Book Description
"A dear stream of practical knowledge with the mind change we need to save the life of our Mother Earth––and ourselves . . . This is a book for every person who loves this planet. Eagle Man shows us the joyful path home to our universal Mother."
埃ynthia Bend, Water Spirit Woman, co–author of Birth of a Modem Shaman
"A rich panorama of our native heritage which allows the seeker access to the heart of the Path of Beauty. Ed McGaa has walked this path so that all people may live in harmony."
埊amie Sams, Hancoka Olowanpi, author of Midnight Song: Quest for the Vanished Ones
"Ed McGaa is one of the first persons who can write about 0glala religion in the first person because he has lived it. For years anthropologists have hoped a Native American would portray that society from the inside out. Ed McGaa has. It's about time."
埗illiam K. Powers, author of 0glala Religion
"Fascinating as well as inspiring reading. Ed McGaa makes an excellent spiritual guide and intellectual teacher . . . The information stimulates the mind, the drawings delight the eye, and the ideas soothe the spirit."
埊ack Weatherford, author of Indian Givers
"Profound and insightful . . . Mother Earth Spirituality will be of great importance to those of us, both 'rainbow' and non–Indian people, who walk over land in search of a deeper spiritual life . . . For us, this book is an invaluable guide showing us how to do it."
埆red Alm Wolf, Ph.D., author of Taking the Quantum Leap
Customer Reviews:
The old Knowledge.......2007-05-15
If the human race could knoww the ancient knowledge it will be easy to live in peace, as a family between us as a real family and with respect to the Mother Nature, learning from Her EVERYTHING, specially, humility.
Native American Paths to Healing.......2006-07-08
Eagle Man (Ed McGaa) shares his knowledge of Lakota Sioux spiritual practices as a way to include everyone who wants to heal our world. He calls those who revere Mother Earth and want to ensure her continuation, Rainbow People. He writes in an intimate way, as if talking with friends. He describes the meaning of the various rituals and myths and shares helpful information about how non-Native people may or may not participate. In addition to his personal journey and the sacred practices, he details techniques for building a sweat lodge, making a peace pipe and more. A fascinating book which has earned a place in my personal library.
Mother Earth Spirituality : Native American Paths to Healing Ourselves and Our World (Religion and Spirituality).......2006-06-30
Easy to read and understand. Very "down to earth". A guide book to preparing the necessary items and tools of the Native culture. Very well written.
Interested in Native American Spirituality.......2006-06-27
If you're interested in Native American Spirituality then I would read most all of Eagle Man's books. He provides great insight into the Native American beliefs and customs.Personally I believe his books should be used in high school and colleges to allow others the opportunity to understand our Native American Indian brothers and sisters.
A true classic.......2005-11-17
I read this book while spending the summer backpacking around the Rocky Mountains. Anything that you carry around in a backpack for that long has to be worth the weight and this one definitely was.
Thanks Eagle Man! :)
Book Description
We are thirteen indigenous grandmothers. . . . We are deeply concerned with the unprecedented destruction of our Mother Earth, the atrocities of war, the global scourge of poverty, the prevailing culture of materialism, the epidemics that threaten the health of the Earth’s peoples, and with the destruction of indigenous ways of life.
We, the International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers, believe that our ancestral ways of prayer, peacemaking, and healing are vitally needed today. . . . We believe that the teachings of our ancestors will light our way through an uncertain future.
In some Native American societies, tribal leaders consulted a council of grandmothers before making any major decisions that would affect the whole community. What if we consulted our wise women elders about the problems facing our global community today? This book presents the insights and guidance of thirteen indigenous grandmothers from five continents, many of whom are living legends among their own peoples. The Grandmothers offer wisdom on such timely issues as nurturing our families; cultivating physical and mental health; and confronting violence, war, and poverty. Also included are the reflections of Western women elders, including Alice Walker, Gloria Steinem, Helena Norberg-Hodge, and Carol Moseley Brown.
Customer Reviews:
Wisdom long overdo.......2007-09-17
I loved this book. We are in such need of these teachings at this critical time. In our culture many of us no longer live in community and we have been separated from our family elders and deprived of their wisdom.
These women have important information to share. Please listen and learn.
Indigenous Grandmothers carry hope for humanity.......2007-09-01
This is a quick read due to the intriguing spiritual connections and prophecy found in the various corners of the world through the stories of the Grandmothers. Their wisdom is so grounded and exhibits Universal Truths. They have deep understandings of what is needed to evolve and mature humankind. They also speak forthrightly of what changes are required IF we are to survive our own mishaps. The book highlights the importance of awakening and acknowledging the Oneness of All. It is a call to step forward with courage and endeavor to bring healing to our world.
A Must Read Book!.......2007-08-23
I am purchasing this book as a gift for all my friends. If you care about the planet, please read this book and then pass it onto others. I had the priviledge of meeting the Grandmothers and their message must be heard by everyone!
So much wisdom.......2007-07-30
Beautiful book filled with traditional guides for human beings living together in peace. Contains thought provoking wisdom for the reader looking for personal growth, traditional parenting or a better community.
This is a book worth reading again and again, but more importantly sharing with others.
Wonderful, inspiring, and IMPORTANT!.......2007-05-25
This is a lovely book, with in depth looks at some very formidable and interesting ladies! I had the pleasure (blessing, really) of meeting Agnes Baker-Pilgrim and Flordemayo this month, and they are truly awe inspiring. I can only imagine all 13 of them together! The book is well written, inspiring (especially to women), and carries an important message. The traditional ways are slipping away from the majority of the people on Mother Earth, and materialism is taking hold. People who hold spirituality and a connection to Mother Earth sacred are becoming rare jewels. The Grandmothers encourage each of us to stop and listen to the world, to open our eyes and SEE rather than just look. Don't just speak... walk your talk, as Grandmother Agnes would say!
Book Description
OUR WORLD TODAY: PEOPLE, PLACES, AND ISSUES MAKE THE WORLD AN UNDERSTANDABLE PLACE FOR YOUR STUDENTS With its unique integration of culture, history, economics, government, and geography, Our World Today challenges middle school students to explore the issues and challenges of each region. Co-authored by the National Geographic Society, the program is loaded with motivating activities and the skills, reading strategies, and content that will engage your students. National Geographic cartographers created every map and atlas, so you’re assured of pinpoint accuracy. A new and exclusive video program from National Geographic provides stunning visuals and allows students an up-close look at the places they’re studying. Features Reading Success is a High Priority • Built-in active reading strategies, such as Foldables® Guide to Reading, Reading Checks, and Reading Review, enable all students at all levels to read and understand the program’s content. • New and Exclusive! Foldables® are innovative, student-made three-dimensional graphic organizers used as reading, assessment, or study tools. Students of any ability can create Foldables, and hands-on experience immerses students in learning.
Amazon.com
Paying his own way, Mark Hertsgaard set out on a world tour in 1991 wondering what people thought of environmental problems. Earth Odyssey is his result, a sweeping and provocative work of travel and serious reporting that covers 19 countries and reveals, with often stark reality and vision, the legacy and prospects for our global environment.
Hertsgaard focuses on and reveals much of his story through the people who guide him and whom he meets along the way. After touring a state-owned paper factory in Chongqing, China, and seeing billowing clouds of chlorine and foaming rivers, Hertsgaard hears his guide and interpreter Zhenbing mourning for his country. In Sudan, Hertsgaard visits areas of extreme famine and poverty, where "the environment is no abstraction" to the people who live there. Through interviews with Vaclav Havel, Jacques Cousteau, and Al Gore, as well as research and philosophy about the roles of industry and technology, the global environmental picture is etched skillfully chapter by chapter. When at Africa's Lake Turkana, Hertsgaard delineates in clarity and detail the evolution of our species and the history of technology to build perspective on our current lifestyles, values, and environmental problems.
Earth Odyssey is not only a good book, but an important one--even essential--grasping the true human predicament as we face a worldwide environmental breakdown.--Byron Ricks
Book Description
Like many of us, Mark Hertsgaard has long worried about the declining health of our environment. But in 1991, he decided to act on his own concern and investigate the escalating crisis for himself. Traveling on his own dime, he embarked on an odyssey lasting most of the decade and spanning nineteen countries. Now, in
Earth Odyssey he reports on our environmental predicament through the eyes of the people who live it.
Earth Odyssey is a vivid, passionate narrative about one man's journey around the world in search of the answer to the essential question of our time: Is the future of the human species at risk? Combining first-rate reportage with irresistible storytelling, Mark Hertsgaard has written an essential--and ultimately hopeful--book about the uncertain fate of humankind.
Customer Reviews:
A good balance between environmental statistics and personal narrative.......2005-10-07
This book does a great job in bringing down to human scale otherwise abstract concepts like global warming, overpopulation and resource management. Anyone who enjoys reading travel stories and learning about the impact our current state of development may have in future generations will enjoy reading Earth Odyssey.
sobering thoughtful book about our planet.......2005-07-28
Excellent review of factors which influence our environmental survival. Very easy to read. Hertsgaard puts a human face on many of these issues by including stories of people he meets on his journey. Good index.
Shows that environmental stories are human stories.......2005-03-21
Journalist Mark Hertsgaard sets out on his own to circumnavigate the globe, recording a broad array of environmental woes along the way.
As much as this book focuses on the environmental problems we face, the writing returns again and again to the people that Hertsgaard meets along the way. His characterization of the individuals that he meets are presented in a narrative style that really brings those people to life. We can understand, after reading the book, why the Chinese government has such an abominable record, and the Chinese people make a compelling argument that environmental concerns must come second to financial concerns. The fact that we can see this is a "long walk off a short pier" doesn't change the fact that China is caught between a rock and a hard place.
Hertsgaard presents many human stories that are, in their way, more interesting than the environmental problems he explores. His on-the-ground visit to a polluted river, for example, is almost exactly what I would expect. The river is dirty, the water ugly. But the interpreter who accompanies him on part of his visit to China provides far more surprising, and interesting, reading.
Hertsgaard also ends on a ray of hope, presenting some of the solutions that have yet to gain widespread acceptance, but which demonstrate that a sustainable future is available, should individuals and governments muster the willpower to implement it.
Overall, I was impressed with the writing and the attention to detail that Hertsgaard displays. I'm not sure if every trip that he made paid off, in terms of providing insight via a ground-level look at some of these issues, but overall, he has given us all something to think about.
An Environmental-Issue Must-Have.......2005-01-07
This is a heart-wrenching and eye-opening tale of our earth's health, yet the book maintains throughout a sense of hope in humanity's abilities. I believe that all priviledged developed-world citizens should read this to understand how the "other half" of the world's inhabitants are forced to live. Hertsgaard created here a smooth and flawless read that never becomes tedious.
Our environmental crisis.......2003-11-16
Investigative reporter Mark Hertsgaard spent six years traveling around the world, gathering material for this book. This is not strictly a scientific treatise (although he conducted extensive research into his topics). Rather, he reports through the eyes of the people who live in the environmentally damaged places he visited. The theme of the book is how technology has both benefitted and harmed the planet and its inhabitants, and how greed continues to threaten our existence. His accounts of wanton destruction of nature in the 19th century make the reader gasp with dismay over the short-sightedness of our predecessors: the damming of a mighty river and its magnificent waterfall; the murder of the largest, oldest sequoia on earth. (Two of the examples which brought me to tears.) The horror is: the destruction, the contamination, and waste are still happening. And not only at the hands of totalitarian regimes or ignorant third-world peasants, but due to the callousness of greedy American corporations and government lobbies. The conclusions of Chapter Three, "The Irrisistable Automobile", will come as no surprise to most American readers, although the images of the perpetually gridlocked traffic-jams of fume-choked Asian cities astonished even this rider of Southern California freeways. Statistics of the predicted explosion in automobile sales world wide are especially ominous. This book was published in 1999 and exposes the hypocrisy of the Clinton administration in paying lip service to environmental issues while simultaneously caving to the demands of the powerful fossil fuel lobby. If Chapter Three is gloomy, Chapter Four, "To the Nuclear Lighthouse", is utterly terrifying. The account of Hertsgaard's visits to the most blighted areas of the former USSR is preceeded by a dismal, just recently uncensored history of the Soviets' worst nuclear disasters. While everyone knows about Chernobyl, few people knew about the radiating of the Siberian region of Chelyabinsk. Few, that is, other than the hapless residents who've been suffering its effects for years. With the aid of his translator, Russian author and photographer Vlad Tamarov, Hertsgaard conducted a relentless expose' of the deliberate coverups of "incidents" at nuke plants and shipping lanes, which irreversibly poisoned crops, fisheries, and even the water table. Even more worrisome than the damage already done are Hertsgaard's reports of poorly inventoried and practically unguarded nuclear stockpiles in volatile republics such as Kazakhstan. The American reader who attributes Soviet environmental crimes to Communist cruelty is in for an ugly shock -- Hertsgaard then documents identical coverups by our own government, of similar "incidents" on our own soil! From Russia, the author journeyed to China and Africa to report on overpopulation and its adverse effects on nature, health, and standards of living. The bleak narrative ends on a hopeful note: "Sustainable Development and the Triumph of Capitalism". Since the publication of "Earth Odyssey", the Bush administration has all but declared war on the environment, so even that fleeting hope now appears elusive.
Book Description
Reorienting the way human beings live on the Earth and educating children to their highest capacities have much in common, say the thinkers and educators behind this groundbreaking book. Both endeavors must be viewed and pursued in the context of systems: familial, geographic, ecological, political. And our efforts to build sustainable communities cannot succeed unless future generations learn how to partner with natural systems to their mutual benefit. In other words, they must become "ecologically literate."
The concept of "ecological literacy" advanced by this book's creators, the Center for Ecoliteracy in Berkeley, California, extends beyond the discipline of environmental education. It aims, as David W. Orr writes in his foreword, "toward a deeper transformation of the substance, process, and scope of education at all levels."
The reports and essays gathered here reveal the remarkable work being conducted by the center's extensive network of partners. In one middle school, for example, culinary icon Alice Waters founded a program that not only provides students with healthy meals but teaches them to garden--and thus to study life cycles and energy flows--as part of their curriculum. Other hands-on student projects supported by the center and described in this book range from stream restoration and watershed exploration to confronting environmental justice issues at the neighborhood level.
With contributions from distinguished writers and educators, such as Fritjof Capra, Wendell Berry, and Michael Ableman, Ecological Literacy marries theory and practice based on the best thinking about how the world actually works and how learning occurs. Parents and educators everywhere who are engaged in creative efforts to develop new curricula and improve children's ecological understanding will find this book to be an invaluable resource.
Customer Reviews:
English as a Second Language.......2007-01-04
I purchased this book as a gift for a young boy in Germany who is studying English. He wrote me a thank-you note (in English) saying tne book is "brilliant." Even the adults around him had great fun looking at this lively book. I was attracted to the interactive format of the book. It can be used with the internet.
AWESOME!.......2006-02-23
This is a beautiful book that encourages children to learn about their world. Information is provided in bits, making it easy for children to digest. In addition, the internet links provide unlimited learning on the topics in the book. As far as the person who complained that they showed a photo of NYC without the World Trade Centers, I think you need to be aware that the book was published in 2002 and the WTC no longer was there, nor will ever be there in the future. Don't we need to depict the here and now truth in our books for children?
Colorful book - bias presentation.......2005-09-22
While the book is well made and quite educational, I can not avoid but see the bias of the publisher in presenting the "world." I almost wonder what world are they presenting? P. 52-53 the "City" depicting NYC without WTC, and the picture of a Mosque in the middle of their "city" (no other religious buildings there i.e. no church or synagogue near by). Living in post 9/11 America I find this offensive. This is certainly not the "world" I would want my child to live in.
The Usborne First Encyclopedia of Our World.......2005-09-11
This is a colorful and interesting science text for a first to third grader and definitely worth the price. It has a neat internet link feature which I know my child will enjoy.
Book Description
Geographic data models are digital frameworks that describe the location and characteristics of things in the world around us. With a geographic information system, we can use these models as lenses to see, interpret, and analyze the infinite complexity of our natural and man-made environments. With the geodatabase, a new geographic data model introduced with ArcInfo 8, you can extend significantly the level of detail and range of accuracy with which you can model geographic reality in a database environment.
Customer Reviews:
ESRI Geodatabase design concepts.......2005-11-22
This book gives an overview of the geodatabase CONCEPTS in ESRI's ArcGIS 8.3 and above. This is not a "how-to" guide, but introduces geodatabases and the ubiquitous Unified Modeling Language (UML) diagrams. Readers are at least introduced to the functionality and displays in ArcCatalog and layers. For those just used to simple maps, the concepts of surface modeling with triangulated irregular networks (TIN), geographic networks and flow, and raster data sets were introduced.
For one coming to the geographic databases by way of traditional databases, the concepts of adding attributes to relationships may have been too lightly covered. Additionally the concepts of subtypes (versus attribute domains) to define behavior to different classification of your data was new and useful. The topological operators are introduced, but the rich set of topological rules is barely introduced. Although ArcGis map versioning and workflow some of the concepts of enterprise GIS (as manifest in ArcIMS products and SDE) were not introduced.
Those desiring a how-to guide, would be well served after reading this book to take the ESRI online class "Creating, Editing, and Managing Geodatabases for ArcGIS 9" which has exercises and examples.
as described.......2005-10-04
product was exactly what I ordered in excellent condition at a very good price.
layers is a key idea.......2005-09-30
Zeiler conveys a good sense of the ever increasing diversity of GIS usage. He writes for someone who is putting together a geographic database. From his experience, he gives many practical suggestions, spanning frequently occurring issues.
A major idea is that a map has layers. A layer might have data of raster images, or annotations, or lines. Plus, a layer might be a group of layers. Photoshop users will recognise these ideas. But GIS takes them much further. The amount and types of GIS data are often far more than any fancy Photoshop image.
It is a reference........2004-07-14
If you want to learn this much GIS terminology, you have to read hundereds of pages of ESRI's guide or reference books. This is an excellent reference in GIS literature that introduces hundereds of terms in a reasonable size and good price. The author went to the very corners of GIS-data-base structure. For any GIS-term you can find an illustration and explanation. The text is clearly written by an ArcInfo User that is some how "heavy". However,as an ArcGIS/ArcView user it was useful for me. The book title is somehow misleading at the first glance, but when you go inside, you can see no other title can fit this topic. BUY IT, if you want to know the GIS terminology to the extreme details, including backgrounds, comparative explanations and so on. DON'T BUY IT, if you want to do GIS modelling buy reading this book, as the text is mostly concentrates on data base.
Great content--needs better index.......2003-07-15
I really like this book... It's well-written, and I am finding it helpful for understanding some of the concepts new to the world of ArcGIS.
HOWEVER, to be a useful reference, there needs to be a much, much larger and comprehensive index. That's plain frustrating.
Average customer rating:
- Fascinating Book
- Wonderful Exposition!! As Gripping as a Good Novel.
- Can I be a geologist, please!
- Life returns to geology!
- Excellent, thoughtprovoking, but slow
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Stepping Stones: The Making of Our Home World
Stephen Drury
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Astronomy
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ASIN: 0198502710 |
Book Description
Many people know more about the planets Venus and Mars than they do about our home planet, Earth. Unique in our solar system, and so far as we know in the Universe itself, the Earth has been evolving for the past five billion years, and is the result of the dynamic interplay of astronomical, physical, and chemical forces ranging from the vast to the barely perceptible. The evolution of the earth has never been predictable. Life has come very close to being extinguished many times. After each such crisis, the survivors and their genes have diversified and grown in number to exploit all opportunities. Without such traumas it is hardly likely that evolution's pace could have reached its present advanced level; that of conscious life capable of changing the world, contemplating it, and in doing so changing itself at geologically stupendous rates. In Stepping Stones, Stephen Drury explores how such a seemingly fragile world could have been formed and developed. Looking at the astonishing leaps, and near catastrophes that have occurred along the way, intermingled with inexorable but slow change, the book interweaves the evidence from geology, physics, biology, and chemistry, to tell an extraordinary story of the earth's evolution spanning nearly 5 billion years.
Customer Reviews:
Fascinating Book.......2002-06-22
This is one of the best books out of the hundreds I've read on astronomy, earth science and biology. This is the rare book that weaves together these disciplines. If you read one book on how our planet got to where it is, and where it's going, this is the one.
Wonderful Exposition!! As Gripping as a Good Novel........2001-09-02
Dr. Drury has produced a much needed lay-person's exposition of Earth science - Bravo! To paraphrase his words, this book provides the complete story which is sketched out in several contemporary works dealing with life sciences and origins.
On the down-side, the reader is forced to read the authors' (short but frequent) political commentary peppered throughout the work. Marx, Engels, Lenin and other economic/political writers are quoted throughout. In most cases, the quotes are forced and read as though they were inserted in spite of the otherwise wonderful text.
Can I be a geologist, please!.......2000-03-05
For years I have been interested in geology and the evolution of life, but have rarely found any general book aimed at the non-specialist. Stepping Stones breaks completely from the single-topic approach and takes on probably the broadest scope of any book I have read - the entire evolution of our home planet, the life upon it and our own emergence from a history of quiet change interspersed with unimaginably violent events over almost 5 billion years. It links geology through physics, chemistry and biology to astronomical factors. Forget the Whole Earth Cookbook; Stepping Stones tells our story. Like all good reads, it contains a sting in the tail and blends fact, theory, speculation and some wry humour. I can't say that it is an easy read, but truly found it hard to put down. What I particularly like about it is the way that the author has divided the text into more than 20 chapters, each of which is almost self-contained and possible to read in an evening. I don't know how he did it, but the huge amount of content links together wonderfully. My favourite passage - where he jokingly links our irritating cough reflex to the survivors of a volcanic holocaust 25 million years ago when the atmosphere was thick with noxious fumes, and 90 percent of all life perished. Every living thing today descends from those survivors, and I laughed to think we may owe our being to the plague of concert halls. What I learned most - how humans evolved through a repeated sequence of huge climate and environmental shifts, which helped hone our ancestors survival skills, and generally how evolution is as much a product of outlandish chance as it is of slow change governed by genes pitted against surroundings. If I were younger, I would enroll for a geology course, and would feel confident that I could master any specialist detail thrown at me, now that I have grasped the fullest possible context from Stepping Stones!
Life returns to geology!.......2000-03-05
Drury has done for geology and the evolution of Earth and life what Carl Sagan did for the cosmos. In Stepping Stones you can see how chemistry, physics and biology combine with the evidence from rocks, and begin to understand the highly complex and extremely long past from which our own evolution has sprung. Heady stuff, but surprisingly easy to read.
Excellent, thoughtprovoking, but slow.......2000-02-14
I just finished it. It was a really great book. It is somewhat technical, as of course is must be, without going over the top.
But not being trained in neither geology, chemistry or biology it was slow work on my part. 5-10 pages max. per sitting. Too much info to digest.
But well worth the effort.
Book Description
Science has worked hard to piece together the story of the evolution of our world up to this point, but only recently have we developed the understanding and the tools to describe the entire life cycle of our planet. Peter D. Ward and Donald Brownlee, a geologist and an astronomer respectively, are in the vanguard of the new field of astrobiology. Combining their knowledge of how the critical sustaining systems of our planet evolve through time with their understanding of how stars and solar systems grow and change throughout their own life cycles, the authors tell the story of the second half of Earth's life. In this masterful melding of groundbreaking research and captivating, eloquent science writing, Ward and Brownlee provide a comprehensive portrait of Earth's life cycle that allows us to understand and appreciate how the planet sustains itself today, and offers us a glimpse of our place in the cosmic order.
Customer Reviews:
Very good read.......2007-09-17
Some parts of this book repeat several times (could have been edited better), but it is an eye opening book. The latest theories are represented here in a very logical progression. Very enjoyable and educational read.
Earth systems logical thoght processes........2006-07-11
The ideas exposed in this book may not be shared by all astrobiologists/scientists however I find its Earth systems approach highly valuable, taking the reader through the thinking process behind most current astrobiological hypothesis on the evolution of a habitable planet. Thus it is not the conclusions it reaches which I personally find of the highest value but its underlying logical thought process and the manner in which the author approaches as well the non specialized reader by ways of powerful analogies. Ihrenes 2006.
One of the best popular science books in print.......2006-01-03
I am not a scientist, but have an avid interest in science. In particular, I am fascinated by evolution, cosmology and astronomy. That's what makes this book so compelling. Few authors have been able to match such good writing with such compelling subject matter (Timothy Ferris has; notably, Stephen Hawking has not).
Yes, there are some editing errors, but they do not detract in any substantive way from the book.
The reviewer who indicated the authors were writing some political tome aimed at the global warming denialists, Republicans, etc. has obviously not read the book. If anything, Ward and Brownlee tend to skim over the short-term impact of human-introduced greenhouse gases. In fact, the book's sweeping timescale largely subsumes that issue. Where it is discussed, it is done so in an even-handed way. I do wish they would have added a chapter to hit harder the short-term consequences of human activity on the environment - not because I have a political agenda, but because I have an interest in the science of it.
Those minor criticisms aside, with Rare Earth, and now with this book, Ward and Brownlee have made major contributions to the public's understanding of their respective disciplines.
In short, I would say Life and Death and Rare Earth are two of the most influential books I have read in recent years.
Enjoyment from a dusty subject.......2005-06-11
While this book does have a few errors that should have been picked up before printing and distributing, the overall content of the book is fascinating and keeps the reader entertained throughout the entire reading experience. I used to read books to fall asleep, but I couldn't put this one down. Not only did they do a good job of helping you imagine what they are discussing, but they also made it understandable to the average Joe. I thought this book's concept of the whole subject, along with the manner in which it was presented was a compelling mixture. I would suggest this book to anyone who has the slightest curiosity about the future of our Earth.
Even though they end with a bleak and ravaged earth, there are many steps along the way that show how interesting the planet's demise will be, from a strictly observational view. The planet covered in ice, which has happened a few times in the past, is shown here as one of the greater signs of an "Apocalypse". Water levels recede from the shores and areas that can support life wither away and die completely. The monumentous changes in the weather across the globe affecting the biosphere in major ways. The authors do a spectacular job of bringing you to the scene and helping you imagine it for yourself. The future's lack of plants kills the animals that eat them. Some plants exist for a short while but are not a decent source of nutrients for the other living beings. Heavy winds tear across the plains, devastating the soil until those plants finally expire. The authors try to show how these things have already been set in to motion and could be starting to show as we speak. The number of plant species has begun its decline, heralding the beginning of animal extinctions, which we are not helping to avoid with the way we live on this earth.
Through their use of the language, along with their knowledge of Astrology, Biology, Chemistry, and Geology, they float you through time. From the beginning of the earth as a giant molten rock, they slowly show us how they believe the earth has come to be in its present form. We see life as we know it slowly fade as the authors take us into their vision of the abysmal future that awaits our gentle planet and all its inhabitants. With the past, present and future looking so grim, one is entranced by the words of these men.
The authors discuss the evolution of life on earth throughout the evolving environmental, geological and astrophysical conditions. Then project further in time, using these theoretical conditions, into the distant future. From climate changes and ice ages all the way up to the sun's eventual growth into what is known as a "White Dwarf." They discuss the theoretical effects on all forms of life in the earth's biosphere and on the earth itself. They do not really get into humanity's involvement. Humans have the ability to modify their environment for the better or for the worse. Based on the advances in science and technology over the past few hundred years, one could expect these advances to continue to grow well into the next few centuries. Humans may be able to prevent, if not delay, at least some of the abysmal consequences. The ultimate fate of humanity, as portrayed by the authors, does indeed look rather bleak; but time will tell how well we humans make out in the end.
I enjoyed being put in the moment that Ward and Brownlee were describing. I also enjoyed their take no heckling attitude, especially because I believe much more in scientific evidence than faith in something more powerful. The Authors' sense of perspective and their cynicism towards those who don't fully believe in the scientific evidence provide in their book allowed me a genuinely entertaining reading experience.
An entertaining and informative read.......2005-04-26
At the best of times, geology is probably a dry subject but the rewards for a story are great. Geology is a subject which has the capacity to incorporate just about any other branch of science - in an historical sense, and this is what Ward and Brownlee have set out to do! And the result is a fascinating example living up to Hutton's assessment, "The past is the key to the present" - and the future!
Combining their astrobiological and geological backgrounds enables Ward and Brownlee to examine recent research in both their disciplines to present a rather complete picture of how our planet evolved, and how it may end. For any geologist with an interest in SF, there may be very little new here. The only thing I was vaguely disappointed about was they didn't mention the role Antarctica plays in our current climate, preferring to attribute it all to the formation of the Himalayas. If there is anything that can be guaranteed in geology, it is that there is not one process acting at any one time causing things!
But that aside, I think the authors shone brilliantly at describing everything in a way which easily conjures up the imagery in your mind without being too verbose. Sometimes they use anologies, but most of the time, they used facts - and current facts as well! Kudos as well for looking into space for some speculation on what will happen to our planet - and galaxy - and how it impacts on life.(Would have liked to have had mention of our solar system bobbing up and down through the galactic plane and ice age/asteroid impact through time, but alas...)
I think the book only fell down towards the end there where they got a little bit waffly and little bit negative. Sure, they say, we are scientists and it is us who are reasonable and logical while Science Fiction is for the unrealistic, but... I still think humans have a long way to go with science and who knows what new twists in physics we'll unearth. Afterall, at one time, black holes didn't exits, then when they were proven to exist, nothing escaped their gravity well, and then even that got recently recanted. Just like in geology there are many process which result in an outcome, there are undoubtedly many more refinements to the laws of physics waiting to be discovered. At least the authors put forward some good ideas, even if they tended to rubbish them...
Overall though, a very interesting book; it paints a decent 'unifying' picture for those with an earth science interest, and it is simply fascinating and very understandable for those who are simply interested in science!
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The Ocean: Our Future
Independent World Commission on the Oceans
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0521644658 |
Book Description
The Ocean, Our Future is the official report of the Independent World Commission on the Oceans, chaired by Mário Soares, former President of Portugal. Its aim is to summarize the very real problems affecting the ocean and its future management, and to provide imaginative solutions to these various and interlocking problems. The oceans have traditionally been taken for granted as a source of wealth, opportunity and abundance. Our growing understanding of the oceans has fundamentally changed this perception. We now know that in some areas, abundance is giving way to real scarcity, resulting in severe conflicts. Territorial disputes that threaten peace and security, disruptions to global climate, overfishing, habitat destruction, species extinction, indiscriminate trawling, pollution, the dumping of hazardous and toxic wastes, piracy, terrorism, illegal trafficking and the destruction of coastal communities are among the problems that today form an integral part of the unfolding drama of the oceans. Based on the deliberations, experience and input of more than 100 specialists from around the world, this timely volume provides a powerful overview of the state of our water world.
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- Our Changing Planet: An Introduction to Earth System Science and Global Environmental Change (3rd Edition)
- Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos
- Physics of the Solar System: Dynamics and Evolution, Space Physics, and Spacetime Structure (Astrophysics and Space Science Library)
- Physics of the Solar System: Dynamics and Evolution, Space Physics, and Spacetime Structure (Astrophysics and Space Science Library)
- Planting Green Roofs and Living Walls
- PM FASTrack: PMP Exam Simulation Software, Version 5
- Postcards from Mars: The First Photographer on the Red Planet
- Postcards from Mars: The First Photographer on the Red Planet
- Praxis Manned Spaceflight Log 1961-2006 (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration)
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