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We Came Naked and Barefoot: The Journey of Cabeza de Vaca across North America
By Alex D. Krieger. 2002
Perhaps no one has ever been such a survivor as álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca. Member of a 600-man expedition…
sent out from Spain to colonize "La Florida" in 1527, he survived a failed exploration of the west coast of Florida, an open-boat crossing of the Gulf of Mexico, shipwreck on the Texas coast, six years of captivity among native peoples, and an arduous, overland journey in which he and the three other remaining survivors of the original expedition walked some 1,500 miles from the central Texas coast to the Gulf of California, then another 1,300 miles to Mexico City.Chaga
By David Wolfe, Ramiz Saad, Pierre Beaumier. 2012
Taking the counsel of Hippocrates--"Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food"--acclaimed author David Wolfe brings the wisdom…
of eating herbal medicine to today's health-conscious readers. His enthusiastic fan base, which includes celebrities such as Woody Harrelson and Angela Bassett, continues to blossom as more and more people realize the healing and immunity-boosting properties of raw and medicinal foods. In Chaga, Wolfe presents the many virtues of medicinal mushrooms, which boost immunity, stave off allergies and asthma, help fight against cancer, and generally improve core vitality. But the star of the book is chaga--"the king of the mushrooms"--which holds the greatest storehouse of medicinal properties of any mushroom species. In addition to exploring the extraordinary history, lore, scientific research, and future of this potent healing mushroom, Wolfe provides readers with recipes for teas, soups, fermentations, and tinctures--as well as tips on how to obtain quality chaga products. Other mushrooms are also discussed, such as the fabled queen of the medicinal mushrooms, reishi--which promotes a healthy immune system--and the cordyceps--which fights fatigue, improves endurance, increases lung capacity, and more. The wealth of wisdom, research, recipes, and advice will enlighten and satisfy Wolfe's fans, as well as any reader curious about natural ways to improve health and promote healing.The Predator Paradox
By John Shivik. 2014
An expert in wildlife management tells the stories of those who are finding new ways for humans and mammalian predators…
to coexist. Stories of backyard bears and cat-eating coyotes are becoming increasingly common--even for people living in non-rural areas. Farmers anxious to protect their sheep from wolves aren't the only ones concerned: suburbanites and city dwellers are also having more unwanted run-ins with mammalian predators. And that might not be a bad thing. After all, our government has been at war with wildlife since 1914, and the death toll has been tremendous: federal agents kill a combined ninety thousand wolves, bears, coyotes, and cougars every year, often with dubious biological effectiveness. Only recently have these species begun to recover. Given improved scientific understanding and methods, can we continue to slow the slaughter and allow populations of mammalian predators to resume their positions as keystone species? As carnivore populations increase, however, their proximity to people, pets, and livestock leads to more conflict, and we are once again left to negotiate the uneasy terrain between elimination and conservation. In The Predator Paradox, veteran wildlife management expert John Shivik argues that we can end the war while still preserving and protecting these key species as fundamental components of healthy ecosystems. By reducing almost sole reliance on broad scale "death from above" tactics and by incorporating nonlethal approaches to managing wildlife--from electrified flagging to motion-sensor lights--we can dismantle the paradox, have both people and predators on the landscape, and ensure the long-term survival of both. As the boundary between human and animal habitat blurs, preventing human-wildlife conflict depends as much on changing animal behavior as on changing our own perceptions, attitudes, and actions. To that end, Shivik focuses on the facts, mollifies fears, and presents a variety of tools and tactics for consideration. Blending the science of the wild with entertaining and dramatic storytelling, Shivik's clear-eyed pragmatism allows him to appeal to both sides of the debate, while arguing for the possibility of coexistence: between ranchers and environmentalists, wildlife managers and animal-welfare activists, and humans and animals.Alive!
By Editors of Readers Digest. 2014
Alive! is a heart-stopping collection of survival stories from the archives of Reader's Digest's 'Drama in Real Life' series. Editors…
have mined the Reader's Digest archives to bring readers Alive! Extraordinary Stories of Ordinary People Who Survived Deadly Tornadoes, Avalanches, Shipwrecks and More. In "Super Storm," Rick Gregory, an off-duty patrolman watches an F3 tornado ravage his small Tennessee town where split-second decisions make the difference between life and death. In "Avalanche!" Luke Edgar, a young father and backcountry snowboarder goes out with a buddy for a fun day on Mt. Rainier and gets buried alive in an avalanche. "Swarm," tells the story of the Walker family, out for a day trip in the Florida marsh when they get entangled in a yellow-jacket nest. The mother, Debbie, fighting anaphylactic shock must leave her injured husband and children in order to find help as time runs out. Adventure writer Tim Cahill recounts how he barely survives the extreme heat of Death Valley despite his experience as an outdoorsman in "Across the Valley of Fire"; and in "Pacific Cyclone," Tony Farrington tells the harrowing story of the crews of three sailboats who run into an unimaginable storm in the normally calm South Pacific. Readers will be on the edge of their seats as they are drawn into the dramatic tales of everyday people suddenly cast into life or death situations. Whether out on a planned adventure or simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, the heroes of these stories are connected by their fierce desire to survive against all odds. Wildfires, blizzards, attacks by grizzlies, jet crashes in the jungle, are just some of the conditions people face in these stories of survival. Readers will be on the edge of their seats as they follow adventurers and laymen alike as they face down nature's fury in the most extreme circumstances, and find strength they didn't know they had, proving the depth and resilience of the human spirit. As Tim Cahill so elegantly puts it, "Then I knew, really knew, that there is a way to get from one extreme to the other, the peaks and valleys. And there is a beauty so fierce only savage emotions like fear and triumph allow us to see it."The Ogallala Road
By Julene Bair. 2014
A love affair unfolds as crisis hits a family farm on the high plains Julene Bair has inherited part of…
a farming empire and fallen in love with a rancher from Kansas's beautiful Smoky Valley. She means to create a family, provide her son with the father he longs for, and preserve the Bair farm for the next generation, honoring her own father's wish and commandment, "Hang on to your land!" But part of her legacy is a share of the ecological harm the Bair Farm has done: each growing season her family--like other irrigators--pumps over two hundred million gallons out of the Ogallala aquifer. The rapidly disappearing aquifer is the sole source of water on the vast western plains, and her family's role in its depletion haunts her. As traditional ways of life collide with industrial realities, Bair must dramatically change course. Updating the territory mapped by Jane Smiley, Pam Houston, and Terry Tempest Williams, and with elements of Cheryl Strayed's Wild, The Ogallala Road tells a tale of the West today and points us toward a new way to love both the land and one another.The Crocodile Hunter
By Steve, Terri Irwin. 2001
When Terri Raines was twenty-seven years old, she took a vacation that changed her life. Leaving behind her wildlife rescue…
work in Oregon, Terri traveled to Australia, and there, at a small wildlife park, she met and fell in love with a tall, blond force of nature named Steve Irwin. They were married in less than a year, and Terri eagerly joined in Steve's conservation work. The footage filmed on their crocodile-trapping honeymoon became the first episode of T"he Crocodile Hunter," and together, Steve and Terri began to change the world. In "Steve & Me," Terri recounts the unforgettable adventures they shared -- wrangling venomous snakes, saving deadly crocodiles from poachers, swimming among humpback whales. A uniquely gifted naturalist, Steve was first and foremost a wildlife warrior dedicated to rescuing endangered animals -- especially his beloved crocs -- and educating everyone he could reach about the importance of conservation. In the hit TV shows that continue to be broadcast worldwide, Steve's enthusiasm lives on, bringing little-known and often-feared species to light as he reveals and revels in the wonders of our planet. With grace, wit, and candor, Terri Irwin portrays her husband as he really was -- a devoted family man, a fervently dedicated environmentalist, a modest bloke who spoke to millions on behalf of those who could not speak for themselves. "Steve & Me" is a nonstop adventure, a real-life love story, and a fitting tribute to a man adored by all those whose lives he touched, written by the woman who knew and loved him best of all.Explore Weather and Climate!
By Bryan Stone, Kathleen M Reilley. 2011
What's it like outside? And what are you going to do about it?Every morning, before heading to school or out…
to play, kids want to know what the weather is going to be like that day. Is it a day for building a snowman, constructing a sandcastle, or planting a garden? Will they be stuck inside because of rain at recess? Or stuck at home because of snow? And what about tomorrow? Explore Weather and Climate! will help kids understand the "how" and "why" behind the "what." They'll learn how wind, sun, and water combine to form the weather we experience every day. They'll find out why the weather gets extreme. Explore Weather and Climate! offers engaging text reinforced with 25 hands on projects that include creating a storm in a bottle, touching the clouds, and eating an edible climate map, resulting in an unforgettable understanding of these forces of nature.Discover the Desert
By Sam Carbaugh, Kathryn Ceceri. 2009
Delving into a seemingly dry and barren ecosystem, this fun-filled activity book closely examines the desert landscape and shows how…
many exciting discoveries it holds. Exploring native plants and animals and depicting the extreme temperatures, rough terrain, and vast distances in detail, this lively reference describes lost civilizations as well as today's desert-dwelling cultures. "Try This" science and history activities are also included-from creating mirages and fashioning an Anasazi clay bowl to growing salt crystals and even assembling a cactus dish terrarium. Demonstrating why adventurers have always been drawn to the world's deserts, this entertaining overview also provides education on the environment, examining how the health of the planet depends on the careful treatment of the desert's many resources.Storms
By Seymour Simon. 1989
"A succinct, informative essay illuminated by magnificent photographs. The subject is particularly absorbing, as it highlights the natural drama of…
a commonly experienced phenomenon. . . . The stunning visual portrayal of storms, accompanied by impressive factual data and clear explanations in crisp prose, is truly compelling. "--Horn Book.Resilience Thinking: Sustaining Ecosystems and People in a Changing World
By Brian Walker, David Salt, Walter Reid. 2006
Increasingly, cracks are appearing in the capacity of communities, ecosystems, and landscapes to provide the goods and services that sustain…
our planet's well-being. The response from most quarters has been for "more of the same" that created the situation in the first place: more control, more intensification, and greater efficiency. "Resilience thinking" offers a different way of understanding the world and a new approach to managing resources. It embraces human and natural systems as complex entities continually adapting through cycles of change, and seeks to understand the qualities of a system that must be maintained or enhanced in order to achieve sustainability. It explains why greater efficiency by itself cannot solve resource problems and offers a constructive alternative that opens up options rather than closing them down. In Resilience Thinking, scientist Brian Walker and science writer David Salt present an accessible introduction to the emerging paradigm of resilience. The book arose out of appeals from colleagues in science and industry for a plainly written account of what resilience is all about and how a resilience approach differs from current practices. Rather than complicated theory, the book offers a conceptual overview along with five case studies of resilience thinking in the real world. It is an engaging and important work for anyone interested in managing risk in a complex world.The Pocket Book of Stones, Revised Edition: Who They Are and What They Teach
By Robert Simmons. 2015
The spiritual and healing qualities of 390 members of the mineral kingdom are detailed here in The Pocket Book of…
Stones, Robert Simmons's condensed reference guide to to crystals and gems. Based on the bestselling The Book of Stones: Who They Are and What They Teach, this guide describes 47 new stones not covered in the original encyclopedia and also contains an index of the spiritual, emotional, and healing qualities of the stones.This pocket edition has been requested by many readers who are looking for a compact reference that they can carry easily or give as an inexpensive gift to the rock-lovers on their gift lists. Incorporating beautifully lit, full-color photos of each stone, it imparts the spiritual understanding that made The Book of Stones the "bible" of many thousands of crystal lovers.This book is an ideal introduction to stones and their energies for those who are new to the field, as well as being an invaluable portable reference for well-versed readers. Every entry contains a vivid color photo and quick-look list of key words, elemental and chakra correspondences, plus the beneficial physical, emotional, and spiritual qualities of each mineral, crystal, or gemstone. Below the quick-look list, Simmons provides a description of each stone, including scientific data and the story of each stone's spiritual and healing qualities, as well as recommednations for other stones that combine harmoniously with it. The scientific information offered welcomes those not yet familiar with crystal energies by providing a familiar frame of reference and also broadens the knowledge of those who come to stones primarily for spiritual purposes.The Pocket Book of Stones includes a comprehensive index of the healing qualities and the emotional and spiritual properties of all the stones in the book.From the Trade Paperback edition.The Book of Stones, Revised Edition: Who They Are and What They Teach
By Robert Simmons, Naisha Ahsian, Hazel Ravel. 2015
Often dubbed the "crystals bible," this comprehensive reference guide to the spiritual and healing qualities of 455 sacred stones has…
become the go-to book for looking up the properties of gems and minerals. Each entry includes vivid color photographs for each stone to aid identification and to showcase its beauty, as well as listing its scientific information, its element and chakra correspondences, and the physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits of each stone.Illustrated by gorgeously lit, clear color photos to aid quick identification, the book offers an illuminating alphabetical journey through the mineral kingdom, stone by stone. This new edition of The Book of Stones, the best-selling guide to some of Earth's most beautiful natural objects, is revised to include 76 new entries.The book begins with two introductory chapters detailing advice by authors Naisha Ahsian and Robert Simmons on how to work with crystals and stones--including the concept of crystal resonance and the scientific observation that living organisms (such as ourselves) are liquid crystalline structures. Each entry begins with the stone name and photo, plus its elemental and chakra correspondences, as well as keywords that indicate its properties. Next comes a description of the crystal structure, hardness, history, and known locations of each mineral, plus any relevant legend or lore from the past. Each author then offers their own take and personal insights on the subtle energy properties and spiritual applications of the stone. The entries conclude with summaries of the spiritual, emotional, and physical healing qualities of the stone, and an affirmation for evoking its potential benefits. The book's presentation is straightforward enough to make it an excellent introduction for beginners, yet the level of detail and the depth of research make it an invaluable resource for the most experienced stone practitioners.From the Trade Paperback edition.Muir: Nature Writings
By John Muir, William Cronon. 1880
In a lifetime of exploration, writing, and passionate political activism, John Muir made himself America's most eloquent spokesman for the…
mystery and majesty of the wilderness. A crucial figure in the creation of our national parks system and a visionary prophet of environmental awareness, he was also a master of natural description who evoked with unique power and intimacy the untrammeled landscapes of the American West. Nature Writings collects his most significant and best-loved works in a single volume. The Story of My Boyhood and Youth (1913) is Muir's account of growing up by the sea in Scotland, of coming to America with his family at age eleven, and of his early fascination with the natural world. My First Summer in the Sierra (1911) is his famous account of the spiritual awakening he experienced when, 1869, he first encountered the mountains and valleys of central California. The Mountains of California (1894) draws on half a lifetime of exploration of the high Sierra country to celebrate and evoke the region's lakes, forests, flowers, and animals in a masterpiece of observation and poetic description. Also included are the widely popular "Stickeen" (1909), Muir's affectionate story of an adventure with a dog in Alaska, and a rich selection of essays - including "Yosemite Glaciers", "God's First Temples", "Snow-Storm on Mount Shasta", "The American Forests", and the late appeal "Save the Redwoods" - highlighting various aspects of his career: his exploration of what became Yosemite and Yellowstone national parks and the Grand Canyon, his successful crusades to preserve the wilderness, his early walking tour to Florida, and the Alaska journey of 1879.Turn Left at Orion
By Guy Consolmagno, Dan M. Davis. 2011
A superb guidebook described in Bookwatch as 'the home astronomer's "bible"', Turn Left at Orion provides all the information beginning…
amateur astronomers need to observe the Moon, the planets and a whole host of celestial objects. Large format diagrams show these objects exactly as they appear in a small telescope and for each object there is information on the current state of our astronomical knowledge. Revised and updated, this new edition contains a chapter with ten new spreads describing spectacular deep sky objects visible from the southern hemisphere, and tips on observing the upcoming transits of Venus. It also discusses Dobsonian telescopes, with hints on using personal computers and the Internet as aids for planning an observing session. Also new to this edition are redrawn "Guidepost" figures at the beginning of each season chapter that allow readers to visualize a three-dimensional view of the sky's dome; redesigned seasonal object layouts that provide more space for the naked-eye charts; a new spread on double stars near Bo_tes has been added to Spring, replacing the "Shrinking Double" spread; and a unique "When and Where to Look" table has been added to the last page, among other new features. Unlike many guides to the night sky, this book is specifically written for observers using small telescopes. Clear and easy to use, this fascinating book will appeal to skywatchers of all ages and backgrounds. No previous knowledge of astronomy is needed.Caving: Exploring Limestone Caves
By Larry Dane Brimner. 2001
At the Lightning Field
By Laura Raicovich. 2017
Walter De Maria's "Lightning Field" is 400 stainless steel poles, positioned 220 feet apart, in the desert of central New…
Mexico. Over the course of several visits, it becomes, for Raicovich, a site for confounding and revealing perceptions of time, space, duration, and light; how changeable they are, while staying the same.Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards
By H. Jay Melosh, Paul Slovic, Peter T. Bobrowsky, Tom Beer, Norm Catto, Bill Mcguire, Pedro Basabe, Viacheslav Gusiakov, Philipp Schmidt-Thomé, Farrokh Nadim. 2013
Few subjects have caught the attention of the entire world as much as those dealing with natural hazards. The first…
decade of this new millennium provides a litany of tragic examples of various hazards that turned into disasters affecting millions of individuals around the globe. The human losses (some 225,000 people) associated with the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the economic costs (approximately 200 billion USD) of the 2011 Tohoku Japan earthquake, tsunami and reactor event, and the collective social impacts of human tragedies experienced during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 all provide repetitive reminders that we humans are temporary guests occupying a very active and angry planet. Any examples may have been cited here to stress the point that natural events on Earth may, and often do, lead to disasters and catastrophes when humans place themselves into situations of high risk. Few subjects share the true interdisciplinary dependency that characterizes the field of natural hazards. From geology and geophysics to engineering and emergency response to social psychology and economics, the study of natural hazards draws input from an impressive suite of unique and previously independent specializations. Natural hazards provide a common platform to reduce disciplinary boundaries and facilitate a beneficial synergy in the provision of timely and useful information and action on this critical subject matter. As social norms change regarding the concept of acceptable risk and human migration leads to an explosion in the number of megacities, coastal over-crowding and unmanaged habitation in precarious environments such as mountainous slopes, the vulnerability of people and their susceptibility to natural hazards increases dramatically. Coupled with the concerns of changing climates, escalating recovery costs, a growing divergence between more developed and less developed countries, the subject of natural hazards remains on the forefront of issues that affect all people, nations, and environments all the time. This treatise provides a compendium of critical, timely and very detailed information and essential facts regarding the basic attributes of natural hazards and concomitant disasters. The Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards effectively captures and integrates contributions from an international portfolio of almost 300 specialists whose range of expertise addresses over 330 topics pertinent to the field of natural hazards. Disciplinary barriers are overcome in this comprehensive treatment of the subject matter. Clear illustrations and numerous color images enhance the primary aim to communicate and educate. The inclusion of a series of unique "classic case study" events interspersed throughout the volume provides tangible examples linking concepts, issues, outcomes and solutions. These case studies illustrate different but notable recent, historic and prehistoric events that have shaped the world as we now know it. They provide excellent focal points linking the remaining terms in the volume to the primary field of study. This Encyclopedia of Natural Hazards will remain a standard reference of choice for many years.The Age of Missing Information
By Bill Mckibben. 2006
"Highly personal and original . . . McKibben goes beyond Marshall McLuhan's theory that the medium is the message."----The New…
York Times Imagine watching an entire day's worth of television on every single channel. Acclaimed environmental writer and culture critic Bill McKibben subjected himself to this sensory overload in an experiment to verify whether we are truly better informed than previous generations. Bombarded with newscasts and fluff pieces, game shows and talk shows, ads and infomercials, televangelist pleas and Brady Bunch episodes, McKibben processed twenty-four hours of programming on all ninety-three Fairfax, Virginia, cable stations. Then, as a counterpoint, he spent a day atop a quiet and remote mountain in the Adirondacks, exploring the unmediated man and making small yet vital discoveries about himself and the world around him. As relevant now as it was when originally written in 1992-and with new material from the author on the impact of the Internet age-this witty and astute book is certain to change the way you look at television and perceive media as a whole."By turns humorous, wise, and troubling . . . a penetrating critique of technological society."-Cleveland Plain Dealer"Masterful . . . a unique, bizarre portrait of our life and times."-Los Angeles Times"Do yourself a favor: Put down the remote and pick up this book."-Houston ChronicleSeismic Evaluation and Rehabilitation of Structures
By Michael N. Fardis, Alper Ilki. 2014
In the past, facilities considered to be at the end of their useful life were demolished and replaced with new…
ones that better met the functional requirements of modern society, including new safety standards. Humankind has recently recognised the threats to the environment and to our limited natural resources due to our relentless determination to destroy the old and build anew. With the awareness of these constraints and the emphasis on sustainability, in future the majority of old structures will be retrofitted to extend their service life as long as feasible. In keeping with this new approach, the EU's Construction Products Regulation 305/2011, which is the basis of the Eurocodes, included the sustainable use of resources as an "Essential Requirement" for construction. So, the forthcoming second generation of EN-Eurocodes will cover not only the design of new structures, but the rehabilitation of existing ones as well. Most of the existing building stock and civil infrastructures are seismically deficient. When the time comes for a decision to prolong their service life with the help of structural and architectural upgrading, seismic retrofitting may be needed. Further, it is often decided to enhance the earthquake resistance of facilities that still meet their functional requirements and fulfil their purpose, if they are not earthquake-safe. In order to decide how badly a structure needs seismic upgrading or to prioritise it in a population of structures, a seismic evaluation is needed, which also serves as a guide for the extent and type of strengthening. Seismic codes do not sufficiently cover the delicate phase of seismic evaluation nor the many potential technical options for seismic upgrading; therefore research is on-going and the state-of-the-art is constantly evolving. All the more so as seismic evaluation and rehabilitation demand considerable expertise, to make best use of the available safety margins in the existing structure, to adapt the engineering capabilities and techniques at hand to the particularities of a project, to minimise disruption of use, etc. Further, as old structures are very diverse in terms of their materials and layout, seismic retrofitting does not lend itself to straightforward codified procedures or cook-book approaches. As such, seismic evaluation and rehabilitation need the best that the current state-of-the-art can offer on all aspects of earthquake engineering. This volume serves this need, as it gathers the most recent research of top seismic experts from around the world on seismic evaluation, retrofitting and closely related subjects.Im Fokus: Dem Bauplan des Lebens auf der Spur
By Dieter Lohmann, Nadja Podbregar. 2013
Welche Macht haben unsere Gene? Sind sie die schicksalhafte Blaupause, die bestimmt, wie intelligent, wie alt oder wie schön wir…
sind? Lange Zeit war dies die gängige Lehrmeinung. Doch das Dogma ihrer monolithischen Allmacht ist heute längst gefallen. Immer häufiger stoßen Forscher auf Hinweise, wie unser Leben den Genen "ins Handwerk" pfuscht und wie eng die Wechselwirkungen zwischen Erbgut, Stoffwechsel und Umwelt manchmal sind. Die moderne Biotechnologie eröffnet neue Wege der Forschung, wirft aber auch ethische und gesellschaftliche Fragen auf. Dieses Buch erklärt unter anderem, warum bei den Genen die Verpackung manchmal wichtiger ist als der Inhalt, was Viren in unserem Erbgut verloren haben und weshalb es "das Methusalem-Gen" nicht gibt.