New Releases by Judith Herbst

Since prehistoric times, people have wondered how the universe works. Early scientists studied how forces affect objects and watched how heavenly bodies move. In 1687 Isaac Newton published a set of laws that described the motion of all objects, both on Earth and in the heavens. By 1900 many physicists believed only a few questions remained to be answered. But the early 1900s brought revolutionary developments in physics. One was Albert Einstein''s theory of relativity. This theory proposed completely new ideas of time, space, mass, motion, and gravity. Einstein''s theory revealed that matter and energy are interchangeable, rather than distinct. This book tells the story of how the theory of relativity revolutionized physics.

Since prehistoric times, people have wondered what causes disease. Early people blamed evil spirits. Later, disease was thought to be caused by an imbalance of bodily fluids. By trial and error, people discovered plants that cured certain ailments. But disease still spread through dirty, crowded cities. In 1546 an Italian physician proposed that tiny, invisible bodies cause disease. By the end of the nineteenth century, doctors had discovered the microscopic organisms we call bacteria and viruses. This breakthrough led to techniques we take for granted, such as vaccination, the pasteurization of dairy products, sterilization of medical instruments, and the use of anibiotics. This book tells the story of how scientists learned about germs and revolutionized medicine.

Judith Herbst looks at some of history''s most famous hoaxes and publicity stunts, including fairy photographs, moon-men, lost tribes, and crop circles.

Discusses the invention of complex weaponry, including guns, explosives, automatic weapons, and such weapons of mass destruction as gases, the atomic bomb, and biological weapons.

Describes inventions that have revolutionized travel, including wheels, sails, steam engines, internal combustion engines, and airplanes.

Investigates several well-known accounts of alien abduction as well as theories aimed at explaining why such reports cannot be true.

Examines the phenomenon of ESP, or extrasensory perception, and addresses topics such as Nostradamus, mind over matter, mental telepathy, and clairvoyance.

Introduces such "monsters" as the Yeti, zombies, and the Loch Ness monster, debunking many of these fantastic stories.

Examines and explains several mysteries surrounding death and dying, including spontaneous human combustion, remembering past lives, ghosts, and near-death experiences.

A look at some of history''s most famous disappearances, including the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, the crew of the Mary Celeste, and D.B. Cooper

Investigates several well-known accounts of UFO sightings as well as theories aimed at explaining why such reports cannot be true.

Explores the mysteries surrounding the lost city of Atlantis, the pyramids of Giza, and the lost colony of Roanoke.

In this humorous fact-filled look at unidentified flying objects, Judith Herbst poses several explanations for these close encounters, ranging from human-made objects and natural phenomenon to the possibility of life on other planets. Full-color illustrations.

Rhyming text and illustrations featuring clock faces follow the animals and activities on Farmer Fred''s farm.

Filled with bright, cheerful color illustrations designed to appeal to toddlers, Discover Books teach basic skills in a most appealing way. In My First ABC, happy children striek poses that resemble letters of the alphabet. Toddlers see boys and girls like themselves playing games with ABCs and learning all the letter while having fun.

Children will have fun identifying all the numbers in this book--by comparing their shapes with similar objects. After boys and girls learn to recognize each number, they''ll be ready for their next leap: recognizing that 3 bears, 3 bowls, and 3 spoons have one thing in common . . . the fact that 3 is always 3! Illustrated.

Discusses the scientific developments and theoretical concerns that have led to current achievements in space exploration and will be necessary for future space travel.

Examines the amazing world of animals, from the feats of ordinary dogs to unproved monsters in the wild.

Explores such unexplained human phenomena as hypnosis, spontaneous human combustion, and extrasensory perception.