Discover everything you ever wanted to know about anything with this first reference for young readers and writers. This is an inspiring and comprehensive collection of the best in the "DK First Reference" series, all gathered together in one superb volume. From prehistoric life to space travel, bacteria to the human brain help, your child discover all about the world we live in. They'll discover how life on Earth began, how the human body works, how people lived in Ancient Egypt, why some dinosaurs were so huge, what makes machines work, the countries of the world and much, much more.
Actor. Businessman. Newspaper editor. Filmmaker. Exotic poultry breeder. During his lifetime, L. Frank Baum tried and failed at many careers. At the age of 44, he wrote and published the book that made him one of the most beloved children's authors of all time: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, a novel that first introduced young readers to the magical land of Oz. The book became the first in a series of 14 novels about Oz, and one of more than 40 other novels Baum wrote. His other works include nine fantasy novels ...
Katherine Paterson was in her 40s and a married mother of four when she sent her first young adult novel, The Sign of the Chrysanthemum, to a publisher. She did not know anyone at the publishing house, nor did she have an agent. Set in 12th-century Japan, the novel was rescued from rejection by an editor who loved her writing and another who had just returned from Japan. But it was her fourth, Bridge to Terabithia, based on a tragedy endured by her young son, that won the Newbery Medal and made her a successful author.
Edgar Allan Poe not only wrote such dark and uncanny works as "The Raven," "The Tell-Tale Heart," and "The Fall of the House of Usher," but also lived a tragic and similarly gloomy life. Credited as the father of the modern horror story and the first detective novel, Poe still inspires legions of fans to this day.
Biology's First Law: The Tendency for Diversity and Complexity to Increase in Evolutionary Systems
Biology’s First Law shows how the Zero-Force Evolutionary Law can be applied to the study of diversity and complexity and examines its wider implications for biology. Intended for evolutionary biologists, paleontologists, and other scientists studying complex systems, and written in a concise and engaging format that speaks to students and interdisciplinary practitioners alike, this book will also find an appreciative audience in the philosophy of science.
