Earth Sciences, Geography & Environment Books

Book SynopsisSpeleo Projects features a selection of wild and touristic caves from around the world. The 12 monthly pages provide a glimpse into the caves of Brazil, France, Spain, Slovenia, Thailand, USA and Israel.

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Book SynopsisIn classical Chinese, 'The Great Enterprise' means winning The Mandate of heaven to rule over China, the Central Kingdom. This first of a two-volume work on 'The Great Enterprise' of the Manchus is the first scholarly narrative in any language relating their conquest of China during the seventeenth century.

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Book SynopsisCombining the scientific discoveries with color imagery, this title takes readers on a voyage into the darkest realms of the ocean. It features more than two hundred color photographs of terrifying sea monsters, fossils, and ethereal bioluminescent creatures. It examines the biology of deep-sea organisms, and the history of deep-sea exploration.Trade Review"The Deep is not only the most stunningly beautiful book about the sea ever produced, but also a work of scientific substance, articulated by some of the best, most experienced deep-sea scientists of our time. Even for those of us who have been enchanted by the wondrous life of the deep sea through direct engagement, this book renews the spirit and makes it possible to share with others a vicarious glimpse of the wild ocean." - Sylvia Earle, National Geographic Society "Leafing through The Deep's many pages of awe-inspiring images reminded me of a similar experience I had when I was very young leafing through William Beebe's articles in National Geographic, which inspired me to become an undersea explorer. I know The Deep will have a similar effect on the next generation of explorers." - Robert Ballard, discoverer of the wreck of the Titanic"

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Book SynopsisThe definitive textbook for paleoanthropology courses.Table of ContentsEXTENSIVE, CAREFULLY CHOSEN ART PROGRAMA generous, carefully constructed art program (with figures, tables, and photographs with captions) helps students master this complex material. The art program has been thoroughly updated for the new edition, including new easily accessible reference charts inside the front cover summarizing Plio-Pleistocene stratigraphic information, time scale, and paleomagnetic stratigraphy.

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Book SynopsisChanging relations between science and democracy â and controversies over issues such as climate change, energy transitions, genetically modified organisms and smart technologies â have led to a rapid rise in new forms of public participation and citizen engagement. While most existing approaches adopt fixed meanings of âparticipationâ and are consumed by questions of method or critiquing the possible limits of democratic engagement, this book offers new insights that rethink public engagements with science, innovation and environmental issues as diverse, emergent and in the making. Bringing together leading scholars on science and democracy, working between science and technology studies, political theory, geography, sociology and anthropology, the volume develops relational and co-productionist approaches to studying and intervening in spaces of participation. New empirical insights into the making, construction, circulation and effects of participation across cultures are Trade Review"The insightful chapters collected in this book show how concerns raised by technosciences provide a tremendous opportunity for remaking democracy. The editors and authors invite us to consider the so-called participatory turn neither as a masquerade nor as a mere social technology but as a global multisite construction place where new forms of collective life and government are imagined and experimented. A brilliant book that should be read by all those interested in the future of our planet." –Michel Callon, Professor of Sociology, École des mines and Centre de sociologie de l'innovation, Paris, France"Do not mistake the modesty advocated by this book for half-heartedness. Remaking Participation argues that we should expand our perspectives on participation, and need to get better at appreciating the incredible variety of locations, devices and genres with which participation is done in today’s technological societies. This situation makes it necessary to ‘un-fix’ our understanding of participation. In practice, participation often does not conform to the democratic ideal of participation that we know so well – it is not necessarily good, necessary, authentic. But neither would it do to declare that participation has turned into its opposite (that it has become co-opted, trivial, ineffective). Bringing together leading intellectual voices on science, technology and democracy, Remaking Participation shows that participation lies at the very heart of current technological, environmental and political transformations, and outlines a much needed research agenda that engages with the intensely ambivalent situations that result from this."–Noortje Marres, Centre for Interdisciplinary Methodologies, University of Warwick, UK"Modern societies remain hampered by myths about the relationship between science and democracy. The myths produce unwelcome practices, such as attempts to scientize political decisions or to discredit science by politicising it. This landmark volume explodes the myths and shows how science and democracy can achieve a new relationship underpinned by the core value of public participation. It shows how and why science needs to rethink its relationship with society, and how societies can make science and democracy far more responsive to their needs and desires. The book takes readers to the cutting-edge of debates about the proper relationships between science and democracy. More than this, it also explores new territory, showing how science and democracy can be more richly infused with the practices of both. The editors and authors have together done a brilliant job of showing us what needs to change, and how. It will be a key reference for many years to come. "–Noel Castree, Professor of Geography, University of Wollongong, Australia and University of Manchester, UK"Whether sparked by gene editing or geoengineering, fracking or food crops, arguments about the possibilities and pitfalls of advances in science and technology ripple through our societies with increasing frequency. How, and on what terms, experts, policymakers and wider publics engage in these debates is a topic of constant and fierce negotiation. In Remaking Participation, Jason Chilvers and Matthew Kearnes have brought together an exciting and original series of contributions from some of the leading thinkers in this field. The end result is a collection of rare quality, insight and relevance to real-world questions. It should be read by scholars, students, practitioners, policymakers, and all those who care about the future of science, technology and society."–James Wilsdon, Professor of Science & Democracy, University of Sussex, UK & Chair, Campaign for Social Science"‘Participation’ is the word that covers all sins, a term so elastic that it can be used to both challenge and legitimize any given decision-making process. Remaking Participation shows how to redeem this slippery concept and sharpen its critical edge. By examining in detail how citizens engage with controversial scientific and environmental issues, this book invites us to see the objects and the subjects of participation, the problems that trigger political action and the collectives that gather around them, as emergent, mutually constitutive realities. Far from being a recipe for relativism and detachment, the authors’ embrace of the contingency that besets participatory democracy in the making reinvigorates the ideal of civic engagement and recasts the role of social scientists as participants in open-ended political experiments."–Javier Lezaun, Deputy Director, Institute for Science, Innovation and Society, University of Oxford, UK"This is the book that many have long been waiting for. It tackles head-on, some of the most important current issues at the meeting of social science and wider politics: What does participation mean? Where is it going? Transcending the usual dichotomised tropes, these essays take diverse and highly nuanced critically reflectively views – with many very practical implications. The conclusions are of enormous importance to all those academics and practitioners working in policy arenas touched by the language and practice of participation"–Andy Stirling, Professor of Science and Technology Policy and Co-Director of the STEPS Centre, University of Sussex, UK"Exercises of participatory technology assessment are a fascinating window onto relations of science, citizens, and state. Bringing together a rich diversity of cases and arguments, the book builds on the idea that public assessment of technology is a form of democratic experiment by analyzing the variety of ways in which this is so. In the process, we gain a useful theoretical framework for understanding the modern enterprise of ‘public engagement’ as a co-constructive process of making publics, democratic idioms, and technoscience itself." –David Winickoff, Director, Berkeley Program in Science & Technology Studies, USA"This important book argues for a new approach to public participation in science and technology, one which understands participation as co-produced, relational and emergent. Written by the leading contributors in the field, and combining theoretical depth with engaging empirical material, this refreshing and timely collection is essential reading for all those concerned with science, innovation and democracy." –Jane Calvert, Science Technology & Innovation Studies, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh, UK"Participatory politics are all the rage. This is especially the case when science, technology, corporate and political power shape innovation and policymaking. Such forces also manipulate opinion and even political and social outlooks. So the very act of participation could, in the wrong hands, reinforce the tools of power and influence. Jason Chilvers and Matthew Kearnes are very much alive to these dangers. They have brought together an impressive array of contributors who show that effective participation can be truly revolutionary and politically transforming. They are all on their guard that such a rewarding outcome has constantly to be fought for and reinvented through genuine partnerships and dialogue. The ultimate test is how far power is progressively shared and social justice genuinely created." –Tim O’Riordan, Emeritus Professor, School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, UK"Participation is a key field within the study of international development. This book adds significantly to existing approaches to participation by adding insights from science and technology studies and theories of democracy. It should be read by students and analysts working on international development, and anyone interested in participation as a research and policy tool." –Tim Forsyth, Department of International Development, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK"[T]he individual chapters in the book, which comprise a series of excellent explorations of participatory practices in our science and technology drenched democracies, showing how those practices are continually (re)configured during unending contestations over democracy.The strength of the volume resides in those excellent chapters, and in the good intentions of Chilvers and Kearnes" - Darrin Durant, Metascience Journal, 2018Table of Contents1.Science, democracy and emergent publics Part 1 Rethinking participation 2. Participation in the making: rethinking public engagement in co-productionist terms 3. Engaging in a decentred world: overflows, ambiguities, and the governance of climate change 4. Engaging the Mundane: Complexity and Speculation in Everyday Technoscience 5. Ghosts of the machine: Publics, meanings and social science in a time of expert dogma and denial 2 Making participation 6. State experiments with public participation: French nanotechnology, Congolese deforestation, and the search for national publics 7. Technologies of participation and the making of technologised futures 8. Participation as pleasure: Citizenship and science communication 9. The temporal choreographies of participation: Thinking innovation and society from a time-sensitive perspective Part 3 Remaking Participation 10. An ‘experiment with intensities’: village hall reconfigurings of the world within a new participatory collective 11. Against blank slate futuring: Noticing obduracy in the city through experiential methods of public engagement 12. Reflexively engaging with technologies of participation: constructive assessment for public participation methods 13. Remaking participation: towards reflexive engagement

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Book SynopsisThe New Blackwell Companion to the City provides a guide to the major themes in urban studies. Building on well established debates in the field, this volume provides students and scholars with a contemporary update on urban thinking.Table of ContentsList of Contributors x Preface xiii Gary Bridge and Sophie Watson Acknowledgments xv Part I City Materialities 1 1 Reflections on Materialities 3 Gary Bridge and Sophie Watson 2 Neoliberal Urbanism: Cities and the Rule of Markets 15 Nik Theodore, Jamie Peck, and Neil Brenner 3 The Liquid City of Megalopolis 26 John Rennie Short 4 Ups and Downs in the Global City: London and New York in the Twenty-First Century 38 Susan S. Fainstein, Ian Gordon, and Michael Harloe 5 Ethnography of an Indian City: Ahmedabad 48 Amrita Shah 6 Landscape and Infrastructure in the Late-Modern Metropolis 57 Matthew Gandy 7 Objects and the City 66 Harvey Molotch 8 Ecologies of Dwelling: Maintaining High-Rise Housing in Singapore 79 Jane M. Jacobs and Stephen Cairns 9 The Urbanization of Nature: Great Promises, Impasse, and New Beginnings 96 Maria Kaika and Erik Swyngedouw 10 One Hundred Tons to Armageddon: Cities Combat Carbon 108 Peter Droege 11 The New Military Urbanism 121 Stephen Graham 12 The City’s New “Trinity” in Contemporary Shanghai: A Case Study of the Residential Housing Market 134 Wang Xiaoming, translated by Tyler Rooker 13 Residence Through Revolution and Reform 142 Ray Forrest Part II City Mobilities 155 14 Reflections on Mobilities 157 Gary Bridge and Sophie Watson 15 “Nothing Gained by Overcrowding”: The History and Politics of Urban Population Control 169 Andrew Ross 16 Transnationality and the City 179 Nina Glick Schiller 17 Migrants Making Technology Markets 193 Tyler Rooker 18 Analytic Borderlands: Economy and Culture in the Global City 210 Saskia Sassen 19 Nomadic Cities 221 David Pinder 20 Mobility and Civility: Police and the Formation of the Modern City 235 Francis Dodsworth 21 Disease and Infection in the City 245 Simon Carter 22 Urban Choreographies: Dance and the Politics of Space 255 Daniel J. Walkowitz 23 Cities on Wheels: Cars and Public Space 265 Brian Ladd Part III City Affect 275 24 Reflections on Affect 277 Gary Bridge and Sophie Watson 25 Intensities of Feeling: Cloverfield, the Uncanny, and the Always Near Collapse of the City 288 Steve Pile 26 The Future of New York’s Destruction: Fantasies, Fictions, and Premonitions after 9/11 304 Max Page 27 Public Spaces? Branding, Civility, and the Cinema in Twenty-First-Century China 317 Stephanie Hemelryk Donald 28 The Postmetropolis and Mental Life: Wong Kar-Wai’s Cinematic Hong Kong 327 Christoph Lindner 29 Imagining Naples: The Senses of the City 337 Lesley Caldwell 30 City Life and the Senses 347 John Urry 31 The Politics of Urban Intersection: Materials, Affect, Bodies 357 AbdouMaliq Simone 32 The City, the Psyche, and the Visibility of Religious Spaces 367 Andrew Hill Part IV City Publics and Cultures 377 33 Reflections on Publics and Cultures 379 Gary Bridge and Sophie Watson 34 Reflections on the Public Realm 390 Richard Sennett 35 City-zenship in Contemporary China: Shanghai, Capital of the Twenty-First Century? 398 Michael Keith 36 “Just Diversity” in the City of Difference 407 Kurt Iveson and Ruth Fincher 37 The Emergence of Cosmopolitan Soho 419 Judith R. Walkowitz 38 Modernity and Gaslight: Victorian London in the 1950s and 1960s 431 Frank Mort 39 The Doing Undone: Vagrancies for the Acoustic City 442 Rob Stone 40 Sustainable Cultural Spaces in the Global City: Cultural Clusters in Heritage Sites, Hong Kong and Singapore 452 Lily Kong 41 Spatializing Culture: Embodied Space in the City 463 Setha Low 42 The Street Politics of Jackie Smith 476 John Paul Jones III 43 Walking and Performing “the City”: A Melbourne Chronicle 488 Benjamin Rossiter and Katherine Gibson Part V City Divisions and Differences 499 44 Reflections on Division and Difference 501 Gary Bridge and Sophie Watson 45 The Lost Urban Sociology of Pierre Bourdieu 511 Mike Savage 46 Traveling Theory: Embracing Post-Neoliberalism Through Southern Cities 521 Jenny Robinson and Sue Parnell 47 Race, Class, and Inequality in the South African City 532 Jeremy Seekings 48 Oxford Street, Accra: Spatial Logics, Street Life, and the Transnational Imaginary 547 Ato Quayson 49 Harlem Between Ghetto and Renaissance 561 Sharon Zukin 50 Gentrification of the City 571 Tom Slater 51 The Homosexuality of Cities 586 Julie Abraham 52 Gendering Urban Space 596 Jessica Ellen Sewell 53 Nights in the Global City 606 Sophie Body-Gendrot Part VI City Politics and Planning 617 54 Reflections on Politics and Planning 619 Gary Bridge and Sophie Watson 55 Urban Planning in an Uncertain World 631 Ash Amin 56 The Three Historic Currents of City Planning 643 Peter Marcuse 57 Photourbanism: Planning the City from Above and from Below 656 Anthony Vidler 58 Shaping Good Cities and Citizens 667 Evelyn S. Ruppert 59 Regional Urbanization and the End of the Metropolis Era 679 Edward W. Soja 60 Invisible Architecture: Neighborhood Governance in China’s Cities 690 John Friedmann 61 Retreat from a Totalitarian Society: China’s Urbanism in the Making 701 Fulong Wu 62 Transnational Urban Political Ecology: Health and Infrastructure in the Unbounded City 713 Roger Keil 63 Entrepreneurial Urbanism, Policy Tourism, and the Making Mobile of Policies 726 Kevin Ward 64 Making Up Global Urban Policies 738 Allan Cochrane 65 Urban Governance in Europe: What Is Governed? 747 Patrick Le Galès Index 759

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Book SynopsisA fresh take on social class from the experts behind the BBC''s ''Great British Class Survey''.Why does social class matter more than ever in Britain today?How has the meaning of class changed?What does this mean for social mobility and inequality?In this book Mike Savage and the team of sociologists responsible for the Great British Class Survey look beyond the labels to explore how and why our society is changing and what this means for the people who find themselves in the margins as well as in the centre.Their new conceptualization of class is based on the distribution of three kinds of capital - economic (inequalities in income and wealth), social (the different kinds of people we know) and cultural (the ways in which our leisure and cultural preferences are exclusive) - and provides incontrovertible evidence that class is as powerful and relevant today as it''s ever been.Trade ReviewThis endlessly fascinating study... is indispensable if you want to understand modern Britain -- Rod Liddle * Sunday Times *A fascinating read, going deep into the interplay between wealth, culture and society, and making the strong case that traditional class divisions don't really help us to understand these forces any more . . . anybody in the UK discussing class henceforth will need to get this down of the shelf -- Hugo Rifkind * Times *Convincing and fascinating . . . this book marshals impressive evidence to show how inequality is increasing. -- Robert Colvile * Telegraph *There's something for everybody here . . . it will start many conversations * Evening Standard *

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Book SynopsisSee the Earth revealed in amazing detail through more than 640 spectacular maps, along with fascinating fact files about countries all over the world.The world is a big place, but this best-selling reference atlas keeps things suitably small for children and adults alike. More than 640 stunning maps come together in DK''s Concise World Atlas, from the frozen ice of Antarctica to the hot tropics of Africa. Terrain models show features of the land, while informative text, photographs, and diagrams combine to create a superb overview of the world''s physical, political, economic, and demographic geography. Careful presentation and easy language ensure the information stays clear and concise for younger readers throughout the book.196 nations are detailed in fascinating fact files, alongside information about the country''s land use, industries, and population distribution. An index bursting with 80,000 entries makes the Concise World Atlas an essent

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Book SynopsisNow fully revised, this second edition of Wind Energy Explained: Theory, Design and Application builds on its highly successful predecessor, now the leading textbook for wind energy degree courses.Table of ContentsAbout the Authors ix Preface xi Acknowledgments xiii 1 Introduction: Modern Wind Energy and its Origins 1 1.1 Modern Wind Turbines 2 1.2 History of Wind Energy 10 References 21 2 Wind Characteristics and Resources 23 2.1 Introduction 23 2.2 General Characteristics of the Wind Resource 24 2.3 Characteristics of the Atmospheric Boundary Layer 36 2.4 Wind Data Analysis and Resource Estimation 53 2.5 Wind Turbine Energy Production Estimates Using Statistical Techniques 63 2.6 Regional Wind Resource Assessment 65 2.7 Wind Prediction and Forecasting 72 2.8 Wind Measurement and Instrumentation 74 2.9 Advanced Topics 84 References 87 3 Aerodynamics of Wind Turbines 91 3.1 General Overview 91 3.2 One-dimensional Momentum Theory and the Betz Limit 92 3.3 Ideal Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine with Wake Rotation 96 3.4 Airfoils and General Concepts of Aerodynamics 101 3.5 Blade Design for Modern Wind Turbines 115 3.6 Momentum Theory and Blade Element Theory 117 3.7 Blade Shape for Ideal Rotor without Wake Rotation 121 3.8 General Rotor Blade Shape Performance Prediction 124 3.9 Blade Shape for Optimum Rotor with Wake Rotation 131 3.10 Generalized Rotor Design Procedure 133 3.11 Simplified HAWT Rotor Performance Calculation Procedure 138 3.12 Effect of Drag and Blade Number on Optimum Performance 139 3.13 Computational and Aerodynamic Issues in Aerodynamic Design 141 3.14 Aerodynamics of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines 145 References 153 4 Mechanics and Dynamics 157 4.1 Background 157 4.2 Wind Turbine Loads 158 4.3 General Principles of Mechanics 161 4.4 Wind Turbine Rotor Dynamics 172 4.5 Methods for Modeling Wind Turbine Structural Response 200 References 202 5 Electrical Aspects of Wind Turbines 205 5.1 Overview 205 5.2 Basic Concepts of Electrical Power 206 5.3 Power Transformers 217 5.4 Electrical Machines 219 5.5 Power Converters 237 5.6 Electrical Aspects of Variable-Speed Wind Turbines 246 5.7 Ancillary Electrical Equipment 253 References 255 6 Wind Turbine Materials and Components 257 6.1 Overview 257 6.2 Material Fatigue 257 6.3 Wind Turbine Materials 266 6.4 Machine Elements 270 6.5 Principal Wind Turbine Components 276 References 308 7 Wind Turbine Design and Testing 311 7.1 Overview 311 7.2 Design Procedure 312 7.3 Wind Turbine Topologies 316 7.4 Wind Turbine Standards, Technical Specifications, and Certification 322 7.5 Wind Turbine Design Loads 325 7.6 Load Scaling Relations 333 7.7 Power Curve Prediction 336 7.8 Computer Codes for Wind Turbine Design 340 7.9 Design Evaluation 345 7.10 Wind Turbine and Component Testing 346 References 355 8 Wind Turbine Control 359 8.1 Introduction 359 8.2 Overview of Wind Turbine Control Systems 364 8.3 Typical Grid-connected Turbine Operation 370 8.4 Supervisory Control Overview and Implementation 374 8.5 Dynamic Control Theory and Implementation 382 References 404 9 Wind Turbine Siting, System Design, and Integration 407 9.1 General Overview 407 9.2 Wind Turbine Siting 408 9.3 Installation and Operation Issues 416 9.4 Wind Farms 419 9.5 Wind Turbines and Wind Farms in Electrical Grids 433 References 446 10 Wind Energy Applications 449 10.1 General Overview 449 10.2 Distributed Generation 450 10.3 Hybrid Power Systems 450 10.4 Offshore Wind Energy 461 10.5 Operation in Severe Climates 478 10.6 Special Purpose Applications 480 10.7 Energy Storage 489 10.8 Fuel Production 497 References 501 11 Wind Energy System Economics 505 11.1 Introduction 505 11.2 Overview of Economic Assessment of Wind Energy Systems 506 11.3 Capital Costs of Wind Energy Systems 511 11.4 Operation and Maintenance Costs 519 11.5 Value of Wind Energy 521 11.6 Economic Analysis Methods 530 11.7 Wind Energy Market Considerations 539 References 543 12 Wind Energy Systems: Environmental Aspects and Impacts 547 12.1 Introduction 547 12.2 Avian/Bat Interaction with Wind Turbines 549 12.3 Visual Impact of Wind Turbines 556 12.4 Wind Turbine Noise 561 12.5 Electromagnetic Interference Effects 573 12.6 Land-Use Environmental Impacts 582 12.7 Other Environmental Considerations 585 References 589 Appendix A Nomenclature 593 A.1 Note on Nomenclature and Units 593 A.2 Chapter 2 593 A.3 Chapter 3 595 A.4 Chapter 4 597 A.5 Chapter 5 601 A.6 Chapter 6 604 A.7 Chapter 7 606 A.8 Chapter 8 607 A.9 Chapter 9 608 A.10 Chapter 10 610 A.11 Chapter 11 612 A.12 Chapter 12 613 A.13 Abbreviations 614 Appendix B Problems 617 B.1 Problem Solving 617 B.2 Chapter 2 Problems 617 B.3 Chapter 3 Problems 621 B.4 Chapter 4 Problems 628 B.5 Chapter 5 Problems 632 B.6 Chapter 6 Problems 637 B.7 Chapter 7 Problems 639 B.8 Chapter 8 Problems 642 B.9 Chapter 9 Problems 647 B.10 Chapter 10 Problems 652 B.11 Chapter 11 Problems 656 B.12 Chapter 12 Problems 658 Appendix C Data Analysis and Data Synthesis 661 C.1 Overview 661 C.2 Data Analysis 661 C.3 Data Synthesis 671 References 675 Index 677

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Book Synopsis"[T]he genius of Hanson's fascinating, inspiring, and entertaining book stems from the fact that it is not about how all kinds of things grow from seeds it is about the seeds themselves."-Mark Kurlansky, New York Times Book ReviewTrade Review"For the past fifty seven years I have relied on seeds for food and, throughout much of my horticultural career for earning a living. This new book has re excited my fascination for these wonderful living structures... [I]nformative, yet readable... [A] fascinating book." --Chris Allen, The Gardening Times (UK) "In The Triumph of Seeds, Thor Hanson offers the reader a smorgasbord of the science and lore of seeds... Hanson, following the recipe developed in his acclaimed book Feathers, breathes life into the sometimes dry topic of seed biology by weaving a colorful tapestry of stories that entertain as well as inform... The Triumph of Seeds is eminently readable. Hanson is a great story teller and writes in a conversational style, so reading the book is like having an extended conversation with an entertaining friend... The Triumph of Seeds is a thoroughly fun read, perfect for anyone wanting an introduction to seeds or for those who enjoy lively natural history." --Douglasia (Washington Native Plants Society journal) "Hanson's highly readable The Triumph of Seeds is replete with fascinating facts, including the development of caffeine in coffee beans." --Texas Gardener's Seeds "Thor Hanson has taken the history and science of these little marvels and drawn out a fascinating account of seed culture. We should not forget the importance of seeds in the liquor cabinet, as well. From rye whiskey, to wheat vodka, to barley beer, it would be a lot harder to get drunk without our friends in the grain world." --Home Wet Bar blog "[Hanson's] luck for finding then writing about the magic in something common continues with The Triumph of Seeds." --Seattle Times "Lest you get the impression that Hanson's book is all academic grit and gruel, be advised that he has thoroughly leavened his narrative with odd facts and fascinating digressions." --Natural History "This is a charming book, inspired by Hanson's forays into seed identification and dispersal with his young, seed-obsessed son... Hanson's twist of looking at human interactions with plants in their embryonic stage is new... The Triumph of Seeds will engender thoughtful consideration of our joint future." --Nature "Hanson's writing is lively, inquisitive, and knowledgeable. He draws on his own knowledge and that of a wide field of experts, writing a clear, comprehensible book that covers a wide range of topics." --Fangirl Nation "[Hanson is] jocular and entertaining in his dispensing of remarkable facts about these little vessels of life-to-be... From high-tech, high-security seed banks bracing for climate change to the story of the gum extracted from guar seeds that is used in everything from ice cream to fracking, this upbeat and mind-expanding celebration of the might of seeds is popular science writing at its finest." --Booklist, starred review "[A] delightful account of the origins, physiologies and human uses of a vast variety of objects that plants employ to make more plants... A fine addition to the single-issue science genre." --Kirkus Reviews "Hanson writes in that breezy, enthused, confident way of good American science writers, scattering stories and analogies like dandelion seed-puffs... [The Triumph of Seeds] is a good example of extrovert nature writing, weaving together biology, human history and 'juicy seed lore'." --British Wildlife (UK) "Who knew that seeds could be so thrilling and dangerous? Thor Hanson is a lively storyteller, a lyrical writer, and a quick wit. The Triumph of Seeds is more than an engrossing work of natural history. It's a compelling and highly entertaining journey, populated by scientists and historians, criminals and explorers, aviators and futurists. Following Hanson's global voyage is the best sort of armchair travel, because it is filled with wonder, poetry, and discovery." --Amy Stewart, author of The Drunken Botanist: The Plants That Create the World's Great Drinks, a New York Times Bestseller "This beautifully written book is a magnificent read. Every page is full of surprises and illuminating insights, illustrating the fascinating evolution of seeds, and their extraordinary impact on humans, past and present. A master storyteller, Hanson has created a first-rate natural history. When you reach the end of this page-turner, you will wish there were more ... and you will never look at seeds in the same way." --Eric Jay Dolin, author of Leviathan: The History of Whaling in America and When America Met China: An Exotic History of Tea, Drugs, and Money in the Age of Sail "Written in an engaging style, the book flows nicely; each chapter leads into the next, so the book is hard to put down." --Choice "Hanson's cinematic accounts of his own research and his interactions with the experts behind his stories set this apart from other era-hopping historical narratives." --The American Gardener "Hanson does his job well. And in the end becomes one of my favorite kind of writers -- the kind who can take something so seemingly (and perhaps deceptively) simple and so oven overlooked and make it not only relevant, but fun... People who want to get students more interested in science would do well to read The Triumph of Seeds and take note: tell stories, combine science and technology with pop culture, art, and literature, have a sense of humor, be enthusiastic." --Catherine Ramsdell, Pop Matters "A beautifully written story of seeds. The author has a gift for explaining science in an engaging manner. Despite this lightness of touch, the book is deeply researched and explores a breadth of horticulture, history and ecology."--Garden News "[The Triumph of Seeds] successfully blends natural history, personal anecdotes, and 'proper' science and ties them all together seamlessly with lovely writing. Although often over-used, I think Seeds can be summed up appropriately in one word: Charming."--Nigel Chaffey, Annals of Biology blog "[A]n intriguing look at the acorns that grow into oaks, the orchid beans that flavor vanilla extract, and other ordinary seeds that affect the world, often in extraordinary ways... [The Triumph of Seeds] is a mix of lively stories, adventure, natural history, botany and ecology... Hanson's book isn't a 'how-to,' but it is a 'don't miss' for naturalists, from amateurs to experts, or for anyone who enjoys growing plants from seeds." --HGTVGardens.com "How do you summarize a book that traverses every continent, plumbs the depths of human and paleontological history and skims both the ocean waves and the dead silence of outer space? The Triumph of Seeds does just that, tracing the journey of seeds and making a case that he world as we know it is saturated with, and impossible without, seeds." --Deseret News "[A] delight. Composed in charming and lively prose, the book introduces readers to a variety of quirky figures -- biologists, farmers, archaeologists and everyday gardeners -- who have something profound to say about a seemingly mundane topic: those little kernels that, against tremendous odds, have managed to take root all around us... The Triumph of Seeds is a remarkable, gentle and refreshing piece of work that draws readers further into the wide arms of the world and makes them grateful for it." --BookPage "Conservation biologist Hanson's new book showcases an even more approachable style than his 2011 Feathers. Using a personalized viewpoint derived from his backyard lab and dissertation research in Costa Rica with the almendro tree, as well as visits with specialists worldwide, he describes how seeds nourish, unite, endure, defend, and travel." --Library Journal "[F]ast and fascinating prose... Hanson, who has also chronicled feathers and gorillas, is a conservation biologist and Guggenheim fellow, and an ace dot-connector: He can draw a line between all the grain panics and crises and the tiny, miraculous structure of the seeds themselves, because he dives deeply into botany, economy and history. Also, he's just plain fun." --Denver Post "[A] rip-roaring read." --Robert Krulwich, National Geographic's Curiously Krulwich blog "With light, engaging prose Hanson shows how the little spheroids we tip out of a packet are in fact supremely elegant genetic time capsules. The Triumph of Seeds takes you past the casing into the extraordinary inner workings of objects without which our landscapes, dinner plates, and gardens would be unrecognisable. You will never be able to look at an orange pip or a sunflower seed in the same way again." --New Scientist "[An] engaging book... What makes The Triumph of Seeds more than a routine pop botany book is the way Mr. Hanson teases out the resonances between the ways that plants and humans use seeds... [A] lively and intelligent book." --Richard Mabey, Wall Street Journal "[T]he genius of Hanson's fascinating, inspiring and entertaining book stems from the fact that it is not about how all kinds of things grow from seeds; it is about the seeds themselves. Hanson...takes one of the least-impressive-looking natural objects and reveals a life of elegance and wonder... Although he is a storyteller by nature, he also charms us with an infectious enthusiasm. The reader feels that Hanson cannot wait to tell us what comes next... Like all good writers, he understands narrative -- that a book, at its best, is a story, and that this one is built by spinning stories within stories. They are fun, sometimes they are funny, and they are always fascinating and readable... [An] engaging book." --Mark Kurlansky, New York Times Book Review "Hanson delivers botanical information with wit and imagination. How seeds nurture themselves with starch, proteins, and oils may be a prosaic affair, but Hanson enlivens the explanation of their diverse nourishment strategies by examining the components of an Almond Joy candy bar: coconut palm, cacao beans, almond, corn." --Orion "Hanson, a wide-ranging naturalist and writer, explores, chapter by chapter, the many faceted aspects of seeds... And throughout, he weaves his own tales from his gardening. I loved this book and learned a lot." --Carol Savonen, Statesman Journal PRAISE FOR THE HARDCOVER EDITION Winner of the 2016 PNBA Book Award A finalist for the 2016 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books, Young Adult Science Book category "This is the kind of accessible science writing that keeps readers engrossed, never realizing how much knowledge they're picking up along the way. Who knew that seeds could be so fascinating? Hanson's narrative voice and personal anecdotes make for easy and enjoyable reading--and learning." --Judges' citation, 2016 PNBA Book Award "San Juan Island conservation biologist Hanson explores the easily-overlooked but fascinating key to much of life on Earth, from coffee beans and the nut in Almond Joys to ancient grasses and sticky burdock seeds, which inspired Velcro" --Seattle Times, Best Books of 2015 "Combining personal anecdotes with rich historical examples, conservation biologist Thor Hanson delves into the origins and evolution of seeds, explains their unique ability to equip new plants with the nutrients they need to gain purchase in their respective ecosystems, and describes their host of formidable defenses. Drawing connections between, for example, coffee beans and the Enlightenment and wheat shortages and the Arab Spring, Hanson deftly shows how seeds have also played an important role in human history." --Science PRAISE FOR THE PAPERBACK EDITION "[Seeds'] ubiquity has often meant that their evolutionary solutions are overlooked, but the author appraises them with a keen and appreciative eye." --New York Times Book Review, Paperback Row "Biologist Thor Hanson sows the ultimate celebration of seeds and how they conquered the earth." --Nature "[The Triumph of Seeds] explores the importance of seeds, with scientific explanations, humorous first-person accounts and historical anecdotes." --Alaska Beyond "Hanson's style is that of a well-honed raconteur... For every point he makes, there's a tale (or two) that illustrates, and connects, and invites us explore the idea further. We begin to realize the amazing impact seeds have had on development of civilizations." --Connie Bennett, KLCC-FM (Eugene, OR) "A delightful work of natural history by San Juan Islands writer Hanson, about seeds, their role in nature's life cycle and in our lives." --Seattle Times "Imbued with open-eyed, childlike passion for his subject, conservation biologist Thor Hanson celebrates the triumph of seeds... Hanson is a genial and poetic guide, cleverly weaving together biology and culture." --Galapagos Matters (UK)Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Fierce Energy Seeds Nourish 1. Seed for a Day 2. The Staff of Life 3. Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut Seeds Unite 4. What the Spike Moss Knows 5. Mendel's Spores Seeds Endure 6. Methuselah 7. Take It to the Bank Seeds Defend 8. By Tooth, Beak, and Gnaw 9. The Riches of Taste 10 The Cheeriest Beans 11. Death by Umbrella Seeds Travel 12. Irresistible Flesh 13. By Wind and Wave Conclusion: The Future of Seeds

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Book SynopsisJeffrey D. Sachs presents a compelling and practical framework to address the seemingly intractable worldwide problems of persistent extreme poverty, environmental degradation, and political-economic injustice: sustainable development. Sachs explains how modern societies can develop economically, equitably, and sustainably.Trade ReviewJeff Sachs's admirable book explains what sustainable development means, why it matters, and our history in relation to our environment. It shows how the pattern of growth we have followed has placed intense strains on our planet and generated severe risks to our lives and livelihoods. Above all, it explains clearly where we can go and how to get there. It describes a potential future of great attraction in terms of wellbeing, community and prosperity, properly understood. It should, and I hope it will, strengthen both the understanding of the great choices we face and the resolve to act. It is a splendid achievement. -- Lord Nicholas Stern, Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment This terrific book stands out for its breadth, clarity, mastery of detail, honest discussion of complex matters, and its author's practical experience and good sense. It is actually ten terrific books under one cover because its accounts of economics, history, health, development, education, gender issues, food, climate change and biological diversity are among the best available. If you want to understand the modern world, and if you have room on your shelf for only one book, this is your book. -- Jared Diamond, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Guns, Germs, and Steel There are very few authors that can so effectively rally the masses around an important cause-one that in this case concerns our collective future. There are still too few leaders with knowledge about global sustainable development challenges to affect the scalable changes that are needed. Professor Sachs's book is a comprehensive summary of complex issues, but it breaks them down and makes them digestible and understandable while making the imperative clear. It will clearly contribute significantly in closing the gap between science and policy, and hopefully serve as a catalyst for action. -- Hans Vestberg, CEO, Ericsson An important, comprehensive and remarkably accessible book-a standout in a sea ofjargon-laden titles that fail to explain and vivify this enormously complex topic Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Sweeping, enlightening, affecting, and invaluable, The Age of Sustainable Development should be available to everyone and consulted repeatedly. Booklist (starred review) Clear straightforward prose and a wealth of statistics... Sachs balances alarming forecasts with signs of progress. Publishers Weekly It is truly gratifying that an economist as distinguished as Jeffrey Sachs has authored The Age of Sustainable Development. His vast knowledge in the field and deep insights on various sectors of economic activity make him uniquely qualified to provide a view of the subject. Given the fact that almost a quartercentury has gone by since the Rio Summit of 1992, it is time for an authoritative volume such as the one Professor Sachs has authored for the benefit of global society. -- Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, director-general, TERI; former chairman, IPCC Comprehensive and crystal clear-what we need to make sustainable development a reality, not a dream. -- James E. Hansen, director, Earth Institute Program in Climate Science, Awareness, and Solutions The Age of Sustainable Development is both sobering and inspiring: sobering because it presents in great detail the unprecedented challenges facing mankind; inspiring because it assures us that we can meet those challenges, if only we summon the will to act. -- Kerry Kennedy, president, RFK Center for Justice and Human Rights It is, in my view, the best, most comprehensive and most articulate exposition of sustainable development ever written... I would make this book compulsory reading for all politicians and business leaders. -- David Griggs Nature Sachs has probably produced the best book to date on how to manage the planet for 10 billion people. -- Fred Pearce New Scientist A comprehensive introduction to the field of sustainable development by one of its leading scholars, advocates, and practitioners... Recommended. Library Journal In a book of incredible breadth, Sachs delivers a sobering account of the impact of human activity upon the balance of life on Earth... Highly recommended. Choice An inspiring and enlightening read. Africa Report a perceptive, analytical, and hopeful book about the future...This landmark in economic publications presents a brilliant examination of major worldwide threats to the planet and puts forward ways to balance economic development and environmental sustainability to overcome those threats...It is a magnum opus; the chief source of information for any person interested in understanding what sustainable development is all about. -- Bill Schwab Missourian A thoughtful and comprehensive resource on this crucial topic. Civil Engineering A clear and cogent nontechnical survey of the world's major challenges beyond the preservation of peace and security. -- Richard N. Cooper Foreign Affairs Sachs's book is written for a popular audience and could be used as a complementary text for courses in environmental or development economics or in public health classes or environmental studies classes. Its breadth of insights and coverage is staggering and students and general readers will find new ideas on every page of the book. -- Matthew E. Kahn Journal of Economic LiteratureTable of ContentsForeword, by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon of the United Nations Preface Acknowledgments 1. Introduction to Sustainable Development 2. An Unequal World 3. A Brief History of Economic Development 4. Why Some Countries Developed While Others Stayed Poor 5. Ending Extreme Poverty 6. Planetary Boundaries 7. Social Inclusion 8. Education for All 9. Health for All 10. Food Security 11. Resilient Cities 12. Climate Change 13. Saving Biodiversity and Protecting Ecosystem Services 14. Sustainable Development Goals Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisOffers an ecological critique to the history of sound media technologies in order to amplify the environmental undertones in sound studies and turn up the audio in discussions of greening the media. By looking at early and neglected forms of sound technology, the author seeks to create a revisionist, ecologically aware history of sound media.Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1. Green Discs 2. Birdland Melodies 3. Subterranean Signals 4. Radio's Dark Ecology The Run-Out Groove Index

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Book SynopsisExamines how the lives of dispossessed men and women are affected by the rise of narco-trafficking along the US - Mexico border. This book explores the everyday reality of the drug trade by living alongside its low-level workers: those living at the edges of the violence generated by the militarization of "the war on drugs."Trade Review"[Provides] nuanced gendered insights into the traditionally masculine narco universe." -- Marilyn Gates New York Journal of Books "[Muehlmann's] gift for narrative provides a powerful analytical lens." -- Derek Gregory Geographical ImaginationsTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction: Life at the Edges of the War on Drugs 1. Narco-Wives, Beauty Queens, and a Mother's Bribes 2. "When I Wear My Alligator Boots" 3. "A Narco without a Corrido Doesn't Exist" 4. The View from Cruz's Throne 5. Moving the Money When the Bank Accounts Get Full 6. "Now They Wear Tennis Shoes" Conclusion: Puro pa'delante Mexico Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisGrowing from the seafloor and extending along the ocean surface in lush canopies, giant kelp provides an extensive vertical habitat in a largely two-dimensional seascape. This book provides a discussion of kelp species and forest ecology worldwide, with considerations of human uses and abuses, management and conservation, and more.Trade Review"A detailed, multifaceted synthesis of knowledge... Recommended." -- R. Schmid CHOICE connect "Remarkable... as comprehensive as could conceivably be attempted... A pleasure to read." -- John J. Bolton PhycologiaTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Introduction PART I. THE BIOLOGY OF GIANT KELP 1. Introduction to Giant Kelp Forests Worldwide 2. The Structure, Function, and Abiotic Requirements of 3. The Abiotic Environment 4. Demography, Dispersal, and Connectivity of Populations PART II. THE GIANT KELP ECOSYSTEM 5. Giant Kelp Communities 6. Detached Giant Kelp Communities, Production, and Food / Control Webs 7. Facilitative and Competitive Interactions in Giant Kelp Forests 8. Grazing in Kelp Communities 9. Predation and Trophic Cascades in Kelp Communities PART III. HUMAN USAGE, MANAGEMENT, AND CONSERVATION 10. Anthropogenic Effects on Kelp Forests 11. Human Usage of Giant Kelp and Kelp Forest Organisms 12. Marine Protected Areas and Fisheries Effects PART IV. GLOBAL CHANGE AND THE FUTURE 13. Global Change 14. Giant Kelp Forests: Conclusions and Final Thought Afterword References Index

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Book SynopsisHarriet Rix is a tree science consultant based at the Tree Council, where she currently supports Defra in researching tree diseases and urban tree strategies. Before joining the tree sector in 2018, her jobs included farming sheep near Parnassus in Greece, working in landmine clearance in Syria for the HALO Trust and in Eastern Syria for the Danish Church, and as a liaison officer for a US department of state-sponsored EID clearance programme in Baghdad and Anbar province. She acted as a scientific advisor on Adrien Grenier's climate documentary, was secretary for Hedgelink and is a trustee of the Iraqi environmental charity Hasar.Rix holds a biochemistry degree from the University of Oxford and an MPhil in the history and philosophy of science from the University of Cambridge. She was a 2021/2022 London Library Emerging Writer, and her writing and photography has been published in the Financial Times, London Review of Books and Times Literary Supplement, among others. The Genius of Trees is her first book.

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Book SynopsisTaking readers from Rampart Cave in the Grand Canyon, to other important fossil sites in Arizona and Chile, this book covers the rich evolutionary legacy and shows why the author has come to believe that the earliest Americans literally hunted these animals to death.Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Prologue 1 Discovering the Last Lost World Radiocarbon Dating and Quaternary Extinctions 2 Overview of Overkill 3 Ground Sloth Dung and Packrat Middens Giant Meat-Eating Bats? 4 Ground Sloths at Home Cryptozoology, Ground Sloths, and Mapinguari National Park 5 Grand Canyon Suite: Mountain Goats, Condors, Equids, and Mammoths 6 Deadly Syncopation 7 Digging for the First People in America: High Stakes at Tule Springs Tricks, Hoaxes, and Bad Science 8 Kill Sites, Sacred Sites 9 Models in Collision: Climatic Change versus Overkill 10 Restoration Unexpected Ramifications of Ecological Change 11 Resurrection: The Past Is Future Epilogue References Index

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Book SynopsisLonglisted for the Wainwright Prize 2024 for Nature Writing[A] joyously readable book it riffs along like breeze in the hedgerow.' John Lewis-Stempel inCountry LifeHart's passion for the potential that resides here is intoxicating. Occasionally an environmental solution comes along that is sobreathtakingly simple you can't believe that not everyone is already doing it.'Sunday Times[Hart] has written an eye-opening and inspiring book which will leave you with a deep appreciation of these wonderful habitats'Daily MailIn this joyous journey around the wild edges of Britain, Christopher Hart takes us through the life, ecology and history of the humble British hedge, showing us how this much-loved (but somewhat overlooked) feature is inextricably woven into our language, history and culture.Hedges or hedgerows have long been an integral part of the British landscape; a bastion of privacy for our gardens, a protective presence on winding country lanes and a vital hiding place for birds and beasts on farmland.This man-made marvel is finally getting its time in the sun. Recognised as an environmental hero and a powerful climate ally, hedgerow is now considered the greatest edge habitat on earth, offering thorny scrub, mature woodland, grassland and even wetland. It plays a critical role in carbon sequestration and provides essential protection against the elements.Hedgelandshighlights the hawthorn and hazel of ancient hedges; the abundance of wildlife, from the elusive dunnock to the striking nightingale, the industrious hedgehog to the little harvest mouse; and the free pickings that the hedgerow offers, making it an essential and delicious element of any countryside ramble.Hedgelandswill tell you everything you never thought you needed to know about this wild, diverse and rich habitat and you might even look at your humble hedge in a whole new way.Hedgelandscombines history, celebration, lament and warning. Christopher Hart is a companionable writer, and makes a powerful case that, at a time of ecological hazard, well-nurtured hedges can play an astonishing role in buttressing the future.'The SpectatorA wonderful history of the threads that stitch the British countryside together.' Jake Fiennes, author ofLand HealerA passionate celebration and exploration of our wonderful hedgerows. You'll be swept along by Hart's intoxicating enthusiasm.' Dave Goulson, author ofSilent Earth

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Book SynopsisPresents the commonly needed techniques for working with population statistics, irrespective of the reader's mathematical background. This book provides concepts and strategies needed in the interpretation of demographic indices and data. It includes a CD-ROM containing integrated learning modules and applications facilitating demographic studies.Trade Review'A key feature of the text is a diskette that contains Microsoft Excel-based programs for illustrating and doing fundamental demographic calculations (life tables, growth rates, standardization, and so forth)...The book is a very good compendium of basic demography that clearly is based on the author's practical teaching experience. It has re-opened for me the possibility of successfully teaching demographic methods to students not primarily interested in population studies. I look forward to using it'. Population Studies, Vol.58, No.2, 2004, pp255-256.'Demographic Methods and Concepts is likely to have such a broader readership, since it is designed to serve also as a self-contained introduction and instructional manual on its subject. It is well written (enlivened with apt quotations from Graunt) and requires little mathematical backround. The graphics are excellent. Fully up-tp-date in terms of 'desktop demography, it has bibliographies that cater to the internet generation as well as to old-style page turners, numerous spreadsheet exercises, and an attached CD-ROM containing excel modules linked to the text'. Population and Development Review 2003.Table of ContentsEACH CHAPTER CONTAINS STUDY RESOURCES INCLUDING GLOSSARY OF KEY TERMS, FURTHER READING, INTERNET RESOURCES, EXERCISES, AND SPREADSHEET EXERCISES; SECTION 1. POPULATION DYNAMICS; SECTION 2. ANALYTICAL APPROACHES; SECTION 3. VITAL PROCESSES; SECTION 4. DEMOGRAPHIC MODELS; SECTION 5. SPATIAL PATTERNS AND PROCESSES; SECTION 6. APPLIED DEMOGRAPHY; APPENDICES; A: BASIC MATHS; B: USING THE EXCEL MODULES; C: INTRODUCTION TO EXCEL; D: ANSWERS TO EXERCISES

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Book SynopsisCarl T. Dahlman earned degrees in sociology, music, and urban affairs before receiving his Ph.D. in geography from the University of Kentucky in 2001. He is the Director of the International Studies Program at Miami University, where his teaching focuses on political geography, migration and mobility, and globalization. His current research includes the role of European integration in the geopolitics of Southeastern Europe, and he has published a book on the subject, Bosnia Remade: Ethnic Cleansing and Its Reversal(Oxford University Press, with Gearóid Tuathail). He is a co-author of Pearson's Introduction to Contemporary Geography, with James M. Rubenstein and William H. Renwick. William H. Renwick earned a B.A. from Rhode Island College in 1973 and a Ph.D. in geography from Clark University in 1979. He has taught at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Rutgers University, and is currently Associate Professor of GTable of Contents1. Introduction to Geography Part 1: Environment and Resources 2. Landforms 3. Weather, Climate & Climate Change 4. Biosphere 5. Earth’s Resources and Environmental Protection Part 2: Culture 6. Population and Migration 7. Cultural Geography 8. Languages and Religions 9. Food and Agriculture Part 3: Development of Modern Society 10. Cities and Urbanization 11. A World of States 12. Economy and Development

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Book SynopsisThis book provides a detailed description of how Python can be used to give insight into the flow of groundwater based on analytic solutions. Starting with simple problems to illustrate the basic principles, complexity is added step by step to show how one-dimensional and two-dimensional models of one or two aquifers can be implemented. Steady and transient flow problems are discussed in confined, semi-confined, and unconfined aquifers that may include wells, rivers, and areal recharge. Special consideration is given to coastal aquifers, including the effect of tides and the simulation of interface flow.Application of Python allows for compact and readable code, and quick visualization of the solutions. Python scripts are provided to reproduce all results. The scripts are also available online so that they can be altered to meet site-specific conditions. This book is intended both as training material for the next generation of university students and as a useful resource forTrade Review 'This is a fantastic addition to the analytical solutions and analytic element modeling canon with a modern approach to programming with Python. I hope readers will use it to learn and explore groundwater theory, and to up their game on making simple reality checks of complex systems to improve all groundwater modeling.''The authors do an excellent job of describing practically important calculations, like determining the critical flowrate at which a pumped well starts to induce flow from a nearby river.'- Michael Fienen, Groundwater - NGWA, Book Review, 7 September 2022'This is a fantastic addition to the analytical solutions and analytic element modeling canon with a modern approach to programming with Python. I hope readers will use it to learn and explore groundwater theory, and to up their game on making simple reality checks of complex systems to improve all groundwater modeling.''The authors do an excellent job of describing practically important calculations, like determining the critical flowrate at which a pumped well starts to induce flow from a nearby river.'- Michael Fienen, Groundwater - NGWA, Book Review, 7 September 2022Table of Contents0. Basics of Groundwater Flow. 1. Steady One-dimensional Flow with Constant Transmissivity. 2. Steady One-dimensional Semi-confined Flow. 3. Steady One-dimensional Unconfined Flow with Variable Saturated Thickness. 4. Steady One-dimensional Flow in Coastal Aquifers. 5. Transient One-dimensional Flow. 6. Steady Two-dimensional Flow to Wells. 7. Steady Two-dimensional Flow to Wells in Uniform Background Flow. 8. Analytic Element Modeling of Steady Two-dimensional Flow. 9. Transient Two-dimensional Flow. 10. Steady Two-dimensional Flow in the Vertical Plane. 11. Appendix - Python Primer

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the complex relationship that the corporate world has with climate change and examines the different ways that corporations engage with the climate crisis. Topics include climate change as business risk, corporate climate politics, the role of justification and compromise, managerial identity, and emotional reactions to climate change.Trade Review'This book makes clear that climate change is not a 'problem' for which there can be a 'solution'. It requires a re-examination of the core structures of our society, and in particular our economy. Using solid research and analysis, Christopher Wright and Daniel Nyberg untangle the complex and multiple ways that corporations are shaping humanity's response to the climate crisis, ways that are unfortunately inadequate to the challenge at hand. In this engaging text, we are challenged to envision alternative futures that will, indeed they must, challenge how we think, who we are, and how we relate to each other and to the natural world around us.' Andrew J. Hoffman, Holcim (US) Professor and Director of the Erb Institute for Sustainable Enterprise, University of Michigan'It's possible that there's no greater example of corporate irresponsibility than climate change - I mean, these companies melted the Arctic, and then rushed to drill in the open water. Thank heaven the authors of this book are beginning the necessary work of calling them to account. If we can break their power then we have a fighting chance against global warming; if not, the ruined earth will be their legacy.' Bill McKibben, author of Earth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet'With the phenomenon of human-caused climate change, we have arrived at a point in history where technological progress is now threatening, rather than facilitating, societal welfare. How is it that we have arrived at this point? And what can we do to right the ship? Christopher Wright and Daniel Nyberg address these and other key questions in the very readable, crisp and well-researched book Climate Change, Capitalism, and Corporations: Processes of Creative Self-Destruction. I recommend this book highly to anyone who wants to learn more not only about how corporations have shaped our response to climate change but also re-imagining alternatives to our current path.' Michael Mann, Distinguished Professor of Meteorology, Pennsylvania State University and author of The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars'In these crucial years to save the global climate, Christopher Wright and Daniel Nyberg have written an important book, boldly explaining the role of big business in global warming. By going inside the minds and boardrooms of big corporations, the authors give us extraordinary insight into not only how businesses think about climate change, but also the creative self-destruction they are unleashing. Scholarly, yet easy to read, this is an essential contribution to understanding the role of big business in climate change - and what we can do to challenge it.' David Ritter, Chief Executive Officer, Greenpeace Australia Pacific'Christopher Wright and Daniel Nyberg shatter the myth of corporate social responsibility as a solution for our climate crisis. Their compelling and hard-hitting analysis exposes the raw destructive power of capitalism - of unsustainable growth, corporations, and consumption. A stable future is still possible. But not unless the world's elite sit bolt upright and listen hard to Wright and Nyberg.' Peter Dauvergne, University of British ColumbiaTable of ContentsForeword Clive Hamilton; Acknowledgements; 1. Climate change and corporate capitalism; 2. Creative self-destruction and the incorporation of critique; 3. Climate change and the corporate construction of risk; 4. Corporate political activity and climate coalitions; 5. Justification, compromise and corruption; 6. Climate change, managerial identity and narrating the self; 7. Emotions, corporate environmentalism and climate change; 8. Political myths and pathways forward; 9. Imagining alternatives; Appendix; References; Index.

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Book SynopsisAn introduction to the history of cartography, this title charts the links between maps and history. It includes illustrations made using Geographical Information Systems which illuminate the many ways in which various human cultures have interpreted spatial relationships.Trade Review"A marvelous compendium of map lore. Anyone truly interested in the development of cartography will want to have his or her own copy to annotate, underline, and index for handy referencing." - L. M. Sebert, Geomatica "The premier one-volume history of cartography.... Maps and Civilization should be a close companion for anyone interested in maps: where they came from, where they are now, and where to go for more detail." - John P. Snyder, Mercator's World"

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Book SynopsisDinosaurs are fascinating creatures and their popularity seems never ending, fuelled by films such as Jurassic Park and documentaries such as Walking with Dinosaurs. Yet dinosaurs (or more precisely non-avian dinosaurs) last trod the Earth 65 million years ago. All we know of them today are their fossilised bones, the tracks and traces that they left behind and, in very rare instances, some of the soft tissues or even traces of their chemistry. In many respects dinosaurs present us with one of the ultimate forensic challenges: they comprise the fragmentary remains of creatures that died many tens of millions of years ago, rather than just recently, or a few tens of years ago, which is the problem usually faced by forensic pathologists. How much do we really know about them, and to what extent can their remains inform us about ancient worlds, and indeed about the history of our planet?In this Very Short Introduction David Norman discusses how dinosaurs were first discovered and interpreTrade ReviewDinosaurs: A Very Short Introduction is anything but. Instead, Dave Norman's book is a tour de force on the latest research on these terribly great reptiles, much of it by himself. An excellent read!! * David B. Weishampel, Senior Editor, The Dinosauria *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION; REFERENCES; FURTHER READING; INDEX

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Book SynopsisA New York Times Book Review Notable Book of the Year A Washington Post Best Book of the Year A Businessweek Best Business Book of the Year A Chicago Tribune Best Book of the Year In this brilliant, essential book, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Thomas L. Friedman speaks to America's urgent need for national renewal and explains how a green revolution can bring about both a sustainable environment and a sustainable America. Friedman explains how global warming, rapidly growing populations, and the expansion of the world's middle class through globalization have produced a dangerously unstable planet--one that is hot, flat, and crowded. In this Release 2.0 edition, he also shows how the very habits that led us to ravage the natural world led to the meltdown of the financial markets and the Great Recession. The challenge of a sustainable way of life presents the United States with an opportunity not onl

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Book SynopsisThe study of the Quaternary ice age has revolutionized ideas about Earth system change and the pace of landscape and ecosystem dynamics. The Ice Age: A Very Short Introduction looks at evidence from the continents, the oceans, and the ice core records, and the human stories behind it all. Jamie Woodward examines the remarkable environmental shifts that took place during the Great Ice Age of the Quaternary Period. He explores the evolution of ideas, evaluates the contributions of the leading players in the great debates, and presents some of the ingenious methods that have been used to retrieve information about the recent geological past.In an era of warming climate, the study of the ice age past is now more important than ever. This book examines the wonders of the Quaternary ice age - to show how ice age landscapes and ecosystems were repeatedly and rapidly transformed as plants, animals, and humans reorganized their worlds. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Trade ReviewWoodward's book tells a remarkable story in a succinct yet comprehensive way... The historical development of ideas relating to Ice Ages has always fascinated me and will no doubt enthral the general readership for which it is intended. * John A Matthews, The Holocene *I very much enjoy delving into the A Very Short Introduction series for a short, but not too short, summary of a subject. The Ice Age is another in this extensive series published by Oxford University Press. There are more than 350 volumes in the series and they aim to provide a 'stimulating and accessible' way into a new subject. * Weather *For me, this is just the right approach. Science is not just facts, but it is also people, blind alleys, prejudices... and egos. Taken together, this is a heady mixture which has been expertly stirred together. * Geological Journal *This is a quite delightful book, in every way. It is well written. It is stacked with new research, something that is not easy for such a 'well-worn' topic, and not a word is wasted. It also includes a large number of cameos that enhance our understanding of Quaternary Science. * Proceedings of the Geologists's Association *Well written, engaging, and accessible. * Geographical Journal *The idea of the Ice Age is now entirely conventional, but it's an idea that took centuries to extract from the evidence around us. As Jamie Woodward's book shows, there was plenty of physics involved in developing the story. * IOPscience *This is a truly comprehensive, highly accessible, and entertaining biography of Ice Age research. * Climatica *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. The Quaternary Ice Age ; 2. Erratic Boulders and the Diluvium ; 3. Monster Glaciers ; 4. Die Eiszeit ; 5. 1840 ; 6. Ice sheets or icebergs ; 7. Glacials, interglacials, and celestial cycles ; 8. Deep ocean sediments and dating the past ; 9. Ice cores, abrupt climate shifts, and ecosystem change ; Epilogue ; Further reading

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Book SynopsisTrade Review“Seal’s spirited account of these early adventurers inspires both admiration and regret.”—Jon Wright, Geographical -- Jon Wright * Geographical *

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Book SynopsisThis fully updated second edition provides an introduction to geotechnical earthquake engineering for first-year graduate students in geotechnical or earthquake engineering graduate programs with a level of detail that will also be useful for more advanced students as well as researchers and practitioners. It begins with an introduction to seismology and earthquake ground motions, then presents seismic hazard analysis and performance-based earthquake engineering (PBEE) principles. Dynamic soil properties pertinent to earthquake engineering applications are examined, both to facilitate understanding of soil response to seismic loads and to describe their practical measurement as part of site characterization. These topics are followed by site response and its analysis and soilâstructure interaction. Ground failure in the form of soil liquefaction, cyclic softening, surface fault rupture, and seismically induced landslides are also addressed, and the book closes with a chapter on soil improvement and hazard mitigation. The first edition has been widely used around the world by geotechnical engineers as well as many seismologists and structural engineers.The main text of this book and the four appendices: Cover fundamental concepts in applied seismology, geotechnical engineering, and structural dynamics Contain numerous references for further reading, allowing for detailed exploration of background or more advanced material Present worked example problems that illustrate the application of key concepts emphasized in the text Include chapter summaries that emphasize the most important points Present concepts of performance-based earthquake engineering with an emphasis on uncertainty and the types of probabilistic analyses needed to implement PBEE in practice Present a broad, interdisciplinary narrative, drawing from the fields of seismology, geotechnical engineering, and structural engineering to facilitate holistic understanding of how geotechnical earthquake engineering is applied in seismic hazard and risk analyses and in seismic design

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Book SynopsisThe Burren is one of those rare and magical places where geology, glacial history, botany, zoology and millennia of cultural history have converged to create a unique landscape of extraordinary natural history interest. It is without equal to any other area in Ireland or Britain.To the unsuspecting tourist, much of the landscape of the Burren looks bleak, rocky, and inhospitable for any sort of farming. Yet the Burren is an agricultural landscape that has been continuously farmed since the first settlers began clearing the forest cover in the Neolithic period. Today there are several hundred farms within the Burren area. Most of these families live and work there and the farmers are crucial for the Burren's future as an area of unique landscape and ecological interest.The area attracts any naturalist with an eye for beauty, but it is the intricacies of the species' ecology, their links to the soil or to a particular insect that is really fascinating. It is a veritable paradise for natuTrade ReviewPraise for David Cabot: ‘A comprehensive addition to Collins’ iconic New Naturalist series. Lavishly illustrated … this book should provide great inspiration.’ Birdwatch ‘Informative and beautifully illustrated throughout’ IBIS ‘The authors and publishers deserve our gratitude for a product that is not only thorough, comprehensive, and a joy to read, but lavishly illustrated with carefully chosen colour photographs and sketches […] The book is very well written and beautifully illustrated […] a delight to add to the bookshelf.’ Journal of Field Ornithology ‘Ireland is a monumental, near-definitive natural history of this country … a valuable, scientifically-based, professionally-indexed and accessible study …’ The Irish Times ‘An outstanding reference work as well as a compendium of fascinating detail. It deserves an honoured place on the library shelves of every home and school.’ Sunday Independent Dublin

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