An all-inclusive catalogue of the world's living diversity, Five Kingdoms defines and describes the major divisions, or phyla, of nature's five great kingdoms - bacteria, protoctists, animals, fungi, and plants - using a modern classification scheme that is consistent with both the fossil record and molecular data. Generously illustrated and remarkably easy to follow, it not only allows readers to sample the full range of life forms inhabiting our planet but to familiarize themselves with the taxonomic theories by which all organisms' origins and distinctive characteristics are traced and classified.

Explores the appearance, characteristics, and behavior of protists and fungi, lifeforms which are neither plants nor animals, using specific examples such as algae, mold, and mushrooms.

A fantastic aid for coursework, homework, and test revision, this is the ultimate study guide to biology. From reproduction to respiration and from enzymes to ecosystems, every topic is fully illustrated to support the information, make the facts clear, and bring biology to life. For key ideas, “How it works” and “Look closer” boxes explain the theory with the help of simple graphics. And for revision, a handy “Key facts” box provides a summary you can check back on later. With clear, concise coverage of all the core biology topics, SuperSimple Biology is the perfect accessible guide for students, supporting classwork, and making studying for exams the easiest it’s ever been.

The animal world is immensely diverse, and our understanding of it has been greatly enhanced by analysis of DNA and the study of evolution and development ('evo-devo'). In this Very Short Introduction Peter Holland presents a modern tour of the animal kingdom. Beginning with the definition of animals (not obvious in biological terms), he takes the reader through the high-level groupings of animals (phyla) and new views on their evolutionary relationships based on molecular data, together with an overview of the biology of each group of animals. The phylogenetic view is central to zoology today and the volume will be of great value to all students of the life sciences, as well as providing a concise summary for the interested general reader. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

A revealing and surprising look at how classification systems can shape both worldviews and social interactions. What do a seventeenth-century mortality table (whose causes of death include "fainted in a bath," "frighted," and "itch"); the identification of South Africans during apartheid as European, Asian, colored, or black; and the separation of machine- from hand-washables have in common? All are examples of classification—the scaffolding of information infrastructures. In Sorting Things Out, Geoffrey C. Bowker and Susan Leigh Star explore the role of categories and standards in shaping the modern world. In a clear and lively style, they investigate a variety of classification systems, including the International Classification of Diseases, the Nursing Interventions Classification, race classification under apartheid in South Africa, and the classification of viruses and of tuberculosis. The authors emphasize the role of invisibility in the process by which classification orders human interaction. They examine how categories are made and kept invisible, and how people can change this invisibility when necessary. They also explore systems of classification as part of the built information environment. Much as an urban historian would review highway permits and zoning decisions to tell a city's story, the authors review archives of classification design to understand how decisions have been made. Sorting Things Out has a moral agenda, for each standard and category valorizes some point of view and silences another. Standards and classifications produce advantage or suffering. Jobs are made and lost; some regions benefit at the expense of others. How these choices are made and how we think about that process are at the moral and political core of this work. The book is an important empirical source for understanding the building of information infrastructures.

Charlie Lewis is a Business Man who lives in Thomasville, Georgia with his wife of more than forty years, Fran. They have two wonderful sons in their thirties, Zachary and Nicholas. Their wives Leah and Jennifer have each added two additional Lewis', ZJ and Ben and Kaitlyn and Nick II, the four Lewis Grandchildren, the most beautiful and intelligent Grandchildren ever. The Charlie & Fran Lewis Family operate Call Centers, an Association, a Durable Medical Company and other such efforts in their function primarily as National Distribution Companies for many large insurance carriers. The Kingdom Group works with a base of approximately twenty-five thousand Agents and employs several hundred Company personnel. Fran Lewis is a Graduate Gemologist and operates Jewelry stores. The Family is engaged in Leadership of many community, social and faith-based organizations. They travel extensively around the world engaging in hands-on participation. They are committed to making a difference in the culture of nations as well as improving the quality of life for those who are in need. The teaching of values and principles through the LaRed Training method, the understanding of how to engage this understanding and positively direct the outcomes of their lives has proven to be a very effective manner of improvement in the culture and lives of others. For more than a dozen years Mr. Lewis has studied and taught that there is a system on Earth whereby humanity can live and operate successfully, no matter what is happening around them. Their Family is living proof.