General Books

Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things

William McDonough, Michael Braungart

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 145 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Paper or plastic? Neither, say William McDonough and Michael Braungart. Why settle for the least harmful alternative when we could have something that is better--say, edible grocery bags! In Cradle to Cradle, the authors present a manifesto calling for a new industrial revolution, one that would render both traditional manufacturing and traditional environmentalism obsolete. Recycling, for instance, is actually "downcycling," creating hybrids of biological and technical "nutrients" which are then unrecoverable and unusable. The authors, an architect and a chemist, want to eliminate the concept of waste altogether, while preserving commerce and allowing for human nature. They offer several compelling examples of corporations that are not just doing less harm--they're actually doing some good for the environment and their neighborhoods, and making more money in the process. Cradle to Cradle is a refreshing change from the intractable environmental conflicts that dominate headlines. It's a handbook for 21st-century innovation and should be required reading for business hotshots and environmental activists. --Therese Littleton

The Skeptical Environmentalist: Measuring the Real State of the World

Bjorn Lomborg

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Total reviews: 331 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Bjørn Lomborg, a former member of Greenpeace, challenges widely held beliefs that the world environmental situation is getting worse and worse in his new book, The Skeptical Environmentalist. Using statistical information from internationally recognized research institutes, Lomborg systematically examines a range of major environmental issues that feature prominently in headline news around the world, including pollution, biodiversity, fear of chemicals, and the greenhouse effect, and documents that the world has actually improved. He supports his arguments with over 2500 footnotes, allowing readers to check his sources. Lomborg criticizes the way many environmental organizations make selective and misleading use of scientific evidence and argues that we are making decisions about the use of our limited resources based on inaccurate or incomplete information. Concluding that there are more reasons for optimism than pessimism, he stresses the need for clear-headed prioritization of resources to tackle real, not imagined, problems. The Skeptical Environmentalist offers readers a non-partisan evaluation that serves as a useful corrective to the more alarmist accounts favored by campaign groups and the media. Bjørn Lomborg is an associate professor of statistics in the Department of Political Science at the University of Aarhus. When he started to investigate the statistics behind the current gloomy view of the environment, he was genuinely surprised. He published four lengthy articles in the leading Danish newspaper, including statistics documenting an ever-improving world, and unleashed the biggest post-war debate with more than 400 articles in all the major papers. Since then, Lomborg has been a frequent participant in the European debate on environmentalism on television, radio, and in newspapers.

Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software

Steven Johnson

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Total reviews: 82 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

An individual ant, like an individual neuron, is just about as dumb as can be. Connect enough of them together properly, though, and you get spontaneous intelligence. Web pundit Steven Johnson explains what we know about this phenomenon with a rare lucidity in Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software. Starting with the weird behavior of the semi-colonial organisms we call slime molds, Johnson details the development of increasingly complex and familiar behavior among simple components: cells, insects, and software developers all find their place in greater schemes.

Most game players, alas, live on something close to day-trader time, at least when they're in the middle of a game--thinking more about their next move than their next meal, and usually blissfully oblivious to the ten- or twenty-year trajectory of software development. No one wants to play with a toy that's going to be fun after a few decades of tinkering--the toys have to be engaging now, or kids will find other toys.

Johnson has a knack for explaining complicated and counterintuitive ideas cleverly without stealing the scene. Though we're far from fully understanding how complex behavior manifests from simple units and rules, our awareness that such emergence is possible is guiding research across disciplines. Readers unfamiliar with the sciences of complexity will find Emergence an excellent starting point, while those who were chaotic before it was cool will appreciate its updates and wider scope. --Rob Lightner

Design of Wood Structures-ASD/LRFD

Donald E. Breyer, Kenneth J. Fridley, Jr., David G Pollock, Kelly Cobeen

Amazon Price: $64.02 List Price: $99.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: McGraw-Hill Professional Amazon Marketplace: 47 new & used starting at $57.35

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Subjects -> Home & Garden -> Home Design -> Buildings & Construction
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Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Engineering -> Chemical -> Materials

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

The Most Connon typ of Construction 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Now in it's sixth edition, this book has become the standard text on the design and construction of buildings made of wood. While most wooden structures are residences, the book also covers multi story wooden structures such as apartment houses, commercial buildings with wooden roofs, and to a limited extent newer techniques such as glue-laminate beams.

The book is suitable for use either as a text for a course or as a reference for self study. The sixth edition of this book was promoted by five major developments:

1. Publication of new dual-format (ASD/LRFD) wood design criteria in the 2005 National Design Specification for Wood Construction.

2. Publication of the new Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic (SDPWS) Supplement to the NDS.

3. Publication of the comprehensive ASD/LRFD Manual for Engineered Wood Construction.

4. Publication and increased adoption nationally of the 2006 International Building Code. ==5. Publication of updated load standards in the 2005 edition of Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures.

Editorial Review:

The leading text and reference on wood design, updated to include the latest codes and data

Continued the sterling standard set by earlier editions, this indispensable reference leads you through the complete design of a wood structure (except for the foundation), following the same sequence used in the actual design/construction process.

Real Goods Solar Living Source Book-Special 30th Anniversary Edition: Your Complete Guide to Renewable Energy Technologies and Sustainable Living (Real Goods Solar Living Sourcebook)

John Schaeffer

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Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Concerns over dwindling resources and environmental degradation are driving many to seek alternatives to our wasteful, polluting lifestyle. Clean technologies such as solar power, wind power, and biodiesel fuel are soaring in popularity.

Real Goods Solar Living Source Book-Special 30th Anniversary Edition is the ultimate guide to renewable energy, sustainable living, green building, homesteading, off-the-grid living, and alternative transportation, written by experts with decades of experience and a passion for sharing their knowledge. This fully updated edition includes brand-new sections on Peak Oil, climate change, relocalization, natural burial, biodynamics, and permaculture. It also boasts the latest product listings and completely rewritten and expanded chapters on:

• Land and shelter
• Natural building
• Passive solar
• Biofuels
• Sustainable transportation
• Grid-tied photovoltaics
• Solar hot water systems
• Plus, over 150 pages of maps, wiring diagrams, formulae, charts, solar sizing worksheets, and much more

Whether you're a layperson or a professional, novice or longtime aficionado, the new sourcebook puts the latest research and products at your fingertips-all the information you need to make sustainable living a reality.

John Schaeffer is the president and founder of Real Goods, the oldest and largest catalog company devoted to the sale and service of renewable-energy products. Now merged with Gaiam, Real Goods has converted over sixty thousand homes to solar energy since 1978, when it sold the very first photovoltaic module in America. Real Goods hosts the annual SolFest at its Solar Living Center headquarters in Hopland, California.

Microelectronic Circuit Analysis and Design

Donald Neamen

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Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Engineering -> Electrical & Electronics -> Circuits
Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Engineering -> Electrical & Electronics -> General
Subjects -> Professional & Technical -> Engineering -> Electrical & Electronics -> Electronics -> Microelectronics

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

This junior level electronics text provides a foundation for analyzing and designing analog and digital electronic circuits. Numerous new pedagogical features continue the tradition of providing an accessible approach to learning through clear writing and real-world pedagogy. The third edition includes numerous design examples, a new Design Application feature, problem solving technique pointers, Test Your Understanding questions at the end of every section, and chapter summary checkpoints to reinforce learning. The author, Don Neamen, has many years of experience as an Engineering Educator. His experience shines through each chapter of the book, which retains a design focus supported by rich, realistic examples and practical rules of thumb. The Third Edition continues to offer the same hallmark features that made the previous editions such a success. Extensive Pedagogy: An Introduction at the beginning of each chapter links the new chapter to the material presented in previous chapters. The objectives of the chapter are then presented in the Preview section and reinforced at the beginning of each chapter subsection. Test Your Understanding Exercise Problems with provided answers have all been updated. New Design Applications are included at the ends of chapters. These applications lead students through the design and development of an electronic thermometer. Each specific design ties into the objectives of the chapter. Specific Design Problems and Examples are highlighted throughout the book, along with design pointers which help students tackle tricky design issues.

Wetlands

William J. Mitsch, James G. Gosselink

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Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Praise for the previous editions of Wetlands:

"Wetlands, the field of study, would not be what it is without Wetlands, the book."
——Bill Streever, Wetlands, 2001

"The Third Edition of this highly successful book manages to set new standards in presentation and content to confirm its place as the first point of reference for those working or studying wetlands."
——Chris Bradley, University of Birmingham, UK, Regulated Rivers: Research and Management

"This book is the wetlands bible...the most wide-ranging [book] on the subject."
——Carl Folke, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Land Use Policy

"The single best combination text and reference book on wetland ecology."
——Joseph S. Larson, University of Massachusetts, Journal of Environmental Quality

"First on my list of references to recommend to someone new to wetland policy management or science."
——Jay A. Leitch, North Dakota State University, Water Resources Bulletin

For more than two decades, William Mitsch and James Gosselink's Wetlands has been the premier reference on wetlands for ecologists, land use planners, and water resource managers worldwide—a comprehensive compendium of the state of knowledge in wetland science, management, and restoration.

Now Mitsch and Gosselink bring their classic book up to date with substantial new information and a streamlined text supplemented with a support web site. This new Fourth Edition maintains the authoritative quality of its predecessors while offering such revisions as:

• Refocused coverage on the three main parts of the book: 1. An introduction to the extent, definitions, and general features of wetlands of the world; 2. Wetland science; and 3. Wetland management.

• New chapter on climate change and wetlands that introduces the student to the roles that wetlands have in climate change and impact that climate change has on wetlands.

• Increased international coverage, including wetlands of Mexico and Central America, the Congolian Swamp and Sine Saloum Delta of Africa, the Western Siberian Lowlands, the Mesopotamian Marshland restoration in Iraq, and the wetland parks of Asia such as Xixi National Wetland Park in eastern China and Gandau Nature Park in Taipei, Taiwan. This expanded coverage is illustrated with over 50 wetland photographs from around the world.

• Several hundred new refer?ences for further reading, up-to-date data, and the latest research findings.

• Over 35 new info boxes and sidebars provide essential background information to concepts being presented and case studies of wetland restoration and treatment in practice.

The Consumer's Guide to Effective Environmental Choices: Practical Advice from the Union of Concerned Scientists

Michael Brower, Warren Leon

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Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Current Events -> Poverty -> Social Services & Welfare

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Paper or plastic? Cloth or disposable? Regular or organic? Every day, environmentally conscious consumers are faced with the overwhelming catch-22 of a capitalist society--reconciling the harm we do by consuming, while still providing ourselves and our families with the goods and services we need. It's enough to make a city dweller crazy. Fret no more! The Union of Concerned Scientists has put together a well-researched and eminently practical guide to the decisions that matter. The authors hope that the book will help you set priorities, stop worrying about insignificant things, and understand the real environmental impacts of household decisions. For instance, you may be surprised to learn that buying and eating meat and poultry is much more harmful to the environment than the packaging the meat is wrapped in, even if it's Styrofoam. This guide takes on both sides of the consumer-impact argument, goring sacred cows of the environmentalist movement (like the strident emphasis on recycling) and the industrialist perspective (like the relentless message to buy more, more, more). If you're confused and overwhelmed by all the environmental decision-making in the modern world, you'll find new inspiration in this book. --Therese Littleton

The Lean Pocket Guide

Don Tapping

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

CAN'T BEAT THIS FOR THE PRICE 5 out of 5 stars.
19 of 21 people found this review helpful.

I recently purchased the Lean Pocket Guide (published by MCS Media, Inc. i.e., The Lean Store) and found it to be the most book for your money that is on the market. This book set the standard for good, informative information on Lean. The illustrations and explanations were perfect for the folks on the shop floor, as well as my supervisors.
A Lean book that practices what it preaches!

A tool that can't break! 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This little book is full of great ideas and concepts and can help you out on the job, but also if you are a person looking to become familar with these concepts, this is a great book to read.

Editorial Review:

The Lean Pocket Guide is designed for use as a convenient, quick reference as you learn and implement lean manufacturing tools and techniques. It provides valuable insight into the nuances of lean from a team of lean sensi's throughout the world.

You can put your finger on any entry or lean concept, term, tool, or technique within a matter of seconds! With the simply, clear illustrations, this is definitely meant for use on the shop floor.

Also, included is this Pocket Guide is a ready-to-submit Suggestion Form to get those ideas into action, NOW!

Wastewater Engineering: Treatment and Reuse

George Tchobanoglous, H. David Stensel

Amazon Price: $147.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math Amazon Marketplace: 25 new & used starting at $124.50

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Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Wastewater Engineering: Treatment and Reuse, 4/e is a thorough update of McGraw-Hill's authoritative book on wastewater treatment. No environmental engineering professional or civil or and environmental engineering major should be without a copy of this book- tt describes the technological and regulatory changes that have occurred over the last ten years in this discipline, including: improved techniques for the characterization of wastewaters; improved fundamental understanding of many of the existing unit operations and processes used for wastewater treatment, especially those processes used for the biological removal of nutrients; greater implementation of several newer treatment technologies (e.g., UV disinfection, membrane filtration, and heat drying); greater concern for the long term health and environmental impacts of wastewater constituents; greater emphasis on advanced wastewater treatment and risk assessment for water reuse applications; changes in regulations and the development of new technologies for wastewater disinfection; and new regulations governing the treatment, reuse, and disposal of sludge (biosolids). Greater concern for infrastructure renewal including upgrading the design and performance of wastewater treatment plants.

This revision contains a strong focus on advanced wastewater treatment technologies and stresses the reuse aspects of wastewater and biosolids.