The first bursts of life found in the fossil record were single-celled bacteria and algae, the foundation of life that led to the extraordinary cavalcade of organisms that have walked the stage of Earth ever since. From the initial signs of life in the Precambrian Period to the end of the Cambrian Period about 488 million years ago, "Early Life" explores the development of early life that culminated in one of the most extraordinary periods in the evolution of life on Earth. Characterized as a "biological big bang," the Cambrian Period was a relatively short span of time during which nearly all basic forms of animal life that still exist first appear in the fossil record of the ancient oceans. Alien-looking marine creatures developed in the oceans, and the first predators began hunting down other species in a biological "arms race" that pitted elegant strategies for defense against increasingly efficient means of attack....

In the story of human origins, the first primates were small, unremarkable tree dwellers in a world full of diverse mammals of all sizes. Over several million years, primates branched out into the groups known as monkeys and apes. Their larger brains led to new variety in mammal adaptation that led to the development of social groups and sophisticated survival strategies. From the apes evolved a new, highly intelligent kind of primate, the hominins, ancestors of the human species. The richly illustrated "Primates and Human Ancestors" tells the story of 50 million years of primate evolution during the Pliocene epoch, from their origins in Africa to their spread to the New World and origin of the human species....

American popular music reflects a rich cultural diversity. From Aaron Copland to Miles Davis to Elvis Presley to Muddy Waters, the United States has produced some of the most influential and beloved musicians and performers of the 20th century. The blues, jazz, and rock and roll - musical genres loved around the world - were born here, and American composers, producers, singers, and songwriters have crafted a unique heritage in other genres such as classical and folk. "American Popular Music", a new eight-volume set, celebrates American music by presenting a wealth of information on seven major musical branches. Each comprehensive book provides the perfect, one-stop starting point for research in each musical field. Between 300 and 500 entries in each volume cover key personalities, landmark performances and recordings, hit songs and experimental compositions, important publications, musical instruments, styles of music, social and historical issues, organizations and schools, record companies, and much more. Together, the volumes comprise a panoramic depiction of American music and the influential threads that weave among the different musical genres. Written by experts for students and enthusiasts, "American Popular Music" is an essential resource for the study and appreciation of American music. A seven-member editorial board of expert advisers includes top academics who are also performing musicians, producers, and songwriters, including a Grammy nominee and an internationally recognized composer. Each book includes 40 to 60 photographs, a glossary, a discography of recommended listening, a chronology, and an index. The eighth volume, included for free with the purchase of the complete seven-volume set, is a comprehensive index that allows readers to easily locate musical terms, musicians, songs, and more throughout the entire set, "American Popular Music" is a must-have resource not only for students researching music but also for those interested in social movements, cultural history, geography, technology, the growth of broadcast and recorded media, ethnography and anthropology, and many other topics....

The story of best-known dinosaurs is told in "Time of the Giants". The Middle and Late Jurassic Periods saw the largest land animals ever to walk the Earth - the sauropods. But the giants were not alone; other kinds of dinosaurs were diversifying rapidly as well. Most notably, predatory dinosaurs began their own trend towards gigantism, and the prolific development of plated and armored herbivores filled ecological spaces not tread upon by the long-necked behemoths. By the end of the Jurassic Period, dinosaurs represented extremism in the size of land animals with equally elegant metabolic and thermoregulatory mechanisms to maintain an active lifestyle. At the other end of the size scale, some small meat-eating dinosaurs, such as Archaeopteryx, developed powered flight and gave rise to birds.This fully illustrated book also examines the scientific view of dinosaurs as living creatures. Once considered docile and inactive - like their distant cold-blooded reptiles relatives - dinosaurs are now thought to have been active, energetic creatures that used a variety of methods to maintain a constant body temperature....

About 15 million years ago, the diversity of mammals worldwide reached an astounding peak. As the continental landmasses shifted and temperate climates encouraged flowering plants, woodlands, and grasses to grow in abundance, mammals stepped into ecological niches left vacant by the extinction of the dinosaurs. The Oligocene and Miocene epochs saw the foundations of modern-day mammal groups. Adaptations of the jaw, teeth, skull, limbs, and other traits led to mammals that were better adapted for every mode of life. "The Age of Mammals" explains how mammals and birds increased their collective footprint to dominate the Earth, and how they evolved to present-day form....

"Dawn of the Dinosaur Age" presents the first act in the drama that would become the Mesozoic Era, the Age of Reptiles. The rise of the first dinosaurs is the story of opportunity and evolutionary innovation. The first dinosaurs, after living in the shadows of larger, more dominant reptilian kin, took advantage of major mass extinctions at the end of the Triassic Period to take over niches once occupied by their predecessors. In the course of doing so, dinosaurs quickly radiated to widespread geographic ranges and began an evolutionary course that led to the development of two major groups of dinosaurs, the Saurischia and Ornithischia.The Late Triassic and Early Jurassic Periods were a time of experimentation in dinosaur evolution as the earliest herbivorous and predaceous dinosaurs adapted increasingly specialized body forms and lifestyles. "Dawn of the Dinosaur Age" explores the roots of the dinosaur family tree and the lifestyle and radiation of the first carnivorous and herbivorous dinosaurs....

In the Early and Late Cretaceous periods, changing geological and ecological conditions created opportunities for the expansion of dinosaurs. These worldwide geologic and climate shifts of the Cretaceous period allowed for the evolution of Saurischian - lizard-hipped - dinosaurs and Ornithischian - bird-hipped - dinosaurs, including several families that appeared for the first time during this span. However, these same ecological changes also contributed to the eventual extinction of dinosaurs large and small. "Last of the Dinosaurs" explores the theories for what may have caused the mass extinction that ended the reign of the dinosaurs and many other terrestrial and marine creatures of the time. The non-dinosaurian reptiles of the Mesozoic era are also examined....

The human species is relatively new to the planet in geologic terms. With origins reaching back only a few million years, the rise of humans from primate ancestors is a remarkable evolutionary success story. "Early Humans" traces the beginnings of the human species, its success and adaptability, and the development of such innovations as human language and culture. In exploring human origins, provocative questions arise concerning the human species: how are we different from each other, is there a biological basis for race, and what does the future hold for human evolution?...

The Paleocene epoch was a time of recovery for mammals and birds, survivors of the Mesozoic era. As the Earth continued to change as the continents drifted further apart, it was a world of evolutionary experiments, as birds and mammals each found ways to fill the ecological gaps left vacant by the disappearance of the dinosaurs. "The Rise of Mammals" details the pattern of bird and mammal evolution prior to the Cenozoic era as well as the critical first 10-million-year span of the Cenozoic known as the Paleocene epoch, during which mammals and birds rapidly adapted to the new ecological conditions. By the end of the Paleocene epoch, the roots of most modern birds and mammal families had been set, forging a series of divergent and specialized paths that continue to radiate some 55 million years later....