Books in National Geographic Investigates series

The culture of ancient India is revealed through archaeology, our modern-day portal to the past. Through dramatic photography and lively narrative, take a passage to Indian antiquity. Visit Mohenjo-Daro or the "mound of the dead," a city built between 4 and 5 thousand years ago. Read how excavations there, begun in 1922, continue to uncover this ancient citadel. Learn, first-hand, what modern techniques tell us about ancient civilizations in the lower Indus Valley. And see how ancient treasures help archaeologists stitch together the multitudinous strands of India's past.

Ladies and Gentlemen: the next President of the United States will soon be included within the pages of one of our perennial favorites. National Geographic Children’s Books will publish this fully revised and updated edition of Our Country’s Presidents in time for the Inauguration of our 44th head of state—the first Presidents reference book on the market after the election.This president will follow in the footsteps of 43 predecessors who have assumed America’s greatest responsibility: these men have faithfully executed their duties—they have signed treaties, addressed Congress, brokered peace, and waged war. Each has left his own indelible mark on the history of the United States and on the lives of the American people.Find out why George Washington gave up his life as a Virginia planter to lead the nation; why John Taylor was deemed "His Accidency"; walk with the presidents through wars, depressions, civil rights movements, and the space race; romp with the Garfield children in a White House pillow fight; and mourn with a nation for John F. Kennedy.This timely update will offer fascinating and comprehensive profiles of all the presidents, timelines of their administrations, historic images, and features on important aspects of their terms. A fresh cover design and informative insight about our new leader will make this volume stand apart from all other contenders, and confirm its place as the definitive family reference guide to the fascinating lives of our leaders past and present.

Travel back in time to a civilization that lasted over 3,000 years. Knowledge of this splendid culture comes to us through significant archaeological finds, such as royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, which contained not only mummies, but exquisite artifacts as well. The discovery of the Rosetta Stone eventually led to the decoding of Egyptian hieroglyphics. Ancient Egypt still holds many mysteries. Share the excitement of the scientists who are in the field today, working to unlock the secrets of Egypt's past.

Outbreaks provides a fascinating introduction to the fight against infectious diseases, including scientists who discovered various viruses and bacteria. The text outlines how we have learned to fight nature’s harmful strains and to use others to our advantage; it also provides the latest findings on bird flu and SARS, Ebola and AIDS, and highly resistant strains of tuberculosis. Outbreaks gives readers the experts’ view on an area of science which is vital to the future health of mankind.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.

Archaeology unlocks the secrets of Greece's ancient past. Explore the ruins of Greece and Turkey, on land and under sea.In 1870, amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann discovers Hissarlik, part of Troy.In 1939, the palace of King Nestor in the Mycenaean city of Messina is unearthed near Pylos. In 1996, artifacts from the city, burned around 1200 B.C., link the site to Homer's Odyssey.In 1983, a Turkish diver locates the world's oldest shipwreck, which yields the world's oldest "book"—a carved wooden writing tablet with an ivory hinge.This title brings readers into close contact with scientists working to uncover the secrets of the Ancient Greeks, whose artifacts appear at digs across Europe, Asia Minor, and northern Africa.Ancient Greece includes an interview with underwater archaeologist Faith Hentschel, a past grantee of the National Geographic Society.

The ancient secrets of Egypt's Valley of the Kings are presented with fresh insight into the mystery and intrigue of the Egyptian civilization. Beginning with the discovery of King Tutankhamun's tomb, the authors explore the entire Valley--the final resting place of more than 50 pharaohs--and tell little-known stories about the tombs and their occupants. 60 photos & drawings. 2 maps.

National Geographic Simply Beautiful Photographs takes readers on a spectacular visual journey through some of the most stunning photographs to be found in National Geographic's famed Image Collection. Award-winning photographer Annie Griffiths culled the images to reflect the many variations on the universal theme of beauty. Chapters are organized around the aesthetic concepts that create beauty in a photograph: Light, Composition, Moment (Gesture and Emotion), Motion, Palette, and Wonder.Beyond the introduction and brief essays about each featured concept, the text is light. The photographs speak for themselves, enhanced by lyrical quotes from scholars and poets. In the chapter on Light, for example, we read these words of whimsical wisdom from songwriter Leonard Cohen: "Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in everything. That's how the lights get in." And then the images flow, of light entering scenes via windows, clouds, and spotlights, from above, alongside, and behind, casting radiance upon young ballerinas and weathered men, into groves of autumn trees and island-dotted seas, revealing everything it touches to be beautiful beyond expectation.To illuminate the theme of Wonder, Griffiths chose a wish from Andre Bazin: "If I had influence with the good fairy...I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life." This thought is juxtaposed with an exquisite vision in white, a frame filled with the snowy-pure dots and rays of a bird's fan tail. And on it goes, picture after tantalizing picture, alive with wondrous beauty.When she created National Geographic Simply Beautiful Photographs, Annie Griffiths set two goals: to maximize visual delight, and to create a book unique in the world of publishing--one in which many of the photographs could be purchased as prints. She has succeeded on both counts. Many of these stunning images are available for order, and there can be no doubt as to the visual delight. You must open this book for yourself, and take in its radiant beauty.

The new fourth edition of National Geographic's award-winning Student Atlas of the World is more fascinating and fact-filled than ever, and has gone INTERACTIVE with new digital extras, including scannable pages that link to photo galleries and quizzes. Dynamic, user-friendly content includes photos, facts, charts, graphics, and full-color political, physical, and thematic maps on important topics. From the cartographic experts at National Geographic comes the latest edition of its award-winning student atlas, with everything kids want and need to know about our changing world!

Year after year, hundreds of millions of visitors spend more than a billion hours enjoying the magnificent, astonishingly diverse realm overseen by America’s National Park Service. And the National Geographic Society has been involved with this forward-looking, environmentally-minded department from the very beginning.This extensive travel planner covers not just the 58 official National Parks but also the nearly 350 additional properties in the Park Service’s domain. The premier Parks are described in detail, but equal attention is given to the National Monuments, Memorials, Preserves, Historic Sites, Battlefields, Cemeteries, and Seashores, not to mention a network of "National Trails" and even the intriguingly referred to "Affiliated Areas." From Yellowstone to the Statue of Liberty, from the hallowed ground of Gettysburg National Military Park to the Pacific waters shrouding Hawaii’s U.S.S. Arizona Memorial, this catalog spans American history and territory both, with practical advice on how to reach each park, when to go, and what to do there.

Future Tech illustrates and explains the most current research and technologies that promise to change our lives dramatically in the future. From machines with the ability of independent thought, to cars that drive themselves, to robots that borrow their nature from nature itself, this book gives young readers an inspiring glimpse of possibilities within their lifetimes. Budding young scientists will be awed to learn of "spray-on" computers that could one day outfit us in smart clothes; every young mind will be psyched to encounter humanoid robots like Cog and Kismet; and how cool would it be to one day have tiny robots enter the bloodstream to clean up our arteries? The book’s high-quality photos and drawings explore... The future of technology: how will robotics and biomimetics shape our world?The future of medicine: how will prosthetics and transplants change our lives?The future of transportation: what will run the cars of the future—or will we travel by some other means?The future of family life: what can we expect from the super-smart house, office, and school of the future? Future Tech will fast-forward readers into a time of incredible innovation and change. This fascinating latest addition to the National Geographic Investigates Science series is way ahead of its time.

The Human Brain aligns young readers with top scientists, doctors, and researchers from around the world in the field of neurobiology.The amazing abilities of the human brain are endlessly fascinating to kids. How do we think? How do we remember? How does our brain work with the senses to enable us to experience the world around us? What happens when a person’s brain is injured, and what can be done to help fix it? This book puts readers right beside the brain researchers and doctors who are constantly seeking answers to these questions.The book introduces young readers to the inspiring men and women who are making incredible advances in the world of brain science. The informed, educational text and insightful illustrations help them understand all the latest developments in this exciting field of human science.

No one could have thought up a more amazing character than the living, breathing Benjamin Franklin. He was everything from a "soapmaker, candle dipper, and printer" to a "postmaster, political activist, community reformer, revolutionary, statesman, international diplomat, and first great citizen of a nation which he, as much or more than anyone, helped to create." Acclaimed children's author-illustrator Cheryl Harness through her true-to-life paintings and storytelling-style narrative, along with a generous sampling of Franklin's own words, lets you "walk in his shoes" as you discover just how truly remarkable Benjamin Franklin was.National Geographic supports K-12 educators with ELA Common Core Resources.Visit www.natgeoed.org/commoncore for more information.