Books in Discovering the Earth series

Life would be impossible without plants: they provide food, either directly or in the form of plant-eating animals, as well as the many fibers we use, from the timber to build homes and the fuel for heating and cooking to the wood used to make tools and furniture. It is not surprising, therefore, that people have been studying plants for thousands of years.Plants details this search for understanding and some of the individuals who have contributed to it. This new full-color volume begins in ancient Greece, where philosophers first speculated about the origin of plants and where the study of botany began. It also examines medicinal plants, which were considered the prime concern for the founders of botany. This book recounts the adventures of some of the most famous plant collectors as well as the system of plant classification used by today's scientists. Describing the early developments of ecology, Plants ends with an explanation of biodiversity and why scientists think it's important.Chapters include:The Father of BotanyHerbals and Physic GardensBotanical Gardens and HerbariaNaming PlantsThe Plant HuntersGeography of PlantsPlant CultivationEvolution of PlantsPlant PhysiologyEcology of PlantsBiodiversity and Plant Conservation.

The new seven-volume Discovering the Earth set examines the efforts made by scientists in the fields of environment, environmental protection, and environmental science. Covering a broad range of topics--including the Earth sciences, atmosphere, oceans, ecology, animals, plants, and exploration--the books in this comprehensive set provide a panorama of brief accounts of particular discoveries and the people who made them. These stories explain the problems that were solved, the ways they were approached, and, in some cases, the dead ends that scientists sometimes reached. Ideal for high school and college students and particularly valuable to students of environmental studies, ecology, biology, geography, geology, and the humanities, the books in the Discovering the Earth set shed light on the way the scientific aspect of Western culture has developed. Written in clear language and requiring no mathematical knowledge, these helpful books feature sidebars where necessary to explain a particular concept as well as full-color photographs, tables, charts, and further resources.

Exploration tells the intriguing story of the navigators who crossed oceans to chart the coastlines of distant continents, the adventurers who traversed deserts and polar wastes, and the traders who sought new markets and commodities in faraway lands. The secrets of the planet and its living inhabitants have been unraveled thanks to the efforts made by these navigators and adventurers.This new, full-color book begins with a narration of the earliest seagoing ships and the vehicles that transported diplomats, warriors, and merchants around the Mediterranean region and later around the world. It explores the Vikings who terrorized Western Europe and colonized Greenland as well as the swift outrigger vessels that sailed from Asia to the islands of the Pacific. This accessible resource describes the development of navigational instruments to help on long journeys out of sight of land—including the sextant and compass—and explains how to calculate latitude and longitude.Chapters include:Down to the Sea in ShipsCrossing the WorldTrading by Desert and by SeaThe Art of NavigationThe WanderersThe ArcticThe Southern LandThe Deserted PlacesOther WorldsWhy We Explore.