Timeless Earth [Hardcover]

Hammond (Author, Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2008

We should emphasize what unites us much more than what divides us;
--Kofi Annan
--Former Secretary-General to the United Nations
--Member of the Global Elders.

Renowned Hammond World Atlas has been helping people keep the world at their fingertips for over a century. Hammond s latest publication, the stunning Timeless Earth: 400 of the World s Most Important Places, continues Hammond s long-standing tradition. It showcases 400 of the world s most celebrated locations as identified by UNESCO s World Heritage program in remarkable, full-color spreads.

Allow yourself to be engulfed in the world s most breathtaking landscapes from the creamy, sun-bleached stone of the Acropolis; to the frosty peaks of the Canadian Rocky Mountains; to the sprawling architectural intricacy of Versailles. Explore natural wonders like Zambia s Victoria Falls and the tropical rainforest of Sumatra, man made marvels like the Hwaseong Fortress, or historically significant sites like Auschwitz and Hiroshima.

Features:
o Covers 400 of the most significant UNESCO World heritage sites, with an in-depth look at a select 290 of these interesting places
o All 851 World Heritage sites clearly mapped in lush full-color spreads
o Packed with more than 1,000 full-color photographs
o Learn about the cultural importance of UNESCO s World Heritage initiative
o Divided into three distinct sections The Natural World, Human Culture, and The Modern World
o Color-coded pages for easy browsing


Timeless Earth is the ideal gift both for the world traveler and for the enthusiast who wishes to see the world from home.

The UNESCO World Heritage Trust is an international organization that spearheads efforts to identify, protect, and preserve historic sites and natural areas of worldwide significance.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Timeless Earth offers concise data about each site and its present state of preservation, accompanied by sumptuous photography that almost makes the text superfluous (almost). A maps section, which locates hundreds of World Heritage Sites, rounds out the volume. Timeless Earth represents an adventure that transports readers to wilderness preserves, parks and waterways, monuments, cities and mountain ranges from the Amazon to the Serengeti, from Versailles to Istanbul and back to the Rockies. As a peerless tour leader, this information-packed reference will not disappoint. --Alison Hood - Book Page

About the Author

Patrick Bonneville is a French Canadian artist and author from Montreal. He graduated with a degree in marketing from the John Molson School of Business. After working in advertising for the Molson-Coors brewery and for the Montreal Canadiens hockey team, he decided to dive into the world of publishing. His objective was to use his marketing background to create great books about international programs that make our world better and stronger. His debut project was the self-published title The World Heritage, which brought him to the attention of major publishers. He teamed up with the Langenscheidt Publishing Group to create Timeless Earth, a spectacular book about the World Heritage Sites. Patrick is now working on other promising projects, including a glimpse into the world biosphere and humanitarian conflicts.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 400 pages
• Publisher: Hammond (October 15, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0843709936
• ISBN-13: 978-0843709933
• Product Dimensions: 14.1 x 11.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #661,095 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A welcome and popular addition to school and community library reference collections, October 11, 2008

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Timeless Earth (Hardcover)

There is a seemingly never-ending struggle between historical preservation and the contemporary needs of the people. "Timeless Earth: 400 of the World's Most Important Places" is a look at some of the most magnificent places on the planet, accompanied by magnificent and beautiful full color photographs of each. The four hundred are drawn from both natural wonders of the world, man-made wonders ancient, medieval, and modern to create a blend of the world's wonders. With an informative text on each showcased example discussing their significance, "Timeless Earth" is an entertaining and educational experience under one cover, making it a great choice for those looking for something to leave on their coffee table, as well as a welcome and popular addition to school and community library reference collections.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect book for kids, and big kids too, November 3, 2009

By 

K. Swanson (Austin, TX United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Timeless Earth (Hardcover)

I found this weighty tome at a library and was transported to some of our planet's finest places with every new page turned. I didn't know much about Unesco's World Heritage Sites, and I must say it's a truly intelligent and vital idea. Well done to those who are making it happen, and also to those who put this book together.

In an effort to cover each area of the globe and not let any countries feel left out, I think there are some spots here that might easily be replaced, but the idea of giving every nation their place in the sun, as it were, makes a lot of sense as well. I would like to see more spots of pure unspoiled nature here and less of mankind's messing with it, but that's merely my bias. There are indeed many glorious works of architecture from antiquity on the list, in any case.

It's kind of sad that we have to go to these lengths to preserve such obviously remarkable spots...but in the pursuit of the almighty dollar (and shekel and peso, etc) we become total idiots and seem fine with pretty much laying waste to the entire planet, so thank God (and Buddah and Allah, etc) there are people like those at Unesco who have higher ends in mind.

As a book for kids, this is a hard one to top. It's written for adults but any bright kid will get it, and the pictures alone are worth the price of admission. I enjoyed many similar books as a kid, and they inspired my many travels as an adult, and subsequent awe for and respect of the Earth. Any child who spends time with this book will quickly develop serious wanderlust as well as appreciation for the myriad glories of our amazing home; those are very good things for a kid to develop.

And perhaps those children will help our myopic species wake up soon to realize that we need to stop breeding like flies and learn to live in balance with a planet we have thrown so far out of balance. Time is running out as our rainforests and fresh water etc are lost forever, however, so we need lots more books and ideas and actions like the World Heritage sites, lest these places and pictures beceome merely memories.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great picture book + history + culture, January 27, 2010

By 

Himri "Himri" (Tempe, AZ USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Timeless Earth (Hardcover)

I already miss the small inset in each page which pointed the place being talked about on a map, when I read of any new place in other books. The worlds treasure is amazing to know of. This book showed me how poor my knowledge was about the heritage sites of my own country. The pictures are awe inspiring. The aerial view of Victoria Falls has me in a rapture. You will be introduced to many endangered species in this book.