A broad historical overview of the invention and development of farming and animal husbandry.This lightly reworked version of the authors' Ancient Agricultural Technology (2011) offers a newly edited text, a fresh set of illustrations, and some new backmatter. As before, though Africa outside of ancient Egypt gets a pass, the authors do highlight tools, products, or techniques distinctive to other regions in prehistoric times and in ancient cultures, such as traditional Mayan agricultural practices, the breeding of white sheep to make cloth dying easier in the Middle East, crop rotation in the Roman Empire, and pearls and silk in ancient China. (Fermented beverages, as the book points out, were invented in many places: Tutankhamen was buried with 26 jugs of wine, and traces of alcohol have been found in Chinese pottery from roughly 7000-6600 BCE.) A final chapter brings the story up to date with nods to inventor Cyrus McCormick and mechanized farming, the growth of agribusiness, and the rediscovery of organic and sustainable farming in recent decades. The layout is attractive, with plenty of white space, ample illustrations, and text boxes with pertinent background information. The straightforward text is accessible for reluctant and struggling readers.Doesn't dig very deep but possibly useful for school reports. (timeline, glossary, source notes, selected bibliography, further reading, index, photo credits) (Nonfiction. 11-18)

WOODS, Michael &; Mary B. Woods . Computing Through the Ages: From Bones to Binary . ISBN 9798765610046 . WOODS, Michael &; Mary B. Woods . Machines Through the Ages: From Furnaces to Factories . ISBN 9798765610053 . WOODS, Michael &; Mary B. Woods . Medicine Through the Ages: From Acupuncture to Antibiotics . ISBN 9798765610039 . ea vol: 80p. (Technology Through the Ages). Twenty-First Century . Jan. 2024. Tr. $37.32. Gr 6 Up —This engaging series looks at how humans in different regions developed and utilized technology in ancient times. Readers learn about various aspects of key developments, including the factors that spurred innovation, benefits to humans, and specific details on techniques and inventions. The bulk of the chapters focus on one of six or seven regions, providing broad but not complete coverage; African cultures beyond Egypt are not included. Occasional examples of how modern scientists learned about ancient practices are woven into the text, such as underwater caching theory in Agriculture Through the Ages and Antikythera mechanism in Machines Through the Ages . The focus is on ancient technology, though the concluding chapters in all but Machines note some more recent inventions. The volumes point out how modern societies continue to reuse and build upon past developments. Dates are noted throughout and a two-page time line provides a useful, broader picture. Solid visual support includes one or two illustrations, reproductions, or a photograph per spread. VERDICT Well-written resources for middle and high schoolers.—Steven Engelfried