Books with author Michael L. Benson

So you think you're smarter than a fifth grader? Well, as many contestants have already discovered on the smash hit TV show hosted by Jeff Foxworthy, you may have either forgotten more than you realize about "the three R's" or simply never learned in the first place! How much do you really know about third grade math? Fourth grade social studies? Fifth grade science? First grade spelling?You may have a high school diploma or a college degree hanging on your wall, but are you smarter than a fifth grader? You'll find out in this book, which includes brain-teasing ten-question quizzes (including million-dollar bonus questions) on information the average eleven-year-old is expected to know—plus there are great bits of fun and fascinating trivia sprinkled throughout. Go ahead—we dare you to prove you're as bright as that gum-chewing kid with the backpack who's waiting on the corner for that yellow bus every morning. School is back in session. And maybe you'll even learn a thing or two that you missed by not paying attention the first time around.

Explore the fascinating prehistoric world of the dinosaur with this fully illustrated guide to over 130 dinosaurs. Each description includes clear, up-to-date notes on where, how, and when the animal lived, a precise and colorful illustration, and a complete description of its size, diet, habits, and ecological significance. Also include as special features of this unique pocket reference are: An extensive time chart A list of museums and sites to visit around the world Projects and hints on how to further your interest in dinosaurs And a comprehensive glossary and index. Everything a dinosaur lover wants and needs, in a handy, take-along pocket size for home and school use!

If Archie Bunker had TiVo, he'd be the Kid from Brooklyn. -VH1 The perpetually pissed off and potty-mouthed Kid from Brooklyn, famous for classic video rants like "Starbucks" and "Bat Day", is back for more, spewing contempt for virtually everything in twenty-first-century American culture, unabashedly letting you know why "the world is comin' to a f*ckin' end". Now in his second book of unedited outraged observations, the Kid mouths off on all that America holds dear-or not: The Kid On Marriage: "I been married and I been in prison. There's no f*ckin' difference. Except sometimes the food is better in prison". The Kid On Men Versus Women: "I'd rather be a man than a woman any day. Guys in hockey masks don't attack you, all your orgasms are real, and if you retain water, it's in a canteen". The Kid On Gun Control: "The liberals are crying, '100,000 people were killed by handguns last year.' Would it make the liberals feel any better if them 100,000 people were pushed out of friggin' windows" The Kid On Men Wearing Sandals: "I don't even wanna look at my own feet, and I sure as hell don't wanna look at someone else's. What we need is Foot Police-you got ugly feet and wear sandals in public, it's a $250 fine". The Kid On Britney Spears: "She's like the chick you had the hots for in high school and see at the ten-year reunion. She's gained sixty pounds, smokes unfiltered Camels, she's divorced with two bratty kids, and works at a take-out joint". The Kid On This Book: "Buy it or don't buy it, what the hell do I care" And a buttload more about the good old days of growing up in Canarsie and the cast of screwballs, crazies, perverts, gangsters, retards, losers, and whack-jobs who made Brooklyn the garden spot of the world. Anyway, think about it, you mook. Mike Caracciolo, aka the Kid From Brooklyn, was born in Canarsie, a tough-as-nails blue-collar neighborhood. He's worked at number of professions, most notably as a

Earth's climate has undergone dramatic changes over the geologic timescale. At one extreme, Earth has been glaciated from the poles to the equator for periods that may have lasted millions of years. At another, temperatures were once so warm that the Canadian Arctic was heavily forested and large dinosaurs lived on Antarctica. Paleoclimatology is the study of such changes and their causes. Studying Earth's long-term climate history gives scientists vital clues about anthropogenic global warming and how climate is affected by human endeavor. In this book, Michael Bender, an internationally recognized authority on paleoclimate, provides a concise, comprehensive, and sophisticated introduction to the subject. After briefly describing the major periods in Earth history to provide geologic context, he discusses controls on climate and how the record of past climate is determined. The heart of the book then proceeds chronologically, introducing the history of climate changes over millions of years--its patterns and major transitions, and why average global temperature has varied so much. The book ends with a discussion of the Holocene (the past 10,000 years) and by putting manmade climate change in the context of paleoclimate. The most up-to-date overview on the subject, Paleoclimate provides an ideal introduction to undergraduates, nonspecialist scientists, and general readers with a scientific background.