The Visual Encyclopedia

This landmark piece of reference publishing offers a reliable, visually stunning, and family-friendly alternative to online information sources. Packed with carefully curated content, the pages of this illustrated encyclopedia are designed to be accessible and illuminating to a wide range of readers, and parents and teachers can be confident that children won't see any unwanted content. Featuring accessible and authoritative information, this book is a comprehensive guide to a wide range of human knowledge, and its text is integrated with clear artworks and informative, illuminating photography to bring general knowledge vividly to life. The scope of content in The Visual Encyclopedia makes it stand alone as a self-contained family reference guide, and it covers the fields of science, nature, space, history, the arts, technology, leisure, and more. The information is organized thematically to make navigation easy, and clear signposting highlights connections between subjects. Whether you want to find the answer to a question, read about a particular area of interest, or simply browse a range of subjects at leisure, this accessible, family-friendly reference guide offers a trustworthy source of knowledge and enjoyment. CONTENTS SPACE The Solar System The Cosmos Rocky planets Giant planets Small worlds Stars The Sun Types of stars The lives of stars Galaxies The Milky Way Other galaxies The Universe The Universe Observing the Universe Exploring space Space exploration Missions to the Solar System The constellations The constellations EARTH Earth’s anatomy Inside Earth Tectonic plates Evolving planet Continents Geology Volcanoes and earthquakes Mountain formation Erosion, weathering, and deposition Minerals Rocks Oceanography Oceans Ocean currents, waves, and tides Hydrology Fresh water and ice Meteorology Earth’s atmosphere Atmospheric circulation Weather Ecology Biomes The carbon cycle The web of life Environmental impact LIFE Prehistoric life The story of life Prehistoric plants The age of dinosaurs Prehistoric mammals Human evolution Plants and fungi The plant kingdom Non-flowering plants Flowering plants Fungi Animals The animal kingdom Invertebrates Fish Amphibians Reptiles Birds Mammals Classification Classification SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Maths Numbers Calculations Algebra Geometry Measurement and construction Statistics and probability Modern mathematics Symbols, charts, and measurements Physics Classical mechanics Thermodynamics Waves Light and matter Electricity and magnetism Quantum mechanics Nuclear and particle physics Relativity and grand theories Chemistry States of matter The periodic table Molecules, ions, and bonds Mixtures, compounds, solvents, and solutions Chemical reactions Organic chemistry Chemical techniques Environmental chemistry Biology What is “alive”? Types of living things Bacteria and viruses How cells work Respiration and metabolism How genes work Reproduction Evolution Human body The human body The skeletal system The muscular system The nervous system Respiratory and cardiovascular systems Lymphatic and immune systems Digestive and urinary systems Reproductive and endocrine systems The human life cycle Medicine The history of medicine Modern medicine The spread and control of disease Diagnosis Medical advances Technology and engineering Energy Materials Structures and construction Home technology Sound, light, and vision technology Communications technology Computer technology 3D printing and robotics Transport The origins of modern transport Seafaring through history Sailing ships Trains and railways The car Aviation through history Transport in the 21st century HISTORY Before human history The history of the Universe The history of the Earth The prehistoric world (to 3000 BCE) Prehistory to 3000 BCE The first civilizations The ancient world (3000 BCE–600 CE) The ancient world (3000 BCE–600 CE) Ancient China Ancient Egypt Ancient Greece Ancient Rome Ancient Americas Nomads and tribes The Middle Ages and beyond (600–1750) The Middle Ages and beyond (600–1750) China: the Tang, Song, and Ming dynasties Japan: from Nara to Tokugawa Rulers of India The rebuilding of Europe Faith and feudalism The Islamic world The story of gunpowder Early Russia The Renaissance Trade and exploration The Middle Ages in the Americas The Reformation The Enlightenment African kingdoms The modern world (1750 onwards) The modern world (1750 onwards) Political revolutions The Industrial Revolution Colonial empires Modern civil wars The age of global conflicts The fight against disease Self-determination and civil rights The struggle for independence Modern globalization and economic growth Modern health The early 21st century BELIEFS AND SOCIETY Religion World religions Philosophy What is philosophy? Philosophy through history Great philosophers Mythology Mythology Politics What is politics? Politics through history Political theory Economics What is economics? Economics through history Economic theory Sociology Sociology ARTS AND LEISURE Music Components of music Music through history The orchestra and musical instruments Great composers Popular music Dance The history of dance Dance styles Great dancers Film Cinema and film World cinema Theatre Theatre through history Literature The history of literature Books through the ages The developing styles of poetry Great writers Painting The history of painting Painting styles Elements of painting Great painters Sculpture Sculpture through history Sculpture techniques Architecture Elements of architecture Styles of architecture Details of architecture Fashion Fashion through history Writing The history of writing Writing systems Sports Team ball sports Bat, stick, and club sports Racquet sports Track and field Combat sports Snow and ice sports Water sports Precision sports Riding and racing sports The Olympics Crafts and skills Photography Drawing and painting Sewing, knitting, and crochet Woodworking Ceramics and glass Knots Glossary Index Acknowledgments Packed with facts and illustrations, this landmark book offers a reliable, visually stunning, and family-friendly alternative to online information sources.This fully illustrated encyclopedia is the antidote to the internet. It's an expertly written and beautifully presented reference for a world overloaded with unreliable information. From quantum physics to the square of the hypotenuse, Ancient Rome to the depths of the oceans, this is your one-stop knowledge shop for the digital age-clear, simple, accurate, and unbiased.This book is a comprehensive guide to a huge range of human knowledge and includes over 4,000 images to bring information vividly to life. Its format is accessible to a wide range of readers, so it's ideal for a variety of ages, for home study-or simply for browsing for fun. Parents and teachers can be confident that children won't see any unwanted content.Visual Encyclopedia is the ultimate easy-to-read family guide to science, nature, space, history, art, technology, leisure, culture, and more. The information is organized thematically for simple navigation, and clear signposting makes it easy to follow connections between subjects. For family, for study, for the simple pleasure of discovery, here is a trustworthy source of knowledge and enjoyment. This encyclopedia offers a reliable, visually stunning, and family-friendly alternative to online information sources. Packed with carefully curated content, the pages of this illustrated encyclopedia are designed to be accessible and illuminating to a wide range of readers, and parents and teachers can be confident that children won't see any unwanted content. Featuring accessible and authoritative information, this book is a comprehensive guide to a wide range of human knowledge, and its text is integrated with clear artworks and informative, illuminating photography to bring general knowledge vividly to life. The scope of content in The Visual Encyclopedia makes it stand alone as a self-contained family reference guide, and it covers the fields of science, nature, space, history, the arts, technology, leisure, and more "Here, at last, is the antidote to the internet: an expertly written and beautifully presented reference for a world overloaded with unreliable information. From quantum physics to the square of the hypotenuse, Ancient Rome to the depths of the oceans, this is your one-stop shop for the digital age--clear, simple, accurate, and unbiased. For family, for study, for simple pleasure of discovery."--Page 4 de la couverture "Here, at last, is the antidote to the internet: an expertly written and beautifully presented reference for a world overloaded with unreliable information. From quantum physics to the square of the hypotenuse, Ancient Rome to the depths of the oceans, this is your one-stop shop for the digital age--clear, simple, accurate, and unbiased. For family, for study, for simple pleasure of discovery."--Back cover