Earth Sciences, Geography & Environment Books
Columbia University Press Plate Tectonics and Great Earthquakes 50 Years of
Book SynopsisLynn R. Sykes played a key role in the birth of plate tectonics, conducting revelatory research on earthquakes. In this book, he gives an invaluable insider's perspective on the theory's development and its implications.Trade ReviewPlate Tectonics and Great Earthquakes is an enjoyable read about Lynn Sykes's firsthand experiences and historic contributions to seismology and to the world-shaking development of plate tectonics. -- Rick Aster, Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State UniversityA personal, firsthand tour through one of the great scientific revolutions of the past several centuries, from a major contributor to that revolution. -- Daniel Davis, Stony Brook UniversityLynn Sykes, one of the scientific revolutionaries who gave us plate tectonics, tells his story, with special emphasis on earthquake prediction. Although earthquake prediction has been a topic perceived by some as pursued only by “fools and charlatans,” Sykes defends it not only as worthy of pursuit but also, however imperfect, as likely to be societally valuable. -- Peter Molnar, Distinguished Professor of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, BoulderLynn R. Sykes is world-renowned for his contributions to seismology. In this retrospective, he reflects on his fruitful scientific journey, from reading lots of seismograms and making fundamental contributions to the theory of plate tectonics and the understanding of great earthquakes, to the public policy implications of his earthquake research. -- Martin Reyners, GNS Science, New ZealandA leader in the plate tectonic revolution, Sykes also spearheaded studies of earthquake hazards and prediction for five decades. His unvarnished reflections and insights will captivate anyone intrigued by the irregular rhythms and spasms of the earth or curious about the scientists who strive to decipher them. -- Rob Wesson, former chief, USGS Office of Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Engineering, and author of Darwin’s First Theory: Exploring Darwin’s Quest for a Theory of EarthA career-capping tour de force that is part memoir, part scientific history. * Civil Engineering *Anyone interested in earthquakes and natural hazard science will enjoy reading Plate Tectonics and Great Earthquakes and will gain new insights, even on topics they are familiar with. * Times Higher Education *Table of ContentsPreface1. Transform Faults: My Road to Seafloor Spreading, Continental Drift, and Plate Tectonics2. Childhood, High School, MIT, and Columbia University3. Earthquakes Along Fracture Zones and Mid-Oceanic Ridges, 1963–19654. Earthquakes at Subduction Zones, 1965–19675. Subduction, Plate Tectonics, and the New Global Tectonics, 1967–19696. Earthquakes in the Caribbean and Alaska7. Long-Term Earthquake Prediction, Seismic Gaps: Alaska, Mexico, and South America8. The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 and Long-Term Prediction for California9. My Work with the U.S. National Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council10. Japanese Earthquakes and the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster11. Earthquakes in the Eastern and Central United States12. Earthquake Risks to Nuclear-Power Reactors13. Nuclear-Power Reactors in the United States: Lessons Learned from the Fukushima Disaster14. Travels to Earthquake Countries and a Trip to the Earth’s Mantle in Newfoundland15. Advances in Long-Term Earthquake Prediction: Future ProspectsAcknowledgmentsGlossaryReferencesIndexAbout the Author
£25.50
Columbia University Press Coping with the Climate Crisis
Book SynopsisCoping with the Climate Crisis brings together leading experts from academia and policy circles to explore issues related to the implementation of the COP21 Paris Agreement and the challenges of accelerating the transition toward sustainable development. The book synthesizes the key insights of climate change economics in an accessible guide.Trade ReviewThe Paris Agreement will only find its way into the history books if we manage to implement it. Coping with the Climate Crisis looks at precisely that topic, making the latest economic research on climate change user friendly for policy makers. -- Klaas Knot, president, De Nederlandsche BankWhether you believe in the science or not or care about future generations or not, climate change is already affecting your welfare. Coping with the Climate Crisis demonstrates that the world is moving rapidly from identifying climate-change problems to implementing solutions. The authors articulate how our economies must evolve and our institutions strengthen in resolve and focus. A must-read for all consumers, investors, businesses, and policy makers globally—skeptical or otherwise. -- Adrian Orr, governor, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, and CEO, New Zealand Superannuation FundBringing together contributions from some of the world's foremost economic practitioners and theorists, this accessible book will be useful to both policy makers and academics wishing to understand the frontier of climate change economics and the possible future of climate policy around the globe. -- Ben Groom, London School of EconomicsStrongly endorses it as a reference for scholars and policy makers. * Choice *In sum, this book emphasizes global pricing of carbon and a tax imposed on emitters. It shows that there can be venues of agreement between stakeholders to reduce GHG emissions. * Philippine Political Science Journal *Table of ContentsForeword, by Nizar Baraka, President of the Scientific Committee of COP22AcknowledgmentsIntroduction, by Rabah Arezki, Patrick Bolton, Karim El Aynaoui, and Maurice ObstfeldPart I: The Energy Transition and Its Consequences1. Reducing Energy Greenhouse Gas Emissions to Meet Our Climate Goals: An Overview, by Philippe Benoit2. Transitional Risks and the Safe Carbon Budget, by Rick van der PloegPart II: Carbon Pricing and Dealing with Uncertainty3. Fighting Climate Change and the Social Cost of Carbon, by Christian Gollier4. How Should Countries Price Fossil Fuels?, by Ian Parry5. Should Carbon Pricing Be Different Across Countries?, by Katheline Schubert6. Needed: Robustness in Climate Economics, by Ted Loch-TemzelidesPart III: Implementing Climate Agreements7. Improving Paris: Credibility, Technology, and Conservation, by Bård Harstad8. Can a Uniform Carbon-Price Commitment Help to Resolve the Global Warming Problem?, by Martin L. Weitzman9. Addressing Climate Change: Does the IMF Have a Role?, by Maurice Obstfeld10. Post-Paris Clean Energy Options for China, by Ujjayant Chakravorty, Carolyn Fischer, and Marie-Helene HubertPart IV: Finance and Sustainable Infrastructure11. Financing Sustainable Infrastructure, by Thierry Déau and Julien Touati12. Climate Change: A Policy-Making Case Study of Capital Markets’Mobilization for Public Good, by Jean Boissinot and Frédéric SamamaContributorsIndex
£44.00
Columbia University Press Renewable Energy
Book SynopsisThis book is a primer for readers of all levels on the coming energy transition and its global consequences. Bruce Usher provides a concise yet comprehensive explanation for the growth in wind and solar energy; the trajectory of the transition from fossil fuels to renewables; and the implications for industries, countries, and the climate.Trade ReviewBalanced, articulate, and informative. * Kirkus Reviews *A short, handy new guide from the Earth Institute cuts through the noise about renewable energy to lay out the facts about this politically charged subject. -- Kevin Krajick * State of the Planet | Earth Institute | Columbia University *[A] superb corrective. -- Barbara Kiser * Nature *Anecdotes and facts packed into the book will surely leave you with the feeling that you have actually learned something new. And it will surely leave you with some new questions to ponder. -- Vitaliy Soloviy * Sustainability Times *Highly recommended for personal, public, academic, and special subject libraries. -- Byron Anderson * Electronic Green Journal *Usher's clear, precise, and concise prose debunks common misconceptions. . . . Renewable Energy provides a convincing argument to help all of us force the changes in political will needed to accelerate the changeover to renewable energy sources. -- Ray Bert * Civil Engineering *A concise yet comprehensive account of the extraordinary growth in wind and solar energy; the trajectory of the transition from fossil fuels to renewables; and the implications for industries, countries, and the climate. -- Ian Angus * Green Left Weekly *There’s a lot of talk about renewable energy these days. But few really understand it—the basic science, the limits, and the great promise it holds. Read Bruce Usher’s Renewable Energy: A Primer for the Twenty-First Century to better understand the great technological and economic revolution of this century. -- Michael E. Mann, Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science, Penn State University, and coauthor of The Madhouse Effect: How Climate Change Denial is Threatening Our Planet, Destroying Our Politics, and Driving Us CrazyPolicy makers, utilities, investors, and incumbent industries would be well served to read Bruce Usher’s Renewable Energy. Buttressed by history and fact, Usher makes the compelling case that the transition to renewable energy is underway. Government policy can slow or accelerate the transition but transition is inexorable. There will be lots of winners on the transition, but woe to the losers. -- Richard L. Kauffman, Chairman of Energy and Finance for New YorkBruce Usher brings the important and under-explained rise of renewable energy out of his business school classroom to a captivating read for business and policy audiences. Part history, part forecasting, this important book sets out the winners and losers—individuals, businesses, and nations—in the dynamic energy transition underway. -- Glenn Hubbard, Dean and Russell L. Carson Professor of Finance and Economics, Columbia Business School, and former chairman of the U.S. Council of Economic Advisers.Usher explains in clear and intelligible language the primary technical and economic characteristics of renewable energy. The book documents the rapid rise of renewables within the history of modern energy, providing a thoughtful and balanced point of view that makes this book stand out from more advocacy-focused works. -- Charles Donovan, director of the Centre for Climate Science and Investment, Imperial College Business SchoolClimate change is arguably the greatest challenge of our times and the move towards renewable energy provides part of the solution. This easily readable book provides a straightforward account of the issues and opportunities of this great transition, framed in the context of historical precedents, economic and environmental drivers, and future horizons. Usher explains the financial factors and focuses on intermittency of wind and solar power as the greatest barrier, but one for which there may be exciting and innovative solutions. -- Alex Halliday, Director of the Earth Institute, Columbia UniversityUsher provides a clear and well documented description of the energy transition accessible both to the lay person but also of interest to energy professors and enthusiasts alike. This book ties together the convergence of low cost solar and wind with energy storage with electric vehicles in a clear and concise manner. -- David Kirkpatrick, managing director and cofounder, SJF VenturesTable of ContentsPreface: Setting the Record Straight1. Renewable Energy in the Twenty-First Century2. Energy Transitions: Fire to Electricity3. The Rise of Renewables4. Renewable Wind Energy5. Renewable Solar Energy6. Financing Renewable Energy7. Energy Transitions: Oats to Oil8. The Rise of Electric Vehicles9. Parity10. Convergence11. Consequences12. No Time to LoseAppendix A. Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE)Appendix B. The Transition to Renewable EnergyGlossaryNotesIndex
£54.40
Columbia University Press Renewable Energy
Book SynopsisThis book is a primer for readers of all levels on the coming energy transition and its global consequences. Bruce Usher provides a concise yet comprehensive explanation for the growth in wind and solar energy; the trajectory of the transition from fossil fuels to renewables; and the implications for industries, countries, and the climate.Trade ReviewBalanced, articulate, and informative. * Kirkus Reviews *A short, handy new guide from the Earth Institute cuts through the noise about renewable energy to lay out the facts about this politically charged subject. -- Kevin Krajick * State of the Planet | Earth Institute | Columbia University *[A] superb corrective. -- Barbara Kiser * Nature *Anecdotes and facts packed into the book will surely leave you with the feeling that you have actually learned something new. And it will surely leave you with some new questions to ponder. -- Vitaliy Soloviy * Sustainability Times *Highly recommended for personal, public, academic, and special subject libraries. -- Byron Anderson * Electronic Green Journal *Usher's clear, precise, and concise prose debunks common misconceptions. . . . Renewable Energy provides a convincing argument to help all of us force the changes in political will needed to accelerate the changeover to renewable energy sources. -- Ray Bert * Civil Engineering *A concise yet comprehensive account of the extraordinary growth in wind and solar energy; the trajectory of the transition from fossil fuels to renewables; and the implications for industries, countries, and the climate. -- Ian Angus * Green Left Weekly *There’s a lot of talk about renewable energy these days. But few really understand it—the basic science, the limits, and the great promise it holds. Read Bruce Usher’s Renewable Energy: A Primer for the Twenty-First Century to better understand the great technological and economic revolution of this century. -- Michael E. Mann, Distinguished Professor of Atmospheric Science, Penn State University, and coauthor of The Madhouse Effect: How Climate Change Denial is Threatening Our Planet, Destroying Our Politics, and Driving Us CrazyPolicy makers, utilities, investors, and incumbent industries would be well served to read Bruce Usher’s Renewable Energy. Buttressed by history and fact, Usher makes the compelling case that the transition to renewable energy is underway. Government policy can slow or accelerate the transition but transition is inexorable. There will be lots of winners on the transition, but woe to the losers. -- Richard L. Kauffman, Chairman of Energy and Finance for New YorkBruce Usher brings the important and under-explained rise of renewable energy out of his business school classroom to a captivating read for business and policy audiences. Part history, part forecasting, this important book sets out the winners and losers—individuals, businesses, and nations—in the dynamic energy transition underway. -- Glenn Hubbard, Dean and Russell L. Carson Professor of Finance and Economics, Columbia Business School, and former chairman of the U.S. Council of Economic Advisers.Usher explains in clear and intelligible language the primary technical and economic characteristics of renewable energy. The book documents the rapid rise of renewables within the history of modern energy, providing a thoughtful and balanced point of view that makes this book stand out from more advocacy-focused works. -- Charles Donovan, director of the Centre for Climate Science and Investment, Imperial College Business SchoolClimate change is arguably the greatest challenge of our times and the move towards renewable energy provides part of the solution. This easily readable book provides a straightforward account of the issues and opportunities of this great transition, framed in the context of historical precedents, economic and environmental drivers, and future horizons. Usher explains the financial factors and focuses on intermittency of wind and solar power as the greatest barrier, but one for which there may be exciting and innovative solutions. -- Alex Halliday, Director of the Earth Institute, Columbia UniversityUsher provides a clear and well documented description of the energy transition accessible both to the lay person but also of interest to energy professors and enthusiasts alike. This book ties together the convergence of low cost solar and wind with energy storage with electric vehicles in a clear and concise manner. -- David Kirkpatrick, managing director and cofounder, SJF VenturesTable of ContentsPreface: Setting the Record Straight1. Renewable Energy in the Twenty-First Century2. Energy Transitions: Fire to Electricity3. The Rise of Renewables4. Renewable Wind Energy5. Renewable Solar Energy6. Financing Renewable Energy7. Energy Transitions: Oats to Oil8. The Rise of Electric Vehicles9. Parity10. Convergence11. Consequences12. No Time to LoseAppendix A. Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE)Appendix B. The Transition to Renewable EnergyGlossaryNotesIndex
£15.29
Columbia University Press Perishability Fatigue
Book SynopsisVincent Bruyere offers an invitation to look at the present we live in through a fresh lens: the difference between storage and burial in the age of sustainability science. He reflects on the nature and significance of perishability in a culture of preparedness and survival.Trade ReviewPerishability Fatigue is a wondrous and perceptive exploration of the preserved, the frozen, and the suspended. The book is a still life composed of ideas and objects staged to create an image not of what life is but where and in what time we find its concepts––a beautiful image with which to think life as it withers, as it is held. -- Todd Meyers, New York University-ShanghaiPerishability Fatigue is unquestionably one of the most original works I have encountered in the broader field of environmental humanities: a hallucinatory journey through a cabinet of (grotesque) curiosities, a hoarding of images and ideas with jolting leaps between centuries within a single paragraph. Bruyere also touches on issues central to medical humanities and disability studies, and offers a uniquely erudite perspective—historical, multidisciplinary, and generous. -- Karen Pinkus, Cornell UniversityPerishability Fatigue is erudite, playful, brave, and accessible: a remarkable contribution to science studies, the health humanities, and literary and cultural studies. Tacking back and forth between contemporary scientific and biomedical sites and touchstone works of literature, Vincent Bruyere illuminates the exhaustion of the present. He plumbs its origin in our constant awareness of our vulnerability—our perishability—which forces us to manage risk, guard against loss, and shore up security. Read this for the audacious readings of works of literature ranging from Ovid and Rabelais to Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Read this for acute analyses of hedges against loss like the Svalbard Seed Storage Vault, the Flavr Savr Tomato, and the Nuclear Waste Storage Vaults. Read this, indeed, to cheer yourself up with the zest of his intellect and his ability to make sense of our moment. But read this! -- Susan M. Squier, author of Epigenetic Landscapes: Drawings as Metaphor'Don’t not open this book! You will never tire of it'—In the spirit of those fairy tale warnings, whose vagaries of reception Vincent Bruyère teaches us to remember, I am tempted to proclaim this of a book that will change how we understand the contemporary status of the perishable and exhausted in a world that blurs the difference between burial for all time and storage for some future date. Perishability Fatigue opens a slender path from the Ovidian story of Myrrha—transformed into a tree at the point of giving birth—to contemporary cases of stopped time, immobilized fertility, destructive preservation, and disturbed, bracketed or negated futurity, from seed banks to frozen embryos, from survivors of stroke to biomedical remnants, from the interminable time of nuclear waste to the short meantime of palliative care. In the elegance with which he weaves together contemporary examples with classical and early modern sources, Bruyère goes against the grain of his own argument, according to which terminal capitalism interrupts and suspends possibilities of ordinary transience and transmission. Modeling a beautiful form of continuity in time all its own, his reading practice is evidence that by some miracle literature’s paroles en l’air have not been preserved in vain. -- Anne-Lise François, UC BerkeleyBruyere’s exploration is a groundbreaking examination of the intersections of the social, scientific, and philosophical practices associated with being human. It is well written and argued. * Choice *Table of ContentsPreface: Myrrha’s PrayerAcknowledgments1. Being Fabulous as the Climate Changes2. Still Life with Genetically Modified Tomato3. Store and Tell4. The Mortal Life of HeLa5. Oncoscripts6. Dispatch from the Palliative PresentEpilogueNotesWork CitedIndex
£56.00
Columbia University Press Perishability Fatigue
Book SynopsisVincent Bruyere offers an invitation to look at the present we live in through a fresh lens: the difference between storage and burial in the age of sustainability science. He reflects on the nature and significance of perishability in a culture of preparedness and survival.Trade ReviewPerishability Fatigue is a wondrous and perceptive exploration of the preserved, the frozen, and the suspended. The book is a still life composed of ideas and objects staged to create an image not of what life is but where and in what time we find its concepts––a beautiful image with which to think life as it withers, as it is held. -- Todd Meyers, New York University-ShanghaiPerishability Fatigue is unquestionably one of the most original works I have encountered in the broader field of environmental humanities: a hallucinatory journey through a cabinet of (grotesque) curiosities, a hoarding of images and ideas with jolting leaps between centuries within a single paragraph. Bruyere also touches on issues central to medical humanities and disability studies, and offers a uniquely erudite perspective—historical, multidisciplinary, and generous. -- Karen Pinkus, Cornell UniversityPerishability Fatigue is erudite, playful, brave, and accessible: a remarkable contribution to science studies, the health humanities, and literary and cultural studies. Tacking back and forth between contemporary scientific and biomedical sites and touchstone works of literature, Vincent Bruyere illuminates the exhaustion of the present. He plumbs its origin in our constant awareness of our vulnerability—our perishability—which forces us to manage risk, guard against loss, and shore up security. Read this for the audacious readings of works of literature ranging from Ovid and Rabelais to Diving Bell and the Butterfly. Read this for acute analyses of hedges against loss like the Svalbard Seed Storage Vault, the Flavr Savr Tomato, and the Nuclear Waste Storage Vaults. Read this, indeed, to cheer yourself up with the zest of his intellect and his ability to make sense of our moment. But read this! -- Susan M. Squier, author of Epigenetic Landscapes: Drawings as Metaphor'Don’t not open this book! You will never tire of it'—In the spirit of those fairy tale warnings, whose vagaries of reception Vincent Bruyère teaches us to remember, I am tempted to proclaim this of a book that will change how we understand the contemporary status of the perishable and exhausted in a world that blurs the difference between burial for all time and storage for some future date. Perishability Fatigue opens a slender path from the Ovidian story of Myrrha—transformed into a tree at the point of giving birth—to contemporary cases of stopped time, immobilized fertility, destructive preservation, and disturbed, bracketed or negated futurity, from seed banks to frozen embryos, from survivors of stroke to biomedical remnants, from the interminable time of nuclear waste to the short meantime of palliative care. In the elegance with which he weaves together contemporary examples with classical and early modern sources, Bruyère goes against the grain of his own argument, according to which terminal capitalism interrupts and suspends possibilities of ordinary transience and transmission. Modeling a beautiful form of continuity in time all its own, his reading practice is evidence that by some miracle literature’s paroles en l’air have not been preserved in vain. -- Anne-Lise François, UC BerkeleyBruyere’s exploration is a groundbreaking examination of the intersections of the social, scientific, and philosophical practices associated with being human. It is well written and argued. * Choice *Table of ContentsPreface: Myrrha’s PrayerAcknowledgments1. Being Fabulous as the Climate Changes2. Still Life with Genetically Modified Tomato3. Store and Tell4. The Mortal Life of HeLa5. Oncoscripts6. Dispatch from the Palliative PresentEpilogueNotesWork CitedIndex
£19.80
Columbia University Press Sustainable Food Production
Book SynopsisThis concise text offers an overview of the key issues in sustainable food production for all readers interested in the ecology and environmental impact of agriculture. It details the ecological foundations of farming and food systems, showing how to create sustainable alternatives to the industrial production methods used today.Trade ReviewA little book with a big scope, this primer focuses on the social and ecological context for how agriculture fits into the global agenda for environmental sustainability. Timely and succinct, it is a useful resource for understanding interdisciplinary issues in development and for shifting toward more equitable and environmentally sound food systems. It could serve as an excellent add-on textbook for courses in sustainability science, agricultural policy, and agricultural ecology. -- Louise Jackson, professor emerita, University of California DavisOne of today’s greatest environmental challenges is to feed a hungry planet without jeopardizing the sustainability of our food production systems or the Earth’s ecosystems and biodiversity. Written in a highly engaging style, this short book does an incredible job of explaining how to address this challenge. Broadly sweeping in scope, from historical context to forward thinking, it offers an indispensable overview of how to draw together social, ecological, and economic principles to enhance the sustainability of food, farming, and agriculture. -- Oswald J. Schmitz, Oastler Professor of Ecology, Yale University School of the EnvironmentSustainable Food Production brings a broad subject area with many terms and concepts into a coherent framework. Naeem, Lipton, and van Huysen provide a big picture view for students of sustainability and other readers interested in the environment, natural resources, agriculture, and human impacts. -- Mark Rasmussen, director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa State UniversityTable of ContentsPreface1. Sustainable Development: A New Century, a New Paradigm2. Nature and Nature’s Goods and Services3. Sustainable Development and Food Production4. Food, Farming, and Human Well-Being5. Bringing It All Together: The Sustainable Future Before UsGlossaryNotesIndex
£40.00
Columbia University Press Sustainable Food Production A Primer for the
Book SynopsisThis concise text offers an overview of the key issues in sustainable food production for all readers interested in the ecology and environmental impact of agriculture. It details the ecological foundations of farming and food systems, showing how to create sustainable alternatives to the industrial production methods used today.Trade ReviewA little book with a big scope, this primer focuses on the social and ecological context for how agriculture fits into the global agenda for environmental sustainability. Timely and succinct, it is a useful resource for understanding interdisciplinary issues in development and for shifting toward more equitable and environmentally sound food systems. It could serve as an excellent add-on textbook for courses in sustainability science, agricultural policy, and agricultural ecology. -- Louise Jackson, professor emerita, University of California DavisOne of today’s greatest environmental challenges is to feed a hungry planet without jeopardizing the sustainability of our food production systems or the Earth’s ecosystems and biodiversity. Written in a highly engaging style, this short book does an incredible job of explaining how to address this challenge. Broadly sweeping in scope, from historical context to forward thinking, it offers an indispensable overview of how to draw together social, ecological, and economic principles to enhance the sustainability of food, farming, and agriculture. -- Oswald J. Schmitz, Oastler Professor of Ecology, Yale University School of the EnvironmentSustainable Food Production brings a broad subject area with many terms and concepts into a coherent framework. Naeem, Lipton, and van Huysen provide a big picture view for students of sustainability and other readers interested in the environment, natural resources, agriculture, and human impacts. -- Mark Rasmussen, director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Iowa State UniversityTable of ContentsPreface1. Sustainable Development: A New Century, a New Paradigm2. Nature and Nature’s Goods and Services3. Sustainable Development and Food Production4. Food, Farming, and Human Well-Being5. Bringing It All Together: The Sustainable Future Before UsGlossaryNotesIndex
£15.29
Columbia University Press Oil Leaders
Book SynopsisOil Leaders offers an unprecedented glimpse into the strategic thinking of top figures in the energy world from the 1980s through the recent past. Ibrahim AlMuhanna—a close adviser to four different Saudi oil ministers over that span of time—examines the role of individual and collective decision making in shaping market movements.Trade ReviewThe geopolitics of energy is like a global chess match—each move reverberates around the world. No one can tell the inside story of Saudi Arabia, the world’s number one oil exporter, and the power plays and intrigue within OPEC like Ibrahim AlMuhanna. -- John Defterios, former emerging markets editor, anchor, and correspondent, CNNThis book offers unique insight into the thinking of key decision makers and sheds light on events that continue to shape the oil market to this day. It is indispensable for anyone interested in a deeper understanding of the intricate world of energy policy decision making. -- Bassam Fattouh, director of the Oxford Institute for Energy StudiesA fascinating account of the people who shaped the oil market over the past forty years. An adviser to every Saudi oil minister over that time, AlMuhanna was literally ‘in the room’ to observe many of these leaders, how they made decisions, and the impact of their choices. A must-read for students of energy, geopolitics, and decision making. -- Mark Finley, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public PolicyIn this book, Ibrahim AlMuhanna reveals for the first time the inner workings of the most important oil supplier in the world, Saudi Arabia. The stories are fascinating, the relationships are complex, and the revelations are stunning. A must-read for anyone in the energy and financial community! -- Gary Ross, chief executive officer of Black Gold Investors LLC and founder of PIRA Energy GroupIbrahim AlMuhanna has had a front-row seat at the center of international oil diplomacy for more than three decades, and he brings his observations and perspectives from those many years of change together in Oil Leaders. -- Daniel Yergin, author of The New Map, The Prize, and The QuestOil Leaders provides useful insights into how Riyadh communicates with the market, suggestingthat the kingdom will continue to wield its reserves as both an economic and a political weapon in theyears to come. -- Javier Blas * Bloomberg *[AlMuhanna's] revelations of governance and diplomacy are gold dust...such books are all too rare. -- Jim Krane * Financial Times *Offers a rare view inside the Saudi government, providing insight into the forces behind Saudi policy. * H-Environment *AlMuhanna provides recollections of meetings and stories of how negotiations developed, that readers would otherwise not have access to, as they would neither be recorded nor available in archives. * International Affairs *Oil Leaders reveals the agency of individuals. Too often the perception is that impersonal market forces determine everything, but political leaders do matter and the decisions they make do have an impact. * Survival *Recommended for students and researchers in political science, international relations, and Global Affairs, and economists and business personnel in oil production and marketing. * Arab Studies Quarterly *Table of ContentsForeword, by Robert McNallyPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Decisions, Decision Makers, and Oil1. Ahmed Zaki Yamani: Good Start, Difficult Ending2. Hisham Nazer: Shifting Interests and Looking Nationally3. Saddam Hussein and Sheikh Ali al-Sabah: Invasion of a Nation4. Luis Giusti, the Jakarta Agreement, and Its Aftermath5. Prince Saud al-Faisal: An Interim Energy Leader6. Hugo Chavez: The Rise of a Man and the Decline of a Nation7. King Abdullah, George W. Bush, and Gordon Brown: The Shadows of 20088. Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden: A Revolving U.S. Energy Policy9. Ali Al-Naimi: The Road to Doha10. Vladimir Putin: Placing Russia on the Global Oil Map11. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman: The Forty-Five Day Oil ShockConclusion: Thoughts About the FutureNotesIndex
£25.50
Columbia University Press Underwater
Book SynopsisRebecca Elliott explores how families, communities, and governments confront problems of loss as the climate changes. She offers the first in-depth account of the politics and social effects of the U.S. National Flood Insurance Program, in an incisive consideration of the dilemmas of moral economy underlying insurance.Trade ReviewIn this essential book, Rebecca Elliott narrates the history of the individualization of risk through an unlikely lens: the de-mutualization of flood insurance in the United States. As rising global temperatures wreak havoc on the climate, those living in the path of storms are increasingly left to deal with the consequences on their own. This is a rich and deeply human story about people and organizations going underwater, learning to make sense of loss and to become ‘resilient’—until the next wave. -- Marion Fourcade, author of Economists and Societies: Discipline and Profession in the United States, Britain, and France, 1890s to 1990sUnderwater is a masterpiece of social and historical analysis, revealing the increasingly powerful and contested role of the insurance industry—through its rationalities, technologies, and moral economy—in an age of climate crisis. It opens on the impossible decision so many of us facing climate-driven catastrophes in the places we live must now make: to retreat or to remain. As Elliot shows in incisive, often painful detail, these decisions force us to reckon with multiple forms of loss—some measured in our ties to buildings, communities, landscapes, and ways of life, others in the dollar amounts of our insurance coverage and housing investments. These vital reckonings, meanwhile, differ depending on where we live, whether we own our homes, and how 'deserving' we are perceived to be—all variables profoundly shaped by race and class. Elliott compellingly situates these struggles within an emergent 'politics of loss'—itself the flip-side of ever more inadequate politics of sustainability. Disparities and precarities driven both by policy and escalating hazard have ushered in an engaged, often enraged 'climate public,' and wrought havoc in the insurance industry itself. Through this brilliant, moving, and elegantly written analysis, we see a space opening for radical reimagining. What if we reject the devolution of risk and individualizing logics of insurance and housing markets, and recognize our collective interdependence? Elliott leaves us with a crucial understanding: there can be no safer ground if we go it alone. -- Miriam Greenberg, coauthor of Crisis Cities: Disaster and Redevelopment in New York and New OrleansIn this lucidly written and brilliantly argued book, Rebecca Elliott takes us from the flooded basements of victims of Hurricane Sandy in New York—and we could add the West Coast aflame as I write—to a powerful cultural conflict standing between us and an urgently needed fix. Flood insurance. Premium costs. Risk classification. Zoning. Building standards. Buried in the ‘administrative decisions’ within each realm are momentous questions. Should the government step out and leave owners with deeply devalued homes, ‘free’ to rebuild at their own risk? Or, on the other hand, should the government bear the cost of climate denial when financial obligations spike high and flames and floods are upon us? This is a highly important book arriving at a crucial hour. Read it and pass it on. -- Arlie Russell Hochschild, author of Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right, a finalist for the National Book AwardUnderwater is a tragically timely, subtly scary, and completely essential book about living with loss in a climate-changed world. Elliott brings a sophisticated sociological perspective and a compassionate ethnographic eye to debates over how we protect ourselves and our neighbors as the ground shifts beneath our feet. A major contribution. -- Eric Klinenberg, author of Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic LifeUnderwater explores how Americans directly affected by storms like Hurricane Sandy have been forced to confront the impact climate change has on their homes, families, and communities. This path-breaking study shows that the terrain of these discussions, centered on struggles over arcane issues like insurance and flood maps, raises deeply political and moral questions about who should pay for and be responsible for the impacts of what will certainly be steadily worsening events. -- Neil Fligstein, University of California, BerkeleyThere is clearly a lot here for economic sociologists, as well as for scholars of natural disasters, cities and the built environment, and risk and insurance. * American Journal of Sociology *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsTimeline of EventsIntroduction: Insurance and the Problem of Loss in a Climate-Changed United States1. Transforming the Management of Loss: The Origins of the National Flood Insurance Program2. Losing Ground: Values at Risk in an American Floodplain3. Visions of Loss: Knowing and Pricing Flood Risk4. Shifting Responsibilities for Loss: National Reform of Flood Insurance5. Floodplain Futures: Trajectories of LossConclusion: What Do We Have to Lose?Methodological AppendixNotesIndex
£80.00
Columbia University Press Rethinking Readiness
Book SynopsisRethinking Readiness offers an expert introduction to human-made threats and vulnerabilities, with a focus on opportunities to reimagine how we approach disaster preparedness. Jeff Schlegelmilch identifies and explores the most critical threats facing the world today.Trade ReviewIt is often said that the tragedy of 9/11 was rooted in a failure to imagine a disaster of that particular character and scale. Jeff Schlegelmilch reminds us once again of the continued relevance of that hard-earned lesson. He guides us through extreme but plausible scenarios of some of the most existential threats we face—biological catastrophe, cyber infrastructure collapse, and other civilization-altering events—providing a straightforward account of what could be in store for us if we fail to invest in prevention and mitigation. Rethinking Readiness forces our leaders to answer the question—have we done all we can? Now is the time to imagine! -- Tom Ridge, forty-third governor of Pennsylvania and first U.S. Secretary of Homeland SecurityThis timely book both looks ahead to the mega-disasters on the horizon—disasters that tank economies, shred infrastructure, and take lives—and outlines how communities can start preparing now. It is an essential guide for policy makers and concerned citizens alike who want to build a better future. -- Alice C. Hill, former senior director of resilience policy on the National Security CouncilCovering a wide range of natural hazards and man made threats, Schlegelmilch's book pushes us to think through the question that we ask all too often: are we truly prepared? With chapters on biothreats, climate change, critical infrastructure failure, cyberthreats, and nuclear conflict, he sets out a framework to ensure that we take serious risks head on and build resilience to them. A must read. -- Daniel P. Aldrich, author of Black Wave and Building Resilience and director of the Security and Resilience Program at Northeastern UniversityRethinking Readiness brings information on the scientific elements and socially constructed origins of megadisasters together in a clear and organized way. Schlegelmilch illustrates the interconnectivity of multiple drivers, showing how research and practice should consider these if we are to reach a more sustainable future. -- Ksenia Chmutina, coauthor of Disaster Risk Reduction for the Built EnvironmentSchlegelmilch provides a new perspective on the major threats and vulnerabilities facing modern society. Readers will find the discussion of megadisasters intriguing and the argument for better preparation compelling. Rethinking Readiness argues for a broader view of disasters and for a sustained effort to reduce the threats and societal vulnerability. -- William L. Waugh Jr., Professor Emeritus, Georgia State UniversityRethinking Readiness is a must-read for everyone committed to understanding the most existential threats we face, reinforced by the inclusion of multiple examples of inadequate response, including the identification of risks, opportunities, and misapplications embedded in practice. Compelling reading. * The Hindu Business Line *Table of ContentsForewordPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Biothreats2. Climate Change3. Critical Infrastructure Failure4. Cyberthreats5. Nuclear Conflict6. Crosscutting Threats and VulnerabilitiesConclusion: Investing in Today, Investing in TomorrowNotesBibliographyIndex
£40.00
Columbia University Press Rethinking Readiness
Book SynopsisRethinking Readiness offers an expert introduction to human-made threats and vulnerabilities, with a focus on opportunities to reimagine how we approach disaster preparedness. Jeff Schlegelmilch identifies and explores the most critical threats facing the world today.Trade ReviewIt is often said that the tragedy of 9/11 was rooted in a failure to imagine a disaster of that particular character and scale. Jeff Schlegelmilch reminds us once again of the continued relevance of that hard-earned lesson. He guides us through extreme but plausible scenarios of some of the most existential threats we face—biological catastrophe, cyber infrastructure collapse, and other civilization-altering events—providing a straightforward account of what could be in store for us if we fail to invest in prevention and mitigation. Rethinking Readiness forces our leaders to answer the question—have we done all we can? Now is the time to imagine! -- Tom Ridge, forty-third governor of Pennsylvania and first U.S. Secretary of Homeland SecurityThis timely book both looks ahead to the mega-disasters on the horizon—disasters that tank economies, shred infrastructure, and take lives—and outlines how communities can start preparing now. It is an essential guide for policy makers and concerned citizens alike who want to build a better future. -- Alice C. Hill, former senior director of resilience policy on the National Security CouncilCovering a wide range of natural hazards and man made threats, Schlegelmilch's book pushes us to think through the question that we ask all too often: are we truly prepared? With chapters on biothreats, climate change, critical infrastructure failure, cyberthreats, and nuclear conflict, he sets out a framework to ensure that we take serious risks head on and build resilience to them. A must read. -- Daniel P. Aldrich, author of Black Wave and Building Resilience and director of the Security and Resilience Program at Northeastern UniversityRethinking Readiness brings information on the scientific elements and socially constructed origins of megadisasters together in a clear and organized way. Schlegelmilch illustrates the interconnectivity of multiple drivers, showing how research and practice should consider these if we are to reach a more sustainable future. -- Ksenia Chmutina, coauthor of Disaster Risk Reduction for the Built EnvironmentSchlegelmilch provides a new perspective on the major threats and vulnerabilities facing modern society. Readers will find the discussion of megadisasters intriguing and the argument for better preparation compelling. Rethinking Readiness argues for a broader view of disasters and for a sustained effort to reduce the threats and societal vulnerability. -- William L. Waugh Jr., Professor Emeritus, Georgia State UniversityRethinking Readiness is a must-read for everyone committed to understanding the most existential threats we face, reinforced by the inclusion of multiple examples of inadequate response, including the identification of risks, opportunities, and misapplications embedded in practice. Compelling reading. * The Hindu Business Line *Table of ContentsForewordPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Biothreats2. Climate Change3. Critical Infrastructure Failure4. Cyberthreats5. Nuclear Conflict6. Crosscutting Threats and VulnerabilitiesConclusion: Investing in Today, Investing in TomorrowNotesBibliographyIndex
£15.29
Columbia University Press Live Sustainably Now A LowCarbon Vision of the
Book SynopsisKarl Coplan shares his personal journey of attempting to cut back on carbon without giving up the amenities of a suburban middle-class lifestyle. Live Sustainably Now shows that there does not have to be a trade-off between the ethical obligation to maintain a sustainable carbon footprint and the belief that life should be fulfilling and fun.Trade ReviewKarl Coplan's vision for living an ethical, meaningful, and sustainable life in the face of the climate crisis is an inspiration to all those who care about the environment. Without losing sight of the need for collective global corporate and governmental action, he shows us that it is possible to enjoy life and have fun without sacrificing the future of the planet for the instant gratification many of us have come to expect from life in the twenty-first century. -- Tatiana Schlossberg, former New York Times science writer and author of Inconspicuous Consumption: The Environmental Impact You Don't Know You HaveTalking the environmental talk is one thing, but if you want to walk the walk, too, Karl Coplan's book will tell you how to do it and how to do it happily. -- Colin Beavan, author of How To Be Alive and No Impact ManA paralytic feeling can come when deeply confronting the global nature of climate change, given how a multitude of dispersed human activities are contributing to worldwide shifts in climate and coastal patterns that will build and persist for centuries. In this educational, entertaining account, Karl Coplan, law professor and long-distance sailor, argues for and, better yet, demonstrates a completely different kind of reaction—passionate engagement in shaping a fulfilling and fun low-carbon life. -- Andrew Revkin, former New York Times environmental writer and director of the Initiative on Communication & Sustainability, Earth Institute, Columbia UniversityIn clear prose, sometimes taking a colloquial turn, Coplan walks the reader through questions of individual culpability for global warming, ranging—quite usefully, in my view—between philosophical abstractions and quantifiable realities of daily life. He balances theory and practice with aplomb. -- Mark Hineline, author of Ground Truth: A Guide to Tracking Climate Change at HomeCoplan reminds us that low-carbon living not only contributes to the cultural shift required for systems-level change, but is satisfying, meaningful, and fun. -- Peter Kalmus, climate scientist and author of Being the Change: Live Well and Spark a Climate RevolutionPart how-to guide, part entertaining memoir. * Mongabay *Live Sustainably Now is a personal, practical guide to low-carbon living. * Foeword Reviews *Table of ContentsPrefacePrologue: Climate March at the Crossroads1. Climatarianism: Our Personal Moral ObligationCarbon Diary: September 20152. Why Both Individual Action and Collective Policy Will Be Needed to Address Climate ChangeCarbon Diary: October 20153. Some Climate Basics: What We Mean by “Carbon Footprint,” How We Measure It, and Why It MattersCarbon Diary: November 20154. Sustainability: What Is It Anyway, and Who Can Really Claim to Be Doing It?Carbon Diary: December 20155. What Is Individual Carbon Sustainability, Then?Carbon Diary: January 20166. Going on a Carbon Diet to Save the PlanetCarbon Diary: February 20167. Surprising Carbon Impact Comparisons: If You Are Only Going to Sweat One Kind of Stuff, Sweat Big Stuff, Not Small StuffCarbon Diary: March 20168. Grappling with the Big Four: Electricity, Heat, Transportation, and FoodCarbon Diary: April 20169. Having Fun on a Carbon BudgetCarbon Diary: May 201610. Medium-Term Goal: Getting to ZeroCarbon Diary: Summer 2016Postscript: Individual Climate Action in the Trump Era: Now More than EverAppendix: Sample Carbon Footprint CalculationIndex
£19.80
Columbia University Press Muslim Environmentalisms Religious and Social
Book SynopsisAnna M. Gade explores the religious and cultural foundations of Islamic environmentalisms. She blends textual and ethnographic study to offer a comprehensive and interdisciplinary account of the legal, ethical, social, and political principles underlying Muslim commitments to the earth.Trade ReviewAnna M. Gade places her arguments within a rich exploration of historical and modern theoretical approaches to the environment and environmentalism. This book is theoretically sophisticated, lively, and interesting. -- Marion Katz, author of Women in the Mosque: A History of Legal Thought and Social PracticeAnna Gade's Muslim Environmentalisms is an instant classic. It is inspired and inspiring, a work that deserves to be read and internalized in scholarly communities, activist movements, and policy circles. Many previous works on the subjects have offered profound philosophical speculations on the theme, but have remained oddly disconnected from the activities of Muslims on the ground. Gade's work brilliantly guides us among the rich discursive terrains of Qur'an and ethics, to the environmentalist movements in Cambodia and Indonesia, and Malaysia. I cannot remember another work that moves with such grace and brilliance, benefitting from the insights of the best of religious studies, anthropology, and more. Muslim Environmentalisms is more than simply a work that sums up or even challenges existing fields. It shines a light on the terrain that must be followed to save our only home. -- Omid Safi, author of Progressive Muslims: On Justice, Gender, and PluralismAnna Gade’s original book pushes environmental humanities to open up to concepts and insights from Islamic thinking. Rather than an idealized and static theology, Islam, for Gade, is what Muslims say and do, in their relation to the Qur’an; this already moves us beyond stereotypes and exclusions. Muslim Environmentalisms is a much needed addition to environmental thinking. -- Anna Tsing, author of Friction: An Ethnography of Global ConnectionMuslim Environmentalisms is a must-read for anyone interested in religion and the environment, and the environmental humanities generally. In contrast to essentializing, monolithic approaches of 'Islam and ecology,' Gade offers a nuanced and grounded portrait of Muslim environmentalisms that advances the project of the environmental humanities beyond romantic, colonial, and Eurocentric frames and inheritances, while staking an original claim for 'the environment' as an inherently ethical category. -- Lisa Sideris, author of Consecrating Science: Wonder, Knowledge, and the Natural WorldAn in-depth and all-encompassing critical survey of how some contemporary Muslims have sought to articulate environmental values in terms of Islamic ethics and norms. -- Richard Foltz Concordia University * AAR Book Review *Recommended. * Choice *A serious, sustained, and precious evaluation. . . . By re-situating the Islamic Humanities on a footing more representative of their actual practice, Gade invites us to comprehend them more accurately and compare them more profitably with other traditions. * Religion and the Arts *This brilliant book...opens a path for scholars, students, and activists alike to focus on ethical commitments and the environmental justice. * Journal of Muslim Philanthropy and Civil Society *An excellent work. It contributes to the existing literature on religious studies, Islamic studies, religious environmentalism, the anthropology of Islam, Southeast Asian studies, and environmental humanities. * Journal of Asian Studies *Table of ContentsAcknowledgments1. History of Religions, Islam, and Environmental Humanities2. Islam and the Environment: Pluralism and Development3. A Qur’anic Environment: Relating Creatures and Resources4. Roots and Branches of Islamic Environmental Justice, Law, and Ethics5. Islamic Humanities: Apprehending Symbol, Expression, and Natural Science6. Muslim Environmentalism as Religious Practice: Accounts of the Unseen7. From This World to the NextNotesBibliographyIndex
£25.50
Columbia University Press Reforming the City
Book SynopsisAriane Liazos examines the urban reform movement that swept through the country in the early twentieth century and its unintended consequences. Reforming the City offers powerful insights into the relationships between scholarship and reform and between the structures of city government and urban democracy.Trade ReviewA century ago, progressive reformers often thought expertise and nonpartisanship were the solution to extreme polarization and inequality in U.S. politics, as they do now. But Ariane Liazos dramatizes the unintended consequences of changes pursued in hundreds of U.S. cities in the early 1900s. The findings in Reforming the City hold important lessons for today’s democracy reformers, along with all students of American history and politics. -- Theda Skocpol, Harvard UniversityThis well-researched volume offers an important new perspective on an era of grassroots democratic reform that is highly relevant to our urgent social, political, and economic crises today, including a useful focus on unexpected alliances, unintended consequences, and lost opportunities. -- Robert D. Putnam, author of The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It AgainIn this comprehensive, provocative, and richly nuanced study, Ariane Liazos brilliantly shows how progressive reformers forged coalitions to end corruption, improve efficiency, and inspire civic participation in urban governance. Understanding their aims, the challenges they faced, and the surprising consequences of their efforts is indispensable for historians, political scientists, and activists mobilizing today to address the persistent tensions between administration and democracy. -- James T. Kloppenberg, author of Toward Democracy: The Struggle for Self-Rule in European and American ThoughtWhy are cities, once the birthplace of Progressive reform, often considered undemocratic today? How is it that Americans feel closest to their local governments and yet fail to participate actively in them? These and other puzzles drive Ariane Liazos’s important study of how a wide range of actors joined together a century ago to remake how cities were governed and the unintended consequences of their efforts. This book has much to teach us about the past, but it also holds compelling lessons for our own day. -- Lizabeth Cohen, author of Saving America’s Cities: Ed Logue and the Struggle to Renew Urban America in the Suburban AgeReforming the City is the most thorough and persuasive study of municipal reform in American cities I have ever read. This detailed account is the most important work ever written on the topic. -- Robert Fairbanks, University of Texas at ArlingtonAriane Liazos has written an ambitious, elegant, and well researched book. -- Amy Bridges, University of California, San DiegoA compelling explanation for better understanding the struggles to restructure municipal government in many American cities between 1900 and 1930. . . . Highly recommended. * Choice *Ariane Liazos has written a definitive account of how the council-manager system of governance - usually paired with at-large nonpartisan elections - became the dominant form of local governance, ultimately replacing ward-based partisan elections in many localities. * Political Science Quarterly *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Urban Reform, Coalitions, and American Political Development1. The Emergence of the Movement for “Good City Government”: Municipal Reform Associations, c. 1880–19002. “Saved by the Scholar”: Political Science, the Municipal Program, and the National Municipal League, c. 1890–19003. The Municipal Program and Early Campaigns for Charter Reform, c. 1895–19104. “The Franchise Problem”: Home Rule, Charter Reform, and the Provision of Public Services, c. 1900–19155. The Commission Plan, c. 1900–19156. “Whether Democracy and Efficiency Are Inherently Irreconcilable”: Professionalization and Expertise in Municipal Reform, c. 1905–19207. “The Transition to Government by Experts”: The Origins and Spread of Commission/City Manager Government, 1912–19258. The Legacy of the Movement for Urban Reform: State Building and Popular Control Epilogue: The End of the CoalitionsAcknowledgmentsAppendix 1Appendix 2Publication AbbreviationsNotesIndex
£70.40
Columbia University Press Climate Change Science
Book SynopsisThis book is a primer on the essential science for grasping the workings of climate change and climate prediction. It is accessible for readers with little to no background in science, with an emphasis on the needs of those studying sustainable development.Trade ReviewIt is rare to find a book that succinctly explains the scientific basis for one of the greatest challenges humanity has ever faced. For anyone looking to learn the foundations of climate science, Mutter's primer is an excellent jump start. He covers an expansive number of topics gracefully, providing readers with the key scientific concepts at the heart of each issue. -- Solomon Hsiang, Chancellor's Professor of Public Policy, University of California, BerkeleyJohn C. Mutter earned an outstanding reputation as a marine geophysicist at Columbia’s Lamont Observatory, and then turned his interest to the effects of natural and manmade disasters on humankind. His recent focus extends to the major problems looming from future climate change. His primer is a succinct review of the physics behind climate change, along with summaries of glacial-interglacial climate cycles, ENSO events, and what the future will hold. -- William F. Ruddiman, professor emeritus, Department of Environmental Sciences at the University of VirginiaMutter guides the reader to an understanding of Earth’s climate, starting with the big picture of how the system works, to the nuances of climate variability and predictions of the future using computer models, and ultimately to future uncertainty and the substantial risks that human-induced climate change will impose on society. This is a clearly written, readable account supported by understandable diagrams of elegant simplicity. -- Edmond A. Mathez, curator and professor emeritus, American Museum of Natural History, and coauthor of Climate Change: The Science of Global Warming and Our Energy FutureClimate Change Science provides the reader with a perfect primer to best understand Earth’s complex climate system. The reader is carefully guided through the various processes influencing our climate system and how humans are significantly disturbing this system. Strongly recommended to anyone seeking a clear picture of Earth’s climate system. -- Jeffrey T. Kiehl, climate scientist and author of Facing Climate Change: An Integrated Path to the FutureTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Strategy and Outline of the Primer1. Why Does Earth Have the Climate It Does?2. Precipitation, Winds, Atmospheric Pressure, and the Origin of Climate Zones3. Climate Dynamics: Natural Variations4. Climate in the Future5. Earth’s Responses to Climate Change6. Climate and Sustainable Development: Summary and Closing RemarksGlossaryNotesFurther ReadingIndex
£15.29
Columbia University Press Parks for Profit
Book SynopsisKevin Loughran explores the High Line in New York, the Bloomingdale Trail/606 in Chicago, and Buffalo Bayou Park in Houston to offer a critical perspective on the rise of the postindustrial park. He reveals how elites deploy the popularity and seemingly benign nature of parks to achieve their cultural, political, and economic goals.Trade ReviewParks for Profit offers a fresh take on the problem of environmental equity. Loughran deftly shows how the economic value of urban green space for capital can shrink the pool of public funds for parks and play areas in the places that need them most. He asks tough but necessary questions, and his answers are sure to spark debate. -- Eric Klinenberg, author of Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic LifeKevin Loughran's Parks for Profit is a beautifully written, carefully researched study of the role of green spaces in contemporary urban economic redevelopment. Loughran's richly textured and engaging book takes the reader to New York, Chicago, and Houston, demonstrating how cities reinvent their industrial pasts to serve tourists' and affluent urbanites' desire for green amenities. Parks for Profit powerfully reveals how planners and landscape architects rely on the urban industrial past to create postindustrial spaces that appeal to a new class of urban dwellers and visitors. Deeply attentive to the past, present, and future, Loughran reveals how histories of urban disinvestment, deindustrialization, White flight, and, more recently, gentrification, drive the emergence of new parks. Parks for Profit will productively challenge preconceived notions about the High Line and other new urban green spaces, and will sharpen understandings of how and why cities alter the material and cultural landscape. Loughran's book is a must-read for students of culture, urbanism, nature, and urban economies, providing a powerful example of the utility of multi-sited research and of the value of historically informed analyses of contemporary dynamics. -- Japonica Brown-Saracino, author of A Neighborhood That Never Changes: Gentrification, Social Preservation, and the Search for AuthenticityParks for Profit asks how a generation of refurbished parks change and re-valorize the picturesque framing of nature by imagining a union of wild nature and the postindustrial landscape, and, in doing so, gives a sense of the whole park, not merely its use or its financing or construction. The manuscript’s insightful and thoughtful analysis of the parks is valuable and even lyrical. Rarely is a book of urban sociology so well written, and rarely does it stand on the merits of the author’s insights. -- Gregory Smithsimon, author of Cause: ... And How It Doesn't Always Equal EffectHow do you turn a weeded rail and disused viaduct into a celebrated garden, and then turn the garden into a growth machine, and why does it matter? From New York, to Chicago, to Houston, private corporations have turned spaces that were unused by the right kind of people into restoration projects, sprouting high end businesses and economic growth. While city boosters call these public-private partnerships win-win solutions, Parks for Profits shows us just who the losers are. Not just those who get left, or pushed, out, but also anyone who cares about the things we should all share. Parks for Profit points to what’s gone wrong and how the wrongs can be made right. An important intervention. -- Frederick F. Wherry, Princeton UniversityA timely counterargument to the urban cheerleading that promotes this model of privately funded showstopper spaces. * CityLab *At its best, Parks for Profit illuminates the disconnect between the way these projects were sold to the public with the thrill of exciting new public spaces and the gentrifying impact they had on their surrounding areas. * The Architect's Newspaper *The work is so well researched and considered. * H-Environment *Incredibly engaging and well written, moving easily from one case to the next. Students and practitioners of urban sociology, environmental design, planning, and political science will find much wisdom in these pages, as will anyone with an interest in parks, urban planning, or revitalization. * Journal of Urban Affairs *A good book that will be of useful to sociologists, urban geographers, planners, and park historians, as well as lay people interested in these subjects. * Social Forces *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsI. Introduction1. Sometime in 20092. Varieties of Urban Crisis: New York, Chicago, HoustonII. Growth Machines in the Garden3. “The Yuppie Express”4. “No More Bake Sales, Man”5. “A Piece of Crud”6. Parks for Profit or for People?III. Gardens in the Machine7. Defective Landscapes8. Imbricated Spaces9. Constructing Environmental Authenticity10. Spatial Practices and Social ControlIV. Conclusion11. After the High Line12. Abolish, Decolonize, Rot: Three Proposals for Parks EquityNotesReferencesIndex
£80.00
Columbia University Press Parks for Profit
Book SynopsisKevin Loughran explores the High Line in New York, the Bloomingdale Trail/606 in Chicago, and Buffalo Bayou Park in Houston to offer a critical perspective on the rise of the postindustrial park. He reveals how elites deploy the popularity and seemingly benign nature of parks to achieve their cultural, political, and economic goals.Trade ReviewParks for Profit offers a fresh take on the problem of environmental equity. Loughran deftly shows how the economic value of urban green space for capital can shrink the pool of public funds for parks and play areas in the places that need them most. He asks tough but necessary questions, and his answers are sure to spark debate. -- Eric Klinenberg, author of Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic LifeKevin Loughran's Parks for Profit is a beautifully written, carefully researched study of the role of green spaces in contemporary urban economic redevelopment. Loughran's richly textured and engaging book takes the reader to New York, Chicago, and Houston, demonstrating how cities reinvent their industrial pasts to serve tourists' and affluent urbanites' desire for green amenities. Parks for Profit powerfully reveals how planners and landscape architects rely on the urban industrial past to create postindustrial spaces that appeal to a new class of urban dwellers and visitors. Deeply attentive to the past, present, and future, Loughran reveals how histories of urban disinvestment, deindustrialization, White flight, and, more recently, gentrification, drive the emergence of new parks. Parks for Profit will productively challenge preconceived notions about the High Line and other new urban green spaces, and will sharpen understandings of how and why cities alter the material and cultural landscape. Loughran's book is a must-read for students of culture, urbanism, nature, and urban economies, providing a powerful example of the utility of multi-sited research and of the value of historically informed analyses of contemporary dynamics. -- Japonica Brown-Saracino, author of A Neighborhood That Never Changes: Gentrification, Social Preservation, and the Search for AuthenticityParks for Profit asks how a generation of refurbished parks change and re-valorize the picturesque framing of nature by imagining a union of wild nature and the postindustrial landscape, and, in doing so, gives a sense of the whole park, not merely its use or its financing or construction. The manuscript’s insightful and thoughtful analysis of the parks is valuable and even lyrical. Rarely is a book of urban sociology so well written, and rarely does it stand on the merits of the author’s insights. -- Gregory Smithsimon, author of Cause: ... And How It Doesn't Always Equal EffectHow do you turn a weeded rail and disused viaduct into a celebrated garden, and then turn the garden into a growth machine, and why does it matter? From New York, to Chicago, to Houston, private corporations have turned spaces that were unused by the right kind of people into restoration projects, sprouting high end businesses and economic growth. While city boosters call these public-private partnerships win-win solutions, Parks for Profits shows us just who the losers are. Not just those who get left, or pushed, out, but also anyone who cares about the things we should all share. Parks for Profit points to what’s gone wrong and how the wrongs can be made right. An important intervention. -- Frederick F. Wherry, Princeton UniversityA timely counterargument to the urban cheerleading that promotes this model of privately funded showstopper spaces. * CityLab *At its best, Parks for Profit illuminates the disconnect between the way these projects were sold to the public with the thrill of exciting new public spaces and the gentrifying impact they had on their surrounding areas. * The Architect's Newspaper *The work is so well researched and considered. * H-Environment *Incredibly engaging and well written, moving easily from one case to the next. Students and practitioners of urban sociology, environmental design, planning, and political science will find much wisdom in these pages, as will anyone with an interest in parks, urban planning, or revitalization. * Journal of Urban Affairs *A good book that will be of useful to sociologists, urban geographers, planners, and park historians, as well as lay people interested in these subjects. * Social Forces *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsI. Introduction1. Sometime in 20092. Varieties of Urban Crisis: New York, Chicago, HoustonII. Growth Machines in the Garden3. “The Yuppie Express”4. “No More Bake Sales, Man”5. “A Piece of Crud”6. Parks for Profit or for People?III. Gardens in the Machine7. Defective Landscapes8. Imbricated Spaces9. Constructing Environmental Authenticity10. Spatial Practices and Social ControlIV. Conclusion11. After the High Line12. Abolish, Decolonize, Rot: Three Proposals for Parks EquityNotesReferencesIndex
£21.25
Columbia University Press A Spark in the Smokestacks Environmental
Book SynopsisDelving into the online and offline conversations of Beijing communities affected by waste incinerator projects slated for their backyards, Jean Yen-chun Lin demonstrates how a rising middle class acquires the capacity for organizing in an authoritarian context.Trade ReviewBy offering a textured account of the way space enables civic life to flourish in China, this beautiful book urgently reminds us that even in nondemocratic contexts, people can do great things when they join together to put their hands on the levers of change. -- Hahrie Han, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Professor of Political Science, Inaugural Director, SNF Agora Institute, Johns Hopkins UniversityTranscending conventional depictions of environmental justice politics, A Spark in the Smokestacks provides a rich and compelling portrait of how three communities in Beijing were able to mobilize their civic capacity to fight environmental harms. Lin’s impressive study deserves broad attention in sociology, political science, environmental studies, and beyond. -- Edward T. Walker, author of Grassroots for Hire: Public Affairs Consultants in American DemocracyBy systematically examining the intersection of environmental activism and the development of middle-class communities in China, A Spark in the Smokestacks offers fresh evidence and original insights on a very important topic. Lin’s extensive and systematic comparative analysis and prolonged fieldwork have produced rich empirical evidence and in-depth analysis. This book will be a welcome and valuable addition to the fields of China studies and contentious politics. -- Xi Chen, author of Social Protest and Contentious Authoritarianism in ChinaTable of ContentsPrefaceIntroduction1. A Stench on Success: Urban Middle-Class Homeowners and Rising Environmental Challenges2. Gated Communities as Schools of Democracy3. Making Sense of External Threats: Individual, Collective, and Representative Responses4. Mobilizing and Organizing for Environmental Collective Action5. Trajectories of Citizen Science6. Consequences of Community Environmental OrganizingConclusionBibliographyIndex
£93.60
Columbia University Press A Spark in the Smokestacks
Book SynopsisDelving into the online and offline conversations of Beijing communities affected by waste incinerator projects slated for their backyards, Jean Yen-chun Lin demonstrates how a rising middle class acquires the capacity for organizing in an authoritarian context.Trade ReviewBy offering a textured account of the way space enables civic life to flourish in China, this beautiful book urgently reminds us that even in nondemocratic contexts, people can do great things when they join together to put their hands on the levers of change. -- Hahrie Han, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Professor of Political Science, Inaugural Director, SNF Agora Institute, Johns Hopkins UniversityTranscending conventional depictions of environmental justice politics, A Spark in the Smokestacks provides a rich and compelling portrait of how three communities in Beijing were able to mobilize their civic capacity to fight environmental harms. Lin’s impressive study deserves broad attention in sociology, political science, environmental studies, and beyond. -- Edward T. Walker, author of Grassroots for Hire: Public Affairs Consultants in American DemocracyBy systematically examining the intersection of environmental activism and the development of middle-class communities in China, A Spark in the Smokestacks offers fresh evidence and original insights on a very important topic. Lin’s extensive and systematic comparative analysis and prolonged fieldwork have produced rich empirical evidence and in-depth analysis. This book will be a welcome and valuable addition to the fields of China studies and contentious politics. -- Xi Chen, author of Social Protest and Contentious Authoritarianism in ChinaTable of ContentsPrefaceIntroduction1. A Stench on Success: Urban Middle-Class Homeowners and Rising Environmental Challenges2. Gated Communities as Schools of Democracy3. Making Sense of External Threats: Individual, Collective, and Representative Responses4. Mobilizing and Organizing for Environmental Collective Action5. Trajectories of Citizen Science6. Consequences of Community Environmental OrganizingConclusionBibliographyIndex
£25.50
Columbia University Press Nature and Value
Book SynopsisThis book brings together essays that individually and as a whole present a detailed and rigorous multidisciplinary exploration of the concept of nature and its wider ethical and political implications. The essays together present a revaluation of the natural world with a view to addressing some of the fundamental concerns of our time.Trade ReviewAn outstanding collection of essays in which some of the world's leading thinkers subject the fundamental presuppositions of contemporary society to rigorous scrutiny. Essential reading for those who are searching for fresh perspectives on the current human predicament. -- Amitav Ghosh, author of The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the UnthinkableOur awareness of having entered the Anthropocene is still so recent that many of the issues, challenges, and dilemmas it poses are still underexplored. This admirable and inspiring book offers a number of converging guidelines that help us to see our predicament and to see it whole. -- Charles Taylor, author of A Secular AgeIt has been a genuine privilege and a pleasure to read this book. I learned a great deal from doing so and I fully expect that other readers will learn much as well. Nature and Value accomplishes something inestimably important by demonstrating how it is possible to juxtapose writings by scholars from a vast array of different disciplines and generate a conversation about climate change that is at once coherent and dynamic. -- Paul Apostolidis, London School of Economics and Political ScienceTable of ContentsPreface, by Akeel BilgramiAcknowledgments1. Nature and Value, by Jonathan Schell2. The Human Shadow, by Jonathan Schell3. The Anthropocene and Global Warming: A Brief Update, by Jan Zalasiewicz4. The Extraordinary Strata of the Anthropocene, by Jan Zalasiewicz5. The Anthropocene Dating Problem: Disciplinary Misalignments, Paradigm Shifts, and the Possibility for New Foundations in Science, by Kyle Nichols and Bina Gogineni6. Disciplinary Variations on the Anthropocene: Temporality and Epistemic Authority. Response to Kyle Nichols and Bina Gogineni, by Nikolas Kompridis7. Value and Alienation: A Revisionist Essay on Our Political Ideals, by Akeel Bilgrami8. Equality and Liberty: Beyond a Boundary. Response to Akeel Bilgrami, by Sanjay G. Reddy9. Experimenting with Other People, by Joanna Picciotto10. The Green Growth Path to Climate Stabilization, by Robert Pollin11. All Too Human: Orienting Environmental Law in a Remade World, by Jedediah Britton-Purdy12. Life Sustains Life 1: Value, Social and Ecological, by James Tully13. Life Sustains Life 2: The Ways of Reengagement with the Living Earth, by James Tully14. The Value of Sustainability and the Sustainability of Value, by Anthony Simon Laden15. Varieties of Agency: Comment on Anthony Laden, by Carol Rovane16. Nonhuman Agency and Human Normativity, by Nikolas Kompridis17. Natural Piety and Human Responsibility, by David BromwichList of ContributorsIndex
£70.40
Columbia University Press Fantastic Fossils
Book SynopsisIn Fantastic Fossils, Donald R. Prothero offers an accessible, entertaining, and richly illustrated guide to the paleontologist’s journey. He details the best places to look for fossils, the art of how to find them, and how to classify the major types.Trade ReviewThis book condenses most of what you find in a college textbook on paleontology into a concise, readable handbook that explains everything from how to find and collect fossils to how to assign them scientific names. No fossil enthusiast should be without it! -- Spencer G. Lucas, Curator of Paleontology, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and ScienceDonald Prothero knows how to use the written word to make paleontology exciting, and the literary adventure he takes us on in his latest book, Fantastic Fossils, is definitely worth the price of admission. Via prose and a plethora of illustrations, Prothero shepherds us from badlands to beaches and quarries to roadcuts; all of these peregrinations give the reader a sense of what it’s like to be on a paleontological quest. As part of this metaphorical pursuit one also receives practical knowledge; the reader comes to understand not only how to collect and identify fossils but also their broader significance as natural history objects with myriad implications for ecology, evolution and climate change. Prothero’s book features the remark that: “Fossils are cool. Fossils are amazing.” I concur, and if you do too, or if you’re anyone from nine to ninety who wants to learn more about fossils, you should definitely check out this book. -- Bruce S. Lieberman, Biodiversity Institute and Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of KansasProthero is a prolific author of popular paleontology titles. Meeting his usual excellent standard, this delightful and wide-ranging book provides an engaging grounding in the basics of paleontology and geology, alongside information on many of the common creatures budding fossil hunters are likely to encounter. -- John Pickrell, author of Flying Dinosaurs and Weird DinosaursThe text is easy to understand, with limited use of jargon, and will be most helpful to beginners who want to know more about fossils but have limited geological understanding. * Choice *Accessible, entertaining, and richly illustrated. A must have for anyone with an interest in fossils. * Birdbooker Report *Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsPart I. Fossils Are Where You Find Them1. Fantastic Fossils2. How Are Fossils Formed?3. What Kinds of Rocks Yield Fossils?4. Where Do You Find Fossils?5. Dating Fossils6. Collecting Fossils: Badlands7. Collecting Fossils: Beaches8. Collecting Fossils: Quarries and Roadcuts9. The Crucial Step: Collecting DataPart II. Identifying Your Fossils10. What’s in a Name?11. Phylum Porifera: Sponges and Their Relatives12. Phylum Cnidaria (Coelenterates): Sea Jellies, Sea Anemones, and Corals13. Phylum Brachiopoda: Brachiopods, or Lamp Shells14. Phylum Bryozoa: Bryozoans, or Moss Animals15. Phylum Arthropoda: Trilobites and Their Relatives16. Phylum Mollusca: Clams, Snail, Squids, and Their Relatives17. Phylum Echinodermata: Sea Stars, Sea Urchins, and Their Relatives18. Phylum Hemichordata: Graptolites19. Phylum Chordata: Fish, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals20. Paleobotany: Fossil PlantsIndex
£25.50
Columbia University Press Fantastic Fossils
Book SynopsisIn Fantastic Fossils, Donald R. Prothero offers an accessible, entertaining, and richly illustrated guide to the paleontologist’s journey. He details the best places to look for fossils, the art of how to find them, and how to classify the major types.Trade ReviewThis book condenses most of what you find in a college textbook on paleontology into a concise, readable handbook that explains everything from how to find and collect fossils to how to assign them scientific names. No fossil enthusiast should be without it! -- Spencer G. Lucas, Curator of Paleontology, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and ScienceDonald Prothero knows how to use the written word to make paleontology exciting, and the literary adventure he takes us on in his latest book, Fantastic Fossils, is definitely worth the price of admission. Via prose and a plethora of illustrations, Prothero shepherds us from badlands to beaches and quarries to roadcuts; all of these peregrinations give the reader a sense of what it’s like to be on a paleontological quest. As part of this metaphorical pursuit one also receives practical knowledge; the reader comes to understand not only how to collect and identify fossils but also their broader significance as natural history objects with myriad implications for ecology, evolution and climate change. Prothero’s book features the remark that: “Fossils are cool. Fossils are amazing.” I concur, and if you do too, or if you’re anyone from nine to ninety who wants to learn more about fossils, you should definitely check out this book. -- Bruce S. Lieberman, Biodiversity Institute and Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of KansasProthero is a prolific author of popular paleontology titles. Meeting his usual excellent standard, this delightful and wide-ranging book provides an engaging grounding in the basics of paleontology and geology, alongside information on many of the common creatures budding fossil hunters are likely to encounter. -- John Pickrell, author of Flying Dinosaurs and Weird DinosaursThe text is easy to understand, with limited use of jargon, and will be most helpful to beginners who want to know more about fossils but have limited geological understanding. * Choice *Accessible, entertaining, and richly illustrated. A must have for anyone with an interest in fossils. * Birdbooker Report *Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsPart I. Fossils Are Where You Find Them1. Fantastic Fossils2. How Are Fossils Formed?3. What Kinds of Rocks Yield Fossils?4. Where Do You Find Fossils?5. Dating Fossils6. Collecting Fossils: Badlands7. Collecting Fossils: Beaches8. Collecting Fossils: Quarries and Roadcuts9. The Crucial Step: Collecting DataPart II. Identifying Your Fossils10. What’s in a Name?11. Phylum Porifera: Sponges and Their Relatives12. Phylum Cnidaria (Coelenterates): Sea Jellies, Sea Anemones, and Corals13. Phylum Brachiopoda: Brachiopods, or Lamp Shells14. Phylum Bryozoa: Bryozoans, or Moss Animals15. Phylum Arthropoda: Trilobites and Their Relatives16. Phylum Mollusca: Clams, Snail, Squids, and Their Relatives17. Phylum Echinodermata: Sea Stars, Sea Urchins, and Their Relatives18. Phylum Hemichordata: Graptolites19. Phylum Chordata: Fish, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals20. Paleobotany: Fossil PlantsIndex
£18.00
Columbia University Press Energys Digital Future
Book SynopsisAmy Myers Jaffe provides an expert look at the promises and challenges of the future of energy, highlighting what the United States needs to do to maintain its global influence in a post-oil era. She explores how the rapid pace of innovation is altering international security dynamics in fundamental ways.Trade ReviewA knowledgeable, hard-nosed look at a post-oil future. * Kirkus Reviews *Amy Myers Jaffe has long been a sage and articulate voice on global energy matters. Energy’s Digital Future takes a hard and candid look at the future of America’s energy patch and how it can be shaped to help maintain America’s influence on the world stage. -- James A. Baker III, sixty-first U.S. secretary of stateEnergy's Digital Future provides valuable insights into the role technology will play in a successful energy transition. This book has timely and compelling insights informing the transformations we can and need to make. -- Alexander Karsner, senior strategist and space cowboy, Google XA fascinating and deeply important work on how the digital revolution is remaking the global energy system and geopolitics. A must-read for policy makers, business leaders, and students of international relations. -- Helima Croft, managing director and global head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets and CNBC contributorEnergy’s Digital Future is a wake-up call and an urgent warning not only to the U.S. government but also to investors worldwide. Jaffe, whom I have often turned to for advice on energy investing, presents a well-balanced, research-backed analysis that points to the need to embrace the digital revolution in energy technologies. The transition to clean energy is already well underway and scholarship such as that presented here should be essential reading for all who care about the existential threat posed by continued reliance on powering our world through fossil fuels. -- Jagdeep Singh Bachher, chief investment officer of the University of CaliforniaThis important book explores how mastering digital technology will shape energy systems that are clean, resilient, and spur growth. Jaffe explains how digitalization is transforming geopolitics as, in one generation, power shifts from those with fossil fuel reserves to those with innovation capacity and access to digital technologies. -- Rachel Kyte, dean of the Fletcher School and former special envoy for climate change at the United NationsTable of ContentsPreface and AcknowledgmentsAbbreviationsIntroduction1. Lessons from History: Nothing Is Inevitable2. Revolutionizing the Link: Energy and Advanced Economic Development3. China’s Energy Strategy4. Meet the Jetsons: Revolutionary Transport Via Automation and Data5. Alexa: Beam Me Up Clean Energy6. The Energy Future and the Possibility of Peak Oil Demand7. Energy Investor Dystopia8. The Losers: The Changing Geopolitics of Oil9. Geopolitics of a Greening EconomyConclusion: Recommendations for the United StatesNotesBibliographyIndex
£25.50
Columbia University Press The Bearded Lady Project
Book SynopsisChallenging persistent gender biases in the sciences, the Bearded Lady Project puts the spotlight on underrepresented geoscientists in the field and in the lab. This book pairs portraits of these scientists after donning fake beards with personal essays in which they tell their stories.Trade ReviewThe portraits in The Bearded Lady Project intentionally cause double takes, forcing the viewer to look, then look again. But their real power lies in how they require us to look inward and see that antediluvian ideas about who can and cannot do science still linger. The accompanying stories of remarkable women in paleontology make one hopeful that soon these old stereotypes will finally go extinct. -- Marcia Bjornerud, professor of geosciences at Lawrence University, author of Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the WorldThe Bearded Lady Project is a necessary novelty. It’s snarky, beautiful, and increasingly powerful in the evolution of its message: Don’t ever assume you know what a scientist looks like. These essays—critical, poignant examinations of societal and historical perceptions of genius—remind us how much scientists have to say about the world in which their research takes place. -- Emily Graslie, chief curiosity correspondent at the Field Museum of Natural HistoryThe Bearded Lady Project invites us all think more critically about the role of gender and gender bias in the sciences. This project shows the true depths of diversity that exist within the fields of paleontology and geology and highlights the profound challenges that still exist for those who do not fit in with stereotypical ideal of who a scientist is.For some, viewing the images in this book will feel uncomfortable. Take that discomfort, examine it closely, and then read every single essay in this volume. The diverse perspectives and stories from so many voices in paleontology and geology, paired with critical essays by scholars of gender and performance studies, provides a depth and context to the Bearded Lady Project which elevate this work beyond a compendium of personal narratives and turn it into a deeply insightful and necessary contribution to our understanding of what it means to be a scientist. -- Phoebe A. Cohen, associate professor of geosciences, Williams College“The stories within are compelling, and I wish I had been able to read them before I embarked on my own career as a scientist. The contributors’ and editors’ voices emanate clearly from the pages. The writing is an impressive combination of approachable yet sophisticated, powerful yet playful, meticulously researched and fact-based, yet balanced with personal, often painful narratives. -- Lindsay Zanno, head of paleontology, North Carolina Museum of Natural SciencesA weirdly compelling collaboration. * Nature *They declare that more voices bring better solutions. Science faculty may not assign this book as course reading - but they should...Recommended. * Choice *Table of ContentsForeword, by Lexi Jamieson MarshPart I: Why Challenge the Face of Science1. “Pictures in Our Heads”: Challenging Stereotypes of Scientists and Science, by Amanda Diekman2. What’s in a Name?, by Amy K. Guenther3. Sex, Science, and Beards, by Kimberly A. Hamlin4. What Is Paleontology?, by Ellen Currano5. Spaces Paleontologists Inhabit, by Ellen Currano6. The Lost Legacy, by Ellen Currano7. The Power of Contradiction, by Catherine BadgleyPart II: Women in PaleontologyStereotypes8. “Fitting In”: Freedom in the Field, by Carole S. Hickman9. A Female Paleontologist in the 1970s and 1980s, by Anna K. (“Kay”) Behrensmeyer10. From Microfossils to Museums: Reflections on My Journey as an Earth Scientist, by Lisa White11. Can You Be a Paleontologist Without a Ph.D.? (The Answer Is Yes) , by Ashley Hall12. The Path Is Not Always Straight, by ReBecca Hunt-Foster13. A Less Traveled and More Meandering Path, by Karen ChinWomen14. Definition: Woman, by Amy K. Guenther15. The Moments When I Am Not a Woman, by Leslea J. Hlusko16. My Love-Hate Relationship with Waders, by Andrea D. Hawkes17. The Balancing Act, by Patricia H. Kelley18. Being Brave, by Bonnie JacobsGender19. Definition: Gender, by Amy K. Guenther20. Just a Paleontologist, by Denise F. Su21. Performing Gender in Paleontology, by Amy K. Guenther22. Taking Off the Beard for Good, by Sara B. PrussPart III: Behind the Lens23. Behind the Lens: Filming a Documentary, by Lexi Jamieson Marsh24. Being with Artists in the Field, by Ellen Currano25. Creating Portraits for The Bearded Lady Project, by Kelsey Vance26. Field Notes, by Lexi Jamieson MarshWhy Diversify SciencePledge for Equality in the Sciences BibliographyAcknowledgmentsThe PhotographersPortraitsMarieke Dechesne Kristine ZellmanDr. Ellen Currano Dr. Carole S. Hickman Dr. Anna K. (“Kay”) BehrensmeyerJenna Kaempfer Dr. Penny Higgins Dr. Lisa WhiteDr. Emily Orzechow and Dr. Caitlin BoasTripti BhattacharyaCamilla Souto and Lucy Chang
£35.00
Columbia University Press Flywheels
Book SynopsisTom Alberg, a venture capitalist who was one of the first investors in Amazon, draws on his experience in Seattle’s tech boom to offer a vision for how cities and businesses can build a brighter future together. He explores how cities can soar to prosperity by creating the conditions that encourage innovation.Trade ReviewTom saw something in Amazon before most people did. . . . That leap of faith led to a long-term partnership as Tom continued to collaborate with me over more than two decades on Amazon’s board. -- Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO, AmazonEmpowering everyone and every organization on the planet to achieve more begins locally. In Flywheels, Tom Alberg delves into how the Seattle area and other communities are building tech platforms that drive innovation while also doing good, providing a thoughtful approach to building livable communities that we can all learn from. -- Satya Nadella, chairman and CEO, MicrosoftThroughout his distinguished career, Tom Alberg has been at the center of companies that have come to define Seattle, including Boeing, McCaw, and Amazon. In Flywheels, Alberg provides a view into the boardroom decisions that shaped these companies combined with a citizen's view of both the resulting prosperity and problems. Alberg provides insightful analysis of the key inputs to the flywheel for creating a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation in other cities as well as solutions to the resulting traffic and housing crisis in Seattle. A must-read for any business and civic-minded leader. -- Bill Carr, coauthor of Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside AmazonIf you really want to understand how to build a tech hub, read this book. Tom Alberg, a leading venture capitalist, tells the inside story of how and why Seattle's culture of openness and risk propelled it to the leading ranks of global innovation centers, home to companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and more. But Alberg goes beyond tech boosterism to create a guidebook and game plan for addressing today's new urban crisis of housing unaffordability, inequality, and homelessness. Drawing on examples like Tulsa's pioneering efforts to harness remote workers, new models of public-private partnership are required to truly keep the urban flywheel turning for post-pandemic prosperity. -- Richard Florida, author of The Rise of the Creative Class and The New Urban CrisisA fascinating first-person account of the companies, people, and regional assets that made Seattle into a global tech powerhouse, written by someone who knows its innovation ecosystem better than any other. Alberg shows not only how it was done but also how high-tech capitals—and cities everywhere—can do it even better through strong leadership, long-term thinking, and a commitment to livability for all. Essential reading for navigating times of extraordinary change and tech-driven disruption. -- Margaret O’Mara, author of The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of AmericaIn Flywheels, the venture capitalist Tom Alberg makes a powerful case for business and government to work together to solve our most pressing urban problems—problems that can’t be solved by either alone. I have watched Tom put this belief into practice, moving leaders from corporate and civic life toward our common goals through Challenge Seattle, a group of twenty-one CEOs that I lead. Tom was one of the first members. At our roundtable discussions, he has pressed some of our region’s most successful business leaders to put their appetite for innovation toward finding solutions to homelessness, transportation, and a host of other urban challenges. This book pushes that work forward in ways that will resonate in cities across the country. -- Christine Gregoire, former governor of Washington and CEO of Challenge SeattleSeattle’s emergence as a global hub of creativity and innovation is a history that had not been written—until now. Uniquely positioned to write it, Tom Alberg simultaneously offers a guide for others who would create similar flywheels of prosperity in their own regions. His curiosity, appreciation for research institutions, and humanity shine through on every page. -- Ed Lazowska, Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, University of WashingtonExceptionally well written, organized and presented. * Midwest Book Reviews *Table of ContentsForeword by John StantonPart I. Prelude to Jeff Bezos’s Day 11. Opportunities and Challenges of Cities2. Foundations of the Economic Flywheel3. Seattle’s Flywheels Begin Spinning4. Microsoft and Amazon Innovate to SuccessPart II5. On the Precipice of the Future6. Investing in the Future: Talent and Capital7. Models for Success: Oklahoma City, Tulsa, and Kansas CityPart III8. Livable Cities9. Public Safety and Privacy10. Homelessness and PreK–12 Education11. Transportation and EnvironmentPart IV12. Government and Business: Conflicts and Cooperation13. The Future of CitiesAcknowledgmentsNote on SourcesNotesIndex
£18.00
Columbia University Press At Every Depth
Book SynopsisThe oceanographer Tessa Hill and the science journalist Eric Simons profile efforts to understand and protect marine environments, taking readers to habitats from shallow tidepools to the deep sea.Trade ReviewAt Every Depth takes us from rocky shore surveys to diminishing riches on coral reefs to the once trackless deep sea, chronicling the greatest discoveries and changes for every major habitat in the oceans. The riveting stories of Indigenous peoples, scientists, and explorers are essential for everyone who cares about the oceans. -- Drew Harvell, author of Ocean Outbreak: Confronting the Rising Tide of Marine Disease and A Sea of Glass: Searching for the Blaschka’s Fragile Legacy in an Ocean at RiskThe greatest strength of At Every Depth is its storytelling. Tales of scientific investigation join explorations of Indigenous peoples’ connection to the sea and how ocean changes affect tradition and communities. The authors at once provide information and inspire with emotion. -- Ellen Prager, author of Sex, Drugs, and Sea Slime: The Oceans' Oddest Creatures and Why They MatterThis is one of the best books I’ve read in a really long time. Tessa Hill is an amazing scientist and Eric Simons is a very talented writer—together they’ve developed one heck of a book, interweaving personal narrative and scientific research in perfect balance. -- Angee Doerr, Oregon State UniversityAn incisive look at a world in crisis. This troubling assessment of how humans are devastating the world’s oceans hits home. * Publishers Weekly *Table of ContentsPrologue1. The Tide Pool2. The Reef3. The Forest4. The Gardens5. The Abundant Ocean6. The Open Ocean7. The Polar Worlds8. The DeepEpilogueAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex
£23.80
Columbia University Press Global Environmental Politics
Book SynopsisThis book explains why emerging economies have come to dominate global environmental politics and examines the implications for international cooperation. Johannes Urpelainen argues that although they continue to prioritize economic growth, innovative bargaining and institutional design offer a way forward.Trade ReviewUrpelainen provides a masterful primer for the challenges of the new global environmental governance. As developing countries get wealthier, their capacity to destroy the environment increases, but compared to advanced industrialized countries they have weaker environmental preferences and less state capacity to address environmental problems. These developments complicate how global challenges like climate change can be addressed. -- Joshua Busby, University of Texas at AustinEmerging economies are critically important to the future of the planet’s health. Their economic success and growing energy and resource consumption have turned them into pivotal players in international environmental negotiations. Johannes Urpelainen’s excellent new book provides an essential guide to this new reality of environmental diplomacy. -- Robert Falkner, London School of Economics and Political ScienceTable of ContentsList of AbbreviationsIntroduction1. International Political Economy and Global Environmental Politics2. Global Environmental Politics in the American Century3. Global Environmental Politics for a New Century4. The Evolution of Three Global Environmental Regimes5. China and India in Global Environmental Politics6. The Rise of the RestConclusion: Bringing It All TogetherNotesBibliographyIndex
£93.60
Columbia University Press Global Environmental Politics
Book SynopsisThis book explains why emerging economies have come to dominate global environmental politics and examines the implications for international cooperation. Johannes Urpelainen argues that although they continue to prioritize economic growth, innovative bargaining and institutional design offer a way forward.Trade ReviewUrpelainen provides a masterful primer for the challenges of the new global environmental governance. As developing countries get wealthier, their capacity to destroy the environment increases, but compared to advanced industrialized countries they have weaker environmental preferences and less state capacity to address environmental problems. These developments complicate how global challenges like climate change can be addressed. -- Joshua Busby, University of Texas at AustinEmerging economies are critically important to the future of the planet’s health. Their economic success and growing energy and resource consumption have turned them into pivotal players in international environmental negotiations. Johannes Urpelainen’s excellent new book provides an essential guide to this new reality of environmental diplomacy. -- Robert Falkner, London School of Economics and Political ScienceTable of ContentsList of AbbreviationsIntroduction1. International Political Economy and Global Environmental Politics2. Global Environmental Politics in the American Century3. Global Environmental Politics for a New Century4. The Evolution of Three Global Environmental Regimes5. China and India in Global Environmental Politics6. The Rise of the RestConclusion: Bringing It All TogetherNotesBibliographyIndex
£25.50
Columbia University Press Urban Climate Law
Book SynopsisAimed at a nonspecialist audience, this book provides concise and comprehensible answers to the core questions cities confront when seeking to develop legally sound local climate policy.Trade ReviewLocal governments are often seen as the engines of climate innovation, and they are. Cities imagine, test, and implement new approaches that, when successful, are adopted across states and beyond. Urban Climate Law provides an important and accessible resource that outlines, in plain language, the legal guardrails that must be considered by local governments as they create new pathways for climate progress. -- Gina McCarthy, former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and first White House National Climate AdvisorCities are central to addressing the biggest sources of greenhouse gases—transportation, buildings, energy generation, and waste. Doing so is legally complex. This book is the first to delineate the legal frameworks and areas of law that apply to local climate policy making. It will help local governments craft sounder policies with increased awareness of the legal constraints and opportunities within which cities operate. -- Michael B. Gerrard, professor and faculty director, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia Law SchoolUrban Climate Law is the resource by lawyers for city practitioners that we’ve been waiting for. As climate change policy in cities requires governments to act boldly and think creatively, there is a constant stream of legal questions that create uncertainty at the local level. This book is going to be the building block needed to unlock city-led action in addressing the climate crisis. -- Laura Jay, regional director for North America, C40 CitiesMichael Burger and Amy E. Turner provide an excellent high-level overview of how U.S. cities can enact measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the legal obstacles they may face. -- Katrina M. Wyman, Wilf Family Professor of Property Law and Faculty Director, Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy & Land Use Law, New York University School of LawTable of ContentsA Note on Terminology and GlossaryIntroduction1. Cross-Cutting Legal Concepts2. Equity3. Buildings4. Reducing Transportation-Related Greenhouse Gas Emissions5. Scaling Up Renewable Energy6. Decarbonizing a City’s WasteConclusionNotesIndex
£54.40
Columbia University Press Urban Climate Law
Book SynopsisAimed at a nonspecialist audience, this book provides concise and comprehensible answers to the core questions cities confront when seeking to develop legally sound local climate policy.Trade ReviewLocal governments are often seen as the engines of climate innovation, and they are. Cities imagine, test, and implement new approaches that, when successful, are adopted across states and beyond. Urban Climate Law provides an important and accessible resource that outlines, in plain language, the legal guardrails that must be considered by local governments as they create new pathways for climate progress. -- Gina McCarthy, former administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and first White House National Climate AdvisorCities are central to addressing the biggest sources of greenhouse gases—transportation, buildings, energy generation, and waste. Doing so is legally complex. This book is the first to delineate the legal frameworks and areas of law that apply to local climate policy making. It will help local governments craft sounder policies with increased awareness of the legal constraints and opportunities within which cities operate. -- Michael B. Gerrard, professor and faculty director, Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Columbia Law SchoolUrban Climate Law is the resource by lawyers for city practitioners that we’ve been waiting for. As climate change policy in cities requires governments to act boldly and think creatively, there is a constant stream of legal questions that create uncertainty at the local level. This book is going to be the building block needed to unlock city-led action in addressing the climate crisis. -- Laura Jay, regional director for North America, C40 CitiesMichael Burger and Amy E. Turner provide an excellent high-level overview of how U.S. cities can enact measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the legal obstacles they may face. -- Katrina M. Wyman, Wilf Family Professor of Property Law and Faculty Director, Guarini Center on Environmental, Energy & Land Use Law, New York University School of LawTable of ContentsA Note on Terminology and GlossaryIntroduction1. Cross-Cutting Legal Concepts2. Equity3. Buildings4. Reducing Transportation-Related Greenhouse Gas Emissions5. Scaling Up Renewable Energy6. Decarbonizing a City’s WasteConclusionNotesIndex
£15.29
Columbia University Press The Mediated Climate
Book SynopsisThe Mediated Climate explores the places where the climate and information crises meet, examining how journalism, activism, corporations, and Big Tech compete to influence the public.Trade ReviewThe Mediated Climate puts the status quo on notice. By scrutinizing the intersections between climate change and information ecosystems, the book shows that this is a social, political, cultural, technological, and existential set of intersecting challenges we must bravely address now. -- Max Boykoff, author of Creative (Climate) Communications: Productive Pathways for Science, Policy and Society A brilliant, sharp, and original book on how we talk about climate change, and what a difference that might make for our collective future. Change begins with words, and Russell presents an inspiring call for journalists and citizens to lead it. -- Zizi Papacharissi, author of After Democracy: Imagining Our Political FutureAs any journalist can tell you: the climate crisis is a communication crisis. Russell provides an honest reflection on the ways journalism has been part of the problem, as well as a necessary part of the solution. -- Phaedra C. Pezzullo, author of Beyond Straw Men: Plastic Pollution and Networked Cultures of Care The Mediated Climate is the most comprehensive analysis to date of the intersection of the climate and information crises. Adrienne Russell expertly examines how climate discourses are created and negotiated in a polluted information environment. This book presents inspiring successes for anyone who is engaged in reclaiming our mediated spaces. -- Bruno Takahashi, coeditor of The Handbook of International Trends in Environmental CommunicationRussell provides a comprehensive analysis of the intersection of the climate and the information crises and thereby shows how the climate crisis is also a communication crisis. * Journalism *Recommended. * Choice Reviews *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Two Crises1. House on Fire2. Noise, Incivility, and Ambivalence3. After Peak Indifference4. Collective ImaginaryAcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographyIndex
£93.60
Columbia University Press The Mediated Climate
Book SynopsisThe Mediated Climate explores the places where the climate and information crises meet, examining how journalism, activism, corporations, and Big Tech compete to influence the public.Trade ReviewThe Mediated Climate puts the status quo on notice. By scrutinizing the intersections between climate change and information ecosystems, the book shows that this is a social, political, cultural, technological, and existential set of intersecting challenges we must bravely address now. -- Max Boykoff, author of Creative (Climate) Communications: Productive Pathways for Science, Policy and Society A brilliant, sharp, and original book on how we talk about climate change, and what a difference that might make for our collective future. Change begins with words, and Russell presents an inspiring call for journalists and citizens to lead it. -- Zizi Papacharissi, author of After Democracy: Imagining Our Political FutureAs any journalist can tell you: the climate crisis is a communication crisis. Russell provides an honest reflection on the ways journalism has been part of the problem, as well as a necessary part of the solution. -- Phaedra C. Pezzullo, author of Beyond Straw Men: Plastic Pollution and Networked Cultures of Care The Mediated Climate is the most comprehensive analysis to date of the intersection of the climate and information crises. Adrienne Russell expertly examines how climate discourses are created and negotiated in a polluted information environment. This book presents inspiring successes for anyone who is engaged in reclaiming our mediated spaces. -- Bruno Takahashi, coeditor of The Handbook of International Trends in Environmental CommunicationRussell provides a comprehensive analysis of the intersection of the climate and the information crises and thereby shows how the climate crisis is also a communication crisis. * Journalism *Recommended. * Choice Reviews *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Two Crises1. House on Fire2. Noise, Incivility, and Ambivalence3. After Peak Indifference4. Collective ImaginaryAcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographyIndex
£25.50
Columbia University Press The Octopus in the Parking Garage
Book SynopsisRob Verchick explores what climate resilience looks like on the ground, taking the reader on a journey into the field. Engaging and accessible for nonexpert concerned citizens, this book empowers readers to face the climate crisis and shows what we can do to adapt and thrive.Trade ReviewEven as we battle to lower emissions, we have already emitted so much planet-warming carbon pollution that there’s no avoiding significant climate-related damage. That means we must step up and invest to protect ourselves from rising seas, worsening storms, more frequent floods, more intense wildfires, and all the other effects of climate upheaval—all while fighting fossil fuel emissions and disinformation. Rob Verchick has created a smart roadmap for planning for the future on a changing planet. -- U.S. Senator Sheldon WhitehouseWe are past the point where anything we do will stop climate change cold. It’s coming and it’s bringing with it everything from sea level rise to more instances of animal viruses infecting humans. We need to focus on how we prepare for the change, minimize the damage, and recover from extreme events. Rob Verchick has given us both a tour of and a tour de force on the subject. Ranging from comparative anatomy to anthropology, history, philosophy, engineering, and politics, this is a fascinating, provocative—and important—book. -- John M. Barry, author of The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History and Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How It Changed AmericaThe Octopus in the Parking Garage is a very important addition to the canon of climate literature—thinking ahead even further out, investigating the colossal mess we'll have on our hands even after we've stopped the rise in atmospheric CO2. -- Po Bronson, coauthor of Decoding the World and NurtureShockRob Verchick reminds us that we must have a comprehensive response to climate change, focusing our attention and resources first on those who will be most affected and least able to deal with the inevitable changes. Every leader with any kind of platform should read this book and use whatever platform we have to help drive the changes needed to save our planet. -- Tom Linebarger, executive chairman, Cummins Inc., and former member of the Business RoundtableThe prize for best book title this month, and possibly this year, goes to The Octopus in the Parking Garage: A Call for Climate Resilience. An ability to make complex policy engaging is a hallmark of its author, Rob Verchick, a climate law scholar. * Financial Times *Verchick deftly illustrates how our greenhouse gases are mucking things up. A gifted writer, Verchick also comprehensively explains the laws, policies, and current politics without getting bogged down in details. He even makes the U.S. power grid interesting. He enlivens the book with personal experiences from his childhood in Las Vegas and his current home in New Orleans. His call to action to his readers at the book’s close is pitch perfect. * The Green Dispatch *A splendidly written book, The Octopus in the Parking Garage sounds a sobering eight-armed alarm about the catastrophic threats posed by climate change, yet simultaneously offers wonderfully engaging and hopeful stories of effective community collaboration and resilience to avoid many of its worst consequences. -- Richard Lazarus, Howard and Katherine Aibel Professor of Law, Harvard UniversityEven though it covers a tough topic, this book is a joy to read. It's so well written and wide-ranging — the reader learns so much. [A] daring book. * The Instigator *Verchick tells a lively story full of historical, philosophical, economic, sociological, scientific, and, importantly, human insights. * "Book[s] of Note" Environment Journal *Engaging. Edifying. Enlightening. Highly recommended. * Choice Reviews *Highly recommended. * American Library Association (ALA) *Table of ContentsPart I: Understanding Resilience1. Let’s Talk About the Octopus2. Adapt or Die3. Sprawling Brains and Rubber Arms4. Climate and Caste5. Believing Is SeeingPart II: Doing Resilience6. Moonshot on the Bayou7. Lights Out8. Flash! Crack! Boom!9. Yuccas, Gardeners, and Zookeepers10. The Octopus’s Garden11. The Long Goodbye12. Persist and PrevailAcknowledgmentsNotesIndex
£23.80
Columbia University Press Many Urbanisms Divergent Trajectories of Global
Book SynopsisMartin J. Murray offers a groundbreaking guide to the multiplicity, heterogeneity, and complexity of contemporary global urbanism. He identifies and traces four distinct pathways that characterize cities today.Trade ReviewMany Urbanisms is an excellent work of synthesis, and Murray is a gifted writer. In this book, he integrates a massive amount of urban theory literature in order to emphasize the differences between cities and to challenge the notion of a North to South order within contemporary urbanization. -- Jason Hackworth, author of Manufacturing Decline: How Racism and the Conservative Movement Crush the American Rust BeltThis well-researched book makes an outstanding contribution to urban and policy studies...Highly recommended. * Choice *A fantastic and thoroughly enjoyable book. * Urbanities *Highly readable and sharply argued. * Contemporary Sociology *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPrefaceIntroduction: Rethinking Global Urbanism at the Start of the Twenty-First CenturyPart I. Conventional Urban Theory at a Crossroads1. The Narrow Preoccupations of Conventional Urban Studies2. The Universalizing Pretensions of Mainstream Urban Studies: Generic Cities and the Convergence ThesisPart II. Trajectories of Global Urbanism at the Start of the Twenty-First Century: A First Approximation3. Globalizing Cities with World-Class Aspirations: The Emergence of the Postindustrial Tourist-Entertainment City4. Struggling Postindustrial Cities in Decline5. Sprawling Megacities of Hypergrowth: The Unplanned Urbanism of the Twenty-First Century6. Building Cities on a Grand Scale: The Instant Urbanism of the Twenty-First CenturyPart III. The Future of Urbanism7. Conclusion: Urban FuturesNotesBibliographyIndex
£93.60
Columbia University Press Soil to Foil
Book SynopsisSoil to Foil tells the extraordinary story of aluminum. Saleem H. Ali reveals its pivotal role in the histories of scientific inquiry and technological innovation as well as its importance to sustainability.Trade ReviewAluminum—who knew? In Saleem H. Ali’s capable hands, the metal becomes the vehicle for an engrossing and enlightening explanation of how our world works—and how it might work much better. -- Bill McKibben, Right Livelihood Award-winning environmental author and Schumann Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Middlebury CollegeSoil to Foil lights the way for how to build net-positive companies and economies from the ground up. It holds the hand of courageous business leaders in setting an inspiring vision for circular systems and gently but firmly pushing back against basic misconceptions of physics, chemistry, and geology that stifle creativity. Aluminum is something we can all relate to, and Soil to Foil helps you see it and the world around you in a new light filled with abundant possibility. -- Rohitesh Dhawan, president and CEO, International Council on Mining and MetalsSoil to Foil shows the profound connections between the atomic properties of aluminum and the gigantic entanglements of the world we live in through economics, politics, environmental laws, science, technology, industrial design, advertising, and more. Ali admirably and skillfully guides us to a much deeper and more vital understanding of these subjects. -- Tyler Volk, professor emeritus, New York University, and author of Quarks to Culture: How We Came to BeSoil to Foil considers the ‘extraction’ of the chemical processes used to turn aluminum ore into usable resources, fitting within a broader turn in the social sciences to considering the sociomaterial and sociotechnical dimensions of the world we live in. Ali persuasively shows why materiality and chemical composition matters for how aluminum ‘comes to be’ as a resource. -- Jessica M. Smith, Department of Engineering and Society, Colorado School of MinesWith approachable storytelling… environmental scientist Saleem Ali masterfully traces… the story of aluminum. * Science *This work provides fascinating insight. Highly recommended. * American Library Association (ALA) *Employs an engaging narrative style to convey scientific concepts... in clear, compelling prose. Anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the complex life cycle of aluminum will appreciate this book. Highly recommended. * Choice Reviews *Table of ContentsPrefacePart I. Salt and Sod1. Elemental Origins and the Invention of Need2. Soil Without Soul: Why Aluminum Was Rejected by LifePart II. Precious Forces3. Unbreakable Bonds: The Challenge of Extraction4. The Bond Breakers and Their BountyPart III. Flight and Foil5. Mobile Metal: How Aluminum Facilitated War and Peace6. Aluminum for All: The Invention of a Household MetalPart IV. Elemental Flows7. Recycling and Realism: The Industrial Ecology Paradigm8. Restoration and Renewal of Mineral FrontiersEpilogue: Governing Our Planet’s Elemental ResourcesNotesIndex
£25.50
Columbia University Press CroMagnon
Book SynopsisThis book tells the story of the dynamic and resilient people commonly known as the Cro-Magnons in light of recent scientific advances.Trade ReviewTrenton Holliday is unquestionably one of the foremost experts on this subject. -- John Shea, Stony Brook University, author of The Unstoppable Human Species: : The Emergence of Homo Sapiens in PrehistoryMost every schoolchild has heard of the Cro-Magnons, but few people actually know anything about them. This engaging and accessible book by Trenton Holliday may go a long way toward remedying that situation! Written by one of the leading experts on the Ice Age peoples of the world, Cro-Magnon brings to life—in clear, nontechnical English—what we know about these ancient Europeans, their fascinating history of study, and the very latest research on them. -- Steven Churchill, Duke University, author of Thin on the Ground: Neandertal Biology, Archeology, and EcologyIn Cro-Magnon, Holliday gifts us a vivid, impressively detailed portrait of the earliest modern Europeans. He deftly weaves studies of biological characteristics, behavioral indicators, environment, history, and colorful descriptions of places and people into a fascinating narrative that brings alive these humans of the distant past. Holliday’s book is thorough yet eminently readable, and is certainly required reading for anyone interested in the later phases of human evolution. -- Fred H. Smith, University Professor Emeritus of Anthropology and Biological Sciences, Illinois State UniversityPerceptively reviews what we have learned about Cro-Magnons over the century and a half since their discovery. * Natural History Magazine *Well illustrated and referenced, citing both the most recent research and past studies, the volume has an obvious place in college and university libraries. Holliday’s engaging writing style also makes this a readable, informative source for an audience beyond the walls of academia. * Choice Reviews, the American Library Association (ALA) *Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroduction1. Discovery2. Archaeology of the Ancients3. The Abel to Our Cain? Homo neanderthalensis4. Fossil and Recent Homo sapiens5. A Paleontological Perspective on Modern Human Origins6. The Genetics of Modern Human Origins7. Is There Such a Thing as Modern Human Behavior?8. Neandertal and Cro-Magnon Interactions in Europe9. Bioanthropology of the Cro-Magnons10. Slings and Arrows11. Cro-Magnon Art12. Cold ComfortAcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographyIndex
£80.00
Columbia University Press CroMagnon
Book SynopsisThis book tells the story of the dynamic and resilient people commonly known as the Cro-Magnons in light of recent scientific advances.Trade ReviewTrenton Holliday is unquestionably one of the foremost experts on this subject. -- John Shea, Stony Brook University, author of The Unstoppable Human Species: : The Emergence of Homo Sapiens in PrehistoryMost every schoolchild has heard of the Cro-Magnons, but few people actually know anything about them. This engaging and accessible book by Trenton Holliday may go a long way toward remedying that situation! Written by one of the leading experts on the Ice Age peoples of the world, Cro-Magnon brings to life—in clear, nontechnical English—what we know about these ancient Europeans, their fascinating history of study, and the very latest research on them. -- Steven Churchill, Duke University, author of Thin on the Ground: Neandertal Biology, Archeology, and EcologyIn Cro-Magnon, Holliday gifts us a vivid, impressively detailed portrait of the earliest modern Europeans. He deftly weaves studies of biological characteristics, behavioral indicators, environment, history, and colorful descriptions of places and people into a fascinating narrative that brings alive these humans of the distant past. Holliday’s book is thorough yet eminently readable, and is certainly required reading for anyone interested in the later phases of human evolution. -- Fred H. Smith, University Professor Emeritus of Anthropology and Biological Sciences, Illinois State UniversityPerceptively reviews what we have learned about Cro-Magnons over the century and a half since their discovery. * Natural History Magazine *Well illustrated and referenced, citing both the most recent research and past studies, the volume has an obvious place in college and university libraries. Holliday’s engaging writing style also makes this a readable, informative source for an audience beyond the walls of academia. * Choice Reviews, the American Library Association (ALA) *Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroduction1. Discovery2. Archaeology of the Ancients3. The Abel to Our Cain? Homo neanderthalensis4. Fossil and Recent Homo sapiens5. A Paleontological Perspective on Modern Human Origins6. The Genetics of Modern Human Origins7. Is There Such a Thing as Modern Human Behavior?8. Neandertal and Cro-Magnon Interactions in Europe9. Bioanthropology of the Cro-Magnons10. Slings and Arrows11. Cro-Magnon Art12. Cold ComfortAcknowledgmentsNotesBibliographyIndex
£21.25
Columbia University Press The Urbanization of People
Book SynopsisEli Friedman reveals how cities in China have granted public goods to the privileged while condemning poor and working-class migrants to insecurity, constant mobility, and degraded educational opportunities. He provides a fine-grained account of the life experiences of people drawn into the cities as workers but excluded as full citizens.Trade ReviewThis is an enormous endeavor well accomplished. Backed up by rich fieldwork and painstaking research over many years, this book tells a poignant story of China’s prodigious urbanization, on the back of a huge migrant labor class, through their and teachers’ struggles in the arena of education. Friedman also advances a provocative and rigorous theorization of the process linked to the state-designed sociospatial hierarchy and biopolitical machinery. -- Kam Wing Chan, University of WashingtonA revealing study of migrant schools as the lever of China’s unique project of ‘just-in-time’ urbanization. Friedman shines an essential light on the human struggles among migrant children, parents, and teachers and the rigid sociospatial class and citizenship hierarchies that lock them in place even as they move to the cities. A must-read for scholars in education, labor, development, urban, and China studies. -- Ching Kwan Lee, University of California, Los AngelesIn this magnificently researched and troubling study of China's urbanization process, Friedman situates migrants—teachers, children, parents, education activists—at the center of a tale of exploitative, unequal development, in which rural migrants are simultaneously highly valued and yet treated as outsiders, easily disposed of. A phenomenal piece of work in every way. -- Ralph A. Litzinger, Duke UniversityFriedman's study takes a whole-person and intergenerational approach to the question of how China's national policies and access to its capital city's public services are designed to discriminate and exclude this dynamic population that the city simultaneously relies upon for its informal labour. * China Labour Bulletin *The book is expertly researched, and rich with both data and personal interviews. It will be of interest to a range of readers beyond the academic sphere and including those interested in development, the economy, and social studies in China and the region. * Asian Labour Review *A must-read reference for studying Chinese urban politics. * China Quarterly *An excellent case study for research on immigration between nations. * Developing Economies *A serious and thought-provoking account of the experiences of people who have relocated to the city for work opportunities. * Choice *An essential guide to both the ways in which the country’s authorities have succeeded in engineering solutions to dilemmas that have stymied the development of other states and the degree to which its leaders have sabotaged the aspirations of critical segments of their citizenry. * International Labor Review *Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroduction1. Conceptualizing the Politics of Urbanization: The Just-in-Time Response2. Urban Developmentalism and the Inverted Welfare State3. The Migrant School: Concentrated Deprivation4. Rendered Surplus: Parents Navigate “Population Control via Education”5. Population Management’s “Hard Edge”: School Closures and Demolitions6. Reproductive Shock Absorbers: Teachers in Migrant SchoolsConclusion: Global ExtensionsMethodological AppendixNotesBibliographyIndex
£25.50
Columbia University Press The New City
Book SynopsisDickson D. Despommier proposes a visionary yet achievable plan for creating a new, self-sustaining urban landscape.Trade ReviewDickson D. Despommier paints a picture of the future city, where carbon sequestered in buildings, vertical farms, recycled water from the air, circular economies for waste, and renewable energy provide urban dwellers with their needs and wants. His argument that our species can only persist by refashioning cities around the realities of nature rings true in today’s perilous world. -- Ruth DeFries, Denning Family Professor of Sustainable Development, Columbia University, and author of What Would Nature Do?Despommier conjures a future of totally sustainable ‘off-grid’ cities. A high degree of self-sufficiency in energy, water, and food will ensure quality of life for the urban population (more than two-thirds of the planet by the 2040s) while taking a great deal of pressure off the nonurban environment, providing a path to surviving climate change. The narrative depends on ambitious technical and policy assumptions, but Despommier has credibility as a visionary, given his broad ecologist’s perspective and his successful record of defining the emerging urban-agriculture and vertical-farming sectors. This is a profoundly optimistic vision of cities inspired by and synchronized with nature. -- Gregory Kiss, Kiss + Cathcart, ArchitectsHow can we reconsider infrastructure to better serve our urban centers? Climate resiliency isn’t just an environmental issue; it’s a social justice issue, a public health issue, and an economic resiliency issue. We need solutions that address all four. Despommier’s timely book helps us answer this question holistically, addressing the fact that sustainable communities are indeed successful ones. But most importantly, Despommier’s work reminds us of the necessity of action. -- Nona Yehia, cofounder and CEO, Vertical HarvestThe science of bad climate news is ever present, but in this wondrous work by Dickson D. Despommier, we see that the good news for the future might well be found in the rethinking and redesign of our cities. -- Robert Fullilove, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia UniversityEach change in the evolution of human history begins with a voice that sees the world differently—not the way it is, but the way it could be. Despommier is one of these people, and he has spent much of his career advocating for a sustainable ecology based on human health and a sensible approach to food production. -- Scott Erdy, design principal, Erdy McHenry Architecture, and visiting lecturer, University of PennsylvaniaDickson Despommier has done it again, and this time he goes higher toward the goal of feeding our growing global urban population with innovation, examples, and leadership. Farming inside cities is a critical part of feeding billions of people, and thanks to this new book we have a renewed vision of how to get there. -- Josh Tickell, author of Kiss the GroundI eat, sleep, and breathe sustainability and have read widely on the subject. Yet I learned something new in each chapter. Moreover, Despommier’s excitement for this topic is almost palpable. I wish more authors shared such enthusiasm in their books. * The Green Dispatch *A really interesting and important book. * Andrew Keen, Keen On podcast *Despommier inherits from generations of ecological scientists — ranging from Charles Darwin to Rachel Carson and James Lovelock — a commitment to ecological balance, to the notion of human communities as webs of dependencies that anthropogenic climate change and biosphere disruption have shredded. * Peter Schwartz, Wikidworld “Reimagining Western Civilization” substack *This elegantly packaged book offers some compelling ideas and solutions for those seeking more sustainable cities. A provocative read for those at all levels of scholarship and engagement who want to think outside the box about the problems cities face worldwide. Highly recommended. * Choice Reviews, American Library Association (ALA) *Table of ContentsList of Figures and TablesForeword, by Mitchell JoachimPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Pillar One: Carbon Storage2. Pillar Two: Urban Agriculture3. Pillar Three: Harvesting Water from the Air4. Pillar Four: Renewable Energy5. The New City ImaginedAppendixNotesIndex
£29.75
Columbia University Press The Green New Deal and the Future of Work
Book SynopsisThis book brings together leading experts to explore the possibilities of the Green New Deal, emphasizing the future of work. They examine transformations that are already underway and put forth bold new proposals that can provide jobs while reducing carbon consumption—building a world that is sustainable both economically and ecologically.Trade ReviewA bold and penetrating collection of essays about the most important problems of our time. -- Frances Fox Piven, author of Challenging Authority: How Ordinary People Change AmericaCalhoun and Fong have crafted an erudite, timely, and often inspiring collection of essays about work and the Green New Deal. No other book I know looks at infrastructure and environment through the prism of labor, culture, and political economy. This will be an excellent resource for teaching, advocacy, and policy making. -- Eric Klinenberg, author of Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic LifeAs a slogan, the Green New Deal can at times be extended to include almost anything on the current U.S. left’s agenda. But what might it really mean? And how would it work? This book is a welcome intervention because it explores from numerous vantage points—often in real detail and with bracing honesty—the possibilities and limits invoked by the idea of a Green New Deal. Headlines will change, new emergencies will arise and fade, but the climate crisis is not going away. That is why this sort of discussion about realistic solutions is so necessary. -- Christian Parenti, author of Tropic of Chaos: Climate Change and the New Geography of ViolenceThis book is an incredible (and rare) collection from both organizers and scholars on the key challenge of the twenty-first century: how to transform the world of work toward rapid decarbonization. It contains impressive historical depth on the model of the New Deal and explores how to make the Green version a reality. -- Matthew T. Huber, author of Climate Change as Class War: Building Socialism on a Warming PlanetStudents, organizers, and academics alike will benefit from this book. * H-Environment *Table of ContentsIntroduction, by Craig Calhoun and Benjamin Y. FongPart I: The New Deal and the Green New Deal1. From the New Deal to the Green New Deal, by Richard A. Walker2. From Romance to Utilitarianism: Lessons on Work and Nature from the New Deal, by Hillary Angelo3. A Green New Deal for Agriculture, by Raj Patel and Jim GoodmanPart II: What Is the Crisis of Work?4. A Green New Deal for Care: Revaluing the Work of Social and Ecological Reproduction, by Alyssa Battistoni5. Another World (of Work) Is Possible, by Stephanie Luce6. Time for Rabble-Rousing: Lessons from the Historic Fight for Reduced Working Hours, by Wilson SherwinPart III: Delivering Jobs and Empowering Workers7. Jobs for All: A Job Guarantee Puts Workers in the Driver’s Seat, by Dustin Guastella8. Unions and the Green New Deal, by Mindy Isser9. “Fancy Funeral” or Radical Rebirth? Just Transition and the Future of Work(ers) in the United States, by Todd E. Vachon10. Overcoming the Tragedy of Growth Machines, by Harvey MolotchPart IV: Transforming Infrastructure11. A Green New Deal for Housing, by Daniel Aldana Cohen12. Low-Carbon, High-Speed: How a Green New Deal Can Transform the Transportation Sector, by J. Mijin Cha and Lara Skinner13. Redesigning Political Economy: The Promise and Peril of a Green New Deal for Energy, by Clark A. MillerPart V: The Work of Building a Better Society14. Community Control and the Climate Crisis: Power, Governance, and Racial Capitalism, by Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò15. Rethinking the Green New Deal: From War to Work, by Harry C. Boyte and Trygve Throntveit16. How to Create Good Jobs, a Sustainable Environment, and a Durable and Successful Left Political Alliance Through a Green New Deal, by Richard LachmannAcknowledgmentsIndex
£93.60
Columbia University Press The Green New Deal and the Future of Work
Book SynopsisThis book brings together leading experts to explore the possibilities of the Green New Deal, emphasizing the future of work. They examine transformations that are already underway and put forth bold new proposals that can provide jobs while reducing carbon consumption—building a world that is sustainable both economically and ecologically.Trade ReviewA bold and penetrating collection of essays about the most important problems of our time. -- Frances Fox Piven, author of Challenging Authority: How Ordinary People Change AmericaCalhoun and Fong have crafted an erudite, timely, and often inspiring collection of essays about work and the Green New Deal. No other book I know looks at infrastructure and environment through the prism of labor, culture, and political economy. This will be an excellent resource for teaching, advocacy, and policy making. -- Eric Klinenberg, author of Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic LifeAs a slogan, the Green New Deal can at times be extended to include almost anything on the current U.S. left’s agenda. But what might it really mean? And how would it work? This book is a welcome intervention because it explores from numerous vantage points—often in real detail and with bracing honesty—the possibilities and limits invoked by the idea of a Green New Deal. Headlines will change, new emergencies will arise and fade, but the climate crisis is not going away. That is why this sort of discussion about realistic solutions is so necessary. -- Christian Parenti, author of Tropic of Chaos: Climate Change and the New Geography of ViolenceThis book is an incredible (and rare) collection from both organizers and scholars on the key challenge of the twenty-first century: how to transform the world of work toward rapid decarbonization. It contains impressive historical depth on the model of the New Deal and explores how to make the Green version a reality. -- Matthew T. Huber, author of Climate Change as Class War: Building Socialism on a Warming PlanetStudents, organizers, and academics alike will benefit from this book. * H-Environment *Table of ContentsIntroduction, by Craig Calhoun and Benjamin Y. FongPart I: The New Deal and the Green New Deal1. From the New Deal to the Green New Deal, by Richard A. Walker2. From Romance to Utilitarianism: Lessons on Work and Nature from the New Deal, by Hillary Angelo3. A Green New Deal for Agriculture, by Raj Patel and Jim GoodmanPart II: What Is the Crisis of Work?4. A Green New Deal for Care: Revaluing the Work of Social and Ecological Reproduction, by Alyssa Battistoni5. Another World (of Work) Is Possible, by Stephanie Luce6. Time for Rabble-Rousing: Lessons from the Historic Fight for Reduced Working Hours, by Wilson SherwinPart III: Delivering Jobs and Empowering Workers7. Jobs for All: A Job Guarantee Puts Workers in the Driver’s Seat, by Dustin Guastella8. Unions and the Green New Deal, by Mindy Isser9. “Fancy Funeral” or Radical Rebirth? Just Transition and the Future of Work(ers) in the United States, by Todd E. Vachon10. Overcoming the Tragedy of Growth Machines, by Harvey MolotchPart IV: Transforming Infrastructure11. A Green New Deal for Housing, by Daniel Aldana Cohen12. Low-Carbon, High-Speed: How a Green New Deal Can Transform the Transportation Sector, by J. Mijin Cha and Lara Skinner13. Redesigning Political Economy: The Promise and Peril of a Green New Deal for Energy, by Clark A. MillerPart V: The Work of Building a Better Society14. Community Control and the Climate Crisis: Power, Governance, and Racial Capitalism, by Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò15. Rethinking the Green New Deal: From War to Work, by Harry C. Boyte and Trygve Throntveit16. How to Create Good Jobs, a Sustainable Environment, and a Durable and Successful Left Political Alliance Through a Green New Deal, by Richard LachmannAcknowledgmentsIndex
£25.50
Columbia University Press Climate Travels
Book SynopsisThis book is a travelogue that spotlights what a changing climate looks like on the local level—for wherever local happens to be. Michael M. Gunter, Jr. takes readers around the United States to bear witness to the many faces of the climate crisis.Trade ReviewThere is both urgency and agency in addressing our climate crisis. Read Climate Travels by Mike Gunter to understand why. Gunter takes us on a journey around the United States where we see both the dire threats Americans face and the rays of light that illuminate a path forward. Read this book and feel empowered to make a difference. -- Michael E. Mann, Presidential Distinguished Professor, University of Pennsylvania, and author of The New Climate WarGunter shows us in striking detail the impacts of climate change on neighborhoods, cities, and towns across the United States and then contrasts those images with stories of what communities and individuals are doing to ameliorate those impacts. This book should be read by the skeptical, the ambivalent, and those looking to enhance their efforts to deal with climate change. -- Eileen Claussen, founder of the Center for Climate and Energy SolutionsGunter's work is thoroughly grounded in science and policy combined with the appealing sense of a conversation. I really enjoyed reading Climate Travels, traveling to these different locales in such engaging and well-informed company. -- James Barilla, author of My Backyard Jungle and NaturebotThis solid offering from Gunter… makes for an urgent overview of the ways climate change is reshaping the U.S. * Publishers Weekly *Gunter poses and answers three questions: where is climate change impacting localities around the United States, how bad is it, and what can be done about it? He addresses these existentially profound matters with ease in Climate Travels, offering a well-documented, up-to-date status report. -- Mark Hineline, author of Ground Truth: A Guide to Tracking Climate Change at HomeHighly recommended. * American Library Association (ALA) *Gunter expertly weaves together science, policy, and personal observation through storytelling in a way that communicates urgency while expressing hope and enthusiasm for the future. Highly recommended. * Choice Reviews *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: This Land Is Your LandPart I. See It Yourself: Threats to the Home Front1. Our Rising Seas2. Flooding in the Forecast3. Drought and Wildfire4. More Extreme Weather5. The Melt Is On6. Changing Habitats and Species Diversity Loss7. Ocean Trouble8. Heat and HealthPart II. Do It Yourself: Action Making a Difference9. Here Comes the Sun10. Living with Less11. The Winds Are Changing12. Building (and Rebuilding) Green13. Additional Alternative Energies14. Rethinking Our Cities15. Living with ChangeConclusion: Think Local, Act LocalNotesBibliographyIndex
£80.00
Columbia University Press The Forgotten Borough
Book SynopsisWhat sets Staten Island apart from the rest of New York City? Kenneth M. Gold argues that the lack of a subway connection has deeply shaped Staten Island’s history and identity. He chronicles decades of recurrent efforts to build a rail link, using this history to explore the borough’s fraught relationship with the city as a whole.Trade ReviewWith this book, Kenneth M. Gold assures us that the ‘Forgotten Borough’ will be forgotten no more. He offers an insightful picture of Staten Island before the bridge and brings to light the little-known story of the tunnel that never was. This book enhances and complicates our understanding of twentieth-century New York. -- Jeffrey A. Kroessler, author of Sunnyside Gardens: Planning and Preservation in a Historic Garden SuburbThe Forgotten Borough helps rectify a long disservice to Staten Island by connecting it more firmly to New York City—despite the fact that the subway never did. Gold’s book is a worthy contribution to a place that is so close but has seemed so distant from the rest of Gotham. -- Martin V. Melosi, author of Fresh Kills: A History of Consuming and Discarding in New York CityGold’s book is a definitive reference for anyone who studies Staten Island history or who is involved with urban planning in the five boroughs and beyond. It is a masterpiece of exhaustive research that will constantly be consulted now and by future generations. -- Pat Salmon, retired curator of history of the Staten Island Museum and author of The Staten Island Ferry: A HistoryGold’s carefully researched book offers an unexpected and much-needed interpretation of New York’s ever-changing population. Gold reveals the contradictory implications of weaving together the five boroughs of New York City politically while leaving its transportation infrastructure incomplete. This book is a wonderful contribution to the field of urban and New York studies. -- Lori Weintrob, coeditor of Beyond Bystanders: Educational Leadership for a Humane Culture in a Globalizing RealityTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsAbbreviationsIntroductionPart I: Consolidation and Its Aftermath1. Setting the Stage: Staten Island in the Late Nineteenth Century2. Joining the City: Staten Island and the Consolidation of New York, 18983. Envisioning the Future: What Consolidation Would Bring to Staten Island, 1890–1909Part II: A Subway for Growth4. Hitching a Ride: Early Efforts to Tunnel to Staten Island, 1900–19095. Leaving the Station: The Dual Contracts and Aftermath, 1909–19196. Planning the Region: The Hylan Tunnel and the Politics of Commerce, 1920–19237. Getting the Shaft: The Demise of the Hylan Tunnel, 1922–1925Part III: Subway Persistence and Automobile Emergence8. Driving the Narrows: New Options for Connection, 1925–19329. Facing the Competition: Last Gasps for a Subway and a Tunnel, 1933–194510. Spanning the Narrows: The Triumph of the Verrazano Bridge, 1945–196411. Assessing the Disconnect: What the Distance WroughtConclusionEpilogue: What the Bridge WroughtA Note on Staten Island’s Historic NewspapersSource AbbreviationsNotesIndex
£80.00
Columbia University Press The Forgotten Borough
Book SynopsisWhat sets Staten Island apart from the rest of New York City? Kenneth M. Gold argues that the lack of a subway connection has deeply shaped Staten Island’s history and identity. He chronicles decades of recurrent efforts to build a rail link, using this history to explore the borough’s fraught relationship with the city as a whole.Trade ReviewWith this book, Kenneth M. Gold assures us that the ‘Forgotten Borough’ will be forgotten no more. He offers an insightful picture of Staten Island before the bridge and brings to light the little-known story of the tunnel that never was. This book enhances and complicates our understanding of twentieth-century New York. -- Jeffrey A. Kroessler, author of Sunnyside Gardens: Planning and Preservation in a Historic Garden SuburbThe Forgotten Borough helps rectify a long disservice to Staten Island by connecting it more firmly to New York City—despite the fact that the subway never did. Gold’s book is a worthy contribution to a place that is so close but has seemed so distant from the rest of Gotham. -- Martin V. Melosi, author of Fresh Kills: A History of Consuming and Discarding in New York CityGold’s book is a definitive reference for anyone who studies Staten Island history or who is involved with urban planning in the five boroughs and beyond. It is a masterpiece of exhaustive research that will constantly be consulted now and by future generations. -- Pat Salmon, retired curator of history of the Staten Island Museum and author of The Staten Island Ferry: A HistoryGold’s carefully researched book offers an unexpected and much-needed interpretation of New York’s ever-changing population. Gold reveals the contradictory implications of weaving together the five boroughs of New York City politically while leaving its transportation infrastructure incomplete. This book is a wonderful contribution to the field of urban and New York studies. -- Lori Weintrob, coeditor of Beyond Bystanders: Educational Leadership for a Humane Culture in a Globalizing RealityTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsAbbreviationsIntroductionPart I: Consolidation and Its Aftermath1. Setting the Stage: Staten Island in the Late Nineteenth Century2. Joining the City: Staten Island and the Consolidation of New York, 18983. Envisioning the Future: What Consolidation Would Bring to Staten Island, 1890–1909Part II: A Subway for Growth4. Hitching a Ride: Early Efforts to Tunnel to Staten Island, 1900–19095. Leaving the Station: The Dual Contracts and Aftermath, 1909–19196. Planning the Region: The Hylan Tunnel and the Politics of Commerce, 1920–19237. Getting the Shaft: The Demise of the Hylan Tunnel, 1922–1925Part III: Subway Persistence and Automobile Emergence8. Driving the Narrows: New Options for Connection, 1925–19329. Facing the Competition: Last Gasps for a Subway and a Tunnel, 1933–194510. Spanning the Narrows: The Triumph of the Verrazano Bridge, 1945–196411. Assessing the Disconnect: What the Distance WroughtConclusionEpilogue: What the Bridge WroughtA Note on Staten Island’s Historic NewspapersSource AbbreviationsNotesIndex
£21.25
Columbia University Press Reforesting the Earth The Human Drivers of Forest
Book SynopsisThomas K. Rudel examines a wide range of conservation and reforestation efforts to shed new light on the social factors that lead to success.Trade ReviewThis book analyzes the various ways forests are being restored, as illustrated by case studies from all over the world. Rudel eloquently argues that the success of interventions to conserve and expand forests depends on committed governments and nongovernmental organizations working together with local landholders. An essential book to help forests deliver global benefits for humanity, including climate change mitigation. -- Eric Lambin, George and Setsuko Ishiyama Provostial Professor, Stanford University and Professor, UCLouvainThomas Rudel is in a class of his own as a wide-ranging thinker and synthesizer of environmental research. Reforesting the Earth is a remarkably timely book that rings a note of optimism for our planet—forwarding the view that severely damaged ecosystems and their imperiled species can be dragged back from the edge of extinction. -- William F. Laurance, Distinguished Research Professor and Australian Laureate, James Cook UniversityReforesting the Earth demonstrates Rudel's ability to weave together a large amount of complex dynamics into a compelling narrative. This narrative makes a convincing case for the crucial role of compacts, or coalitions of actors, as effective agents to address forest conservation and restoration challenges within the broader context of land use, land tenure, inequality, and livelihoods issues. Linking explicitly to the questions of consumption and degrowth, this book provides an optimistic, forward-looking but lucid roadmap for activists' coalitions. -- Patrick Meyfroidt, UCLouvainHighly recommended. * Choice Reviews, the American Library Association (ALA) *Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsList of Abbreviations1. Forests: A Natural Climate Solution2. Theory: Societal Transformations, Corporatism, and Forest Gains3. Forest Losses, the Conservation Movement, and Protected Areas4. Rural–Urban Migration, Land Abandonment, and the Spread of Secondary Forests5. Planted Forests: Concessions, Plantations, and the Strength of States6. Agroforests I: The Spread of Silvopastures7. Agroforests II: Restoring Agroforests in the Humid Tropics8. Resurgent Forests: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis9. A Global Forest Transition?GlossaryNotesBibliographyIndex
£93.60
Columbia University Press Islands in Deep Time
Book SynopsisThe geologist Markes E. Johnson invites readers on a journey through deep time to find the traces of ancient islands. He visits a dozen sites around the globe, looking above and below today’s waterlines to uncover how landscapes of the past are preserved in the present.Trade ReviewIslands in Deep Time is a deep dive into the logic of geology: how vanished land- and seascapes can be conjured back into existence from the raw rock record. All geologists collect old rocks, but Markes Johnson collects entire ancient islands. This book is an exhibit of a dozen particularly fine specimens, which Johnson holds up and rotates so they can be viewed from multiple perspectives. -- Marcia Bjornerud, author of Geopedia: A Brief Compendium of Geologic Curiosities and Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the WorldUsing his lifetime of experience in geology, Johnson illustrates how a landscape can be read as the results of millions of years of geological, biological, and climatological processes. A fascinating and imaginative work. -- Henry Hooghiemstra, emeritus professor in the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of AmsterdamIslands in Deep Time takes readers on hikes to ancient shorelines, featuring possibly the best descriptions and visualizations of field locations I have ever read. -- Gordon Chancellor, coeditor of Charles Darwin's Notebooks from the Voyage of the Beagle[A…] geological tour de force. * Deposits Magazne *Table of ContentsPreface: On the Reality of Time TravelAcknowledgments1. How to Listen to a Sky Island with Global Ambition: Climbing Mount Monadnock2. How an Island Cluster Acquires Its Shape: A Journey in Late Cambrian Time to Wisconsin’s Baraboo Archipelago3. How Islands Trade in Physical Wear and Organic Growth: A Journey in Late Ordovician Time to Hudson Bay’s Jens Munk Archipelago4. How Islands Recall Windward Surf and Leeward Calm: A Journey in Late Silurian Time to Inner Mongolia’s Bater Island5. How Bigger Islands are Broken into Smaller Pieces: A Journey in Late Devonian Time to Western Australia’s Mowanbini Archipelago6. How Softer Islands Dissolve: A Journey in Early Permian Time to the Labyrinth Karst of Western Australia7. How Islands React to Big Storms: A Journey in Early Jurassic Time to Saint David’s Archipelago of Wales8. How Island Life Aligns with Global Currents: A Journey in Late Cretaceous Time to Baja California’s Eréndira Islands9. How Island Life Adjusts to Opposing Shores on Oceanic Islands: A Journey in Middle Miocene Time to the Madeira Archipelago10. How Volcanic Islands Rise, Fall, and Renew: A Journey in Early Pliocene Time to the Azorean Santa Maria Island11. How the Youngest Islands Challenge Witness: Journeys in Pleistocene Time to Islands on the African and Pacific Tectonic Plates12. How Islands Draw Meaning and Obligation: Descending Mount Misen on Japan’s Sacred MiyajimaGlossaryNotesBibliographyIndex
£90.40
Columbia University Press Islands in Deep Time
Book SynopsisThe geologist Markes E. Johnson invites readers on a journey through deep time to find the traces of ancient islands. He visits a dozen sites around the globe, looking above and below today’s waterlines to uncover how landscapes of the past are preserved in the present.Trade ReviewIslands in Deep Time is a deep dive into the logic of geology: how vanished land- and seascapes can be conjured back into existence from the raw rock record. All geologists collect old rocks, but Markes Johnson collects entire ancient islands. This book is an exhibit of a dozen particularly fine specimens, which Johnson holds up and rotates so they can be viewed from multiple perspectives. -- Marcia Bjornerud, author of Geopedia: A Brief Compendium of Geologic Curiosities and Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the WorldUsing his lifetime of experience in geology, Johnson illustrates how a landscape can be read as the results of millions of years of geological, biological, and climatological processes. A fascinating and imaginative work. -- Henry Hooghiemstra, emeritus professor in the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of AmsterdamIslands in Deep Time takes readers on hikes to ancient shorelines, featuring possibly the best descriptions and visualizations of field locations I have ever read. -- Gordon Chancellor, coeditor of Charles Darwin's Notebooks from the Voyage of the Beagle[A…] geological tour de force. * Deposits Magazne *Table of ContentsPreface: On the Reality of Time TravelAcknowledgments1. How to Listen to a Sky Island with Global Ambition: Climbing Mount Monadnock2. How an Island Cluster Acquires Its Shape: A Journey in Late Cambrian Time to Wisconsin’s Baraboo Archipelago3. How Islands Trade in Physical Wear and Organic Growth: A Journey in Late Ordovician Time to Hudson Bay’s Jens Munk Archipelago4. How Islands Recall Windward Surf and Leeward Calm: A Journey in Late Silurian Time to Inner Mongolia’s Bater Island5. How Bigger Islands are Broken into Smaller Pieces: A Journey in Late Devonian Time to Western Australia’s Mowanbini Archipelago6. How Softer Islands Dissolve: A Journey in Early Permian Time to the Labyrinth Karst of Western Australia7. How Islands React to Big Storms: A Journey in Early Jurassic Time to Saint David’s Archipelago of Wales8. How Island Life Aligns with Global Currents: A Journey in Late Cretaceous Time to Baja California’s Eréndira Islands9. How Island Life Adjusts to Opposing Shores on Oceanic Islands: A Journey in Middle Miocene Time to the Madeira Archipelago10. How Volcanic Islands Rise, Fall, and Renew: A Journey in Early Pliocene Time to the Azorean Santa Maria Island11. How the Youngest Islands Challenge Witness: Journeys in Pleistocene Time to Islands on the African and Pacific Tectonic Plates12. How Islands Draw Meaning and Obligation: Descending Mount Misen on Japan’s Sacred MiyajimaGlossaryNotesBibliographyIndex
£23.80
