Natural History (Smithsonian)

"'Natural History' delivers a fascinating photographic survey of everything from minerals to mammals." --Martha Stewart Living Magazine, December 2010

"A beautiful tome [that inspires] wonder and delight... 'Natural History' is kind of like having the Smithsonian Natural History Museum on your bookshelf...stunning." --WIRED.com, October 19, 2010

Magnificent and intriguing photographs and illustrations put [this title] on par with works of art and not just coffee-table art. [G]orgeous, fun, and so inexpensive it seems the publishers are prepared to lose money on each copy. Each page brings together illustration and develops information much better than a computer screen...Everyone with eyesight, from children through scholars, will find something to enjoy. Buy with your allowance if you have to." --Library Journal (STARRED review), November 1, 2010

"Extensive scope and exceptional photographs distinguish this ambitious work. Succinct commentary, notable for its clarity and authority, deftly burnishes the visuals. Highly recommended for high-school and public libraries." --Booklist (STARRED review), December 1, 2010

"This entire book is an explorer's delight, the type of book that can captivate a kid for life." --Chicago Tribune, October 19, 2010

"[A]n unrivaled visual survey of Earth's natural history, looking at every kingdom of life." --BookPage, November 2010

"648 pages of breathtaking nature photos and facts. From the noted publisher Dorling Kindersley." --Scholastic Parent & Child (Holiday Gift Guide) November 2010

"Sorting through stacks of gift books is a guaranteed joy ride through landscapes of beauty. And no book in 2010 was more beautiful than 'Natural History'. Another of DK Publishing's exquisitely realized reference guides, this one -- produced in collaboration with the Smithsonian -- is the perfect antidote for a world so enraptured by its smart phones that it has stopped seeing the wonders outside its door.

DK renders, in hundreds of pages of mesmerizingly detailed color photographs, our planet's incomprehensible variety of life: plants, flowers, fungi, rocks, minerals, microorganisms and a breathtaking menagerie of animals. Set down your Angry Birds for a sec and consider the unassuming majesty of the scarlet ibis -- or the apothecary rose, the peacock mantis shrimp, the crimson waxcap mushroom. If its quills make you quiver, wait until you get a load of a porcupine's teeth. You'll see the world anew, and be appropriately awed." --NPR.org, December 1, 2010

*Starred Review* An introductory visual guide to the natural world, this volume’s strength rests with original and compelling photographs and illustrations. A team of distinguished scientists renders the accompanying text informative yet concise and accessible to nonspecialists, including students and general readers. Six chapters make up the book. In the first, “Living Earth,” copiously illustrated introductory essays on topics such as climate change, evolution, and classification provide context. This is followed by chapters on “Minerals, Rocks, and Fossils”; “Microscopic Life”; “Plants”; “Fungi”; and “Animals,” offering picture galleries that profile about 5,000 specimens and living species ranging from topaz to oyster mushroom to sperm whale. Each chapter is divided into sections representing major groups (for example, “Invertebrates”) with an introduction highlighting the characteristics that define the group. Each subgroup (“Sponges,” “Insects”) also has its own introduction. For living species, “Classification” boxes display the current taxonomic hierarchy. Picture captions provide information such as size, habitat, and distribution. Topics of debate are interspersed in sidebars throughout the text; for example, “Did monocots have aquatic origins?” and “Are birds dinosaurs?” The remarkable color photographs and illustrations, commissioned for this work, depict the natural world in its amazing beauty and diversity. In “Feature Profiles,” close-up photographs provide detailed images of some of the world’s most interesting species, such as the fly agaric mushroom, the Mexican red-kneed tarantula, the Aldabra giant tortoise, and the six-banded armadillo. Appendixes include a 4-page glossary and a 24-page index of scientific and common names. Extensive scope and exceptional photographs distinguish this ambitious work. Succinct commentary, notable for its clarity and authority, deftly burnishes the visuals. Highly recommended for high-school and public libraries. --Nancy Cannon

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