The Knowledge Book

Description

Concise yet amazingly comprehensive, this survey of humankind's most significant ideas is the ultimate desk reference for inquisitive minds. The Knowledge Book: Everything You Need to Know to Get By in the 21st Century distills thousands of years of thought and achievements, explains how they are linked and why they are important, and packs everything into a single, stylish volume. The book comprises seven sections that span the range of human knowledge: cultural history, the stars and planets, life on Earth, social issues, spirit and soul, the arts, and modern life. Along the way, this essential family reference not only summarises ideas, discoveries, and movements, it places them in context historically. Sidebars enhance the text with relevant details about particular processes, inventions, discoveries, and movements, and illustrated boxes explore significant individuals or issues. Self-contained sections and cross-referencing let readers tailor the way they use the book. More than 2,000 illustrations function as a visual catalogue of the major fields of knowledge, ranging from the Earth's origins to modern life and health, from stars to sports. We learn about the mechanics of the big bang, the birth of instrumental music, the amphibian life cycle, the development of literature and more. Humankind's darkest hours are on display, as well as its finest. Thus, we see the rise and wrath of dictatorial forms of government, but we also learn about the discoveries of the first mathematicians. Visually arresting and encyclopedic in its scope, The Knowledge Book: Everything You Need to Know to Get By in the 21st Century is equally valuable for students and scholars and everyone in between.

Surveys humankind's most significant ideas. It distills thousand of years of thought and achievements, explains how they are linked and why they are important. Comprises seven sections: cultural history, the stars and planets, life on Earth, social issues, spirit and soul, the arts, and modern life.