You wouldn't want to live without fire!

Despite the tongue-in-cheek cartoons, this continuation series means business. Packed with infographics and factoids, the colorful and somewhat madcap books provide a brief but thorough history of things mostly taken for granted. You Wouldn't Want to Live without Fire hearkens back to the days of the cavemen and the probable earliest discovery of fire before racing along in history to look at the use of fire in recent centuries, as through steam power and car engines. In addition to these exhaustive histories, each volume is accompanied by extensive back matter, including time lines, fun facts, and Top Of lists. The illustrations and general tone may be teasing, but the information within is anything but, making these a legitimate and easily navigable resource for budding researchers.--Reagan, Maggie Copyright 2010 Booklist