Source The Books

This text is a must for any practicing engineer who works with hazardous materials. Ample reference sections and thorough, well written explanations in the text make this book the first place I look for information when confronted with a problem now that I am in the "real world," but also when I was still in school.

Topics covered in the text include:
Environmental regulations (basics, list of EPA acronyms)
Environmental chemistry (structures/naming of organics,pKa's, solubility, chemical incompatibility, etc)
Chemical behavior in the environment (sorption, retardation, partioning, volatilization, henry's law, etc)
Science behind abiotic and biotic transformations (radical rxns, hydrolysis, kinetics, etc)
Toxicology (good overview)
Remedial technologies and strategies (chemical oxidation, solidification, bioremediation, etc)

Appendices have data for most contaminants of concern on topics such as:
Mean water solubility
Vapor pressure
Henry's law constant
Kow
Specific gravity
Saturation concentration in air
Slope factors and RfDs

One of the best books I own.

As a practicing environmental engineer, I find that this book continues to be an invaluable reference source.
While the organization and text make for quick review of fundamental concepts, the appendices alone justify the purchase price.

I suffer from a partial hearing loss due to gunfire in the Vietnam War. This book helped me realize I was crazy to pretend I didn't have a problem. Now instead of enduring the pain when the subway noise gets too intense, I simply stop my ears. Anne Pope got me over the embarrassment barrier. She also provided a reassurance for which I'm grateful. Even if my hearing loss gets worse I'll be able to cope with it. She has a fluent, simple, direct writing style. Even when the subject is the science of hearing and hearing loss, she makes it all clear. A fine book by a woman who has coped with hearing loss herself. She knows her subject and how to help her readers.

This clear and encouraging book is ideal for people who have a hard-of-hearing family members. It covers every aspect of hearing loss and offers practical advice on how to deal with it. It is particularly good in dealing with the emotional impact of hearing loss---your own, or that of a loved one. It really gave me and my husband a lot of ideas about how to cope with his problem. I would recommend it to anyone.

Hidden Sources: Family History In Unlikely Places will alert the neophyte genealogist to a diversity of unexpected and productive resources capable of filling in the gaps of family charts and providing missing information on genealogical relationships. Highly recommended for personal, professional, and community library genealogical reference collections, Hidden Sources, demonstrates that there is a wealth of obscure, overlooked, and misunderstood sources that can and will reveal invaluable, unique, unusual, and sometimes minute detail about a family or individual.

Laura Szucs Pfeiffer has written an exciting new book, "Hidden Sources: Family History in Unlikely Places" to help genealogists and historians in their endless quest for records and documentation. From "A to Z," Ms. Pfeiffer has compiled a comprehensive list of over 100 sources and suggestions where to search for little-used or over-looked records.

All the brainstorming work has been done for you! Instead of the normal "how to do" genealogy book Ms. Pfeiffer written a book that tells you simply what to do and how to direct your search.

Each clue to the many little-used records she suggests includes a "Selected Reading" list and "Internet Sites of Interest." These little-used records will assist genealogists and historians with documentation to prove the existence of an individual or family. Ms Pfeiffer's list is more than the standard suggestions for records such as birth, death, marriage; cemetery records; local or county histories; or, census records.

For example, her book contains information related to how to obtain records of adoptions and apprenticeships, autobiographies, unusual death records, farm records, coroner's inquests, court records, guardianship records, homestead records, immigrant letters, licenses, marriage dispensations, midwives' records, passport applications, school records. And this is just a few of the many ideas and suggestions!

The Appendix includes address, telephone numbers and internet website URLs for the National Archives and Records Administration, State Archives, Historical Societies, the Family History Library and its Centers, Genealogical Societies, Major U.S. Genealogical Libraries. Most importantly, it contains a very good index.

This 290-page book is a must have every genealogist and library.

This book took a time and a man, explained the truth of the time and captured my heart. Knowing there was King and how Mr. Reno went about proving his existance was interesting, intreeging, heart warming and fun. I can not wait for the next book!

"The Historic King Arthur" is perhaps not a book suited for first-time travelers through the murky forests of Arthurian history, searching for the reality behind fifteen centuries of myths and tales. It might be best to first read one or more other works dealing with this great mystery before tackling Frank Reno's highly detailed, deep-delving study of the ancient sources that shed light upon the question. That way, the journey through the writings of Gildas and Nennius and Geoffrey of Monmouth and various scribes and poets will not be quite so daunting. But make no mistake about it, once some fundamental grounding in the basics of the Arthurian quest has been obtained, then "The Historic King Arthur" (and its sequel, "Historic Figures In the Arthurian Age") should be read carefully. Reno minutely examines each source (and most of them are to be found with numerous variations) to lay out his case for his solution to the central questions of the Arthurian mystery: Who was King Arthur? Where did he live? When did he live? Who were his enemies? What was his role in history? And what was really his name?

Reno acts as a guide in this journey in search of historical truth, explaining his methods and logic in evaluating the evidence, but he does not rigidly insist upon the absolute truth of his conclusions. Frequently, he explains that there are other reasonable answers to the questions than the one he favors. Sometimes, such as in his analysis of the locations of many of the battles fought by Arthur (as described in Reno's "Historic Figures In the Arthurian Era"), he concludes that no single "best" answer is really possible. At times, his explanations are complex and subtle to the point where the reader may have difficulty following the path Reno is laying out. That is perhaps a natural consequence of the type of evidence that must be used and of the detail in which it is presented. Usually, however, Reno returns to the same subject of investigation later in the book to again address the questions and to clarify his answers. Thus, attention to detail on the reader's part is required and patience must be exercised as the author slowly builds his case.

And what are Reno's answers to what above I termed the central questions? He believes that Arthur was of a Roman-British background, operating as a high king primarily in Wales and the adjacent midlands, although also in southern England and northern Gaul, from the middle of the Fifth Century AD through the early portion of the Sixth. Reno contends that many of Arthur's campaigns were waged not against Saxon hordes fresh from Germany, but against Saxons who had been settled in Britain for one or more generations, these "English" Saxons being in league with leaders and forces of native British. And Reno believes that "Arthur" was a man known otherwise to history as Ambrosius Aurelianus and as Riothamus and finally as Arthurex, not a name at all but an epithet connoting his status as a great leader.

I will not claim that I am yet wholly convinced of this "triad" equation of Ambrosius Aurelianus, Riothamus, and Arthur but, as the author himself points out, rejection of this total identity does not negate the validity of many parts of Reno's overall work. I found to be especial important Reno's conclusions regarding Cerdic, a "Saxon" king with a wholly Celtic name, and Cerdic's people, the West Saxons. If Reno is correct, our understanding of the Arthurian era must be substantially altered, with a consequence that the course of events becomes much more clear. I expect Reno's conclusions to be challenged - this is inevitable in a field where evidence is scant and subject to multiple interpretations - but at the very least he has provided us with a provocative, comprehensive portrait of man and era.

To my knowledge there is no other Arthurian study available to the general public that explores the ancient sources in such depth to provide answers to the old questions. If I might be critical of some peripheral features, I do wish that the index was somewhat more comprehensive and illuminating (given the complexity of the issues at hand, I found myself turning to the index again and again to go back to earlier points) and the maps, although numerous, sometimes lack the visual clarity that could have been achieved. Nonetheless, "The Historic King Arthur" and "Historic Figures In the Arthurian Era" are books that should be of great interest to anyone seriously interested in attempting to glimpse the real King Arthur.

Greg Bradsher has written the definitive archival resource guide for anyone doing Holocaust Assets research. Without this book, you would be lost. For a topic as important and complicated as this, you simply cannot go without this book. I highly recommend it.

DO NOT attempt to navigate the labyrinthine National Archives without this guide as your compass!

This is THE essential "Bible" for anyone interested in researching or learning more about Holocaust-era assets. An National Archives' insider with decades of experience, Dr. Bradsher has written the essential "Guide to the Perplexed" for researchers. In this work, he leads you through the millions of pages of Holocaust-related documents, explaining the records' organization, history, and content.

Dr. Bradsher has produced the most important book ever published about U.S. archival records detailing Holocaust art, insurance, forced and slave labor, banking, Project Safehaven, and World War II economic warfare.

In compiling this information, Dr. Bradsher has performed a vital public service. All Holocaust researchers, scholars, historians, and attorneys will be indebted to him when they read this important work.

The book you have to read for peace and happiness and heaven. Those that do the Will of God is assured these and more. The most difficult task of any Christian Saint (Canonized) is obedience, lost by the first "Man" (Adam) and Eve. Once this first sin is overcome by our banished souls, we can enter into a life.

Father Pyzalski manages to get to the heart of God's will quite succinctly in virtually every situation in which a person may find himself. Though written for those living the religious life, the lessons from this little book are nonetheless applicable to the rest of us mortals. Tougher than Marine boot camp for most of us yet vastly simple to the meek and humble of heart, God's will is there whether we like it or not. Let's face it, most of us don't. Yet, we wonder why we are not truly happy.

I had the pleasure of meeting Diane Cook and her husband Len Jenshel when they exhibited some of the photographs from this book at The University of Akron's Emily Davis Gallery. In fact, I actually bought the book directly from them (so my copy is autographed, nyah-na na naaaa na!), and believe me, nothing short of the exhibition and lecture from the photographers could add to the experience of this book. The two photographers are stylistic complements to each other. She works primarily in black and white with a highly technical by-the-book precision, while he works in color using a more freewheeling, seat-of-the-pants approach. The result is that this book never gets boring. The wonders of the various vistas are capably described in a previous review, and I most heartily concur with the reviewer--if anything, he did not wax poetic enough.

But this book contributes more than just a wealth of memorable images (less than 1/10 of the photos from this project that the couple felt were "must use" images). There are stories behind each photo; reading the notes section in the back is a must, but I would suggest that you read it as you peruse the book...the *second* time. Just let the images impact you first, and *then* find out the deeper meaning behind the picture. These notes are not mere technical erata; they create an atmosphere, bespeaking how a certain sacred place has a given effect on the local populace, recalling the curiosity about what sort of people besides photographers would seek out the beautiful desolation of Yellowstone in winter, giving some idea of the true and very active power of some of these places--no still photo can convey the experience of the noise of a lava flow 25 feet below drowning out helicopter blades 5 feet above, or Cook's realization at one point that she had accidentally strayed onto a candy shell-thin layer of cooled stone over molten rock, and to stop walking would have meant instant death--as instant as the next step might also bring. The layout is superb, maintaining a strong sense of organization, even as each new photo delivers something not hinted at by those which came before.

The book's only drawbacks stem from situations which are technically impossible to resolve. While the reproductions of the photos in the book are of the highest quality, nothing can compare with seeing the actual prints themselves, and I consider myself fortunate to have been in a position to compare the two. Secondly, the photographers themselves do not come with the book. Their extended anecdotes and recollections, and the affable, off-the-cuff manner in which they relate them only served to enhance the experience of viewing these images.

This is not just another nice looking landscape photo book. It is a visual description of our (amid uneasy) relationship with Nature as much as a celebration of its beauty. An example illustrating my first point can be seen on pages 32-33. Cook's gloomy black-and-white image showed a house buried in an endless span of dark solidified lava, a lifeless and helpless situation. Jenshel's color work on pages 40-41 included not only a closeup of a scarred trunk but the mass destruction of a forest as a result of Mount St Helens' eruption in 1980. Yet life is showing resilience as fresh vegetation was growing out of the ruins. Cook and Jenshel often present more than one image of the same vista allowing the reader to appreciate the vastness of the place from various vantage points. Their series on Mount Blackburn, Alaska, is a magificent and breathtaking illustration (pages 54, 56-59),a reminiscent of Ansel Adams.
Unlike many photographers who insist on capturing landscapes under natural lighting or occasionally with fill-in flash, Jenshel dared to be different. On page 67, for example, he illuminated the rock in the foreground with his car's headlight. By doing so, he isolated the foreground from the silhouette of the distant Ship Rock, New Mexico, giving the viewer a sense of depth while using the highlighted rock to echo the shape and the color temperature of the approaching storm cloud. Then there are the pyrotechnic extravaganzas of active volcanoes in Hawaii. Each image reminds me of the primordial force that once shaped our continents. This couple have demonstrated a true virtuosity in landscape photography.
Apart from its stylistic and ethereal quality, the book contains enough information on volcanoes for a lay person like me. It even included a glossary of terms commonly used in volcanology. The layout of the entire volume is neat and well thought out. By the time I turned to the last page, I kept asking for more. You can find heaps of landscape pictorials around these days but very few can be so exciting and educational to read or should I say 'To See!'.

While Judaism is a religion based largely on the Hebrew Bible, it is clear that much of Jewish law is extra-biblical. Many scholars, such as Jacob Neusner, have investigated the origins of such laws. Professor Harris' book traces the history of how Jewish intellectuals have dealt with the critical question: how do we know where Jewish Law came from? Starting in the Talmudic era, and moving through the medieval and modern periods, How Do We Know This offers a brilliant historical perspective on the fragmentation of modern Judaism. Highly recommended for readers undaunted by scholarly material and rabbinic concepts

This work is a overwhelming survey of the understanding of rabbinic hermeneutics from the Talmudic period until the 19th century Harris deals with all the material in stride, and does not fall into the trap of seeing one author as nothing but a "precursor" or "influence" over the other. Even more so, he managed to take a topic which seems esoteric and technical but actually, as he shows, became one of the major bones of contention in the confrontation of traditional judaism with modern historical thinking. It would be worthwhile for the author to add an appendix bringing the debate up to date and emphisizing the thoelogical and legal ramifications of the debates on rabbinic hermenutic (such as the recent work of Moshe Halbertal). But don't wait for that. Read it now!!

How Tradition Works: A Meme-Based Cultural Poetics Of The Anglo-Saxon Tenth Century by Michael D. C. Drout (Associate Professor of English at Wheaton College) re-examines "memetic" theory while contemplating the manner in which traditions are created, modified, perpetuated, and recognized. Especially focusing upon the Oral Traditional Theory as revealed in a case study of the longevity of classic Anglo-Saxon poetry from the tenth century, How Tradition Works is especially intended for specialists in evolutionary theory, memetics, and Anglo-Saxon studies. A serious-minded, college and graduate school-level discussion of the complexities of intergenerational human societal expression.

Do you remember how Steven Jay Gould used to make deep forays into other scholars' fields in order to find witty and profound explanations for biological phenomena? It does not often happen (at least not effectively) in the other direction, e.g. a Professor of English tramping around fearlessly and knowledgeably in various fields of science. Well, meet Michael D.C. Drout, an intrepid, medievalist and polymath who has embraced the teachings of evolutionist Richard Dawkins, especially the concept of "memes" (The Selfish Gene 1976) and who has applied it vigorously to the exegesis of certain Medieval texts. This is a bold, new "Theory of Tradition" that should be taken seriously as a rich source of brilliant ideas for theses, college courses, and further scholarly work. (e.g. See some of Drout's inspiring suggestions on page 295.)


A meme, according to Dawkins, is a unit of cultural replication such as a catchy song or memorable slogan. According to Drout, "Memes" are the answer to "How does tradition work?" Drout's book takes us convincingly through one example after another. The focus is tenth century English monasteries as exemplary meme-keepers by means of often repeated and copied rules and formats for documents. Drout cautiously coins three new words for his "Theory of Tradition" (recognitio, actio, justificatio) The humility with which he does this is worth reading in the footnote on page 13 and worth emulating by humanists and scientists alike who might be considering the coinage of some new jargon. By the way, if you are a fan of footnotes, you will love most of the others in this book. Each is its own little eloquent, opinionated essay. My only complaint is that some should have been raised into the text.

Critics of a memetic analysis of tradition might say that it ignores the contributions of individuals. This certainly is not the case with Drout's memetic modification of Dawkin's concept of "meme" (a "meme of a meme".) Drout's unique version is nicely mutated and appears to be well selected for its new function in literary criticism.

Rosen's 'Primary sources of Revolutionary Scientific Discoveries and Theories' set adds an important new contribution to the series with Hubble And The Big Bang, a 64-page survey of both Hubble and his contributions to astronomy. Opening with an introduction to astronomy as a whole, chapters quickly zero in on Hubble's theories and contribution to cosmology and conclude with a summary timeline of events, primary source transcriptions, a bibliography, primary source image list and index. Intriguing color illustrations pepper Hubble And The Big Bang but the text is the meat of this coverage and is suitable report material for grades 3-5. Even more notable is the fact that Hubble is seldom awarded his own in-depth coverage for this age group.

Rosen's 'Primary sources of Revolutionary Scientific Discoveries and Theories' set adds an important new contribution to the series with Hubble And The Big Bang, a 64-page survey of both Hubble and his contributions to astronomy. Opening with an introduction to astronomy as a whole, chapters quickly zero in on Hubble's theories and contribution to cosmology and conclude with a summary timeline of events, primary source transcriptions, a bibliography, primary source image list and index. Intriguing color illustrations pepper Hubble And The Big Bang but the text is the meat of this coverage and is suitable report material for grades 3-5. Even more notable is the fact that Hubble is seldom awarded his own in-depth coverage for this age group.