sciences, history, philosophy and literature. With that type of an overview, one can then focus on specific areas of interest and make a decision either then to become a subject matter expert in a specific area or simply to broaden one's knowledge in a multitude of areas.The first part of the book deals with the basics. The basics are such things as physics, chemistry, biology, weather, the oceans, astronomy, the human body, language, writing and money. With an understanding of those basics, hopefully the reader will have a better appreciation of the interaction between chemistry, physics and biology. Hopefully the reader will have a keener appreciation of how weather, oceans and astronomy are interrelated. The reader will also have a better understanding of not only how the human body works but also how the human brain deals with language and has developed writing. Finally as part of the basics there is a chapter that deals with the economy and how money works.Part II deals with history and in particular the role of freedom. As one of the professors in this book states, the role of freedom is probably overrated in the course of human history. Many historians espouse the idea that all people crave freedom. Rather, what they really crave is order, food on the table, and a roof over their head. If they have those things, then they have the luxury of seeking to be free.The final part of the book deals with specific people of the world including the Vikings, the Mongolians, the Chinese and many more.