The Encyclopedia of Earth: A Complete Visual Guide - Hardcover

Allaby, Michael; Coenraads, Dr. Robert; Hutchinson, Dr. Stephen; McGhee, Karen; O'Byrne, John; Rubin, Prof. Ken

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0520254716 ISBN 13: 9780520254718

Publisher: University of California Press, 2008

Synopsis

This sumptuously illustrated, beautifully written encyclopedia, the best book available on the topic, presents the most up-to-date information about planet Earth in a style and format that will appeal to an extremely wide range of readers. With thousands of photographs, illustrations, diagrams, and maps and a text written by a team of international experts, it presents an impressive overview of our globe―beginning with the history of the universe and ending with today's conservation issues. A truly spectacular reference, The Encyclopedia of Earth offers new visual interpretations of many ideas, concepts, and facts, painting a fascinating picture of Earth today and across the ages.

The encyclopedia is divided into six sections that are designed for either browsing or in-depth study. Birth gives an overview of Earth's 4.6-billion-year history, including the evolution of life. Fire explains the inner workings of our dynamic planet, its structure, and the tectonic forces that have molded its landscape. Land surveys rocks, minerals, and habitats. Air covers weather, including extreme weather events such as tornadoes and hurricanes. Water tours the oceans, rivers, and lakes of the world. The final section, Humans, provides a compelling portrait of our relationship with Earth, and of how the natural world has shaped social and political developments.

Copub: Weldon Owen Publishing

The Encyclopedia of Earth features:

* Some of the world's finest landscape photography and hundreds of detailed illustrations and diagrams, cross sections, cutaways, maps, and charts

* Coverage of topics including volcanology, paleontology, geology, natural history, cosmology, and more

* Simple, easy-to-understand explanations of complex phenomena

* The most recent scientific information and conservation data

* "Fact files" providing information at readers' fingertips

* "Heritage Watch" boxes focusing on key conservation issues and World Heritage sites

About this title

About the Author

Michael Allaby is author of A Change in the Weather, A Chronology of Weather, and four volumes of the Biomes of the Weather series. Robert Coenraads, a leading gemologist, geologist, and geophysicist, is a lecturer at the Gemmological Association of Australia. Stephen Hutchinson is Senior Research Fellow at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, United Kingdom. Karen McGhee, a science writer and journalist, is a consulting author of the best-selling Encyclopedia of Animals (UC Press). John O'Byrne is Senior Lecturer and Director of Academic Programs at the University of Sydney School of Physics. Ken Rubin is Professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Hawaii and at the Hawaii Center for Volcanology.

Reviews

Grade 9 Up—Encyclopedia is an overview of Earth from its birth to the effects of human habitation, related by explaining physical processes and providing short explanations of specific examples worldwide. Chapters are heavily illustrated spreads, which include—given the book's focus on physical mechanisms—many labeled diagrams. The text covers such a vast number of features that it only provides a little information about each one, but the book will work well as a visual guide, its intended use. Though there is plenty here for high school students, some of the terms reflect the volume's scholarly origins and they are not always included in the glossary. Timeless Earth covers three categories of remarkable locations-"The Natural World," "Human Culture," and "The Modern World." These sections are further subdivided into chapters such as "Ancient Civilizations" and "Eastern Empires" in "Human Culture." Each entry covers a spread and consists mostly of well-captioned visuals. These are complemented by a box detailing the feature's country and its significance and a short, clearly written discussion (somewhat overlapping Encyclopedia) of natural formation, construction, or artistic creation. These visual treats are solid guides to further research. Encyclopedia will find uses in history and social studies classes, while Timeless Earth will work best for earth science students.—Henrietta Thornton-Verma, School Library Journal
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Visually stunning, The Encyclopedia of Earth: A Complete Visual Guide is a user-friendly guide to the science and history of the earth. With discussions of global warming and the environment increasing every day, this title could not have arrived at a better time. It presents a comprehensive overview of the earth, both past and present, that will engage a wide range of readers. Written by a team of international experts, entries are divided into six thematic sections, “Birth,” “Fire,” “Land,” “Air,” “Water,” and “Humans,” that present concepts and ideas about our relationship with, and our effect on, the earth. Each section begins with an introductory essay that breaks down often-complex concepts into easy-to-understand explanations. Two- to four-page entries on topics such as Climate zones, Food shortage, Hurricanes, and Undersea vents feature sidebars for quick reference and short paragraphs of general information. Scattered throughout are “insight” essays that provide supplemental, often historical information, with time lines. Although the text is useful and well written, what really shine are the illustrations, including breathtaking photographs of the earth and hundreds of detailed diagrams, maps, charts, and cutaways, all offering visual representations of complex ideas and facts. This affordable title is a fine contribution to the subject. Although an extensive glossary and index are available, there is no bibliography, so those seeking a more in-depth study of the subject will have to look elsewhere. Recommended for high-school, public, and undergraduate libraries. --Asia Gross

Edition details

• Publisher: University of California Press
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0520254716
• ISBN 13: 9780520254718
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 608