Books in Brain Power series

Boys and girls with inquisitive minds will open this book and feast on the wealth of information and ideas connected with the long history of human inventions. It's a lighthearted, color-illustrated approach to human technology, starting with the discovery and control of fire some 750,000 years ago and progressing to the space vehicles, cell phones, and digital equipment of today. Kids might be surprised to learn that the first lighthouse dates back to 285 B.C., and stood off the coast of Alexandria in Egypt. They'll also learn about the origin of paper in China, nearly 2,000 years ago, the first European use of gunpowder in the fourteenth century, the development of the telescope in the sixteenth century by Galileo and others, the 1783 first manned balloon flight, accomplished in France by the Montgolfier Brothers, the invention of the airplane by the Wright Brothers, the origins of telephone, and later, of radio communication in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, and much more. Young readers will also find thumbnail sketches of important inventors and thinkers—such men and women as Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Marie Curie, Henry Ford, the Francis Crick-James Watson DNA-discovery team, and Microsoft's Bill Gates, who made computer technology a part of everyday life. This fascinating volume features color illustrations on every page plus a glossary and index.

Young readers will enjoy browsing through this heavily illustrated capsule history of the human race. It opens in the time before written history-- approximately 1,800,000 B.C.--when the first human beings are known to have lived in Africa. Moving rapidly on, boys and girls will find dates for the beginning of farm communities (c. 6000 B.C) in what is now Turkey, the dawn of Egyptian and Sumerian cultures beginning some 3,000 years later, the development of civilizations in Greece, Rome, China, and the Indus Valley, the rise and feudal wars of European kingdoms, the age of world exploration in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the rise of America, the wars of the twentieth century, the race to the Moon, and the world after 9/11. Hundreds of important dates are listed that mark major historical events, life spans of world leaders, major catastrophes, and great human achievements. The illustrations on every page are lively and in full color, and the book's endpapers display dated tables of ruling dynasties around the world.

"What's the Big Idea?" explores the story of inventions through the ages and explains how ideas and technology from different countries and times are built on and developed - that inventions don't just 'happen'. Stunningly illustrated throughout, and with a clear text, it covers many important inventions, from the first stone axe to genetic engineering and the internet - not forgetting the 2,400,000 years in between! The lives of famous and not-so-famous inventors are described. Men and women from different cultural backgrounds, whose major contributions have been overlooked in the past, are included. A time line of events puts inventions in their historical context, showing how wars and trade push ideas forward. The book features a clear, concise text, full-colour illustrations and humorous drawings, which will engage even reluctant readers. A complete glossary and index make this title ideal for home and school. "What's the Big Idea?" covers several of the periods studied under Key Stage 2 of the History curriculum, including the major ancient civilisations, the Tudors, the Victorians and modern Britain. It is an ideal text for shared and guided reading for Key Stage 2 pupils within the framework of the National Literacy Strategy. It helps achieve the goals of the Scottish Standard Curriculum 5-14, promoting 'positive attitudes to learning', 'knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the world' and 'skills in literacy'.

Boys and girls with inquisitive minds will open this book and feast on the wealth of information and ideas connected with the long history of human inventions. It's a lighthearted, color-illustrated approach to human technology, starting with the discovery and control of fire some 750,000 years ago and progressing to the space vehicles, cell phones, and digital equipment of today. Kids might be surprised to learn that the first lighthouse dates back to 285 B.C., and stood off the coast of Alexandria in Egypt. They'll also learn about the origin of paper in China, nearly 2,000 years ago, the first European use of gunpowder in the fourteenth century, the development of the telescope in the sixteenth century by Galileo and others, the 1783 first manned balloon flight, accomplished in France by the Montgolfier Brothers, the invention of the airplane by the Wright Brothers, the origins of telephone, and later, of radio communication in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, and much more. Young readers will also find thumbnail sketches of important inventors and thinkers—such men and women as Leonardo da Vinci, Isaac Newton, Marie Curie, Henry Ford, the Francis Crick-James Watson DNA-discovery team, and Microsoft's Bill Gates, who made computer technology a part of everyday life. This fascinating volume features color illustrations on every page plus a glossary and index.

Young readers will enjoy browsing through this heavily illustrated capsule history of the human race. It opens in the time before written history— approximately 1,800,000 B.C.—when the first human beings are known to have lived in Africa. Moving rapidly on, boys and girls will find dates for the beginning of farm communities (c. 6000 B.C) in what is now Turkey, the dawn of Egyptian and Sumerian cultures beginning some 3,000 years later, the development of civilizations in Greece, Rome, China, and the Indus Valley, the rise and feudal wars of European kingdoms, the age of world exploration in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, the rise of America, the wars of the twentieth century, the race to the Moon, and the world after 9/11. Hundreds of important dates are listed that mark major historical events, life spans of world leaders, major catastrophes, and great human achievements. The illustrations on every page are lively and in full color, and the book’s endpapers display dated tables of ruling dynasties around the world.

This title looks in-depth at significant figures, aircraft and events in the history of aviation by placing them in a historical context which is easily understood. Clearly labelled illustrations to accompany the text make this an ideal learning resource. Hot-air balloons, bird-men, flying boats, helicopters, jet-fighters, passenger airliners, record-breakers and even space travel are all covered in this book. A complete glossary and index make this title ideal for use both at home and at school. It is an ideal text for shared and guided reading for Key Stage 2 pupils. It helps achieve goals of the Scottish Standard Curriculum 5-14.