Earth Sciences, Geography & Environment Books

Book SynopsisThe Most Important Comic Book On Earth is a global collaboration for planetary change, bringing together a diverse team of 300 leading environmentalists, artists, authors, actors, filmmakers, musicians, and more to present over 120 stories to save the world. Whether it''s inspirational tales from celebrity names such as Cara Delevingne and Andy Serkis, hilarious webcomics from War and Peas and Ricky Gervais, artworks by leading illustrators David Mack and Tula Lotay, calls to action from activists George Monbiot and Jane Goodall, or powerful stories by Brian Azzarello and Amy Chu, each of the comics in this anthology will support projects and organizations fighting to save the planet and Rewrite Extinction.

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author Simon Winchester, a human history of land around the world: who mapped it, owned it, stole it, cared for it, fought for it and gave it back.In 1889, thousands of hopeful people raced southward from the Kansas state line and westward from the Arkansas boundary to stake claims on the thousands of acres of unclaimed pastures and meadows. Across the twentieth century, water was dammed and drained in Holland so that a new province, Flevoland, rose up, unchartered and requiring new thinking. In 1850, California legislated the theft of land from Native Americans. An apology came in 2019 from the governor, but what of the call for reparations or return? What of government confiscation of land in India, or questions of fairness when it comes to New Zealand's Maori population and the legacy of settlers?The ownership of land has always been complicated, opaque, and more than a little anarchic when viewed from the outside. In this book, Simon Winchester explores the the stewardship of land, the ways it is delineated and changes hands, the great disputes, and the questions of restoration particularly in the light of climate change and colonialist reparation.A global study, this is an exquisite exploration of what the ownership of land might really mean not in dry-as-dust legal terms, but for the people who live on it.Trade Review‘The intricate vocabulary used to talk about land is one of the many pleasures … The theme could not be more topical … It packs in a wealth of ideas and human drama – and gives a fresh view of centuries of social conflict seen through a geographer’s lens’Financial Times ‘Spend some time with Simon Winchester, and you will sail oceans, survive earthquakes, peer into volcanoes, pore over maps, mine the origins of language and measure the immeasurable world … Poignant … Winchester is good … adding dashes of drama, narrative, indignation and, above all, connection to disparate historical accounts … There is soul in this book … A stirring call for communal imperatives, even if its history recounts the constant allure of private ownership’Washington Post ‘Moving across varied histories and geographies, he offers us one case study after another of how the once seemingly inexhaustible surface of the Earth has devolved into a commodity … Winchester is a master at capturing the Old World wonder and romance … His prose frequently exudes the comfort and charm of a beloved encyclopaedia come to life, centuries and continents abutting through the pages’New Yorker ‘Few authors of narrative nonfiction have ranged across the global landscape more widely … In his latest engrossing voyage, the author turns to the land itself, covering a sizable portion of the 37 billion acres that compose the Earth … [A] unique blend of wide-eyed curiosity, meticulous research, and erudite analysis … Of course, this being Winchester, ‘Land’ abounds with dozens of eye-opening factoids to please any fan of popular history … But this is no mere bathroom book packed with intriguing facts. His storytelling talents on full display … Winchester’s colourfully rendered capsule biographies help to convey the gravity of certain historical milestones, and nearly 60 illustrations and photographs add to the experience … Winchester is, once again, a consummate guide’Boston Globe

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Book SynopsisIn 1869, Hayyim Habshush, a Yemeni Jew, accompanied the European orientalist Joseph Halévy on his archaeological tour of Yemen. Twenty years later, Habshush wrote A Vision of Yemen, a memoir of their travels, that provides a vivid account of daily life, religion, and politics. More than a simple travelogue, it is a work of trickster-tales, thick anthropological descriptions, and reflections on Jewish–Muslim relations. At its heart lies the fractious and intimate relationship between the Yemeni coppersmith and the "enlightened" European scholar and the collision between the cultures each represents. The book thus offers a powerful indigenous response to European Orientalism. This edition is the first English translation of Habshush's writings from the original Judeo-Arabic and Hebrew and includes an accessible historical introduction to the work. The translation maintains Habshush's gripping style and rich portrayal of the diverse communities and cultures of Yemen, offering a potent mixture of artful storytelling and cultural criticism, suffused with humor and empathy. Habshush writes about the daily lives of men and women, rich and poor, Jewish and Muslim, during a turbulent period of war and both Ottoman and European imperialist encroachment. With this translation, Alan Verskin recovers the lost voice of a man passionately committed to his land and people.Trade Review"Alan Verskin has provided a masterful translation of Hayyim Habshush's gripping account of his travels and a rare and intimate glimpse into Jewish and Muslim life in the Arabian hinterlands. A Vision of Yemen should be of great interest not only to students and scholars of Jewish, Islamic, and Middle Eastern history, but also to the wider audience of travel literature."—Norman A. Stillman, University of Oklahoma"A Vision in Yemen reveals Hayyim Habshush's remarkable curiosity about his own society in nineteenth-century Yemen and its ancient history. With his masterful translation, Alan Verskin elucidates time and place for modern readers, bringing Habshush and his European interlocutors to life."—Brinkley Messick, Columbia University"Alan Verskin's book goes a long way in countering the various orientalist tropes that have often characterised our understanding of Yemeni Jews by rendering accessible the travelogue A Vision of Yemen....It enhances our understanding of encounters between East and West, and more importantly is a testament to Muslim-Jewish relations in the Middle East just as cacophonous sectarian voices dominate the region's public discourse."—Thanos Petouris, Asian Affairs

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Book SynopsisThis is the first volume to analyse systematically the role of neoliberalism in contemporary processes of urban restructuring. Includes contributions from leading scholars in the fields of critical urban studies, radical geography and state theory. Analyses the role of neoliberalism in contemporary processes of urban restructuring. Synthesises a variety of new theoretical approaches to key issues in contemporary urban studies. Incorporates new case study material of ongoing urban transformations in the USA, Canada, the UK and other Western European countries. Trade Review"...a fantastic, empirically rich and theoretically innovative, exploration of the macropolitical realignment and ongoing spatial restructuring that have taken place since the 1970s. This is cutting-edge urban research: not only students of contemporary cities and their institutional geographies, but municipal policy makers as well as activists concerned with reshaping cities towards more democratic and socially just ends will find this collection indispensable." Margit Mayer, Freie Universität, Berlin "This thoughtful and thought-provoking book examines the dynamics and consequences of neoliberal policies in the unstable geography of contemporary cities. The book synthesizes a range of current explorations of urban space and neoliberal ideology, and ends with a new and coherent conceptualization of what is happening on the ground around us." Peter Marcuse, Professor of Urban Planning, Columbia University "Brenner and Theodore have done an excellent job in bringing together an innovative collection of work on urban restructuring - a collection that combines some of the most interesting insights from critical political economy and radical geography to explain important aspects of the spatial reconfiguration of capitalism since the 1970s." Stephen Gill, Professor of Political Science, University of York, Toronto "Brenner and Theodore have put together a stimulating series of investigations that explore how recent economic strategies, state agendas and spatial logics produce urban landscapes marked by striking levels of inequality and social exclusion. This collection provides a theoretically sophisticated and politically incisive examination of the ways in which restructuring cities have become central to the new geographies of power." William Sites, University of Chicago, author of Remaking New York: Primitive Globalization and the Politics of Urban Community "This is a stimulatimg text, the ambitious designs of which provide a rich theoretical resource" Peter Sunley, University of Edinburgh for Progress in Human Geography “Exploring ‘the spaces of neoliberalism’ is clearly a project whose time has come. The current collection of papers does an excellent job in laying out some of the substantive issues involved, the nature of the changes that the neoliberal agenda has conditioned, and the conflicts that its imposition has generated.” Environment and Planning D: Society and SpaceTable of ContentsPreface:. From the ‘New Localism' to the Spaces of Neoliberalism: Neil Brenner (New York University) & Nik Theodore (University of Illinois at Chicago). Part I: The Urbanization of Neoliberalism: Theoretical Foundations:. 1. Cities and the geographies of ‘actually existing neoliberalism': Neil Brenner (New York University) & Nik Theodore (University of Illinois at Chicago). 2. Neoliberalizing space: the free economy and the penal state: Jamie Peck (University of Wisconsin-Madison) & Adam Tickell (University of Bristol). 3. Neoliberalism and socialisation in the contemporary city: opposites, complements and instabilities: Jamie Gough (University of Northumbria). 4. New Globalism, New Urbanism: Gentrification as Global Urban Strategy: Neil Smith (CUNY Graduate Center). Part II: Cities and State Restructuring: Pathways and Contradictions:. 5. Liberalism, Neoliberalism and Urban Governance: A State-Theoretical Pespective: Bob Jessop (Lancaster University). 6. Interpreting Neoliberal Urban Policy: The State, Crisis Management, and the Politics of Scale: Martin Jones (University of Wales) & Kevin Ward (University of Manchester). 7. ‘The city is dead, long live the network': Harnessing networks for the neoliberal urban agenda: Helga Leitner (University of Minnesota) & Eric Sheppard (University of Minnestota). 8. Extracting Value from the City: Neoliberalism and Urban Redevelopment: Rachel Weber (University of Illinois at Chicago). Part III: New Geographies of Power: Exclusion and Injustice:. 9. Neoliberal urbanization in Europe: large scale urban development projects and the new urban policy: Erik Swyngedouw (Oxford University), Frank Moulaert (University of Lille) & Arantxa Rodriguez (University of the Basque Country). 10. Retro-Urbanism: Reliving the Dreams of 1980s Neoliberalism in Toronto, Canada: Roger Keil (York University, Toronto). 11. Spatializing injustice in the late entrepreneurial city: Unraveling the contours of Britain's revanchist urbanism: Gordon MacLeod (University of Durham).

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Book SynopsisExplains why an awareness of Earth's temporal rhythms is critical to planetary survival and offers suggestions for how to create a more time-literate society.Trade Review"Shortlisted for the Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science, Phi Beta Kappa Society""Finalist for the 2019 Los Angeles Times Book Prize in Science & Technology""Winner of the 2019 PROSE Award in Popular Science & Popular Mathematics, Association of American Publishers""Longlisted for the 2019 PEN/E.O. Wilson Prize for Literary Science Writing Award, PEN American Center""One of EcoLit Books' Best Environmental Books of 2018""A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year""[Timefulness is] a profound meditation on the richness, depth and entanglements of geologic time . . . elegantly condensing the landmark tomes of geology, from James Hutton’s Theory of the Earth . . . to John McPhee’s Annals of the Former World."---Robert M. Thorson, Wall Street Journal"In this trenchant study, Bjornerud calls for a new geological literacy to instill deeper knowledge of planetary rhythms and processes."---Barbara Kiser, Nature"Timefulness is a delightful and interesting read. The author’s cadence and the illustrator’s aforementioned figures made me feel as though I was having a glass of wine with a friend who was explaining geologic history while sketching on a napkin."---David R. Wunsch, Science"With Timefulness . . . [Bjornerud] delivers a brisk biography of Earth. Aside from charting the rise of mountains and the transformation of the atmosphere, she shows us why–given an uncertain future–taking the long view is more critical than ever before."---Matt Huston, Psychology Today"Timefulness is a charmer and makes a strong case for thinking like Bjornerud."---Heather Smith, Sierra"It is always a challenge to make geology accessible to a popular audience, but Timefulness is never impenetrable and is sparing in its use of jargon. New Scientist readers will have little difficulty following the heartfelt narrative. Bjornerud’s book is a manifesto for humanity – but on a very long timescale."---Mick O'Hare, New Scientist"Bored? Anxious? Busy? Try considering time as a geologist would—in segments of years, or hundreds of years. Understanding the rhythm and pace of the planet we live on is what Bjornerud calls ‘timefulness.’ It all seems unfathomable, until we begin to fathom it—and realize that thinking on this scale might be the only way we can truly understand (and save) the world."---Emily Temple, Literary Hub"Being timeful, in [Bjornerud’s] formulation, means allowing ourselves to be daunted by events and landscapes whose scale strains the imagination; it means seeing Earth, and not our own short-lived species, as the main character in the story."---Geoff Manaugh, WIRED"[Timefulness] is an antidote to the new climate report (not to mention raging fires and floods around the world) that seems bereft of hope for humanity’s future. . . . Bjornerud argues that if we all can change the way we view our world and our place in it, adopting an approach grounded in ‘timefulness,’ we’ll be able to create a more sustainable future not just for ourselves and the next generation but for many generations to come."---Sarah Rothbard, Zócalo Public Square"One of the most important books of recent times."---Marcus Smith, host, BYU Radio's Constant Wonder"We need to understand the Earth more intimately than ever now, Bjornerud argues, as we change it in unprecedented ways (a fact that only becomes more terrifying the more you know about Earth’s long history). A more grounded view of time—zooming out and looking at the Earth’s entire life thus far from a remove—practically begs for saner, longer term decision-making for the future. And this perspective is something we can only get from acquainting ourselves with geology, Bjornerud posits, because ‘fathoming deep time is arguably geology’s single greatest contribution to humanity.’"---Chelsea Leu, Bay Nature"Bjornerud’s lucid writing gives geology an energy it rarely has in popular imagination, with just enough warm autobiographical moments to make a personal connection. In both content and prose, she skillfully makes the case that this sort of knowledge (even using the what more than the how) offers us great opportunity to think about our contemporary situation, particularly regarding climate change."---Justin Cober-Lake, Englewood Review of Books"Clear, well-paced, [and] witty."---John Wilson, First Things"Marcia Bjornerud’s book tells the story of the deep history of Earth, a history that’s been punctuated by cataclysmic and unfathomable violence. Oddly, I found comfort in learning about the processes by which this little ball of rock has evolved into a habitable planet and, despite our best efforts, will continue to be so for billions of years to come."---Stephen Sparks, co-owner of Point Reyes Books,, Literary Hub"Bjornerud’s vision of Earth science is poetic and lovely. . . . [Timefulness] feels essential and timely. It encapsulates the mismatch between the long-term sense of who we are and where we came from with the short-term-thinking that dominates our election cycles and our stock markets. Recommended to all."---Callan Bentley, Mountain Beltway"Timefulness transforms geological phenomena, from atmospheric carbon molecules to ancient mountains, into a meditation on life itself."---Alistair Scrutton, Anthropocene"In reading Timefulness, one encounters a clear, engaging text grounded in years of teaching, thinking, and conversations about the struggles of humans to relate themselves to geologic time."---J. S. Lackey, Pomona College"Bjornerud has made sure that her message reaches audiences without being crippled by jargon."---Ishan Kukret, Down to Earth"[Timefulness] offers the reader the underlying science in sufficient detail to develop an understanding and perhaps an opinion on the challenges before us."---Ben van der Pluijm, Holocene"[Bjornerud] positions geology as a field of study ready to tackle the larger philosophical questions being posed by climate change experts."---Jennifer Ferng, Leonardo Reviews"One of the most interesting and informative books I have read for a long time."---Jane A. Michael, Proceedings of the Open University Geological Society"[Timefulness] must cause us to pause and reflect on the sudden speed at which we are undoing processes that have taken millennia to evolve."---Paul Sorensen, International Journal of Environment Studies"This is, frankly, the most poetic rendering of geology I have read since Darwin’s Origin of Species. "---Christiana Zenner, America Magazine"I fear I cannot give justice to this eloquent presentation of how important geologic knowledge is to an intellectually healthy society. I thoroughly enjoyed Timefulness and, more importantly, have been affected by this book. Timefulness: How Thinking Like a Geologist Can Help Save the World has pushed to the front of my mind the importance of looking after the environmental health of my grandchildren and their grandchildren. It is now my desire to find a way to influence people to be environmentally involved and what should be done to assure a healthy planet for our current and future well-being."---Roy Van Arsdale, Environmental & Engineering Geoscience

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Book SynopsisAmong the hordes of starry-eyed 'argonauts' who flocked to the California gold rush of 1849 was an Australian named Edward Hargraves. He left America empty-handed, only to find gold in his own backyard. The result was the great Australian rush of the 1850s, which also attracted participants from around the world. A South African named P.J. Marais was one of them. Marais too returned home in defeat – only to set in motion the diamond and gold rushes that transformed southern Africa. And so it went.Most previous historians of the gold rushes have tended to view them as acts of spontaneous nationalism. Each country likes to see its own gold rush as the one that either shaped those that followed or epitomized all the rest. In The Gold Crusades: A Social History of Gold Rushes, 1849-1929, Douglas Fetherling takes a different approach.Fetherling argues that the gold rushes in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa shared the saTrade Review'The gold rushes were among the most dynamic episodes in modern history, when people from many nations and every level of society converged, turning wilderness into colonies, crossroads into boom towns and boom towns into cities. The Gold Crusades conveys that excitement, while offering a broader perspective. Readers will find it meticulously researched, with a helpful and entertaining essays on sources appended for further reading. Anyone prospecting for a good book should find it a gem.' -- Eric Marks New Brunswick Telegraph Journal

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Book SynopsisOur cities are changing. Global real estate is now a $217 trillion dollar industry, 36 times the value of all the gold ever mined. It makes up 60 percent of the world's assets, and the most powerful person in the world - the president of the United States - made his name as a landlord and real estate developer. As Samuel Stein makes clear in this tightly argued book, its through seemingly innocuous profession of city planners that we can best understand the transformations underway. Planners provide a window into the practical dynamics of urban change: the way the state uses and is used by organized capital, and the power of landlords and developers at every level of government. But crucially, planners also possess some of the powers we must leverage if we ever wish to reclaim our cities from real estate capital.Trade ReviewStein's lucid explanation for how we got to where we're at shines urgent light on the origins and development of what he incisively calls "the Real Estate State." Capital City places gentrification in a structurally extensive and intensive urban geography of dispossession. All who struggle for the right to the city should read this book, and realize afresh how capitalism saving capitalism from capitalism must provoke our political imagination. -- Ruth Wilson Gilmore, author of Golden GulagCapital City casts a cold and brilliant light on the underlying political dynamics of global cities and rightly concludes that real estate and finance are in charge. This sobering book has to be part of our toolkit as we try to find the moorings for a powerful democratic pushback in local political struggles. -- Frances Fox Piven, co-author of Poor People’s MovementsWant to know why the rent's so high? Samuel Stein meticulously documents and analyzes the rise of the rip-off "real estate state," the instruments of its power, the invidious "plansplaining" arguments of its defenders, and, above all, its accelerating ethnic and class cleansing of American cities, gentrification-frenzied New York in the van. With the sleaziest of real estate developers now the rent-subsidized tenant of the White House bent on engorging his crony kin and kith by doubling down on the corrupt system of "geobribe" giveaways, backroom deals, and public theft that underwrites their ravages, this superbly succinct and incisive book couldn't be more timely or urgent. -- Michael Sorkin, author of All Over the MapSamuel Stein has written a book for those tired of merely describing gentrification and displacement, who are looking for explanations as well as new programs for action to do more. Capital City is a place that puts it all together, the theory and the practices of urban transformation, with a timely and urgent appeal. This is a lively user's guide to thechanging landscape of the American city. -- Peter Marcuse, co-author of In Defense of Housing[Capital City] alternates a panoptic view with one that looks more closely, from the ground up, at what reckless development does to lives and livelihoods...Explicit in Stein's narrative is the idea that a different, more democratic kind of planning might lead us to more democratic kinds of cities. -- Nikil Saval * The New Yorker *Samuel Stein's Capital City: Gentrification and the Real Estate State is a radical view into the heart of the processes [urban planners] oversee -- Andrea Gibbons * New Labor Forum *Capital City deserves attention from urban historians for its nuanced analysis of neoliberal urban policy and specific measures that generate inequality and may be also used in service of justice. This book will be a useful tool for a broad swath of people seeking a greater understanding of the urgency of this political moment which grows with every demolition. -- Amanda Boston * The Metropole *Vital and devastating ... [Capital City is] unabashed in its advocacy of a more equitable distribution of land and housing. ... A powerful companion to studies of the global rise of informal cities such as Mike Davis' Planet of Slums, the racist history of housing in Richard Rothstein's The Color of Law, [and] the horrid effects of losing one's home in Matthew Desmond's Evicted. -- Joshua Barnett * New York Labor History Association *

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Book SynopsisExplains how the poor find solutions to their everyday financial problems by conducting year-long interviews with impoverished villagers and slum dwellers in Bangladesh, India, and South Africa - records that track penny by penny how specific households manage their money.Trade Review"A fascinating discussion of the finances of the world's poor."--Nicholas Kristof, NYTimes.com "Ten years ago, the authors of this unusual study began collecting detailed yearlong 'financial diaries' from households in Bangladesh, India, and South Africa... The diarists did things that might seem irrational--borrowing in order to save; paying interest on savings--but that made sense given their unpredictable incomes and limited options. While the authors do offer prescriptions for how to expand those options, it's their scrupulous attention to actual behavior that makes this book invaluable."--New Yorker "The book's methodology and conclusions are fascinating."--Publishers Weekly "The authors of Portfolios of the Poor found that a 'triple whammy' characterizes the financial lives of the poor. Incomes are not only low; they are also irregular and unpredictable... The authors' account suggests much that can be done to ease the financial conditions of poor people."--Anirudh Krishna, Science "A refreshingly distinct path. Portfolios of the Poor ... avoid[s] the big picture and zoom[s] in on the basics of daily poverty, exploring how poor families manage their money... The diaries reveal a 'real, ongoing, and substantial demand' for better financial services, which poor families need to provide better health care and schooling for their children... Rather than waiting for the world to debate and accept their ideas, these authors have taken them up on their own. In the war against global poverty, that feels like one small battle won."--Carlos Lozada, Washington Post "The research provides evidence of the sophistication with which poor people think about their finances."--The Economist "I recommend this book to anyone who has interest in improving the lives of the poor."--Melinda Gates, Co-chair, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Huffington Post "This is a very interesting book, which examines the quite sophisticated financial system developed by poor households to adjust their spending relative to their income."--Choice "A masterly assessment of the financial needs of people on very low incomes ... stuffed full of interesting and surprising insights, and should be read by anyone concerned with economic development and poverty reduction. I can't praise it highly enough. This is a model of the careful collection of evidence with important practical consequences."--Diane Coyle, The Enlightened Economist "A good overview of how the world's poor intersect with financial institutions at the micro level."--Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution "This book is a major contribution to the understanding of the situation of the poor in developing countries and should be a 'must reading' for both academics and policymakers concerned with ways of improving developmental policies."--Werner Baer, Enterprise and Society "[A] fascinating and humanizing insight into the economic lives of the global poor, and a valuable resource for attempting to improve those lives."--Ethics & International Affairs "The book is written in a non-technical style accessible to the lay reader... [I]t makes a compelling case about the desperation of poverty, as well as the ingenuity of the people who live under conditions of poverty."--Sajeda Amin, Population and Development Review "Portfolios of the Poor should be read by anyone interested in microfinance, but also who interested in poverty more generally and in how the poor manage their day-to-day lives."--Isabelle Guerin, Enterprise, Development and Microfinance "[T]his is a great book. It remains an excellent survey of the poors' realities, certainly a 'must-have' for all researchers interested in the financial practices of the poor and microfinance."--Marek Hudon, Development and Change "[T]he book is enlightening, methodologically credible and accessible; it is recommended."--Roger MacGinty, Round Table "[W]e learn much about how the poor manage whatever little money they have. On that ground alone I highly recommend the book."--Rolf A.E. Muller, Quarterly Journal of International Agriculture "As Collins, Morduch, Rutherford, and Ruthven summarize their argument, 'Not having enough money is bad enough. Not being able to manage whatever money you have is worse.' Their book is a detailed effort to understand how poor people manage--and, frequently, mismanage--the meager resources at their disposal. They draw on more than 250 financial diaries collected in Bangladesh, India, and South Africa that tracked how money was earned and spent, along with interviews with the diarists. The result is a unique window onto what poverty means for these households."--Timothy Besley, Foreign Affairs "The authors of Portfolios of the Poor ... make a convincing case both for the importance of finance in the lives of the extremely poor and for there being room to improve the provision of financial services to them."--Danny Reviews "One of my favourite books. It gathers new evidence about the financial services people on very low incomes need--and the answers are sometimes surprising. Should be read by anyone with views on microcredit and/or payday loans."--Enlightened Economist "A terrific book."--Diane Coyle, Enlightened EconomistTable of ContentsList of Tables vii List of Figures ix Chapter One: The Portfolios of the Poor 1 Chapter Two: The Daily Grind 28 Chapter Three: Dealing with Risk 65 Chapter Four: Building Blocks: Creating Usefully Large Sums 95 Chapter Five: The Price of Money 132 Chapter Six: Rethinking Microfinance: The Grameen II Diaries 154 Chapter Seven: Better Portfolios 174 Appendix 1: The Story behind the Portfolios 185 Appendix 2: A Selection of Portfolios 211 Acknowledgments 243 Notes 247 Bibliography 265 Index 273

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Book SynopsisOffering graduate students with the necessary theoretical tools for applying algebraic geometry to information theory, this title covers primary applications in coding theory and cryptography. It includes a discussion of the interplay between nonsingular projective curves and algebraic function fields over finite fields.Trade Review"Coding theory has a rapidly growing corpus of knowledge, and now appears explicitly in several classifications in the MSC. [This] book ... is certainly an important addition to the literature in this area and a serious candidate for becoming one of the standard textbooks in related courses."--Cicero Carvalho, Mathematical ReviewsTable of ContentsPreface ix Chapter 1: Finite Fields and Function Fields 1 1.1 Structure of Finite Fields 1 1.2 Algebraic Closure of Finite Fields 4 1.3 Irreducible Polynomials 7 1.4 Trace and Norm 9 1.5 Function Fields of One Variable 12 1.6 Extensions of Valuations 25 1.7 Constant Field Extensions 27 Chapter 2: Algebraic Varieties 30 2.1 Affine and Projective Spaces 30 2.2 Algebraic Sets 37 2.3 Varieties 44 2.4 Function Fields of Varieties 50 2.5 Morphisms and Rational Maps 56 Chapter 3: Algebraic Curves 68 3.1 Nonsingular Curves 68 3.2 Maps Between Curves 76 3.3 Divisors 80 3.4 Riemann-Roch Spaces 84 3.5 Riemann's Theorem and Genus 87 3.6 The Riemann-Roch Theorem 89 3.7 Elliptic Curves 95 3.8 Summary: Curves and Function Fields 104 Chapter 4: Rational Places 105 4.1 Zeta Functions 105 4.2 The Hasse-Weil Theorem 115 4.3 Further Bounds and Asymptotic Results 122 4.4 Character Sums 127 Chapter 5: Applications to Coding Theory 147 5.1 Background on Codes 147 5.2 Algebraic-Geometry Codes 151 5.3 Asymptotic Results 155 5.4 NXL and XNL Codes 174 5.5 Function-Field Codes 181 5.6 Applications of Character Sums 187 5.7 Digital Nets 192 Chapter 6: Applications to Cryptography 206 6.1 Background on Cryptography 206 6.2 Elliptic-Curve Cryptosystems 210 6.3 Hyperelliptic-Curve Cryptography 214 6.4 Code-Based Public-Key Cryptosystems 218 6.5 Frameproof Codes 223 6.6 Fast Arithmetic in Finite Fields 233 A Appendix 241 A.1 Topological Spaces 241 A.2 Krull Dimension 244 A.3 Discrete Valuation Rings 245 Bibliography 249 Index 257

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Book SynopsisThis book makes the bold claim that intellectual sophistication was born worldwide during the middle centuries of the first millennium bce. From Axial Age thinkers we inherited a sense of the world as a place not just to experience but to investigate, envision, and alter. A variety of utopian visions emerged and led to both reform and repression.Trade ReviewWith eighteen leading multidisciplinary scholars, this volume covers enormous ground in the transformative beginnings for civilizations that shared cultural origins in the mid-first millennium BC in Europe and Asia. Extending the insight of existential philosopher Karl Jaspers regarding the 'Axial Age' and its later evolution to 'multiple modernities,' The Axial Age and Its Consequences, superbly edited by Hans Joas and Robert Bellah, is a must-read for contemporary comparative-historical sociological analyses in our own global age. -- Edward A. Tiryakian, author of For Durkheim: Essays in Historical and Cultural SociologyThe Axial Age, the epic moment around the 6th century BCE which saw the intellectual outburst that engendered the major world religions, has enjoyed an upsurge of scholarly attention in the past generation. Great themes demand great voices, and editors Bellah and Joas have assembled a remarkable choral ensemble for a score organized to address fundamental questions about Axiality and its comparative manifestations, destructive possibilities, current status, and implications for the future. I can think of no compendium in the past generation that measures up to the quality and significance of this volume. -- Donald Levine, University of ChicagoHighly recommended for readers of Bellah's Religion in Human Evolution and students of religious philosophy and evolutionary sociology. -- Brian Odom * Library Journal *

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Book SynopsisDieses Buch leistet einen Beitrag zur Verbesserung der konzeptionellen Umsetzung der Hochwasservorbeugung und zur Effektivierung des praktischen Handelns im integrierten Hochwasserrisikomanagement. Dem Autor ist es ein Anliegen, auch den bisher noch nicht von Hochwasser betroffenen Akteuren anhand praktischer Beispiele vor Augen zu führen, dass sie bei vorausschauendem Handeln viele unnötige Hochwasserschäden verhindern können und gleichzeitig einen Beitrag zur Umsetzung der EG-Hochwasserrisikomanagementrichtlinie leisten. Table of ContentsEinleitung - Integriertes Hochwasserrisikomanagement - EG-Hochwasserrisikomanagementrichtlinie - Wasserwirtschaftliche Ausgangslage - Hochwasserereignis 2002 - Risikomanagement während des Ereignisses - Schäden und Sofortmaßnahmen - Hochwassernachsorge und Wiederaufbau - Hochwasservorbeugung - Fachliche Umsetzung der EG-Hochwasserrisikomanagementrichtlinie - Zusammenfassung - Ausblick

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Book SynopsisJohn King Fairbank was the West's doyen on China, and this book is the full and final expression of his lifelong engagement with this vast ancient civilization. The distinguished historian Merle Goldman brings the book up to date and provides an epilogue discussing the changes in contemporary China that will shape the nation in the years to come.Trade ReviewManages to tell its sprawling, turbulent, 4,000-year story in a single volume without either losing clarity or oversimplifying its subject...Rich and fascinating. -- Arnold R. Isaacs * San Francisco Chronicle *Will serve for decades to come as a standard reference and textbook. -- Robert L. Worden * Washington Post Book World *

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Book SynopsisThis dual-language compilation of seven complete major works and many shorter pieces from the Confucian period through the Ch’ing dynasty will be indispensable to students of Chinese literature as well as theorists and scholars of other languages.Trade ReviewIn addition to its intrinsic value for the study and appreciation of Chinese thought and literature, Owen’s book, which is sure to have a significant impact on a wide audience outside Sinological circles, should do much to raise awareness of creative and critical works of Chinese literature among general students of literature and nonspecialists in Chinese studies. -- Richard John Lynn * China Review International *A monumental work of scholarship that will prove invaluable for both research and teaching… Owen has selected texts that are central to the Chinese tradition and provided lucid and insightful commentaries. -- Pauline Yu, University of California, Los Angeles

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Book SynopsisRare Earth Frontiers is a work of human geography that serves to demystify the powerful elements that make possible the miniaturization of electronics, green energy and medical technologies, and essential telecommunications and defense systems.Trade ReviewRare Earth Frontiers is a timely text. As Klinger notes, rare earths are neither rare nor technically earths, but they are still widely believed to be both. Although her approach focuses on the human, or cultural, geography of rare earths mining, she does not ignore the geological occurrence of these mineral types, both on Earth and on the moon.... This volume is excellently organized, insightfully written, and extensively sourced. * Choice *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction 1. What Are Rare Earth Elements? 2. Placing China in the World History of Discovery, Production, and Use 3. "Welcome to the Hometown of Rare Earths" 4. Rude Awakenings 5. From the Heartland to the Head of the Dog 6. Extraglobal Extraction Conclusion Appendix Notes References

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Book SynopsisArtivism, is becoming a common way of denouncing conflicts, of being a megaphone of the unfairness, demanding more public space or pushing political agendas; in short, to highlight what does not work well. Artivists use art as a weapon of public and social exigency charged with particular doses of shrewdness, inventiveness, imagination, sense of humour and, above all, social impact, either throughout impressive pieces or the most subtle and invisible actions. Navigating through the curiosity, emotion and concern of the new artivists; We walk the paths of a creativity committed to reflection, criticism and the eternal pursuit of social justice.

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Book Synopsis‘A wonderful book: Nancy Campbell is a fine storyteller with a rare physical intelligence. The extraordinary brilliance of her eye confers the reader a total immersion in the rimy realms she explores. Glaciers, Arctic floe, verglas, frost and snow — I can think of no better or warmer guide to the icy ends of the Earth’ Dan Richards, author of Climbing DaysA vivid and perceptive book combining memoir, scientific and cultural history with a bewitching account of landscape and place, which will appeal to readers of Robert Macfarlane, Roger Deakin and Olivia Laing.  Long captivated by the solid yet impermanent nature of ice, by its stark, rugged beauty, acclaimed poet and writer Nancy Campbell sets out from the world’s northernmost museum – at Upernavik in Greenland – to explore it in all its facets. From the Bodleian Library archives to the traces left by the great polar expeditions, from remote

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Book SynopsisThe new edition of this thoroughly considered textbook provides a reliable, accessible and comprehensive guide for students of photovoltaic applications and renewable energy engineering. Written by a group of award-winning authors it is brimming with information and is carefully designed to meet the needs of its readers. Along with exercises and references at the end of each chapter, it features a set of detailed technical appendices that provide essential equations, data sources and standards. The new edition has been fully updated with the latest information on photovoltaic cells, modules, applications and policy. Starting from basics with 'The Characteristics of Sunlight' the reader is guided step-by-step through semiconductors and p-n junctions; the behaviour of solar cells; cell properties and design; and PV cell interconnection and module fabrication. The book covers stand-alone photovoltaic systems; specific purpose photovoltaic systems; remote area power supply systems; grid-connected photovoltaic systems and water pumping. Applied Photovoltaics is highly illustrated and very accessible, providing the reader with all the information needed to start working with photovoltaics. Trade ReviewPraise for previous editions"Recommended reading for any course which deals with hands-on aspects of photovoltaic systems and applications. Earthscan should be applauded" – Tom Markvart, University of Southampton, UK"An excellent introduction to the science, principles and practice of photovoltaic energy conversion." – Jenny Nelson, Professor of Physics, Imperial College, London, UK "The leading research, teaching and engineering group has made another important contribution to photovoltaic education." – Allen Barnett, Senior Policy Fellow, Center for Energy and Environmental Policy, University of Delaware, USA. "This book will make an excellent reference for engineers and scientists involved in photovoltaics. The breadth of knowledge contained within and the detailed equations to support it, as well as being an easy reading style will enable people to get to the understanding of why PV systems are put together the way they are - well beyond rules of thumb." – Mike Dymond, Sowilo Engineering Pty Ltd for Solar Progress Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. The Characteristics of Sunlight 2. Semiconductors and P-N Junctions 3. The Behaviour of Solar Cells 4. Cell Properties and Design 5. PV Cell Interconnection and Module Fabrication 6. Stand-alone Photovoltaic System Components 7. Desisigning Stand-alone Photovoltaic Systems 8. Specific Purpose Photovoltaic Applications 9. Remote Area Power Supply Systems 10. Grid Connected Photovoltaic Systems 11. Photovoltaic Water Pumping. Index

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Book SynopsisFreedom Climbers is the multi award-winning book by Bernadette McDonald, now available in the UK and Ireland thanks to Vertebrate Publishing. Freedom Climbers tells the story of the extraordinary Polish adventurers who emerged from under the blanket of oppression following the Second World War to become the world's leading Himalayan climbers. Although they lived in a war-ravaged landscape, with seemingly no hope of creating a meaningful life, these curious, motivated and skilled mountaineers built their own free-market economy under the very noses of their Communist bosses and climbed their way to liberation. At a time when Polish citizens were locked behind the Iron Curtain, these intrepid explorers found a way to travel the world in search of extreme adventure - to Alaska, South America and Europe, but mostly to the highest and most inspiring mountains of the world. To this end, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Nepal became their second homes as they evolved into the toughest Himalayan climbers the world has ever known. In her most engaging book to date, renowned and award-winning author Bernadette McDonald weaves a passionate and literary tale of adventure, politics, suffering, death and - ultimately - inspiration.Trade ReviewOne of the most important mountaineering books to be written for many years. – Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain LiteratureClimbers everywhere have much to l learn from this bold, tragic, ultimately magnificent story. – Grand Prize Winner, Banff Mountain Book FestivalA brilliantly crafted tale of mountain and political adventure that reveals a golden era in Himalayan climbing that was as glorious as it was tragic. – Sir Chris BoningtonThis important volume documents a defining chapter of Himalayan climbing history. – Reinhold MessnerPainstakingly researched and well crafted, this remarkable book acknowledges the significance of Polish mountaineers during the golden age of Himalayan exploration. Fascinating. – Andy Cave, author of Learning to BreatheMcDonald deserves special praise for bringing to light the stories of these remarkable men and women, and doing so in a manner that does honour to their memory. – Wade Davis, author of Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory and the Conquest of EverestA gripping read, bound to become a classic of mountain literature. – Maria Coffey, author of Explorers of the InfiniteTakes the reader from deep within Communist-controlled Poland and into the lonely, dramatic landscapes of the world's most formidable mountain ranges. – Jim Curran, author of High Achiever: The Life and Climbs of Chris BoningtonFreedom Climbers is a very enlightening and captivating look at the Polish climbing superstars. – Ed Viesturs, author of No Shortcuts to the Top: Climbing the World's 14 Highest Peaks

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Book SynopsisThe green movement has got it very wrong.Trade Review'Radical. Will outrage many readers’ Independent 'Wonderfully sane and cogent’ Guardian ‘Mark Lynas is one of a growing band of influential figures, along with James Lovelock, Stewart Brand and George Monbiot, who now argue that the approach of most Greens to climate change needs to change… He is wonderfully sane and cogent on difficult issues… He has written the clearest exposition so far of the choices facing us. We may wince at the book's title (it derives from Stewart Brand's remark: "We are as gods and have to get good at it"), but Lynas is not playing God, simply making a passionate pitch for good global resource management.’ Peter Forbes, Guardian ‘An intriguing thesis and Lynas outlines it with clarity and panache’ Observer ‘Planetary boundaries richly merit a popular treatment, and The God Species taps their potential to offer a sharply focused vision of planetary dynamics that goes beyond warming and extinctions.’ Financial Times ‘The power of Lynas’s voice comes not just from his deep research but also his authority as a campaigner’ Sunday Times ‘This is a clear-eyed, hard-headed assessment of the ecological challenges facing us – and all the more bracing for it’ Evening Standard ‘Before reading this book, worrying about biodiversity had seemed a chattering class luxury to me’. Independent, Book of the Week ‘A redemptive manifesto for humanity’ New Scientist

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Book SynopsisExplores the how and why of anthropomorphism. This book investigates the changing patterns of anthropomorphism across different time periods and settings, as well as their effects upon animals, humans, and their interactions.Trade ReviewThinking with Animals...will surely join the growing literature on consciousness, animal cognition, and the continuity between human and animal minds. -- Juliet Clutton-Brock Nature Thoughtful and well researched... The interdisciplinary nature of this collection makes it a valuable addition. -- Robert B. Ridinger E-Streams An interesting and elegantly produced book. -- Alan Costall AnthrozoosTable of ContentsPreface Introduction. The How and Why of Thinking with Animals, by Lorraine Daston and Gregg Mitman 1. Zoomorphism in Ancient India: Humans More Bestial Than the Beasts, by Wendy Doniger 2. Intelligences: Angelic, Animal, Human, by Lorraine Daston 3. The Experimental Animal in Victorian Britain, by Paul S. White 4. Comparative Psychology Meets Evolutionary Biology: Morgan's Canon and Cladistic Parsimony, by Elliott Sober 5. Anthropomorphism and Cross-Species Modeling, by Sandra D. Mitchell 6. People in Disguise: Anthropomorphism and the Human-Pet Relationship, by James A. Serpell 7. Digital Beasts as Visual Esperanto: Getty Images and the Colonization of Sight, by Cheryce Kramer 8. Pachyderm Personalities: The Media of Science, Politics, and Conservation, by Gregg Mitman 9. Reflections on Anthropomorphism in The Disenchanted Forest, by Sarita Siegel

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Trade ReviewAn accessible text with a strong structure that provides a launch pad for further exploration. * Murray Collins, London School of Economics (LSE) *Table of ContentsContents ; Preface ; Acknowledgements ; 1. Fundamentals ; What is energy, and what is power? ; Is most energy that people use derived from nuclear energy? ; What is the origin of nuclear energy? ; What is radioactivity? ; Why is ionizing radiation a health concern? ; What is radioactive half-life, and how can knowing it help increase countries' security? ; How much more energetic is nuclear energy compared to chemical energy? ; Why has it been so difficult to commercialize nuclear fusion? ; How was nuclear fission discovered? ; What role, if any, did Albert Einstein play in the discovery of nuclear energy? ; What is a fission chain reaction? ; What is uranium, where did it come from, and how was it discovered? ; What is plutonium, how was it discovered, and how hazardous is it? ; Why can't nuclear reactors explode like a nuclear bomb? ; What is the nuclear fuel cycle? ; Why are certain activities in the nuclear fuel cycle called <"dual-use>"? ; What are the various uranium enrichment methods? ; What are the nuclear

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Book SynopsisAs ecological degradation continues to threaten permanent and dramatic changes for life on our planet, the question of how we can protect our imperiled Earth has become more pressing than ever before. In this book, Daniel Scheid draws on Catholic social thought as the foundation for a new type of interreligious ecological ethics, which he calls the cosmic common good, that sees humans as just a part of the greater whole of the cosmos. The cosmic common good emphasizes the instrumental and intrinsic value of nature and the integral connection between religious practice and the pursuit of the common good.Scheid begins his analysis by rooting his vision of the cosmic common good in the classical doctrines of creation found in the works of Augustine and Thomas Aquinas and in Thomas Berry''s interpretation of the evolutionary cosmic story. He goes on to explore conceptions of a cosmic common good in other traditions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, and American Indian religion. Scheid demonstraTrade ReviewThe Cosmic Common Good will be a fine addition to academic libraries and highly appropriate for use in undergraduate courses on ethics, ecological studies, world religions, and comparative religions. The mix of primary and secondary sources Scheid engages competently provide excellent beginnings for scholarly research. Also helpful for advancing research are his informative endnotes, extensive bibliography, and index. * Jame Schaefer, Journal of Religion *This volume will be a valuable addition to the undergarduate, graduate, and seminary courses in ecological ethics, potentially opening the way towards more robust interreligious converstion about ecological concerns and providing the necessary methodological tools. * Margaret R. Pfeil, Journal of Catholic Social Thought *Scheid creates an innovative amalgam of ancient and modem theological insights and is to be lauded for attempting to overcome some of the inherent difficulties of hammering out a common interreligious ecological ethic by proposing a theoretical framework for a worldview that is centered on the cosmic common good. This kind of unity is precisely what the world needs if humanity is going to overcome the ecological crisis that threatens its existence. * Jeremiah Vallery, Religious Studies Review *Given the suffering caused by ecological degradation to humans and other creatures alike, theology is tasked in our day to bring the natural world back into view as a subject of religious and moral importance. In this broadly researched and clearly written book, Scheid sets out to do just that with one keystone element of Catholic social teaching: the common good. Not only does he rethink features of this principle, expanding it in an ecological direction, but he places this principle in dialogue with Hindu, Buddhist, and American Indian traditions. The point of arrival is an interreligious vision of the cosmic common good which can serve as a basis for ethical action to protect the planet, or 'to care for God's creation' in Catholic language... Toward that end this book makes a superb contribution. * Elizabeth A. Johnson, Theological Studies *Table of ContentsPreface ; Acknowledgements ; Chapter One: The Cosmic Common Good as a Ground for Interreligious Ecological Ethics ; Part I: A Catholic Cosmic Common Good ; Chapter Two: A Catholic Cosmic Common Good: Overview and Prospects ; Chapter Three: Classical Sources for a Catholic Cosmic Common Good: Augustine and Thomas Aquinas ; Chapter Four: Thomas Berry and an Evolutionary Catholic Cosmic Common Good ; Chapter Five: Earth Solidarity ; Chapter Six: Earth Rights ; Part II: The Cosmic Common Good and Interreligious Ecological Ethics ; Chapter Seven: Comparative Theology and Ecological Ethics ; Chapter Eight: Hindu Traditions: Dharmic Ecology ; Chapter Nine: Buddhist Traditions: Interdependence ; Chapter Ten: American Indian Traditions: Balance with All Our Relations ; Conclusion: An Interreligious Cosmic Common Good ; Notes ; Bibliography ; Index

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Book SynopsisThe age of discovery was at its peak in the eighteenth century, with heroic adventurers charting the furthest reaches of the globe. Foremost among these explorers was navigator and cartographer Captain James Cook of the British Royal Navy. This book reveals Cook's place in history as a brave and brilliant seaman.Trade Review"'McLynn's biography is well researched and respectful.' (John de Falbe, The Spectator) 'Frank McLynn has no doubt about Captain Cook's status... the finest maritime explorer in the history of the world... He proves it in a meticulous rollercoaster chronicle.' (Duncan Fallowell, Daily Express) 'A first-class biography by a prominent British historian, Frank McLynn.' (John M. Taylor, The Washington Times)"

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Book SynopsisPresenting an environmental history of China, this book is based on literary, political, aesthetic, scientific, and religious sources that reveal the views of the Chinese people toward their environment and landscape.Trade Review"by far the best history of the interaction between the traditional Chinese and their surroundings... stupendously learned." Jonathan Mirsky, Literary Review "majestic depth and brutal detail... a heavyweight work.' Simon Barnes, The Times "Masterly and engaging... Essential for those who want to understand the long sweep of Chinese history, and it will enhance the perspective of those who think they already understand it. A scholarly tour de force." J. R. McNeill, Wilson Quarterly "Elvin combines an illuminating account of the 4,000 year-long collision of humans and nature with delightful tidbits about everything under the Chinese sun... A magisterial work." Nicholas D. Kristof, Scientific American"

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Book SynopsisThe NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide, Second Edition is based on the experience of the best cycling cities in the world. The designs in this book were developed by cities for cities, since unique urban streets require innovative solutions. To create the Guide, the authors conducted an extensive worldwide literature search from design guidelines and real-life experience. They worked closely with a panel of urban cycleway planning professionals from NACTO member cities and from numerous other cities worldwide, as well as traffic engineers, planners, and academics with deep experience in urban cycleway applications. The Guide offers substantive guidance for cities seeking to improve bicycle transportation in places where competing demands for the use of the right of way present unique challenges. Each of the treatments addressed in the Guide offers three levels of guidance: Required: elements for which there is a strong consensus that the treatment cannot be implemented without; Recommended: elements for which there is a strong consensus of added value; and, Optional: elements that vary across cities and may add value depending on the situation. First and foremost, the NACTO Urban Bikeway Design Guide, Second Edition will help practitioners make good decisions about urban cycleway design. The treatments outlined in the Guide are based on real-life experience in the world's most bicycle friendly cities and have been selected because of their utility in helping cities meet their goals related to bicycle transportation. The Guide is an indispensable tool every planner must have for their daily transportation design work.

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Book SynopsisRecycling is good, isn't it? In this visionary book, chemist Michael Braungart and architect William McDonough challenge this status quo and put forward a manifesto for an intriguing and radically different philosophy of environmentalism.Reduce, reuse, recycle. This is the standard cradle to grave manufacturing model dating back to the Industrial Revolution that we still follow today. In this thought-provoking read, the authors propose that instead of minimising waste, we should be striving to create value. This is the essence of Cradle to Cradle: waste need not to exist at all. By providing a framework of redesign of everything from carpets to corporate campuses, McDonough and Braungart make a revolutionary yet viable case for change and for remaking the way we make things.Trade ReviewThe best argument for good design is that it lasts. The best argument for good science is that it deplores waste. I'm bored with guilty and technologically illiterate environmental Luddites describing a future of guilt and privation led in caves. There's an alternative responsible future persuasively offered by Braungart and McDonough. The survival of the planet can be re-stated in terms of stimulus, opportunity, challenge and reward. Works for me. -- Stephen BayleyAlready embraced by far-thinking manufacturers and governments. * Food Ethics Magazine *It's one of the most thought-provoking books I've ever read -- Ellen Macarthur * Daily Express *Environmentalists too rarely apply the ecological wisdom of life to our problems. Asking how a cherry tree would design an energy efficient building is only one of the creative 'practices' that McDonough and Braungart spread, like a field of wild flowers, before their readers. This book will give you renewed hope that, indeed, 'it is darkest before the dawn' -- Carl Pope, Executive Director of the Sierra ClubAchieving the great economic transition to more equitable, ecologically sustainable societies requires nothing less than a design revolution - beyond today's fossilized industrialism. This enlightened and enlightening book shows us how - and indeed, that 'God is in the details.' A must for every library and every concerned citizen -- Hazel Henderson, author of "Building a Win-Win World and Beyond Globalization: Shaping a Sustainable Global Economy"

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Book SynopsisRegenerative design and architecture What will it take to restore balance to our world, repair past injustices, and support future generations' survival? Reaching beyond 'sustainability', 'regenerative' practice is increasingly named as a new goal, but what does this emerging term really mean? And which key mindset shifts might enable truly regenerative transformation? Looking deeply into the web of life that created and supports us, and drawing inspiration from diverse cultural traditions and perspectives, spirited thinkers Michael Pawlyn and Sarah Ichioka propose a bold set of regenerative principles with potential to transform how we design, make and manage our buildings, infrastructure and communities. Whether you're a built environment professional or client, an activist or a policymaker, Flourish offers an urgent invitation to inhabit a new array of possibilities, through which we can build a thriving future, together.

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Book SynopsisFor most, “conservation” conjures the notion of minimising human presence on wildlands to avoid harmful impacts. But too often, this defensive approach has pitted local communities against conservationists, wasting opportunities for collaboration and setting the stage for ongoing conflict. One conservation approach turns that paradigm on its head, and instead connects conservation with the well-being of human communities, setting both up for success. Called “Full Nature,” this approach, pioneered by conservationist Ignacio Jiménez, seeks to promote fully functional natural landscapes that are tied to the basic needs of the communities in their midst. They become a self-sustaining cycle, where nature and people are integrated ecologically, socially, and politically. Effective Conservation is based on Jiménez’s experience managing conservation projects on three continents over thirty years. Jiménez offers a pragmatic approach to conservation that puts the focus on working with people, neighbours, governments, politicians, businesses, media, to ensure they have a long-term stake in protecting and restoring parks and wildlife. Jiménez guides readers through the practical considerations of designing, analysing, and managing effective conservation programmes. Chapters explore intelligence gathering, communication, planning, conflict management, and evaluation techniques, and include numerous text boxes showcasing examples of successful conservation projects from all texts, and links to additional resources. This highly readable manual provides a ground-breaking and time-proven formula for successful conservation projects around the world that bring together parks, people, and nature.Table of ContentsA Note about the English Edition Foreword Chapter 1. Introduction Chapter 2. Full Nature Chapter 3. The Method Chapter 4. Promotion: Basic Concepts Chapter 5: Tools and Practicalities Chapter 6. Intelligence Chapter 7. Planning and Norming Chapter 8. Management of Natural Areas Chapter 9. Conflict Management Chapter 10. Evaluation and Renewal Chapter 11. Organizations Chapter 12. Conclusions Afterword Acknowledgments About the Author Index

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Book SynopsisA handbook that lists and illustrates key principles in the field of landscape ecology, presenting specific examples of how the principles can be applied in a range of scales and diverse types of landscapes around the world.

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Book SynopsisFrom exhilarating electrical storms to everyday drizzle, this book is the perfect entertaining guide to our favourite topic of small talk: the weather.Our moods are affected by it; our plans are ruined by it; our conversations undoubtedly cover it – the weather is integral to our everyday lives. But while we groan at clouds obscuring the sun, rejoice when the rain stops, and gasp at loud cracks of thunder, for many of us the systems behind these weather patterns are a complete mystery. The Weather Book breaks down all manner of meteorological phenomena with handy diagrams and explanations in simple layman’s terms. From electrical storms and cyclones to the everyday drizzle, and including fascinating anecdotes of weather at its most extreme, this is a practical and engaging guide to understanding all things meteorological. If you’ve ever wondered which old wives tales you can actually trust (does lightning really only strike once?) or wondered if there is any truth to the phrase ‘raining cats and dogs’ (in reality it’s more likely to be raining frogs), this book will answer all your weather related queries and teach you more about this endlessly fascinating topic.Trade ReviewA delightful miscellany... This great book will extend your knowledge on one of Britain's most talked about subjects * The Times *This lively book is packed with weather facts... Become your pub quiz expert on things meteorological * BBC Country File Magazine *A reminder of what nature is about, how it works, how plants and animals exist - without being too scientific * The Countryman *

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Book SynopsisThis updated edition of Thomas Nelson’s popular Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts has everything you need to visualize the events, places, and people in the Old and New Testaments.Perfect for small-group leaders, Bible school teachers, or if you’re simply curious about biblical times, Complete Book of Bible Maps and Charts provides a visual overview of the Bible in its entirety.Valuable resources include: New, full-color, high-resolution maps and charts. Downloadable PDFs for presentations and classes. Tables, charts, and diagrams that organize Bible information for ease of learning and memorization. Historical articles providing insight into Bible times. Introductions to each book of the Bible.

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Book Synopsis''The direction of travel in the global energy system seems clear: a historic shift away from fossil fuels is under way. Who better to chart it than Daniel Yergin? ... a flair for dramatic detail and sprightly insights'' Pilita Clark, Financial TimesThe Pulitzer Prize-winning author and global energy expert reveals how climate change and the shale revolution in oil and gas are shaking the global order, challenging nations and industries, and accelerating a second energy revolution - the quest for renewables and for ''net zero carbon''.UPDATED WITH A NEW EPILOGUE''A tour de force'' David Von Drehle, Washington Post''A kaleidoscopic survey of seemingly every geopolitical development in history, all seen through the lens of energy . . . Admirable, well-researched, highly readable'' Keith Johnson, Foreign PolicyTrade ReviewThere are many ... stories in this wonderful book, all of them directed at the transformation of the global map of power and wealth that has happened in the 21st century. Don't waste your time on Boris or Trump, Covid or novichock, just read this to find out what is really happening. -- Bryan Appleyard * The Sunday Times *Daniel Yergin won a Pulitzer in 1992 for The Prize, an acclaimed history of petroleum and political power ... In The New Map he turns his talents to what might be called geopolitical cartography ... Fans of the author's previous books will appreciate the snappy prose and plethora of well-told anecdotes ... revealing and apposite ... The book brings the general reader admirably up to date on the many subjects it covers. -- Edward Lucas * The Times *Yergin is the most respected chronicler of energy history and politics today. Yergin has enviable talents. He writes fluently in a style that brings to life the arcane dynamics of the energy business. He is deeply knowledgeable and analytically prescient... The New Map is an excellent read because, through multiple interconnected storylines, it pulls together the transformative occurrences that have shaped the energy world in recent years into a cogent framework from which the reader can discern the future pathways of the next energy transition. -- Vikram S Mehta * Indian Express *

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Book SynopsisThe study of inequalities is the cornerstone of social geographic research. This book explores how cities as well as rural spaces are organized in ways that construct and maintain social inequality. A global perspective is maintained throughout, drawing on experiences, theories, and ideas from the global north and south.Trade Review"By not taking the well-trodden route of segmenting discussions of social geographies of gender, race, age, sex and so on, Del Casino is breaking the mould. He is offering something far superior ... [and] very accessible and student friendly." (Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, 2012) "The Social Geography contribution to Wiley-Blackwell's Critical Introductions to Geography series is a thoroughly up-to-date examination of the field, considering difference and inequality through the history of the discipline before making use of an innovative life-course approach. Del Casino has a fluid and engaging style of writing, incorporating research from a wide selection of subfields in social geography, while also drawing connections and illustrating contrasts." (Area, 2011) Table of ContentsList of Figures vii List of Tables viii List of Boxes ix List of Abbreviations xi Acknowledgements xiii Cover Image xv Introduction 1 Part I Historicizing Social Geography: From Theory to Methodology 9 1 Social Geography? What’s That? 11 2 Social Geography in Three Acts and an Epilogue 29 3 Thinking Methodologically 63 Part II Social Geographies across the Life Course 95 4 Social Geography and the Geographies of Health 97 5 Communities and Organizations 125 6 Social Activism/Social Movements/Social Justice 154 Part III Social Geographies through the Life Course 183 7 On the Geographies of Children and Young People 185 8 Social Geographies of the “Mid-Life”? 211 9 Ageing and the “New” Social Geographies of Older People 238 Part IV Conclusions 265 10 Epilogue v. 2.0 267 11 Rethinking the Social Geographies of Difference and Inequality 275 References 282 Index 311

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