Reviews (2)

Excellent overview for people new to the field
It is exactly what the title says. If you're new to the field, this book provides an excellent, fairly detailed description of both onshore and offshore upstream operations.

An excellent introduction to the oil business
If you're interested in learning about the dynamics of the oil industry and you know absolutely nothing about it, this is the book for you. Norman Hyne describes industry jargon with dictionary-like simplicity and guides you through the basics of oil drilling, where oil is located and why, how to read seismographs, and many other things. The book has photos and drawings throughout the book that help you understand what is being described and put things into the concrete.

This book seems to be written as a classroom textbook, but I read it cover-to-cover. ... Read more

Book Description

As environmental science textbooks have gotten larger and more encyclopedic over the years, an increasing number of instructors have called for a smaller, less expensive book that concentrates on the core principles of the discipline. Principles of Environmental Science: Inquiry and Applications emphasizes how science can help us find solutions for important environmental issues. While not attempting to describe every possible environmental dilemma or scientific field of study, this new text focuses on the major topics we face and how scientists search for answers to questions about them. Students are provided a solid grounding in scientific principles and then encouraged to think analytically and creatively on their own. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Excellent Resource
I found Mr. McCarthy's book to be a valuable resource. From a geologist's perspective, it was of great help in bridging the gap between engineering geology and geotechnical engineering. It gave me greater insight into not only field technique, but also into geologic considerations that are of importance in foundation design. The text was both concise and clearly written.

From a Civil/Geological Engineering student's view...
* Poor index - no detail * Good detail in text on subjects covered * Has some errors in the chapter on flownets * Disjointed in discussion of compaction * Good for students with little to no soil mechanics background

An excellent engineering tool!
Civil engineers throughout the world can use this book as either a classroom text or reference handbook. It covers a variety of soil conditions including expansive soils and provides examples of both foundation designs,and retaining earth structures. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Earth Science Teacher reviews a Good Book
I have used this book once for a course I teach for K-8 pre-service teachers called: Earth Science for Teachers. It is only 1 hour so I can't use all the content in the book, but, it is an excellent content reference for people who are expected to know and teach more and more content every year. Read this book for your own fun, or, use it as a reader friendly resource with excellent pictures and friendly assignments. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

This is pretty good!
I bought this study guide to help me in my geology class. It isn't the same edition as my textbook but it is still the same. The chapters are the same and it has really helped me remember the material. The pages have fill in the blank and multiple choice and practice quizzes. All the answers are at the end of the book. I recomend this for anyone who is taking geology and is using the "Earth" book.

An outstanding introductory textbook in physical geology
Despite the proliferation of introductory physical geology textbooks in recent years, none have surpassed the quality of Tarbuck and Lutgens' "Earth". The text is accurate, up-to-date, well-organized, and exceptionally lucid. The writing flows nicely and presents complex topics and ideas in a way that is easy for non-scientists to understand, while at the same time resisting the trend toward "dumbing-down" that has recently affected many introductory textbooks in Earth sciences. The book is also illustrated wonderfully with diagrams that are effectively designed, beautifully executed, and perfectly matched to the accompanying text. The photographs are likewise outstanding in subject and quality, with great efforts obviously having been made to find excellent pictures that complement the text and clearly illustrate the features and processes being described. The overall quality of the photographs is far better than in most other textbooks of this kind. Substantial improvements have been made for the sixth edition, including the addition of helpful illustrations to the glossary and the addition of many new photographs throughout the book (for example, compare the 5th and 6th edition pictures of drumlins, moraines, igneous rock textures, tsunamis, sinkholes, etc.). After examining many textbooks, I have decided to use this one in the undergraduate course I will teach next year.

Earth - an average introductory textbook
This book has dozens of errors, but in its defense, I must say that every introductory textbook I've used or reviewed has similar errors. For example, thermal expansion due to daily temperature fluctuations does NOT fracture rocks. Fire fractures rocks, and local fires can occur in many deserts. The photo of a rock split is actually due to ice (not frost) wedging. Deserts can be freezing. The book does not address the importance of past climates. Most of North America's landforms were formed under wet, warm climates, not today's. The hydrologic cycle should be expanded to the geohydrologic cycle, which incorporates plate tectonics. Plate tectonics, as presented, is rather primitive. We're in, I'd say, 3rd generation plate tectonics, but it is not being taught. Mountain glacial landscapes are entirely misinterpreted, based on a false paradigm originating in the 1840s. Yosemite Valley is far more a relict tropical landscape than a glaciated one, and Bridalveil Falls has existed for 10s of millions of years before glaciation. Evolution of desert landscapes is equally as bad. The authors don't understand pediments, which are exhumed weathering fronts (as in Joshua Tree National Park) or exhumed detachments (as in the Mojave Desert). Etc., etc.

Lots of fun for rocks!
This book is an excellent introductory text, with a wide scoop and a clear and descriptive style. The pictures are gorgeous and informative, and the side notes (Boxes) are powerful examples of the topics being discussed, as well as fascinating sources of trivia (do you know what Bingham Canyon is?) that add flavor to the book! My only complaint was that there are no chapter summaries, but as the material was clear and concise, I had no need for them! ... Read more

Book Description

With contributions from more than 120 highly regarded geologists and geoscience educators, and an exceptional illustration program by Dennis Tasa, this user-friendly, best-selling laboratory manual focuses on the basic principles of geology and their applications to everyday life in terms of natural resources, natural hazards, and human risks.This edition of the AGI/NAGT Lab Manual in Physical Geology addresses many current technologies such as satellite technologies, atomic resolution imaging, seismic tomography, and UTM mapping and system. It also covers many current topics such as isostasy, origin of magma, modeling Earth's interior, rock cycling and plate tectonics, volcanic processes and hazards, numerical dating, GPS, UTM, floods, ground water, glaciers as barometers of climate change, dryland hazards, coastal hazards, earthquakes, Earth resources, and human risks.For anyone wishing to learn more about physical geology through practice exercises. ... Read more

Book Description

METEOROLOGY TODAY has for many years been one of the most widely used and authoritative texts for the introductory meteorology course. Each edition is extensively reviewed by leading researchers in the field to ensure that the text remains completely up-to-date and reflects today's current understanding of meteorological concepts. Author Donald Ahrens has been widely praised for his ability to explain relatively complicated ideas so that even under-prepared students can understand them. The text's clear and inviting presentation is supplemented by numerous pedagogical features that help augment students' understanding. Introductory stories found at the beginning of each chapter draws students naturally into the discussion. In-chapter reviews then help students to consolidate their understanding as they read, while four types of end-of-chapter exercises provide opportunities for everything from further review to in-class discussion questions. Graphics are carefully designed and subsequently refined so that the key ideas clearly emerge. Many of the photos in the book are taken by the author and provide unmatched images of dramatic weather phenomena. A unique and popular feature over this title's seven editions has been the foldout cloud chart at the back of the book. A wealth of online resources accompanies METEOROLOGY TODAY, Seventh Edition, allowing professors to integrate striking and illuminative interactive weather exercises into their course. Many of the exercises on the BLUE SKIES CD-ROM packaged FREE with each new copy of the text are tied to downloadable real-time weather data, offering instructors an easy way to bring the exploration of current weather events into the course discussion. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Awesome
I am enrolled in a Meteorology course right now. I bought this book sometime ago to get ready for the coursework in Meteorology. I had read a bunch of books prior to this one and I found this book to be well written. Easy to understand and great illustrations make it easy for anyone to understand it. May be a bit too basic for some. If you need to know more about Meteorology and want to know more than the average Joe...then buy this book....you won't regret it. I love it!

Fairly good introduction to the subject of meteorology
This text is a very basic introduction to the world of meteorology. The writing style is very simplistic, as the book seems to be intended for non-science majors. There are very few quantitative portions and the few math portions that are there could use a little more expansion. All in all, this book is suitable for anyone who wants an introduction to the weather without having to do numerous calculations.

Overall, an excellent intro level text book
Overall, an excellent intro level text book to meteorology. Fantastic diagrams and photographs. The only thing wrong with it is that some of the cloud photos could have been a little more precise and done a better job at picking that type of cloud for the photo. Nonetheless, it's a great book overall, and I do plan to keep this one even after the semster is finished.

Excellent Meteorological textbook: from a students viewpoint
Well worth the price! Gorgeous photographs, clear diagrams, and easy to understand text combine to make this introductory textbook a great value. I have spent way too much money on textbooks, but this time I actually got my monies worth.

Excellent introductory text
This is the best college level introductory meteorology text I have seen. It has a wide range of topics, covering most if not all meteorological phenomena, but does so in a way that non-scientists can understand. Excellent photographs and diagrams. ... Read more

Book Description

Diversity Amid Globalization is an exciting contemporary approach to World Regional Geography that explicitly acknowledges the geographic changes that accompany today's rapid rate of globalization. The book's unique approach gives readers access to the latest ideas, concepts and theories in geography while concurrently developing a strong foundation in the fundamentals of world regions.This book covers discussions of environmental geography, population and settlement, cultural coherence and diversity, geopolitical framework, and economic and social development.For anyone interested in world regional geography. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

An excellent textbook for an introductory geography class
This is an excellent textbook for an introductory geography class. The first chapter is a general introduction with an explanation of some of the terms and vocabulary used. The second chapter covers world physical geography. The rest of the chapters each covers a different region of the world. Each chapter is divided into five sections: environment, population and settlement, culture, geopolitics, and economic and social development. This book describes the details of the different regions of the world and gives us a good idea of what life is like in these different regions. And, it ties what we learn about the different regions to the overall theme of diversity and globalization. The accompanying maps and photographs are beautiful.

THIS IS AN ERROR REPORT!
NOTE: I am NOT writing a review ... I just want to inform you that you have the incorrect backcover summary for this title.

You have the summary for THE AMERICAN JOURNEY (see below), and, instead, the title is actually:

Diversity Amid Globalization : World Regions, Environment, Development

From the Back Cover Written in a clear, engaging style with a straightforward chronological organization, The American Journey introduces readers to the key features of American political, social, and economic history. It gives prominent coverage to the West and South, highlights the importance of religion in American history, and traces the emergence of distinctively American ideals-and the way the conflict between those ideals and reality has shaped our nation's development. Compelling stories, ample use of quotations, excerpts from primary sources, and plentiful illustrations bring the past vividly alive.This combined volume covers American history from 1600 to present times. Chapter topics include the war for independence; the first republic; Jeffersonian Republicanism; the Jacksonian Era; industrial change and urbanization; slavery and the old South; the Civil War; transforming the West; the Progressive Era; the Great Depression and the New Deal; World War: 1939-1945; John F. Kennedy and the Cold War; Nixon and Watergate; and the Reagan revolution.For armchair historians who appreciate the fact that knowledge of the past matters most of all if we are to understand the present-and shape the future. ... Read more

Book Description

This expanded edition of Environmental Health and Safety Audits brings you up-to-date on changes in EPA and OSHA auditing policies, issues currently confronting auditing programs, and state-of-the-art strategies for managing and conducting audits. The author discusses new developments in information generation and availability, including new chapters on meeting ISO 14000 auditing guidelines, auditing dilemmas, and auditing tips, and new tools for building a successful audit program, including seven model program stages. ... Read more

Book Description

The new edition of this market-leading Environmental Science text offers a wealth of new technology for you and your students. Each text will be packaged FREE with an Essential Study Partner CD-ROM for students PLUS a password code card to access our cool new Online Learning Center website. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Horrible.
Any text that advises poverty-stricken Africans to use solar-powered stoves as opposed to wood-burning fires to cook their food in attempt to lower energy consumption has gone too far off the deep end as to be a suitable college source.

Too many typos, too opinionated in the wrong places, not opinionated enough in the right places, just horrible. Wretched book. And to think, my family spent over $100 on the package. Ack!

[Ask your prof to use one of the labs to research better textbooks if this is all he/she can come up with.]

Well-researched and thoughtfully presented
The authors obviously put a lot of work into making science accessible and interesting! The information in the book is up-to-date, and the approach is balanced. Great text!

Tree-hugger only
The teacher who teaches this is an enviromentalist wacko and this book can be used solely for that purpose.

A clearly defined study of environmental science
This text is a clearly defined study of environmental science. It is full of content and each chapter offers extensional learning through the use open-ended presentations of current events applicable to the content. There are loads of interesting topics and there are also references to Online sources for additional information. This is an excellent book for the study of environmental science.

An excellent text of relevant content
This text does an excellent job of introducing the reader to relevant material with regard to the study of environmental science. The chapters feature current real-life events in an extension format that allows for open-ended discussion and direct application of the content. The text does a great job explaining the role of socioeconomic factors as contributors to global environmental degredation. It can make one consider and question the logic and ethics behind much of what is done by government, industry, and the individual. ... Read more

Book Description

This survey is the first to weave together the three major intellectual revolutions in the Earth Sciences that have occurred in the last forty years--the theory of plate tectonics, the Earth-Systems-Science synthesis, and the connection between the evolution of life and the evolution of the Earth itself. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent!
This books serves as an excellent introduction to geology and earth sciences. It is extremely well written and explains difficult concepts well. Because it is written as a college textbook the examples and analogies given are drawn from common experience that are easy to understand.
Among the best part of the book are the illustrations which are beautiful to look at and supplement the text expertly, again reinforcing concepts.
I appreciated the way the author has integrated the broad theory of plate tectonics throughout all sections of the book. In particular he has expertly woven the theory of plate tectonics into the history of the earth's evolution and how that in turn has led to the evolution of life.
This book is a great introduction for college students and for the educated layman looking to better appreciate and understand this wonderful place we call earth. ... Read more

Book Description

During the great ages of exploration, "the longitude problem" was the gravest of all scientific challenges. Lacking the ability to determine their longitude, sailors were literally lost at sea as soon as they lost sight of land. Ships ran aground on rocky shores; those traveling well-known routes were easy prey to pirates.

In 1714, England's Parliament offered a huge reward to anyone whose method of measuring longitude could be proven successful. The scientific establishment--from Galileo to Sir Isaac Newton--had mapped the heavens in its certainty of a celestial answer. In stark contrast, one man, John Harrison, dared to imagine a mechanical solution--a clock that would keep precise time at sea, something no clock had been able to do on land. And the race was on.... ... Read more

Reviews (209)

Amazing subject, fascinating story
With "Longitude" Dava Sobel has written a very interesting book about the greatest scientific problem of the 18th century.

As a result of the 1707-shipwreck story (with a loss of 4 out of the 5 ships), the English Parliament offered in 1714 a 20.000 pounds reward to the person that could provide a practicable and useful way of determining longitude. (If you have forgot, longitude is the "lines" that runs from pole to pole). Not being able to determining longitude was a great problem. Ships spent excessive time trying to find its way back to port, or worse men, ship and cargo were lost at sea.

John Harrison (1693-1776) spent his lifetime trying to solve the longitude mystery. Harrison was a son of a countryman, with minimal schooling, and was self-educated in watch making. He made several timepieces, which all qualified for the reward, but the reward was delayed several times by the Longitude committee whom believed that other ways of measuring longitude were the preferred ones. Ultimately after a lot of harassment and trouble, Harrison was given the reward money.

Dava Sobel has done a wonderful job in this book, capturing Harrison's fascinating character, his brilliance, preserving and hard working nature. The author has also managed to strike a perfect balance between technical jargon and personal anecdotes, and she does it in such a way permitting the lay readers of the book to admire the elegance of Harrison's discoveries. I believe it is a sign of excellent quality when an author makes learning so interesting.

I was hooked from the first page of this book and I read it in 50-page gulps at a time.

Highly recommended!

John Harrison--an extraordinary person
John Harrison (1693-1776) spent his lifetime inventing and perfecting a series of timepieces to measure longitude. As Dava Sobel relates in her engaging narrative, "Longitude," until the 18th century sailors navigated by following parallels of latitude and roughly estimating distance traveled east or west. Ships routinely missed their destinations, often taking excessive time to arrive or succumbing to reefs off fogbound shores. Thousands of sailors and tons of cargo were lost.

In 1714, England's Parliament offered £20,000 (the equivalent of about $12 million today) to anyone who provided a "practicable and useful" means of determining longitude. Countless solutions were suggested, some bizarre, some impractical, some workable only on land and others far too complex.

Most astronomers believed the answer lay in the sky, but Harrison, a clockmaker, imagined a mechanical solution--a clock that would keep precise time at sea. By knowing the exact times at the Greenwich meridian and at a ship's position, one could find longitude by calculating the time difference. However, most scientists, including Isaac Newton, discounted a clock because there were too many variables at sea. Changes in temperature, air pressure, humidity and gravity would surely render a watch inaccurate.

Harrison persisted. As Dava Sobel writes, he worked on his timepiece for decades, though he suffered skepticism and ridicule. Even after completing his timepiece, an instrument we now call a chronometer, in 1759, he underwent a long series of unfair trials and demonstrations. Ultimately he triumphed.

Sobel, a science writer who contributes to Audubon, Life, Omni and other magazines, captures John Harrison's extraordinary character: brilliant, persevering and heroic in the face of adversity. He is a man you won't forget.

Brief but enjoyable
This slim volume tells the story of John Harrison who, although untrained, built four revolutionary clocks that changed how ships navigate at sea. It also tells about the political fight Harrison was forced to fight to win recognition for his work.

Written in a easy-to-read, "magazine" tone the tale goes quickly, whole years pass in a couple sentences. I wanted more details and this is where the book disappoints but it may not be the authors fault The book hints that many events weren't recorded and more details just aren't available.

One technical note: I think the font used in this tiny, five by eight inch book is a little small and the page numbers, even smaller, aren't readable at a glance. Or maybe I'm getting old.

Great story, but BEWARE of inaccuracies in this book.
John Harrison completes his first pendulum clock in 1713 before the age of 20. He made the gears for this out of wood which was radical for such a use, but as a carpenter, perhaps not to him---which is a mark of genius, I'd say; to reach beyond accepted norms in this manner. This he did after borrowing a book on math and the laws of motion; which he copied word for word, making his own copy. He incorporated different varieties of wood into his clock for strenth and later invented a bi-metal pendulum to counteract the expansion and compression of various individual metals. He also employed friction-free movements so as to do away with problematic lubricants. When intrigued by the puzzle of time at sea and the issue of longitude he contemplated substituting something not prone to gravity, as a pendulum of course is, to track times passing. In 1737 he creates a cantilevered clock 4 foot square. This the longitude board (which had offered a cash bonus to anyone who could devise a method in which time at sea could be kept) admired. Four years later he returns with an improved model; then starts on a 3rd model, like the previous two, also a fairly large sized clock.But there exists a problem within this book: An artisan freemason by the name of John Jefferys at the Worshipful Company of clockmakers befriends Harrison and then later presents to him a pocket watch in 1753. Then in 1755, while still working on his 3rd model, Harrison says this to the Longitude board: I have..."good reason to think" on the basis of a watch "already executed that such small machines[he's referring to pocketwatches] may be of great service with respect to longitude." He then completes version 3 in 1759. His fourth version appears just a year later, however, and is a 5 inch wide pocketwatch! The obvious inference made by the author is that after he received the pocketwatch from Jeffreys he seemingly put his version #3 on the backburner and soon started on the pocketwatch 4th version. The author does not claim Harrison copied anything from the Jeffreys model, but she certainly phrases this section so as to lend one to believe that this may have been the case; that Jefferys had a hand in the masterstroke invention Harrison eventually produced in version #4. This is not true. Harrison commissioned the watch he received from Jeffreys and was based on Harrison's specifications. It seems that Harrison simply asked Jeffreys to test an idea which he himself hadn't the time to attack just then; as he was still working on his 3rd version of a table-top prototype clock. Hence Harrison's above statement to the board in 1755 whence his ideas were validated by Jeffreys. In addition, the author plays up the part of the Astronomer Royal's part in attempting to impede Harrison from convincing the longitiude board of the efficacy of a time-piece solution to this problem over a celestial answer to this conundrum. The author also jazzes up the issue of whether Harrison received the prize the board promised to pay for a successful solution herein; even though the board supported him for upwards of 20 years as he pursued this quest. It's as if the author intentionally omitted some facts (that the Jefferys was a Harrison commission), and pumped up others (of a rival/foil on the board trying to impede Harrison and the compensation issue; implying that Harrison was jipped) just to make the story more compelling. John Harrison's story, however, is extremely compelling as it is and didn't need this extra spice served up by the author.Do read this (very short) book on how this Mr. Harrison solved the problem of knowing where one is when at sea; and if you're in London, visit the Old Royal Observatory and the Clockmakers museum (in the Guildhall) where you can see Harrison's wonderful creations in person. Enjoy!

The Man who Captured Time so Ships could Navigate Accurately
=====>

Note: This review has been written from a city with the following position on Earth:

LATITUDE: (43 degrees 2 minutes North)
LONGITUDE: (81 degrees 9 minutes West).

In order to understand the significance of this remarkable book by Dava Sobel, the reader has to understand some words and phrases in the book's title and subtitle.

"Longitude" along with Latitude are two numbers along with compass directions that are used to fix the position of anything on the planet Earth (as in the note above). Lines of Latitude are the imaginary, parallel, horizontal lines circling the Earth with the equator (fixed by nature) being the "zero-degree parallel of latitude." Lines of Longitude or "meridians" are the imaginary lines that run top to bottom (north and south), from the Earth's North Pole to its South Pole with the "prime meridian" (established by political means) being the "zero-degree meridian of longitude." (Since the mid-1880s, the prime merdian has passed through Greenwich, England. Before this time, the imaginary line that passed through a ship's home port was usually used as the zero-degree meridian.)

Finding the latitude on land or at sea was easy and eventually a device was invented to make it even easier. But finding longitude, especially at sea on a swaying ship was difficult, a difficulty "that stumped the wisest minds of the world for the better part of human history" and was "the greatest scientific problem" of the 1700s. Ways of determining longitude astronomically were devised, but these proved to be impractical when used at sea.

England's parliament recognized that "the longitude problem" had to be solved practically since many people and valuable cargo were lost at sea when the ship's navigators lost sight of land. Thus, this parliament offered a top monetary prize that's equivalent to many millions of dollars today to anybody who could solve the problem.

Enter "a lone genius" named John Harrison (1693 to 1776). While most thought the solution to the problem was astronomical, Harrison saw time as the solution.

To calculate the longitude using time on a ship at sea, you have to realize these two facts found in this book:

(i) The Earth takes 24 hours of time to spin 360 degrees on its axis from east to west.
(ii) Noon (12:00 PM) is the highest point the sun seems to "travel" in a day.

To learn one's longitude at sea using time, as this book explains, it's necessary to do the following:

(1) Know the time it is aboard ship (local noon was normally used because of fact (ii) above).
(2) At the very same moment, know the time at a known longitude (such as at Greenwich, England).
(3) The difference in time between (1) and (2) is coverted to a longitude reading in degrees and direction (using fact (i) above).

Harrison's solution was the accurate determination of time of (2) above by inventing a reliable timepiece. This timepiece, in this case, would be set to Greenwich time. (Note that, as stated, (1) could be determined using the noon-day sun but this was not always practical. Eventually another timepiece was used to determine the ship's local noon for a particular day.) It has to be realized that this was the "era of pendulum clocks" where, on a deck of a rocking ship, "such clocks would slow down or speed up, or stop running altogether." Harrison was to capture time by building a marine clock or "timekeeper" (eventually called a "chronometer") that could be used on a ship at sea.

This book tells the "true story" of Harrison and his chronometers. (There were five built over a forty-year period. Harrison's first timekeeping device was known as H-1, his second was H-2, and so on.) Sobel uses accuracy (as evidenced by her thirty references), extensive interviews, and an engaging, mostly non-technical narrative (only essential technical detail is included) to convey a story that's filled with suspense, heroism, perfectionism, and villiany. All this in less than 200 pages!!

The only problem I had with this book is that it has hardly any pictures (photographs and illustrations). I would have liked to have seen pictures of the various people involved in this saga, maps showing where ships traveled, more photos of Harrison's amazing timepieces (both interior and exterior), and diagrams that explained important concepts. A diagram that actually showed how longitude, using a simple example, is calculated (using the steps above) would also have been helpful.

Finally, there is a good 1999 movie entitled "Longitude" based on this book. Be aware that even though this book is short, the movie is long (over three hours).

In conclusion, this book documents the exciting "true story" of how "a lone genius" solved "the longitude problem." Sobel states this more eloquently: "With his marine clocks, John Harrison tested the waters of space-time. He succeeded, against all odds, in using the fourth...dimension to link points on a three-dimensional globe. He [took] the world's whereabouts from the stars, and locked [or captured] the secret in a...watch."

<=====> ... Read more

Book Description

Physical Geology is a market-leading classic that has been used in classrooms for over 20 years.Updated to include the latest technology and most current information,Physical Geology is for both non-science majors and for students contemplating majoring in geology. The beautiful new art program and interactive writing style will grab students' attention and further their interest in geology. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Physical Geology
As a beginning geology student, I found this book to be a good start. It is well written and makes all of the concepts easy to understand. Great for learning basic geology. ... Read more

Book Description

Contemporary World Regional Geography provides a geographical study of world issues through analysis of nine world regions and the countries in each. It integrates the themes of "global connections" and "local voices" and is structured so that within each chapter the global and local tensions are discussed, as well as economic, political, cultural, social, and environmental issues. Each chapter will follow the same framework, allowing students to easily make comparisons from one world region to the next.

Interactive World Issues CD-ROM is packaged with every new text. This CD features five case studies (Oregon, China, South Africa, Mexico, and Chicago) and allows students to view videos, complete inquiry-based exercises, mapping exercises, and quizzes.

Contemporary World Regional Geography is the recommended text for the popular world regional telecourse produced and distributed by Annenberg/CPB. The video tape series that is developed by Cambridge Studios for this telecourse ties directly to this text. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

For the younger studier of earth science
I used this book for a class I took. It is definitely for someone with no prior knowledge to eaerth science. This would include if you have taken any middle or high school level Geoscience class ... Read more

Book Description

An unsurpassed art and illustration program, with map projections from Goode's World Atlas

Building upon the strength and success of deBlij & Muller's best-selling Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts, this book offers all of the content that has made Regions the definitive World Regional Geography text but in a briefer, technological-rich package. At about one-half the length of most world regional texts, the text offers brief regional descriptions, applications of core concepts, and definitions to acquaint the reader with the spatial interconnections between the human and physical systems of the earth.  ... Read more

Book Description

First published by Houghton Mifflin in 1962, Silent Spring alerted a large audience to the environmental and human dangers of indiscriminate use of pesticides, spurring revolutionary changes in the laws affecting our air, land, and water. "Silent Spring became a runaway bestseller, with international reverberations . . . [It is] well crafted, fearless and succinct . . . Even if she had not inspired a generation of activists, Carson would prevail as one of the greatest nature writers in American letters" (Peter Matthiessen, for Time"s 100 Most Influential People of the Century). This fortieth anniversary edition celebrates Rachel Carson"s watershed book with a new introduction by the author and activist Terry Tempest Williams and a new afterword by the acclaimed Rachel Carson biographer Linda Lear, who tells the story of Carson"s courageous defense of her truths in the face of ruthless assault from the chemical industry in the year following the publication of Silent Spring and before her untimely death in 1964. ... Read more

Reviews (94)

The New Awakening
Silent Spring, written by Rachel Carson was presented to the world half century ago. Although old, this book is a new overview and reflection of the power humans have to destroy. The book does not only give detailed information about each kind of pesticide, but it also presents a general picture of what the world might become if we don't stop the imprudent use of these deadly chemicals. This book set a precedent for modern biologists and ecologists. It also changed the view that mankind had toward the lethal weapons it didn't know how to use. Thanks to the advice and research of Rachel Carson, innovative ways of handling pesticides have been developed and human concern for the environment has been greatly awakened in the last half of the century. This is a magnificient work in which not only information has been recopilated, but also expresses human nature and sense for preserving our only home and partners, the animals.

good science book
Rachel Carson's novel Silent Spring was written in order to express the author's many concerns over the affects of DDT and other chemicals on the environment. The author takes facts from personal stories that she has read about, while at the same time incorporating some of her own opinions on those individuals who blindly use chemicals as a way to control the environment. Her charges against major chemical companies opened a new window to the public, and made aware the growing problem of man's abuse of their environment. Carson shows the effects of these chemicals on plants, animals, water and humans through a natural chain of events.The author believes that in this small world all beings are linked, and a defilement of one creature will affect the rest. Rather than use chemicals to wipe out growing species of insects, it is important to use foreign insects to aid in decreasing the number of potentially dangerous species with the aid of Mother Nature. Carson felt that in the end these chemical sprayings were ineffective and potentially harmful to innocent people.

Silent Spring has been considered one of the most significant books in the nation's history, because it brought to light the abuse of the environment by man. In the novel's introduction, Vice President Al Gore states that "In 1962, when Silent Spring was first published, 'environment' was not even an entry in the vocabulary of public policy" (Carson xv). The novel forced political officials to take a closer look at this growing problem. Her book even influenced President Kennedy, to call for testing of the chemicals that were mentioned in the text. The book introduced the average citizen to the environment's unstable state, which was caused by man and his chemicals.

Overall I was impressed by the novel, because it gave excellent facts that could convince any reader while at the same time incorporating the author's own passionate opinions. A book that has such a profound impact on American politics and society should be read by everyone.

DR. HULDA CLARK'S PREDESSOR
I am pleased to write this very short review of Carson's book. I have joined an eco reading group in hopes of saving at least two or three of human kind to continue life on this planet. Carson has set the background for what my favorite scientist/writer of the 21st century, Dr. Hulda Clark has dovetailed on. It comes as no surprise that Dr. Clark books which were written starting 1993 were met by the same kind of corporate outcry and government disclaimer as what happened to Rachel Carson. I hope society learns something from how they mistreated Carson and not make the same mistake with Dr. Clark.

I am a strong supporter of Dr. Clark and her protocols for curing/preventing/treating many of the ills,--cancer, hiv/aids and immune system destroying diseases--as Carson fortold in her books some 42 years ago.

Presently, the government is dragging Dr. Clark to court because they do not want her work to be recognized for improving the health of many Americans. I SCREAM FROM THE HIGHEST TOWER THAT HER SCIENCE HAS SAVED MY LIFE AND I AM ETERNALLY GREATFUL.

remember
In most countries, DDT was banned only for agricultural use, NOT for control of malaria, in fact it is still widely used today for that purpose. Of course this isn't a long term solution, because of the resistance problem, as Carson foretold all those years ago.

DONT LISTEN TO BAD REVIEWS
Many people are accusing this book for causing deaths in places like Africa from malaria. They aren't paying attention to what this book is trying to say. She may have said several times that DDT is dangerous, and should not be used, but she also mentioned how quickly these insects are going to evolve and adapt to it. It will not stay poisonous to them forever. Once they have adapted to it malaria will once again be a problem, and our environment will be hurt. This world is meant for many different organisms to live on. We should try our best not to interupt the cycle of nature, because we too make up a small part of nature. I thionk it is time we start thinking about every animal that will be affected, and what might happen in the long run. Please people, think seriously about this situation, don't continue on the same path of ignorance and greed! ... Read more

Book Description

THE CHANGING EARTH is the first text specifically written for the combined physical and historical geology course. The content is based on the best-selling texts PHYSICAL GEOLOGY: EXPLORING THE EARTH and HISTORICAL GEOLOGY: EVOLUTION OF EARTH AND LIFE THROUGH TIME both written by James Monroe and Reed Wicander. Many of the same features pervade in this edition including a strong emphasis on student relevance and comprehension.The authors lively writing style and abundant use of analogies draw students' into the material, while a completely integrated pedagogical structure enhances comprehension of important concepts.Throughout, the text emphasizes the connections between the content and students' own lives, allowing them to learn more easily and develop a greater appreciation for physical geology. ... Read more

Book Description

To understand the power of Geographical Information Systems and Geographical Positioning Systems today, it is essential to understand their background and history, and the needs they were designed to answer .This is the first comprehensive history of GIS for both practitioners and students.From GPS systems that help you find your destination in a rented car, to satellite imaging for locating new petroleum reserves, GIS technology is changing the world. This book brings together for the first time the expert testimonies of the pioneers, key scientists and entrepreneurs who created the GIS field and made it what it is today. It covers both the raster and vector sides of GIS development. From remote sensing to PC-based systems; from Land Information Systems to defense applications, this is the definitive history of GIS.For all GIS and GPS professional practitioners, developers and students. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

informative but biased
I took courses with Dr. Lester Rowntree during 1981 and 1990 at San Jose State University. I found him to be very knowledgeable except about Islam. This textbook which is co-authored by Dr. Rowntree contains misleading or inaccurate statements about Islam. For example, It stated in page 180 and 181 (fourth edition), that Islam spread by militaristic conquests while christianity spread by contact conversion. This is not accurate. In page 185 the authors contended that, despite the Muslims belief, the black stone in the Holy Mosque in Mecca is a meteorite. In the next page the authors stated, under the picture of the Ka'aba, that pilgrims come from afar to Mecca, for they believe that the black stone was sent down from heaven by Allah, the Islamic god. The problems with this understatement are, first: Muslims believe that Allah is the personal name of God the creator and lord of all creatures not just Muslims; second: Muslims come to Mecca not for the sake of the black stone, but because they were commanded in the Holy Quran to perform Hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their lifetimes. It is also appropriate to mention that the pilgrimage was first initiated at the time of the prophets Abraham and his son Ismail who built the Holy Mosque in Mecca long before the advent of Islam. Unlike the case with Judaism in page 191 this book ignored, in pages 192-193, the fact that the Islamic taboo on eating pork meat was also decreed by devine revelation in the Holy Quran. It stated that it was a "sour grapes" reaction to the inability of the Muslim nomads to raise and own pigs. Professor Rowntree and his co-author also stated in page 193 that in the seventh century A.D., the Muslim nomads imposed their religion, complete with the pork taboo, on the farming people of the river valleys as a final "revenge". In conclusion, this is a very informative and useful book. However, on behalf of the one billion Muslims in the world today, I strongly suggest rewriting the parts dealing with the Islamic culture. Thank you in advavce.

I give it 2 "horns" up
I am currently enrolled in Professor Terry Jordan-Bychkov's Cultural Geography class, and the book is basically a culmination of his travels all over the world. The majority of the pictures in the book were personally taken by Professor Jordan himself, and it makes the class even more interesting. Professor Jordan's love for Geography emulates throughout the entire book, and it is easy to read as a result. The book is set in very vivid outlines, so it is easy to follow, and each chapter builds upon one another to form the, in words frequently used by Professor Jordan, the "Human Mosiac." The book is intersting, easy reading, and the class is even better. For those of you former, future, or current Longhorns, I HIGHLY reccommend the class; for those of you who cannot have the opportunity to learn from such a brilliant and cultured man, the book is the next best thing ... Read more