Jump behind the wheel of the sleekest, swiftest automobiles, both on and off the race track. Prepare to burn up the tarmac in the Bugatti Veyron the latest version of the first supercar reaches 269 mph (433 km/h)! Race in the Ultimate Aero, whose carbon-fiber body weighs less than its driver. Get an adrenaline rush in the jet-powered Thrust SSC, it carries the world land speed record of 760.343 mph (1,223.65 km/h)! These streamlined supercars blast...

The molten rock just under Earth's solid crust sometimes erupts suddenly and violently, causing streams of red-hot lava and scorching high-speed avalanches called pyroclastic flows. Volcanoes can bury entire cities in ash, poison the air with suffocating gases, trigger earthquakes and tsunamis, and drastically alter our climate. Witness the world's most extreme volcanic disasters throughout history, from the Yellowstone supervolcano to Vesuvius and...

Climb into the cabs of the world's fastest trucks. They may be big, but these machines can really move! Roar off in the three jet engines of the Shockwave powered to 376 mph (605 km/h)! Ride in the Banks Sidewinder Dodge Dakota, which set a world record at 217 mph (349 km/h)! Go off-roading in the fastest off-road terrain conqueror, the Ford F-150 SVT Raptor. Colorful illustrations capture these swift, powerful beasts on the road and off, while interesting...

Being sick is horrible. But it used to be worse. Inside this book, you'll see evidence of the plagues of the past—rotting skin, dissolving lungs, and sinister swelling all over the body. Diseases like the Black Death wiped out whole towns and villages. Tuberculosis consumed young people like a bloodsucking vampire. And Smallpox left its victims scarred for life—if they survived. At the time, no one knew where these killer diseases came from or...

Food is the body's fuel—but what happens to each yummy mouthful from the moment you take a bite? The Stickmen unravel the long process of digestion carried out by your winding system of guts. Learn about your stomach and its army of acids, the chemical powerhouse in your liver, and your busy kidneys that keep you toxin-free. Find out how you get energy and heat from food and how your body gets rid of the stuff it doesn't need. Illustrations, diagrams,...

Are you ready to take off with the world's fastest supersonic aircraft? Strap yourself in for a trip in the MiG-25 Foxbat interceptor and clock up to 2,100 mph (3,380 kmh/h)! Soar in the NAA X-15 rocket plane, which set a record of 4,520 mph (7,274 km/h) in 1967! Hop into the world's fastest jet, the NASA Hyper X-43 scramjet, but hang on it has the potential to go 7,000 mph (11,265 km/h)! Detailed illustrations put you in the cockpits of these mighty,...

Meet some of the most intriguing sea-dwelling animals on Earth and learn about their superstar abilities-from hunting and hiding to solving puzzles and playing.

Unlock the secrets and rituals of how to prepare for the afterlife in Ancient Egypt more than three thousand years ago. But make sure to keep safe by using spells from the Book of the Dead!

Meet some of the coolest land animals on Earth, and learn about their amazing abilities-from camouflage and communication to super senses and use of tools.