Michael Anderson: 126 books

Most avid sky gazers wait until nightfall to catch a glimpse of the stars that are scattered across the heavens. The fact of the matter is that one needs only to feel the Sun’s rays in order to experience the presence of a star. The Sun is an ordinary star, a ball of hot gas much like millions of...

Witty and charming, Ronald Reagan could as easily enchant political assemblies as he could movie-goers. As the first U.S. president to reach the White House by way of Hollywood, Reagan may have seemed an unlikely candidate. But throughout his life, Reagan had demonstrated a talent and passion for...

Some of the planet’s most destructive forces—including earthquakes and volcanic activity—are caused by the same factors that helped shape much of the Earth as it is today. Plate tectonics, or movement of the Earth’s outer layers, can occur in a number of different ways and produce a range...

It may be hard to believe that the Earth, with all the complexity and biodiversity we observe today, originated in a cloud of gas and dust. Yet much of the plant and animal life that seems so common now evolved relatively recently on the timeline of Earth’s long history. The Earth’s remarkable...

Anyone who has experienced the thrill of watching his or her team win on Super Bowl Sunday will recognize the exhilaration that the game of football generates. Gridiron football is a complex game that demands both tactical ability and physical skill. This enthralling volume outlines the history and...

The cultural and intellectual achievements of Old World civilizations—ancient Greece or Egypt, for instance—can be glimpsed in present-day societies the world over. Unfortunately, accomplishments of the ancient civilizations of the New World have often been obscured by the colonial forces that...

It may be little exaggeration to say that the figure of Abraham Lincoln embodies the American ideal more so than any other U.S. president. Although he came from humble beginnings and held several odd jobs before launching his career in politics, Lincoln’s determination and natural abilities brought...

Life comes in all shapes and forms, and living entities dwell in all types of habitats. There are seven characteristics that all life forms share—the ability to move, to sense, to respire, to consume nutrition, to grow, to reproduce, and to excrete waste matter. Complete with annotated illustrations...

Even as environmental consciousness and “green” habits become increasingly embedded with numerous individuals, many of the planet’s natural resources and species remain in danger. On a global scale, effectively protecting the environment requires top-down solutions from political and economic...

Our visual experience of the world and our ability to perceive the objects and people around us would be impossible without light and the many roles it plays in our daily lives. In addition to facilitating our perception, light sustains life on earth by providing energy to plants and heating the atmosphere....

The life cycle of a plant can be truly remarkable to observe, and the energy of plant life can be truly mystifying; consider how certain environments are inhospitable to life, yet they’re sprinkled with various forms of vegetation. Plant reproduction can occur asexually or sexually; the method of...

Following the end of the American Civil War, the country’s landscape transformed dramatically as it experienced economic growth, saw the emergence of various progressive social movements, and engaged as never before in international affairs. The drivers of these changes included presidents, political...

Rejecting British authority and profoundly committed to the principles of liberty and justice as well as the land they called home, American colonists from all walks of life answered the resounding cry for independence and gave voice to the ideals in which they so passionately believed. The agents...

Together, minerals, rocks, and fossils communicate much about Earth’s history. Much more than ornaments on a landscape, minerals and rocks are significant components of the planet’s foundation, while fossils contain clues as to the various life forms that once inhabited the planet. Readers are...