Each title in this series takes readers 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
Soil supplies a surprising variety of materials for making things. If soil didn't exist, life would have developed differently on Earth and humans probably wouldn’t be here. You Wouldn’t Want to Live
Trees are among natures most remarkable achievements, growing from a seed you can hold in your hand into a green giant several stories high. They are rugged survivors. They can live in baking hot dese
It's a nuisance when it rains on a picnic. It's a tragedy when a tornado destroys a neighbourhood. But our planet would be a very different place if it didn't have extremes of weather. Weather has sha
The invention of clocks and calendars has been very important in shaping the progress of human civilisation. This book tells their story, from early timekeeping methods and devices, and the formation
Writing is one of the most important inventions in the history of the human species, enabling people to communicate and transmit knowledge across vast distances in space and time. This books tells the
The Internet has become one of the most important inventions in our daily lives, revolutionising everything from the way businesses work to the friendships people share. This book tells the story of t
Learn the surprising truth about just how important poo really is: it keeps our bodies healthy, and can also be used to power our cars, heat our homes and help grow our crops. You Wouldn’t Want to Liv
Imagine a world without books. You would have no information about the world outside, except what you could learn from travellers. You would know nothing about the past, except what storytellers could
We rely on our mobile phones all the time, whether it's to keep in touch with friends, to play games, or to access the Internet. As phones become smaller, cheaper and more powerful, we find it difficu
Nasty stinging creatures that destroy crops and spread disease - if that's your opinion of insects, read this fascinating book to discover the other side of the story. Without insects to pollinate flo
Many dangerous diseases are carried by bacteria - tiny organisms that can get into the body and multiply inside it. Bacteria breed in unhygienic environments, but soap can be used to keep our surround
For 5,000 years and more, libraries have been gathering and preserving writings of all kinds. They’re keepers of the world’s memory. They’re storehouses of knowledge, and imagination, and fun. Learn a
Learn the surprising truth about pain: how it actually helps keep us alive, healthy, and feeling good. You Wouldn’t Want to Live Without Pain! is part of a brand-new science and technology strand with
What would happen if there were no bees in this world? It would be a disaster! Without bees, we would, of course, have no honey. But wed also lose a lot of other foods and useful products like cotton
Can you imagine what your life would be like without glass? You use glass every day, from the mirror you look in when you wash your face in the morning to the bulbs that light up your home after dark.
You might not like numbers and maths when you have to do your maths homework, but it would be hard to live without them. Imagine how difficult life would be if you couldn't count things, measure anyth
Learn about gravity and all the useful things it does - such as keeping us on the Earth and holding the entire universe together! You Wouldn’t Want to Live Without Gravity! is part of a brand-new scie
We depend on electricity in almost everything that we do. It gives us heat, light, transportation and entertainment. Electricity has always existed, but it is only in the last 200 years or so that we
We could not live without water. Almost two-thirds of our body weight is water. We rely on it to keep ourselves clean, to keep our bodies nourished, and to get rid of waste. But water can also carry d
