Mexico experienced extreme political instability in the period following its independence from Spain. Under the dictator Porfirio Diaz, power, wealth and land were concentrated in the hands of very few, while injustice, poverty and domination by foreign interests grew. Revolutionary Mexico (1910-1940) reveals how various groups, such as nationalists, democrats and socialists, united to overthrow the Diaz dictatorship, triggering a prolonged and violent power struggle for control of Mexico.
Throughout much of its long history, India has been an unsettled place ruled by a series of empires and foreign powers. Centuries of British influence in the subcontinent resulted in outright British colonial control beginning in the 19th century, a rule characterized by European privilege, oppression and subjugation of the Indian people. Propelled by Mahatma Gandhi's passive resistance movement, India finally gained its independence from Great Britain in 1947.
Shortly after Cuban guerrilla leader Fidel Castro helped oust unpopular military dictator Fulgencio Batista, he began remaking the country into a communist society. Castro and the Cuban Revolution relates how the controversial Castro championed Cuban independence and sought to meet the social and economic needs of the country's peasants while maintaining his power through harsh political repression.
Soil is the loose top layer of the Earth's surface, but what is it made of? How does it form? And why is it so important? In All About Soil, children will learn what components are needed to make the best soils for growing plants while discovering the important role that the forces of erosion play in the creation of this valuable resource.
Earth is filled with a wonderful variety of land formations that range from towering mountains to sandy deserts and deep canyons. In All About Land Formations, children will examine these and other earthly structures while learning about the forces that created them. A fun, hands-on investigation demonstrates why moving water is a powerful force that can change Earth's surface in a hurry...
