Earth Sciences, Geography & Environment Books

Book SynopsisA new understanding of the Anthropocene that is based on mutual transformation with nature rather than control over nature.We have been told that we are living in the Anthropocene, a geological era shaped by humans rather than by nature. In Enlivenment, German philosopher Andreas Weber presents an alternative understanding of our relationship with nature, arguing not that humans control nature but that humans and nature exist in a commons of mutual transformation. There is no nature-human dualism, he contends, because the fundamental dimension of existence is shared in what he calls aliveness. All subjectivity is intersubjectivity. Self is self-through-other. Seeing all beings in a common household of matter, desire, and imagination, an economy of metabolic and economic transformation, is “enlivenment.” This perspective allows us to move beyond Enlightenment-style thinking that strips material reality of any subjectivity.To take this step, Weber argu

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Book SynopsisVolcanoes & Earthquakes features the earth sciences at their most spectacular. It reveals the massive internal forces that create and change the Earth's surface, with dramatic and sometimes beautiful consequences.

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Book SynopsisSimplify and planet-proof your beauty routine and dresser with Sustainable Beauty. Featuring all the eco-friendly practical information and guidance you need, plus over 20 step-by-step projects and tutorials to start making your own zero-waste beauty products. Written by leading authority and make up artist to the stars Justine Jenkins.Table of ContentsIntroduction Conscious Consumption Defining sustainable beauty What’s in a label? The ethical buyer Vegan and vegetarian beauty Our Beautiful Planet Recyclable, biodegradable and compostable: the differences Repurposing your packaging The Sustainable Self Natural and organic Creating sustainable beauty Skincare Bodycare Haircare Mindful Make-up Face Eyes Lips The mindful make-up tool kit Beauty larder Beauty tool shed Conclusion Animal derived ingredients Index Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisRichard D. Oramgained an MA (Hons) in Medieval History with Archaeology and a PhD in Medieval History, both from the University of St Andrews.He is currently Professor of Medieval and Environmental History at the University of Stirling. A former Director of the Centre for Environmental History and Policy and member of the Historic Environment Advisory Council for Scotland, he is now a Trustee of the National Museums of Scotland.

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Book SynopsisSimon Smiles was a Group Managing Director at UBS and the Chief Investment Officer for Ultra High Net Worth Clients, where he established and ran the wealth management sustainable and impact investing teams. An IIF Future Leader, WEF Young Global Leader and member of the Milken Institute's Young Leaders Circle, he appeared regularly in global financial media speaking about sustainability and investments. Before moving to Zurich, he worked in Sydney and Hong Kong and earned a PhD in economics from the Australian National University. James Purcell is the Group Head of Sustainable Frameworks at Credit Suisse. He and his team coordinate the firm's approach to sustainable investing and lending. Previously, he was the Group Head of Sustainable, Thematic and Impact Investing at Quintet Private Bank, a privately held bank operating out of 50 cities across Europe. Earlier in his career he was a managing director at UBS, where he spent more than a decade in roles based in London, HTrade Review"A thoughtful and visionary book authored by two of the most established leaders in sustainable investing. It is insightful and inspiring while witty and entertaining. A must-read!" * Mirjam Staub-Bisang, Country Manager, BlackRock Switzerland *"A compelling read for those interested in sustainable investing and how it can be implemented in practice." * Axel A. Weber, Former President, Deutsche Bundesbank *"A refreshing change from theoretical papers. The authors are seasoned practitioners." * Mark Haefele, Chief Investment Officer, UBS Global Wealth Management *Table of Contents Chapter - 00: Introduction; Chapter - 01: What is sustainable investing?; Chapter - 02: Sustainable data and ESG ratings; Chapter - 03: Sustainable public equity markets; Chapter - 04: Sustainable public debt markets; Chapter - 05: Sustainable private markets; Chapter - 06: Themes and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals; Chapter - 07: Sustainable multi-asset portfolios; Chapter - 08: Conclusion;

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Book SynopsisContaining more than 1,600 photos and drawings, this magnificent handbook is the definitive guide to the tracks and signs of European animals.The European Animal Tracks Handbook is a comprehensive guide to the art of tracking, offering practical insight into the vast wealth of information that you can read from animal tracks and signs. Detailed descriptions and measurements of footprints and gaits are provided to aid identification, and include life-size or precisely scaled comparison charts of mammalian and bird footprints. In-depth species portraits present the biology, tracks and typical signs of Europe's mammals. The book also covers the footprints and grazing marks, nests, burrows and other signs of common birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates.Now the standard work in the field, this handbook is an invaluable reference for animal-trackers of all abilities.A fascinating book, with an enormous wealth of detailed knowledge, wonderful photos and illustrations.' Jane Goodall Institute

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Book SynopsisTHE ENTHRALLING INSIDE STORY OF THE THAI CAVE RESCUE FROM THE MAN AT THE HEART OF THE MISSION, AS SEEN IN THE SUNDAY TIMES''The British divers are all heroes'' Clive Cussler''A case study in courage'' Ron Howard, Oscar-winning director of Apollo 13________Thailand, July 2018. Twelve boys and their football coach vanish into Tham Luang caves just as the monsoon rains hit. A mile from the surface they are trapped by rising flood waters. All attempts to reach them fail. As hope for their survival fades a retired British firefighter tinkering with homemade cave-diving kit gets a call. Rick Stanton and his dive partner race to the other side of the world. The boys have been missing for days. Each hour, their chance of escape shrinks. Rick must swim, crawl and squeeze through treacherously tight submerged tunnels hunting for them. But that is not the impossible part.Trade ReviewDiver Rick Stanton relives the rescue of the century * Sunday Times *As the world held its breath, the men and their team achieved the impossible. This is their riveting, behind-the-scenes story. Captivating * Sunday Post *You probably won't read a better-written book about diving this year . . . Funny and relentlessly self-deprecating. I read this at two sittings * Diver Magazine *

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Book SynopsisA detailed account of the Royal Navy''s near fatal expedition into the polar regions in 1773--with the young Horatio Nelson on board.In the summer of 1773 the 14-year old Horatio Nelson took part in an expedition to the Arctic, which came close to ending his naval career before it had begun. Two bomb vessels, HMS Racehorse and Carcass, were fitted out and strengthened under the command of Captain Hon. Constantine Phipps for an expedition to find the Northwest Passage. It was an extremely cold Arctic summer and the ships became locked in ice unable to cut their way out for days until the wind changed and the ice broke up. The ships were eventually extricated and sailed home, and the legend of Horatio Nelson began. During the voyage, the young Nelson had command of one of the smaller boats of the ships, a four-oared cutter manned by twelve seamen. In this he helped save the crew of one of the Racehorse''s boats from an attack by a herd of enTable of Contents1. Introduction. 2. The Royal Society Mission for Exploration. 3. Captain James Cook and the South Seas. 4. The Quest for the North West Passage. 5. Admiralty Planning and Organisation. 5. Ships: Carcass and Racehorse. 6. The Commanders. 7. Preparing and Equipping the Expedition. 8. Manning the Ships. 9. Young Nelson enters into the Carcass. 10. The Voyage Commences. 11. Robin Hood Bay. 12. Svalbard and the Norwegian Archipelago. 13. ‘Seahorses’ Flora and Fauna. 14. Nelson and the ‘Incident of the Polar Bear’? 15. Ice-bound and Abandoning Ship. 16. Failure and Return. 17. Conclusions.

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Book SynopsisIn Wild Winter, John D. Burns, bestselling author of The Last Hillwalker and Bothy Tales, sets out to rediscover Scotland’s mountains, remote places and wildlife in the darkest and stormiest months. He traverses the country from the mouth of the River Ness to the Isle of Mull, from remote Sutherland to the Cairngorms, in search of rutting red deer, pupping seals, minke whales, beavers, pine martens, mountain hares and otters. In the midst of the fierce weather, John’s travels reveal a habitat in crisis, and many of these wild creatures prove elusive as they cling on to life in the challenging Highland landscape.As John heads deeper into the winter, he notices the land fighting back with signs of regeneration. He finds lost bothies, old friendships and innovative rewilding projects, and – as Covid locks down the nation – reflects on what the outdoors means to hillwalkers, naturalists and the folk who make their home in the Highlands.Wild Winter is a reminder of the wonder of nature and the importance of caring for our environment. In his winter journey through the mountains and bothies of the Highlands, John finds adventure, humour and a deep sense of connection with this wild land.

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Book SynopsisJoe Tasker lies, struck down by illness, in a damp, bug-infested room in the Himalaya, wondering if he will be well enough to climb Dunagiri, his first venture to the ‘big’ mountains. One of Britain’s foremost mountaineers and a pioneer of lightweight climbing, he is about to attempt one of the first true ‘alpine-style’ climbs in the Greater Ranges.The Dunagiri attempt forms part of Tasker’s striking tale of adventure in the savage arena of the mountains. A superb writer, he vividly describes the first British winter ascent of the North Face of the Eiger, the first ascent of the West Wall of Changabang – considered a ‘preposterous’ plan by the climbing world – and his two unsuccessful attempts on K2, the second highest mountain on Earth.Savage Arena is both moving and exciting, an inspirational tale of the adventuring spirit which follows its own path, endlessly seeking new challenges, climbs and difficulties to overcome. It is not reaching the summit which counts, it is the journey to it. It is also a story of the stresses and strains of living for long periods in constant anxiety, often with only one other person, and of the close and vital human relationships which spring from those circumstances.Trade Review‘The most riveting book on climbing that I have ever read.’ – Sir Chris Bonington‘A gripping story of tremendous courage and unbelievable endurance.’ – Sir Edmund HillaryTable of ContentsPublisher's NoteForeword by Chris Bonington 'A Great Partnership'Chapter 1 Or Men Will Come For YouChapter 2 It is Forbidden to Walk on the Track: The EigerChapter 3 It Could be Worse: DunagiriChapter 4 Figures on a Screen: ChangabangChapter 5 ‘Let’s Draw Matchsticks’: K2Chapter 6 In the Treasure House of the Great Snow: KangchenjungaChapter 7 Apocalypse: K2PostscriptChronology

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Book SynopsisScotland is renowned for its dramatic, fierce landscapes, but many people don’t realise that some of the country’s most exhilarating scenery rests on its coastline. The Beaches of Scotland by Stacey McGowan Holloway is a guide to over 150 hand-picked beaches around Scotland’s coast, stretching from the mainland to the Outer Hebrides before sweeping north to Orkney and Shetland. These beaches offer something for everyone, from gentle sands which feel almost tropical to rugged coves which can only be accessed by kayak. The selected beaches have not been chosen for purely aesthetic reasons: these locations offer some amazing opportunities for adventure. From surfing to snorkelling, kayaking, camping and cold-water swimming, this book travels from Kilmory Beach, with its views over the Paps of Jura, along single-track roads to Singing Sands on the Ardnamurchan peninsula. It takes you from Portabello on the edge of Edinburgh’s bustling streets to Kervaig Beach in the far north-west, where the lucky visitor may spot seals or puffins. Experience Scotland at its wildest and most stunning at Achnahaird Bay, bask in the otherworldly sense that these remote beaches can inspire at Balnakeil, gaze in awe at the scenery you can’t quite believe is real on Berneray’s West Beach, or blow the cobwebs away as you wander along the sand of Dornoch in the far north-east. Whether you’re after a thrilling day getting salt in your hair or a peaceful escape from responsibilities and worries, Scotland’s coast has it all. Featuring information on the facilities, access and activities that can be enjoyed at each beach, as well as custom mapping and stunning photography, The Beaches of Scotland is the perfect companion to your exploration of Scotland’s stunning coastline.

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Book SynopsisThere are few more beautiful places than Scotland’s winter mountains. But even when most of the snow has melted, isolated patches can linger well into summer and beyond. In The Vanishing Ice, Iain Cameron chronicles these remarkable and little-seen relics of the Ice Age, describing how they have fascinated travellers and writers for hundreds of years, and reflecting on the impact of climate change.Iain was nine years old when snow patches first captured his imagination, and they have been inextricably bound with his life ever since. He developed his expertise through correspondence (and close friendship) with research ecologist Dr Adam Watson, and is today Britain’s foremost authority on this weather phenomenon.Iain takes us on a tour of Britain which includes the Scottish Highlands, the Southern Uplands, the Lake District and Snowdonia, seeking elusive patches of snow in wild and often inaccessible locations. His adventures include a perilous climb in the Cairngorms with comedian Ed Byrne, and glorious days spent out on the hills with Andrew Cotter and his very good dogs, Olive and Mabel.Based on sound scientific evidence and personal observations, accompanied by stunning photography and wrapped in Iain’s shining passion for the British landscape, The Vanishing Ice is a eulogy to snow, the mountains and the great outdoors.Trade Review'Possibly the only writer who can pack history, geography, meteorology and adventure into tiny patches of snow.'– Muriel Gray'A man who can make staring at snow not just interesting, but fascinating.'– Muriel Gray'Like some guardian of a lost folk memory, Iain Cameron wanders the Highlands in search of patches of snow that have held out stubbornly against the march of the seasons. Nestled in a remote gully, the last remnant of a forgotten ice age melts into a trickle – and then is gone. His work is done for now, but the snows will return.'– Nicholas Hellen, Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisThere are few more beautiful places than Scotland’s winter mountains. But even when most of the snow has melted, isolated patches can linger well into summer and beyond. In The Vanishing Ice, Iain Cameron chronicles these remarkable and little-seen relics of the Ice Age, describing how they have fascinated travellers and writers for hundreds of years, and reflecting on the impact of climate change.Iain was nine years old when snow patches first captured his imagination, and they have been inextricably bound with his life ever since. He developed his expertise through correspondence (and close friendship) with research ecologist Dr Adam Watson, and is today Britain’s foremost authority on this weather phenomenon.Iain takes us on a tour of Britain which includes the Scottish Highlands, the Southern Uplands, the Lake District and Snowdonia, seeking elusive patches of snow in wild and often inaccessible locations. His adventures include a perilous climb in the Cairngorms with comedian Ed Byrne, and glorious days spent out on the hills with Andrew Cotter and his very good dogs, Olive and Mabel.Based on sound scientific evidence and personal observations, accompanied by stunning photography and wrapped in Iain’s shining passion for the British landscape, The Vanishing Ice is a eulogy to snow, the mountains and the great outdoors.Trade Review'Possibly the only writer who can pack history, geography, meteorology and adventure into tiny patches of snow.'– Muriel Gray'A man who can make staring at snow not just interesting, but fascinating.'– Muriel Gray'Like some guardian of a lost folk memory, Iain Cameron wanders the Highlands in search of patches of snow that have held out stubbornly against the march of the seasons. Nestled in a remote gully, the last remnant of a forgotten ice age melts into a trickle – and then is gone. His work is done for now, but the snows will return.'– Nicholas Hellen, Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisA core component of the natural world is the geology, in the rocks and the landforms that have been created by their erosion. The plants that cover so much of the world's land areas, ant the myriad animals that inhabit each environment, form the wonderful world of nature, but the backdrops to all of them are the landscapes that are the world of geology. So many of the world's great natural attractions - the sites, the sights, the national parks, the wow places that folk travel to see - are features of their geology, with landforms that range from awe-inspiring to simply beautiful. And then there are so many more terrains and landscapes that have great stories to tell. Travelling the world, always armed with a camera, led to the author compiling a substantial collection of photographs, many of which reflected his own interests in their geological theme. This has grown into a worldwide overview of just a fraction of the magnificent sights, both natural and influenced by mankind, that make the geological world so totally fascinating and frequently so beautiful. Within these pages, the photographs and their short, accompanying texts offer just a taste of the visual delights within the world of geology. They constitute a grand tour across the surface of our planet, taking in as many as possible of our most spectacular and most fascinating sites. The whole book is perhaps best viewed as a glorious journey of discovery.Trade Review`...makes a splendid coffee table type book, one to be periodically dipped into... Tony's excellent book provides inspiring insight into the Earth's magnificent landscapes...' Mercian Geologist--------------------'...It's a real bargain. I can't imagine you'll find a more attractive and informative book of fantastic geological landscape photos anywhere and at any price'. Magazine of the Geologists' Association------------------'...World of Geology...takes its readers...to some of the strangest, iconic and little-known places on earth...Tony's writing flows and is eminently readable...making this very attractive to cavers and to use as a present for others. Speleo Reader-------------------'...a splendid and substantial collection of photographs...it is the beautiful, full-colour photographs that dominate and make this a lovely addition to one's library - to dip into whenever time allows or to read from cover to cover'. Deposits Magazine

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Book SynopsisFrom the Wetterhorn in 1854 to the Matterhorn in 1865 – from triumph to tragedy – the Alps were conquered in a decade. It was what Reverend W.A.B. Coolidge called the ‘golden age of alpinism,’ the era of the first great guides (Christian Almer, Melchoir Anderegg, Michel Croz) and gentlemen climbers (Leslie Stephen, John Tyndall, Edward Whymper).Almost all European Alpine clubs were founded during this period, crowned by the successful ascents of the Aiguille Verte, the Matterhorn, and the Brenva face of Mont Blanc. Summits were no longer scaled in the name of science, but for the beauty and difficulty of ascents that embodied the pleasure of the ‘noble sport’ of mountaineering, as invented during this golden decade.1865: the Golden Age of Mountaineering, by Gilles Modica, documents this great time in the history of alpinism. Illustrated with 350 photographs and illustrations and lavishly produced, it is co-published in English and French by Vertebrate Publishing and Éditions Paulsen.Table of ContentsIntroduction: 1865, the Golden Age of Mountaineering; Chapter 1: Early Ascents (1744-1854); Chapter 2: James David Forbes and Albert Smith; Chapter 3: The Wetterhorn - 17 September 1854; Chapter 4: Chamonix Guides - Auguste Balmat and Francois Devouassoud; Chapter 5: Chamois Hunters; Chapter 6: One Guide or Another - La Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix; Chapter 7: Charles Hudson - or Mont Blanc without Guides; Chapter 8: The Alpine Club; Chapter 9: John Ball and John Ruskin; Chapter 10: Johann Josef Bennen - First Attempts on the Matterhorn; Chapter 11: Conquering the Weisshorn; Chapter 12: The Race to the Matterhorn - John Tyndall and Edward Whymper; Chapter 13: John Tyndall (1820-1893); Chapter 14: Shaggy Natives, Gentlemen Travellers - Nutrition and Health; Chapter 15: Shaggy Natives, Gentlemen Travellers - Early Equipment and Techniques; Chapter 16: Leslie Stephen - The Schreckhorn; Chapter 17: Francis Fox Tuckett - At the Height of the Golden Age; Chapter 18: A.W. Moore - Keeping up the Pace, 20 June - 27 July 1864; Chapter 19: The Year 1865; Chapter 20: Edward Whymper - A Keen 'Wanter'; Chapter 21: The Matterhorn - Mr Whymper's White Trousers; Chapter 22: The Matterhorn - Taugwalder's Rope; Chapter 23: The Brenva Spur; Appendices: Major Alpine Firsts; Bibliography; Picture Credits; The Author; Acknowledgements; Viatimages and Viaticalpes.

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Book SynopsisMore than a decade after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, what we are witnessing is not a Second Nuclear Age there is no post-atomic but an uncanny, quiet return of the nuclear threat that so vividly animated the Cold War era. The renewed threat of nuclear proliferation, public complacency regarding weapons stockpiles, and the lack of a single functioning long-term repository after seventy years and thousands of tonnes of nuclear waste reveals the industry's capacity for self-reinvention abetted by an ever-present capacity to forget. More than fabulously textual, as Jacques Derrida described it, the protean, unbound, and unending materiality of the nuclear is here to stay: resistance is crucial.Toxic Immanence introduces contemporary interdisciplinary perspectives that resist and decolonize the nuclear. Contributors highlight the prevalence and irrationality of slow violence and colonial governance as elements of the contemporary nuclear age. They propose a reaTrade Review“The first major collection of scholarship on nuclear energy humanities, …Toxic Immanence succeeds in setting the contours for a precise sector of study, while also bridging it to the well-established academic disciplines of environmental humanities, gender and sexuality studies, and critical Anthropocene studies, to name only a few.” H-Environment“Toxic Immanence succeeds in setting the contours for a precise sector of study, while also bridging it to the well-established academic disciplines of environmental humanities, gender and sexuality studies, and critical Anthropocene studies, to name only a few.” H-Environment

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Book SynopsisEvery fossil tells a story. Best-selling paleontology author Donald R. Prothero describes twenty-five famous fossils in a gripping scientific history. Recounting the adventures behind the discovery of these objects and interpreting their significance within the larger fossil record, Prothero creates a riveting history of life on our planet.Trade ReviewDonald R. Prothero is one of the most talented science writers of his generation-as a paleontological writer, he has no peer. This is an engaging, attractive book! -- David J. Bottjer, University of Southern California There is no other book that brings together such diverse fossils and tells their unique stories in a way that is both accurate and approachable. -- Xiaoming Wang, curator of vertebrate paleontology at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County The Story of Life in 25 Fossils shows the reader the joys of paleontological discovery as well as the stories behind some of the most important fossils. I loved reading it, and I suspect that most paleontologists, and many members of the general public, will feel the same way-the text is lucid, extremely easy to read, and highly informative. Anyone interested in ancient life-forms and the fossil record would be well served to buy this book. -- Bruce S. Lieberman, University of Kansas Prothero, an outstanding paleontologist and skilled communicator, has written the best up-to-date account of the history of life as revealed by the fossil record that I have ever had the pleasure to read. His lucid prose brings these long-dead organisms back to life, while painting a picture of how all life has been interconnected through evolution. I was especially struck by the inclusion of field outcrops, as well as museums, where one can go to see these fossils. I will keep Prothero's book handy as a core reference for years to come! -- Niles Eldredge, author of Eternal Ephemera: Adaptation and the Origin of Species from the Nineteenth Century Through Punctuated Equilibria and Beyond A guide to museums where the original fossils or high-quality reproductions are housed and more than 150 illustrations accompany Prothero's lively account of the science and politics that shaped the rich history of these discoveries. Kirkus Reviews Engaging and accessible... Ideal for anyone interested in the origins of life on earth. Library Journal (starred review) An accessible, well-done book that will better enable general readers to understand the fossil record and how paleontologists interpret it. Publishers Weekly Prothero's careful description of 25 fossils... offer[s] an overview of the progression of plants and animals in the last 3.5 billion years. -- Ashley Yeager Sciece News [Prothero] pays attention not just to the fossils themselves but to the continuing quest to uncover and understand how life has been changing since it first came into existence on Earth. Sure, The Story of Life in 25 Fossils includes snakes with legs, giant dinosaurs, walking whales and extinct primates whose existence confirms that our own species is a variety of modified ape. But most chapters also introduce us to the researchers who labored to pull back the curtain on lost worlds. -- Brian Switek Wall Street Journal Ideal for all who love prehistoric landscapes and delight in the history of science, this book makes a treasured addition to any bookshelf, stoking curiosity in the evolution of life on Earth. -- Ian Paulsen The Birdbooker Report Prothero brings erudition and expert perspective to the material, but animates it in an entertaining and accessible manner. It reads like a fun conversation with a learned friend. -- Nathan H. Lents The Human Evolution Blog Written with bright enthusiasm... [The Story of Life in 25 Fossils] is a wonderful primer. -- Rob Hardy The Commercial Dispatch Chock full of excellent and interesting illustrations... [Prothero] writes excellent, readable prose, and vigorously makes connections between evolutionary questions and evolutionary data. Greg Laden's Blog A thoroughly enjoyable, highly readable, and entertaining book. Prothero is a masterful communicator of science and a lover of paleontology, and these traits have combined to produce one of the best books on the history of life I have read. If you want an introduction to the history of life on Earth, get this book. -- Jason S. Anderson BioScience A great introduction to the history of life on the planet Earth... A solid primer on why evolution is true... A fun read with lots of tales of paleontological adventure and derring-do... I recommend this book without hesitation. -- John Dupuis Confessions of a Science Librarian A magnificent journey through life's story told in such loving detail... Highly recommended. Choice [The book], written with bright enthusiasm and describing clearly how the fossil record shows evolution to have occured, is a wonderful primer about what paleontologists do. The DispatchTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments 1. Planet of the Scum: The First Fossils (Cryptozoon) 2. Garden of Ediacara: The First Multicellular Life (Charnia) 3. "Little Shellies": The First Shells (Cloudina) 4. Oh, Give Me a Home, When the Trilobites Roamed: The First Large Shelled Animals (Olenellus) 5. Is It a Worm or an Arthropod? The Origin of Arthropods (Hallucigenia) 6. Is It a Worm or a Mollusc? The Origin of Molluscs (Pilina) 7. Growing from the Sea: The Origin of Land Plants (Cooksonia) 8. A Fishy Tale: The Origin of Vertebrates (Haikouichthys) 9. Mega-Jaws: The Largest Fish (Carcharocles) 10. Fish out of Water: The Origin of Amphibians (Tiktaalik) 11. "Frogamander": The Origin of Frogs (Gerobatrachus) 12. Turtle on the Half-Shell: The Origin of Turtles (Odontochelys) 13. Walking Serpents: The Origin of Snakes (Haasiophis) 14. King of the Fish-Lizards: The Largest Marine Reptile (Shonisaurus) 15. Terror of the Seas: The Largest Sea Monster (Kronosaurus) 16. Monster Flesh-Eater: The Largest Predator (Giganotosaurus) 17. Land of the Giants: The Largest Land Animal (Argentinosaurus) 18. A Feather in Stone: The First Bird (Archaeopteryx) 19. Not Quite a Mammal: The Origin of Mammals (Thrinaxodon) 20. Walking Into the Water: The Origin of Whales (Ambulocetus) 21. Walking Manatees: The Origin of Sirenians (Pezosiren) 22. Dawn Horses: The Origin of Horses (Eohippus) 23. Rhinoceros Giants: The Largest Land Mammal (Paraceratherium) 24. The Ape's Reflection? The Oldest Human Fossil (Sahelanthropus) 25. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds: The Oldest Human Skeleton (Australopithecus afarensis) Appendix: The Best Natural History Museums Index

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Book SynopsisThis second edition of Climate Change is an accessible and comprehensive guide to the science behind global warming. Edmond A. Mathez and Jason E. Smerdon provide a broad, informative introduction to the science that underlies our understanding of the climate system and the effects of human activity on the warming of our planet.Trade ReviewThis text should have great appeal for teaching an introductory undergraduate course on climate change science as well as a broad survey for graduate students. The book is well written with concepts adequately explained. Mathez and Smerdon have done a great job at hitting many of the very important concepts for understanding past, present, and future climate change as well as what we can and should do about it. I particularly liked the “back of the envelope” sections that let students confront some quantitative thinking without getting bogged down in mathematical details. The many illustrations and beautiful photos should make the book appealing to students as well as the general public. -- Lonnie G. Thompson, Distinguished University Professor, School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State UniversityMathez and Smerdon present a concise, accurate description of the workings of our climate system that is rich with historical context, vivid graphics, and concrete examples. The beauty and wonder of our atmosphere and oceans are on full display, even as many of their mysteries are revealed for the nonspecialist. Readers will not only understand the fundamental causes and implications of climate change, but they also will understand the diverse set of tools and approaches that scientists use to study the climate system in all its complexity. This book is a treasure trove of insights for anyone with an affinity for science and an interest in the future of our planet and its inhabitants. -- Kim M. Cobb, Georgia Power Chair and ADVANCE Professor, School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of TechnologyA superb textbook, easily one of the best currently available. Very few texts are written as thoughtfully as this one. Mathez and Smerdon hit a home run! -- Scott Mandia, cofounder and chairman of the Climate Science Legal Defense Fund, Professor of Physical Sciences at Suffolk County Community CollegeThis book has great coverage of all the salient issues—the history of climate science, the climate science of (pre)-history, the scientists' own histories, and, most importantly, what this means going forward. The writing is clear while also comprehensive and the look and feel of the book make it a text you want to dive in to at random, confident that you'd find something interesting. -- Gavin Schmidt, climate scientistInformative and insightful, this textbook clearly explains the basic science of the Earth's climate system and the human influence on it. Superb illustrations bring the science to life, and the historical stories that accompany the key concepts paint a vivid picture of not only what we know, but how and why we learned it. -- Katharine Hayhoe, Co-Director of the Climate Science Center, Texas Tech UniversityThis excellent updated text on climate change was written by scientists in geophysics and climate change....Recommended. All readers. * Choice *Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, this new second edition. . . is ideal and highly recommended as a climate change curriculum textbook. * Midwest Book Review *Table of ContentsPrefaceProloguePart I. The Climate System1. The Atmosphere2. The World Ocean3. Ocean–Atmosphere Interactions4. The Carbon Cycle and How It Influences Climate Part II. Climate Change and Its Drivers5. The Concept of Radiation Balance, a Scientific Framework for Thinking About Climate Change6. Radiative Forcing, Feedbacks, and Some Other Characteristics of the Climate System7. Learning from the Climate of the Distant PastPart III. Consequences of Climate Change8. The Climate of the Recent Past and Impacts on Human History9. Observing the Change10. Greenland, Antarctica, and Sea-Level RisePart IV. The Future11. Climate Models and the Future12. Climate Change Risk in an Unknowable Future13. Energy and the FutureEpilogueNotesGlossary BibliographyIndex

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Book Synopsis300 million years ago, dog-sized scorpions and millipedes walked the earth and tropical rainforests towered into the sky. George R. McGhee Jr. explores that ancient world, explaining its origins, its downfall in the end-Permian mass extinction, and its legacies, to offer insight into past and present extinction events and climate change.Trade ReviewCarboniferous Giants and Mass Extinction is a superb and unique synthesis of the current knowledge of processes and conditions during the Late Paleozoic, incorporating the results from all subdisciplines of the earth and life sciences. McGhee demonstrates his expertise and knowledge in all the subdisciplines in a magnificent way. The book is a pleasure to read and at the same time erudite. -- Hermann Pfefferkorn, University of PennsylvaniaCarboniferous Giants and Mass Extinction is comprehensive and well researched, and provides fascinating insights into the complex Carboniferous world. It has amazing presentation, including depth, perception, and interpretation, and the writing style is readable and captivating. This work will be a valuable reference for geology students and others interested in past earth climates. -- Peter E. Isaacson, University of IdahoA valuable contribution to our understanding of ancient environments and the incredible plants and animals that once inhabited the Earth. * Everything Dinosaur *Highly recommended. * Everything Dinosaur *Table of ContentsPreface1. Harbingers of the Late Paleozoic Ice Age2. The Big Chill3. The Late Carboniferous Ice World4. Giants in the Earth . . .5. The End of the Late Paleozoic Ice Age6. The End of the Paleozoic World7. The Legacy of the Late Paleozoic Ice AgeNotesReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisEvery rock is a tangible trace of the earth’s past. This book tells the fascinating stories behind the discoveries that shook the foundations of geology. In twenty-five chapters—each about a particular rock, outcrop, or geologic phenomenon—Donald R. Prothero recounts the scientific detective work that shaped our understanding of geology.Trade ReviewA natural follow-up to the author’s The Story of Life in 25 Fossils . . . [A] useful introduction to geology. * Kirkus Reviews *In 25 short and enjoyable chapters, [Prothero] explores issues that have been at the center of geology since long before geology was a science... Prothero provides thought-provoking historical context for each subject and presents information about the individuals responsible for advancing geological knowledge—including James Hutton, Charles Lyell, and Alfred Wegener—while explaining the underlying science in an accessible manner. * Publishers Weekly *Geologist Donald Prothero has crafted a rock-solid premise for this delightful book. -- Barbara Kiser * Nature *I learned something and gained a deeper appreciation for the history of Earth science from reading The Story of the Earth in 25 Rocks. I recommend it to anyone interested in tales of scientific discovery and natural marvels. * Physics Today *Skillfully presents a vast array of facts that should appeal to readers newly acquainted with Earth science who are interested in learning a bit more. * Choice *The Story of the Earth in 25 Rocks provides twenty-five well-lit doorways into the sometimes dark and imposing edifice of the geologic past. Colorful characters welcome the reader in, revealing the very human nature of scientific inquiry and our long and complicated relationship with rocks. -- Marcia Bjornerud, author of Reading the Rocks: The Autobiography of EarthTable of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgments 1. Volcanic Tuff: Vulcan’s Wrath: The Eruption of Vesuvius2. Native Copper: The Iceman and the Island of Copper3. Cassiterite: The “Isles of Tin” and the Bronze Age4. Angular Unconformity: “No Vestige of a Beginning”: The Immensity of Geologic Time5. Igneous Dikes: The “Earth’s Great Heat Engine”: The Origin of Magmas6. Coal: The Rock That Burns Fires the Industrial Revolution7. Jurassic World: The Map That Changed the World: William Smith and the Rocks of Britain8. Radioactive Uranium: Clocks in Rocks: Arthur Holmes and the Age of the Earth9. Chondritic Meteorites: Messengers From Space: The Origin of the Solar System10. Iron-Nickel Meteorites: The Cores of Other Planets 11. Moon Rocks: Green Cheese or Anorthosite: The Origin of the Moon12. Zircons: Early Oceans and Life? Evidence in a Grain of Sand13. Stromatolites: Microbial Condos: Cyanobacteria and the Oldest Life14. Banded Iron Formation: Mountains of Iron: The Earth’s Early Atmosphere15. Turbidites: Archean Sediments and Submarine Landslides16. Diamictites: Tropical Glaciers and the Snowball Earth17. Exotic Terranes: Paradox in Rocks: Wandering Fossils and Traveling Landmasses18. Jigsaw-Puzzle Bedrock: Alfred Wegener and Continental Drift19. Chalk: The Cretaceous Seaway and Greenhouse Planet20. The Iridium Layer: The Death of the Dinosaurs21. Lodestones: How Paleomagic Launched Plate Tectonics22. Blueschists: The Puzzle of Subduction Zones23. Transform Faults: Earthquake! The San Andreas Fault24. Messinian Evaporites: The Mediterranean Was a Desert25. Glacial Erraticts: A Poet, a Professor, a Politician, a Janitor, and the Discovery of the Ice AgesIndex

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Book SynopsisAn inspiring vision for restoring the soil that feeds us all and turns agriculture into a solution for environmental crises.Trade Review"How can humanity feed its burgeoning billions when one-third of agricultural soil is degraded? Pondering that question propelled geologist David Montgomery on a three-decade, six-continent survey of farmland. The insights gleaned add nuance to his pointed critiques of agrotechnology and organic farming, but it's the findings on rapid soil restoration that compel." -- Nature"Brilliant, well researched, eloquent, and deeply hopeful." -- Denis Hayes, founder of Earth Day"David Montgomery... is one of our most eloquent and precise earth science communicators... [He] has a knack for opening our minds to large, critically important questions." -- New Scientist"A wise and grounded book — restored soils are the solution." -- Jules N. Pretty, Professor of Environment and Society, University of Essex, UK"Growing a Revolution presents a clear-eyed examination of a solution to the challenges we face in feeding the world. A joy to read with the bounce and flow of a great biography. I couldn’t recommend it more." -- Jerry Harrison, keyboardist and guitarist, Talking Heads"Montgomery has written another classic. Growing a Revolution is one of the most important books ever written—an engaging and revealing service to human society and our planet." -- Amir Kassam, professor of agriculture, policy and development, University of Reading, UK"This is a such an important book... thanks to those who told me to read it... Everyone interested in what we should eat and how we should farm should read it." -- James Rebanks

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Book SynopsisCharts how revolutions in genomics, bioinformatics, and remote sensing have pressed marine biologists to see the sea as animated by its smallest inhabitants: marine microbes.Trade Review"Unique [and] innovative... Captures the excitement and crucial nature of oceanographic research... Perhaps Alien Ocean will inspire the next generation to fulfill the promise of environmental genomic sequencing." Nature "Intriguingly, Alien Ocean's main characters are arguably not the scientists, nor Helmreich, but the sea itself and the bizarre microbial communities recently found there." Seed Magazine "Erudite, widely ranging account of currently important aspects of marine microbiology and their broader implications." -- A. J. Kohn Choice "One of the pleasures of Alien Ocean is Helmreich's playfulness." Technology Review "Opens new vistas, creates fresh associations, and raises profound questions... Helmreich's work is a brilliant piece of scholarship." Mast "An engaging treatise of a fascinating topic." Microbe Magazine "Alien Ocean opens up whole new exciting realms of connections." IsisTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Moorings Acknowledgments Introduction: Life at Sea 1. The Message from the Mud: Making Meaning Out of Microbes in Monterey Bay 2. Dissolving the Tree of Life: Alien Kinship at Hydrothermal Vents 3. Blue-Green Capitalism: Marine Biotechnology in Hawaii 4. Alien Species, Native Politics: Mixing Up Nature and Culture in Ocean Oahu 5. Abducting the Atlantic: How the Ocean Got Its Genome 6. Submarine Cyborgs: Transductive Ethnography at the Seafloor, Juan de Fuca Ridge 7. Extraterrestrial Seas: Astrobiology and the Nature of Alien Life Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisRecounts the great traveler Ibn Battuta's remarkable career, interpreting it within the cultural and social context of Islamic society and giving the reader both a biography of an extraordinary personality and a study of the hemispheric dimensions of human interchange in medieval times.Trade Review"In 1325, at the age of twenty-one, Ibn Battuta set off from his native Tangier on the hajj to Mecca. He did not return to Morocco until 1349, by which time he had visited not only Mecca, but also Egypt, Syria, Persia, Iraq, East Africa, the Yemen, Anatolia, the steppelands of southern Russia, Constantinople, India, the Maldives, Sumatra, and China. . . . An excellent synoptic introduction to the Muslim world in the Middle Ages." * Times Literary Supplement *"Dunn has produced an attractive, intelligent, and useful book, and one that is a pleasure to read." * International History Review *"Dunn has succeeded splendidly in his aim of bringing the Moroccan judge alive for a general audience and of presenting an analysis of his travels which is both descriptive and critical." * Journal of Islamic Studies *"Written in an engaging style that should easily appeal to the non-historian, this book is very probably unprecedented in concept and execution––placing it in a class apart and above the majority of books from Western scholars that deal with Islamic subjects." * Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society *"A remarkable achievement: [Dunn's] book is more than he set out to write; it is not simply a retelling of the Ibn Battuta story for a general audience, as he rather modestly puts it, but an introduction to the Islamic world in particular, and the late medieval world in general." * British Society for Middle Eastern Studies Bulletin *"Professor Dunn's book is based on Ibn Battuta's own writings. . . . and provides a commentary on the society and places which he visited, making admirable use of the great increase of our knowledge over the last generation. The result is fascinating." * Asian Affairs *Table of ContentsList of Maps Preface to the 2012 Edition Preface to the Revised Edition Preface to the First Edition Acknowledgments The Muslim Calendar A Note on Money List of Abbreviations Used in Notes Introduction 1. Tangier 2. The Maghrib 3. The Mamluks 4. Mecca 5. Persia and Iraq 6. The Arabian Sea 7. Anatolia 8. The Steppe 9. Delhi 10. Malabar and the Maldives 11. China 12. Home 13. Mali 14. The Rihla Glossary Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA human and global take on a beloved vacation spot. The crash of surf, smell of salted air, wet whorls of sand underfoot. These are the sensations of the beach, that environment that has drawn humans to its life-sustaining shores for millennia. And while the gull's cry and the cove's splendor have remained constant throughout time, our relationship with the beach has been as fluid as the runnels left behind by the tide's turning. The Lure of the Beach is a chronicle of humanity's history with the coast, taking us from the seaside pleasure palaces of Roman elites and the aquatic rituals of medieval pilgrims, to the venues of modern resort towns and beyond. Robert C. Ritchie traces the contours of the material and social economies of the beach throughout time, covering changes in the social status of beach goers, the technology of transport, and the development of fashion (from nudity to Victorianism and back again), as well as the geographic spread of modern beach-going from EnglanTrade Review"Ritchie's book is both engagingly written and thoroughly scholarly." * Geography Realm *"The Lure of the Beach is a thoroughly researched, interesting social history. . . .a landmark text." * Technology & Culture *Table of ContentsList of Illustrations Acknowledgments Introduction 1. The Lure of the Sea 2. The Rise of the Resorts 3. Leisure Comes to America 4. The Industrial Revolution Finds the Beach 5. Can a Proper Victorian be Nude? 6. Entertainment Comes Front and Center 7. The Modern World Intrudes 8. Beach Resorts Become a Cultural Phenomenon 9. Who Owns the Beach? 10. The Relentless Sea Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisModern Japan is not only responding to threats from North Korea and China but is also reevaluating its dependence on the United States, Sheila Smith shows. No longer convinced they can rely on Americans to defend their country, Tokyo's political leaders are now confronting the possibility that they may need to prepare the nation's military for war.Trade ReviewTimely and useful…Japan’s armed forces remain limited in size and in the operations that they can conduct, and have never, since 1945, engaged in combat. Nor has the country seriously debated equipping them with nuclear weapons. Now, however, North Korean and Chinese military initiatives, along with uncertain American attitudes toward the alliance with Japan, threaten to change all this. -- Michael Mandelbaum * American Interest *Washington’s relationship with Tokyo is generally considered the most important of the United States’ 70-odd alliances. In this intimately knowledgeable book, Smith shows how that alliance looks to the Japanese: increasingly unreliable. -- Andrew J. Nathan * Foreign Affairs *The must-read book for anyone who seeks foundational knowledge of what is arguably the most important military alliance in the world…A highly readable and richly detailed account of Japan’s rearmament and the politics surrounding it…Likely to grow even timelier as tensions in East Asia ratchet up. -- Jason Morgan * Journal of American–East Asian Relations *A well-written and comprehensive overview of postwar Japan’s security evolution…Deserves to be read by policy makers interested in Japanese security and to be added to the syllabi of undergraduate and postgraduate programs on East Asian security and Japanese international relations. -- Giulio Pugliese * Monumenta Nipponica *Smith masterfully traces the interplay of Japan’s military heritage, politics, national sentiment, threats, and alliance with the United States in the formation and development of the Self-Defense Force. Even experts will find new information and insights in her account. As she makes clear, the SDF is a work in progress, and this book provides a welcome guide to its possible future path. -- Admiral Dennis Blair, U.S. Navy (Ret.), former Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Pacific CommandAt a time when the East Asian security environment is becoming ever more dangerous and unpredictable, Sheila Smith offers a timely guide to the choices facing Japan. This is an insightful and indispensable look at the evolution of Japan’s approach to national security and the consequential decisions it will face in the future. -- James Steinberg, Syracuse UniversityAfter fighting a series of aggressive wars in the early twentieth century, Japan retreated from power politics and has remained reluctant to develop a military capability that matches its economic power. Will this change? The paradoxical transition from militarist aggression to pacifism and isolationism has been discussed before, but never with the clarity Sheila Smith displays in this important book. She shows that Japan will have some critical choices to make to maintain its security in the challenging geopolitics of the twenty-first century. -- Kiichi Fujiwara, University of TokyoWith keen insight and scholarly precision, Smith tells us why the Japanese public’s evolving attitude toward the use of military force is important to American security and the peace of northeast Asia. A must-read for U.S. policymakers responsible for Asia. -- J. Thomas Schieffer, former U.S. Ambassador to Japan

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"This book is the most complete examination of pterosaurs that I have seen and when the last page is turned the reader has a comprehensive understanding of the beast, from history to biology, to life style to extinction. One is even taken on an imaginary pterosaur safari. Move over Jurassic Park!"---David Gascoigne, Travels with Birds"A most enjoyable and comprehensive account demonstrating how art and scientific enquiry combine to help inform, enlighten and educate. Highly recommend."---Mike Walley, Everything Dinosaur"[The] reconstructions of fully fl eshed-out pterosaurs in various poses, exhibiting various behaviors, adds mightily to understanding ofthese bizarre animals. . . . Highly recommended."---J.C. Kricher, Choice

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"One of Medium.com’s Books of the Year 2017""One of The Times Literary Supplement’s Books of the Year 2017""One of the Forbes.com “Great Anthropology and History Books of 2017” (chosen by Kristina Killgrove)""One of The Federalist’s Notable Books for 2017""Honorable Mention for the 2018 PROSE Award in Classics, Association of American Publishers""One of Strategy + Business's Best Business Books in Economics for 2018""One of Choice Reviews' Outstanding Academic Titles of 2018"

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Charles Sheppard’s Coral Reefs: A Natural History not only explains what corals are and how they live, but reveals through exquisite photography the glories of the reef at all scales."---Tim Flannery, The New York Review of Books"In his gorgeous book, Life Sciences, professor Charles Sheppard celebrates the beauty of coral reefs and their dependants – ‘a wriggling tapestry of colour’ – while also warning of the threat to the reefs’ existence from ocean warming, pollution and soaring populations." * Daily Mail *"Stunningly beautiful . . . . I will never look at a coral reef in the same way again and will marveleven more at their beauty and complexity."---Daria Blackwell, Flying Fish"The book covers the huge list of dangers that reefs face today and how people are working to protect them. It looks at artificial reef structures and the marine life that lives on them. There are chapters on reef fish and sharks and how the diverse species living on the reefs interact. . . . I will never look at a coral reef in the same way again and will marvel even more at their beauty and complexity."---Caroline Robertson-Brown, Scubaverse"This excellent book, by Charles Sheppard, a foremost author of academic, popular and educational books on coral reefs, reflects a lifetime studying and enjoying these ecosystems. . . . I recommend that, in addition, to getting your own copy, you give the book to budding (and experienced) marine biologists."---Mike Elliott, The Marine Biologist"The beauty of this type of book is it can be dipped into at any stage because of the nature of the mini chapters. This book will obviously appeal to marine biologists and divers but as a general guide to coral reefs biology, flora and fauna and how the crucial impact of climate change will impact on them, then it will also appeal to all readers with an interest in general natural history. Highly recommended."---Roy Stewart, British Naturalists Association"[Though] it is full of accurate facts, it is also simply interesting to read! Each page gives equal space to descriptive prose and beautiful photos, so the reader doesn’t get overwhelmed with either."---Karla S. Fuller, The American Biology Teacher

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books for Young Adults""Finalist for the PROSE Award in Popular Science and Mathematics, Association of American Publishers""Winner of the Sigurd F. Olson Nature Writing Award, Northland College""Winner of the Nautilus Book Award, Animals & Nature Section""Winner of the Hubert Evans Non-Fiction Prize, BC and Yukon Book Prizes""Meticulously researched and colorfully presented . . . the first [book] to integrate so many dimensions of the field in a way that is accessible to nonexperts. It is a wonderful mix of animal ecology, narratives of science-doing, futurism, and accounts of Indigenous knowledge that is as interdisciplinary as the field itself."---Benjamin Gottesman, Science"Bakker's well-researched stories showcase the mysterious communication styles of whales, elephants, turtles, corals, plants, bats, and bees as told by the scientists who care enough to listen. . . . These scientific breakthroughs couldn't come at a better time."---Krystal Vasquez, Sierra"Bakker ladles academic research liberally onto the reader in short, spare sentences that build up to a comprehensive whole. Her deep knowledge is worn lightly throughout the book, so that you never feel overwhelmed."---Chris Stokel-Walker, New Scientist"[I] couldn’t put [The Sounds of Life] down. . . . [A] fascinating and forward-looking book."---Marc Bekoff, Psychology Today"Nature lovers will delight in [Bakker's] chronicle of the emerging technologies tuning us into a new world of non-human sound and conversation." * Globe & Mail *"In this beautifully written study, Karen Bakker, a tech entrepreneur and academic, compares digital technology that can reveal these sounds with the microscope’s effect on vision. By extending our hearing, the technology allows us to encounter 'new soundscapes around the world and across the Tree of Life.'"---Andrew Robinson, Nature"A fascinating account of a rapidly advancing understanding of the sonic world that binds life together on this planet."---Graeme Gourlay, Dive Magazine"The Sounds of Life is a charming and timely book, packed with stories of remarkable, eye-opening (and ear-opening?) discoveries."---Hilary Lamb, Engineering and Technology"Bakker is talking about extension of our experience and our understanding and our sympathy in ways not possible before the advent of digital technology."---John Wilson, First Things"Bakker’s book is full of stories of wonder and curiosity about the world of sound that constantly surrounds humanity." * Mongabay *"This is a fascinating and surprising look at how the natural world teems with remarkable conversations, many beyond human hearing range. . . . A great read."---Lorraine Connolly, The Countryman"Impeccably written, soundly researched, and utterly fascinating. . . . Between and around the book’s hard science, the author wraps accessible and warmly told human narratives such as the tale of the dying man who on his last sea trip first realized whales communicated with each other. Thus, The Sounds of Life is filled with a certain kind of wild, brilliant charm that makes it very readable for the scientific and the nonscientific minded alike." * Compulsive Reader *"This is an extraordinary book."---Christopher W. Clark, The Quarterly Review of Biology

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Shannon Mattern’s new book A City Is Not a Computer holds an important caveat: A city isn’t just a computer. While artists and urbanists have sought to describe it in its messy totality, an oversimplified logic that has reduced urban reality to singular narratives. . .blinds us to its ‘prismatic complexity’. . . . A City Is Not a Computer is, most fundamentally, a push to “inject history and happenstance” into our appreciation of urban life, and a reminder to respect the impossibility of summarizing our messy cities with neat, tidy narratives."---Annie Howard, Metropolis"A City is Not a Computer digs into the data, dashboards, and language that keep people from building better, safer communities. . . . The book reflects the ways a bunch of academic disciplines refract the idea of urbanism, of how to make a city that supports everyone who lives there. . . . Mattern’s deft dissection of metaphors for cities shows that when they’re misguided, they point to a failure not only of imagination but of a city’s ability to carry out its chief function—as a bulwark against disaster."---Adam Rogers, Wired"A powerful perspective on types of intelligence that technocratic visions of smart cities unduly diminish."---Evan Selinger, Los Angeles Review of Books"A City Is Not A Computer puts forth a much needed, audacious argument about the limitations of data-driven, computational thinking currently supported by countless municipalities and ‘smart city’ advocates. Accessible and provocative, Mattern is at her best, succinctly weaving constructively critical insights with wide ranging examples towards an urbanism of wisdom that tempers its focus on efficiencies with environmental justice, social sensitivity, and indigenous knowledge. Truer words have not been spoken when she describes such a city being ‘smarter than any supercomputer.’"---Erick Villagomez, Spacing Canada"A City is Not a Computer by Shannon Mattern is a compact little book that packs a punch when you open its pages. From its eye-catching design to how easy it is to cart around with you, this book is a subtle winner to add to your collection and your scope of knowledge. . . . Overall, this book is an incredible analysis of cities and the lives that influence them, and what should be done when designing and building a city. . . .I highly recommend you pick this book up, whether you wish to further your anthropological knowledge of cities and the lives of urban people in the West or whether you simply wish to think a little bit about how cities and lives interact."---Jenna Collingnon, Western Exteriors"Hard to put down."---John Hill, A Daily Dose of Architecture Books"A forceful, frequently pointed, and intellectually dense critique of the smart city “orthodoxy” and the ways in which overreliance on technology and computational models “shape, and in many cases profoundly limit, our understanding of and engagement with our cities."---Ray Bert, Civil Engineering Magazine"A bold and inspiring thinker, Mattern is hardly reserved about being done with the orthodox concept of smartness in cities (digital technologies and resulting data) as she shifts her focus to other kinds of urban intelligence. . . . A City is Not a Computer is dense with insight on healing fractures of urban violence with plural knowledge, but Mattern’s ability with words makes for an effortless read. . . . The book leaves the reader pondering: how do we live justly, oppose colonial and capitalist tendencies, and awaken others to plural knowledge that empowers thinking with marginalised human and nonhuman communities in more attuned and less calculated ways than what smart cities allow us?"---Hira Skeikh, AI & Society"This book is important for urban designers and city managers. . . . [A] readable, compact volume." * Choice *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the Dartmouth Medal for Outstanding Reference Work, American Library Association""Winner of the PROSE Award in Environmental Science, Association of American Publishers""[A] beautiful introduction to the sister sciences of trees as individual plants and as forest ecosystems. . . . A visually pleasing volume to browse for anyone curious about the hidden forces that determine the location, appearance, and functioning of forests in their backyard or around the globe." * Library Journal *"There’s so much packed into it, in between gorgeous photography of trees from around the world, that The World Atlas of Trees and Forests should make absorbing reading for anyone looking to understand more about trees from a biological, ecological and geographical perspective."---Penny Sarchet, New Scientist Wild Wild Life"This is a mammoth tome, ambitious in scope and wonderfully informative in all that it delivers."---David Gascoigne, Travels with Birds"About 250 beautiful colour photographs, many of which are full pages, impressed me; these alone make the book worth owning. The text is written in a clear, scientific style that also winks at the non-specialist reader."---Gianniantonio Domina, Community Ecology"[This book] will bolster the existing literature on forests and woodlands and will be of interest to all who open it."---Michael Higgins, British Naturalists Association

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Winner of the inaugural Architecture Book of the Year Award, Technical Category""A rare opportunity to look closer at modernists’ environmental ethics and not just their aesthetics — and a timely reference for our worsening climate crisis."---Diana Budds, Curbed"The premise of [Modern Architecture and Climate] is this: The battle for the supremacy of air conditioning above all other solutions for climate mitigation was, in fact, a battle . . . [it] spanned continents, political ideologies, and architectural discourses…What makes Barber’s book so interesting is not only the meticulous documentation of…climate-control alternatives and their practitioners, but the tension between their goals and their underlying ideologies. . . . The lesson from Barber’s book is not to replicate the conditions that begat yesterday’s missed opportunities, but to change them for the better."---Kate Wagner, The Architect’s Newspaper"It’s easy to think of Modernism as inseparable from air conditioning, simply because we are surrounded by so much of it that is. A valuable reminder that this wasn’t always the case is provided in Daniel A. Barber’s Modern Architecture and Climate: Design Before Air Conditioning, which outlines the story of the febrile, flexible, and often-forgotten early experiments in climate control."---Anthony Paletta, Metropolis"[Modern Architecture and Climate] offers . . . the most comprehensive and concise corrective to the reigning histories of Modernism that have tended to exclude, or at least consider only superficially, environmental context."---Russell Fortmeyer, Architectural Record"[An] erudite work…Heavily illustrated and deeply researched. . . . Academics, urban planners, and environmental designers will most appreciate this thought-provoking and detailed volume." * Publishers Weekly *"Modern Architecture and Climate is a fresh and original history that chronicles the intense research undertaken by designers to adapt modernist architecture to various climate conditions, as modernism’s political and aesthetic influence reached across the globe. . . . Barber’s work is a welcome addition to the history of architectural modernism, and is particularly pertinent in our current circumstances. It demonstrates the profound impact that our expectations of a uniform interior have had on the planet we share. But its examples also offer an inspiring model for challenging assumptions about the role of building form in mitigating climate extremes."---Javier Zeller, Canadian Architect"Barber's book is not simply a technological history, but ultimately also an impassioned lament for our collective carbon footprint as planetary temperatures increase…Architects, engineers, and students interested in systematic and environmentally friendly approaches to indoor cooling will find inspiration in Modern Architecture and Climate….In a time of an airborne pandemic, Modern Architecture and Climate, with its rigorous examination of open interiors, airflow, and ventilation, will serve well those readers who have the grit to absorb the author's intensive approach and sobering message."---Paul Glassman, ARLIS/NA Reviews"[Daniel] Barber’s thorough account, written in the distanced expert voice of a historian, shines when it dispels established beliefs . . . [Modern Architecture and Climate] does an excellent job of documenting the subjects it cover."---Ross Wienert, Rice Design Alliance"[An] exhaustively researched book . . . [in Modern Architecture and Climate] Barber makes a well-supported argument that through the propagation of this very specific set of cultural and Modern Architecture and Climate comfort ideals, modern architecture became an instrument for globalization, economic development, and postwar colonialism."---Kristin Schuster, Texas Architect Magazine"I’ve waited years for a book like this… What Modern Architecture and Climate suggests is an alternative reckoning with modernism’s legacy—its ideas, strategies, and practitioners. With the urgency of our global climate crisis, many of these concerns are once again central…Barber’s book points us in the right direction." * Arris *"Daniel Barber's historical narrative is fascinating and holds many useful lessons for a contemporary audience."---Brian Ford, The Plan Journal"Richly illustrated. . . . For the academic and the architect, this valuable volume encourages more careful consideration of climatic modernism as both history and limit. It is thought-provoking, giving us pause to consider the passionate attempts that architects have made to mediate their environment. The tales gathered here trace a lineage that situates design within the planetary. . . . Barber’s constant and learned skepticism warns us to maintain an informed but critical distance from the pursuit of immediate comfort."---Hannah Le Roux, Journal for the Society of Architectural Historians"A thoroughly researched and superbly illustrated discussion of some of the most important connections between architecture and technology in the twentieth century, essential reading for anyone interested in the discourse around modern architecture in the light of current challenges."---Florian Urban, Architectural History"[A] deeply researched and richly illustrated volume. . . . [Modern Architecture and Climate] takes the material mediation of local climate through architecture as its path and sheds light on some of the (built and written) genealogies of questions pertaining to thermal comfort, solar heating, and passive cooling."---Anna-Maria Meister, Isis: A Journal of the History of Science Society"This is a vitally important work of historical scholarship. . . . a landmark study."---Marcus Colla, German History"Modern Architecture and Climate is theoretically and visually rich, with many wonderful full-page illustrations that allow the reader to pick apart the layouts and diagrams of many mid-century publications and buildings. It is also an optimistic book, one that shows that the homogenous airconditioned interior wasn’t an inevitability, and still need not be."---Daniel J. Ryan, Traditional Dwellings and Settlements Review

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Book SynopsisLessons learned from the powerful climate justice campaign in Aotearoa New ZealandTrade Review'This clearly written political geography documents an important period of climate activism in Aotearoa New Zealand, with wider relevance for democratic activism abroad. It connects direct action environmental activism with a feminist ethics and politics of care, with theoretical relevance for students, researchers and activists far beyond these shores' -- Kelly Dombroski, an editor of ‘New Zealand Geographer’'Follows the entanglement of racial capitalism, colonialism and western modernity that situates resource extraction in Aotearoa New Zealand. Drawing on the authors’ own experiences of direct action and resistance, it also outlines a hopeful ethics of care through which meaningful changes can be achieved' -- Jo Sharp, Professor of Geography, University of St Andrews, ScotlandTable of ContentsGlossary of Te Reo Māori Terms 1. Security for Whom? 2. Securing Oil 3. Contesting Oil 4. Taming the Narrative 5. Securing Business-as-Usual 6. Policing and Dehumanising Activists 7. Enacting Care and Responsibility 8. Democracy and Hope References

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Book SynopsisOver the course of several personal essays, genderqueer activist/writer Eli Clare weaves together memoir, history, and political thinking to explore meanings and experiences of home, all the while providing an intersectional framework for understanding how we actually experience the daily hydraulics of oppression, power, and resistance.Trade Review"Eli Clare's Exile and Pride . . . challenge[s] us to think beyond identity politics. This set of nine interconnected essays defies categorization in its exploration not only of queerness and disability but also of class, race, urban-rural divides, gender identity, sexual abuse, environmental destruction, and the meaning of home. . . . Clare gives us a vision of a broad-based and intersectional politics that can move us beyond the current divisions of single-issue movements." -- Rachel Rosenbloom * Women's Review of Books *Table of ContentsForeword to the 2015 Edition / Aurora Levins Morales xi Preface tot he 2009 Edition. A Challenge to Single-Issue Politics: Reflections from a Decade Later xxi A Note About Gender, or Why is this White Guy Writing about Being a Lesbian? xxvii The Mountain 1 Part I: Place Clearcut: Explaining the Distance 17 Losing Home 31 Clearcut: Brutes and Bumper Stickers 51 Clear Cut: End of the Line 61 Casino: An Epilogue 71 Part II. Bodies Freaks and Queers 81 Reading Across the Grain 119 Stones in My Pickets, Stones in My Heart 143 Acknowledgments to the 1999 Edition 161 Afterword to the 2009 Edition / Dean Spade 165 Notes 173 Index 179

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Book SynopsisFrom majestic Amazonian macaws and highland Andean hawks to tiny colorful tanagers and tall flamingos, birds and their feathers played an important role in the Inka empire.

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Book SynopsisJonathan O'Brien is the CEO of Positive Purchasing Ltd, the international procurement and negotiation consultancy and training provider, and is based in Plymouth, UK. With over 30 years of experience, he has helped global organizations increase their purchasing capability through training, education and working directly with practitioners and executive teams. He is also the author of Category Management in Purchasing, Negotiation for Procurement and Supply Chain Professionals, Supplier Relationship Management and The Buyer's Toolkit, all published by Kogan Page.Trade Review"This is the most insightful - and perhaps more importantly - the most useful book on sustainable procurement. Jonathan O´Brien shows us how to weave category management and SRM together and use it as leverage to enable sustainable supply chains. Sustainable Procurement is undoubtedly one of the most important sources of knowledge for our own transformation to sustainable sourcing." * Andreas Takacs, Chief Procurement Officer, Green Cargo AB *"This will undoubtedly become a core and classic book for practitioners and students - and indeed for anyone interested in the contribution procurement can make to sustainability issues. The practical advice, tools and templates are particularly impressive and extensive and will prove invaluable for many. There is certainly no excuse now for anyone to say "I don't know how to implement sustainable procurement"." * Peter Smith, MD, Procurement Excellence Ltd and business author *"An essential and highly practical handbook for driving responsible purchasing practices - helps make sense of the complex topic of transforming buying through the lens of sustainability." * Anke Ehlers, Managing Director CRI, ALDI SÜD KG *"Jonathan addresses Procurement's need to work with the supply networks on how they think about Environmental Sustainability. Our need to build our supply networks to be robust to support the environmental challenges is critical." * Chris Shanahan, VP Global Sustainability – Supply Chain Operations, Thermo Fisher Scientific *"Rethinking business practices with corporate social responsibility in mind has become an imperative for all organizations. This provides a huge opportunity for procurement teams to demonstrate new sources of value by managing the business' consumption habits and rebuilding supply chains in line with business CSR strategy. But how? Jonathan O'Brien's Sustainable Procurement provides comprehensive insights into the tools, tactics, and strategies procurement teams can put into practice to drive CSR best practices and measure their results." * Philip Ideson, Founder and Managing Director, Art of Procurement *"As concerns about anthropogenic climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and social impacts have become more common, global organisations both in the public and private sectors have shifted to embrace sustainable practices and policies. However, many organisations have none or under-developed sustainable procurement programmes and thus are ill-equipped to achieve these ambitions. Jonathan O'Brien has provided the much-needed insights and practical tools to help organisations and procurement professionals define and implement sustainable procurement programmes that yield desired outcomes for all stakeholders, whilst simultaneously uplifting the mission of procurement as an enabler of strategic intents." * Vusi Fele, Group Chief Procurement Officer, Absa Group *"Talk of sustainability is not new, but operational progress continues to lag behind aspiration and vision. In this passionately written book, Jonathan O'Brien makes the case for the sustainability imperative, demonstrates why progress cannot be made without coordinated efforts from procurement and supply chain professionals, and turns previously abstract guidance into an actionable, achievable mission." * Kelly Barner, Head of Content and Operations, Art of Procurement *"Sustainability is an era defining opportunity for procurement. It is the strategic imperative that will turn failed SRM initiatives into successful programmes and will cement action and transformation for the betterment of the function and for the future of our planet. This book acts as a practical roadmap that translates greenwashing and greenwishing into evidence based action. A must read for all procurement and sustainability professionals today." * Mark Perera, CEO & Founder, Vizibl *"Sustainable procurement is a topic on every procurement leader's agenda, but the path forward is often unclear. Jonathan provides the information needed to understand the options and create a compelling path forward." * Erik Stavrand, Partner, SEAK LLC *Table of Contents Chapter - 00: Introduction; Section - ONE: Our current situation; Chapter - 01: Situation planet Earth 1 - the planet; Chapter - 02: Situation planet Earth 2 - people; Chapter - 03: Homosapiens - extinct in a hundred years?; Section - TWO: The sustainability imperative; Chapter - 04: Introducing sustainable procurement; Chapter - 05: The business case for sustainable procurement; Chapter - 06: Setting the direction for sustainability; Section - THREE: Sustainable Procurement; Chapter - 07: Assessing the supply base; Chapter - 08: Prioritizing risks, impacts and opportunities; Chapter - 09: Evaluating potential sustainable procurement projects; Chapter - 10: Making what we buy sustainable; Chapter - 11: Driving sustainability in our suppliers; Chapter - 12: Audit and assessment of suppliers; Chapter - 13: Driving sustainability in the supply chain; Chapter - 14: Making it happen, measuring outcomes and driving success; Chapter - 15: Appendices

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Book SynopsisIn The Nature of Space, pioneering Afro-Brazilian geographer Milton Santos attends to globalization writ large and how local and global orders intersect in the construction of space. Santos offers a theory of human space based on relationships between time and ontology. He argues that when geographers consider the inseparability of time and space, they can then transcend fragmented realities and partial truths without trying to theorize their way around them. Based on these premises, Santos examines the role of space, which he defines as indissoluble systems of objects and systems of actions in social processes, while providing a geographic contribution to the production of a critical social theory.Trade Review“Milton Santos was one of the most important Black thinkers in the Americas writing in the last four decades, one of the most important Brazilian intellectuals of all time, and one of the most cited and noteworthy geographers in Latin America. This extremely important translation subverts our tendencies to ignore scholarship being produced in the global South and marks a key step in decolonizing thought in US academe.” -- Keisha-Khan Y. Perry, author of * Black Women against the Land Grab: The Fight for Racial Justice in Brazil *“Milton Santos is one of the most distinguished intellectuals of our epoch. So many of us have learned from him. I have long seen in his work something that became one of my modus operandi: transversality . . . not the familiar knowledge silos but the cutting across of those silos.” -- Saskia Sassen, Columbia University"Milton Santos has offered one map for crossing the perilous terrain of academic specialties. At a time when so many take geography for granted as maps appear at our fingertips with the click of a button, this deeply humanistic guide may prompt us to ask anew where in the world we have been set down." -- Lawrence Rosen * Boston Review *"There is little doubt that Milton Santos (1926–2001) is the most important Brazilian geographer of all time. . . . The most obvious audience of this work is advanced graduate students and scholars from departments across social sciences. Geographers will benefit from being exposed to one of the most important Brazilian books in our field of knowledge, and other social scientists will acquire tools to increasingly recognize the importance of space as a relevant category of analysis of society in our current times, a mo(ve)ment that is long overdue." -- Thiago Bogossian * AAG Review of Books *"The Nature of Space was originally published twenty-five years ago, but its insights about the unavoidable, unstable dialectical relationships between global rationality and local responses have since been reinforced in various ways by social media, climate change, and now the Covid-19 pandemic. . . . Santos was right. The world has shifted to a new geographical reality. This English translation of his book offers a valuable point of departure for making some sense of it." -- Edward Relph * Society & Natural Resources *“Opening this book [connected] me to a world of geography scholarship for the most part ignored, actively or otherwise, in the Anglophone academy.” -- David McLaughlin * Environment, Space, Place *Table of ContentsIntroduction to the English-Language Edition: Milton Santos: Rebel of the Backlands, Insurgent Academic, Prescient Scholar / Susanna Hecht vii Introduction 1 Part I. An Ontology of Space: Founding Ideas 1. Techniques, Time, and Geographic Space 13 2. Space: Systems of Objects, Systems of Action 34 3. Geographic Space, a Hybrid 53 Part II. The Production of Content-Forms 4. Space and the Notion of Totality 69 5. From the Diversification of Nature to the Territorial Division of Labor 81 6. Time (Events) and Space 91 Part III. For a Geography of the Present 7. The Current Technical System 111 8. Unicities: The Production of Planetary Intelligence 124 9. Objects and Actions Today: Norms and Territory 142 10. From the Natural Milieu to the Technical-Scientific-Informational Milieu 157 11. For a Geography of Networks 177 12. Horizontalities and Verticalities 192 13. Spaces of Rationality 198 Part IV. The Power of Place 14. Place and the Everyday 215 Universal Order, Local Order: Summary and Conclusion 229 Notes 237 References 241 Index 273

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Book SynopsisAs climate change and development pressures overwhelm the environment, our emotional relationships with Earth are also in crisis. Pessimism and distress are overwhelming people the world over. In this maelstrom of emotion, solastalgia, the homesickness you have when you are still at home, has become, writes Glenn A. Albrecht, one of the defining emotions of the twenty-first century. Earth Emotions examines our positive and negative Earth emotions. It explains the author''s concept of solastalgia and other well-known eco-emotions such as biophilia and topophilia. Albrecht introduces us to the many new words needed to describe the full range of our emotional responses to the emergent state of the world. We need this creation of a hopeful vocabulary of positive emotions, argues Albrecht, so that we can extract ourselves out of environmental desolation and reignite our millennia-old biophilia—love of life—for our home planet. To do so, he proTrade ReviewAlbrecht offers a framework within which to understand and acknowledge the dissociation of humans from the living world. With a new language and means of expression, a wider array of stories from diverse voices can hopefully be heard. * The Independent *In Earth Emotions, Albrecht seeks to provide a new lexicon of emotional terms. The purpose of these terms is twofold: first, to allow people make better sense of themselves and of their relationship with the planet; second, to encourage development of a more meaningful and optimistic outlook toward the planet. * Choice *Table of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Introduction 1. A Sumbiography: A Summation of My Green Past 2. Solastalgia: The Homesickness You Have at Home 3. The Psychoterratic in the Anthropocene: Negative Earth Emotions 4. The Psychoterratic in the Symbiocene: Positive Earth Emotions 5. Gaia and the Ghedeist: Secular Spirituality 6. Generation Symbiocene: Creating the New World Conclusion Glossary of Psychoterratic Terms Notes References Index

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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