Books in You Wouldn't Want to Live Without... series

Learn about the many uses and positive effects of video games: how they can be a teaching aid, exercise our bodies and brains, stimulate our creativity, and bring people together.This series takes readers (Ages 8-12) on a historical journey, examining how people coped in the past and how they developed ingenious ways to make life safer and less unpleasant. Each book features full-color cartoon-style illustrations and hilarious speech bubbles to heighten interest, making the series attractive even to reluctant readers.Humans have always loved to play games, from dice games in ancient Iran 5,000 years ago to chess and cards in the Middle Ages. While Victorians loved board games, the first video games appeared over 50 years ago. Today, fanaticism over console games is at an all-time high, with players arguing passionately why one console is better than another.

What is clocks weren't invented?That hour that drags, that day you can't wait for-and those months of blissful sun that you count down to! All these things have been made measurable by clocks and calendars. Although time may not always be on our side, without clocks and calendars we would forget birthdays, be late for appointments, and miss out on important things in life. This fascinating new book in the You Wouldn't Want to Live Without series delves into the history of clocks and calendars. From early astronomical observations to recent technological developments, this book explores the wonderful journey of timekeeping.

Imagine living in a world without pain.This series takes readers (Ages 8-12) on a historical journey, examining how people coped in the past and how they developed ingenious ways to make life safer and less unpleasant. Each book features full-color cartoon-style illustrations and hilarious speech bubbles to heighten interest, making the series attractive even to reluctant readers.You wouldn't get headaches or stomach aches, and it wouldn't hurt when you cut yourself or touched something hot. A pain-free world may sound wonderful, but if pain did not exist, our lives would be very dangerous. We probably wouldn't survive for long. We would certainly be less healthy. And, just perhaps, we'd feel less good about ourselves. Learn about the science behind how our bodies are able to experience pain, the ways pain helps us to stay safe, and the ghastly reality of life before modern painkillers.

FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Most people spend a third of their life sleeping-around 25 years or more! Sleeping is essential for health and happiness, but no one really knows why we do it or why we have strange dreams. Read on to learn about sleep studies, the benefits of sleep, and what can happen if we don't get enough sleep. Excerpts from Experts: Too much ""floppy"" tissue in our throat or nose can make us snore. The reef fish Halichoeres bivittatus is one of the world's deepest sleepers and can be lifted to the water's surface by hand without waking up. Leonardo da Vinci survived on two hours' sleep a day in short power naps. A good night's sleep before a test can help with critical thinking.

What if we didn't have snot and mucus? The insides of our bodies would be very dry, and we would find it hard to digest our food. We would also quickly become sick, because mucus protects us from dirt in the air that we breathe. But what exactly is this sticky, slimy stuff and why do we produce more of it when we have a cold? And what do animals like slugs and snails do with their mucus? You might find it a bit gross, but you wouldn't want to live without it! You Wouldn't Want to Live Without Snot! is part of a brand-new science and technology strand within the internationally acclaimed You Wouldn't Want to Be series. The clear, engaging text and humorous illustrations bring the subject to life and stimulate young readers' curiosity about the world around them.

How can you stop "Tyhoid Mary" from spreading disease in early 20th century New York?This interactive series will enthrall young and reluctant readers (Ages 8-12) by making them part of the story, inviting them to become the main character. Each book uses humorous illustrations to depict the sometimes dark and horrific side of life during important eras in history. In New York, in the early years of the 20th century, several families contract typhoid fever, an unpleasant and sometimes fatal disease. All seem to have caught it from the same person: a cook whom the newspapers call 'Typhoid Mary'. How can she be stopped from spreading the deadly germs?

What if we didn't have mucus? The insides of our bodies would be very dry, and we would find it hard to digest our food.This series takes readers (Ages 8-12) on a historical journey, examining how people coped in the past and how they developed ingenious ways to make life safer and less unpleasant. Each book features full-color cartoon-style illustrations and hilarious speech bubbles to heighten interest, making the series attractive even to reluctant readers.We would also quickly become sick, because mucus protects us from dirt in the air that we breathe. But what exactly is this sticky, slimy stuff we call mucus? What's it made of? Is it the same thing as snot? Why do we produce more of it when we have a cold? And what do animals like slugs and snails do with their mucus? You might find it a bit gross, but you wouldn't want to live without snot!

Imagine how difficult life would be if you couldn't count things, measure anything, do any calculations or be precise about time, distance or price.This series takes readers (Ages 8-12) on a historical journey, examining how people coped in the past and how they developed ingenious ways to make life safer and less unpleasant. Each book features full-color cartoon-style illustrations and hilarious speech bubbles to heighten interest, making the series attractive even to reluctant readers.You might not like numbers and math when you have to do your maths homework, but it would be hard to live without them. You wouldn't know how old you are, or how long you have to wait until it's the holiday. We couldn't build anything accurately, we'd have no computers and you couldn't even go shopping. No, you wouldn't want to live without math!

What if money never existed?None of us has as much money as we would like, but imagine if money didn't exist at all. How would we buy the things we need, or sell the things we don't need? Who would decide whether a basket of fruit is worth the same as a hunting spear? Many things have been used as money, from live animals through cowrie shells to plastic cards. Learn how moneylending grew into today's banking industry, and how credit allows us to spend money we don't even have.