Book Description

The Updated Second Edition contains materials about recent world events triggered by the September 11th attacks on New York City and Washington D.C. KEY FEATURES:This book covers numerous topics, including Cultural Geography, The Geography of Languages and Religions, A World of States, and an examination of world affairs after the events of September 11. For those in the field of geography. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Exellent text for introducing college students to Geography
I have used this text for approximately a year and found that the students are able to comprehend geography better with a systematic approach than a regional one. One of the things that sold me on this text was the auxillary material, particularly the webpage. The book is very easy to read and has excellent illustrations and photos. Needless to say, I highly recommend this text. ... Read more

Reviews (24)

ESSENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL READING
Facts Not Fear is an excellent book for both parents and educators alike. It is very refreshing to see the authors use scientific facts to explain and explore environmental issues, instead of "gloom and doom"scare tactics which are so prevalent in or childrens texts. Facts Not Fear is essential reading for virtually everyone, because it offers a balanced perspective on a variety of environmental subjects, from natural resoures to global warming. READ THIS BOOK TODAY!

Get a view of reality
It's about time. This book is a must have for anyone who is not afraid to buck the common fokelore on the environment and face facts. Despite what some of the other reviews have said, this is NOT a sugar coated, "everything is really ok" kind of book. I was impressed by the balanced, realistic view the authors took on the issues. Just as an example, they don't deny that the earth's temperature has increased, but they cite research that shows that it has only been an average 1-3 degrees increase *in the last 100 years,* which is insignificant. And that most of that increase was in the first half of the century. And that it is cyclical (you may remember that in the 70's, for example, they were predicting the next ice age). There are hundreds of little - well researched - nuggets like that that put some reality over the hype and hysteria of the environmental extremists.

If you're looking for a balanced approached to the environment, and you're not afraid of perhaps challenging some of your own beliefs, this book is a must read.

Refreshingly Rational
I am not a parent, but even I found this book to be a nice reference and an enjoyable read. It is rare and refreshing to find a book that treats environmentalism from a rational perspective.
Naturally, environmentalists are quick to attack it, as they should--such applications of reason and sound judgement threaten their agenda.
The information is thoroughly cited: you won't find the vague references to mystery "sources" prevalent in environmentalist books.

a balanced book?
Well researched, according to Sanera and Shaw, now means that you don't have to cite your sources. It means that one sentence claiming schools are creating "environmental crusaders" out of our children can be followed by a sentence outlining that 30 states have mandated environmental education and that means they are obviously enviromental crusaders. While it would be nice to think of this book as balanced, they need to do a lot more to convince anyone that they provide this so called balanced approach.

While I agree that the larger processes need to be discussed before the activism or clean-up can start (and they would probably say we in the US don't need either of those two things), they obviously need to go back and do some science research of their own. And yes, they need to do science research. They extoll their book as being enough of a resource to teach parents how to teach their children science, and it hurts me to say this, but if many of the elementary teachers in our country don't think they can teach science well, it is an injustice to our children to have parents with no scientific background teaching our children watered down, mislead ideas.

It is good to read something that points out flaws in extreme enviromentalism, but not surprising to see that their text suffers from the same flaws they claim envionmentalists "suffer" from. Exaggeration, taking facts out of context, over simplifiction and appealing to parents as equals in search for a higher truth are only some of the techniques they employ.

Add Balance to your view of the Environment
This book highlights the other side of issues like Deforestation and Global Warming in a world where the mainstream media doesn't acknowledge that another side exists. The point of this book and another excellent resource entitled "Junk Science Judo," is that statistics can be manipulated by anyone with an agenda and that it is generally those groups with an agenda that are making the all-to-common alarmist statements. If you have children, the information in this book can help you to address their concerns and add a little balance to their views. ... Read more

Book Description

The only single-source reference available on atmospheric chemistry, aerosols, and atmospheric models

This fully revised and expanded version of John H. Seinfeld's successful Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics of Air Pollution provides a rigorous, comprehensive treatment of the chemistry of the atmosphere. With new chapters on such important topics as cloud physics, nucleation, and wet deposition, this book offers a truly up-to-date examination of atmospheric chemistry today, including:
* Chemistry of the stratosphere and troposphere
* Formation, growth, dynamics, thermodynamics, and properties of aerosols
* Meteorology of air pollution
* Transport, diffusion, and removal of species in the atmosphere
* Formation and chemistry of clouds
* Interaction of atmospheric chemistry and climate
* Radiative and climatic effects of gases and particles
* Formulation of mathematical chemical/transport models of the atmosphere.

Complete with solved examples, problems graded according to difficulty, and hundreds of illustrations, this state-of-the art reference is an ideal resource for both students and professionals in all areas of engineering as well as atmospheric science. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Bible
As if this needs a review... its a bible for atomspheric scientists of all genre. A must have. Especially good for any grad student preparing for the random question during an oral exam. Not that you could read the thing cover to cover, but there is something for everyone.

If you need a great reference, then this is it. If you are not sure you should buy one of the best references for atomsopheric chemistry and physics, then there is no reason to. That's just a sign that you probably don't need it.

Everything you need to know about Atmospheric Science
This book has it all. If you are in the field of atmospheric sciences, it is a muct have. If you're not in the field, but are interested in learning about atmospheric science, I'd highly recommend it. It's a technical book, with plenty of math, but it is written in an engaging, easy to read format. It's packed with information on eveything from tropospheric ozone formation to industruial plume dispersion modeling. It has everything you need to know about atmospheric science. ... Read more

Book Description

The field of environmental microbiology encompasses aspects of several areas of study including microbial ecology, molecular genetics, and environmental science. Environmental Microbiology is the first book to offer a comprehensive discussion of this field as a discipline, which the authors define as the study of microbial fate and activity in air, water, and soil, and the resulting impact on human health and welfare. While the roots of environmental microbiology can be traced to sanitary engineering (water and wastewater treatment), the field has grown to include other practical issues such as bioremediation, the control of known and emerging waterborne pathogens, microbial risk assessment, and environmental biotechnology. Five general areas are emphasized in this text: (i) Foundation chapters, (ii) microbial environments, (iii) detection of microbial activity, (iv) the impact of microbial activity on the environment in terms of nutrient cycling and pollutant fate, and (v) detection and control of pathogens in the environment. Designed for courses at senior undergraduate and graduate levels, Environmental Microbiology will also serve as an essential reference for environmental microbiologists, microbial ecologists, and environmental engineers, as well as those interested in epidemiology, water and wastewater treatment, and biotechnology.

Key Features
Among the Highlights of this state-of-the-art Textbook:
* Includes foundation chapters for background in biological and earth sciences
* Covers emerging areas such as transport of microbes and DNA, microbial risk assessment, and use of molecular detection in environmental applications
* References key or landmark works without interrupting the flow of text
* Describes the newest analytical and molecular methodologies
* Contains many detailed, full-color graphics to make the text visually stimulating
* Presents numerous "case studies" to emphasize relevance to real-life situations
* Provides study questions at the end of each chapter ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Just mediocre.
I was anxious to receive this book, since it was praised as one of the best books available in the area of environmental microbiology. After reading through the pages, I just couldn't agree with this statement.
Here are some of the good points of this book: It's written in a fairly easy to understand language and provides a lot of pictures and graphs to illustrate important concepts.
Here are the bad points: It summarizes a lot and leaves out a lot of details and information. Whoever buys this book better know something about biochemistry and microbiology already. The graphs and pictures are sometimes ridiculous and of poor quality, almost like they were done at a home PC.
The book would be best for somebody who is a hobby environmentalist that wants to expand his/her knowledge, or undergraduate students of biology who want to explore the environmental aspect of microbiology out of curiosity. If you are serious about environmental microbiology and really want to get into it on a more professional level, I suggest the "Manual of Environmental Microbiology" 2nd edition, published by the American Society for Microbiology. It's a little more expensive, but worth every penny!

Environmental Microbiology
This is one of the most detailed, interesting, well illustrated books in microbiology that I have ever read. It gets right to the information that someone working in the environmental field needs, all in one place. No more digging around through multiple sources and hunting the internet for the latest information - its all here. ... Read more

Book Description

The Lake and Pond Management Guidebook is the successor to the bestselling Lake Smarts: The First Lake Maintenance Handbook, the "bible" for small-scale lake and pond improvements, published by the Terrene Institute in 1993. Completely revised and updated, now published by Lewis Publishers, this guidebook contains over 300 ideas and projects including step-by-step practical, low-cost solutions to a wide range of problems that lake management professionals face everyday. Coverage includes shoreland buffer installation, fisheries management, reducing nuisance algal growth, controlling exotic aquatic plants, lakeside wastewater treatment systems, small scale dredging, and more. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The Lake Detective... He Can't Be Stumped! A great GLer
This is that guy from AM1500 KSTP... Garage Logic, with Joe Soucheray. He goes by "The Lake Detective", and all he does is lakes, I guess. He's found a great niche in MN, land of 10,000 of 'em. Being a lakeshore owner, I've already used some of his techniques to keep my shore in great shape. The beauty of a lot of his approaches is that the solutions mostly seem pretty low-tech and inexpensive. But that's a good thing. I didn't have to rent expensive equipment to get my shore cleared, and the results have been great.

Color pictures would help, but the black-n-whites do the job, I guess. This $80 book saved me hundreds (maybe thousands) from what I was going to do to 'fix up' my shore... Money well spent!

A GLer in St. Paul ... Read more

Book Description

The 31 chapters provide a wealth of previously unpublished information, plus topic syntheses, for a wide range of ecological parameters. These include the physical driving forces that created and continue to shape the Everglades and patterns and processes of its flora and fauna. The book summarizes recent studies of the region's vegetation, alligators, wading birds, and endangered species such as the snail kite and Florida panther. This referee-reviewed volume is the product of collaboration among 58 international authors from 27 institutional affiliations over nearly five years.The book concludes with a synthesis of system-wide restoration hypotheses, as they apply to the Everglades, that represent the integration and a collective viewpoint from the preceding 30 chapters. Techniques and systems learned here can be applied to ecosystems around the world. ... Read more

Book Description

Biomarkers are compounds found in crude oil with structures inherited from once-living organisms. They persist in oil spills, refinery products and archaeological artifacts, and can be used to identify the origin, geological age and environmental conditions prevalent during their formation and alteration. These two volumes will be an invaluable resource for geologists, petroleum geochemists, biogeochemists, environmental and forensic scientists, natural product chemists and archaeologists.The first of two volumes of The Biomarker Guide discusses the origins of biomarkers and introduces basic chemical principles relevant to their study. It goes on to discuss analytical techniques, and the applications of biomarkers in environmental and archaeological problems. ... Read more

Book Description

In most communities, land use regulations are based on a limited model that allows for only one end result: the production of more and more suburbia, composed of endless subdivisions and shopping centers, that ultimately covers every bit of countryside with "improvements." Fortunately, sensible alternatives to this approach do exist, and methods of developing land while at the same time conserving natural areas are available.

In Conservation Design for Subdivisions, Randall G. Arendt explores better ways of designing new residential developments than we have typically seen in our communities. He presents a practical handbook for residential developers, site designers, local officials, and landowners that explains how to implement new ideas about land-use planning and environmental protection. Abundantly illustrated with site plans (many of them in color), floor plans, photographs, and renditions of houses and landscapes, it describes a series of simple and straightforward techniques that allows for land-conserving development.

The author proposes a step-by-step approach to conserving natural areas by rearranging density on each development parcel as it is being planned so that only half (or less) of the buildable land is turned into houselots and streets. Homes are built in a less land-consumptive manner that allows the balance of property to be permanently protected and added to an interconnected network of green spaces and green corridors. Included in the volume are model zoning and subdivision ordinance provisions that can help citizens and local officials implement these innovative design ideas. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

More people need to read this book!
What a concept! Rather than trying to get the most acreage per lot, make smaller lots with more shared open space. A must read for every developer, planning board, and zoning commition. Easy to follow examples show how to preserve historic and environmental features while adding to the value of the land that is developed.

Should be a guide for the future of subdivisions!
If we developed land in the manner the author teaches, America would look so much nicer! A very common sense approach to maintain rural character in an area and stop sprawl from destroying your area. Every developer, planner, new home buyer, builder, conservationist and private citizen should read this and also buy the author's book, "Rural By Design".

excellent reference guide that will help combat urban sprawl
Cheers for Randall G. Arendt, et al. For years my government agency has been fighting a loosing battle in Florida with unmanaged and unfettered urban growth. It seemed as though nothing could stem the tide of urban sprawl until two things happened. One was an election of a more centralist government and the other was the introduction of "designing for conservation" into our policy making levels. This concept was brought into clear focus by Arendt's book. The authors not only presented a practical and economically sound guide for growth that can benefit developers, but the reference can act as a mechanism to help preserve the environmental cohesiveness of any community. The policy makers in our community were so impressed with this book that fifteen (15) copies were purchased to be placed into the hands of influential politicians, developers and regulatory agencies.

this book is a blueprint for land development of the future.
As a land developer this book brought into focus the problems that haave been growing as more and more of the land in my area has been consumed, and we have less and less to develop. At first I thought it would be another environmental tirade against land development,but instead realised it was a very practical and economically sound guide for development that would benefit me and also help maintain the character of my community. Arendt's concern is for the environment and the preservation of open spaces and connective corridors of space and natural habitat between differing parcels of land in a given area. His solutions achieve these goals, but of special interest to me as a developer is that his solutions also mean no loss of density, reduced costs and higher land values. Excellent illustrations, easy to understand and worth the price many times over. ... Read more

Book Description

Environmental Health has established itself as the most succinct and comprehensive textbook on the subject. This extensively revised and rewritten third edition continues this tradition by incorporating new developments and by adding timely coverage of topics such as environmental economics and terrorism.

As in previous volumes, the new edition presents balanced assessments of environmental problems, examining their local and global implications, their short- and long-range impacts, and their importance in both developed and less developed countries of the world. The Third Edition also addresses emerging issues such as environmental justice, deforestation, the protection of endangered species, multiple chemical sensitivity, and the application of the threshold concept in evaluating the effects of toxic and radioactive materials.

Whether discussing acid rain, ozone depletion, global warming, or more traditional subjects such as the management and control of air, water, and food, Dade Moeller emphasizes the need for a systems approach. As with previous volumes, Environmental Health, Third Edition, offers a depth of understanding that is without peer. While it covers technical details, it is also a book that anyone with an interest in the environment can pick up and browse at random.

Book Description

The latest edition of the classic book grounded in the fundamentals. It introduces heating, ventilation, and air conditioning starting with basic principles of engineering leading to the latest HVAC design practice. Its engineering approach emphasizes fundamentals and realistic applications.Acknowledging numerous approaches to all engineering problems, the book presents alternate approaches and describes why some approaches work best in specific applications and what compromises are made using each of them. Provides carefully worked examples with step-by-step solutions listing assumptions, reference equations, and supporting material. Incorporates a careful use of easy-to-follow units and conversion factors providing basic mass and energy balances. The third edition of Thermal Environmental Engineering has been updated to reflect current approaches as well as new chapters on energy estimation, air handling system design, and piping system design. Discusses new replacement refrigerants as well as environmental issues. Presents single and multiple zone psychronetric systems; moisture transport in building structures; and the latest topics on indoor air quality and human comfort.An essential reference book for professional mechanical engineers. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fair
Ihaverated this book as fai ... Read more

Reviews (4)

astonishing
I go to Harvard law school and I have found this book to be helpful in my field of study. Although i also study criminal justice law I have now become interested in environmental and this book has been impressive. This book is a life saver. It was classy and sophisticated. Please go buy this and I hope to see some new challenging faces at Harvard. Thank you for taking the time to read this.

This is an outstanding book.
I've used this book in two seated classes and one online course on environmental law. If you want a glorified HAZMAT course or have decided that the way our legal system actually operates doesn't matter, then look elsewhere. This is not a science book (nor should it be). If you want a text that students find easy to read and that provides comprehensive coverage of environmental law and our legal system, this is your book.

An Outstanding Book!
I've used "Environmental Law" by Nancy K Kubasek and Gary S. Silverman in two seated classes and one online course. It is an outstanding text for describing the parameters of our legal system to students. Those to want a glorified HAZMAT approach to environmental law (or want to ignore the legal system) might not like the book. I love it.

Limited value
The author of this books is an attorney who does a fairly good job with the big picture but not very well with the science. If you're only looking for a quick study of the structure of environmental law in the U.S., which is about one-third of this book, it's readable and informative. It also uses language and structure that's accessible for advanced high school and lower division college students in giving and overview of the U.S. legal and regulatory system for the environment. The author creates a good historical context for these discussions. However, the book begins to lose its polish when the author ventures into discussions of the science behind the law. I noted several points where the presentation of the science was clearly poorly informed (ozone and global warming, nuclear and alternative engery). If you're only looking for an general introduction to environmenal law, this book will get you started. But, if you want to get a good idea of the science that drives environmental law, keep looking. ... Read more

Book Description

Anatomy and Physiology Coloring Workbook is an excellent tool for anyone who is learning basic human anatomy and physiology. The author's straightforward approach promotes and reinforces learning on many levels through a wide variety of visual and written exercises. Along with its review of the human body from microscopic to macroscopic levels the workbook also includes practical, clinically oriented activities. The Human Body: An Orientation, Basic Chemistry, Cells and Tissues, Skin and Body Membranes, The Skeletal System, The Muscular System, The Nervous System, Special Senses, The Endocrine System, Blood, The Cardiovascular System, The Lymphatic System and Body Defenses, The Respiratory System, The Digestive System and Body Metabolism, The Urinary System, The Reproductive System. For all readers interested in learning the basics of anatomy and physiology. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Very good study guide.
I found this book to be a good study guide in the following ways:
It helped me to learn hard topics of anatomy and physiology in an easier way.The visual learning aids stayed in my head more.This is a much easier way of learning A and P then listening to long and dry college lectures.I also used the following study guides which are also on amazon:
Anatomy and Physiology Study Guide: Key Review Questions and Answers by Patrick Leonardi
These study guides had the type of questions I encountered on my college A and P test.I advise getting these books.

Newer version
This book is good but there is a newer version already out which is better. If you have the Lab manual that goes with the text, this doesn't really offer anything new to you and your money would be better spent on the resource book.

Great learning aid
This book is wonderful for visual learners.I am a visual learner and it helped me remember very important facts for my college anatomy and physiology class....

GREAT
THIS BOOK WAS GREAT IT SHOWED THE YOUNG CHILDREN ABOUT THE BODY AND THEOLDER ONES! ITS GREAT FOR ALL AGES...I RECOMMEND IT DEFINITLY!!!

This book was great, easy to follow, full of information.
As a mother of three changing careers in mid stream, it was hard to find focus sometimes.I found this book easy to follow, a great study guide.Also it has been a great reference book in the years since I have beenlicensed to practice massage. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

An Excellent Book
As we expect to build a house off the grid in the near future, I found the book very informative and easy to read. It provided me with an excellent description of the various system options available. My only concern is that it was last updated in 1993 and I expect there have been breakthroughs since then on the efficiency of the solar cell.

Solar Electric Home
I found the information provided by the author to be informative and very detailed. He provided a variety of examples for system designs in varying complexities, from Stand-a-lone to Utility Interactive.

My only disappointment in this book was that it seemed to be dated. It appears the last update was in the early 90's and although the principles and formulas are still practical, the equipment described by the author is not up to today's standards.

If you are looking for a book to teach the fundamentals and be thought provoking, this is a good book for you.

...the most comprehensive solar electric book available
Steven Strong's book "The Solar Electric House" is the most comprehensive book available regarding the application of solar-generated electricity (photovoltaics). The book is well organized, well written, and easy to understand.

Although this book was first printed in 1987, it is amazingly current today (1999). I have been using this book since 1987 when I build my stand-alone PV-powered home in Prescott Arizona, and referred to Mr. Strong's book on a regular basis during design and construction of the solar-electric system. I still use this book today -- as the primary textbook in two classes that I teach at Arizona State University: "Introduction to Solar Energy and Photovoltaics" and "Photovoltaic System Design".

A necessary companion for those building a solar house
I have long wanted to be able to harvest the sun's energy for heat and electricity, but I was in doubt about whether the technology was dependable or affordable. Steven Strong's book erased my concerns. While the science of converting the sun's rays to electricity eludes me still, I found Steven's down-to-earth examples reassuring - so much so that we engaged him to design our solar home in Maine. This book will help us all envision a new Millenium with less pollution and more independence. ... Read more

Book Description

The book is a compact compendium of factual data for commercial vegetable growers, with most of the data presented in the form of tables and charts. It is filled with information on topics like transplant production, planting rates and spacing, methods for controlling diseases, insect pest identification, and a multi-language vegetable dictionary. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A helpful reference tool
First published in 1956, this handbook is an indispensable, up-to-date companion both in the field and in the marketplace. Topics include the vegetable industry, greenhouse vegetable production, soils and fertilizers, water, pests, weed control, harvesting, storage, and seed production. Packed with quick-access graphs, tables, charts, and line drawings, the 4th edition offers new information on drip irrigation, seed germination, plant tissue and sap testing, windbreaks, and weed management. It also gives advice on allowable pesticide and herbicide use and on the latest worker protection standards. The appendix contains sources of vegetable information, providers of vegetable seeds, periodicals for vegetable growers, and U.S. units of measurement and the metric conversion factors. A change from the spiral-bound 3rd edition is a sturdy, flexible cover to help hold pages flat.

Fantastic reference work to answer disease&insect problems
I use this book as my first reference work to answer disease and insect problems in vegetables for the public. The layout is extremely easy to use. Each section is very clear and concise. This work is also used for establishing small plot research design that is comprable to the large scale production fields. All the information one needs is in this handbook for vegtable trials and for large scale production. There is very little else on the market that is as comprehensive as this publication and as accurate regarding information provided. ... Read more

Book Description

This best-selling majors ecology book continues to present ecology as a series of problems for readers to critically analyze. No other text presents analytical, quantitative, and statistical ecological information in an equally accessible style. Reflecting the way ecologists actually practice, the book emphasizes the role of experiments in testing ecological ideas and discusses many contemporary and controversial problems related to distribution and abundance. Throughout the book, Krebs thoroughly explains the application of mathematical concepts in ecology while reinforcing these concepts with research references, examples, and interesting end-of-chapter review questions. Thoroughly updated with new examples and references, the book now features a new full-color design and is accompanied by an art CD-ROM for instructors. <P>The field package also includes The Ecology Action Guide, a guide that encourages readers to be environmentally responsible citizens, and a subscription to The Ecology Place (www.ecologyplace.com), a web site and CD-ROM that enables users to become virtual field ecologists by performing experiments such as estimating the number of mice on an imaginary island or restoring prairie land in Iowa.For college instructors and students. ... Read more

Book Description

Acidification is a universal problem at all mining sites in which oxygenated water comes in contact with sulfide minerals or other reduced sulfur compounds. An International Workshop was held in September 1995 at the Department for Inland Water Research of the UFZ-Centre for Environmental Research in Magdeburg on the limnology of lakes created by open-cast lignite mining, emphasizing the often observed geogenic acidification after oxidation of pyrite. The volume has 25 chapters including a chapter with results of group discussions about the topics mentioned above and further problems that were identified during the meeting. The monograph gives a baseline of the state of science on the worldwide problem of geogenic acidification of lakes following human mining activities. ... Read more

Book Description

This text presents geologic processes in context with their impact on humans, our lives and societies. The author's goal is to both create informed citizens and nurture an understanding of geologic science.Part I introduces philosophy and fundamental concepts, the structure of the Earth and plate tectonics, and the origin and significance of rocks and minerals. Part II addresses the major natural hazards including earthquakes, volcanic activity, rivers and flooding, landslides, and coastal processes. Part III discusses the major natural resources associated with the geological environment and the subject of pollution. Part IV presents the important topic of global change, environmental management, and relationships between the environment.For individuals looking for an environmental perspective on physical geology. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A coherent text that doesn't quite live up to expectations
Keller's text is a thorough exploration of both facets of environmental geology: natural hazards and the human impact on the environment. The text includes numerous case studies to illustrate the concepts, though most of them are set in the United States (especially the West Coast). Keller presents, in chapter one, four principles that are supposedly woven throughout the text. At the end of each chapter, he includes "Critical Thinking Questions", which I hoped would lead to vibrant in-class discussions. The other aspect of this book that led me to select it for undergraduate class was the CD-ROM, which promised to provide students with simulations of real-world environmental problem solving.

Alas, the book does not live up to its promises. My greatest disappointment is that the text is rather dry, and the Critical Thinking Questions rarely moved beyond synthesizing material from the chapter. I am also concerned that students explore environmental issues at both the local (for me, northeastern US) and global scales. Apart from a fairly thorough coverage of global warming and an occasional photo of an earthquake or volcano overseas, Keller seems content to focus on the US, especially his own home state, California. His only nod to Earth Systems Science is a few paragraphs crammed into the first chapter, along with mention of Gaia. The CD-ROM was less exciting for students than I had anticipated, and my class found the written part of the CD assignments difficult, and many answers were based upon previous ones, so if they got one wrong, they would get several wrong and do poorly as a result. Finally, I was disappointed by Keller'ss uninspired philosophical assertion in the final chapter, in which he insisted that "sustainable development" is possible and ought to be pursued. In a class discussion, the students all concluded that development and sustainability are mutually exclusive things.

The text is thorough and fairly accessable, but fails to move beyond being "like most other textbooks" despite the numerous ways it appears to do so at first glance. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A stimulating insight in animal (and human) behaviour
A well balanced, unique mix of ethology and sociobiology, with strong emphasis on the biologic and evolutionary sides of behaviour. It is concise but is easy reading. A must have, for those seriously interested in the field. ... Read more

Book Description

In 1983, the U.N. General Assembly created the World Commission on Environment and Development, an independent committee of twenty-two members, headed by Gro Harlem Brundtland, the Prime Minister of Norway. Designed to examine global environment and development to the year 2000 and beyond, the commission seeks to reassess critical problems, to formulate realistic proposals for solving them, and to raise the level of understanding and commitment to the issues of environment and development.

Rather than presenting a gloom and doom report about the destruction of natural resources, Our Common Future offers an agenda advocating the growth of economies based on policies that do not harm, and can even enhance, the environment. The commission recognizes that the time has come for a marriage of economy and ecology, in order to ensure the growth of human progress through development without bankrupting the resources of future generations. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Interesting, but . . .
While the topic of this text, sustainable development, is interesting, the text is not.The first chapter provides most of what is necessary to understand the commission's findings.The 300+ pages which follow are filled with too many examples, which disrupts the flow of the book. ... Read more