"From the coauthor of the award-winning Nonstop Metropolis--a short, fascinating journey into the past, present, and future of New York City through its place names and the stories they contain. Drawing on his background in cultural geography, Joshua Jelly-Schapiro excavates the wealth of stories that are embedded in New York City's place names and uses them to illuminate the power of naming to shape experience and our sense of place. He traces the...

Meet the extraordinary wildlife and people of the Himalaya--the highest mountain range on earth, where the air is the thinnest, the wind the strongest, the storms the fiercest. The higher you climb, the tougher it gets to survive.

The Rockies stretch 3000 miles across a beautiful wilderness, home to cougar, wolverine, wolves, and grizzly, and where daredevil wingsuit fliers jump from high peaks and Native Americans compete in breakneck horse races.

Presents the history, geography, climate, plants and animals, cities, transportation, natural resources, industry, sports, entertainment, and people of Idaho, as well as general facts about the Hawkeye State.

"A history of a quintessentially American place - the rural and small town heartland -- that uncovers deep yet hidden currents of connection with the world"--

The United States stretches from the Pacific Ocean in the west to the Atlantic Ocean in the east. This vast country includes plains, mountain ranges, deserts, tundra, and even volcanic islands. Find out more about the United States, such as culture, geography, and history.

"Amazing characters and unforgettable stories from the Old and New Testaments! From Adam and Eve to the life of Jesus - fun facts, full-color photos, illustrations, and maps make this an unforgettable journey that brings key Bible characters and locations to life. Get ready to meet the most amazing characters that ever lived and be transported to places you will never forget." -- back cover.

Meet the originator of scientific exploration, who trekked to the edge of the world so that he could see for himself what was there. Put Pytheas the Greek in the context of his time and place, sketching the Mediterranean as a cradle of civilization and examining how word of his voyage influenced later exploration.

Although traders had traveled the Silk Road since the Roman Empire, there was little awareness of what existed at the other--until Marco Polo's accounts of China opened Europeans' eyes to a mysterious, advanced civilization. Start with background on the medieval world, then look closely at Polo's travels and legacy.

Consider religious motivations for exploration. Men like the Irish monk St. Brendan--who sailed the Atlantic in a tiny leather boat--sought God and fled the world's corruptions, some searching for paradise and some merely for seclusion. Examine how legendary re-workings of such real adventures left a surprising legacy that would affect later exploration.