The Ultimate Guide to Rebuilding Civilization
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·Keep your curiosity within reach. Pick a subject, follow a diagram, and let one question lead to the next. This richly illustrated hardcover makes a generous gift for the reader who always wants to know how things work.
Regular English edition. 400 illustrated pages, hardcover and sewn binding.
Size: 23 × 4.9 × 34 cm. Weight: 2.25 kg.
ISBN: 978-0-578-37745-2.
Who is it for?
Readers who enjoy discovering connections between science, history, engineering and everyday life.
Can I read it a little at a time?
Yes. Browse by topic or settle in for a longer exploration.
Is it suitable for children?
Adult guidance is recommended. Some themes, including alcohol and contraception, may be unsuitable for younger readers. The publisher describes separate sealed adult material; review the contents before sharing with a child.
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2 Years Ultimate Care Package
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The publisher's product page displayed a rating of 4.88 from 1,117 reviews when checked on October 6, 2026. These are reviews of the book on Hungry Minds' website, not reviews of purchases from Ventrafinds.
Further down this page, you can watch readers' videos supplied on the publisher's product page.
An illustrated journey through the ideas that changed the world. Open its pages to discover how familiar objects came to be, how ingenious machines work, and how human curiosity connects one invention to the next. A book to explore slowly, share widely, and return to whenever a new question comes to mind.
Four hundred illustrated pages open a window onto human ingenuity — from everyday discoveries to the extraordinary mechanisms and materials that helped shape civilization.
A richly detailed hardback with a silver-embossed cover and sewn binding. Inside, lithographic printing brings the hand-drawn illustrations to life with sharp lines and deep color. Turn the book in your hands, then lose yourself in the worlds within.
Medicine
A body is a remarkable network of connected systems. This chapter invites you to trace the routes that keep us alive, from the movement of blood to the discoveries that transformed medicine. Its detailed drawings make a hidden world visible and turn a complex subject into something you can explore one small detail at a time.
Mechanisms
Two wheels, a frame, a chain, and a pair of pedals: a familiar machine with an ingenious story. Look closely at the bicycle and you begin to see the principles behind countless other mechanisms. This chapter follows the connections between movement, balance, and human invention — an invitation to understand the objects we often take for granted.
Optics
How can a collection of still pictures seem to move? Discover the clever relationship between images, timing, and our own perception. This chapter follows the ideas behind animation and explores the small mechanical and optical tricks that can turn a sequence of drawings into a living story.
Society
Civilization is made from shared experiences as well as useful inventions. Festivals bring people together through music, costume, performance, and play. Explore the customs and imaginative traditions that make room for celebration, connect communities, and give everyday life a different rhythm.
Delicatessen
Food brings knowledge, culture, and creativity to the same table. Explore the ingredients and techniques behind sushi through carefully drawn illustrations. From the preparation of rice to the balance of flavors and textures, even a small dish can reveal a rich story about the way people live and create.
Publisher videos supplied by Hungry Minds.
Follow an idea from the first pencil line to the finished page. Discover the care that gives this book its distinctive character — in the artwork, the cover, and the way it feels in your hands.
The cover, paper, and illustrations are all part of the experience. Look closer and you will find small visual details waiting throughout the book — a reason to revisit a page, follow a new connection, or simply pause and enjoy the artwork.
Silver details catch the light against the dark cover. Its intricate arrangement of lines, symbols, and mechanical forms introduces the visual language waiting inside, giving you a first glimpse of the worlds the book brings together.
An imagined scene begins with a simple pencil mark. Layers of drawing and refinement turn that first idea into a detailed illustration, where machinery, characters, and unexpected connections invite you to keep looking.
Step inside the making of The Book and follow the journey from printed sheets to a carefully bound volume, ready for its next curious reader.
