Publisher: National Geographic Society

Titles included (Hardcover, set of 2):

1) National Geographic's How Things Work: Everyday Technology Explained — by John Langone; art by Pete Sís, Andy Christensen, and Bryan Christie (1999)

2) Inventors and Discoverers: Changing Our World — National Geographic Society (1988)

How Things Work details: Large illustrated reference covering everyday technology. Contents shown in photos include: At Home: Running the House; Power and Energy; Building and Buildings; Transportation: On the Move; Sowing and Growing; Fabrics and Fibres; At Play: Entertainment; Manufacturing and Mining; Tools of Medicine; Information and Communication; Other Worlds: Near and Far; Afterword; Glossary; Illustration Credits; Additional Reading and Acknowledgments; Index. ISBN visible: 0-7922-7151-3.

Inventors and Discoverers details: Heavily illustrated history of innovation and technology. Contents shown include: Discoverers & Inventors; The Power of Steam; The Age of Electricity; On Wheels & Wings; A World of New Materials; Capturing the Image; Messages by Wireless; Power Particles; Computers & Chips; Engineering Life; Technology of Tomorrow; About the Authors; Illustrations Credits; Index. ISBNs visible on the CIP page include 0-87044-751-3 (and 0-87044-753-X).

Format and features: Both are hardcover. How Things Work is a blue leatherette-style cover with a gold gear motif on the front, gilt page edges, and a ribbon marker (no dust jacket present). Inventors and Discoverers includes its original dust jacket.

Visuals: Rich full-color and black-and-white photographs, diagrams, and illustrations as shown in the interior photos.

Notes: Publication years visible are 1999 (How Things Work) and 1988 (Inventors and Discoverers). See photos for exact editions, contents pages, and design features.