Book Description

From Reclamation to Sustainability tells the story of four places in the West--the Arkansas Valley and the Grand Valley of Colorado, the Truckee-Carson basins of California and Nevada, and the Yakima Basin in Washington--where development and use of water, primarily for irrigated agriculture, have been central to economic and social development.In these places (and many others), the reclamation vision that helped settle the West now competes with a vision of a sustainable West.

All four regions tell of the essential role water has played in western agriculture and the importance of this agriculture for settlement of much of the West.They also exemplify the many difficulties of turning prairie and desert into productive croplands, and MacDonnell describes the sometimes extraordinary human committment and effort that made this possible.

Now, however, western water resources have been developed beyond their sustainable capacity in an attempt to irrigate as much land as possible, and MacDonnell illustrates the consequences of this overdevelopment, including declining rural communities, dewatered streams incapable of supporting native species, and degraded water quality.He also provides examples of efforts torepair some of the damages and of the challenges involved in such restoration.

MacDonnell argues that sustainable use of the West's water resources depends on reducing the gap between diverted water and used water,restoring the functional ecological integrity of water sources, allowing uses of developed water to change, and effective collaborative public/private processes that help reconcile competing interests in water.He concludes that the manner in which the West moves toward sustainable use of its limited water resources--particularly as it affects irrigated agriculture--matters at least as much as achieving sustainable use.It matters because the choices we make will have important consequences for the future West. ... Read more

Book Description

This text introduces students to fundamental policy issues in environmental law, allowing them to explore these various legal topics, enhanced and brought to life with pertinent cases and readings.It is designed as a primary text for courses in environmental law through not only business schools, but also schools of engineering - specifically civil engineering and environmental engineering departments, geology departments; it is also appropriate for real estate study.The language of the text avoids the overuse of legal jargon, providing clear explanation of legal terms when they arise. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

A Good and Necessary Read
I'm a biologist, and I have long been aware of the basic problems that the Ehrlichs clearly summarize in "One with Nineveh". Nonetheless, I loved having the issues reviewed for me, bringing me up to date. I found the book compellingly written and full of interesting examples. I was grateful it made clear why we're fighting in Iraq (not the excuses our government has broadcast), and tied it our our patterns of overconsumption. And there was a lot that was new to me. For instance, the question of the reform of corporations has been one of my concerns, but I was not fully aware of the growing discussion of what can be done about it. The Ehrlichs not only summarize the arguments well, but also provide references that are now allowing me to pursue further my interest in what can be done to limit corporate misuse of power. Indeed, placing the environmental situation in a context of power abuse is the major service of the book. Scientists are aware of the deep trouble civilization is in, but the public and politicians are not. This is a book to buy, read, and recommend (or give) to friends and anyone running for public office. The stakes are high, and the Ehrlichs give us hope that even in these dismal times we may win through to a decent and stable society.

headed the wrong way
One with Nineveh presents more lucid and well documented analysis of the trends that most threaten our civilization, yet remain underappreciated and often ignored: waste of energy and natural resources, toxification of the environment, clearing of forests and fragmentation of habitats, overuse of fresh water, and -- yes -- expanding human populations. While updated treatment of these issues and the historical parallels between current trends and the fate of once-dominant civilizations like Nineveh are fascinating, the riveting elements of this book are those that document the pathetic state of political leadership, globally.

For open-minded readers who think that the neoconservative take on the environment -- that concern is overblown and things are getting better -- is a viable claim, this is a must read. The Ehrlichs provide new insight and summarize recent analyses that identify destructive trends and provide clear and practical remedies. While the Bush administration ignores the environment, its policies are exacerbating environmental problems worldwide, leading to the sort of social instability that undermines opportunities for a just and sustainable future. While these authors suffer unrelenting attacks from the radical right, their assessment is far from radical; everyone can learn from this accessible and authoritative book.

Sound Ecology, Philosophy, and Economics
No one can read this book and not be impressed with the depth and breadth of expertise and insights the Ehrlichs bring to bear on the problem of sustainability and the serious human predicament that will begin to manifest itself over the next few decades, if not sooner. The book is also full of thought provoking, innovative approaches to solutions - especially his economic insights in Chapter 7, "Consuming Less", and his summary chapter, "Healing a World of Wounds". This book is absolutely "must read" for all conscientious citizens of the planet - especially, those in the United States. While some of the early works by the Ehrlichs were overly alarmist, none of that is present here, and the Nobel-level caliber of the Ehrlichs shines from this book. But since most of the other (serious) reviewers have made similar comments, I'll point out some of its weaknesses, partly in the hope that readers will look elsewhere to correct some of its (few) problems.

While the greatest strength of this book is its science, this happens to be exceedingly weak in Chapter 5, "Technology Matters". Here the Ehrlichs venture too far afield from their areas of expertise and make numerous technical mistakes, which unfortunately do matter. Their biggest problem is that they have been smitten by the hydrogen hype syndrome. They also are not well versed in state-of-the-art renewables technologies. For a more informed perspective on this subject, see my "Fuels for Tomorrow's Vehicles" or "The Hype About Hydrogen" by Romm. For a much more detailed and up-to-date discussion of most major aspects of energy, see "Energy at the Crossroads" by Smil, along with the definitive work on petroleum resources by Campbell, "The Coming Oil Crisis".

I also found "One with Nineveh" to be rather repetitious among chapters - it could probably be shortened 30% to improve its impact and popularity. Certainly many Republicans will find it uncomfortable in many places, and probably more people would find it readable if some of the incredibly complex sentences were simplified a bit. But then, this is a book by serious minds for serious minds. - F. David Doty, engineering physicist.

Getting better
It looks like all of the previous reviewers either love this book or hate it. I'm going to take more of a middle road. I'm giving it 3 stars - if I could I would give it 3 and 1/2.

Compared to two of the previous books by these authors - The Population Bomb and The Population Explosion (both of which were terrible) this book is a great improvement. It is obvious that the authors have been spending a little more time with some economists as well as their fellow Stanford professor Gretchen Daily.

Instead of the "doom and gloom" of the previous books this work at least hints at the solid improvements that have occurred in the world over the last thirty years. The growth in world population is slowing, poverty is declining in most of the world, food production has outpaced population growth and technology has greatly improved our living standards. The authors even concede that the population of the world will indeed stabilize and fall this century. This is sharply in contrast with their previous books which predicted mass starvation and catastrophes galore.

I also liked the fact that the authors discussed possible solutions to some of the problems they discussed. There is a great deal of room for improvement in many of the ways that humans interact with our environment. The Ehrlichs discuss many of these - more efficient energy use, better planning for housing, etc...

Although this book is a great improvement the authors are still far too pessimistic in my mind. The next fifty years will be a time of tremendous strides for improvement in the human condition on this planet. There are no limits to what humans can do if we put our minds to it. I think that the Ehrlichs are finally beginning to see that there are solutions to all of the problems they discuss but they still fall back too much on their previous "doom and gloom style".

If they continue the progess that was shown in this book and if they continue to broaden their base of knowledge and sources to include more economists and rational thinkers I think that the NEXT book that the Ehrlich's produce will be real winner.

AN ESSENTIAL READING
This is a remarkable book about the most pressing global issues: what the authors call the human predicament, which is the impact of overpopulation and overconsumption on the environmental, social, and economic fabric of our societies. After reading the book I have a much better understanding of the importance of these issues and what we all can do about it. There is no doubt that regardless of one's political inclinations, understanding the topics carefully described in the first nine chapters of the book is essential for our future well being and that of our children.

Among several noteworthy features of the book, I like to emphasize three.
First, the book is very well written and carefully documented with many relevant references. Although I am a biologist and I know much of the literature well, I found many references that I was unaware of. I was very impacted by the discussion, for example, of the depletion of major predator oceanic fishes in the last decade. Second, the breadth of the book, integrating biology, economics, and other social sciences is especially useful. The economic issues are thoroughly and accurately treated. This is particularly true for the relationship of consumption, purchasing power, and the depletion of the natural capital. It is hard to find texts that describe the complexities of the economic world and its relationship with the environment in such a clear way.

Finally, I found that one of the most remarkable features of the book, summarized in Chapters 11, "Healing the wounds", is the effort made by the authors to provide us with solutions. This is a very welcomed addition in this kind of book, which usually lack suggestion about solutions mainly because of the complexity and large scale of the problems. As a citizen of Mexico I was especially interested in the suggestion of creating a Millennium Assessment of Human Behavior. In today's world situation, nothing could be more important. ... Read more

Book Description

In recent years the media have reported, frequently with alarm, on the increasing use of genetically modified crops in agriculture. Some groups have expressed concern about consumer safety and the risks of large-scale ecosystem damage. Others have noted the resulting shift of power away from locally controlled farming operations toward large agribusiness and biotech companies, and the particular vulnerability of farmers in the developing world to this trend.

In Seeds of Contention: World Hunger and the Global Controversy over GM Crops, development specialists Per Pinstrup-Andersen and Ebbe Schiøler focus attention on the less discussed issues ofthe potential benefits and costs of genetically modified crops for developing countries. Pinstrup-Andersen and Schiølerreview the basic issues and discuss the potential that such crops have for addressing the great needs of poor and undernourished peoples throughout the world. They explain how increased agricultural productivity is not enough in addressing the problem of famine. People in developing countries need crops that are disease-resistant, can fend off insect predators, and can withstand severe environmental conditions in order to produce larger crop yields.

Pinstrup-Andersen and Schiøler are sober in their assessment of these prospects, for they acknowledge that GM crops alone will not solve the world's food problem. They argue, however, that they may be one element in the solution and people in developing countries should have information about benefits and risks and the freedom to make their own decisions about whether or not to grow and consume GM crops. ... Read more

Book Description

For nearly 15 years Wilderness Management has presented the most comprehensive and authoritative information available on wilderness stewardship and the protection of its resources and values. Directed toward wilderness stewards everywhere, especially in U.S. federal land management agencies, this new and completely revised third edition retains relevant material from the first and second editions and embraces new literature, experiences, events, changes and materials that have occurred in wilderness-related professions over the past decade. This reference classic will serve as an invaluable addition to environmentalists and conservationists, resource managers, researchers, teachers, students, scientists, policy makers, and wilderness users around the world. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Resources are hard to find
I have searched for a comprehensive, all-in-one resource for a long time. Here it is. Previously, I would have to gather info piecemeal and try to filter and organize. No longer. Engaging writing, easy to follow. Good index. 5 stars based on the fact that there's not much else out there in this arcane field. Otherwise 4 stars because both glossaries could be improved. Only a few acronyms are covered in the existing glossary of acronyms. Biggest complaint? Authors take pains to date citations in the text but sometimes overlook placing dates to establish timeline in the text. One must sometimes backtrack to learn a timeline and at times, one must just out-and-out guess.

Especially written for wilderness stewards
Collaboratively written by John C. Hendee (Professor Emeritus of the University of Idaho Wilderness Research Center) and Chad P. Dawson (Professor of Recreation Resources Management, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, State University of New York--Syracuse), and in an completely updated third edition, Wilderness Management: Stewardship And Protection Of Resources And Values is a comprehensive, 640-page reference and resource on wilderness stewardship and the protection of wilderness resources. Individual chapters present resources and information on U.S. legal authority with regard to wild areas, wild ecosystems, managing wilderness recreation, and a great deal more. Especially written for wilderness stewards and U.S. federal land management agencies, is also very highly recommended for environmental activists and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the upkeep of natural lands. Wilderness Management is a benchmark publication and an essential, core addition to professional, academic, and community library Environmental Studies reference collections. ... Read more

Book Description

"President Bushs remarks in his State-of-the-Union message proposing a big jump in funding for hydrogen and fuel cell research and development are terrific news. Its imperative that Congress follows through now and makes available those funds.

Aside from the tangible benefits of spending more on an environmentally benign area of energy that for too long has been treated - often condescendingly - like a poor orphan, the political message is of supreme significance. For decades, supporters of hydrogen and other alternative energy fields have argued until they were blue in the face, that the key ingredient missing in moving forward is national political will.

President Bushs support provides a large measure of that political will."
--Peter Hoffmann, 31 January 2003

About the book:
Hydrogen is the quintessential eco-fuel. This invisible, tasteless gas is the most abundant element in the universe. It is the basic building block and fuel of stars and an essential raw material in innumerable biological and chemical processes. As a completely nonpolluting fuel, it may hold the answer to growing environmental concerns about atmospheric accumulation of carbon dioxide and the resultant Greenhouse Effect. In this book Peter Hoffmann describes current research toward a hydrogen-based economy. He presents the history of hydrogen energy and discusses the environmental dangers of continued dependence on fossil fuels.

Hydrogen is not an energy source but a carrier that, like electricity, must be manufactured. Today hydrogen is manufactured by "decarbonizing" fossil fuels. In the future it will be derived from water and solar energy and perhaps from "cleaner" versions of nuclear energy. Because it can be made by a variety of methods, Hoffmann argues, it can be easily adapted by different countries and economies. Hoffmann acknowledges the social, political, and economic difficulties in replacing current energy systems with an entirely new one. Although the process of converting to a hydrogen-based economy would be complex, he demonstrates that the environmental and health benefits would far outweigh the costs. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Important and Exciting Information
Tomorrow's Energy is a thorough discussion of a topic that is rapidly gaining importance - hydrogen. The book proposes hydrogen as the energy of the near future. It includes the history of hydrogen as a fuel, and what measures are currently being taken to produce hydrogen-powered automobiles, air and space craft, homes, and offices. Hoffmann describes in detail how hydrogen fuel is produced and used, and why hydrogen is a better choice than fossil fuels. The book discusses what must be done in order for non-polluting hydrogen to overtake fossil fuels, and the prospect of a "hydrogen community."

This book, though obviously in favor of hydrogen energy, provides a detailed and, for the most part, many sided report on hydrogen's possibilities. It has a lot of numbers but is generally easily understood by the layman, though it assumes that the reader has a basic knowledge of chemistry. Hydrogen is an interesting and exciting thing, and this book provide a good understanding of its past, present and future. Stylistically, the book is a bit dry, but has sharp and occasionally witty quotes to lighten the tone. I would recommend "Tomorrow's Energy" to anyone who wants to learn more about this promising subject, as long as the reader uses the information to form their own opinion.

Half the story
This book has a lot of useful information but the problem is not the material but the book could use an editor. The story continually jumps back and forth. When the book uses comparisons it goes from Joules to BTUs then Gallons to Liters so you never seem to compare apples to apples or the book should have had a conversion table. It's as if the author is afraid to tell the truth of how it might be a little expensive now to convert, but eventually it will be cost effective. The book also has no diagrams, or graphs that would explain fuel cells or cost effectiveness. ...

The author seems to shy away from nuclear power as a solution for creating hydrogen. I think it would be a great interim solution where you could put the nuclear reactor on sites off shore or in the Great Lakes so you would have a supply of water and pump all the hydrogen and electricity produced to the city. The hydrogen could be sent to fuel cell power plants and fuel stations for vehicles. Eventually from the money made from this move on to geothermal methods.

I don't want to seem down on this book because it gave me a lot of good information the best part was the different ways that they can create hydrogen. Hydropower, Wind, Solar, Photovoltaic, Biomass, Advanced Solar concepts, orbiting solar mirrors, converting thermal energy from oceans and Geothermal. The one that I left out that I thought was the coolest was the Giant Solar Chimneys. I found out that they are actually making one in Australia; I can only hope that it works. I liked the part with the solar mirrors and why they didn't work, that was kind of funny.

The book never explains why they are not doing some of these things. I guess because of the cost but it is not clear. The best and safest way would be to produce hydrogen is geothermal but the book never explains why we don't do it.

The chapter on the uses for hydrogen started out interesting but ends with a walk into the cosmos with the SETI stuff. It was parenthetical information that the author wanted us to be aware of that did not belong in this book.

This book seem like a confused mass of projects that never seemed to get off the ground and a couple that could be a solution for the future. I wish the book was organized so that the history came first and then focus in on various areas, production, types of fuel cells, different forms of hydrogen, infrastructure, present uses, future use and the road ahead and what are the possible type of plans for the future.

I wish the book could have recommended more books to read on the subject that could answer some of these questions.

I guess I was looking for more clear cut solutions.

A little bit disappointing
This book contains lots of valuable information and is certainly worth reading. But at the same time, I had expected more of it. It describes too many factual details about the history of hydrogen's use in various applications and gives too few technical information about hydrogen as a fuel. The book does not give a very thorough analysis of how a hydrogen economy could be established, how those massive quantities of hydrogen will be produced in a way that is both environment friendly and realistic, why or why not to use nuclear power to do so, etc.
Rather, it leaves a lot of open questions and does not give answers to the issues that really matter (e.g. if hydrogen is produced through reforming of traditional carbon fuels, what to do with the carbon then at the production plant).
Nevertheless, the book is certainly worth reading... I think it's one of the only serious books on hydrogen at this time.

Hydrogen power now!!
This is a good book as an introduction to hydrogen and its' potential uses in many aspects of our lives. However, I disagree with the author's conclusion that it would take decades to replace the existing infrastructure. That may be the case in a socialistic economy but in the U.S., if there is a need and a desire, we can do it in just a few years.

The fact is that we have a huge need to get out from under the yoke of OPEC. We are forced to be heavily involved in mid east politics just to insure a constant flow of oil to support our everyday lives. Meanwhile, we have put ourselves in the crosshairs of the Islamic extremists who want us out of the mid east and to moderate our policies in Israel. If we want to prevent any further terrorist actions against us, then the best thing to do is develop hydrogen power and nuclear power and divest ourselves from mid east politics as fast as possible.

Write your Congressman and U.S. Senators and demand that we move quickly on this technology.

A Good Introduction To Hydrogen
Peter Hoffmann is the editor and publisher of "The Hydrogen & Fuel Cell Letter", and this book focuses on the myriad uses of fuel cells, in great detail. But other uses of hydrogen are covered to some extent also. Topics discussed are automotive, utility, food production, home heating, hydrogen production, and many others. Hoffman notes in this volume time and again that hydrogen is an energy carrier, like electricity, and not an energy source, so it must be produced via energy sources such as coal, wind, solar, and nuclear, among others. Hoffmann does a very good job in this area, and the generation of greenhouse gasses is a central theme of this book, basically how we can generate hydrogen with little or no carbon dioxide buildup. As you may know, the combustion of hydrogen with oxygen only produces water. Safety of hydrogen use is another area extensively covered. The book begins with Hoffmann giving a history of hydrogen use and research over the past 200 years or so, right up to the present time, politics having an effect on our energy future also, of course. Senator Tom Harkin gives readers a very good foreward to the book.

One area of great interest to me that was mentioned in this book is the possibility of using atomic hydrogen (this is hydrogen in it's disassociated state, not the molecular hydrogen) as rocket fuel, as Hoffmann says, a specific impulse of over 1000 seconds may be achieved, well above today's rocket engines, if it can be safely stabilized. I wish this topic was covered better than the brief sketch Hoffmann gave it.

The final chapter of the book attempts to extrapolate the future use of hydrogen. Various experts are quoted by Hoffmann as to what we may expect in the decades ahead with regards to hydrogen use. Hoffmann does himself say that the existing energy infrastructure may be difficult to replace due to the economic inertia of change, and many decades may be required, in the United States it's vast coal reserves may preclude widespread hydrogen use idefinitely. Overall, the volume is a good introduction to energy if sometimes a little short on the science. At the back of the book there are extensive notes with references to further reading for those desiring to do so. ... Read more

Book Description

Hardbound. The three volumes comprising the Handbook of Natural Resource and Energy Economics examine the current theory, and sample current application methods for natural resource and energy economics. Volumes 1 & 2 deal with the economics of environmental and renewable resources, and are divided into six parts. The first deals with basic concepts, and subsequent sections are concerned with ethics and environmental topics. Volume 3 deals primarily with non-renewable resources. It analyzes the economics of energy and minerals and includes chapters on the economics of environmental policy. ... Read more

Book Description

Written by two of the nation's leading experts on land conservation, Land Conservation Financing provides a comprehensive overview of successful land conservation programs -- how they were created, how they are funded, and what they’ve accomplished -- along with detailed case studies from across the United States.

The authors present important new information on state-of-the-art conservation financing, showcasing programs in states that have become the nation's leaders in open-space protection: California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and New Jersey. They look at key local land protection efforts by examining model programs in DeKalb County, Georgia; Douglas County, Colorado; Jacksonville, Florida; Lake County, Illinois; Lancaster County, Pennsylvania; Marin County, California; the St. Louis metro area in Missouri and Illinois, and on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

The authors then examine how hundreds of communities have created hundreds of millions of dollars in funding by developing successful campaigns to win land conservation ballot measures. They offer case studies and pull together lessons learned as they lay out how to run a successful campaign. The authors also consider the role of private foundations, which have made immense contributions to land conservation over the past two decades.

The book concludes with an examination of the emerging concept of green infrastructure -- a strategic approach to conservation that involves planning and managing a network of parks, natural areas, greenways, and working lands that can help support native species, maintain ecological processes, and contribute to the health and quality of life for America’s people and its communities.

Land Conservation Financing is an indispensable resource for land conservationists in the public and private sectors who are looking for a detailed, national portrait of the state of land conservation in America today. ... Read more

Book Description

Business intelligence, text mining, environmental scanning, scenario planning, competitor analysis, and actionable information are terms often heard today in the business world. Pulling these terms together in a way that enables the terms to take on lucid strategic meaning can be extremely important to today's business planner. Business Intelligence Using Smart Techniques is a book about using text mining to perform environmental scanning, and using scenarios and simulation to perform competitor analysis. This book focuses on methods that identify and extract important company-external business information. This book addresses the conversion of the business information into business intelligence. And this book addresses the use of business intelligence to improve a company's competitive position by showing how potentially profitable actions can be taken based on the intelligence. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Practical Guide to Build Business Intelligence
Any business owner or corporate executive looking for competitive opportunities or an effective way to avoid being blindsided by competitors' activities or trapped by unfavorable trends should think about applying the business intelligence system clearly laid out in Business Intelligence Using Smart Techniques.

Charles Halliman's pragmatic approach is perfect for our times. While so many are desperately trying to keep afloat, thinking their only choices are to sink or swim madly, Halliman suggests a manageable process to uncover possibilities for breaking out of the doldrums. It's a challenge to divert resources to efforts like developing business intelligence, perceived to take extraordinary amounts of time and offer payoffs only in the long-term. But Halliman shows this does not have to be the case.

Halliman not only presents very straightforward tools for analyzing and using business intelligence to develop actionable ideas, he shows how text mining techniques can reduce the time and resources needed to turn large amounts of information about competitors and business environment trends into manageable business intelligence.

While the neatly packaged system Halliman describes can be used to more accurately assess a company's current situation and identify immediate tactics, its bigger return will be realized when used as part of an ongoing program of identifying success strategies for the ever-unfolding future. Even the near-term future holds opportunities, in the economy's turnaround. Now is the time for a company to ready itself.

Better yet, why not put the company on the leading edge of that recovery now, by being better informed about the business environment and competitors' activities? If they're in a holding pattern...imagine the possibilities!

The book provides an easy-to-follow, structured method of presenting information. Halliman employs review and preview techniques, so the reader can understand the context of new information, each step following logically from the last, with summaries that describe a progressively growing, but comprehendible and manageable system. Real examples give the reader hands-on experience as the system is built and then comes together to yield realistic actions.

Halliman is On Target
The data mining techniques and methodologies presented by Charles Halliman work. Whether your focus is research, marketing or consulting you would be wise to invest in "Business Intelligence Using Smart Techniques".

Sound marketing strategies and production policies
In Business Intelligence Using Smart Techniques, business intelligence consultant Charles Halliman emphasizes the analysis of business information already gathered by corporate researchers, managers, and policy makers. Halliman presents an informative introduction to the performance of environmental scanning using "text mining" techniques, and utilizing scenarios and manual simulations to perform competitor analyses. Readers will learn to convert business information into business intelligence for sound marketing strategies and production policies, showing how potentially profitable actions can be taken based on gathered information drawn from today's highly competitive local, regional, national, and global marketplace. Highly recommended reading for business students, entrepreneurs, policy strategists, and corporate marketing executives. ... Read more

Book Description

This volume contains a collection of surveys of the mostimportant issues in formal - both theoretical and applied- analysis of sustainable development. Although the literatureon the various aspects of sustainable development is very large, asystematic account of modelling of sustainable development - ofwhich there are already many examples available - is largelylacking. This book contains sixteen contributions grouped under fourheadings: `Theoretical Approaches', `Empirical Testing and Delinking',`Measurement and Implementation', and `Policy and the InternationalDimension'. From a modelling perspective, the problem of growth, trade andsustainability requires some kind of integration of theories andmodels on international trade, location theory, international policycoordination, economic growth and development, and resource andecological processes. The general lesson emanating from this book isthat we need to go beyond partial approaches. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

A Book to Reinvent Our Goals
Alan Weisman, a journalist hired by NPR to investigate solutions for environmental crises, spent years collecting information in a tiny, remote village at the eastern edge of the war-torn country of Colombia. That village was Gaviotas; this book is his result.

I read this book on a recommendation from Daniel Quinn, author of "The Story of B" and "Beyond Civilization." Quinn's entire philosophy rests on two ideas: living in a sustainable manner, and allowing the reader to come up with their own solutions for doing so. Gaviotas is a community where people did just that - through ingenuity, creativity, and hard work, the residents of this planned village created a place where water is pulled from the ground using pumps attached to children's see-saws, heat is provided by the sun, and electricity by the wind.

It's a progressive's dream come true, and an experiment that has succeeded in all possible ways. This book lays out the history of Gaviotas and its unique founder, Paolo Lugari, and places it within the context of the ongoing struggles in Colombia. In the wake of the World Trade Center attack, I decided to re-read Gaviotas to remind myself that not only is there hope for humanity as a whole, but hope that individuals will begin to take responsibility to begin freeing ourselves from the confining forces of our self-imposed prisons called "civilization," but still manage to retain the good things, too.

Every person on earth should read and re-read this book. If you haven't, buy it now or start hoofing it to the library.

Wonderful, Inspiring, Hopeful!
It was one of the best books I've ever read.
Go get it right now!

Gaviotas is an inspiring story of hope and success
Gaviotas the place is amazing! I can't believe how many good ideas were put into practice in one community! Incredible. All working/aspiring engineers, city planners, architects, etc. should having a working knowledge of the theories and practices Alan Weisman describes in this book.

Humans CAN be part of a non-destructive, even a positive, productive relationship with their surroundings. We CAN prosper without decimating everything with which we interact. Gaviotas is a good start--a good example for the rest of the world.

READ THE BOOK! BUY THE BOOK!

Hope Floats
I read this book after one of my Colombian friend recommended it. I could not put it down once I started reading it. It is not an easy reading and it requires you to think about how everybody in the western world takes life and facilities for granted which people in countries like Colombia strive hard to achieve.

This book is a fantastic tale of individuals who don't take no for an answer, who had a dream and they worked to achieve it and in the process created an outstanding example of the fact that 'life and nature can co-exist' because that is how they were before we made discoveries and inventions to conquer nature.

The book ends with a final message...If you have a dream then pursue it...you will meet people along the way who share your thinking...Hope floats.

A vision of humanities existence
Gaviotas

I can honestly say that this book completely changed the way I look human existence and relation to nature. Not only are the people of Gaviotas innovators, but visionaries aided by the studies past and present technologies. While reading this tale I was not only amazed by the resourcefulness of a few people, rather what the implications are to the human family as a whole. It seems that the people of Gaviotas have given themselves an education that no classroom can offer. In fact quite the contrary, they are scholars of the laws of nature.
One thing that I learned from this book is that it is easy to get stuck thinking within the parameters of modern society. It seems that every technology around us is based purely on the short term and hard resources. However it is the natural dynamics of Earth which run the resource base for the natural world, the wind, hot, cold and ultimately the sun. ... Read more

Book Description

China’s spectacular economic growth over the past two decades has dramatically depleted the country’s natural resources and produced skyrocketing rates of pollution. Environmental degradation in China has also contributed to significant public health problems, mass migration, economic loss, and social unrest. In The River Runs Black, Elizabeth C. Economy examines China’s growing environmental crisis and its implications for the country’s future development.

Drawing on historical research, case studies, and interviews with officials, scholars, and activists in China, Economy traces the economic and political roots of China’s environmental challenge and the evolution of the leadership's response. She argues that China’s current approach to environmental protection mirrors the one embraced for economic development: devolving authority to local officials, opening the door to private actors, and inviting participation from the international community, while retaining only weak central control. The result has been a patchwork of environmental protection in which a few wealthy regions with strong leaders and international ties improve their local environments, while most of the country continues to deteriorate, sometimes suffering irrevocable damage. Economy compares China’s response with the experience of other societies and sketches out several possible futures for the country. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A Great Perspective for Everyone!
For anyone with even a hint of environmental concern, this book provides a great look at what can and will go wrong. The problems in China outlined here teach us first hand that if economic and technologic advancement go unchecked, the cost will be the environment, and we will all pay.A copy of Dr. Economy's book should be sent to all current politicians and policy makers so that history is not repeated, in the US, or anywhere in the world, and that immediate steps be taken to reverse all environmental insults that are taking place.I really enjoyed this excellent political and economic commentary in which myself, as a common reader, can appreciate the importance of environmental salvation.Let's learn from this author's teachings.

All Hail "The River Runs Black"!
Elizabeth Economy's "The River Runs Black" is a fascinating account of the environmental crisis facing China.It recounts how the world's most highly populated country with the fastest growing economy has resulted in an environmental tinderbox. The book is neither an hysterical call to arms for environmental activists nor a dry, scientific analysis of global climate change.Instead, it offers a well-researched, thorough and pragmatic look at the problem and the policy alternatives for addressing the issue.The book is very readable and is a "first of its kind" book in that no one has really focused on this issue with the intellectual integrity that Economy has. No doubt you'll see others jumping on the bandwagon to highlight the situation in China, but they'll be hard pressed to improve on the author's work, given that she has essentially pioneered the analysis in this area over the past 10 years.I highly recommend this book for anyone. ... Read more

Book Description

The only consumer's guide to making sense of land-use laws and regulations

Many property owners have no idea what their rights are when it comes to altering their properties, or protecting themselves from encroachment by developers and the misguided building and renovation plans of neighbors. Written by a leading national expert on land-use law, The Complete Guide to Zoning tells home owners, developers, and investors nationwide everything you need to know about getting approvals and protecting your property rights.

In plain English, Dwight Merriam explains how to:

• Get fast approvals for building and renovation plans
• Obtain building permits and variances
• Fight development projects
• Use land-use laws to protect and increase property values
• Identify and work around laws that limit building and renovation plans
• Deal with environmental-protection laws

Book Description

For more than thirty years the newspaper industry has been losing readers at a slow but steady rate. News professionals are inclined to blame themselves, but the real culprit is technology and its competing demands on the public's time. The Internet is just the latest in a long series of new information technologies that have scattered the mass audience that newspapers once held. By isolating and describing the factors that made journalism work as a business in the past, Meyer provides a model that will make it work with the changing technologies of the present and future. He backs his argument with empirical evidence, supporting key points with statistical assessments of the quality and influence of the journalist's product, as well as its effects on business success. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A "Must Read" For The Journalism Practitioner
Philip Meyer has written an excellent book concerning the state of the American newspaper industry from the vantage point of spending a working lifetime within it.As an author and professor of journalism at one of the nation's most respected j-schools, Meyer offers a plethora of interesting facts and data concerning a societal shift away from the printed news page and the why's and how's of a slow (but not so certain) business demise.Is the American newspaper really sliding into the abyss?Will Wall Street abandon the printed news trade for more fertile economic ground?Should journalism students seek safer career havens?

Utilizing a wealth of contemporary studies and surveys, Meyer's The Vanishing Newspaper answers many questions and suggests that successful newspapers have positive influences in their respective communities through (among other factors) clear and accurate writing and social responsibility.By embracing new technologies - especially the ubiquitous Internet - newspapers can remain a respected source of information and viable business enterprise.Does accuracy and readability have a direct impact on circulation and ad revenue?What are the consequences of a newspaper's content?And just why are fewer people reading newspapers?Read and find out.

As an experienced newspaper publisher/managing editor/reporter, I highly recommend this insightful book for anyone involved in journalism - including students, teachers, writers, business managers and investors.No class, seminar, or casual conversation can supply the resources and suggestions found in The Vanishing Newspaper.Above all else, Meyer provides a realistic and positive outlook for those who love the profession and choose solutions over indifference.

Final word: This should be a mandatory read at every newspaper and j-school in America. ... Read more

Book Description

Every customer-facing corporation has at least one call center. In the United States, call centers handle a billion calls per year. Call Center Operation gives you complete coverage of the critical issues involved in the design, implementation, organization, and management of a customer call center. Sharp provides information on advanced technology tools for workforce management, workshop examples for training call center staff, and an analysis of the significance of the call center to overall corporate customer relationship strategies.
A special feature of the book is its focus on call center case studies, describing a number of successful call center strategies and best practices, selected from various business sectors - financial, retail, healthcare, travel, technology, and others. These case studies provide useful guidelines based on successful corporate call centers that will guide you in establishing and maintaining the most effective call center operation for your enterprise.

· Presents key concepts and techniques, including a formal development process, in a real-world context
· Provides extensive management guidelines
· Stresses the importance of staff selection and training ... Read more

Book Description

This edited collection provides a cross-sectional review of environmental legislation and administration in the United States, with comparative chapters relating to Canada and New Zealand. The experts look at a variety of environmental issues that create policy problems, and while the book offers no blueprint or prognosis of environmental policy in the twenty-first century, it does offer insights into trends that will influence the future shape of that policy. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Companies on the right road.
Exceptional book describing the background of the Natural Step process but more importantly provides evidence that companies who embrace sustainabilty in every aspect will be well rewarded for their efforts. Well done with loads of detail.

An excellent applied reference on The Natural Step
The authors provide a real service with this book. So far much of the published work on The Natural Step framework has remained conceptual, without a lot of practical examples of the model in practice. The case examples of IKEA, Collins Pine, and Interface provide valuable references for organizational managers and consultants who are working to build more sustainable organizations. I highly recommend this book.

The Natural Step in action - great practical case-studies!
This is a terrifc book in that it not only lucidly explains the framework of the Natural Step but also gives some excellent practical examples of major corporations starting down the path towards sustainability. This will give them a great competitive edge. With examples like the Natural Step model being applied by the likes of IKEA and Interface one can remain optimistic in the face of the torrent of negatives about the degenerating nature of the world environment. I hope that this book will encourgae others to look nto what the Natural Step has to offer..

A clear, wonderful book.
This is a clear and wonderful book that makes a compelling case for a new environmental awareness in business and industry. The style is graceful, the chapter organization is easy to follow, and there are many charts and diagrams that enhance the book. I was extremely impressed, and I recommend the book highly. ... Read more