informational works

Written by an acclaimed chess trainer, this book will introduce you to the basics of playing chess as well as to chess strategies.

An adorable collection of the cutest wild animals ever. Including stunning photos of all types of animals, from the playful bushbaby to the happy quokka, this book is sure to delight the animal lover in all of us!.

Explores life lessons from trees including how trees collaborate with each other, share resources, warn of threats, and survive and thrive together. Includes color illustrations.

"What if animals and humans could speak to one another? Tom Mustill--the nature documentarian who went viral when a thirty ton humpback whale breached onto his kayak--asks this question in his thrilling investigation into whale science and animal communication. "When a whale is in the water, it is like an iceberg: you only see a fraction of it and have no conception of its size." On September 12, 2015, Tom Mustill was paddling in a two-person kayak with a friend, just off the coast of California. It was cold, but idyllic--until a humpback whale breached, landing on top of them, releasing the energy equivalent of forty hand grenades"--Provided by publisher.

"Each origin story is a thrilling, self-contained bedtime story. Baby Kal-El makes a dramatic escape from the planet Krypton, arriving on Earth in a rocket ship. Wonder Woman and Nubia are shaped out of clay by their mother Hippolyta, and given their powers by the gods. Each Green Lantern-- Hal Jordan, John Stewart, and Jessica Cruz--came by their power rings in interesting ways. Young super heroes will love learning about how their favorite characters came to be."--Amazon.

"You may be surprised to learn that microchips are the new oil--the scarce resource on which the modern world depends. Today, military, economic, and geopolitical power are built on a foundation of computer chips. Virtually everything--from missiles to microwaves--runs on chips, including cars, smartphones, the stock market, even the electric grid. Until recently, America designed and built the fastest chips and maintained its lead as the #1 superpower, but America's edge is in danger of slipping, undermined by players in Taiwan, Korea, and Europe taking over manufacturing. Now, as Chip War reveals, China, which spends more on chips than any other product, is pouring billions into a chip-building initiative to catch up to the US. At stake is America's military superiority and economic prosperity. Economic historian Chris Miller explains how the semiconductor came to play a critical role in modern life and how the U.S. became dominant in chip design and manufacturing and applied this technology to military systems. America's victory in the Cold War and its global military dominance stems from its ability to harness computing power more effectively than any other power. But here, too, China is catching up, with its chip-building ambitions and military modernization going hand in hand. America has let key components of the chip-building process slip out of its grasp, contributing not only to a worldwide chip shortage but also a new Cold War with a superpower adversary that is desperate to bridge the gap. Illuminating, timely, and fascinating, Chip War shows that, to make sense of the current state of politics, economics, and technology, we must first understand the vital role played by chips"--From the publisher's web site.

Kamikatsu, Japan is known worldwide for its sanitation innovations. This small community of 1700 people is leading the way in recycling and up-cycling, and as of 2022, had nearly achieved its goal of zero waste. This is the story of a group of citizens who dared to break out of their comfort zone and make radical change for the good of their town and the planet. Through the eyes of two children visiting their grandmother, this inspiring addition to the author's acclaimed Green Power series about everyday communities inventing exciting new approaches to green living shows that working together for a common cause has an impact that is lasting, meaningful--and fun!.

"They can dance, sing, and, of course, fly--what's not to love about birds? With more than 10,000 species of dramatically different colors, shapes, and sizes, birds are some of the most fascinating creatures on the planet. The only animal with feathers, birds have soared through the skies for millions of years. In this beautiful picture book, learn what makes a bird a bird, what birds like to eat, and how these masters of the air have evolved. Ever wonder which bird is the smallest? Or the fastest? Which can fly the highest? Or stay airborne longest? You'll find answers to these questions and countless others in The Bird Book"--From the publisher's web site.

"Leopards are known for being shy and elusive, and leopard mothers are even more so. Imagine, then, having the rare opportunity to follow and photograph a mother leopard and her cubs. When world-renowned nature photographer Suzi Eszterhas was given the chance to do so, she jumped on a plane to Botswana. And through this collection of informative diary entries and stunning photos, readers are able to share this rare privilege. This compelling chronicle of Suzi's time following a female leopard spans roughly a year and a half, but between the informative first-person observations and the photos of rarely seen moments in the wild, the time flies by. The story begins with Suzi arriving at the Jao Reserve in Botswana's Okavango Delta and meeting Kambango, the local tracker and guide who would become her close friend and whose knowledge and expertise she relies on throughout. They go immediately to the mother leopard's den where, after waiting patiently for a number of hours, Suzi catches her first glimpse of the newborn cubs and her joy is palpable. From here on, readers are along for a wild ride that is sometimes bumpy (such as a dramatic close encounter with the mother who feared for her cubs' safety), sometimes smooth (the entries and photo captions are rich with observations of the cubs' behavior as they grow up, as well as more general information about leopard behaviour) and sometimes even a bit uncomfortable (such as the grim reality of having to watch the cubs learn to hunt by practicing on a wounded kudu calf). Throughout the whole diary, though, the excitement in Suzi's voice is clear, and her entries are full of her sense of wonder and respect for these amazing and secretive animals. Endmatter includes a Q&A with Kambango, who played such an essential role in this adventure, as well as a glossary of terms"--Provided by the publisher.

Comprehensive guide to the characters of Earth's mightiest Super Hero team, including more than 200 heroes and villains. It is packed with detailed information on each character's history, stats, abilities, and power ranks, and has been updated to cover new events in the Avengers' world. -- adapted from back cover.