New Releases by Clint Twist

From adders to the zygaspic quadrifons, this comprehensive dictionary includes an extraordinary range of snakes. With entries on the deadly black mamba, the little known urutu, the slug-eating snake and the eastern coachwhip amongst others, ''Snake Dictionary'' will have something to fascinate everyone.

This comprehensive chronology of historical events lists more than 10,000 events from the earliest human origins to the present day. Each double page spread is divided into four major geographical and two thematic sections - Asia and Australasia, Africa, Europe, The Americas and Science and Technology and the Arts and Humanities - allowing the reader to compare events at any time in history in different geographical regions.

Civilizations takes the reader forward from the earliest days of human settlement to the civilizations of the New World overthrown by the Spanish Conquistadors. After a brief look at humanity''s development as nomadic hunters and gatherers, the story begins with the crucial step taken around 10,000 years ago when some communities began cultivating plants. The settled villages of these early farmers were the forerunners of the complex cities and highly sophisticated cultures that were later to flourish in the emergent civilizations across the world. Following a basically chronological path, the book focuses on the world''s key civilizations in each time period, beginning with the primary civilizations in Mesopotamia, India, Egypt and China, illuminating Greece, Rome and their contemporaries and culminating in the states of America, but not neglecting other, less familiar, civilizations. Illustrated with stunning photographs, artworks and maps throughout, Civilizations: Ten Thousand Years of Ancient History brings alive the ideas, events and people of earlier cultures whose achievements have laid the foundations of our present-day world.

The book is part of a series which studies both natural and man-made disasters, and examines ways of predicting and preventing such disasters and repairing the damage they cause. Eye-witness accounts give a vivid picture of the events and their impact on people''s lives.

Describes different weather conditions and how they are detected, discussing climate, atmosphere, and storms.

The book tells of Charles Darwin and his theory of evolution.

Examines the climatic conditions in a rain forest and their effects on the variety of plant and animal life found there. Includes related projects.

Describes what ice from the polar regions can tell us about past climatic conditions and our changing atmosphere and examines the role of water in its solid state within the environment. Includes projects and other hands-on activities.

Covers the different methods of reproduction of various species, genetics, heredity, and the implications of genetic engineering, including appropriate hands on projects.

Discusses various power generators including steam turbines, nuclear power, wind and water turbines and explains how they convert fuels to provide energy. Suggested level: intermediate, secondary.

Examines the characteristics of living things and looks at the difference between plants and animals.

Explains what crack and cocaine are, how they are grown, purified, and transported, why people take cocaine, its effects, and society''s reaction to the increase in cocaine use.

Explains what inhalants are, why they are easy to obtain, why people inhale drugs, and the short and long term effects of inhalant abuse on individuals and society.

Examines what alcohol is, how it is made, why people drink it and become addicted to it, and how abuse of it can affect families.