Hessel-Mial, Michael

"At the dawn of Europe's Scientific Revolution, China was a major world power. With million-person cities, vast navies, and a robust trade in luxury goods, China was a country of marvels. The 'Central Kingdom' was also a country of invention. This fascinating resource explores the science and technology behind China's rise to power: the incredible scope, the unique traditions that supported it, and the reasons for the eventual decline of the dynastic era. Readers will learn of agricultural innovations, massive building projects, elaborate machines, and countless inventions that changed the way the world ate, drank, read, waged war, and traveled"--Provided by the publisher.

"In size and sophistication, the most impressive empire in the Americas was the Incas. Established in Peru in the twelfth century, the Incan empire united millions of people and dozens of distinct cultures under a single governing system. The Incas lacked what many assume are essential to empire-building: writing, the wheel, a favorable climate. Still, the Incas overcame these challenges with incredible science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) innovations: terrace agriculture, elaborate road systems, earthquake-proof buildings, a planned economy without money, and an elaborate mathematics communicated with textiles. Incan accomplishments show that technological developments take many unexpected forms"--Provided by publisher.

"It is common to think of the history of STEM as a succession of great names, moving in a direct line from Archimedes to Isaac Newton to Einstein. China will offer more than enough brilliant figures for us to admire, but that will not be the entire story. Many of China's inventions evolved over great time scales, spread by diffusion, and were anonymously perfected over time. As China's fortunes rose and fell through the centuries, geniuses in science, politics, and warfare would alternate with unknown inventors and workers solving problems. People would debate the most virtuous way to run a state, or simply seize it outright. People discussed China's place in the world, the citizen's role in the country, and the natural world's place in the cosmos. Each of these questions spurred people to discover and invent with STEM--and in the process, shape China's destiny"--Provided by publisher.

Explores the history of Judaism, including the beliefs, holidays, ceremonies, and more.

As one of the world's oldest still practiced religions, Judaism has an illustrious history of fascinating, yet often misunderstood, beliefs and practices. Though it has only fourteen million followers today, Judaism is the basis of the Abrahamic religions, and as such influenced the core teachings of Christianity and Islam. Offers readers a clear, yet thorough survey of Judaism's history, practices, and teachings. The significance of Rosh Hashana, Passover, and other Jewish festivals is covered, as well as cultural movements such as Zionism. Readers will also learn of atrocities carried out against the Jewish people, including the Holocaust, and learn about episodes of Anti-Semitism.