Both good and bad. One page for every "adventurer". Packed with illustration. Lively. But the overall structure that is imposed is odd and looks, perhaps, imposed by an editor? The first section is called "Discovery, Conquest, and Loot" and includes the stories of 14 adventurers, starting with the Carthaginian general Hannibal, and ending with Captain Cook, the English explorer. For most of the 14 adventurers, it is a stretch to make them fit the theme. Benvenuto Cellini is probably the most egregious example, failing on all three fronts, as he mostly managed briefly to escape a prison. The book would be better off without these divisions and themes, it will hurt the brains of young readers who notice how poorly they are chosen. Still interesting though, because it ranges far over both time and space, and some of the adventurers were people I had never heard of. ( )