Great River: The Rio Grande in North American History/2 Volumes Set /Vol 1 : Indians and Spain, Vol 2 : Mexico and the United States

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Great River: The Rio Grande in North American History/2 Volumes Set /Vol 1 : Indians and Spain, Vol 2 : Mexico and the United States
Paul Horgan
Manufacturer: Rinehart & Company, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PA3GPG

Average customer rating:

Excellent Book

Interesting but a bit slow in places

A wonderfully entertaining and enlightening read!

"Clara's Grand Tour" - A Good Read

Introducing the Rhinoceros to Europe

Clara's Grand Tour: Travels with a Rhinoceros in Eighteenth-Century Europe
Glynis Ridley
Manufacturer: Atlantic Monthly Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

18th Century | World | History | Subjects | Books
General | World | History | Subjects | Books
Mammals | Animals | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Oudry's Painted Menagerie: Portraits of Exotic Animals in Eighteenth-Century France (J. Paul Getty Museum)

My Travels With Clara

Zarafa: A Giraffe's True Story, from Deep in Africa to the Heart of Paris

The Lady and the Panda: The True Adventures of the First American Explorer to Bring Back China's Most Exotic Animal

The Clumsiest People in Europe: Or, Mrs. Mortimer's Bad-Tempered Guide to the Victorian World

ASIN: 0871138832

Book Description

In 1741, an enterprising Dutch sea captain transported a young, female Indian rhinoceros from Assam to Europe where she was displayed before everyone from peasants to princes. In an age before railways and modern roads, the three-ton Clara traveled in an enormous coach drawn by eight horses. For seventeen years she journeyed across mainland Europe and Britain. She became a favorite of heads of state, including Frederick the Great and Louis XV; she modeled for scientific portraits and etchings; she inspired poems, songs, and fashions; and she was duly immortalized in everything from tin coins to the finest porcelain. She was a star. Her tour involved unprecedented logistical planning, as no one knew how to care for this largest of land mammals. A rhinoceros can eat up to 150 pounds of vegetation a day, and Clara developed an uncommon fondness for oranges, beer, and tobacco. Later, when Clara's popularity threatened to decline, her owner spread the news of Clara's certain and imminent death, which provoked an upsurge in interest, sympathy ... and bookings. Awarded the prestigious Institute of Historical Research Prize, Glynis Ridley's sparkling history brings Clara's tragicomic story vividly to life.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent Book.......2007-01-17

When a friend gave me this as a gift, I thought, "What the heck is this?" But I gave it a shot, and I loved it. This is one of those quirky little books where the main subject is a fulcrum for a fascinating look at the political and social times in which it lived.

The book is a gem. I'm a Clara fan!

Interesting but a bit slow in places.......2005-10-23

I enjoyed reading this book. It provides an insight into an age long ago when life was more limited geographically, and something as simple as seeing what a rhinocerous looks like was a special event.

The book moved a bit slowly in places since the author described the entire tour in a fair amount of detail. However, in the end I appreciated the thoroughness of the description.

The only real weak point was that it left me wishing that there had been more photographs of the playbills, medallions, and etchings which are mentioned in the text. But other than that, it is definitely worth reading.

A wonderfully entertaining and enlightening read!.......2005-09-02

Glynis Ridley has written a delightful book, informative, entertaining, and sparkling with fascinating insights into everything from the travel habits of 18th-century Europeans to the Biblical iconography of the rhino. This is a must read for anyone interested in Europe in the age of Enlightenment.

"Clara's Grand Tour" - A Good Read.......2005-06-15

As an endangered species program manager, "Clara's Grand Tour" provided me with intriguing insights into the historical captive maintenance and display of a species now considered to be endangered. Ridley, using historical references and subsequent narratives on Clara's travels, does a fair job of synthesizing the information. (I applaud her on her efforts to appreciate the difficulities inherent in rhino captive maintenance; her visit(s) to the Cincinnati Zoo rhino collection was admirable!) Ridley attempts to fill in the blanks where the record is incomplete; her discussions of similar period ventures with other rhinos are particularly insightful. I also enjoyed the portions of the book that describe early animal collections, efforts to describe the species, early natural history writers, etc. Ridley's writing style/technique at times left me wondering, though. For example, in Chapter 1, Ridley describes a "renaissance of interest" in classical Graeco-Roman texts describing various species. She goes on to describe the unavailability of specimens to validate these textual descriptions, stating that African animals brought from the interior were generally unavailable for viewing because they were single specimens "conspicuously lacking in the sort of bulk and ferocity that made transportation overland both time-consuming and complex." I don't get this. While there are a few other places containing similarly garbled trains of thought, perhaps one of the most egregious oversights in this book is the failure of the author to include illustrations of Van de Meer's original souvenir posters and coins. With this being said, I did enjoy the book, plan to re-read it, and look forward to reading some of the additional cited references. I believe that this book rates three or four stars, and give it four largely for content.

Introducing the Rhinoceros to Europe.......2005-04-19

If you can't get to the zoo, you can at least turn on the Discovery Channel, or a lot of others, and see scary, huge, exotic beasts that have no chance of showing up in your home town. In the eighteenth century, however, the options were quite a bit less, and so an enterprising fellow with a rhinoceros might be able to make an impression. In the case of Douwemout Van der Meer, and his rhinoceros Clara, he not only made an impression all over Europe, he substantially changed the science and art of the time, and he made a fortune. A curious book, _Clara's Grand Tour: Travels with a Rhinoceros in Eighteenth Century Europe_ (Atlantic Monthly Press) by Glynis Ridley now tells the story, an odd one about a strange and distant time, and about a strange endeavor. There are gaps in the story, because Van der Meer did not keep a journal, but Ridley has also included diverting details about the cities Clara visits and the people she meets. The result is an engaging history, and one more valuable look at how humans get along with animals.

Clara's mother was shot when Clara was but a few months old in India, and the sea captain Van der Meer purchased her, thinking that she would make his fortune. He sailed with her back to his home in Holland, and with Clara safely transported, he left the Dutch East India Company to get on with what would be his real career. He was an ingenious showman, who used many techniques that would be familiar in modern spectacles. He had posters printed up beforehand to announce Clara's arrival, and would sell copies of the poster to anyone who paid to see her. There were also more elaborate or detailed pictures for the better-off to buy, ranging from woodcuts to engravings to commemorative medals in tin or silver. Clara seems to have been cared for with genuine affection. She lived on hay and grass (150 pounds a day), with bread and beer being special treats. She was attracted to the smell of tobacco, and could be easily led by the temptation of an orange.

Clara toured throughout Europe starting in 1741, with various home visits to Leiden, and died on tour in London in 1758. At her death, she probably became the subject of anatomists, and Van der Meer went back home. Significantly, there are no written records of him after Clara's death. It is to be assumed that he retired on his profits. He and Clara had accomplished a good deal more than just making money, however, as this happy and enthralling narrative make clear. They were making an appeal to popular curiosity, which is an amiable enough trait, and they satisfied it, but they also satisfied the artists and naturalists who came to check her out. They had expanded human knowledge, making the rhinoceros so well known that Boswell could report in agreement that someone had said that Dr. Johnson "laughs like a rhinoceros," and could count on people being amused at the simile. Ridley's book happily lets us rejoin in the enlightenment which Clara brought.

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A lot to consider

RVers: How Do They Live Like That?
Judy Farrow
Manufacturer: OceanView Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Motor Sports | Miscellaneous | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0974282219

Book Description

This book is for you if:

* You know/love someone who is an RVer
* You own (or are shopping for) an RV
* You are facing retirement
* You want to run your own life/career
* You want to be more than a tourist
* You want to improve your relationships
* You want your family and friends to support your choices
* You want to age with grace and wisdom

Customer Reviews:

A lot to consider.......2005-11-09

Full time RVing involves a lot of trade-offs in your life and shouldn't be considered lightly. Lou and Judy provide the framework for making this choise, covering such issues as living in close quarters, health care, dealing with the separation from children and parents (the "sandwich" generation), dealing with fuel costs and the little talked about issue of finally hanging up the keys. Anyone thinking about buying and living in an RV should read this book first.

Average customer rating:

Dated material
Not for Children
I bought all her books for my child
a really fun book

How Do They Do That?
Caroline Sutton
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books

Curiosities & Wonders | Fun Facts | Reference | Subjects | Books

Trivia | Fun Facts | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Mystery & Wonders | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 068801111X
Release Date: 1982-07-01

Book Description

HOW DO
THEY
DO THAT?

How do they make mirrors?
How do sword swallowers swallow swords?
How does a Polaroid picture develop in broad daylight?
How do camels go without water?
How do they splice genes?
How do they create spectacular fireworks?

How indeed?

Ever found yourself wide-eyed at the wonders of science? Awestruck by the arts? Mystified by the miracles of nature or the marvels of technology?

Relief is at hand. Within these pages answers abound. How Do They Do That? clarifies what used to mystify. It explains the inexplicable and makes known the unknown.

Here is a book for both the mildly curious and the grand inquisitor. Take a few hours or take a few minutes to browse through this repository of riddles revealed. You'll discover that it's not hocus-pocus that put the whole pear in the bottle of pear brandy or sorcery that suspends a suspension bridge. But if not by magic, how do they do that?

The answer awaits within. A questioner's cure, an anodyne of answers, How Do They Do That? is a puzzler's paradise.

Caroline Sutton, a graduate of Wesleyan University, fives in New York City, where she writes and edits for the Hilltown Press.

Customer Reviews:

Dated material.......2004-01-01

This book is interesting enough. It brings up lots of questions I had thought about before. More so, the book invoke interestng question I had never thought about before. It is geared towards an adult adience even though most children will find it interesting.

The number of my complaints are limited to two.
1. The material is dated. Published in the early 1980's, some information is just plain wrong. Technologial advances some of the answers obsolete.

2. There are no photographs but diagrams are scattered thoughout the pages. More illustrations would be beneficial is understanding some of the answers.

Not for Children.......2001-12-18

Amazon has let me down! I have to take serious exception to this book being marketed to children as young as nine to twelve years old. On previewing the book before giving it as a gift, I discovered that in addition to some things a child might comprehend and be interested in, there are several that the parent of a nine year old trying to delay exposure to sex, violence and drugs would have major trouble with.

Sections on Artificial Insemination and Sperm Banks are rather "detailed" and would raise more questions than they would answer. One on Truth Serum describes how it might be used on an axe murderer; the piece on chicken processing details assembly line shackling, stunning and beheading methodology; and one on gun silencers references the close quarters use on movie characters. There are also sections on the production of marijuana and hashish.

Aside from these sections, the information is varied, interesting and informative, but on the whole I would say it is written for adults and would be of most interest to mid-teens and older. Parents will no doubt differ on what to present when, but I would consider this definitely unsuitable for nine year olds, and marginal for those 12-15.

I bought all her books for my child.......2001-12-10

Talk about an entertaining read for children! I have all of her books. This is great educational material for your children, and it should definitely be part of their library. At first, I thought this was just for kids. I landed up loving her books. It's very interesting. Less TV, and more of this stuff for children.

a really fun book.......2001-02-07

We came across this book at the Smithsonian book shop and frankly neither my 13 year old daughter, nor I could put it down. We learned how to saw a person in half, and lots of other useful skills. Each item has a short description explaining one "mystery of the universe". Each is presented in a fun, entertaining manner. You can just browse through till you come to one of the things you were always dying to know about. The collection of items is very eclectic. This book is a charmer that virtually any kid or kid at heart would enjoy.

Average customer rating:

More How Do They Do That?
Caroline Sutton
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Curiosities & Wonders | Fun Facts | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0688132219
Release Date: 1994-03-30

Book Description

Have you ever wondered:

- How do they know how much an aircraft carrier weighs?

- How do they get music onto a CD?

- How does an electric eel generate electricity?

- How do they know how long a second is?

- How do penguins stay warm in Antarctica?

- How do they teach guide dogs to cross at a green light?

The answers to these and many other everyday wonders are explained.

Here, in simple and easy-to-understand terms, are solutions to the riddles of everyday life. How exactly does a thief break into your car and drive off with it in less than a minute? And how do they get Hostess Twinkies to stay fresh for so long?

More How Do They Do That? also reveals aspects of modern science and the natural world that are often taken for granted. How do they measure the heat of distant stars? How do they measure the ozone layer? And how do they know there's going to be another ice age in two thousand years? The answers await within. . .

How Did They Do That? Motion Graphics (How Did They Do That?)

Average customer rating:

Got the book in bad condition
Very Well Written with Pretty Pictures too!
Exciting and educational!
demystifies award-winners, makes me a winner too
An excellent source of information and inspiration

How Did They Do That? Motion Graphics (How Did They Do That?)
David Greene
Manufacturer: Rockport Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Cinematography | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Graphic Design | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 156496910X

Book Description

As quickly as technology advances, users demand more sophisticated graphics and interactivity. In such a fast-paced environment, seasoned graphic artists need constant inspiration. But just as important, they need timely information that helps them make the right software application choices and avoid costly technical mistakes.

How Did They Do That? provides both of these essential needs -- using stunning screen shots that visually profile top broadcast and film work internationally. With examples from well-known companies like MTV, Yu + Co and R!OT Design -- as well as projects from talented independent film makers -- the book explores each program from the inspiration that fueled each work to the software programs and nontraditional techniques used to achieve the end result.

Focusing not on step-by-step details, but on the more advanced information experienced designers need most, this valuable reference shows how the best motion graphics artists break the mold using innovative methods.

Customer Reviews:

Got the book in bad condition.......2006-03-18

Got the book in bad condition, the cover was ripped, the pages were crumpled

Very Well Written with Pretty Pictures too!.......2004-05-19

Mr. Greene displays knowledge of the subject, an eye for the obsurd and unusual, and a passion for motion pictures/pixels. Not bad for a freshman effort...three thumbs up!

Exciting and educational!.......2003-07-18

At last! A book that tackles this potentially dry subject with intelligence, wit and fun! I cannot imagine a reader (tekkie or not) who wouldn't both enjoy and learn from "How Did They Do That?". The author's humor, experience and vast understanding of the subject enfuse this book with richness and playfulness. I have learned and continue to learn many new ideas about motion graphics. The illustrations and photography are beautifully done. In short, Mr. Greene's book is very enjoyable, highly educational, and entirely satisfying.

demystifies award-winners, makes me a winner too.......2003-06-11

This book helps me EVERY time I need help on a new project. It demystifies so many different processes and techniques, I feel more gutsy when I take on new design challenges. A few of my clients also notice that my work has come up to a new level of excellence -- and I know that this book has helped make a difference. Yes, the pictures are awesome, PLUS the writing style makes it so easy understand and even PLAYFUL, which makes studying fun and gives me more confidence in client meetings and when I'm off on my own turning around a project on tight deadline. Also, I find that when I explain technical stuff to clients now, I'm a better communicator because of this book -- and my clients love that, of course. When a book makes a difference like that, it's a rare gem.

An excellent source of information and inspiration.......2003-05-21

Well, *I * really enjoyed this book. It's not just pretty pictures; there is real substance here. It's got an excellent sampling of projects from a wide range of disciplines ranging across Film, Broadcast and New Media. I especially enjoyed the scope of the book in assembling work from both domestic and international artists. The book's strength comes from the quality of the projects and the crisp writeups. It 's fascinating to see where other designers have taken their
creativity and how they have approached their work.

Book Description

The totally satisfying answers to more than 100 questions that drive normal people - not to mention infomaniacs and trivia buffs - crazy.

- Questions about matters great and small, from ancient times to yesterday.

- Illustrated with illuminating technical drawings and unusual vintage photographs.

How did they spend $40 million making Heaven's Gate?
How did they decide the length of a mile?
How did Beethoven compose when he was deaf?
How did they discover the Hope diamond?
How did they know the size of the Earth over 1,700 years before anyone sailed around it?
How did they set the price of the Louisiana Purchase?
How did the FBI devise the "Ten Most Wanted" list?
How did they decide which horses were Thoroughbreds?
How did they pick the Four Hundred?
How did they start the Guiness Book of World Records?
How did the Indians decide that cows were sacred?
How did they discover penicillin?
How did they build the Great Pyramid at Giza?
How did they decide how tall to make the Empire State Building?
How did they know there was an El Dorado?
How did they start the Chicago fire of 1871?
How did Hannibal cross the Alps?

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful book for the curious reader.......2000-08-08

This book is wonderful if you want to read a little throughout the day when you don't have enough time to really settle down for a full story. It has answers to all the things you usually would take for granted or simply never thought about. The style is pleasant and easy to read and makes every topic a joy to explore. Really a very nice book.

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How Did They Do That?

Manufacturer: Quill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HYW6RE

Average customer rating:

How Did They Do That? (Real Deal)
Lisa Klobuchar
Manufacturer: Sundance Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 076089633X

How Did They Do That? Clever Ideas That Work (Momentum Literacy Program, Step 6 Level C)

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How Did They Do That? Clever Ideas That Work (Momentum Literacy Program, Step 6 Level C)

Manufacturer: Troll
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0816768366

Product Description

As you zip up your jacket, do you ever stop to wonder who first thought of making a zipper? What clever person came up with the recipe for chocolate? Did you know that the idea for Velcro came from nature? How Did They Do That? explores the world of unusual inventions and ideas, and reveals the origins of things many of us enjoy or use every day.

How Did They Do That? Wonders Of The Far & Recent Past Explained

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How Did They Do That? Wonders Of The Far & Recent Past Explained
Caroline Sutton
Manufacturer: Quill / William Morrow & Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UUM2L0

Book Description

This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1874 edition by Sampson Low, Marston, Low, and Searle, London.

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The Earth As Modified By Human Action
George P. Marsh
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Development & Growth | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Sustainable Development | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1419160516

Book Description

There can be no doubt that moisture is given, out by trees and evaporated in extremely cold winter weather, and unless new fluid were supplied from the roots by the exercise of some vital function, the tree would be exhausted of its juices before winter was over. But this is not observed to be the fact, and, though the point is disputed, respectable authorities declare that "wood felled in the depth of winter is the heaviest and fullest of sap."

Download Description

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The Earth as Modified by Human Action
P. George Marsh
Manufacturer: IndyPublish
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1435311779

The earth as modified by human action: A last revision of "Man and nature"

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The earth as modified by human action: A last revision of "Man and nature"
George Perkins Marsh
Manufacturer: Scribner's
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

The earth as modified by human action: A new ed. of Man and nature

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The earth as modified by human action: A new ed. of Man and nature
George Perkins Marsh
Manufacturer: Scribner, Armstrong
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Man and Nature: Or, Physical Geography as Modified by Human Action (John Harvard Library)

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Human Agency and Landscape Alteration
A Very Modern Environmentalist, Writing in 1864!!!
Environmental Knowledge
Enlightened analysis concerning Humankind's destructivness.

Man and Nature: Or, Physical Geography as Modified by Human Action (John Harvard Library)
George Marsh
Manufacturer: Belknap Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0674544501

Book Description

George Perkins Marsh's Man and Nature was the first book to attack the American myth of the superabundance and the inexhaustibility of the earth. It was, as Lewis Mumford said, "the fountainhead of the conservation movement," and few books since have had such an influence on the way men view and use land. "It is worth reading after a hundred years," Mr. Lowenthal points out, "not only because it taught important lessons in its day, but also because it still teaches them so well...Historical insight and contemporary passion make Man and Nature an enduring classic."

Customer Reviews:

Human Agency and Landscape Alteration.......2007-01-04

Although a dipolmat by profession, Marsh was the first environmentalist to describe the interrelationships between environment and culture. Today he is best remembered for his key work, "Man and Nature." In that classic work, he was the first to suggest that human agency constituted a major element in landscape change. The accepted view held by prominent geographers and geologists of his day was that the physical aspects of the earth were entirely the result of natural process and phenomena, including topography, geological materials, erosion, weathering, climate, etc. Before Marsh, no one had ever thought to study the earth in ways that it was changed by human actions. After his pioneering work, no serious environmentalist or geoscientist can afford to overlook the consequences of those actions on the land. A well-read copy of this book belongs in the personal library of every earth scientist, environmentalist, and conservationist. Marsh's book is a MUST READ for anyone concerned about what people are doing to the earth.

A Very Modern Environmentalist, Writing in 1864!!!.......2006-11-14

In 1864, George P. Marsh explained how civilizations create ecological disasters. His central thesis is that cutting down forests desrupts otherwise stable hydrological cycles, thereby causing erosion and degrading plant and animal habitats. The book is vaste, creative and detailed. An American from Vermont, Marsh also lived in Turkey and Italy, and pursued numerous careers, as diplomat, lawyer, businessman, and professor. His intense love of language and history merged with direct obersvations here and abroad to generate a remarkable breadth of knowlegde and a strong desire to communicate. In Man and Nature, Marsh is not only inspired, he is also happy to digress, particularly in the abundant footnotes.

Environmental Knowledge.......2006-08-28

The depth of information provided in this remarkable book trasncends the test of time.

Enlightened analysis concerning Humankind's destructivness........1999-07-22

Originally published in 1864, Marsh explains in wonderful detail the consequences of humankind's manipulation of earth's resources. Truly an enlightened thinker.

Man and nature; or, Physical geography as modified by human action. By George P. Marsh ...

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Man and nature; or, Physical geography as modified by human action. By George P. Marsh ...
George Perkins Marsh
Manufacturer: University of Michigan Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science | Subjects | Books

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The earth as modified by human action; a last revision of "Man and nature"
Marsh; George Perkins
Manufacturer: Library Reprints
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding
ASIN: 0722226306

Extracts from Man and nature,: Or The earth as modified by human action

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Extracts from Man and nature,: Or The earth as modified by human action
George Perkins Marsh
Manufacturer: Higginbotham
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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HOW DO THEY DO THAT?

Have you ever wondered:

HOW DO
THEY
DO THAT?