Strange Worlds Amazing Places: A Tour of Earth's Marvels and Mysteries Hardcover - 2008

by Manufactured by Reader's Digest

Spectacular landscapes, incredible natural wonders, man-made structures of breathtaking ingenuity, and glimpses of legendary lands-take an unforgettable journey to places that awe the eye and capture the imagination.

Join a host of adventuresome explorers and talented writers, photographers, and artists on one of the most unusual world tours ever conceived-and witness the planet's most spectacular sites. More than 500 full-color photographs, maps, and artist renderings present up-close views of 84 places of beauty and mystery, both real and fictional. Vivid descriptions discuss their natural history, their place in literature and legend, and their impact on human society.

Strange Worlds Amazing Places whisks readers off to every corner of the globe. It brings to life extraordinary monuments created by man-from the ancient Mexican city of Teotihuacan, to the fairy-tale castles of Bavaria. Sights formed by the forces of nature abound: Australia's Uluru, the world largest monolith; and the Grand Canyon, plunging one mile into the earth. Readers will find many mysteries, including the origin and purpose of such oddities as the gigantic drawings of the Mazca Desert of Peru, the enigmatic ruins of Great Zimbabwe, and the perplexing earth mounds in North America. Included is a compact, quick-reference, 29-page gazetteer. Its more than 300 entries are arranged alphabetically and provide a brief description, geographical location, and historical significance-plus icons that indicate World Heritage Site status.

You too can travel the world as you encounter wildlife of the African plains and the Galápagos Islands, discover elusive enchantment of fabled sites, and be awed by captivating landscapes-all from the comfort of your favorite armchair.