Adapting Buildings and Cities for Climate Change: A 21st Century Survival Guide

Book Description

From the author of the bestseller 'Ecohouse' this challenging and exciting text gives you an insight into the real changes that are necessary to give our modern day built environment both 'sustainability' and 'survivability'.

The book is based on the premise that climate change is going to happen and its impacts on our lives are going to be far worse than generally expected. Sue Roaf argues that many modern buildings are not only 'unsustainable' in themselves but are also having a catastrophic effect on the global climate. In a unique argument, she illustrates that the only way we can hope to survive the following century in tact is if we not only begin to radically reduce CO2 emissions from our buildings and stop building climatically disastrous building types but also build only the buildings that can survive in the changed climates of the future.

Throughout the book, traditional and modern building types are used to: explain the history and impacts of climates past, present and future on buildings; set the scene in terms of the history of building development of where we are now and where we are going in terms of sustainability and survivability of buildings; develop two main scenarios of future building development with the 'business as usual' model and the 'survival plan' model, and to make a list of recommendations based on the two scenarios of what actions should be taken by architects, planners and engineers as well as local and national governments, businesses and ordinary people in ensuring the true sustainable nature of the built environment.

· A unique text that reassesses the fundamentals of sustainable design
· A discussion and design guide providing you with the full picture of true sustainability
· Includes case studies supporting the argument that challenges orthodox architectural design

Customer Reviews:

Planners and architects see the heat turned up and respond.......2007-04-05

Every American planning professional or aspiring city planner should include this book in their personal library. Besides the fight against standard American-style sprawl, planners are going to have to take the long view (it's why they're hired!) when designing buildings, cities, energy supplies, and transport systems in a much warmer world. This book is a start. In my opinion, any school that fails to include plannning aspects of climate change in its curriculum is derelict.
As you can see from my other book reviews I harp on the need to examine nuclear energy as an option for our quickly urbanizing world. Besides good coverage of alternative energy for buildings and cities, the authors mention the aging UK nuke plants, the problem of relying on French nuclear power during the last heat wave, and other issues, including Sweden's policy reversal on shutting down its nuclear program. But this assessment on p 278 stood out for me:
"However with the approaching oil crisis the UK govt may well have to review this (nuclear) policy. It is difficult to see how we will cope without nuclear power."
Whether the UK will modernize its nuclear infrastructure is another matter.

A vitally important subject comprehensively introduced........2005-04-02

How will we live when the oil runs out? How will we live when the climate is even hotter, with more floods, high winds, droughts? What kinds of buildings will be livable? How can we change what we build now to better serve humankind? Sue Roaf and co-authors argue that we won't be able to do it in "thin-skinned", windowless twentieth century buildings of glass and steel that keep out neither cold nor heat and require tremendous energy resources just to be usable. This is a great book about the many ways in which we need to and can change our thinking--particularly in architecture, in which a slavish adulation of "maestro-built," difficult-to-use buildings must be abandoned for a commitment to buildings and communities that will protect, preserve and comfort us in the resource-scarce times ahead.

Book Description

To many potters glaze recipes are like manna from heaven, appearing from nowhere, or holy writ, once committed to paper never to be changed or questioned. Potters use recipes that are passed from one to another and do not understand why the same recipes do not work for everyone. In this book the mystery and involved chemistry are replaced with a practical, straightforward approach to glazes and their application. Chemical formulae are avoided as far as possible. There are many books which cover the chemistry of glazes in depth, with information on oxides and other materials, and do it well. This book is about a personal journey developing and discovering glazes. Author Daly shows how simple it can be to develop a glaze and a color. You need no previous experience - only a passion for exploration and discovery. If you are looking for glaze recipes you can turn to Chapter 6. It will be like viewing a friends travel video - seeing but not experiencing. If you are looking for a better understanding of glazes, color development and surface finishes, begin at Chapter 1. A glaze recipe from a book is only part of what creates the finished surface. You may now be searching for what you believe is an elusive recipe, but you already have the recipe; what you are really seeking is how to control the other factors that determine the final result - clay bodies, kilns, temperatures, kiln atmospheres and the way you apply your glaze material. This book is about a journey of discovery and understanding; so that the development of color and surface finishes becomes not mysterious at all. This book provides approaches and observation skills which will give an overall view of what happens to materials in glazes, how oxides give different colors with varying base glazes and how application methods can alter everything. The development of glazes and color should be fun.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic!.......2002-11-14

Written in simple English, this book is user friendly and practical. The progressive illustrations are very well done. What a beautiful journey it is.

Greg Daly excells yet again........2000-11-01

In Glazes and Glazing Techniques : A Glaze Journey by Greg Daly, this prolific contemporary Australian Artist, takes us through the step by step journey to testing and reaping that perfect ellusive glaze. It is a must-have for those interested in ceramic decoration, through glaze, and Greg Daly writes with an infectious enthusiasm that leaves you bursting to experiment yourself.

excellent for glaze formulation and results.......1999-05-08

This book is NOT for the beginner in ceramics/glaze formulation. "A Potter's Pallette" is better for beginners with glaze. After studying glazes and their make-up, this is a logical continuation with ample photos of results with differing chemistry. It allows someone with some experience and a working knowledge of clays and glazes to move forward into dissecting exactly what causes what. A good basis for one starting to mix their own glazes

Book Description

"As a stylist, in his descriptions of art and movements and books, Rosenberg has no equal. . . . One is grateful for [this] essay collection. To my mind, his piece on art criticism and the distinction between it and art history is alone worth the price of the book."—Corinne Robins, New York Times Book Review

ART ON THE EDGE: CREATORS AND SITUATIONS.

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ART ON THE EDGE: CREATORS AND SITUATIONS.
Harold. Rosenberg
Manufacturer: Univ. of Chicago Press,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SKUIZE

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Art on the Edge: Creators and Situations.
Harold Rosenberg
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000M43HBI

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Art on the Edge: Creators and Situations.

Manufacturer: 0
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ICTLEG

Amazon.com

The years of American economic prosperity after World War II, argues sociologist Stanley Aronowitz, resulted in the diminishment of the political influence the labor movement had acquired. By the 1980s, which included Reagan's decisive undercutting of the air-traffic controllers' strike and increasing concessions to management by unions, it made sense to question whether such a thing as a labor movement remained. Changes in Teamster and AFL-CIO leadership in the 1990s have increased the likelihood of strong labor's recurrence--but what would it take to make that happen?

Aronowitz presents a compelling case for the idea that "unions, if they are to thrive, must overcome the complacency of the last fifty years and expand labor's influence throughout politics and culture. But first labor must overcome its image as the representative of a narrow segment of the working population...." In intellectually strong but clear-spoken language, Aronowitz urges labor once again to define itself in sharp opposition to the ideology of corporate capitalism. He might attract some controversy with his suggestion that doing so requires a distancing of the unions from the Democratic Party (which, he reminds the reader, has drifted increasingly to the right under Bill Clinton, whose "reform" of welfare not only took money from the unemployed but may also keep wages down for the working poor). Might, that is, if labor had a strong enough voice for its dissent to be heard. Aronowitz delivers some rather intriguing proposals; it remains for history to determine whether an audience exists that will absorb and act upon them. --Ron Hogan

Book Description

The future of American labor is deeply connected to America's future. In the last quarter century, most American workers -- blue collar, white collar, and professional -- have taken an enormous hit, while only 20 percent of the population has prospered. Corporate downsizing, technological change, mergers, and acquisitions have cut the workforce by half in some industries; in others, the best-paid employees have lost their jobs and have been replaced by part-time, temporary workers who often lack benefits. Meanwhile, government protections are slowly fading from the lives of ordinary Americans as health benefits, pensions, and safety and health standards deteriorate. Stanley Aronowitz, a teacher, writer, and former trade union organizer, examines the decline of the labor movement in the past twenty-five years and its recent reemergence as a major force in the country's economic and political life. Republicans suddenly find themselves under attack from a forgotten foe. Democrats are shocked to see this ghost walking about, compelling the party to fight for a minimum-wage law it had practically abandoned. The labor movement, once given up for dead, is now the engine of economic democracy and progressive politics. But to succeed, Aronowitz argues, labor must return to the social-movement unionism of Eugene Debs and Walter Reuther. Such an energetic new movement is the key to America's future. Bound to generate national debate, From the Ashes of the Old calls for a bold new agenda, covering the principal challenges facing the labor movement today: to organize in the South and among the working poor, to unionize white-collar and technical employees, and to reestablish labor's political independence.

Customer Reviews:

the most important book on labor since The New Men of Power.......1999-08-09

Stanley Aronowitz is the most important (perhaps one of the only) public intellectual of our age. He argues convincingly for a new agenda for the labor movement, one that takes into account not only the interests of the working class, but opens the possibility for injecting new life into the movement by forcing unions to find ways to link its interests with the interests of all Americans. In other words, Aronowitz shows how labor can finally fulfill its promise to be the vanguard of democracy in America. Anyone interested in the future of our democratic enterprise -- be they middle class or working class -- needs to read this book.

Something unusual, a reference that's readable.......1999-05-24

Not having read any of Mr. Aronowitz' other books, I came to this one looking for a guide to the history of organized labor and am glad I did. As he points out, labor seems not to exist as far as the media are concerned. Workers appears only in strikes, portrayed as grasping disrupters of business. My interest in organized labor and the plight of the worker came from direct experience in a lock out. Eyes opened by the event, I was eager to put it in perspective and this book was exactly what I was looking for. Things can't go on as they are. Aronowitz rightly points out how both political parties are pro-business, that the conservatives have framed the debate on the economy and labor is confined to a diminished spot with the Democrats, largely taken for granted. If you scratch the surface of material wealth you find discontent with society. The lack of protection for workers; the "temping" of the workforce and the shifting of the costs of benefits to workers from business is spreading like wildfire. Those who never dreamed of associating with organized labor are now having second thoughts. Labor, as Aronowitz points out, must appeal to social issues and working conditions in other countries if it is to survive. This book is a call to take a full place on the stage, a stage set for labor to re-enter from parochialism. Anyone interested in new forms that labor may take and why it should take them should read this book. If you work for a living and wonder about tomorrow, read it.

Another hollow call for the rebound of moribund labor unions.......1999-01-13

From the beginnings of craft protectionism and built upon a number of militant worker movements from say 1875 to 1920, the Great Depression spurred the rise of industrial unions. The Wagner Act neatly bottled up, with union acquiescence, worker unrest and power to influence US industry. As Aronowitz shows, the limitations of that accord were revealed early on in the failed Southern organizing drives and the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act. But that was then. Now one has to wonder if the notion of a "labor movement" has any real meaning. Is there a recognizable philosophy of labor or worker empowerment in the general public's consciousness. I don't think so. Yes unions have hung on in some industries and teachers, whose situation in terms of public and contract-based employment is unlike that found in the private sector, have hidden the overall decline of unions. Also unions in this age of extremely small voter turnouts that can mobilize a dedicated minority can influence some elections much as can the Christian right. But those have been mostly defensive victories: elect the least conservative of two. One of Aronowitz's key suggestions is the organizing of the huge numbers of professional-technical and white collar workers. But that seems to be mostly hope. Many (probably most) of those folks accept all of the negative stereotypes of unions. Aronowitz briefly mentions European-style works councils, but US unions aren't about to allow that. There just is not much in this book, as well as in scores of others written since John Sweeney took over the helm of the AFL-CIO, that is a realistic assessment of the possibility of going from point A (corporate dominance of the economy and politics) to point B (genuine worker influence within enterprises and the overall economy and political process).

From the Ashes of the Old: American Labor and America's Future.(Review): An article from: Dollars & Sense

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From the Ashes of the Old: American Labor and America's Future.(Review): An article from: Dollars & Sense
Steve Early
Manufacturer: Economic Affairs Bureau
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Dollars & Sense, published by Economic Affairs Bureau on May 1, 1999. The length of the article is 851 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: From the Ashes of the Old: American Labor and America's Future.(Review)
Author: Steve Early
Publication: Dollars & Sense (Newsletter)
Date: May 1, 1999
Publisher: Economic Affairs Bureau
Issue: 223 Page: 35(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Something's Wrong With My Child!: A Valuable Resource in Helping Parents and Professionals to Better Understand Themselves in Dealing With the Emotionally Charged Subject of Children
Harriet Wallace Rose
Manufacturer: Charles C. Thomas Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Special Needs | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
Special Needs Children | Children's Health | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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Book Description

It is almost impossible to capture, in a single word, the enormous impact Dustoff had on the Vietnam War. However, John Cook has done it in a most compelling, sensititve manner. Here, for the first time, is one of the most incredible stories produced by Vietnam. This is the story of the men who risked everything to fly their evacuation helicopters into the teeth of the most intense fighting the war produced to achieve a single goal Ð evacuate the wounded. And that is what they did, day after day, night after night, under every condition imaginable. They flew through enemy fire, cloud banks, monsoons, fog, and darkness to reach the wounded. When it was all over, the men of Dustoff had performed an unbelievable feat Ð hundreds of thousands of wounded had been snatched from the battlefield. After exhaustive research and countless interviews, John Cook has skillfully woven all the threads of this epic story into a seamless fabric of dedication, sacrifice and courage. While it reads with the smoothness and consistency of a first-rate novel, there is no fiction here. The Dustoff crews are real, these events happened and Cook provides the absolutely critical human dimension that makes this story come alive. John Cook is also the author of The Advisor: The Phoenix Program in Vietnam (available from Schiffer Publishing Ltd.)., over 100 b/w photographs, 6" x 9"

Customer Reviews:

A shinning, positive example of what went right in Vietnam........2002-10-12

As the son a Major Charles Kelly, I am gratified that there is a least one mainstream book that tells the story of the Dustoff pilots. It is sad that their story does not have the widespread recongition it deserves. I have access to hundreds of personal documents and have spoken with many of the men that flew with my father and as far as I can tell this book is very, very authentic and relies on fact not fiction as some articles have done. Not only that, but it is very well written and written from the heart. Thank you John Cook from the entire Kelly family......

EXCELLENT HISTORY OF DUSTOFF IN VIETNAM.......2001-09-01

I've read Rescue Under Fire several times and heartily recommend it as an overview of the history of Dustoff (aeromedical evacuation) in Vietnam. I served two tours as a Dustoff pilot and the book contained a great deal of historical information that I had never known and wouldn't have ever learned without John Cook's well researched book. I've given copies of the book to my father and both of my sons so that they can better understand what I did in Vietnam. Perhaps even more incredible than the missions under fire, which were performed over and over on a daily basis, is the effort that the early Dustoff pilots and commanders had to go through just to provide the kind of support that eventually became the standard by which present aeromedical evacuation procedures are measured. Far too frequently the egos of high level commanders stood in the way of dedicated Dustoff crews simply trying to do their job and to get the equipment and support necessary to do so. Two Dustoff pilots were awarded the Medal of Honor, but that doesn't even begin to recognize the job that was done by each and every Dustoff crew. I'm proud to have been a part of it and I thank John Cook for telling our story so eloquently.

Recommendations Matter.......2001-03-31

Do recommendations matter? You bet. After reading what the two pilots said below, the way I figured it was, they had to know what they were talking about. So, I read Rescue Under Fire. Once I started, I could not put it down. John Cook made the Vietnam war make sense, something no one else had ever done for me. He tells one hell of a story and he does not let up. He takes the reader on a fantastic ride and, at the end, you wind up staring out the window for a long time. One word of caution--if you are not willing to deal with what Cook has to say, don't read this book. If you are a bleeding heart liberal, he will shatter all your myths and leave you in a bloody heap. However, if you can deal with the truth of what Vietnam was all about, then I suggest you read this book. Cook tells the story of the real heros of Vietnam, the men who flew the evacuation mission, under fire. The part that got me was the end, where he lists the names of all the men who died performing this dangerous mission. He didn't have to do this, but he did. If you only read one book about Vietnam, make it this one.

Impressed By Recommendations.......2001-03-31

Do recommendations work? You bet! I admit that this is not the type of book I would normally read. However, what impressed me was the recommendations of the two pilots below. The way I figured it, if they thought John Cook had done a great job, and they were there, then maybe it was worth the effort. I'm here to tell you, they were right! Having grown up after the Vietnam war, I was always confused about what really happened there. All I ever heard was how the Americans were the bad guys and the Viet Cong were the good guys. John Cook blows all that away. There were real good guys in Vietnam and they flew the evacualtion missions. Now, for the first time, I understand. Cook's style is very easy to live with. He actually takes the reader along for the ride. The part I liked best was the end. He actually took the trouble to list the names of all those brave men who died saving the lives of the wounded. He didn't have to do this but he did. That got to me. Now, when I think of Vietnam, I'll remember Rescue Under Fire. Thank you, John Cook, and thank all of you who flew these missions.

Impressed By Recommendations.......2001-03-31

Customer Reviews:

Thoughtful academic essays on Jewish Diasporas in China.......1999-01-24

This is the long-awaited publication of a selection of papers originally delivered at the 1992 Harvard conference on "Jewish Diasporas in China." (While only 19 selections are printed here, drafts of all the papers have been deposited and can be consulted at the Harvard-Yenching Library, 2 Divinity Ave., Cambridge Mass, 02138). After examining Kaifeng, the work turns to the late 18th, 19th, and early 20th century Jewish experiences in China with emphasis on Hong Kong, Harbin, and Shanghai. The concluding section deals with Zionism, the Holocaust, and the Judaic exodus from China following the end of World War II. Three very interesting papers, by Shirley Berry Isenberg, Barbara C. Johnson and Nathan Katz, compare and contrast the history of the Kaifeng Jews with that of Jews in India, site of the one-other, long-lived Jewish Diaspora of Asia. Jonathan Goldstein's historical introduction provides a clear and succinct overview of the subject. A future publication, Volume Two of this work, will be a sourcebook and research guide

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