Earth Sciences, Geography & Environment Books

Book SynopsisTrade ReviewFoundations of the Earth serves as a primer to our planet's natural and anthropological history, prompted by questions raised in the book of Job. With his ingenious use of Job, H. H. Shugart effectively bridges ancient issues and modern ones. -- William P. Brown, Columbia Theological Seminary, author of "The Seven Pillars of Creation: The Bible, Science, and the Ecology of Wonder" H. H. Shugart compiles a wide knowledge of history and archeology to show how humans have addressed some of the questions first posed by God in the Book of Job-what is the origin of our planet, how does it function, what is the role and impact of humans on the Earth, and what is our likely future? He posits biblical origin for these current questions in earth-system science and global-change biology. -- William H. Schlesinger, president, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies H. H. Shugart provides valuable insights into the foundational ecological issues we are grappling with today, using the 'whirlwind' questions to illustrate his points and including Job's message of 'man in nature' instead of 'master of nature,' a distinction that is particularly relevant in today's world of climate change and species extinctions. It is a beautifully written and compelling overview of how the world works, and I recommend it to all! -- Brian Walker, author of Resilience Thinking: Sustaining Ecosystems and People in a Changing World In this engaging and illuminating primer on environmental science, world ecosystems scholar Shugart... demonstrates that science knows a lot about the questions God asked Job, questions pertaining to the birth of the universe, the taming of wild beasts, the course of the stars and heavenly bodies... and more. Library Journal (starred review) Thoroughly documented yet easy to read... Highly recommended. CHOICE Shugart should be congratulated for writing a book which is both intellectually fascinating and easy to read - but also important. It can be recommended as a worthwhile gift for school students or aged acdemics; perhaps it should also be required reading for politicians obsessed with the immediate and short-term. British Ecological Society BulletinTable of ContentsPreface 1. Introduction 2. Laying the Foundation of the Earth 3. Taming the Unicorn, Yoking the Aurochs: Animal and Plant Domestication and the Consequent Alteration of the Surface of the Earth 4. Freeing the Onager: Feral and Introduced Animals 5. Bounding the Seas, Freezing the Face of the Deep: When the Sea Is Loosed from Its Bonds 6. The Ordinances of the Heavens and Their Rule on Earth: Adaptation and the Cycles of Life 7. The Dwelling of the Light and the Paths to Its Home: Winds, Ocean Currents, and the Global Energy Balance 8. Making the Ground Put Forth Grass: The Relationship Between Climate and Vegetation 9. Feeding the Lions: The Conservation of Biological Diversity on a Changing Planet 10. Making Weather and Influencing Climate: Human Engineering of the Earth 11. Conclusion: Comprehending the Earth Notes Index

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Book SynopsisA leading bioethicist explores the intractable threats to our well-being that persist despite the multigenerational effort to defeat them.Trade ReviewThis book is a wide-ranging, sincere, and syncretic attempt to identify and analyze the greatest threats to the planet today. It is a work of tremendous breadth of vision, with an earnest concern about some of the most serious problems of our time. Callahan is a master of clear communication. -- Donna Dickenson, author of Me Medicine vs. We Medicine: Reclaiming Biotechnology for the Common Good Daniel Callahan's powerful, lucid book offers a sober confrontation with some of the most serious problems facing the world today, asking us to change our ideas of progress to mitigate the catastrophic consequences of how we have come to live. -- Michael Roth, Wesleyan University Callahan, a pioneer in bioethics, has written a thoughtful meditation on our most recalcitrant worldly challenges, from the health of our bodies to the wellbeing of our planet. Well-written and accessible, The Five Horsemen of the Modern World demonstrates how the complex mix of technology, politics, and media have slowed progress and calls for a more productive partnership with sustainable businesses to chart a path forward. -- Paul Sabin, author of The Bet: Paul Ehrlich, Julian Simon and Our Gamble Over Earth's Future Callahan is subtle in expressing his point of view-you never feel like he is pushing an ideology or a single-minded solution at the reader. He lets the data speak first, and then he sets the path. -- Sheldon Krimsky, author of Stem Cell Dialogues: A Philosophical and Scientific Inquiry Into Medical Frontiers Callahan's analysis of the evolution of global problems is instructive and accessible; his use of data, clear and persuasive. A work of impressive scope. -- Steve Cohen, Columbia University It is hard enough to write a wise book on a single major social problem, but Daniel Callahan has written a wise book about five of them, ultimately proposing important suggestions for moving forward. The Five Horsemen should be mandatory reading for anyone interested in climate change, food distribution, the water supply, chronic illness or obesity-in other words, all of us. This book challenges us to look at the global and local ramifications of everything we know and do. -- Barron H. Lerner, MD, PhD, Author of The Good Doctor: A Father, A Son and the Evolution of Medical Ethics Pragmatic and measured. Nature Recommended. CHOICETable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments I. Mapping an Irregular Terrain 1. Our Overheating, Fraying Planet 2. Feeding a Growing Population: How, and with What Kind of Food? 3. Water: Not Everywhere and Not Always Fit to Drink 4. Chronic Illness: Rich or Poor, Few Escape 5. Obesity: The Scourge of Bad Diets and Sedentary Habits II. Examining the Pathways Through the Thickets 6. Always More People and Ever More Elderly: Caring and Paying 7. The Technology Fix: A Way Out? 8. A Volatile Mix: Public Policy, the Media, and Public Opinion 9. Law and Governance: Managing Our Public Planet and Our Private Bodies III. Toward the Future: Progress, Hope, and Fear 10. Progress and Its Errant Children: More Is Never Enough 11. The Necessary Coalition: Social Movements, Legislatures, and Business Notes Index

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Book SynopsisExamines the array of water-management decisions faced by Chinese leaders and their consequences for local communities.Trade ReviewWith the clear-eyed objectivity and inquisitive mind of an anthropologist, Tilt explores the prospects for reshaping the political economy of Chinese dam building-where planning has for too long been dominated by a 'dictatorship of engineers'-by infusing a moral economy in which culture, heritage, equity, and natural ecosystems are given due consideration. With more than 2,000 dams being built in China each year, a transformation of dam development is urgently needed. -- Brian Richter, director of Global Freshwater Strategies, The Nature Conservancy Dams and Development is a highly readable and wide-ranging account of hydropower development in China, providing insights on topics ranging from the relationship between state capitalism and the building of dams, to new data on the effects of resettlement on livelihoods, attitudes and social networks, his reflections as an anthropologist on bringing together different epistemologies of expertise in a large, interdisciplinary project on hydropower decision-making, and information on China's new dam construction overseas. Carefully avoiding black and white characterizations, Tilt instead explores water management as a struggle over competing values among groups and differential access to resources and power. Dams and Development is a welcome addition to the anthropological literature on China's environment, and will be excellent for classroom use. -- Emily Yeh, University of Colorado at Boulder A practical look at some of the most interesting challenges of our time. -- Sinead Ferris Asian Review of Books A good book for a course related to cultural geography and anthropological themes of development. -- Richard Louis Edmonds The China Quarterly An ambitious book on the complexities inherent in China's quest for cleaner sources of energy and power through the development of hydropower-and its effects... It should be read by students, scholars, and policy analysts as they wrestle with the complexities and contradictions China faces in the development versus conservation conundrum. -- Andrew Mertha The China Journal A succinct and very useful introduction. Pacific Affairs An in-depth research on the problems and issues related to large hydropower projects in China. For those who have an interest in this field, this is definitely a work that must be read. American Anthropologist [Dams and Development in China] is hard to put down. Not only is this efficient volume usefully packed with a wide array of compelling data, some surprising survey results, and a remarkably navigable mapping of government policy processes and decision-making models, it also manages to indulge in some lovely scenery descriptions and offer some hope that there are some signs of improvement. This book will be of interest to anyone curious about contemporary China or global environmental studies. -- E. Elena Songster Journal of Asian StudiesTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface Abbreviations 1. The Moral Economy of Water and Power 2. Crisis and Opportunity: Water Resources and Dams in Contemporary China 3. The Lancang River: Coping with Resettlement and Agricultural Change 4. The Nu River: Anticipating Development and Displacement 5. Experts, Assessments, and Models: The Science of Decision Making 6. People in the Way: Resettlement in Policy and Practice 7. A Broader Confluence: Conservation Initiatives and China's Global Dam Industry Conclusion: The Moral Economy Revisited List of Chinese Terms Notes Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewGreen Capital takes us on a salutary journey through biodiversity, water shortages, the energy transition, and much more to stress the importance of 'natural capital.' The book provides an accessible discussion of the economic value of the environment and of the tragedy of the commons, and it explains why, despite our reluctance to employ them, price signals are necessary to create the right incentives. A call for greater environmental awareness and more common sense, Green Capital is a must-read for all those interested in environmental policy issues. -- Jean Tirole, Toulouse School of Economics and Nobel Laureate in Economics In this colorful and creative book, de Perthuis and Jouvet go beyond the usual environment-versus-economics debate to show that the real challenge is to recognize the significant values we are already enjoying (often without paying) from nature's capital, and to incorporate those values efficiently into our market signals and decisions. Emphasizing the need for enterprise and innovation, Green Capital offers an eclectic, imaginative, and pragmatic synthesis of environmental economics and sensible economic policy. -- Jonathan Wiener, Duke University Trend is not destiny. For those who want to find a better way to live on the earth, this book is a source of insight and inspiration. -- Frank J. Convery, chief economist, Environmental Defense Fund By systematically destroying the natural foundations of our economic and social development, we deprive ourselves of the chance for sustainable growth. Is there a way out? The answers that Christian de Perthuis and Pierre-Andre Jouvet provide are a model of realism, characterizing in operational terms the radical shifts required to escape the trap we are in. -- Claude Henry, Sciences Po Paris and Columbia UniversityTable of ContentsIntroduction: The Color of Growth 1. Growth: A Historical Accident? 2. The Spaceship Problem: An Optimal Population Size? 3. Degrowth: Good Questions, Bad Answers 4. Introducing the Environment into the Calculation of Wealth 5. "Natural Capital" Revisited 6. Hotelling: Beyond the Wall of Scarcity 7. Nature Has No Price: How Then Is the Cost of Its Degradation to Be Measured? 8. Beyond Hotelling: Natural Capital as a Factor Required for Growth 9. Water, the Shepherd, and the Owner: A Choice of Green Growth Models 10. How Much Is Your Genome Worth? 11. The Enhancement of Biodiversity: Managing Access, Pricing Usage 12. Climate Change: The Challenges of Carbon Pricing 13. International Climate Negotiations 14. The "Energy Transition": Not Enough or Too Much Oil and Gas? 15. The Inescapable Question of the Price of Energy 16. Nuclear Energy: A Rising-Cost Technology 17. Growth-Generating Innovations 18. Planning or the Market: What Are the Catalysts? 19. European Strategy: Jump Out of the Warm Water! Conclusion: Green Capital, Green Capitalism? Notes Index

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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 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 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 SynopsisThe perfect textbook for nonscience majors, this volume explains dinosaur evolution, phylogeny, and classification. Revised to reflect recent fossil discoveries and the current consensus on dinosaur science, the text details the behavior and extinction of the species, their relationship to birds, and their representation in popular culture.Trade ReviewI don't think that you can produce a better book than what Spencer Lucas has written. It has been well proved over many years, and this thoroughly updated edition meets the demands of the rapidly evolving science. -- Sherwood W. Wise Jr., professor of geological sciences, Florida State University This book is the best available introduction to dinosaurs for college students, as earlier editions have been. -- John Cisne, professor of earth and atmospheric sciences, Cornell University Dinosaurs is a concise, well-written, and profusely illustrated introduction to this ever-fascinating subject. It is ideally suited for college-level courses. -- Hans-Dieter Sues, senior scientist and curator of vertebrate paleontology, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, coauthor of Triassic Life on Land: The Great TransitionTable of ContentsList of Boxed Readings Preface 1. Introduction What Are Dinosaurs? When and Where Did Dinosaurs Live? Why Study Dinosaurs? Key Terms Review Questions Find a Dinosaur! 2. Evolution, Phylogeny, and Classification Evolution Phylogeny Classification Dinosaurs and Evolution Summary Key Terms Review Questions Further Reading 3. Fossils, Sedimentary Environments, and Geologic Time Fossils Sedimentary Environments Geologic Time Collecting Dinosaur Fossils Summary Key Terms Review Questions Further Reading 4. The Origin of Dinosaurs Dinosaurs as Reptiles Dinosaurs as Diapsids Dinosaurs as Archosaurs The Archosaurian Ancestry of Dinosaurs The Phylogeny of Dinosaurs The Oldest Dinosaurs Summary Key Terms Review Questions Further Reading Find a Dinosaur! 5. Theropods The Phylogeny of Theropods What Is a Theropod? Primitive Theropods Tetanurans Avetheropods Theropod Evolution Summary Key Terms Review Questions Further Reading Find a Dinosaur! 6. Sauropodomorphs Prosauropods Sauropods Sauropod Evolution Summary Key Terms Review Questions Further Reading Find a Dinosaur! 7. Ornithopods Heterodontosaurs Primitive Ornithopods Iguanodontians Hadrosaurs Ornithopod Evolution Summary Key Terms Review Questions Further Reading Find a Dinosaur! 8. Stegosaurs and Ankylosaurs Primitive Thyreophorans Stegosaurs Ankylosaurs Summary Key Terms Review Questions Further Reading Find a Dinosaur! 9. Ceratopsians and Pachycephalosaurs Ceratopsians Pachycephalosaurs Summary Key Terms Review Questions Further Reading Find a Dinosaur! 10. The Dinosaurian World Continental Drift, Sea Level, and Climate Late Triassic: Beginning of the Age of Dinosaurs Early-Middle Jurassic: Dinosaurs Establish Dominance Late Jurassic: The Golden Age of Dinosaurs Early Cretaceous: A Transition Late Cretaceous: The Last Dinosaurs Five Dinosaur Faunas Summary Key Terms Review Questions Further Reading 11. Dinosaur Hunters Earliest Discoveries Complete Skeletons Two Great Expeditions The Calm Before the Storm? The Dinosaur Renaissance Changing Ideas in Dinosaur Science Summary Key Terms Review Questions Further Reading 12. Dinosaur Trace Fossils Dinosaur Footprints Dinosaur Eggs Dinosaur Gastroliths Dinosaur Tooth Marks Dinosaur Coprolites Summary Key Terms Review Questions Further Reading Find a Dinosaur! 13. Dinosaur Biology and Behavior Dinosaur Biology Dinosaur Behavior Summary Key Terms Review Questions Further Reading 14. Hot-Blooded Dinosaurs? Some Terms and Concepts The Evidence What Type(s) of Metabolism Did Dinosaurs Have? Summary Key Terms Review Questions Further Reading 15. Dinosaurs and the Origin of Birds What Is a Bird? The Genus Archaeopteryx Nondinosaurian Ancestors of Birds Origin and Evolution of Avian Flight Evolution of Birds Significance of Dinosaurs as Bird Ancestors Summary Key Terms Review Questions Further Reading Find a Dinosaur! 16. The Extinction of Dinosaurs The Terminal Cretaceous Extinction Nature of the Evidence Single Cause: Asteroid Impact Multiple Causes Minimizing the Damage Answer the Question! Summary Key Terms Review Questions Further Reading 17. Dinosaurs in the Public Eye Dinosaurs: Denotation and Connotation Dinosaurs in the News Dinosaurs in Books Dinosaurs in Art Dinosaur Toys Dinosaurs in Cartoons and Movies Dinosaurs on the Worldwide Web Dinosaur Science and Public Dinosaurs Summary Key Terms Review Questions Further Reading Appendix: A Primer of Dinosaur Anatomy Posture and Orientation Skull, Lower Jaw, and Teeth Backbone Forelimb Hind Limb Structure and Function Key Terms Review Questions Further Reading Glossary A Dinosaur Dictionary Index

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Book SynopsisProvides an urgently needed alternative to the dominant neoclassical paradigm of the free market, which has focused fatally on the boundless production and consumption of goods and services without heed to environmental consequencesTrade ReviewIn Ecological Economics for the Anthropocene, ecological economists ask whether their insights are unfinished, as problematic as they are promising. Their challenges are provocative and insightful. With the planet in jeopardy, sustaining community and saving the biosphere is as vital, and morally required, as sustaining growth. -- Holmes Rolston III, Colorado State University Ecological Economics for the Anthropocene is about the relationship between life and the world that supports it. Three basic concepts-membership, householding, and entropic thrift-are used to explain this relationship and to demonstrate the strong connection between ecological economics and justice. -- Herman E. Daly, University of Maryland A nuanced and quite interesting set of contributions concerning the ethical dimensions of ecological economics, providing a transdisciplinary vision for governing the economy as an embedded subsystem of social and ecological systems. -- Richard Howarth, Dartmouth College We urgently need both a new ethic and a new economics to guide us into the Anthropocene Age. This timely collection underscores the challenges that any new ecological economics must overcome. It offers many rich resources, drawn from an impressively diverse range of disciplines, traditions, and cultures, to help philosophers, economists, and others as we try to imagine how life in the Anthropocene will transform our moral and economic thinking. -- Tim Mulgan, University of St Andrews and University of Auckland, author of Ethics for a Broken WorldTable of ContentsForeword, by Jon D. Erickson Acknowledgments Introduction. The Unfinished Journey of Ecological Economics, by Peter G. Brown and Peter Timmerman Part I. Proposed Ethical Foundations of Ecological Economics Introduction and Chapter Summaries 1. The Ethics of Re-Embedding Economics in the Real: Case Studies, by Peter Timmerman 2. Ethics for Economics in the Anthropocene, by Peter G. Brown 3. Justice Claims Underpinning Ecological Economics, by Richard Janda and Richard Lehun Part II. Measurements: Understanding and Mapping Where We Are Introduction and Chapter Summaries 4. Measurement of Essential Indicators in Ecological Economics, by Mark S. Goldberg and Geoffrey Garver 5. Boundaries and Indicators: Conceptualizing and Measuring Progress Toward an Economy of Right Relationship Constrained by Global Ecological Limits, by Geoffrey Garver and Mark S. Goldberg 6. Revisiting the Metaphor of Human Health for Assessing Ecological Systems and Its Application to Ecological Economics, by Mark S. Goldberg, Geoffrey Garver, and Nancy E. Mayo 7. Following in Aldo Leopold's Footsteps: Humans-in-Ecosystem and Implications for Ecosystem Health, by Qi Feng Lin and James W. Fyles Part III. Steps Toward Realizing an Ecological Economy Introduction and Chapter Summaries 8. Toward an Ecological Macroeconomics, by Peter Victor and Tim Jackson 9. New Corporations for an Ecological Economy: A Case Study, by Richard Janda, Philip Duguay, and Richard Lehun 10. Ecological Political Economy and Liberty, by Bruce Jennings 11. A New Ethos, a New Discourse, a New Economy: Change Dynamics Toward an Ecological Political Economy, by Janice Harvey Conclusion. Continuing the Journey of Ecological Economics: Reorientation and Research List of Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisLawrence D. Brown presents five case studies of cities that have promoted active living with varying success through a range of approaches. He shows how and why the transformation of a call for public intervention into projects, programs, and policies is inescapably political.Trade ReviewIn the lively, elegant, and finely crafted Political Exercise, Lawrence D. Brown begins with a simple and completely uncontroversial idea: active living is a key to health and happiness. And yet it’s devilishly hard to configure cities in a way that promotes this idea. In the little steps toward active living taken in five cities, Brown finds lessons, cautions, and tempered success. An enjoyable and very readable book with lessons and advice for urbanists, policy analysts, health care specialists, and reformers. -- James A. Morone, author of Republic of Wrath: How American Politics Turned Tribal from George Washington to Donald TrumpRecommended. * Choice *Of interest to persons concerned with the proper design, implementation, and evaluation of public programs, especially in such policy areas as public health, green cities, and urban planning and design. * Journal of Urban Affairs *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Wilkes-Barre: Active Living on the Trail to Recovery2. Louisville: The Politics of Piecemeal Progress3. Albuquerque: Reshaping a Cultural Landscape4. Sacramento: Active Living as a Breath of Fresh Air5. New York City: Flourishing at the Margins of Policy6. Evaluation Meets Implementation: The Struggle for the RealConclusion: Active Living and Beyond: Bringing Implementation Back Into Health PromotionNotesReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisLawrence D. Brown presents five case studies of cities that have promoted active living with varying success through a range of approaches. He shows how and why the transformation of a call for public intervention into projects, programs, and policies is inescapably political.Trade ReviewIn the lively, elegant, and finely crafted Political Exercise, Lawrence D. Brown begins with a simple and completely uncontroversial idea: active living is a key to health and happiness. And yet it’s devilishly hard to configure cities in a way that promotes this idea. In the little steps toward active living taken in five cities, Brown finds lessons, cautions, and tempered success. An enjoyable and very readable book with lessons and advice for urbanists, policy analysts, health care specialists, and reformers. -- James A. Morone, author of Republic of Wrath: How American Politics Turned Tribal from George Washington to Donald TrumpRecommended. * Choice *Of interest to persons concerned with the proper design, implementation, and evaluation of public programs, especially in such policy areas as public health, green cities, and urban planning and design. * Journal of Urban Affairs *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Wilkes-Barre: Active Living on the Trail to Recovery2. Louisville: The Politics of Piecemeal Progress3. Albuquerque: Reshaping a Cultural Landscape4. Sacramento: Active Living as a Breath of Fresh Air5. New York City: Flourishing at the Margins of Policy6. Evaluation Meets Implementation: The Struggle for the RealConclusion: Active Living and Beyond: Bringing Implementation Back Into Health PromotionNotesReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisThe perfect book for avid weather watchers, amateur storm chasers, and anyone curious about the relationship between weather and climate.Trade ReviewThe book is perfect for any individual who wants "textbook" science delivered in a format that is easily digested and exciting to read. Making Sense of Weather and Climate fills a niche not only between popular and college-level science, but also between the too-often separated topics of weather and climate change. Frequently presented as separate issues, Denny makes clear that the two are in fact very linked. -- Scott Mandia, Suffolk County Community College Weather has always interested people and has always been societally relevant. Climate change is by now at a similar level of public interest and relevance. Making Sense of Weather and Climate delivers a popular science overview of the physics of weather and climate, with a good amount of wit. Denny's approach to the subject from an applied physics perspective is a real advantage: neither too technical nor too descriptive, this book is for anyone who wants to learn more about weather and climate. -- Thomas Birner, Colorado State University Mark Denny's is a beautifully written, lucid story of the science of climate and weather. It explores its subjects deeply but makes them accessible to the non-technical reader; it captures the humanity of the scientific endeavor; and it describes how scientists observe weather, the statistical prism through which they must view the observations, and how they use them to construct models to render complex phenomena understandable. -- Edmond A. Mathez, author of Climate Change [An] educational volume on meteorology and meteorological forecasting... Denny's discussions on cloud formations-there are four basic forms and 10 basic types-prove particularly fascinating. Publishers Weekly Denny's exploration of the science and history of a phenomenon we have long tried to master makes Making Sense of Weather and Climate a unique and accessible study for anyone desiring a complete and accurate picture of the environment's individual, societal, and planetary impact. Impressively well written, organized and presented. Library BookwatchTable of ContentsAuthor's Note Acknowledgments Forecast 1. Feeling the Heat 2. Under the Heavens and the Seas 3. The Air We Breathe 4. Dynamic Planet 5. Oceans of Data 6. Statistically Speaking 7. A Condensed Account of Clouds, Rain, and Snow 8. Weather Mechanisms 9. Weather Extremes: The New Normal 10. The World of Weather Forecasting And That Wraps Up Your Weather for Today Appendix Glossary Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn China’s Green Religion, James Miller shows how Daoism orients individuals toward a holistic understanding of religion and nature. Explicitly connecting human flourishing to the thriving of nature, Daoism fosters a “green” subjectivity and agency that transforms what it means to live a flourishing life on earth.Trade ReviewThis book presents a novel interpretation of Daoism as a 'green religion' that can transcend its premodern, Chinese origins and offer to the world a distinctive ecological orientation of wider relevance. Miller is arguably the world's leading scholar of Daoism and the environment, and China's Green Religion makes a striking and important contribution to the field of religion and ecology. -- Bronislaw Szerszynski, Lancaster University This book breaks new ground and may serve as a model for more sophisticated engagements with Daoism in terms of ecology. It is at the cutting edge of Daoist Studies. -- Louis Komjathy, Associate Professor of Chinese Religions and Comparative Religious Studies at the University of San Diego James Miller's book is a rich and deeply informed exploration of the relationships of Daoist religion and philosophy with nature and the environment. Miller discusses Daoist principles in new and exciting ways, often related to current ecological and ecocritical topics. He applies Daoist principles to current problems and possible futures, arguing that Daoism could help us develop not only sustainability but also flourishing. This is an important book with new and exciting ideas for environmentalists and citizens. -- Eugene Anderson, University of California, Riverside There is perhaps no scholar in the West who could have written such a valuable book on the contributions of Daoism to ecological thought and practice in China. Meticulously researched and clearly written, this is a book that will indispensable for academics and policy makers alike who are concerned about China's future. -- Mary Evelyn Tucker, Forum on Religion and Ecology, Yale UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1. Religion, Modernity, and Ecology 2. The Subjectivity of Nature 3. Liquid Ecology 4. The Porosity of the Body 5. The Locative Imagination 6. The Political Ecology of the Daoist Body 7. From Modernity to Sustainability 8. From Sustainability to Flourishing Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn China’s Green Religion, James Miller shows how Daoism orients individuals toward a holistic understanding of religion and nature. Explicitly connecting human flourishing to the thriving of nature, Daoism fosters a “green” subjectivity and agency that transforms what it means to live a flourishing life on earth.Trade ReviewThis book presents a novel interpretation of Daoism as a 'green religion' that can transcend its premodern, Chinese origins and offer to the world a distinctive ecological orientation of wider relevance. Miller is arguably the world's leading scholar of Daoism and the environment, and China's Green Religion makes a striking and important contribution to the field of religion and ecology. -- Bronislaw Szerszynski, Lancaster UniversityThis book breaks new ground and may serve as a model for more sophisticated engagements with Daoism in terms of ecology. It is at the cutting edge of Daoist Studies. -- Louis Komjathy, Associate Professor of Chinese Religions and Comparative Religious Studies at the University of San DiegoJames Miller's book is a rich and deeply informed exploration of the relationships of Daoist religion and philosophy with nature and the environment. Miller discusses Daoist principles in new and exciting ways, often related to current ecological and ecocritical topics. He applies Daoist principles to current problems and possible futures, arguing that Daoism could help us develop not only sustainability but also flourishing. This is an important book with new and exciting ideas for environmentalists and citizens. -- Eugene Anderson, University of California, RiversideThere is perhaps no scholar in the West who could have written such a valuable book on the contributions of Daoism to ecological thought and practice in China. Meticulously researched and clearly written, this is a book that will indispensable for academics and policy makers alike who are concerned about China's future. -- Mary Evelyn Tucker, Forum on Religion and Ecology, Yale UniversityTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Religion, Modernity, and Ecology2. The Subjectivity of Nature3. Liquid Ecology4. The Porosity of the Body5. The Locative Imagination6. The Political Ecology of the Daoist Body7. From Modernity to Sustainability8. From Sustainability to FlourishingNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisJ. David Archibald explores how Darwin first came to the conclusion that species had evolved in different regions throughout the world. Carefully retracing Darwin’s gathering of evidence and the evolution of his thinking, Origins of Darwin’s Evolution achieves a new understanding of how Darwin crafted his transformative theory.Trade ReviewCharles Darwin begins The Origin of Species by saying that while on HMS Beagle he was struck by two classes of facts: the strange distributions of plants and animals on Earth, and the progression of forms in the fossil record from the oldest rocks to the youngest. These, and not variations in populations, first led him to doubt theories of special creation and the fixity of species. In this book, J. David Archibald shows how the facts of paleontology and biogeography led Darwin to suspect that organisms changed through time, and eventually to develop the central theory of all of biology. A very nice read that will open the perspectives of a great number of readers. -- Kevin Padian, Museum of Paleontology, University of California, BerkeleyThis is a fresh and stimulating reevaluation of the nature of Darwin’s argumentation behind his theory of evolution through natural selection. Particularly important is the focus on the evidence Darwin himself thought most important: the geographical distribution of organisms around the globe. This is a book that should be read both by Darwin scholars and by today’s practicing evolutionists. -- Michael Ruse, author of Defining Darwin: Essays on the History and Philosophy of Evolutionary BiologyIn this thoughtful and carefully researched book, Archibald makes it abundantly clear that it was biogeography, not geology or the fossil record, that provided Darwin and his supporters with the earliest compelling evidence for evolution. Origins of Darwin’s Evolution fills a significant gap in the literature on Darwin’s research methods and the birth of the modern theory of evolution. -- Michael Ghiselin, author of The Triumph of the Darwinian Method[In Archibald's book,] Darwin’s argumentative structure is illuminated, his process in developing the theory is detailed, and the otherwise difficult to interpret roles and relationships of his South American finds become beautifully clear. -- Charles H. Pence, Louisiana State University * The Quarterly Review of Biology *Appealing and concise. * Isis *This carefully researched book will appeal to both naturalists and historians of science. * Choice *A comprehensive, well-written, and accessible account of a relatively underexplored history of what Darwin believed to be the earliest major proof of evolution. The great strength of this book lies in bringing to life Darwin’s relationship with a cast of historical characters, his own intellectual development, and the observations that first lit the thought of evolution and the search to solve the species puzzle. * British Journal for the History of Science *This is one of those seemingly modest tomes that turns out to be indispensable for the Darwin scholar—and for everyone interested in the natural history of evolution. * Systematic Biology *Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgments1. Establishing the Fact of Evolution2. Darwin’s Geological Education3. The Gravest Objection4. Marking Time5. The Immutablists6. Discovering the Long Dead7. Relating the Long Dead and Collecting the Recently Living8. Describing the Long Dead and the Recently Living9. Private Musings then Shared Sketches10. Darwin’s Historical BiogeographyEpilogue: What Many Reviewers MissedReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisJ. David Archibald explores how Darwin first came to the conclusion that species had evolved in different regions throughout the world. Carefully retracing Darwin’s gathering of evidence and the evolution of his thinking, Origins of Darwin’s Evolution achieves a new understanding of how Darwin crafted his transformative theory.Trade ReviewCharles Darwin begins The Origin of Species by saying that while on HMS Beagle he was struck by two classes of facts: the strange distributions of plants and animals on Earth, and the progression of forms in the fossil record from the oldest rocks to the youngest. These, and not variations in populations, first led him to doubt theories of special creation and the fixity of species. In this book, J. David Archibald shows how the facts of paleontology and biogeography led Darwin to suspect that organisms changed through time, and eventually to develop the central theory of all of biology. A very nice read that will open the perspectives of a great number of readers. -- Kevin Padian, Museum of Paleontology, University of California, BerkeleyThis is a fresh and stimulating reevaluation of the nature of Darwin’s argumentation behind his theory of evolution through natural selection. Particularly important is the focus on the evidence Darwin himself thought most important: the geographical distribution of organisms around the globe. This is a book that should be read both by Darwin scholars and by today’s practicing evolutionists. -- Michael Ruse, author of Defining Darwin: Essays on the History and Philosophy of Evolutionary BiologyIn this thoughtful and carefully researched book, Archibald makes it abundantly clear that it was biogeography, not geology or the fossil record, that provided Darwin and his supporters with the earliest compelling evidence for evolution. Origins of Darwin’s Evolution fills a significant gap in the literature on Darwin’s research methods and the birth of the modern theory of evolution. -- Michael Ghiselin, author of The Triumph of the Darwinian Method[In Archibald's book,] Darwin’s argumentative structure is illuminated, his process in developing the theory is detailed, and the otherwise difficult to interpret roles and relationships of his South American finds become beautifully clear. -- Charles H. Pence, Louisiana State University * The Quarterly Review of Biology *Appealing and concise. * Isis *This carefully researched book will appeal to both naturalists and historians of science. * Choice *A comprehensive, well-written, and accessible account of a relatively underexplored history of what Darwin believed to be the earliest major proof of evolution. The great strength of this book lies in bringing to life Darwin’s relationship with a cast of historical characters, his own intellectual development, and the observations that first lit the thought of evolution and the search to solve the species puzzle. * British Journal for the History of Science *This is one of those seemingly modest tomes that turns out to be indispensable for the Darwin scholar—and for everyone interested in the natural history of evolution. * Systematic Biology *Table of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgments1. Establishing the Fact of Evolution2. Darwin’s Geological Education3. The Gravest Objection4. Marking Time5. The Immutablists6. Discovering the Long Dead7. Relating the Long Dead and Collecting the Recently Living8. Describing the Long Dead and the Recently Living9. Private Musings then Shared Sketches10. Darwin’s Historical BiogeographyEpilogue: What Many Reviewers MissedReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisBenjamin I. Cook brings together climate science, hydrology, and ecology to provide a synthetic overview of drought and its environmental and social consequences. Drought is a critical interdisciplinary text that will be essential reading for a broad range of students in earth science and environmental and sustainability studies.Trade ReviewThis book presents an interesting, multidisciplinary perspective on the various dimensions of drought, which is a complex natural hazard of global importance. -- Brian Wardlow, director and professor, Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies and the School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-LincolnDrought, aridity, and hydroclimatic stress are major concerns worldwide, and climate change is already making the situation worse. This book provides a foundation that many—whether interested in the basic science, the human impacts, or the impacts on natural systems—will find useful. Rarely are relevant insights from the recent geologic past woven together so well with knowledge gained from the instrumental and satellite era to illuminate the challenges that lie ahead. The evidence provided in this book highlights how serious the threat to both humans and nature will be. A must-read. -- Jonathan T. Overpeck, William B. Stapp Collegiate Professor and Samuel A. Graham Dean of the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and SustainabilityCook’s tome is a first-principles, comprehensive, and up-to-date exposition of drought, including its drivers and consequences, by a major player working at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary science. The book is perfectly organized, written, and illustrated, with the early chapters on hydrology and climate laying the needed groundwork for the reader to truly appreciate the later chapters on the history and future of drought and its impacts. In my estimation, this is easily the most important and useful book ever published on the phenomenon of drought. -- Julio L. Betancourt, visiting scientist, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary CenterProvides a stimulating, cohesive, and relevant review that integrates knowledge from several scientific disciplines . . . By drawing attention to the far-reaching impacts human activities have on climate dynamics, this book contributes to a more environmentally aware future. * Conservation Biology *Drought would serve as an excellent textbook for students and professionals of conservation and environmental disciplines, as well as those in parallel fields . . . Highly recommended. * Choice *Water management will indeed be a major resource challenge, and Drought: An Interdisciplinary Perspective does an excellent job of showing why. * BU Center for Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning Impact Magazine *This book is an important contribution to the literature on drought and provides a vital interdisciplinary perspective on the subject. Cook is an expert on drought and very clearly describes its background and methods of study. People from all disciplines would benefit from reading this book to learn more about drought. * H-Environment *Table of ContentsPreface1. Introduction to the Hydrologic Cycle and Drought2. Global Hydroclimatology3. Drought in the Climate System4. Drought and Hydroclimate in the Holocene5. Climate Change and Drought6. Case Studies: The Dust Bowl and Sahel Droughts7. Land Degradation and Desertification8. Groundwater and IrrigationGlossaryReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisBenjamin I. Cook brings together climate science, hydrology, and ecology to provide a synthetic overview of drought and its environmental and social consequences. Drought is a critical interdisciplinary text that will be essential reading for a broad range of students in earth science and environmental and sustainability studies.Trade ReviewThis book presents an interesting, multidisciplinary perspective on the various dimensions of drought, which is a complex natural hazard of global importance. -- Brian Wardlow, director and professor, Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies and the School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-LincolnDrought, aridity, and hydroclimatic stress are major concerns worldwide, and climate change is already making the situation worse. This book provides a foundation that many—whether interested in the basic science, the human impacts, or the impacts on natural systems—will find useful. Rarely are relevant insights from the recent geologic past woven together so well with knowledge gained from the instrumental and satellite era to illuminate the challenges that lie ahead. The evidence provided in this book highlights how serious the threat to both humans and nature will be. A must-read. -- Jonathan T. Overpeck, William B. Stapp Collegiate Professor and Samuel A. Graham Dean of the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and SustainabilityCook’s tome is a first-principles, comprehensive, and up-to-date exposition of drought, including its drivers and consequences, by a major player working at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary science. The book is perfectly organized, written, and illustrated, with the early chapters on hydrology and climate laying the needed groundwork for the reader to truly appreciate the later chapters on the history and future of drought and its impacts. In my estimation, this is easily the most important and useful book ever published on the phenomenon of drought. -- Julio L. Betancourt, visiting scientist, Earth System Science Interdisciplinary CenterProvides a stimulating, cohesive, and relevant review that integrates knowledge from several scientific disciplines . . . By drawing attention to the far-reaching impacts human activities have on climate dynamics, this book contributes to a more environmentally aware future. * Conservation Biology *Drought would serve as an excellent textbook for students and professionals of conservation and environmental disciplines, as well as those in parallel fields . . . Highly recommended. * Choice *Water management will indeed be a major resource challenge, and Drought: An Interdisciplinary Perspective does an excellent job of showing why. * BU Center for Interdisciplinary Teaching and Learning Impact Magazine *This book is an important contribution to the literature on drought and provides a vital interdisciplinary perspective on the subject. Cook is an expert on drought and very clearly describes its background and methods of study. People from all disciplines would benefit from reading this book to learn more about drought. * H-Environment *Table of ContentsPreface1. Introduction to the Hydrologic Cycle and Drought2. Global Hydroclimatology3. Drought in the Climate System4. Drought and Hydroclimate in the Holocene5. Climate Change and Drought6. Case Studies: The Dust Bowl and Sahel Droughts7. Land Degradation and Desertification8. Groundwater and IrrigationGlossaryReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisThomas Berry (1914–2009) was one of the twentieth century’s most prescient and profound thinkers. The first biography of Berry, this book illuminates his remarkable vision and its continuing relevance for achieving transformative social change and environmental renewal.Trade ReviewA warm celebration of an environmentalist whose ideas are increasingly relevant. * Kirkus Reviews *A truly magisterial work and magnificent book. -- Ursula King * Times Higher Education *I urge you to pick up this book and read it cover to cover. -- Thomas Crowe * Smoky Mountain News *Thomas Berry: A Biography is essential reading. -- J. Milburn Thompson * Today's American Catholic *Senior authored by two of his graduate students, the volume thoroughly documents Berry’s sources, experiences, and philosophical positions. -- Susan P. Bratton, Environmental Science, Baylor University, Waco, Texas * Quarterly Review of Biology *A tour de force biography: Thomas Berry was one of the most important thinkers on humanity and our trajectory on this wondrous living planet—and indeed in the journey of the universe. This is a book written with love and clarity that belongs on everyone’s required reading list. Read it and you will understand one of the most inspiring persons of our time—and it will change how you think about the future. -- Thomas E. Lovejoy, University Professor, George Mason UniversityThis is a book one has waited impatiently for: some of our finest environmental historians of religion telling the epic intellectual and human story of Thomas Berry. Most biographies illuminate the past, but this one helps chart the course for our future. -- Bill McKibben, author of Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?To a bewildered world, Thomas Berry offers a moral compass. To a fragmented world, he offers the convergence of scientific and spiritual worldviews in a new story of the evolutionary unity of humans and the cosmos. For a despairing world, he offers meaning and hope in lives of Great Work. For a suffering world, he offers a new jurisprudence of Earth rights. As Thomas Berry was a brilliant, erudite, joyous person who changed the world, so this biography is a brilliant, erudite, joyous book that will change your life. -- Kathleen Dean Moore, author of Great Tide Rising: Towards Clarity and Moral Courage in a Time of Planetary ChangeIn this new biography of Thomas Berry, the authors provide a rich, comprehensive narrative of one of the great thinkers of the twentieth century . . . This is an important book at a time when climate change remains politically divisive and global warming continues unabated. -- Ilia Delio, OSF, Villanova University * American Catholic Studies *To read this magnificent biography is to encounter the evolution of greatness, for Thomas Berry was truly one of the remarkable people of the twentieth century. The distinguished authors chronicle his early life to his study of the world’s religions, to the tragedy of ecological loss and the story of the unfolding universe. This is followed by a series of fascinating essays probing Berry's large intellectual legacy. Throughout, Berry's decency and humanity, as well as his courage, are vividly displayed. I found this book to be a joy and an inspiration. -- James Gustave Speth, cofounder of the Natural Resources Defense Council and former administrator of the United Nations Development ProgrammeIn my first meeting with Thomas Berry, I sensed a depth of wisdom that was comprehensive and unique. This initial intuition only deepened as we worked together over decades. There is no better pathway into his vision than this profound biography. -- Brian Thomas Swimme, coauthor, with Thomas Berry, of The Universe Story: From the Primordial Flaring Forth to the Ecozoic Era—A Celebration of the Unfolding of the CosmosThis book gives tribute to an important thinker who influenced and shaped the fields of cross-cultural studies, religion, and ecology in the twentieth century. The intellectual endeavor of Thomas Berry articulates the failings of the Eurocentric nation-state model and urges listening to the unintended consequences of human hegemony over the natural order of the world. -- Christopher Key Chapple, Doshi Professor of Indic and Comparative Theology, Loyola Marymount UniversityEvery now and again a book comes along that I simply can't put down and one that I've just read through and through is titled Thomas Berry: A Biography. -- Marc Bekoff Ph.D. * Psychology Today Animal Emotions Blog *This biography beautifully shows us the unfolding life of a great religious, philosophical and ecological teacher, one who was also - as I know from direct experience - immensely kind, humorous and generous. * Paradigm Explorer *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Thomas Berry and the Arc of History1. An Independent Youth2. The Call to Contemplation3. Studying History and Living History4. The Struggle to Teach5. From Human History to Earth History6. From New Story to Universe Story7. Evoking the Great Work8. Coming HomeInterlude: The Arc of a Life9. Narratives of Time10. Teilhard and the Zest for Life11. Confucian Integration of Cosmos, Earth, and Humans12. Indigenous Traditions of the Giving EarthEpilogueAppendix: Thomas Berry Timeline, 1914–2009NotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisA compassionate take on the psychological factors fueling climate-change denialism and what we can do to turn indifference into action.Trade ReviewA fresh perspective on the climate crisis... Kiehl finds a successful balance between brevity and substance The book's personable style and interdisciplinary appraoch will interest readers with focuses ranging from psychology and spirituality to climate change. Choice Highly accessible... A gift to the reader. PsycCritiquesTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments Part I. Changes 1. A Journey from Climate Science to Psychology 2. Learning to Embrace Change 3. Facing Our Fears Associated with Climate Change Part II. Patterns 4. How Images Facilitate Transformation 5. Opposites and Our Relationship to Climate Change 6. Balancing the Opposites of Climate Change Part III. Being 7. Exploring Our Being in the World 8. Beauty's Way in the World 9. Why Meaning Is Important to Being in the World Part IV. Awakening 10. How Our Many Worlds Are Entwined 11. Recognizing the Importance of the Transpersonal 12. Awakening to One World Epilogue Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisBen A. Minteer calls for reflection on the ethical dilemmas of species loss and recovery in an increasingly human-driven world. He probes the tension between our impulse to do whatever it takes and the risk of pursuing strategies that undermine our broader commitment to the preservation of wildness.Trade ReviewWise and subtle book on the ethics of modern wildlife conservation. -- Jennie Erin Smith * The Wall Street Journal *What to do—and not to do—about the biodiversity crisis that we ourselves are engineering? In The Fall of the Wild, Ben Minteer takes us through the options. His assessment of the situation is balanced, clear-sighted, and humane. -- Elizabeth Kolbert, author of The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural HistoryIn a kind of writing that has become rare today because of its mix of honesty, eloquence and compassion, Ben Minteer has done us all a favor by giving us a clear-headed, full-hearted perspective on where the conservation movement can and should move in the future. In doing so, he joins the ranks of other great thinkers who changed the course of conservation history during their all-too-brief sojourns into Arizona's deserts and mountains, from Aldo Leopold and Joseph Wood Krutch to Ed Abbey and Paul Martin. Minteer bravely takes on the many facile assumptions of conservation's technofixologists and misanthropes alike to offer us a humbler and hopefully more effective way to save and to savor the presence of the remaining living riches of the "natural" world. -- Gary Paul Nabhan, author of Food from the Radical Center: Healing Our Lands and CommunitiesThe central ethical question addressed by Minteer is not only how far we might go to prevent biological extinction but also how far should we go. He comes to this conundrum as a distinguished environmental philosopher with a broad and deep record of thoughtful scholarship, as well as the heart of someone who obviously cares about the future of nature. And most importantly, at a time when answering the question is ever more urgent, he plots a carefully explicated, cautiously hopeful course forward. -- Harry W. Greene, author of Tracks and Shadows: Field Biology as ArtIn this pithy set of essays Minteer tackles some of the thorniest questions we face as caring citizens and dwellers on the Earth. As human environmental effects accelerate and our technological capacities expand, we face complex decisions involving where and when and how to intervene in ecosystems in the name of conservation. With clarity and circumspection Minteer examines our assumptions about wildness, our human capacity to live with it (or without it), and the far-reaching ethical implications of our choices. -- Curt Meine, author of Aldo Leopold: His Life and WorkEminently readable essays on a variety of conservation approaches. * Choice *Minteer’s book provides a useful overview of current practices of and debates in conservation, in an engaging manner accessible to nonspecialists. * H-Environment *Table of Contents1. Our Vanishing (and Reappearing) Wildlife2. A Bird in the Hand3. The Call of the Quasi Wild4. Elephants Somewhere5. Promethean Dreams6. Heaven and Earth AcknowledgmentsNotesFurther ReadingIndex

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Book SynopsisMichael R. Rampino builds on the latest findings from leading geoscientists to take “neocatastrophism” a step further, toward a richer understanding of the science behind major planetary upheavals and extinction events. Cataclysms offers a cosmic context for Earth’s geologic evolution.Trade ReviewCataclysms is a useful, well-written and not overly technical summary of Neocatastrophism since the Alvarez team published the initial work in the early 1980's. Rampino paints a lively picture of how work in the area of geoscience is actually done - aided and abetted to good purpose by copious illustrations -- Niles Eldredge, author of Eternal Ephemera As late as 1964, it was hard to find a scientist who believed that crashing meteorites, rather than volcanism, had caused craters on the Moon and the Earth. In this well-written and provocative book, Michael Rampino tantalizes us with his examination of the relationship between astronomy and geology, which he argues could become truly predictive of the past and future. Cataclysms takes us far out, indeed. But if there is one lesson from the history of geology, it is that we should listen to those like Rampino who think outside the box - or even outside the solar system. -- James Powell, author of Fixing the SkyTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1. Catastrophism Versus Gradualism 2. Lyell's Laws 3. The Alvarez Hypothesis 4. Mass Extinctions 5. Kill Curves and Strangelove Oceans 6. Catastrophism and Natural Selection: Charles Darwin Versus Patrick Matthew 7. Impacts and Extinctions: Do They Match Up? 8. The Great Dying: The End-Permian Extinctions 9. Catastrophic Volcanic Eruptions and Extinctions 10. Ancient Glaciers or Impact-Related Deposits? 11. The Shiva Hypothesis: Comet Showers and the Galactic Carousel 12. Geological Upheavals and Dark Matter Epilogue: What Does It All Mean? A New Geology Sources and Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisConfronting the Climate Challenge presents a unique framework for evaluating the impacts of U.S. climate-policy options. Lawrence Goulder and Marc Hafstead demonstrate that these policies—if designed correctly—not only can reduce emissions at low cost but also can avoid burdening low-income households or especially vulnerable industries.Trade ReviewCurbing greenhouse gases is one of the most challenging issues we face. While the benefits are potentially huge, developing policies to keep costs down is urgent. Goulder and Hafstead's well-written and accessible book carefully explains the issue and evaluates the main policy proposals. It is a must read for anyone interested in the details of climate mitigation. I strongly recommend it. -- Robert Mendelsohn, Yale UniversityTable of ContentsPrefaceAcknowledgmentsI: Introduction And Analytical Background1. Introduction2. Climate Policy, Fiscal Interactions, and Economic OutcomesII: The Model’s Structure, Inputs, and Baseline Output3. Structure of the E3 Model4. Data, Parameters, and the Reference Case PathIII: Policy Approaches And Outcomes5. Two Approaches to Carbon Dioxide Emissions Pricing: A Carbon Tax and a Cap-And-Trade System6. Alternatives to Emissions Pricing: A Clean Energy Standard and a Gasoline Tax Increase7. Distribution of Policy Impacts Across Industries and HouseholdsIV: Conclusions8. Key InsightsAppendix AAppendix BAppendix CAppendix DNotesReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisEnvironmental Success Stories delves into the most daunting ecological and environmental challenges humankind has faced and shows how scientists, citizens, and a responsive public sector have dealt with them successfully. Frank M. Dunnivant explains how we might confront the world’s largest and most complex environmental crisis: climate change.Trade ReviewWalking the narrow line between technological optimist and doom-and-gloom environmentalist by presenting cases where society has addressed major ecological challenges, Dunnivant shows how advances in environmental science and regulation have helped to solve some of humanity's biggest problems. Providing an excellent background to those who are interested in environmental issues and their solutions, Environmental Success Stories shows how science, in concert with social movements, can affect real change. -- Walter Dodds, author of Humanity's Footprint: Momentum, Impact, and Our Global Environment Dunnivant's book is a tonic for the societal malaise of environmental 'post-truth,' the concept that facts are less important than emotion in the formation of public opinion. Currently, climate change seems positioned to topple into the maelstrom of post-truth, with ample disinformation to speed the drop. Environmental Success Stories effectively argues that our history of environmental problem-solving implies hope for the resolution of global-scale environmental damage. Approachable, optimistic, and science-based, it will appeal to a broad readership. -- H. H. Shugart, author of Foundations of the Earth: Global Ecological Change and the Book of JobTable of ContentsAuthor's Note Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Securing Safe, Inexpensive Drinking Water 2. Effective Treatment of Our Wastewaters 3. The Removal of Anthropogenic Lead, and Soon Mercury, from Our Environment 4. Elimination of Chlorinated Hydrocarbons from Our Environment 5. The Safety of Chemicals in Our Food and Water: Risk Assessment 6. Saving Our Atmosphere for Our Children 7. Legislating Industry: The Need and the Success 8. The Rapid Advancement of Technology: Our Best Hope 9. Humans' Greatest Challenge: Climate Change 10. Conclusion and Transition to a Bright Future Afterword: Imagination, Imagination, Responsibility, and Climate Change, by Kari Marie Norgaard Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisOn March 28, 1979, the worst nuclear reactor accident in U.S. history occurred at the Three Mile Island power plant. In this innovative study, Natasha Zaretsky uses the near-meltdown to shed new light on the era’s political realignments. Radiation Nation uncovers the surprising bodily and ecological dimensions of post-Vietnam conservatism.Trade ReviewThis is an epic book, speaking to grand stakes. Centered on Three Mile Island, it is actually a chronicle of postwar America, touching on everything from atomic-age anxieties, to declining faith in expertise, to the long-grindng pessimism of the 'anthropocene.' It is, in short, brilliant, among the best works of history I have read in years. -- Jeremy Varon, the New SchoolTable of ContentsList of IllustrationsList of AbbreviationsPrefaceIntroduction1. The Culture of Dissociation and the Rise of the Unborn2. The Accident and the Political Transformation of the 1970s3. Creating a Community of Fate at Three Mile Island4. The Second Cold War and the Extinction ThreatConclusionNotesBibliographyAcknowledgmentsIndex

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Book SynopsisAdrian Parr identifies the emancipatory potential of environmental politics both inside and outside existing structures and within opposing paradigms. Ultimately, environmental politics is the refusal to surrender life to the violence of global capitalism and militarism. This defiance can serve as the source for the birth of a new earth.Trade ReviewBirth of a New Earth is one of those rare and brilliant books that critiques the ongoing destruction of the environment in a writing style that is lyrical, compassionate, and as accessible as it is informative. Parr masterfully weaves together a language of critique and possibility and in doing so makes a convincing case for environmental and economic justice on a global scale and offers a powerful argument for rethinking the meaning and practice of politics. -- Henry Giroux, author of America at War with Itself This is a prescient book, one that not only provides a rigorous and critical analysis of emergent environmentalisms but also charts how imaginations of a "new earth" can be forged at the limits of liberal democracy. In this sense, the book is as much about the political as it is about the environmental. It is a must-read for our times. -- Ananya Roy, author of Poverty Capital: Microfinance and the Making of DevelopmentTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1. Varying Shades of Green 2. Green Governmentality 3. Green Scare 4. Fascist Earth 5. Commonism 6. Welcome to the Dark Side of Dignity and Development 7. Urban Clear-Cutting 8. Protest Without People 9. So to Speak Afterword Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisAdrian Parr identifies the emancipatory potential of environmental politics both inside and outside existing structures and within opposing paradigms. Ultimately, environmental politics is the refusal to surrender life to the violence of global capitalism and militarism. This defiance can serve as the source for the birth of a new earth.Trade ReviewBirth of a New Earth is one of those rare and brilliant books that critiques the ongoing destruction of the environment in a writing style that is lyrical, compassionate, and as accessible as it is informative. Parr masterfully weaves together a language of critique and possibility and in doing so makes a convincing case for environmental and economic justice on a global scale and offers a powerful argument for rethinking the meaning and practice of politics. -- Henry Giroux, author of America at War with Itself This is a prescient book, one that not only provides a rigorous and critical analysis of emergent environmentalisms but also charts how imaginations of a "new earth" can be forged at the limits of liberal democracy. In this sense, the book is as much about the political as it is about the environmental. It is a must-read for our times. -- Ananya Roy, author of Poverty Capital: Microfinance and the Making of DevelopmentTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1. Varying Shades of Green 2. Green Governmentality 3. Green Scare 4. Fascist Earth 5. Commonism 6. Welcome to the Dark Side of Dignity and Development 7. Urban Clear-Cutting 8. Protest Without People 9. So to Speak Afterword Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn this concise and accessible text, David P. Turner presents an overview of global environmental change and a synthesis of research from earth system science and sustainability science. It provides a framework for understanding human impact on the environment for anyone interested in our current predicaments and what we can do about them.Trade ReviewFrom 4.5 billion years of Earth history to the future of civilization, The Green Marble provides a broad sweep of humanity’s interwoven dependence on the planet’s elegant biogeochemical cycles and self-regulating feedbacks that maintain a climate suitable for life. Anyone interested in the Earth’s life support system will find a wealth of deep insights into the emerging field of Earth system science. -- Ruth DeFries, Denning Professor of Sustainable Development, Columbia UniversityThe Green Marble introduces earth systems as spheres: the noösphere formed when human actions attained a sufficient magnitude to alter the planet, the biosphere or the total life on Earth, the hydrosphere, the technosphere. David P. Turner interweaves planetary systems, large-scale human actions, and the risk of global system failures in this rich text to provide a readable, systems-oriented, intellectually rich narrative on understanding the deep global issues that we face today. -- Herman H. Shugart, W.W. Corcoran Professor of Natural History, University of VirginiaThis book takes us on a journey around the biosphere at all scales, from cellular details of photosynthesis to global biome distributions, and in time, from four billion years ago as life began to thousands of years into the future with a changing climate. It is exceedingly rare for a single text to cover the natural and social sciences on global environmental change and to take the intellectual risk of offering big solutions. The end result is a very readable book that should catalyze the type of thought-provoking class discussions all good teachers desire. -- Steven Running, Emeritus Regents Professor of Ecology, University of MontanaThe challenge presented in this book is to acknowledge the role of humans in Earth's future and in potential strategies to sustain it. Recommended. * Choice *Table of ContentsPrefaceList of Abbreviations1. Earth System Science2. Earth’s Geosphere, Biosphere, and Climate3. The Evolution of the Biosphere4. Technosphere Impacts on the Global Biogeochemical Cycles5. Technosphere Impacts on the Biosphere6. Scenarios of Global Environmental Change7. Globalization and Ecological Modernization8. Global Environmental Governance9. Global Monitoring10. Integrating Social and Ecological Systems11. Key Concepts for a New Planetary ParadigmLexicon of the SpheresReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisIn this concise and accessible text, David P. Turner presents an overview of global environmental change and a synthesis of research from earth system science and sustainability science. It provides a framework for understanding human impact on the environment for anyone interested in our current predicaments and what we can do about them.Trade ReviewFrom 4.5 billion years of Earth history to the future of civilization, The Green Marble provides a broad sweep of humanity’s interwoven dependence on the planet’s elegant biogeochemical cycles and self-regulating feedbacks that maintain a climate suitable for life. Anyone interested in the Earth’s life support system will find a wealth of deep insights into the emerging field of Earth system science. -- Ruth DeFries, Denning Professor of Sustainable Development, Columbia UniversityThe Green Marble introduces earth systems as spheres: the noösphere formed when human actions attained a sufficient magnitude to alter the planet, the biosphere or the total life on Earth, the hydrosphere, the technosphere. David P. Turner interweaves planetary systems, large-scale human actions, and the risk of global system failures in this rich text to provide a readable, systems-oriented, intellectually rich narrative on understanding the deep global issues that we face today. -- Herman H. Shugart, W.W. Corcoran Professor of Natural History, University of VirginiaThis book takes us on a journey around the biosphere at all scales, from cellular details of photosynthesis to global biome distributions, and in time, from four billion years ago as life began to thousands of years into the future with a changing climate. It is exceedingly rare for a single text to cover the natural and social sciences on global environmental change and to take the intellectual risk of offering big solutions. The end result is a very readable book that should catalyze the type of thought-provoking class discussions all good teachers desire. -- Steven Running, Emeritus Regents Professor of Ecology, University of MontanaThe challenge presented in this book is to acknowledge the role of humans in Earth's future and in potential strategies to sustain it. Recommended. * Choice *Table of ContentsPrefaceList of Abbreviations1. Earth System Science2. Earth’s Geosphere, Biosphere, and Climate3. The Evolution of the Biosphere4. Technosphere Impacts on the Global Biogeochemical Cycles5. Technosphere Impacts on the Biosphere6. Scenarios of Global Environmental Change7. Globalization and Ecological Modernization8. Global Environmental Governance9. Global Monitoring10. Integrating Social and Ecological Systems11. Key Concepts for a New Planetary ParadigmLexicon of the SpheresReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisOne of the founders of environmental economics clearly and passionately demonstrates that the only way to achieve long-term economic growth is to protect our environment. After painting a stark picture of our current state, Geoffrey Heal outlines simple solutions that have already proven effective in conserving nature and boosting economic growth.Trade ReviewIn this passionate and readable book, Heal sets out the measures needed to reconcile economic progress with preservation of the planet. They are surprisingly simple and attainable. Heal demonstrates that there is not a trade-off between growth and environmental protection, but that they can and must go hand-and-hand, that growth is not attainable over the long run without protecting the environment. -- Joseph E. Stiglitz, Nobel Laureate in Economics A hostile environment can derail economic development, and a distorted economy-where producers and consumers inflict deep environmental damage at little cost-can cause a profoundly hostile environment. But good policy can foster strong and sustainable economic progress and protect and restore our fragile ecosystems. That is the clear, compelling argument Geoff Heal has done so much to create, and which he sets out so persuasively and accessibly in this very important book. -- Nicholas Stern, London School of Economics Endangered Economies is a remarkable overview of how we should protect the planet to protect our prosperity. We could not have a better guide through this complex set of issues. Geoffrey Heal is a brilliant economist, a world-leading pioneer of sustainable development, and a remarkably experienced and perceptive policy analyst. Readers will gain deep insights from Heal's wise discussion of the world's most vital environmental challenges: climate change, biodiversity, fisheries, clean air and water, and the proper measurement and management of the economy. This is indispensable reading. -- Jeffrey D. Sachs, author of The Age of Sustainble Development Told as a story of discovery and the evolution of his own thinking, Geoffrey Heal's book makes difficult conceptual arguments transparent. He uses examples to illustrate the key issues in environmental economics. In so doing, he demonstrates why an understanding of the consequences of all production and consumption processes for environmental resources must be an essential part of any description of economic activities. -- V. Kerry Smith, Arizona State University, University Fellow, Resources for the Future He crafts an excellent overview of the economic case for protecting the environment. Foreign AffairsTable of ContentsPreface 1. Environment and Economy-No Conflict 2. Market Mistakes and How Unpaid-for External Effects Are Killing Us 3. Climate Change: "The Greatest External Effect in Human History" 4. How to Deal with External Effects 5. Solving the Climate Problem 6. Everyone's Property Is No One's Property 7. Natural Capital: Taken for Granted but Not Counted 8. Valuing Natural Capital 9. Measuring What Matters 10. The Next Steps Notes Index

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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 SynopsisWeird Dinosaurs examines the latest breakthroughs and new technologies radically transforming our understanding of the distant past. Pickrell opens a vivid portal to a brand new age of fossil discovery, in which fossil hunters are routinely redefining what we know and how we think about prehistory's most iconic and fascinating creatures.Trade ReviewThis history of the discovery of some of the most outlandish creatures that ever lived, and the excitement of paleontological research, will be sure to both entertain and instruct. No other such historical narrative exists that is focused on weird extinct beasts. -- Spencer Lucas, author of Dinosaurs: The Textbook, sixth edition Fascinating... Readers learn of beautiful opalised dinosaur bones from Australia and a crested dinosaur found approximately 13,000 feet up Antarctica's Mt. Kirkpatrick, demonstrating that dinosaurs were widely distributed across the globe. Publishers Weekly In the 26 years since Jurassic Park was released we have unearthed about 75 per cent of all known dinosaur species... Weird Dinosaurs is a tour de force through the latest digs across the planet. It features the amazing people unearthing new fossils and highlights the odd reptiles that roamed all corners of the earth millions of years ago. -- Marcus Strom Sydney Morning Herald Australian Geographic editor John Pickrell brings us up to date with Weird Dinosaurs, using the species' often bizarre features as a giddy hook. Some had bat-like wings, some had elaborate neck frills, others shock with how large (or small) they were. Pickrell spends a lot of time on quests of individual fossil hunters and he shifts the focus from traditional fossil destinations such as North America to current hotspots China, Mongolia and Antarctica. -- Doug Wallen The Big Issue, Australia Weird Dinosaurs is an informative and entertaining text with a nice blend of narrative and scientific fact... the facts and information included are simply fascinating. Sharon the LibrarianTable of ContentsWorld Map Foreword, by Philip Currie Introduction: A New Golden Age for Dinosaur Science 1. Monster from the Cretaceous Lagoon: The Sahara, Egypt 2. All Hail the Dino-Bat: Hebei Province, China 3. Dwarf Dinosaurs and Trailblazing Aristocrats: Transylvania, Romania 4. Horny Ornaments and Sexy Ceratopsians: Alberta, Canada 5. The 'Unusual Terrible Hands': Gobi Desert, Mongolia 6. Scandalous Behaviour and Enfluffled Vegetarians: Siberia, Russia 7. Cretaceous Creatures of the Frozen North: Alaska, United States 8. The Hidden Treasures Down Under: Lightning Ridge, Australia 9. Record-breaking titans: Patagonia, Argentina 10. Southern Killers Set Adrift: Mahajanga Basin, Madagascar 11. Polar Pioneers and the Frozen Crested Lizard: Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica Future Potential Glossary Further Reading Acknowledgments Notes Credits Index

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Book SynopsisHunter Vaughan offers a new history of the movies from an environmental perspective, arguing that how we make and consume films has serious ecological consequences. He examines the environmental effects of filmmaking from Hollywood classics to the digital era, considering how screen media shapes and reflects our understanding of the natural world.Trade ReviewHollywood’s Dirtiest Secret injects the field of environmental media studies (and just plain media studies) with an exciting toolkit and a renewed sense of energy. -- Joshua Schulze, Dept of Film, Television, and Media, University of Michigan * New Review of Film and Television Studies *In Hollywood’s Dirtiest Secret: The Hidden Environmental Costs of the Movies (2019), Hunter Vaughan takes a vibrant and interdisciplinary look into the environmental impact of producing, advertising, watching, distributing, and buying films. -- Cassice Last, University of St Andrews * Frames Cinema Journal *Showcase[s] an important issue with writing that is accessible and engaging. * ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment *Written with passion and commitment, [this book] holds a mirror to the society in redefining the boundaries of entertainment, as if the environment matters. -- Sudhirendar Sharma * Outlook: The Fully Loaded Magazine *Hunter Vaughan's forensic accounting uncovers Hollywood's secretly unpaid debts to the environment, demonstrating ecocriticism's power to connect political economy to movies' themes and styles, for analysis and for future makers. More than compelling: entertaining and inspiring. -- Sean Cubitt, author of Finite Media: Environmental Implications of Digital TechnologiesHollywood’s Dirtiest Secret is an important new book that exposes the hidden environmental costs of how we make, watch, and dispose of movies. Well-researched and written in an accessible style, it is a thought-provoking alternative history of Hollywood, delving into the disconnect between our enjoyment of screen culture and concern for its environmental impact. It will be of interest to scholars and students in a range of fields including cultural studies, communication, social science, and environmental studies. -- Alison Anderson, author of Media, Environment and the Network SocietyIn Vaughan’s deft readings of multiple films and their production apparatuses, film theory and analysis also become “updated” into a cutting-edge discipline. Hollywood’s Dirtiest Secret is an essential book in ecocinema and ecomedia studies and an important contribution to ecomaterialism within cultural studies more broadly. -- Adrian Ivakhiv, author of Ecologies of the Moving Image: Cinema, Affect, NatureTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: The Big Picture1. Burning Down the House: Fire, Explosion, and the Eco-ethics of Destruction Spectacle2. “Five Hundred Thousand Kilowatts of Stardust”: Water and Resource Use in Movies and the Marketing of Nature3. Wind of Change: New Screen Technologies, the Visualization of Invisible Environmental Threats, and the Materiality of the Virtual4. Apocalypse Tomorrow: The Myth of Earth’s End in the Digital Era5. The Fifth Element: Hollywood as Invasive Species and the Human Side of Environmental MediaConclusion: An Element of HopeNotesBibliographyFilmographyIndex

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Book SynopsisHunter Vaughan offers a new history of the movies from an environmental perspective, arguing that how we make and consume films has serious ecological consequences. He examines the environmental effects of filmmaking from Hollywood classics to the digital era, considering how screen media shapes and reflects our understanding of the natural world.Trade ReviewHollywood’s Dirtiest Secret injects the field of environmental media studies (and just plain media studies) with an exciting toolkit and a renewed sense of energy. -- Joshua Schulze, Dept of Film, Television, and Media, University of Michigan * New Review of Film and Television Studies *In Hollywood’s Dirtiest Secret: The Hidden Environmental Costs of the Movies (2019), Hunter Vaughan takes a vibrant and interdisciplinary look into the environmental impact of producing, advertising, watching, distributing, and buying films. -- Cassice Last, University of St Andrews * Frames Cinema Journal *Showcase[s] an important issue with writing that is accessible and engaging. * ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment *Written with passion and commitment, [this book] holds a mirror to the society in redefining the boundaries of entertainment, as if the environment matters. -- Sudhirendar Sharma * Outlook: The Fully Loaded Magazine *Hunter Vaughan's forensic accounting uncovers Hollywood's secretly unpaid debts to the environment, demonstrating ecocriticism's power to connect political economy to movies' themes and styles, for analysis and for future makers. More than compelling: entertaining and inspiring. -- Sean Cubitt, author of Finite Media: Environmental Implications of Digital TechnologiesHollywood’s Dirtiest Secret is an important new book that exposes the hidden environmental costs of how we make, watch, and dispose of movies. Well-researched and written in an accessible style, it is a thought-provoking alternative history of Hollywood, delving into the disconnect between our enjoyment of screen culture and concern for its environmental impact. It will be of interest to scholars and students in a range of fields including cultural studies, communication, social science, and environmental studies. -- Alison Anderson, author of Media, Environment and the Network SocietyIn Vaughan’s deft readings of multiple films and their production apparatuses, film theory and analysis also become “updated” into a cutting-edge discipline. Hollywood’s Dirtiest Secret is an essential book in ecocinema and ecomedia studies and an important contribution to ecomaterialism within cultural studies more broadly. -- Adrian Ivakhiv, author of Ecologies of the Moving Image: Cinema, Affect, NatureTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: The Big Picture1. Burning Down the House: Fire, Explosion, and the Eco-ethics of Destruction Spectacle2. “Five Hundred Thousand Kilowatts of Stardust”: Water and Resource Use in Movies and the Marketing of Nature3. Wind of Change: New Screen Technologies, the Visualization of Invisible Environmental Threats, and the Materiality of the Virtual4. Apocalypse Tomorrow: The Myth of Earth’s End in the Digital Era5. The Fifth Element: Hollywood as Invasive Species and the Human Side of Environmental MediaConclusion: An Element of HopeNotesBibliographyFilmographyIndex

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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 SynopsisThe Wake of Crows is an exploration of the entangled lives of humans and crows. Focusing on five key sites, Thom van Dooren asks how we might live well with crows in a changing world.Trade ReviewA necessary and beautiful book, The Wake of Crows models the work of living responsibly inside both the humanities and the sciences in order to nurture still-possible worlds. This book shows us what collaborative efforts to enact multispecies communities mean, and might yet mean, in the context of ongoing processes of extinction and extermination. Moving through diverse sites of human/crow encounter, it offers insights into the fragile, situated, ongoing work necessary to cultivating ecologies of hope in troubled times. -- Donna Haraway, author of Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the ChthuluceneThe Wake of Crows is a thoughtful and captivating book that opens our imagination. Thom van Dooren shows us that accepting the challenge to coexist with crows without dreaming that they will come to behave as a loyal and grateful companion species might teach us priceless lessons at a time when we need to learn how to make room for many different, sometimes inconvenient, but so very interesting others. -- Isabelle Stengers, author of In Catastrophic Times: Resisting the Coming BarbarismWriting from a personal and scholarly perspective, Thom van Dooren takes us on a deep dive into the human-crow relationship that both informs natural history and lays bare the importance of expanding our own ethics to value all of life and our wonderful connections to it. -- John M. Marzluff, author of Gifts of the Crow and Welcome to SubirdiaThe Wake of Crows demonstrates yet another way that the humanities are integral to resisting species loss and plotting practices of living well together...holding open more inclusive ways of being at the edge of extinction requires the brave and urgent scholarship that animates [this book]. -- Nathaniel Otjen, University of Oregon * ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and the Environment *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction: Making Worlds with CrowsExperimenting1. Interjecting Crows: Enacting Multispecies Communities. Brisbane, AustraliaStealing2. Spectral Crows: Conservation and the Work of Inheritance. The Big Island, Hawai‘iCooperating3. Unwelcome Crows: Hospitality in the Anthropocene. Rotterdam, NetherlandsFumigating4. Recognizing Ravens: Becoming Subjects Together. Mojave Desert, United StatesGifting5. Provisioning Crows: Cultivating Ecologies of Hope. Rota, Mariana IslandsAfterword: In the Wake of TyphoonsNotesReferencesIndex

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Book SynopsisThis book explains how innovation from within city agencies and administrations makes urban systems smarter and shapes life in New York City. With case studies challenge the tech-centric view of innovation, Smarter New York City brings together a multidisciplinary and integrated perspective to imagine new possibilities from within city agencies.Trade ReviewThis book will be invaluable to those looking to understand the complexities of life as a public servant, and to anyone striving to become the champion of innovation that urban administrations in modern societies require among their ranks. The case studies illustrate how strategies for interconnected networks among city agencies, NGOs, individuals, and technology would dramatically improve life within New York City’s 'gorgeous mosaic.' -- David N. Dinkins, 106th mayor of the City of New YorkCities today are hotbeds of innovation for sustainable development, and Smarter New York City presents a compendium of fascinating and insightful case studies of how New York City is building a smarter, fairer, and greener city. This is a brilliant, timely, and remarkably useful guidebook to promote sustainable development innovations in cities around the world. -- Jeffrey D. Sachs, University Professor, Columbia University, and director, UN Sustainable Development Solutions NetworkDespite countless examples of public-sector innovation throughout history, from the Roman aqueducts to the New York street grid, we often forget just how good cities are at coming up with creative solutions to pressing problems. André Corrêa d’Almeida provides us with a critical reminder of just how important—and challenging—it is for local governments to put new technology to work for residents. The thoughtful ideas explored in this book offer key lessons for how city officials, civic groups, and private-sector partners can bring the great tradition of urban innovation into the digital age. -- Daniel L. Doctoroff, CEO, Sidewalk Labs, and former NYC Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and RebuildingAndré Corrêa d'Almeida takes us on a journey into the many different lives of technological innovations. His concern is to detect what works for cities and their many diverse places, people, and needs. He succeeds, and gives us a refreshingly original book about technology in the public sector. -- Saskia Sassen, Columbia University, author of Cities in a World EconomyAndré Corrêa d’Almeida has produced a terrific guide to New York City's seminal experience in developing and delivering a smarter city. The exploration of strategy and real-world applications, the solutions that New York City developed, and the process it went through, will be invaluable to both cities and solutions providers in North America and beyond. -- Jonathan Woetzel, director and senior partner, McKinsey Global InstituteThis is a comprehensive and timely book that uncovers the ‘secret ingredients’ of New York City emerging as one of the leading smart cities worldwide... offer[s] concise key takeaways and actionable insights for city officials, urban planners, policy makers, civil society and potential private-sector partners. * Urban Studies *Table of ContentsForewordPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction, by André Corrêa d'AlmeidaPart I: Data, Organization, and Technology1. A City Strategy with Global Relevance: OneNYC & the SDGs, by Jessica Espey and Nilda Mesa with Sandra M. Ruckstuhl and Mihir Prakash2. The Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics: Institutionalizing Analytical Excellence, by Craig Campbell and Stephen Goldsmith 3. LinkNYC: Re-Designing Telecommunication to Activate the 21st Twenty-First Century Creative City, by Maren Maier and Mary McBridePart II: City Service and Domains of Life4. The New York City Business Atlas: Leveling the Playing Field for Small Businesses with Open Data, by Andrew Young and Stefaan Verhulst5. Incentives for Smarter Energy Management: The Experience with Demand Response, by André Corrêa d'Almeida and Christopher Lewis6. The NYC Green Infrastructure Plan and Opportunities for Innovation in Climate Change Resilience, by Bernice Rosenzweig and Balazs Fekete7. Innovations for Sustainability via NYC's Residential Curbside Organic, by Ana Isabel Baptista8. Syndromic Surveillance System: The Art and Science of Actionable Health Information, by Megan Horton and Joseph Ross 9. Solving City Challenges through Neighborhood Innovation Labs: Moving from Smart Cities to Informed Communities, by Constantine E. Kontokosta, Jeff Merritt, and Sander DolderPart III: Safety and Mobility10. New York City Police Department: ShotSpotter, and the Shift to “Precision-Based” Policing, by Tami Lin and Malgorzata Rejniak11. Vision Zero NYC, by Arnaud Sahuguet12. Midtown in Motion: Real Time Solutions to Traffic Congestion, by Lawrence Lennon and Gerard SoffianPart IV: Becoming a Smarter CityConclusion: A System’s Approach for Innovation in NYC, by André Corrêa d'Almeida and Kendal StewartEpilogue: Global Future Possibilities, by Jerry MacArthur HultinContributorsIndex

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Book SynopsisThis book explains how innovation from within city agencies and administrations makes urban systems smarter and shapes life in New York City. With case studies challenge the tech-centric view of innovation, Smarter New York City brings together a multidisciplinary and integrated perspective to imagine new possibilities from within city agencies.Trade ReviewThis book will be invaluable to those looking to understand the complexities of life as a public servant, and to anyone striving to become the champion of innovation that urban administrations in modern societies require among their ranks. The case studies illustrate how strategies for interconnected networks among city agencies, NGOs, individuals, and technology would dramatically improve life within New York City’s 'gorgeous mosaic.' -- David N. Dinkins, 106th mayor of the City of New YorkCities today are hotbeds of innovation for sustainable development, and Smarter New York City presents a compendium of fascinating and insightful case studies of how New York City is building a smarter, fairer, and greener city. This is a brilliant, timely, and remarkably useful guidebook to promote sustainable development innovations in cities around the world. -- Jeffrey D. Sachs, University Professor, Columbia University, and director, UN Sustainable Development Solutions NetworkDespite countless examples of public-sector innovation throughout history, from the Roman aqueducts to the New York street grid, we often forget just how good cities are at coming up with creative solutions to pressing problems. André Corrêa d’Almeida provides us with a critical reminder of just how important—and challenging—it is for local governments to put new technology to work for residents. The thoughtful ideas explored in this book offer key lessons for how city officials, civic groups, and private-sector partners can bring the great tradition of urban innovation into the digital age. -- Daniel L. Doctoroff, CEO, Sidewalk Labs, and former NYC Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and RebuildingAndré Corrêa d'Almeida takes us on a journey into the many different lives of technological innovations. His concern is to detect what works for cities and their many diverse places, people, and needs. He succeeds, and gives us a refreshingly original book about technology in the public sector. -- Saskia Sassen, Columbia University, author of Cities in a World EconomyAndré Corrêa d’Almeida has produced a terrific guide to New York City's seminal experience in developing and delivering a smarter city. The exploration of strategy and real-world applications, the solutions that New York City developed, and the process it went through, will be invaluable to both cities and solutions providers in North America and beyond. -- Jonathan Woetzel, director and senior partner, McKinsey Global InstituteThis is a comprehensive and timely book that uncovers the ‘secret ingredients’ of New York City emerging as one of the leading smart cities worldwide... offer[s] concise key takeaways and actionable insights for city officials, urban planners, policy makers, civil society and potential private-sector partners. * Urban Studies *Table of ContentsForewordPrefaceAcknowledgmentsIntroduction, by André Corrêa d'AlmeidaPart I: Data, Organization, and Technology1. A City Strategy with Global Relevance: OneNYC & the SDGs, by Jessica Espey and Nilda Mesa with Sandra M. Ruckstuhl and Mihir Prakash2. The Mayor’s Office of Data Analytics: Institutionalizing Analytical Excellence, by Craig Campbell and Stephen Goldsmith 3. LinkNYC: Re-Designing Telecommunication to Activate the 21st Twenty-First Century Creative City, by Maren Maier and Mary McBridePart II: City Service and Domains of Life4. The New York City Business Atlas: Leveling the Playing Field for Small Businesses with Open Data, by Andrew Young and Stefaan Verhulst5. Incentives for Smarter Energy Management: The Experience with Demand Response, by André Corrêa d'Almeida and Christopher Lewis6. The NYC Green Infrastructure Plan and Opportunities for Innovation in Climate Change Resilience, by Bernice Rosenzweig and Balazs Fekete7. Innovations for Sustainability via NYC's Residential Curbside Organic, by Ana Isabel Baptista8. Syndromic Surveillance System: The Art and Science of Actionable Health Information, by Megan Horton and Joseph Ross 9. Solving City Challenges through Neighborhood Innovation Labs: Moving from Smart Cities to Informed Communities, by Constantine E. Kontokosta, Jeff Merritt, and Sander DolderPart III: Safety and Mobility10. New York City Police Department: ShotSpotter, and the Shift to “Precision-Based” Policing, by Tami Lin and Malgorzata Rejniak11. Vision Zero NYC, by Arnaud Sahuguet12. Midtown in Motion: Real Time Solutions to Traffic Congestion, by Lawrence Lennon and Gerard SoffianPart IV: Becoming a Smarter CityConclusion: A System’s Approach for Innovation in NYC, by André Corrêa d'Almeida and Kendal StewartEpilogue: Global Future Possibilities, by Jerry MacArthur HultinContributorsIndex

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Book SynopsisLeader Communities is a study of Stockholm's suburb Djursholm and other similar places: privileged communities where elites choose to live, socialize with other elites, and raise their children into future elites. Mikael Holmqvist provides unparalleled insight into today's power elite and the social and political consequences of their aspirations.Trade ReviewOne of the very few extensive and penetrating ethnographic studies of an upper-class community, its culture, lifestyle, mentality, ideals, and norms, but also its problems and shortcomings, which contributes new empirical knowledge to a topic which has received much attention in mass media as well as in elite literature. -- Trygve Gulbrandsen, research professor at the Institute for Social Research (Norway) Sweden is mainly known to Americans as an advanced welfare state with equality bordering on socialism. This book presents another side of Sweden through its focus on its most exclusive suburb, Djursholm, situated just outside of Stockholm. This is where Sweden's one-percenters live and also where they do their utmost to ensure that their children will stay in that percent. A first rate social science study. -- Richard Swedberg, Cornell UniversityTable of ContentsPreface1. A Shining City: The Emphasis on Aesthetics2. A Privileged World: Economic Power and Wealth3. Significant People and Winners4. Sporty Teenagers, Winsome Pensioners5. Fragrant, Sociable Personages6. Community and Social Partition7. Family Life8. A Lifestyle Under Threat9. Service Staff10. Becoming an Elite11. Judgment and Fear of Failure12. Tactics for Success13. The Rise of the “Consecracy” AcknowledgmentsLiteratureAppendix: The Ethnographic StudyNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisOn the Prowl is a fully illustrated and approachable guide to the evolution of the big cats and what it portends for their conservation today. Mark Hallett and John M. Harris trace the origins of these iconic carnivores, venturing down the evolutionary pathways that produced the diversity of big cat species that have walked the earth.Trade ReviewOn the Prowl is a superb book, both enjoyable and instructive. I’m greatly impressed with the huge amount of data that Hallett and Harris have collected and presented in a most readable manner. The complex evolutionary history and relationships of the cats will keep researchers arguing for years. -- George Schaller, senior conservationist, Wildlife Conservation Society, and author of The Serengeti Lion: A Study of Predator-Prey RelationsOn the Prowl brings together biological and paleontological research related to the origins and history of the big cats, with an original emphasis on Asiatic data, paying homage to their majesty, dignity, and beauty. Mark Hallett’s artwork has succeeded brilliantly in capturing their inner spirit and character, their vulnerability and vitality. This book will serve the noble goals of making people aware of the fragility of ecosystems and revealing the moral obligation to preserve and protect extant species. -- Christine Argot, research professor and curator of collections, Muséum National d’Histoire NaturelleHallett and Harris guide the reader on a 20-million-year tour of predator and prey evolution, using environmental change as an engine for adaptation and extinction. The narrative is engaging, spiked with a touch of controversy, and supported by superb illustrations. For those interested in the evolutionary origins of big cats, On the Prowl would be a valuable addition to your library. -- Christopher Shaw, Idaho Museum of Natural History[An] erudite study of big cats. * Nature *Will have many a book lover purring with pleasure. * The Inquisitive Biologist *Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPreface1. Threads in the Fabric of Time2. Anatomy of a Hunter3. A Breath of Frost4. Beyond the Distant Horizons5. Testimony of the Caves6. Aftermath of an Ice Age7. Man the Destroyer8. The Steeds of DurgaAppendix 1: Distribution of Pantherins and Other Felids in Geologic TimeAppendix 2: Pantherin Dispersals Across the WorldAppendix 3: Taking ActionAppendix 4: Species of the Genus PantheraGlossarySourcesSuggested ReadingIndex

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Book SynopsisParkash Chander argues that we can make progress on the climate-change impasse through incorporating the insights of game theory. Chander offers economic and game-theoretic interpretations of both the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement and discusses the policy recommendations his framework generates.Trade ReviewWritten exceptionally clearly, this book lays out a novel theory of cooperative games and coalition formation as it applies to environmental problems—and in the process makes significant progress in reconciling cooperative and noncooperative game theory. -- Benjamin Ho, Vassar CollegeClimate change is an extraordinarily challenging problem, partly because of its global commons nature. For this reason, game theory can bring valuable insights to considerations of alternative public policies, as well as to international negotiations among the countries of the world. In Game Theory and Climate Change, Parkash Chander adds in significant ways to the relevant scholarly literature at the interface of climate change, economics, and game theory. -- Robert N. Stavins, Harvard UniversityIn this important and timely book, Chander, a leading environmental economist and game theorist, systematically develops a set of game-theoretic solutions to the grand challenge of global climate change. He convincingly demonstrates the value of integrating insights from both cooperative and noncooperative games, and the importance of side payments in improving international climate agreements. He advances important solution concepts such as subgame perfect agreements and incorporates important real-world features, such as heterogeneity across nations. I strongly recommend the book to researchers as well as practitioners interested in international climate negotiations. -- Jinhua Zhao, Michigan State UniversityThe book will interest PhD students and game-theory experts. Recommended. * Choice *This is a timely book, interpreting climate change negotiations in terms of game theoryconcepts. The content of the book is based on a stream of papers published by theauthor over more than 20 years. The book is aimed at economists who use finely craftedmathematical models to explore possible solutions to complex social and environmentalproblems. The extensive bibliography will be helpful to any newcomer in the fieldof environmental economics. -- Alain B. Haurie * MathSciNet *Work like Chander's is important precisely because it creates tools we can use to imagine the distance between our world and one in which powerful actors have committed to a response to climate change. * H-Environment *Table of ContentsPreface1. Purpose and Scope2. The Basic Framework3. Rationale for Cooperation4. The Core of a Strategic Game5. Environmental Games6. Coalition Formation Games7. Dynamic Environmental Games8. Limits to Climate Change9. The Journey from Kyoto to Paris10. International Trade and Climate ChangeConclusionReferencesAuthor IndexSubject Index

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Book SynopsisJennifer Clark reframes the smart city concept within the trajectory of uneven development of cities and regions, as well as the long history of technocratic solutions to urban policy challenges. She considers the potential of emerging technologies as well as their capacity to exacerbate existing inequalities and even produce new ones.Trade ReviewWritten by one of the world’s foremost experts, Uneven Innovation is a must-have book for everyone interested in the potential and the pitfalls of the smart cities narrative. It provides both a critical review of the main debates surrounding smart cities and thought-provoking insights into future research and policy agendas. -- Ben Derudder, Ghent UniversityUneven Innovation is a superb, original, and informative intervention into ongoing debates about what a smart city is and its implications across all cities. Grounded in significant original and secondary research, Clark links smart cities to urban innovation and the production of markets, crucially arguing that the smart city is an economic rather than technological issue. -- Robyn Dowling, University of SydneyUneven Innovation problematizes the smart city project, showing us the many ways that it continues—rather than disrupts—underlying patterns of inequality, precariousness, and powerlessness. Clark’s insightful critique is not only a call for action, her work draws to light the 'operational standards' that all cities should be pushed to uphold when engaging the latest urban development fad. An essential read for practitioners, activists, and scholars seeking to understand and shape the role of technology on the future of cities and the urban workforce. -- Nichola Lowe, University of North Carolina, Chapel HillIn Uneven Innovation, Jennifer Clark takes on the cult of urban innovation, cutting through the buzz and exposing the false promises of the smart city machine. It’s a searching, critical account that opens horizons beyond the smart city limits, while also delving into the belly of the beast. A timely and necessary intervention. -- Jamie Peck, University of British ColumbiaUneven Innovation provides a new framework for understanding the emergence of the smart city project. It is a geographically and historically nuanced approach to the current focus on smart cities. Clark leaves the reader in no doubt that technology is as likely to deepen as to address existing spatial inequalities. -- Kevin Ward, University of ManchesterJennifer Clark's enlightening book challenges the premise that smart cities are radically disruptive. With an economic geographer's critical eye, she shows how the smart cities project follows established patterns of corporations beggaring the public sector, converting citizens into consumers and precarious workers, and reinforcing preexisting spatial inequalities. Yet Uneven Innovation is not a screed; it is well-reasoned, empirically-rich analysis of the interface between tech companies, new platforms and infrastructures, and urban governance that should be the starting point for all discussions of this fast-growing phenomenon. -- Rachel Weber, University of Illinois at ChicagoIn Uneven Innovation, Jennifer Clark delves deep into the contemporary Smart Cities discourse. Socio-spatial and economic dynamics that are inherent to processes of technological change and ensuing (local) uneven economic development opportunities are diligently exposed via expert insights into the Urban Innovation Project. It’s an agenda setting account of extraordinary relevance. -- Dieter Kogler, University College DublinFor anyone interested in the role of technology and the tech industry in shaping modern cities, Uneven Innovation is a must read. Jennifer Clark's analysis cuts through the hype around smart cities, and provides a refreshing critical perspective, highlighting both the benefits of emerging technologies and the ways they have been used to exacerbate urban inequalities. -- Chris Benner, Dorothy E. Everett Chair in Global Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship, University of California Santa CruzJennifer Clark’s compelling book Uneven Innovation places these claims in context and examines them with the discerning eye of an economic geographer. * Journal of Urban Affairs *In the end, the book’s greatest strength will be its sustained relevance. Though published in early 2020 and presumably finalized in late 2019, the book does not immediately need a Covid-era update. Its main tenets resonated before the pandemic and will continue to act as a warning for cities as they begin to re-engage with the challenges of the smart-cities project in the post-Covid era. * Metropolitics *Stands out for its insightful and critical analysis from a political economy perspective...should be required reading in the urban informatics graduate programs popping up all over the country. Further, it should be among the readings in graduate courses in urban economic development, economic geography, and urban data analytics. * Journal of the American Planning Association *It has both theoretical and practical implications, and is important reading for anyone performing research on this issue, or for those working on the implementation of smart city activities. * Regional Studies *Table of ContentsList of IllustrationsPreface 1. Uneven Innovation: The Evolution of the Urban Technology Project2. Smart Cities as Solutions 3. Smart Cities as Emerging Markets 4. Smart Cities as the New Urban Entrepreneurship 5. Smart Cities as Urban Innovation Networks 6. Smart Cities as Participatory Planning 7. Smart Cities as the New Uneven Development8. Conclusions: The Local Is (Not) the Enemy Epilogue: The View from Inside the Urban Innovation ProjectNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisLynn R. Sykes played a key role in the birth of plate tectonics, conducting revelatory research on earthquakes. In this book, he gives an invaluable insider's perspective on the theory's development and its implications.Trade ReviewPlate Tectonics and Great Earthquakes is an enjoyable read about Lynn Sykes's firsthand experiences and historic contributions to seismology and to the world-shaking development of plate tectonics. -- Rick Aster, Warner College of Natural Resources, Colorado State UniversityA personal, firsthand tour through one of the great scientific revolutions of the past several centuries, from a major contributor to that revolution. -- Daniel Davis, Stony Brook UniversityLynn Sykes, one of the scientific revolutionaries who gave us plate tectonics, tells his story, with special emphasis on earthquake prediction. Although earthquake prediction has been a topic perceived by some as pursued only by “fools and charlatans,” Sykes defends it not only as worthy of pursuit but also, however imperfect, as likely to be societally valuable. -- Peter Molnar, Distinguished Professor of Geological Sciences, University of Colorado, BoulderLynn R. Sykes is world-renowned for his contributions to seismology. In this retrospective, he reflects on his fruitful scientific journey, from reading lots of seismograms and making fundamental contributions to the theory of plate tectonics and the understanding of great earthquakes, to the public policy implications of his earthquake research. -- Martin Reyners, GNS Science, New ZealandA leader in the plate tectonic revolution, Sykes also spearheaded studies of earthquake hazards and prediction for five decades. His unvarnished reflections and insights will captivate anyone intrigued by the irregular rhythms and spasms of the earth or curious about the scientists who strive to decipher them. -- Rob Wesson, former chief, USGS Office of Earthquakes, Volcanoes, and Engineering, and author of Darwin’s First Theory: Exploring Darwin’s Quest for a Theory of EarthA career-capping tour de force that is part memoir, part scientific history. * Civil Engineering *Anyone interested in earthquakes and natural hazard science will enjoy reading Plate Tectonics and Great Earthquakes and will gain new insights, even on topics they are familiar with. * Times Higher Education *Table of ContentsPreface1. Transform Faults: My Road to Seafloor Spreading, Continental Drift, and Plate Tectonics2. Childhood, High School, MIT, and Columbia University3. Earthquakes Along Fracture Zones and Mid-Oceanic Ridges, 1963–19654. Earthquakes at Subduction Zones, 1965–19675. Subduction, Plate Tectonics, and the New Global Tectonics, 1967–19696. Earthquakes in the Caribbean and Alaska7. Long-Term Earthquake Prediction, Seismic Gaps: Alaska, Mexico, and South America8. The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906 and Long-Term Prediction for California9. My Work with the U.S. National Earthquake Prediction Evaluation Council10. Japanese Earthquakes and the Fukushima Nuclear Disaster11. Earthquakes in the Eastern and Central United States12. Earthquake Risks to Nuclear-Power Reactors13. Nuclear-Power Reactors in the United States: Lessons Learned from the Fukushima Disaster14. Travels to Earthquake Countries and a Trip to the Earth’s Mantle in Newfoundland15. Advances in Long-Term Earthquake Prediction: Future ProspectsAcknowledgmentsGlossaryReferencesIndexAbout the Author

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Book SynopsisCoping with the Climate Crisis brings together leading experts from academia and policy circles to explore issues related to the implementation of the COP21 Paris Agreement and the challenges of accelerating the transition toward sustainable development. The book synthesizes the key insights of climate change economics in an accessible guide.Trade ReviewThe Paris Agreement will only find its way into the history books if we manage to implement it. Coping with the Climate Crisis looks at precisely that topic, making the latest economic research on climate change user friendly for policy makers. -- Klaas Knot, president, De Nederlandsche BankWhether you believe in the science or not or care about future generations or not, climate change is already affecting your welfare. Coping with the Climate Crisis demonstrates that the world is moving rapidly from identifying climate-change problems to implementing solutions. The authors articulate how our economies must evolve and our institutions strengthen in resolve and focus. A must-read for all consumers, investors, businesses, and policy makers globally—skeptical or otherwise. -- Adrian Orr, governor, Reserve Bank of New Zealand, and CEO, New Zealand Superannuation FundBringing together contributions from some of the world's foremost economic practitioners and theorists, this accessible book will be useful to both policy makers and academics wishing to understand the frontier of climate change economics and the possible future of climate policy around the globe. -- Ben Groom, London School of EconomicsStrongly endorses it as a reference for scholars and policy makers. * Choice *In sum, this book emphasizes global pricing of carbon and a tax imposed on emitters. It shows that there can be venues of agreement between stakeholders to reduce GHG emissions. * Philippine Political Science Journal *Table of ContentsForeword, by Nizar Baraka, President of the Scientific Committee of COP22AcknowledgmentsIntroduction, by Rabah Arezki, Patrick Bolton, Karim El Aynaoui, and Maurice ObstfeldPart I: The Energy Transition and Its Consequences1. Reducing Energy Greenhouse Gas Emissions to Meet Our Climate Goals: An Overview, by Philippe Benoit2. Transitional Risks and the Safe Carbon Budget, by Rick van der PloegPart II: Carbon Pricing and Dealing with Uncertainty3. Fighting Climate Change and the Social Cost of Carbon, by Christian Gollier4. How Should Countries Price Fossil Fuels?, by Ian Parry5. Should Carbon Pricing Be Different Across Countries?, by Katheline Schubert6. Needed: Robustness in Climate Economics, by Ted Loch-TemzelidesPart III: Implementing Climate Agreements7. Improving Paris: Credibility, Technology, and Conservation, by Bård Harstad8. Can a Uniform Carbon-Price Commitment Help to Resolve the Global Warming Problem?, by Martin L. Weitzman9. Addressing Climate Change: Does the IMF Have a Role?, by Maurice Obstfeld10. Post-Paris Clean Energy Options for China, by Ujjayant Chakravorty, Carolyn Fischer, and Marie-Helene HubertPart IV: Finance and Sustainable Infrastructure11. Financing Sustainable Infrastructure, by Thierry Déau and Julien Touati12. Climate Change: A Policy-Making Case Study of Capital Markets’Mobilization for Public Good, by Jean Boissinot and Frédéric SamamaContributorsIndex

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