Book Description

In northern temperate regions, the fungus Heterobasidion annosum is the main cause of disease-related economic losses in coniferous trees. This book, the first devoted to this fungus, provides a comprehensive survey of all aspects of the research. ... Read more

Book Description

The Earth's human population is expected to pass eight billion by the year 2025, while rapid growth in the global economy will spur ever increasing demands for natural resources. The world will consequently face growing scarcities of such vital renewable resources as cropland, fresh water, and forests. Thomas Homer-Dixon argues in this sobering book that these environmental scarcities will have profound social consequences--contributing to insurrections, ethnic clashes, urban unrest, and other forms of civil violence, especially in the developing world.

Homer-Dixon synthesizes work from a wide range of international research projects to develop a detailed model of the sources of environmental scarcity. He refers to water shortages in China, population growth in sub-Saharan Africa, and land distribution in Mexico, for example, to show that scarcities stem from the degradation and depletion of renewable resources, the increased demand for these resources, and/or their unequal distribution. He shows that these scarcities can lead to deepened poverty, large-scale migrations, sharpened social cleavages, and weakened institutions. And he describes the kinds of violence that can result from these social effects, arguing that conflicts in Chiapas, Mexico and ongoing turmoil in many African and Asian countries, for instance, are already partly a consequence of scarcity.

Homer-Dixon is careful to point out that the effects of environmental scarcity are indirect and act in combination with other social, political, and economic stresses. He also acknowledges that human ingenuity can reduce the likelihood of conflict, particularly in countries with efficient markets, capable states, and an educated populace. But he argues that the violent consequences of scarcity should not be underestimated--especially when about half the world's population depends directly on local renewables for their day-to-day well-being. In the next decades, he writes, growing scarcities will affect billions of people with unprecedented severity and at an unparalleled scale and pace.

Clearly written and forcefully argued, this book will become the standard work on the complex relationship between environmental scarcities and human violence. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Scholarly analysis
Thomas Homer-Dixon's "Environment, Scarcity and Violence" offers a scholarly analysis of the role environmental scarcity plays in spawning violent human conflicts. The author uses social science research methodology to isolate the independent variable of environmental scarcity in order to study the ways it may or may not contribute to violence. Importantly, Homer-Dixon has found that environmental scarcity, while insignificant in itself, is a significant factor in amplifying the underlying tensions that may in turn fuel a society's descent into violence.

The author goes on to argue that countries that possess sufficient quantities of ingenuity may be able to avert violence by curing their environmental crises through the application of advanced technological and managerial skills. On the other hand, nations that lack ingenuity -- or those who lose intellectual capital as the result of their deteriorating environments -- are more apt to descend into violence as these societies negatively respond to their crises by turning against themselves.

Although the book provides no easy answers to the stated problems, it does suggest that democracy and international cooperation will be badly needed in the struggle to create a peaceful and stable planet. I strongly recommended this outstanding book to policy makers and others who are interested in learning how we might secure a non-violent future for ourselves in an increasingly tumultuous world.

Thoughtful, General, Missing the Big Bang

Last year we had some exceptional works on water scarcity (de Villier), resource wars (Klare), corporate razing of the environment (Czech), among many others that I reviewed here on Amazon. This year we have two extraordinary books, this is the second of the two in my estimation (the other being Andrew Price-Smith's "The Health of Nations: Infectious Disease, Environmental Change, and Their Effects on National Security and Development"- as both authors are from the University of Toronto, one can only applaud the collection of talent this organization seems to nurture).

The author is brilliant and has a longer track record than most for being both prescient and meticulous about in the arena of environmental scarcity.

His book is effective in making the point, but very candidly, did not go the full distance that I was hoping for--he is, in a word, too general and the book lacks a single chapter that pulls it all together with very specific rankings of both the variables and the countries.

The general proposition is clear-cut: environmental scarcity has social effects that lead to violent conflict. However, the author takes a side road in exploring "human ingenuity" as an ameliorating factor, and while he makes reference to crass corporate and elitist carpet-bagging and the social structures of repression, he fails to draw out more fully and explicitly the inherent association between repressive corrupt regimes with extreme concentrations of wealth and power, scarcity, and violence.

For myself, I found two gems within this book: the first, a passing comment on the crucial role that unfettered urbanization plays in exacerbating scarcity and all that comes with it (migration, disease, crime); the second, the author's prescriptive emphasis, extremely importance, on the prevention of scarcity rather than adaptation or amelioration of scarcity.

The endnotes would have been more useful as footnotes but are quite good. The bibliography and index are four star rather than five star, and I was quite disappointed to not have a single page about the author, nor a consolidated bibliography of his many signal contribution over time in the form of articles and lectures.

Sources of strife
Using an amazing array of information, this book is a call for answers - a welcome departure from the usual array of studies of environment and social issues. Homer-Dixon's argues that the many works published on the impact of humanity on the environment don't even ask the correct questions, let alone provide worthwhile solutions. Realizing that the impact of environmental degradation will be difficult to forecast, he examines the relation of resource loss and social change. The underlying theme is whether the scacity will lead to violent action. With this tight focus, he proposes a straightforward formula of environmental scarcity leading through social effects resulting in violent conflict. Is this a valid chain of causation? The book examines this question with numerous case studies of nations in the "developing" world. The wealth of information presented with Homer-Dixon's penetrating analyses of the circumstances makes this book an important resource for politicians, social planners and anyone interested in our planet's future.

The author carefully defines his terms, methods and intentions at the outset. Resource availability, partcularly renewable resources, are a key foundation, since so many social actions result from whether crops, forests and fisheries are plentiful or depleted. While the author argues that wars are rarely the result of resource depletion, internal strife can often be traced to environmental degradation. He cites examples in Mexico, India, African states, Haiti and the Philippine Islands. He uses in-depth studies to present his cases. He's uncompromising in his analyses, but keeping up with his presentation isn't difficult. His prose is clear and undemanding.

A fundamental issue is the expansion of humanity over the planet. He contests the research that indicates population pressures are levelling out, noting that "the largest cohorts of girls ever been born have yet to reach their reproductive years, ensures tremendous momentum behind global population growth." This rise in world population is having local impact already. Resource depletion is causing internal strife along class and ethnic lines, but hasn't escalated into international conflicts, according to Homer-Dixon. Even so, the world is interdependent. He cites the conditions in China as a prime example: "We all have a stake in the success of the grand Chinese experiment with economic liberalization, . . . Whether and how China breaks out of the vicious cycle [of economic growth versus resource depletion] will shape much of human history for decades, if not centuries, to come."

Homer-Dixon's status as a first-rate global analyst was established with this monumental study. He sees "environmental scarcity" leading to civil unrest, with ethnic and class clashes dominating. "Scarcity" refers to resources needed to sustain the growing human population - water, cropland, forest assets, fisheries. How will investing countries/firms react to these conflicts? Environmental scarcity often derided as a source of conflict, but he argues that since daily living requirements are so dependent on these available resources, they become a root cause, even when this is not readily apparent. Although these conflicts usually remain internal, resources such as depleted river water supplies may spark international clashes. He offers no policy recommendations for the lazy. However, his analyse of physical and social conditions should lead to improved policy making. He posits a strong call for more research, itself a major policy step. This book is a must-read for policy makers and those who support them - we taxpayers. It's a vivid insight into to world conditions today and a window into tomorrow.

A must read on the relationship of violence and scarcity...
Like most political science books, after I finished this one, I was slightly disappointed. I bought this book in hopes of a masterwork; upon turning its last page, I thought that this book was something much less than this. I thought that it begged as many questions as it sought to answer; I thought that much of what it brought forth as profound was only that in the sense of being profoundly obvious; I thought that the author opened this book with definitions that were overly broad and thus, in the end, proved nothing.

Thankfully, as time has passed, though, my opinion of this book has changed fully and completely. Many of the problems that I saw with this book stemmed from the fact that this book is essentially the first large-scale, well-publicized work of its kind. Its author puts forth a strongly written and researched work into the interrelationship between scarcity and violence on multiple levels; it is both (fairly) easy to understand while still being challenging for those who are not new to the study of conflict....

I'd recommend this book to any student of international or comparative politics-- especially those who are interested in fighting between groups of people. This is probably going to be one of the key books toward understanding what is to come in the world in the next twenty or so years; in this category (though topically somewhat unrelated) I'd suggest van Crevald's 'The Transformation of War' and 'The Rise and Decline of the State' and some of Robert Kaplan's travel books as excellent source material....

I am certain that there are going to be many who dislike what this book says-- but as to how it is written, and how it is researched, it seems to me to have been in large measure flawless. Buy this book.

Seminal thoughtpiece, masterfully written
This book offers brilliant and carefully argued insights into the nexus of relations that the title suggests. Homer-Dixon has made a case for environmental conern all the more powerful by steering away from the dogmatism that so often accompanies such work. Instead, he has presented a book that is the result of years of academic research in a way that anyone will enjoy reading it. Homer-Dixon is a great writer who knows an enormous amount about this subject and has as a result written an incredible book. Buy it! Read it! Get your professor to put it on the core reading list of any course about world politics, international relations, environment, and more! ... Read more

Book Description

This field guide includes all the flora and fauna you're most likely to see in the forests of eastern North America. With 53 full-color plates and 80 color photos illustrating trees, birds, mammals, wildflowers, mushrooms, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, moths, beetles, and other insects. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Introducing the Eastern Forest
The purpose of this guide is not to assist one in identifying species of flora and fauna found in the Eastern Forest--such a tome would be monumental in size--but rather to instill in the reader an understanding of the forest's general dynamics. The book is divided into eight sections; they are:

1) How to use this book
2) Forest field marks
3) Eastern forest communities
4) Disturbance and pioneer plants
5) Adaptation
6) Paterns of spring
7) Nature in summer
8) Autumn and winter

This book is an excellent beginning point for those who want to develope a better understanding of forest ecology. I highly recommend it.

If you can only buy one field guide, buy this one.
Eastern Forests is a good field guide for both experts and beginners. Makes a great gift for young naturalists. This book not only provides identification means; it also answers odds and end questions about why plants and animals do different things. Everything from newt behavior to how weather affects bird migration is covered in this guide.

A Great Buy, Very Interesting
This is a great field guide that covers many aspects of forests East of the Great Plains. Although it covers many common species of both animal and plant, it is not overly helpful for positively identifying individual species; and if one wants that, you are better off with a more specific field guide (i.e., Eastern Birds). It does, however, detail the workings of a forest and accompanies this fascinating text with 53 color plates, 80 color photos and many black and white drawings. In the first few chapters, it demonstrates the different forest types through indicator species; and it details the process of Old Field succesion, and the animals and plants that come and go as the process progresses. In the last chapters adaptation, and seasonal patterns are covered. I would highly reccommend this field guide for any one who would like to know how a forest works. ... 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

The wealth of petroleum has made the Middle East one of the most actively explored regions of the world. The volume of geological, geophysical and geochemical data collected by the petroleum industry in recent decades is enormous. The Middle East may be a unique region in the world where the volume of subsurface data and information exceeds that based on surface outcrop.This book reviews the tectonic and geological history of the Middle East and the regional hydrocarbon potential on a country by country basis in the context of current ideas developed through seismic and sequence stratigraphy and incorporating the ideas of global sea level change.Subsurface data have been used as much as possible to amplify the descriptions.The paleogeographic approach provides a means to view the area as a whole. While the country by country approach inevitably leads to some repetition, it enhances the value of the volume as a teaching tool and u ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East
Provide me the fundamental of Sedimentary Basins and Petroleum Geology of the Middle East up to date. Good for academic reference as well as professional work. ... Read more

Book Description

In this wonderful exploration of the American Landscape, 17 distinguished writers and photographers create a vivid, perceptive portrait of our nation's natural beauty. Highlighted by 120 breathtaking images and featuring thoughtful, evocative prose by award-winning authors, Heart of a Nation ranges from Vermont to Alaska, from the Appalachian foothills to the lofty peaks of the Sierra, from the still ponds of our southeastern wetlands to the stormy shores of the Pacific Northwest. It's a magnificent portrait of our majestic land -- and a journey of discovery no reader will ever forget. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Inspirational
Photography has always been an outlet to certain visionaries in our society. Giving them a way to express to others the way they interpret somewhat ordinary and sometimes not so ordinary sights. This collection of images inspires all those who look at them. And then combining these with words of inspiratin and thought provoking prose makes it a treat to the soul as well as the eyes. ... Read more

Book Description

The challenges facing groundwater scientists and engineers today demand expertise in a wide variety of disciplines–geology, hydraulics, geochemistry, geophysics, and biology. As the number of the subdisciplines has increased and as each has become more complex and quantitative, the problem of integrating their concepts and contributions into a coherent overall interpretation has become progressively more difficult. To an increasing degree transport simulation has emerged as an answer to this problem, and the transport model has become a vehicle for integrating the vast amount of field data from a variety of sources and for understanding the relationship of various physical, chemical, and biological processes.

Applied Contaminant Transport Modeling is the first resource designed to provide coverage of the discipline’s basic principles, including the theories behind solute transport in groundwater, common numerical techniques for solving transport equations, and step-by-step guidance on the development and use of field-scale modeling.  The Second Edition incorporates recent advances in contaminant transport theory and simulation techniques, adding the following to the original text:

-An expanded discussion of the role of aquifer heterogeneity in controlling solute transport
-A new section on the dual-domain mass transfer approach as an alternative to the classical advection-dispersion model
-Additional chemical processes and reactions in the discussion of reactive transport
-A discussion of the TVD (total-variation-diminishing) approach to transport solution
-An entirely new Part III containing two chapters on simulation of flow and transport under variable water density and under variable saturation, respectively, and a third chapter on the use of the simulation-optimization approach in remediation system design

Applied Contaminant Transport Modeling, Second Edition remains the premier reference for practicing hydrogeologists, environmental scientists, engineers, and graduate students in the field. In 1998, in recognition of their work on the first edition, the authors were honored with the John Hem Excellence in Science and Engineering Award of the National Ground Water Association ... Read more

Book Description

"This ambitious effort puts land use planning in a global perspective. . . . it is clearly the leading volume in its subject area and will set the standard for some years to come. Highly recommended for college and university collections." Choice ... Read more

Book Description

Simon & Schuster's Guide to Gems and Precious Stones provides both the connoisseur and the casual collector with a compact, easy-to-use volume describing more than 100 rare varieties of minerals whose beauty and mystery have possessed our imaginations from time immemorial. More than 450 brilliant photographs accompany profiles of each gem, covering such aspects as appearance, physical properties -- density, hardness, refraction -- occurrence, and how to judge quality and value. Additional sections describe the process of cutting gemstones and the techniques professional gemologists use to evaluate a stone's weight and optical properties.

Detailed and comprehensive, this book is essential for anyone interested in the study of gems and precious stones. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Interesting but lacking variety
Went to a gem show and saw that many folks had this book. Made a mistake and bought it here. I had a MUCH MUCH better book titled Gemstones by Cally Hall. The Simon and Schuster book has fascinating sections on how artificial gems are made and such like info (Doesn't include Moissanite.). However, it does not have any info on many many gemstones readily available today, such as Sphene, Sunstone (state gem of Oregon I'm told)and many others. (You can find these in the Simon and Schuster Rocks and Minerals book). If you are only interested in the mainstream gemstones, this book has them. However, as compared to the Cally Hall book, the info is not as well organized nor are the pictures (though mostly very nice) as useful. I will use this as a backup reference book.

Great photography, interesting lore about gemsand minerals
In addition to be a valuable guide for gem identification, this guide has wonderful color photographs, so useful for proper mineral and gem identification. Each gemstone is listed with density (vital for indentification), crystalline structure, light refraction angle (single or double), chemical makeup and hardness. There is an introductory section that is a good reference on mineral properties, a section on gem cutting, and small historical section.

My only objection to this book is that it is incomplete; there are a lot of semiprecious stones like gaspeite, for example that are not listed. So, not a complete reference, but a very good one that covers a wide range of information.

Excellent book
I've had this book ever since it was published and found it enormously valuable in identifying gems that I was unfamiliar with. Between this book and the accompanying "Simon & Schuster's Guide to Rocks & Minerals" one has a complete guide to nature's precious gifts of gems. My only critique is that the book needs an update to reflect some of the new semi-precious stones in the market place.

Great starter and refresher book
If you're working in the retail field, as I do selling jewellery, it's a straightforward, exciting, easy to understand guide with gorgeous photos. Also tells you how to spot a lower grade version of a gem. Some great museum photos of organic gems such as coral, ivory, etc. and semi-precious stone sculptures that make you appreciate the beauty of the gems. A standard for salespeople and a perfect reference for shopowners.

A standard for gemologists!
This is an excellent gem book. It has gorgeous color pictures on every page. Very informative and easy to understand! I give it a four instead of five only because it doesn't cover many of the rarer gems. However, I do recommend it to beginners and hobbyists! ... Read more

Book Description

Halogenated organic compounds constitute one of the largestgroups of environmental chemicals. The industrial production of newhalogenated organic compounds has increased throughout the lastcentury and these compounds are integral to a variety of industrialapplications. Although organohalide compounds are typically consideredto be anthropogenic industrial compounds, these have their counterpartin several thousands of natural biogenic and geogenic organohalides,representing most classes of organic chemicals. Natural sourcesaccount for a significant portion of the global organohalogen budget.This volume, authored by leading experts in the field, provides acurrent perspective on how both natural and synthetic organohalidesare formed and degraded, and how these processes are incorporated intoa global halogen cycle. The list of organohalides that can be utilizedby microbes continues to increase dramatically, as do the number ofdehalogenating microorganisms that have been identified andcharacterized. A critical step in the degradation of organohalides iscleavage of the carbon-halogen bond, and microorganisms have evolved avariety of metabolic strategies for dehalogenation. The chaptersprovide a global perspective on the diversity of dehalogenatingmicroorganisms, explore their ecology, biochemistry and genetics, andreview the range of biologically-mediated dehalogenation mechanisms.Many of the problematic organohalides, such as pesticides,chlorofluorocarbons, chlorinated solvents, polychlorinateddibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated biphenyls, are covered indetail. The book provides a comprehensive overview of fate of thesecompounds in the environment, practical applications in the laboratoryand the field, and strategies for the development of bioremediationtechnologies for organohalide-contaminated sites. Detailed information on biodegradation and biotransformationmechanisms for a variety of organohalides and on the microorganismsmediating these processes has greatly increased our understanding ofthe cycling and fate of these unique and widespread compounds in ourenvironment. The book will serve as a comprehensive resource on theprocesses and applications of microbial degradation of halogenatedorganic compounds. ... Read more

Book Description

Cutting-edge techniques for groundwater modeling using GIS technology
Groundwater Modeling Using Geographical Information Systems covers fundamental information on flow and mass transport modeling and demonstrates how GIS technology makes these models and analyses more accurate than ever before.
GIS technology allows for swift organization, quantification, and interpretation of large quantities of geohydrological data with computer accuracy and minimal risk of human error. This book's companion Web site provides the Princeton Transport Code, as well as the plug-in extensions required to interface this code with the Argus ONE numerical environment software enclosed with this book. Plug-in extensions for MODFLOW and MT3D computer codes can be found at the Argus ONE Web site (www.argusint.com). The process for using the Geographic Modeling Approach (GMA) to model groundwater flow and transport is demonstrated step by step with a field example from Tucson, Arizona. The GMA is composed of the Argus ONE Geographic Information Modeling system and the Princeton Transport Code groundwater flow and transport model, interfaced through the plug-in extension available on Argus ONE.
Enhanced with more than 150 illustrations and screen captures, Groundwater Modeling Using Geographical Information Systems is a fundamental book for civil engineers, hydrologists, environmental engineers, geologists, and students in these fields, as well as software engineers working on GIS applications and environmental attorneys and regulators. When used in combination with the free modeling software, this book provides an excellent student text. ... Read more

Book Description

John Muir was an early proponent of a view we still hold today--that much of California was pristine, untouched wilderness before the arrival of Europeans. But as this groundbreaking book demonstrates, what Muir was really seeing when he admired the grand vistas of Yosemite and the gold and purple flowers carpeting the Central Valley were the fertile gardens of the Sierra Miwok and Valley Yokuts Indians, modified and made productive by centuries of harvesting, tilling, sowing, pruning, and burning. Marvelously detailed and beautifully written, Tending the Wild is an unparalleled examination of Native American knowledge and uses of California's natural resources that reshapes our understanding of native cultures and shows how we might begin to use their knowledge in our own conservation efforts.
M. Kat Anderson presents a wealth of information on native land management practices gleaned in part from interviews and correspondence with Native Americans who recall what their grandparents told them about how and when areas were burned, which plants were eaten and which were used for basketry, and how plants were tended. The complex picture that emerges from this and other historical source material dispels the hunter-gatherer stereotype long perpetuated in anthropological and historical literature. We come to see California's indigenous people as active agents of environmental change and stewardship. Tending the Wild persuasively argues that this traditional ecological knowledge is essential if we are to successfully meet the challenge of living sustainably. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Taking the shock out of the future
From Enron to the September 11, 2001 disasters, it is apparent things are changing in our world, much as we would like to keep things as they were.

In "The Prosperous Way Down" H.T. Odum does not give us feel-good babble.

Instead, he delivers to us a coherent and timely way to do the hard work of knowing how our world works, the changes that are already upon us, and some of the things we may do to increase our opportunity for security and satisfaction in a world that may be very different from what we know today.

There is a lot of contention about Odum and his eMergy methodology. This is to be expected. Odum brings things together, where others are content to be expert with parts.

The bottom line is that with the intellectual tools Odum lets us discover, we can learn to manage far more complexity than any would normally think possible. He lets us first recognize the problems we have with the signals our society sends out through economic and other circumstances of social behavior. And then the tools he provides let us clean up those signals, so we may make better use of the energy and other resources, the environment, and all the benefits (and problems) inherent in our diverse cultures.

The difficulty in all this is indicated by the fact that there is no Nobel prize for looking at the whole of our world. Those fabulous awards go to those who are very good at knowing parts, with very little idea of how the parts come together.

Instead, there is the very quiet Crafoord Prize for those who try to let us know more about the systems of our world--which of course H.T. Odum and his brother Eugene won back in the early 1980s. ... Read more

Book Description

A revised and reorganized practical reference for the working field forester, incorporating the latest information and new, improved methods in such critical areas as U.S. forest law and policy, forest taxation, cost accounting and accomplishment reporting, pesticide and environmental aspects, safety, and public involvement procedures. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Forestry Handbook: Must-have resource for foresters
The Forestry Handbook contains a wealth of information for foresters and other natural resource managers. It's not a book that you read from start to finish (even discounting the 1,335 page length). Rather, it is a superb reference book. I use the Handbook frequently, and have a copy both at work and at home.

The Handbook is broken into 25 sections that include Ecology, Silviculture, Geology and Soils, Genetics, Fire Management, Insects and Diseases, Inventory, Measurements, and Logging. In addition to these forestry-related sections are those on Fish and Wildlife Management, Range Management, Watershed Management, and Remote Sensing. The Handbook also includes sections on Safety, People Management, and Communications.

Most sections have multiple authors, and these authors represent government, academia, and industry. Authors are from all regions of the country.

The strengh of the Handbook is that it covers a varity of forestry and natural resource topics, and does so very well. As you would expect, it relies heavily on figures and graphs, and these are appropriately used and of good quality. The sheer range of topics limits somewhat the depth of each topic. However, no other forestry text approaches the overall utility of the Handbook.

This 2nd Edition of the Handbook was edited for the Society of American Foresters and published in 1984. I hope that a 3rd Edition is in the near future. Technological advdances alone, including Geographic Information Systems (GIS), GPS, and related technologies indicate that an update is needed. Topics such as Best Management Practices (BMPs) and forest certification, now part of our everyday language in forestry, are absent from the 1984 Handbook.

The price tag may seem steep to foresters. However, considering the bredth of material and quality of the text, it is a text worth having if you are serious about forestry.

outstanding book
i used this book extensively during my forestry training.if you are serious about forestry this is a must have book. it covers everything to do with forestry. its extreamly informative. the price may seem a bit high but, you'll get volumes of excelent forestry information. ... Read more

Book Description

In his award-winning book WATER, Marq de Villiers provides an eye-opening account of how we are using, misusing, and abusing our planet's most vital resource. Encompassing ecological, historical, and cultural perspectives, de Villiers reports from hot spots as diverse as China, Las Vegas, and the Middle East, where swelling populations and unchecked development have stressed fresh water supplies nearly beyond remedy. Political struggles for control of water rage around the globe, and rampant pollution daily poses dire ecological theats. With one eye on these looming crises and the other on the history of our dependence on our planet's most precious commodity, de Villiers has crafted a powerful narrative about the lifeblood of civilizations that will be "a wake-up call for concerned citizens, environmentalists, policymakers, and water drinkers everywhere" (Publishers Weekly). ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Lacks focus
This a fascinating book about a fascinating (and critical topic). But in appealling to the general reader, Mr. de Villiers inserts too much (for my taste) personal anecdote. A regrettable travelogue quality permeates the narrative.

This is unfortunate, because there is much of value here. In particular, the discussion about the sources and uses of the Jordan River, Isreali concern with controlling its water supply, and water problems of the immediate Arab neighorhood, opened my eyes to an aspect of the current intractable problems of the Middle East.

My advice is to read this with pleasure, but don't be afraid to skim if you find some portions of the narrative uninteresting.

Easy to Swallow, but with No Additives
This easy to read and conversational book can be used as an introduction to the fate of water supplies around the world and their impact on human societies. de Villiers takes us on a chapter-by-chapter dissertation first on the technical aspects of water issues, such as the mechanics of groundwater and dams. Then we proceed to selected examples of water crises around the globe, such as China's dilemma of having too much where it's not needed and too little where it is needed, or the hideous catastrophe of the Aral Sea in the former USSR.

The author takes an admirably middle-of-the-road stance here and usually lets the facts speak for themselves, with just a little bit of opinionating. But his opinions are still quite moderate and level-headed, as he doesn't align himself with either unyielding environmentalists or extreme free trade proponents, both of which he accurately condemns as having very narrow outlooks on the real world. Some of de Villiers' key observations concern the water wars that will probably start erupting in coming years in dry regions of the world. Two countries will probably spend more money in a single day of war than it takes to improve water supplies for both of them for decades to come. Also, de Villiers drives home the point that the worrisome decline of fresh water around the globe is not due to greedy businessmen, corrupt politicians, or greens who refuse to let it be used. It's just the natural outcome of humans living like humans. Therefore real human cooperation across all societies is necessary to address the problem.

Unfortunately, the author's chapter-by-chapter approach serves only as an introduction to separate topics of interest, without very much substance behind each one. Also, this subject requires harder economics, politics, and sociology than de Villiers provides here. Therefore this book can best be used as an introduction to these issues before you dive into much more specific books like "Rivers of Empire" by Worster or "Cadillac Desert" by Reisner (focusing on the American West), or the works of the Worldwatch Institute for the international story.

Excellent Education of Water Supply
After reading this book I have a slight compunction with each visit to the faucet or garden hose. I must admit I was somewhat incredulous about reading a book about water. However, the author captured my attention early in the first chapter and I found the book difficult to put down thereafter. My expectations of reading material suggestive of an impending water shortage were quickly cast aside. The author demonstrates significant evidence that the world is currently embroiled in a crisis of which most individuals are unware. The mere thought that countries may be led to war to secure a water supply, no matter how realistic, is disheartening. My conscious level of awareness regarding our current water supply has been heightened as a result of reading this excellent book. For more specific details see the reviews by Robert Steele and Charles Sharpless, they are both excellent summaries.

Brilliant--Puts Water in Context of War, Peace, and Life
I rank this book as being among the top ten I have read in the decade, for the combined reason that its topic concerns our survival, and its author has done a superior job of integrating both scholarly research (with full credit to those upon whose work he builds) and what must be a unique background of actually having traveled to the specific desolate areas that comprise the heart of this book-from the Aral Sea ("the exposed seabed, now over 28,000 square kilometers, became a stew of salt, pesticide residues, and toxic chemicals; the strong winds in the region pick up more than 40 million tons of these poisonous sediments each year, and the contaminated dust storms that follow have caused the incidence of respiratory illnesses and cancers to explode.") to the heart of China ("According to China's own figures, between 1983 and 1990 the number of cities short of water tripled to three hundred, almost half the cities in the country; those who problem was described as 'serious' rose from forty to one hundred." The author provides a thoughtful and well-structured look at every corner of the world, with special emphasis on the Middle East, the Tigris-Euphrates System, the Nile, the Americas, and China; and at the main human factors destroying our global water system: pollution, dams (that silt up and prevent nutrients from going downstream or flooding from rejuvenating the lower lands), irrigation (leading to salination such that hundreds of thousands of acres are now infertile and being taken out of production), over-engineering, and excessive water mining from aquifers, which are in serious danger of drying up in key areas in the US as well as overseas within the next twenty years. The author provides a balanced and well-documented view overall. His final chapter on solutions explores conservation, technical, and political options. Two statements leapt off the page: first, that it is the average person, unaware of the fragility of our water system, that is doing the most damage, not the corporations or mega-farms; and second, that for the price of one military ship or equipped unit ($100 million), one can desalinate 100 million cubic meters of water. The bottom line is clear: we are close to a tipping point toward catastrophe but solution are still within our grasp, and they require, not world government, but a virtual world system that permits the integrated management of all aspects of water demand as well supply. This book should be required reading for every college student and every executive and every government employee at local, state, and federal levels; and every citizen.

The Water Chronicles
"Water: The Fate of Our Most Precious Resource," by Marq De Villers is a thorough summary of facts and figures pertinent to water allocation and use in the coming century. The topics covered include descriptions of natural supplies, issues surrounding irrigation and pollution, the politics of water, and what the future may hold. If you weren't aware that there are serious problems to be dealt with in water management, this book will serve as a solid introduction. For those of you acquainted with water issues, this information will come as no surprise.

What is surprising, however, is the level-headed, even-handed tone of the book. All too many books written by non-scientists about natural resource use and misuse are filled to the brim with political polemic. De Villiers, however, has simply offered the facts, surrounded by a narrative of travels and experiences with characters from the world of water. He's just as quick to expose the fallacies of the "water miners" as he is to point out the absurdities of "eco-facism." Just the facts, please, and all wrapped into a tidy, enjoyably written bundle.

My only complaints about the book are academically picky. First, the units De Villiers chooses to use for water volumes, while all standard, are not consistent. Often he speaks of cubic meters, while not a page later he is talking of acre-feet. A few times, he even uses units of kilograms. These are generally appropriate to the topic at hand, but a conversion table should be provided in an appendix. Second, the index is not nearly complete enough. For example, while there are many places in the text where the price of water is discussed, the only reference in the index is to "Water Pricing Policies," which is a very short segment on how pricing affects demand. If you wanted to know what price farmers were paying for water in the western US, you're going to have to search page-by-page.

I would recommend this book to everyone except the most jaded water supply professionals. It covers an important topic and is very timely. If you use water, you should read this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Tropical habitats may contain more than a third of the world´s plant and animal species; Costa Rica alone is home to one of the highest levels of biodiversity per unit area in the world, and stands at center stage in worldwide conservation efforts. Within such regions, the use of state-of-the-art digital mapping technologies -sophisticated techniques that are relatively inexpensive and accessible -represents the future of conservation planning and policy. These methods, which employ satellites to obtain visual data on landscapes, allow environmental scientists to monitor encroachment on indigenous territories, trace park boundaries through unmarked wilderness, and identify wildlife habitats in regions where humans have limited access.
Focusing on the rich biodiversity of Costa Rica, the contributors demonstrate the use of geographic information systems (GIS) to enhance conservation efforts. They give an overview of the spatial nature of conservation and management and the current status of digital mapping in Costa Rica; a review of the basic principles behind digital mapping technologies; a series of case studies using these technologies at a variety of scales and for a range of conservation and management activities; and the results of the Costa Rican gap analysis project. GIS Methodologies for Developing Conservation Strategies provides powerful tools for those involved in decision-making about the natural environment, particularly in developing nations like Costa Rica where such technologies have not yet been widely adopted. For specialists in such areas as geography, conservation biology, and wildlife and natural resource management, the combination of conceptual background and case examples make the book a crucial addition to the literature. ... Read more

Book Description

The functioning of all living systems obeys the laws of physics in fundamental ways. This is true for all physiological processes that occur inside cells, tissues, organs, and organisms. The new edition of Park Nobel's classic text has been revised in an unprecedented fashion, while still remaining user-friendly and clearly presented. Certain to maintain its leading role in teaching general and comparative physiological principles, Physicochemical and Environmental Plant Physiology now establishes a new standard of excellence in teaching advanced physiology.
The book covers water relations and ion transport for plant cells, including diffusion, chemical potential gradients, and solute movement in and out of plant cells. It also presents the interconnection of various energy forms, such as light, chlorophyll and accessory photosynthesis pigments, and ATP and NADPH. Additionally, the book describes the forms in which energy and matter enter and leave a plant, for example: energy budget analysis, water vapor and carbon dioxide, and water movement from soil to plant to atmosphere.

Key Features
* Over four hundred fifty updated references
* Thorough text revisions intended to improve clarity of presentation
* Enhanced coverage of bioenergetics, and gas and water fluxes
* Thoroughly revised figures
* Revised calculations in all chapters
* Reformatted problems with solutions
* New information on root properties and especially global climate change
* Established and classic equations presented in an easy-to-refer-to list
* Appendices with conversion factors and constants ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Libro de Fisiología
pienso que este libro es un valioso aporte al conocimiento de las respuestas fisiológicas de las plantas a los estímulos de su medio ambiente, ya que permite relacionar los fenómenos naturales externos (medioambientales) con el funcionamiento interno de un vegetal, apotando información para el proceso de comprensión de los comportamientos vegetales, un área con mucho conocimiento incompleto todavía ... Read more