Natural History, Hardcover/***

A monumental and beautiful guide to Earth's wildlife and natural history--its rocks, minerals, animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms--this landmark of reference publishing has been extended and updated. In the 11 years since this book was released, thousands of new species have been identified, and new revelations have redrawn the tree of life. Already featuring galleries of more than 5,000 species, Natural History now includes discoveries such as the olinguito (the kitty bear of the Andean cloud forest) and the painted mannakin of Peru. It takes advantage of the first living observations of the giant squid and the deep-sea anglerfish. And it has reorganized the groups of living things to reflect the latest scientific understanding. All this ensures that this, the only book to offer a complete visual survey of all kingdoms of life, remains the benchmark of illustrated natural history references. Written by a worldwide team of natural history experts, Natural History is the perfect addition to every family bookshelf, as well as an ideal gift for any nature lover. From granites to grapevines, from microbes to mammals, Natural History is the ultimate celebration of the diversity of the natural world. About author(s): Smithsonian Institution Established in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution--the world's largest museum and research complex--includes 19 museums and galleries and the National Zoological Park. The Smithsonian's collections contain an estimated 137 million artifacts, works of art, and specimens, 126 million of which are in the National Museum of Natural History . David Burnie (Consulting Editor) David Burnie is a former winner of the Aventis Prize for Science Books and the editor of DK 's highly successful Animal. He has written or contributed to more than 100 books and is a fellow of the Zoological Society of London.