Accounting Made Easy: Level 1

Book Description

Every day, twentynine American workers die on the job and 4,700 others obtain injuries so serious that they must be taken to a medical-care facility. Safety directors must protect their employees and the public from risks that could harm them, and they must achieve compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. Unfortunately, the way to reach such a goal is often not available to those who need it. This book provides both first-time and experienced safety professionals and human-resource professionals with the resources they need to achieve a safe work environment. Author Michael Manning walks safety directors through the ins and outs of establishing their company safety program. He includes information on comparing safety programs, establishing safety committees, involving employees in safety, investigating accidents, preventing accidents, managing compensation costs, preparing for OSHA inspections, and finding free resources.

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A generation and more ago, when futurists warned that an ever-expanding population would unleash famine and suffering upon the world, scientists set in motion the so-called Green Revolution. Mixing high-yield seed stock and intensive cultivation with an increased use of chemical pesticides, the Green Revolution proved remarkably successful in feeding the developing nations of the world--but only for a time.

Now, writes journalist Richard Manning, when Earth's population is again exploding--adding a new Mexico City every 12 weeks, as one of the profiled scientists notes--the need to revolutionize agriculture anew is ever more pressing. Traveling to research laboratories and farmers' fields in places such as Uganda, Zimbabwe, India, and China, Manning looks at ways in which researchers are working to improve crop yields, reduce natural pests and diseases, and increase biodiversity, with greater or lesser success. Among their approaches, Manning observes, is the use of genetically modified plants, a matter of intense debate throughout the First World. Urging that readers not dismiss this solution out of hand, Manning points out that genetic engineering is not merely a subject for theoretical discussion, but a fact of life in the agriculture of the developing world.

At the close of his well-paced travelogue, he takes a considered look at the arguments pro and con, acknowledging that there are reasons to be both fearful and optimistic when tinkering with genomes. But, Manning slyly adds, "no one ever said feeding a planet of 6 billion people would be without consequences." --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

Food's Frontier provides a survey of pioneering agricultural research projects underway in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, India, China, Chile, Brazil, Mexico, and Peru by a writer both well-grounded technically and sensitive to social and cultural issues. The book starts from the premise that the "Green Revolution" which averted mass starvation a generation ago is not a long-term solution to global food needs and has created its own very serious problems. Based on increasing yields by extensive use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers, and monoculture--agribusiness-style production of single crops--this approach has poisoned both land and farm workers, encouraged new strains of pests that are resistant to ever-increasing amounts of pesticides, and killed the fertility of land by growing single crops rather than rotating crops that can replenish nutrients in the soil. Solutions to these problems are coming from a reexamination of ancient methods of agriculture that have allowed small-scale productivity over many generations. Research in the developing world, based on alternative methods and philosophies, indigenous knowledge, and native crops, joined with cutting edge technology, offer hope for a more lasting solution to the world's increasing food needs.

Customer Reviews:

Bought and Sold.......2001-11-21

While I give him credit for acknowledging the McKnight Foundation's role in his writing this book, you can tell throughout that Manning is doing it for their sake, and less for ours. Regardless, there is some interesting information about agriculture past, present and future, but I didn't feel he reaches a unified point about where we as humans should go next.

from the Green Revolution to the Information Revolution.......2000-10-30

You have to approach with trepidation a book which has a cover blurb from the despicable, antihuman, scare monger Paul Ehrlich and which the author warns you was funded by a private organization (The McKnight Foundation) that funds the projects which he's going to be discussing. Right off the bat it just seems extraordinarily unlikely that you'll get a calm, balanced and non-dogmatic presentation of the issues. It's a pleasant surprise then that Richard Manning, despite a sleight over reliance on Ehrlichean "sky-is-falling" rhetoric, is able, at least to my non-expert eyes, to offer a full and fair look at some of the current debates surrounding the future of agriculture generally and, more specifically, the issues that arise out of the need to boost crop yields in developing countries to meet the rising food demands of their constantly increasing populations.

Manning's basic premise is that the original Green Revolution--largely a product of improved fertilizers, pesticides, and breeding techniques--has hit a wall and is no longer providing the types of increases in production which have characterized the past thirty or forty years. Nor is there any readily apparent successor Revolution to step in and provide the necessary increases. He proposes that the answer to pending food supply problems then will not come from such a top down revolution but rather will have to rely on myriad local solutions :

The Green Revolution at its most fundamental level treated all the world the same, but the lessons being learned in agriculture now are local. A practice, a variety, a people, and a crop endure in a place because selection has finely tuned them to survival. They have evolved along with local conditions, and the path to a sustainable future requires some respect for the results of that process.

In the ensuing chapters he surveys the results of studies in nine regions--Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, India, several parts of China, Chile, Brazil, Mexico and Peru--on unfamiliar but traditional crops like sorghum, tef, milpa, sweet potatoes, and the like, which suggest that these foodstuffs are uniquely suited to these areas and are more appropriate than Western grains. The work being done by scientists in these countries therefore focusses on how to maximize the yields of these native plants, but their work tends to be understaffed, underfunded and unappreciated. The nations after all tend to be poor, their best minds tend to emigrate to the industrialized West and there's not much interest on the part of powerful multinational corporations in these marginal crops. This is where McKnight and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) come in, providing seed money (quite literally) to keep local scientists working to improve local crops.

The best section of the book is Manning's rational and dispassionate discussion of bioengineering. Though he maintains a healthy respect for the dangers that genetic manipulation of crops could conceivably pose, he also recognizes that it is already happening on a significant scale and is going to continue regardless of hysteria like that which greets export of genetically modified American goods to Europe, that it is absolutely vital to the daunting task of boosting yields, and that it simply does not much differ from the routine ways in which man has always intervened in plant and animal breeding. Sadly missing from most of the heated argument that you hear about genetically modified foods is the simple common sense and undeniable truth of the following :

For at least ten thousand years humans have been engaged in selection, an artificial pressure on breeding populations. All the forms of life we call domestic have a genetic makeup, a code, that is artificial as a result of this pressure.

Manning does not issue a blanket approval for all bioengineering, suggesting that more limited manipulations may be more effective anyway, and are certainly less risky, but he comes down squarely in favor of using the techniques, particularly to help improve these native crops.

In the end, Manning suggests that the examples he's looked at are united by a common thread : that local knowledge, conditions, and customs should play a much more central role than they have in guiding agricultural development in Third World nations, and that they have started to, thanks in large part to the efforts of NGOs like McKnight :

All this suggests the real breakdown of the linear model. Information and knowledge will no longer flow from top to bottom but will originate in and reverberate through every part of the system. Information flows among researchers and farmers that in the end could have them working on a common ground, a common ground of knowledge. It may be difficult to define what will replace Green Revolution methods, but this concept lies at its core.

In fact, this too is a revolution, as he says, an "information revolution." Moreover, it echoes the writings of folks like F. A. Hayek on political economies, and the idea that centralized, bureaucratic, top-down decision making can not possibly be effective, precisely because it can not take into account all of the unique individual and local information bubbling up from the bottom.

It's become sort of commonplace these days to depict the ascent of Free Markets and Global Trade as a threat to the developing world, to the environment, and to local customs. But the push for free market capitalism is based on the hard won consensus that such a system offers the most efficient means of structuring an economy, that only such an open system allows for the free flow of ideas and information which is a predicate for intelligent decision making. It is really exciting to see that a similar recognition may be emerging in the field of agriculture and in those developing countries, that not only are free markets not necessarily a threat to native ways of life but that such a decentralized, fluid, information dependent, ruthlessly efficient system may be the best means of preserving local knowledge and traditions.

GRADE : B+

Book Description

Wouldn’t it be great to be wild? To be so natural and free that we could do whatever we want. But we can’t. If our species went wild the results could be very unpleasant. We might lose control. Our species has allowed itself to become artificial in its efforts to be careful and considerate. But what if we have made a mistake and miss the real value of wildness? In nature, not all animals are evolving, but all of them are wild. Why? Evolution is survival of the wildest, not survival of the fittest. Being wild allows an animal to become efficient in its niche. Wild species flourish in natural diversity and harmony. How do they do it?

Our Wild Niche explores what it is to be wild, the obstacles that stand in the way of our being wild, and the human traits that will come forward when we finally do reach our wild niche. It also shows how the wildness links "everything" together into a sensible and complete package that will give new insight into the role of our human emotions, feelings, instincts, adaptations and desires.

Customer Reviews:

Inspiring.......1999-11-02

At last, a book that tells us that our true nature is beautiful. The premise that humans need to access their instinctive, honest, animal selves - is fascinating.

A mixed bag, with some parts inspiring but some slow........1999-10-24

This book is a real mixed bag. Much of it hums along, but then some parts are hard to understand. I actually read it twice, and the second time through let a lot more fall into place. I am also amazed at the breadth of subjects that the author covers, and what made him think of so many things. I thought I was getting a book about the wilderness, but it soon spread out to be a commentary on 'everything'. The parts I liked were about `the wildness', and pointing out that there is more happening in nature than just evolution. The parts on desire and the `interaction desire' were also very interesting, and his conclusion that desire is the beginning for all subsequent emotions seems a real breakthrough. The parts I found difficult were a section on instincts, and another on equality. But all in all it is well worth a look. It is certainly different.

Book Description

n the tradition of Friday Night Lights, an extraordinary journey into the basketball-crazed culture of remote Arctic Alaska .

The village of Fort Yukon sits eight miles above the Arctic Circle, deep in Alaska’s “bush” country. The six hundred men, women and children who live there—almost all of them Athabascan Gwich’in Natives—have little to cheer for. Their traditional Indian ways of life are rapidly vanishing in the face of a modern culture that is closing in on all sides, threatening to destroy their community and their identity. The one source of pride they can count on is their boys’ high school basketball team—the Fort Yukon Eagles.

Eagle Blue follows the Eagles, winners of six regional championships in a row, through the course of an entire 28-game season, from their first day of practice in late November to the Alaska State Championship Tournament in March. With insight, frankness, and compassion, Michael D’Orso climbs into the lives of these fourteen boys, their families, and their coach, shadowing them through an Arctic winter of fifty-below-zero temperatures and near-round-the-clock darkness as the Eagles criss-cross Alaska by air, van, and snow machine in pursuit of their—and their village’s—dream.

Customer Reviews:

Boldly honest perspective of Native life in modern Arctic Alaska.......2007-05-09

Boldly honest, "insiders" perspective from an outsider. Interesting insight into modern Native life in Arctic Alaska.

D'Orso's honest, unembellished presentation of everyday life for the characters - team members and townspeople of Fort Yukon - allows the reader to gain an open true look at what everyday life entails in this part of Alaska. It brings out the difficulties of living in the outposts of Arctic Alaska, Native vs. modern culture, politics vs. the land/natural resources/hunting/etc., and of course the tale of a group of young men and women representing their town as members of high school basketball teams. The pressures faced by these young men as individuals, family members, and town members and how each deals with it and grows shows a great view of life as it unfolds for them. Their daily lives are woven around the story of the basketball team and the course of a season sharing the success and adversity over the course of the year. A wonderful mix of human interest and basketball.

Highly enjoyable read.

Alaskan Basketball.......2007-04-12

This review of a basketball team's season is about an entire culture and about life. You'll be rooting on the Eagle Blue as you read this true story.

Splendid effort.......2007-03-20

I've read many books about a sports season that, in a boring way, review game highlights. D'Orso reviews the entire culture, what basketball means in bush country, Alaska, in prose that is wonderful and intelligent.

Well worth the read!.......2007-01-10

Excellent book on life and sports. I'd recommend this to everyone, especially players and coaches at all levels.

eagle blue review.......2006-12-13

Eagle Blue by Michael D'Orso is story about a high school's basketball team's journey through their season. When a teacher decides to help out a high school basketball team the boys skills, reputation and endurance are put to the test. As the team moves on through the season they discover there strengths and weaknesses on and off the court. I personally am not a big fan of heroic sports stories were the main team wins every single game. This however has got to be one the greatest books I've ever read. Read eagle blue and get captured in a wonderful story about a team, a tribe, and a basketball team in artic Alaska.

Eagle Blue: A Team, a Tribe, and a High School Basketball Season in Arctic Alaska

Average customer rating:

Eagle Blue: A Team, a Tribe, and a High School Basketball Season in Arctic Alaska
Michael D'Orso
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

History of Sports | Miscellaneous | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Basketball | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1596911158
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Book Description

Eagle Blue follows the Fort Yukon Eagles, winners of six regional championships in a row, through the course of an entire 28-game season, from their first day of practice in late November to the Alaska State Championship Tournament in March. With insight, frankness, and compassion, Michael D’Orso climbs into the lives of these fourteen boys, their families, and their coach, shadowing them through an Arctic winter of fifty-below-zero temperatures and near-round-the-clock darkness as the Eagles criss-cross Alaska in pursuit of their—and their village’s—dream.

Customer Reviews:

A good book - even if you only come away with a few good hints.......2005-12-11

This book is good for all travellers, the inexperienced AND the well travelled. The reviewer giving a rating of one star described the book accurately but one's opinion of this book may be very different depending on perspective. I have travelled a lot internationally and I still find that I tweak and improve my preparation plans before I depart. So any ideas that I can get are very helpful. For $6 if you can come away with several good tips out of the 250 in this book, I think it is worth it. The whole book can be read in less than two hours.

The book does have a lot of common sense, obvious tips. Here is an example of a good tip from the book: "I e-mail important details, such as passport, credit card, travellers cheques and insurance policy numbers, to my travelling e-mail acocunt. If I lose everything, I can still access this information. For those who worry about the security on internet cafes etc, writing card and policy numbers in codes (for example consistently changing the last two numbers or inserting your phone number in the middle) will keep the information disguised".

Here is a personal travel tip from myself that was not mentioned in the book: If you rely on using an ATM card for travel funds, create a second banking account with just enough travel money before your trip so that you have two ATM cards. Keep both cards in different places. If one is lost or stolen and you report it, you can rely on your other ATM card. You will not have access to a newly issued card from the bank while you are overseas.

Doesn't match the quality of LP travel guides.......2004-05-02

Being a fan of Lonely Planet's travel guide books, I bought this small and inexpensive book as soon as I saw it. It contains 250 tips sent in from different travellers. The travellers' names are given with each tip.

I expected high information density and helpful experiences of many travellers to learn from. But of the 250 tips only about five (5) were roughly interesting. The rest is either silly or self-evident -- at least to me. I have to admit, however, that I often travelled with a backpack already and may be a bit experienced. Many of these tips are found in travel guide books, too.

I'm picking a few examples randomly. Here's the first: "If vegetarian, learn how to say you are in the language of the country you're heading to." - My goodness, did you expect this? Another tip says: "Here's how to make free tomato soup: free ketchup packets, free milk for coffee, free hot water. Mix in free styrofoam cup and use your own personal flair." - Yuck, how disgusting! And one more example from the book: "Be careful with free drinks from strangers, they may be spiked" - Thanks, my mother taught me this when I was fourteen. Another one: "Try to read a novel set in the area you're visiting" - and with this level of sophistication it continues through 90 small pages (20 of which are wasted for the oversized chapter headlines).

One of the more helpful tips: "Keep warm with multiple layers rather than bulky coats - these will annoy you extremely."

Book Description

With Samson's butterfly kite flat on the ground and her own kite soaring, Sharon thought of shouting, "Okay, Samson Wong, you big-mouth. Let's see you fly your wonderful kite. Big wings will do it every time, right?"

But now that she had her chance to get even with Samson, Sharon didn't feel like fighting. She was happy just watching her kite pull into the clouds. For the first time in her life, Sharon had something Chinese that she was proud of and she was enjoying herself!

Teach Me to Fly, Skyfighter! and Other Stories offers four closely-observed accounts of growing up in contemporary Vancouver's Chinatown, highlighting the joys and frustrations of growing up in two cultures simultaneously.

Book Description

As the "information superhighway" moves into the home through interactive media, enhanced telecom services, and hybrid appliances, interest continually grows in how consumers adopt and use Information Technology (IT), the strategies IT marketers use to reach consumers, and the public policies that help and protect consumers. USE COPY FROM THIS POINT ON FOR GENERAL CATALOGS... This book presents a unique collection of papers dealing with the demand side issues of new information technologies in the home. The contributors are from business, academia, and the public policy sector and represent many disciplines including communication, marketing, economics, psychology, engineering, and information systems.

This book provides one of the best introductions to complex issues such as:
* business forces that will shape "Home IT" of the future;
* industry structure of the future "Infotainment" mega-business;
* factors affecting consumer adoption and use of IT;
* international differences in the management of the IT sector; and
* public policies that will shape the deployment and use of IT.

Book Description

This book brings together the articles on which Fisher's reputation was founded. It deals with central features of the English economy, in particular the importance of London, both as a social and economic hub, and the nature of internal and external trade. The essays can rightly be described as classics.

Book Description

Bridging a gap between economic theory and observed reality, this book examines the most visible central banks, the move to monetary union in Europe, the IMF's new role, the rise of managed market economies, and the elevated importance of central banks. In central banking, attention has often turned to the management of liquidity crises and the attainment of economic stability. In the global economy, the respective market economies are more interconnected, and information regarding crises in one part of the industrialized world is rapidly communicated to other nations, giving the crises themselves a more immediate impact. The Asian debt and liquidity crises of 1997-98 were seen as having an impact on the United States, the European Union countries, and even China. In the effort to attain international stability, the information emanating from central banks at a policy level is crucial. This book aims to depict an ideal central bank for a globally connected country. Two developments heighten the need for such an operations/policy-based ideal: the lessons learned from the European moves to monetary union and the establishment of the European Central Bank, and the increased awareness of banking problems in Asia during the 1997-98 debt and liquidity crises. This timely work will be of interest to economists, bank officials, government policy makers and political scientists.

Central Banking, Crises, and Global Economy

Average customer rating:

Central Banking, Crises, and Global Economy
William Frazer
Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ORD2RC

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