Travel thousands of years into our past and discover the significant events that shaped the world as we know it.

This book includes short, descriptive explanations of key ideas, themes, and events of world history that are easy to understand. Explore topics such as the founding of Baghdad, the colonization of the Americas, and the inception of Buddhism without complicated jargon.


This book is part of DK's award-winning Big Ideas Simply Explained educational series that uses witty graphics and engaging descriptions to enlighten readers.

Don't stop at American history, explore the world! This book is full of fun facts from the human story, going as far back as the origins of our species to space exploration today. Discover all things revolution, from the French to the digital, including the rise of the internet.

Enjoy short and sweet biographies of some of the most important thinkers and leaders throughout history, like Martin Luther, Charles Darwin, and Nelson Mandela. You'll learn who said famous historical quotes, and what they really meant when they said it.

Big Ideas

This is a modern twist on the good old-fashioned encyclopedia, now easier to follow with diagrams, mind maps, and timelines. Step-by-step diagrams will have you reviewing your ideas about history.

Start from the very beginning:

- Human Origins 200,000 years ago - 3500 BGE
- Ancient Civilizations 6000 BGE - 500 CE
- The Medieval World 500 - 1492
- Early Modern Era 1420 - 1795
- Changing Societies 1776 - 1914
- The Modern World 1914 - Present

The Series Simply Explained

With over 7 million copies sold worldwide to date, The History Book is part of the award-winning Big Ideas Simply Explained series from DK Books. It uses innovative graphics along with engaging writing to make complex subjects easier to understand.

Be inspired to imagine the garden of your dreams with this guide that will help you plan, build, and plant your perfect outdoor space.


Whether you're aiming for a total redesign or targeting a specific area, Encyclopedia of Landscape Design offers fresh and achievable ideas for every gardener: grasp the fundamentals of landscape and garden design, find a style that's right for you, and create the structures and planting plans to bring your ideas to life. Produced by a team of award-winning horticultural experts, Encyclopedia of Landscape Design offers extensive design inspiration backed up with solid practical content, including step-by-step landscape structures and planting techniques.

Discover the essential facts about Marvel Comics' timeless heroes and villains-from Captain America, Spider-Man, and Iron Man to Thanos, Loki, and Kingpin-with an introduction by the legendary Stan Lee.

This is the "book that mankind has been hungering for," says American comic book writer, editor, publisher, and producer, Stan Lee, "a book that is-now and forever-a shining beacon of wonder, a titanic tribute to talent unleashed."

With this new edition of DK's best-selling Marvel Encyclopedia, keep up with the ever-expanding Marvel Universe. Updated and expanded, find out vital information and secret histories for more than 1,200 Marvel characters-from classics to brand new ones-while getting the lowdown on recent key events, including Civil War 2, Secret Empire, and Infinity Countdown.

From iconic teams-such as the Avengers, X-Men, and Guardians of the Galaxy-to fan favorites-Black Panther, Deadpool, and Captain Marvel to rising stars Amadeus Cho, Squirrel Girl and the Exiles-every significant Marvel character is showcased with the latest comic artwork. Meticulously researched, expertly written, and stunningly illustrated, the Marvel Encyclopedia boasts newly commissioned cover art by one of Marvel's hottest up-and-coming talents. This unique, in-depth, and accessible encyclopedia is an indispensable guide to Marvel Comics that devoted fans and newcomers alike will return to time and again.

© 2020 MARVEL

Embroidery is the ultimate stitch dictionary and the ideal guide to embroidery, whatever your level of expertise.

The perfect reference guide to needlework, Embroidery is a comprehensive guide to inspire and inform sewers of all levels. Find advice on which thread, needles, or fabrics work with which techniques, and take a look at an incredible 200 stitches - with levels of difficulty, step-by-step instructions, and ideas on where and how to use them.

This practical guide covers sewing tips for dressmaking, needlepoint, and embroidery stitches, with detailed information simply presented in illustration-rich pages. With Embroidery, it's easy to find exactly which stitch is right for your next sewing project. Whether you're already an expert, just starting out, or are looking for a new hobby at home, Embroidery is an informative resource for all crafters.

Let the experts at the Royal Botanic Gardens guide you around the beautiful and mysterious world that is the plant kingdom.

From regulating the air we breathe to providing food, clothes, fuels, and medicines - plants are fundamental to our lives. Discover an extraordinary diversity of species, which includes a grass that grows a meter a day, roots that breathe air, and "queen of the night" cactuses whose rare blooms vanish before dawn.

In a combination of art and science, Flora celebrates plants from majestic trees to microscopic algae, explaining how they germinate, grow, and reproduce. It presents species that have evolved to accommodate pollinating insects such as the foxglove, and plants that have adapted to flourish in even the most hostile of habitats.

Pierre-Joseph Redoute in the 18th-century was described as the "Raphael of flowers". Flora showcases his botanical paintings as well as those of Georg Ehret and others in this gorgeous visual celebration of plants through the ages.

Whether you are a keen gardener, naturalist, or botany student, this beautiful book is a treat that will entice, inform, and amaze.

How does memory work? Who is the "distractor" in your family? What was the "car crash" experiment?

The Psychology Book is your visual guide to the complex and fascinating world of human behavior. Discover how we learn, become emotionally bonded with others, and develop coping mechanisms to deal with adversity, or conform in a group. Get to know key thinkers, from Freud and Jung to Elizabeth Loftus and Melanie Klein, and follow charts and timelines to make sense of it all and see how one theory influenced another.

With concise explanations of different schools of psychology including psychotherapy, cognitive psychology and behaviorism, this is an ideal reference whether you're a student, or a general reader. It's your authoritative guide to over 100 key ideas, theories and conditions, including the collective unconscious, the "selfish" gene, false memory, psychiatric disorders, and autism.

If you're fascinated by the human mind, The Psychology Book is both an invaluable reference and illuminating read.

Discover the beguiling history of witchcraft, magic, and superstition through the centuries in this stunningly illustrated title.

A History of Magic, Witchcraft and the Occult charts the extraordinary narrative of one of the most interesting and often controversial subjects in the world, covering everything from ancient animal worship and shamanism, through alchemy and divination to modern Wicca and the resurgence of the occult in 21st-century literature, cinema, and television.

Providing readers with a balanced, and unbiased account of everything from Japanese folklore and Indian witchcraft to the differences between black and white magic, and dispelling myths such as those surrounding the voodoo doll and Ouija, the book explores the common human fear of, and fascination with spells, superstition, and the supernatural.

The perfect introduction to magic and the occult, this wide-ranging volume explores forms of divination from astrology and palmistry to the Tarot and runestones, mystical plants and potions such as mandrake, the presence of witchcraft in literature from Shakespeare's Macbeth to the Harry Potter series, and the ways in which magic has interacted with religion.

The most comprehensive illustrated history of witchcraft available, A History of Magic, Witchcraft and the Occult will enthrall and fascinate you with its lavish illustrated, accessible entries, whether you are a believer or skeptic.

An accessible guide to more than 90 of the most important and groundbreaking milestones in the history of medicine, and the people behind them.

How are illnesses diagnosed? What is cancer? Why are some pandemics so deadly?

This ebook explores big questions like these, explaining the breakthroughs and discoveries that have shaped our modern-day understanding of medicine and helped us protect and promote our health. Written in plain English, The Medicine Book cuts through the jargon and is packed with pithy explanations of the most important milestones in medical history, with step-by-step diagrams and witty illustrations that untangle knotty concepts.

From ancient medical practices, such as herbal medications and balancing the humours, through groundbreaking work including Jenner's experiments with cowpox, which laid the basis for vaccination, The Medicine Book offers an engaging overview of medical history across the world all the way into the 21st century with gene manipulation, immunotherapy, and robotics and telesurgery. Covering the role that therapies and drugs have played in the human quest to treat and prevent disease, the establishment of hospitals and later international medical bodies, like the WHO, and medical science's response to new challenges, such as accelerated antibiotic resistance and COVID-19, The Medicine Book explains the stories behind each milestone development.

Continuing the "Big Ideas" series' trademark combination of authoritative, informative text, and bold graphics, The Medicine Book uses an innovative visual approach to make the subject accessible to everyone, whether you're a student of medicine or science, a medical professional, or an armchair expert.

The first book to combine Kama Sutra positions with fitness workouts, including 350 illustrated sensual sexercises.

Enhance your fitness while reaching new heights of sexual bliss with exciting sex positions designed to work and tone key muscle groups for both partners. Each clearly illustrated sexercise includes stats and tips to maximize your workout. Heart rate and flexibility ratings allow you to choose positions based on your level of fitness, then build your strength for more challenging positions. Whether you're in the mood for a high-intensity quickie or a lovemaking marathon, Kama Sutra Workout will help to get you physically fit and sexually satisfied.

With this visual guide to computer programming for beginners, it has never been easier to learn how to code.

Coding skills are in high demand and the need for programmers is still growing. Covering three of the most popular languages for new coders, this book uses a graphic method to break complex subjects into user-friendly chunks, bringing essential skills within easy reach. Each chapter contains tutorials on practical projects designed to teach you the main applications of each language, such as building websites, creating games, and designing apps. The book also looks at many of the main coding languages that are out there, outlining the key applications of each language, so you can choose the right language for you.

You'll learn to think like a programmer by breaking a problem down into parts, before turning those parts into lines of code. Short, easy-to-follow steps then show you, piece by piece, how to build a complete program. There are challenges for you to tackle to build your confidence before moving on.

Written by a team of expert coders and coding teachers, Beginner's Step-by-Step Coding Course is the ideal way to get to set you on the road to code.

Why do we need laws? What rights are protected by law? When was forensic evidence first used in court?

This book explores big questions like these, explaining the laws and legal precedents, and religious, political, and moral codes that have shaped the world we live in. Written in plain English, The Law Book cuts through the legal jargon and is packed with pithy explanations of the most important milestones in legal history, with step-by-step diagrams and witty illustrations that untangle knotty concepts.

From the earliest laws, such as the Code of Hammurabi, through groundbreaking legislation including Magna Carta and the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act, The Law Book offers an engaging overview of legal history across the world all the way into the 21st century with copyright in the digital age, same-sex marriage, and the "right to be forgotten". Covering the fight for universal suffrage and workers' rights, and the establishment of international legal bodies like INTERPOL and the European Court of Justice, The Law Book explains the stories behind each milestone development.

Continuing the Big Ideas series' trademark combination of authoritative, informative text, and bold graphics, The Law Book uses an innovative visual approach to make the subject accessible to everyone, whether you're a law student, a legal professional, or an armchair expert.

The only instructional book on watercolor you will ever need.

Trying your hand at watercolor painting? Or looking to advance your range of artistic skills?

Watercolor Techniques for Artists and Illustrators is for you.

Beginning with the basics - such as honing your observational skills, choosing a subject, and learning about composition - the book then takes a comprehensive, in-depth look at techniques to expand your repertoire.

With expert advice from artists and illustrators working in a range of styles - from classic to cutting-edge contemporary -this book will equip you with the skills and confidence to develop your own style and grow as an artist.