Simple answers to 100 truly perplexing questions.

Curiosity spans all ages as kids, teenagers and adults have lots of questions about everyday occurrences they never think to ask.

Why does syrup spiral off the spoon? Which metals can be recycled? The answers to these and 98 other important questions about life, the universe and a whole lot more are found in Why Does a Ball Bounce?

Fully illustrated with color photographs, this book explains complex ideas in easy-to-understand terms. The book's 100 questions are organized into the following topics: - Air: bouncing balls, bursting bubbles, fizzy drinks - Earth: mountain-making, lava, the age of the Earth - Plants: sowing wild oats, why the numbers 3, 5, 8, and 13 crop up so often in plants - Fire and ice: the sparkler's sparks, why skates slide, what is dew - Water: why water ripples, how soap works, bouncing rain - Food: seeing underground, why barley needs the sun - Weather: overflowing drains, sky color, seeing the wind - Electricity: why electricity sparks, hair standing on end, shrinking computers - Mathemagic: seeing musical notes, how knots work, swinging pendulums - Little critters: worm heads, how slugs breathe, patient spiders - Health and sickness: dilating pupils, smoking facts, vaccination safety - Technology: level playing fields, stone age tools, the first computer.

Why Does A Ball Bounce? is the ideal title for anyone who needs to explain these ideas to children, students... or just to themselves....

This is the definitive, 4.4 million year-old story of human history - from the origins of mankind to the 21st century, spanning the globe and based on the latest research, the complete story of the people, events, themes, ideas and forces that have shaped human existence. Find out about our history's turning points: eye witness accounts and biographies give a personal angle to major events. Explore humankind's legacy from architecture and artefacts to the big ideas that have changed our world. Examine the effect we've had on nature and vice versa. And discover how the past has been unlocked: from interpreting ancient documents to analysing ice cores. This book is a compelling look at human existence: perfect for the family bookshelf....

String gathers together every strand of information on string to weave a fantastic overview of this multi-faceted material. This book presents a captivating look at string, from its first development in prehistoric times and the ancient building of the pyramids through different cultural uses to the latest scientific applications and even touches on the "string theory." Throughout the book are practical uses of string, whether you need to secure a fishing hook or a shoelace, tie up your roast turkey, create an impressive "string figure," or simply play a game. Illustrated with over 200 2-color drawings, this quirky subject matter is embodied in the distinctive aesthetic of the book, complete with a string-tie binding.

It will surprise most readers to discover that such a simple thing as string has so many varied and interesting uses, with a special appeal across ages and culture. The seven chapters include:
* Roping Yarns: an overview of string including its long history, its varieties, and how its made
* String-a-long: shows all the many fun games and crafts and includes other intriguing facts and statistics
* Get Knotted: has step-by-step instructions that explain how to tie all the most useful knots
* Loopy Science: reveals the ingenious ways in which string has helped, or occasionally hindered, scientific discoveries

String will fascinate and inform readers on in almost every aspect of string from music and sports to science and games....