Books in BIG IDEAS That Changed the World series

Award-winning author Don Brown explores the history of rocket building in the first book of the Big Ideas That Changed the World series “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong said those iconic words when Apollo 11 landed on the moon. But it wasn’t just one man who got us to the moon—there was a whole team of people, plus centuries of discoveries and technologies that came before, that made it possible. From ancient Chinese rockets to the first steps on the moon, Rocket to the Moon! reveals which “bombs bursting in air” inspired the writer of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” why the Russians wanted to launch a dog into Earth’s atmosphere, and how exactly astronauts are able to go to the bathroom while in a rocket far off in space! Big Ideas That Changed the World is a graphic novel series that celebrates the hard-won succession of ideas that ultimately changed the world. Humor, drama, and art unite to tell the story of events, discoveries, and ingenuity over time that led humans to come up with a big idea and then make it come true. Also available: Machines That Think!

Christopher Hitchens, the #1 New York Times best-selling author of God Is Not Great has been called a Tom Paine for our times, and in this addition to the Books that Changed the World Series, he vividly introduces Paine and his Declaration of the Rights of Man, the world’s foremost defense of democracy. Inspired by his outrage at Edmund Burke’s attack on the French Revolution, Paine’s text is a passionate defense of man’s inalienable rights, and the key to his reputation. Ever since the day of publication in 1791, Declaration of the Rights of Man has been celebrated, criticized, maligned, suppressed, and co-opted, but in Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man, Hitchens marvels at its forethought and revels in its contentiousness. Famous as a polemicist and provocative commentator, Hitchens is a political descendent of the great pamphleteer. In this engaging work he demonstrates how Thomas Paine’s book forms the philosophical cornerstone of the United States of America, and how “in a time when both rights and reason are under attack, the life and writing of Thomas Paine will always be part of the arsenal on which we shall need to depend.”

Award-winning author Don Brown explores computers and technology in the second book of the Big Ideas That Changed the World series Machines That Think! explores machines from ancient history to today that perform a multitude of tasks, from making mind-numbing calculations to working on assembly lines to guiding spaceships to the moon. Machines That Think! includes fascinating looks at the world’s earliest calculators, the birth of computer programming, and the arrival of smartphones. Contributors discussed include Muhammad ibn Mūsā al-Khwārizmī, Ada Lovelace, Alan Turing, and Bill Gates. From the abacus to artificial intelligence, machines through the ages have pushed the boundaries of human capability and creativity. Big Ideas That Changed the World is a graphic novel series that celebrates the hard-won succession of ideas that ultimately changed the world. Humor, drama, and art unite to tell the story of events, discoveries, and ingenuity over time that led humans to come up with a big idea and then make it come true. Also available: Rocket to the Moon!

As the single work at the heart of Christianity, the world’s largest organized religion, the Bible is the spiritual guide for one out of every three people in the world. It is also the world’s most widely distributed book and its best-selling, with an estimated six billion copies sold in the last two hundred years. But the Bible is a complex work with a complicated and obscure history. Its contents have changed over the centuries, it has been transformed by translation and, through interpretation, has developed manifold meanings to various religions, denominations, and sects.In this seminal account, acclaimed historian Karen Armstrong discusses the conception, gestation, life, and afterlife of history’s most powerful book. Armstrong analyzes the social and political situation in which oral history turned into written scripture, how this all-pervasive scripture was collected into one work, and how it became accepted as Christianity’s sacred text, and how its interpretation changed over time. Armstrong’s history of the Bible is a brilliant, captivating book, crucial in an age of declining faith and rising fundamentalism.

As the work at the heart of Christianity, the Bible is the spiritual guide for one out of every three people in the world. It is also the world’s most widely distributed book, translated into over two thousand languages, and the world’s best selling book, year after year. But the Bible is a complex work with a complicated and obscure history. Made up of sixty-six “books” written by various authors and divided into two testaments, its contents have changed over the centuries. The Bible has been transformed by translation and, through interpretation, has developed manifold meanings to various religions, denominations, and sects. In this seminal account, acclaimed historian Karen Armstrong discusses the conception, gestation, and life of history’s most powerful book. Armstrong analyzes the social and political situation in which oral history turned into written scripture, how this all-pervasive scripture was collected into one work, and how it became accepted as Christianity’s sacred text. She explores how scripture came to be read for information, and how, in the nineteenth century, historical criticism of the Bible caused greater fear than Darwinism. This is a brilliant, captivating book, crucial in an age of declining faith and rising fundamentalism.

Thomas Paine was one of the greatest advocates of freedom in history, and his Declaration of the Rights of Man, first published in 1791, is the key to his reputation. Inspired by his outrage at Edmund Burke’s attack on the French Revolution, Paine’s text is a passionate defense of man’s inalienable rights. Since its publication, Rights of Man has been celebrated, criticized, maligned, suppressed, and co-opted. But in Thomas Paine’s Rights of Man, the polemicist and commentator Christopher Hitchens, “at his characteristically incisive best,” marvels at its forethought and revels in its contentiousness (The Times, London). Hitchens is a political descendant of the great pamphleteer, “a Tom Paine for our troubled times.” (The Independent, London) In this “engaging account of Paine’s life and times [that is] well worth reading” he demonstrates how Paine’s book forms the philosophical cornerstone of the United States, and how, “in a time when both rights and reason are under attack,” Thomas Paine’s life and writing “will always be part of the arsenal on which we shall need to depend.” (New Statesman)

Inside the Reformation is a visual journey through the Reformation with concise text and richly designed pages. While not laid out as a traditional history book, it communicates the same information through pictures, illustrations, and short articles in a fun way. This book makes a great addition to school libraries, classrooms, and personal collections. Get the inside story of the ReformationThe PeopleLearn all about the people and everyday life during the time of the Reformation. You may have heard of Martin Luther, but who were the other people of the Reformation? How did people live in the sixteenth century?What did they do for fun? What was school like?The Ideas & EventsLearn about amazing inventions and ideas that helped shape the world as we know it today like how could Martin Luther's writings change the history of the world? What inventions helped make the Reformation possible? What events changed the course of history?

GRADES 3–6: Elementary-aged readers will explore amazing facts about the invention of space exploration in this 32-page nonfiction science book, which shows a before-and-after comparison at how space technology has changed our world – and beyond!INVENTION BOOK FOR KIDS: Space exploration is one of humanity's most incredible accomplishments. In this science invention book, readers will get an up-close look at space travel and how the invention of space technology has helped us explore other planets and learn more about our own. INCLUDES: Readers will be hooked from beginning to end with mesmerizing science facts and vivid photos! A glossary is provided as well as comprehension questions and an extension activity for further exploration on the topic.BENEFITS: This NGSS-aligned science book for kids will spark the interest of your budding scientist. It links the past and present, showing how inventions that are a part of our lives weren't always there! How did the world change, and continue to change, with the invention of this new technology? Let's find out!WHY ROURKE: Since 1980, we’ve been committed to bringing out the best non-fiction books to help you bring out the best in your young learners. Our carefully crafted topics encourage all students who are “learning to read” and “reading to learn"!

GRADES 3–6: Elementary-aged readers will explore amazing facts about the combustion engine in this 32-page nonfiction science book, which shows a before-and-after look at how the invention of the combustion engine improved the food, clothes, and other everyday items that we use to live.INVENTION BOOK FOR KIDS: The invention of the combustion engine changed huge parts of daily life. It allowed people access to much more of the world, including the air and sea. In this science invention book, readers will get an up-close look at how drastically the world changed.INCLUDES: Readers will be hooked from beginning to end with mesmerizing science facts and vivid photos! A glossary is provided as well as comprehension questions and an extension activity for further exploration on the topic.BENEFITS: This NGSS-aligned science book for kids will spark the interest of your budding scientist. It links the past and present, showing how inventions that are a part of our lives weren't always there! How did the world change, and continue to change, with the invention of this new technology? Let's find out!WHY ROURKE: Since 1980, we’ve been committed to bringing out the best non-fiction books to help you bring out the best in your young learners. Our carefully crafted topics encourage all students who are “learning to read” and “reading to learn"!

GRADES 3–6: Elementary-aged readers will explore amazing facts about the invention of electricity in this 32-page nonfiction science book, which shows the dramatic impact electricity has had on the world around us.INVENTION BOOK FOR KIDS: For thousands of years, humans survived without electricity. They employed fire, solar energy, water, wind, and animal power to get things done. In this science invention book, readers will see how Thomas Edison and engineering pioneers figured out how to harness the power of electricity and put it to use for just about everything in modern life. INCLUDES: Readers will be hooked from beginning to end with mesmerizing science facts and vivid photos! A glossary is provided as well as comprehension questions and an extension activity for further exploration on the topic.BENEFITS: This NGSS-aligned science book for kids will spark the interest of your budding scientist. It links the past and present, showing how inventions that are a part of our lives weren't always there! How did the world change, and continue to change, with the invention of this new technology? Let's find out!WHY ROURKE: Since 1980, we’ve been committed to bringing out the best non-fiction books to help you bring out the best in your young learners. Our carefully crafted topics encourage all students who are “learning to read” and “reading to learn"!

GRADES 3–6: Elementary-aged readers will explore amazing facts about the invention of robotics in this 32-page nonfiction science book, which shows a before-and-after comparison of how robots have had a tremendous impact on our world.INVENTION BOOK FOR KIDS: The introduction of robotics in manufacturing, medicine, exploration, and many other fields has created a world of robots in all kinds of jobs. They do jobs that no human is capable of doing. In this science invention book, readers will see how robots have made the impossible possible.INCLUDES: Readers will be hooked from beginning to end with mesmerizing science facts and vivid photos! A glossary is provided as well as comprehension questions and an extension activity for further exploration on the topic.BENEFITS: This NGSS-aligned science book for kids will spark the interest of your budding scientist. It links the past and present, showing how inventions that are a part of our lives weren't always there! How did the world change, and continue to change, with the invention of this new technology? Let's find out!WHY ROURKE: Since 1980, we’ve been committed to bringing out the best non-fiction books to help you bring out the best in your young learners. Our carefully crafted topics encourage all students who are “learning to read” and “reading to learn"!