In The Descent of Man Darwin addresses many of the issues raised by his notorious Origin of Species: finding in the traits and instincts of animals the origins of the mental abilities of humans, of language, of our social structures and our moral capacities, he attempts to show that there is no clear dividing line between animals and humans. Most importantly, he accounts for what Victorians called the 'races' of mankind by means of what he calls sexual...

"In the tradition of E.H. Gombrich, Stephen Hawking, and Alan Weisman-an entertaining and uniquely informed narration of Life's life story. In the beginning, Earth was an inhospitably alien place-in constant chemical flux, covered with churning seas, crafting its landscape through incessant volcanic eruptions. Amid all this tumult and disaster, life began. The earliest living things were no more than membranes stretched across microscopic gaps in...

Mann shows how a new generation of researchers equipped with novel scientific techniques have come to previously unheard-of conclusions about the Americas before the arrival of the Europeans: In 1491 there were probably more people living in the Americas than in Europe. Certain cities -- such as Tenochtitlán, the Aztec capital -- were greater in population than any European city. Tenochtitlán, unlike any capital in Europe at that time, had running...

Theories about giants are expressed through discoveries over the years.

A long, long time ago, when the earth was extremely hot, a huge amount of vapor was released, creating clouds. As the clouds got bigger and heavier, it started to rain. Three of those raindrops were brothers who came down to cool the hot earth and traveled, as water does, to every corner of the earth, including apartment building pipes and muddy rivers. Written by a scientist, this is a great book for all curious children and budding young explorers....

"The Moon is not a cold, dead rock but a rich, fascinating world just as alive as Earth"--Provided by publisher.

A fascinating investigation of the origin of humans, based on incredible new discoveries and advanced scientific technology "Conveys the thrill of archaeological discovery.''Alexander Larman, The Observer "Packs in startling discoveries, impressive insights and the occasional debunking of a foolish idea.''Michael Marshall, New Scientist Fifty thousand years ago, Homo sapiens was not the only species of humans in the world. There were also Neanderthals...

At the time of Jesus' birth, thousands of people were leaving their families and tribes behind and flocking into brand new multi-ethnic cities. The world was undergoing the first phase of globalization, and in this ferment rulers and ruled turned to religion as a source of order and stability. The world was full of gods, competing and merging with one another. Selina O'Grady takes the reader on a journey across the empires of the ancient world and...

When Arnold wishes he had more information for his family tree, Ms. Frizzle revs up the Magic School Bus and the class zooms back to prehistoric times. First stop: 3.5 billion years ago! There aren't any people around to ask for directions. Luckily Ms. Frizzle has a plan, and the class is right there to watch simple cells become sponges and then fish and dinosaurs, then mammals and early primates and, eventually, modern humans. It's the longest class...

When John Robbins first released The Food Revolution in 1987, his insights into America's harmful eating habits gave us a powerful wake-up call. Since then, Robbins has continued to shine a spotlight on the most important issues in food politics, such as our dependence on animal products, provoking awareness and promoting change. Robbins's arguments for a plant-based diet are compelling and backed by over twenty years of work in the field of sustainable...