The British army swelled in size at the beginning of World War I. But many of these new recruits suffered from malnutrition and lacked the physical strength to serve on the front line. Doctors developed healthy diets and workouts for the soldiers and, within months, the army was ready to fight. Biology has always been an important part of war. Doctors use biology to keep troops healthy by treating wounds and effects of trauma. Biologists have developed...

How big are trumpeter swans? With their wings stretched out, they are about as long as an 8-foot (2.4-m) rowboat! These large waterbirds live in North America and make their homes near lakes and ponds. Because of their huge size, trumpeter swans can fight off almost any predator. Get too close to a swan, and you'll hear the loud honking sound that makes it clear how this big bird got its name. In Trumpeter Swan: The World's Largest Waterbird, eye-popping...

Just how large is the world's largest octopus? With its arms outstretched, an adult giant Pacific octopus is about as long as a minivan. On top of that, it can weigh a whopping 100 pounds (45 kg)! But these giant sea creatures aren't just big, they are also masters of disguise. In the blink of an eye, they can change the color of their bodies to match their environment--and hide from enemies. Now you see them, now you don't! In Giant Pacific Octopus:...

The king cobra is so big that it is about as long as a pickup truck. As if that weren't scary enough, it can also produce enough poison to kill 20 elephants! Steer clear of this slithering serpent. When it's threatened, it growls like a dog and can lift the front one-third of its body off the ground. That's tall enough to stare a six-foot-tall (1.8-m) person right in the eye! In King Cobra: The World's Longest Venomous Snake, eye-popping color photos...

With the continued growth of social networking as a pervasive presence in our day-to-day lives, the need is greater than ever for a guide for young readers that helps them understand their engagement with this key medium of online communication. This book breaks down the basics of social media, its benefits, and its dangers for Internet users today. By explaining the concept of networking-both on and offline-readers will learn the importance of social...

The widespread use of blogging today has made understanding how to read and write these online journals an essential skill for digital literacy at any age. In these pages, the ins and outs of several kinds of blogs-including political, news, and personal ones-are explained in clear terms. Content management, HyperText Markup Language (HTML) text editing, and web hosting are just a few of the topics that are simplified to guide users towards getting...

This book looks at the world's polar lands and how animals and plants have adapted to survive in environments where tempaertures are below freezing for most of the year.

Presents a history of transportation from ancient humans using muscle to traveling in space and discusses different modes of transportation.