In 2012, a New York auction catalogue boasted an unusual offering: "a superb Tyrannosaurus skeleton." In fact, Lot 49135 consisted of a nearly complete T. bataar, a close cousin to the most famous animal that ever lived. The fossils now on display in a Manhattan event space had been unearthed in Mongolia, more than 6,000 miles away. At eight-feet high and 24 feet long, the specimen was spectacular, and when the gavel sounded the winning bid was over...

Describes the formation and characteristics of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks and how to recognize and collect them.

Perfect for mountain climbers and hikers, this valuable reference covers more rocks and minerals in North America than any other available guide. 794 full-color photographs depict all the important rocks, gems, and minerals -- in many variations of color and crystal form -- and the natural environments in which they occur; written descriptions provide information on field marks, similar rocks and minerals, environment, areas of occurrence, and derivation...

For collectors and students alike Written by a team of experts, this book is an indispensable guide for both home and field. Packed with facts. Full color.

Benvenuto Cellini, master artisan of Renaissance Italy, once crafted a beautiful amulet prized for its unimaginable power — and untold menace. Now the quest to recover this legendary artifact depends upon one man: David Franco, a brilliant but skeptical young scholar at Chicago’s world-renowned Newberry Library. What begins as a simple investigation spirals into a tale of dangerous intrigue, as Franco races from the châteaux of France to the...

In this beguiling work Posnett journeys to some of the most far-flung locales on the planet to bring seven wonders of the natural world--eiderdown, vicu©ła fiber, sea silk, vegetable ivory, civet coffee, guano, and edible birds' nests--that promise ways of using nature without damaging it.

To open the pages of this magnificently illustrated book is to enter the magical world of natural history. And it is to be guided among all the myriad marvels of the earth by an eloquent commentator, backed by the prodigious resources of a great institution -- the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. This extraordinary Museum, which attracts five million visitors a year, is a repository of wonders beyond counting and almost beyond description....

With this book, you'll experience the excitement of finding, collecting, and identifying rocks and minerals.

Reclusive collector Cutter Merlin is seldom seen in Key West -- lately, not at all. Officer Liam Beckett visits Merlin's curious house and discovers the gentleman in his study. In his death grip: a volume of occult lore and a reliquary. His eyes are wide with fright, his mouth a horrified rictus where spiders now dwell. Kelsey Donovan returns to the old house to catalog her estranged grandfather's collection of artifacts and antiquities, vowing to...