Ancient Technology

From Aristotle to Ada Lovelace: a brief history of the mathematical ideas that have forever changed the world and the everyday people and pioneers behind them. The story of our best invention yet. From our ability to calculate the passing of time to the algorithms that control computers and much else in our lives, numbers are everywhere. They are so indispensable that we forget how fundamental they are to our way of life.

Following the fall of Rome, the sea is increasingly the stage upon which the human struggle of western civilization is played out. In a world of few roads and great disorder, the sea is the medium on which power is projected and wealth sought. Yet this confused period in the history of maritime warfare has rarely been studied; it is little known and even less understood. Charles Stanton uses an innovative and involving approach to describe this fascinating but neglected facet of European medieval history.

With this book about ancient Egypt, you’ll become an expert and wow your friends and teachers with awesome ancient facts: Did you know that some Egyptians used to shave their eyebrows whenever a cat died? Or that some people worshiped a god of lettuce? With cool trivia, and fun quizzes to test your knowledge, this guide will have you on your way to whiz-kid status in no time.

Long before books were mass produced, those made of reeds from along the Nile were worth fighting and dying for. Journeying along the battlefields of Alexander the Great, beneath the eruptions of Mount Vesuvius, at Cleopatra's palaces and the scene of Hypatia's murder, award-winning author Irene Vallejo chronicles the excitement of literary culture in the ancient world, and the heroic efforts that ensured this impressive tradition would continue.

In virtually all fields of human endeavor, Athens was so much at the forefront of dynamism and innovation that the products of its most brilliant minds remain not only influential, but entirely relevant to this day. In the field of medicine, the great physician Hippocrates not only advanced the practical knowledge of human anatomy and care-giving, but changed the entire face of the medical profession.

Hippias of Elis travels throughout the Greek world practicing and teaching the art of making beautiful speeches. On a rare visit to Athens, he meets Socrates, who questions him about the nature of his art. Socrates is especially curious about how Hippias would define beauty. They agree that beauty makes all beautiful things beautiful, but when Socrates presses him to say precisely what he means, Hippias is unable to deliver such a definition.

Take a transformative journey to brain fitness with Dr. Patrick Porter, renowned expert in neuroscience and cognitive enhancement and founder of BrainTap, Inc., and Ruchika Sikri, former head of Wellbeing Learning at Google and managing partner at Wisdom Ventures Fund. Together they serve as your guides to optimizing your cognitive ability and physical vitality through the integration of ancient practices and cutting-edge technologies.

A Short History of Seafaring tells the 5,000 year history of the remarkable individuals who sailed seas, for trade, to conquer new lands, to explore the unknown. From the early Polynesians to the first circumnavigations by the Portuguese and the British, these are awe-inspiring tales of epic sea voyages involving great feats of seamanship, navigation, endurance, and ingenuity. Explore the lives and maritime adventures, many with first person narratives, of land seekers and globe charters such as Christopher Columbus, Captain James Cook and Vitus Bering.

The modern world has the ancient Romans to thank for the origins of many modern technologies, conveniences, and ideas, from running water, baths, and republican-style government to roads. Similarly, by the third century BCE, the Romans were prodigious monument builders, so much so that the memory of the great Roman Republic and the Roman Empire continues to exist within a cityscape of stone. Rome’s public spaces were filled with statues, arches, temples, and many other varieties of monumental images, and each of these structures had its own civic or religious function.

Meet the man who met Abraham and follow his story about how a family that honors Elohim and makes Him their Adonai might forge and ultimately shape the destiny of the Hittite Empire. Ephron is the builder who chooses exile to save his rebellious wife and becomes prince of Hebron. His sister Tawananna is the dragonslayer who fed her people and becomes a ruler but has to sit still while Sargon attacks. Their uncle Heth is the warrior with a secret weapon and a secret weakness. Ephron's wife Shelometh is an advocate for women in the ancient world; a friend to Sarah and Hagar and a defender of ...

The Minoan-Mycenaean Empire is one of the most compelling of the lost civilizations, so how does an advanced civilization vanish as if into thin air? This kingdom wasn’t limited to Greece and its Mediterranean tributaries, the Mycenaean Empire of Greek gods extended around the world, even into the Americas. Their technology included analog computers, humanoid robots, talking oracles, flying machines, transparent windows, hot and cold running water, flushing toilets, sewer systems, loose-stone pyramids that pulled water out of the air, and transcontinental ships with voice navigation.

You’d never believe it, but the mummies from horror movies are real. Unwrap the secrets of historic mummies like King Tut and Princess Amen Ra.

Socrates questions Ion, an actor who just won a major prize, about his ability to interpret the epic poetry of Homer. How does an actor, a poet, or any other artist create? Is it by knowing? Is it by inspiration? As the dialogue proceeds, the nature of human creativity emerges as a mysterious process and an unsolved puzzle.

The oldest "Wonder of the world" stands silently and demands explanation. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is so big, so old, and so beautiful that many can't believe it was built by an ancient people…but it was! And that is the greatest mystery of all - the mystery of the Great Pyramid. The Great Pyramid is part of the non-fiction Ancient Egyptian Mysteries series that engages listeners of all ages. Travel to ancient Egypt and explore the facts and mysteries of how the Great Pyramid of Khufu was built

With this Junior Genius Guide to Greek mythology, you’ll become an expert and wow your friends and teachers with all the best ancient stories: how Prometheus outsmarted the gods, how Achilles’s heel led to his death, and how we mere mortals always seem to get mixed up in so many misadventures. With cool trivia and fun quizzes to test your knowledge, this guide will have you on your way to whiz-kid status in no time!

In virtually all fields of human endeavor, ancient Athens was so much at the forefront of dynamism and innovation that the products of its most brilliant minds remain not only influential but entirely relevant to this day. In the field of medicine, the great physician Hippocrates not only advanced the practical knowledge of human anatomy and care-giving but changed the entire face of the medical profession.

Over the past five million years, our species has spread from the plains of East Africa to every inhabitable landmass on our planet. Combinations of our technological know-how, scientific knowledge, and complex societies have allowed humanity to shape and affect our environment more than any of our fellow species, even to the point of our peril. How did we get to this situation? What are some of our ancestors' choices as individuals, societies, and species that shaped our history to the present day?

This is the true story of how Kush (parts of modern Sudan and Ethiopia) founded a dynasty of black Pharaohs. This astonishing civilization south of Egypt developed its own distinctive pyramid and culture and overcame both Egypt and Rome. Ancient propaganda claimed victory over the barbarians of Kush, but the truth cannot be hidden forever!

Meet the man who met Abraham. Ephron wants to honor his father and unite his people but his intended bride has other ideas. Ephron's father Zohar chooses him to lead their family. He not only has vital skills to ensure the security and growth of their tribe but he is still unmarried. Zohar plans to unite the Hittite tribes using Ephron and his sister as peace children in arranged marriages. Marauding enemies and rising waters threaten the homelands of fellow Hittites but no one wants to sacrifice autonomy just for safety, food, clothing, and shelter. Family patriarch Heth's arrival might ...

People have always wanted to know the future. When the ancient Greeks needed to make an important decision they would ask one of their oracles, the priestly advisors who spoke the words of gods. But sometimes it was a mystery what the oracle really meant, and many got it wrong. How the oracles got their answers may be even more mysterious than we think. Let the history, legends, and myths of ancient Greece capture your students' imagination...