TIME has produced yet another amazing coffee table book that is specifically designed to intrigue the imagination of readers, and inspire young adult readers to learn more about our history, our world, and beyond.

Great Discoveries: Explorations That Changed History contains numerous fantastic photographs and rich, detailed text that covers the past, our planet earth, life on earth and the solar system.  Each section is 30 to 60 pages long, and broken down into subsections, which makes for easy reading of some very complex topics.

The team who put this book together took the time to make sure the most recent scientific findings on every topic explored are included and expanded upon, to be objective, yet give the reader pause for thought about the possibilities of things we are still learning about: history, nature, other planets, and even the so called "Hobbits" of Indonesia. Other featured stories include archaeology in Egypt, the Titanic disaster, Yellowstone National Park, the feathered dinosaurs of China and the mapping of Mars, to name just a few.

While the book is geared towards young adults, I do think that younger children will enjoy the pictures and ask a lot of questions in their own thirst for knowledge.  The book will also appeal to adults who are interested in a wide range of topics and an ongoing quest to keep up to date with modern discoveries of both past and present.  This book is a true treasure and any home would benefit from having it available for families to read and discuss together.  I highly recommend this book and believe that it would make a great holiday gift!