Resources Books

This book should be required reading for all legislators, senators, congressmen, etc. Better yet by all voters. Our leadership has been asleep at the oil company wheel while we have missed opportunity after opportunity to lead on the issue of energy production. Thomas Friedman has recently updated his forward-thinking book "The World is Flat" and is now more direct in his criticism of our current President and his administration. Read these books then pass them on. If they don't make you mad and scared, then hopefully they will make you look for opportunity.

The function of imagination is not to make strange things settled, so much as to make settled things strange.

-- G. K. Chesterton


"Yes, it is possible," says Joseph M. Shuster. Mr. Shuster is a chemical engineer, a successful entrepreneur, and a grandfather. The latter led him to write the book Beyond Fossil Fools: The Roadmap to Energy Independence by 2040 (Beaver's Pond Press, Inc. 2008).

Mr. Shuster approaches the goal of energy independence the way a good engineer would: By studying how our current energy practices will quickly bankrupt us if projected forward, by choosing an alternate path that is realistic and doable, and then showing us that it will be very profitable to do so.

There are many ways to reach the goal of energy independence. Some of them are less controversial than the path proposed by Mr. Shuster, but they will take longer, and be more costly. There is a heavy emphasis on nuclear energy in Mr. Shuster's proposal, and my state of Minnesota has prohibited any nuclear expansion of its power needs since 1994. So this book more relevant for the 49 other states that can act on his proposal.

Mr. Shuster begins with the obvious: Sooner or later, we'll run out of all fossil fuels. All fossil fuels: Oil, gas, coal, tar sands, oil sands -- you name it, and Mr. Shuster will tell you that nothing can stop its depletion. Conservation just postpones the reckoning. So do more efficient cars, better coal- and gas-powered plants, improved appliances and more comprehensive public transportation systems. For the world, he estimates that oil and gas will last less than fifty years, and coal less than seventy-five - forecasts that assume very modest economic growth. The more we procrastinate with changing our energy sources, he writes, the higher the cost will be.

What will be the quickest, cheapest and most sustainable strategy? It will be the one that will not run out, will produce few or no toxic emissions, and will be safe.

Wind is included in Shuster's plan, although he points out that windmills work only 35% of the time, requiring a backup system.

Solar is included as well, but the sun does not shine at night; thus, solar power, too, requires a backup system.

The 24/7/365 backup system he recommends is nuclear energy.

Currently only 6% of U.S. energy comes from renewable sources. Biomass is the greatest of these, providing more than all 75,000 U.S. hydroelectric power plants put together. Together, biomass and hydro produce 92% of all renewable energy (but only 6% in all, as noted in the chart below), hydro providing 2.6% of total U.S. energy usage.

All other potential renewable energy sources cannot contribute much to solving our immediate energy problem, but may eventually become part of a long-lasting solution -- in places where they can safely be exploited. Hydrogen is a special case, but currently costs more to produce and store than the energy it delivers.

Mr. Shuster covers all known energy options in his book: Solar, wind, bio fuels, hydro, tidal, waves, geothermal, hydrogen, oil, oil shale, oil sands and other forms of energy generation. Each approach is carefully considered in light of the urgency of the problem, the cost of conversion, and the potential damage to the environment. He deals with potential nuclear contamination in depth, and I urge you to read about it.

He describes the sources of energy for the U.S.:

U.S. Energy Inputs from All Sources (2002)

% of Total
Energy Generated % of Total Electricity Generated
Nuclear 8.2 21.3
Hydro 2.6 6.6
Biomass and Other Bio 3.3 2.4
Coal
Domestic 22.8
Imported 0.4 23.2 52.5
Natural Gas
Domestic 19.7
Imported 3.6 23.3 14.9
Oil
Domestic 15.0
Imported 24.4 39.4 2.3
TOTAL 100.0 100.0


How our energy is used:

Residential/Commercial 27.6%
Industrial 26.8%
Non-fuel 8.3%
Transportation 37.3%
TOTAL 100.0%

And how much is lost in the system:

61.5%

Currently, satisfying our demand for energy draws 85.9% from fossil fuels. These are the fuels that will either be depleted (oil and gas) or cause massive environmental damage through pollution and greenhouse gasses if they remain our focus for energy generation.

Building upon that set of premises, Mr. Shuster proceeds to electrify the economy through nuclear energy, solar and wind in order to reach his goal of energy independence in 2040. He suggests that the other energy sources like bio-fuels, tides, waves, geothermal and hydrogen may be part of the solution to varying degrees, but not within the time or cost frame that we must follow if we want to avoid early catastrophic results.

Here is what Mr. Shuster thinks we can achieve by 2040 -- and what it will cost:

Transition Capital Costs through 2038

Source % of Total U.S. Energy Production Cost
(in 2008 Dollars)
Nuclear 80 $1.1 trillion
Wind 10 $0.5 trillion
Solar 10 $1.7 trillion
Transportation N/A $0.5 trillion
TOTAL 100 $3.8 trillion

He proposes collecting surcharges on the use of fossil fuels and electricity amounting to $4.8 trillion over 30 years, leaving a surplus of $1 trillion for investment or refund.

What will be the payback to the American people over the 30-year transition from the investments in all renewable energy?

Mr. Shuster calculates fuel savings and electricity savings of $8.3 trillion, which leaves a net benefit of $3.5 trillion from an investment of $4.8 trillion -- a return of 72.9%.

To that he adds a cleaner environment, stable energy prices with savings projected at $500 billion per year, an improved balance of payments, a resurgent dollar, and a prosperous and sustainable economy.

If this plan is extended to the world, he sees that oceans will recover, mercury will dissipate, acid rain and toxic gasses will disappear, and human-caused global warming will no longer be an issue.

Finally, he suggests that an energy-independent world will have lost a major cause of conflict, violence and war.

This is Mr. Shuster's plan. I applaud his initiative, although I know it will be a controversial proposal. And it is true that there are many alternative routes towards a self-renewing energy solution for the U.S. Here are some thoughts about these opportunities:

* I have seen a Russian gamma ray reactor that supposedly could reduce the half-life of nuclear waste to twenty-five days. Nuclear energy produces no CO2 greenhouse gasses. If nuclear waste can be stored safely or rendered harmless, nuclear energy can meet all of our baseload energy needs for more that 100 thousand years.

* In South Africa, the most advanced, and most safe nuclear reactor is being built, using small spheres of uranium oxide and graphite. Put enough spheres together and a chain reaction will start. Safety is assured in that the system shuts itself down if it overheats.

* I've listened to researchers who believe that the oil economy could be replaced by a glucose economy. The U.S. could harvest plant matter in the amount of 1.3 billion tons peer year without affecting food production. That is enough to replace 65% of current petroleum consumption. Add algae and new and more genetically appropriate plants and better technology, and tropical countries could join us in the next industrial revolution.

* I've seen the potential of geothermal in Iceland. It is an invisible form of energy, ready for the taking, and my late friend, Dr. Curt Nicolin, heated his home and pool with it in southern Sweden.

* Windmills were virtually absent a decade ago -- soon they will supply up to 25% of the energy of a state or a country. They dot the landscape of the Midwest "wind tunnel." Using intelligent grids and intelligent user technology, the variations in supply may be accommodated so that demand and supply are a seamless fit.

* Solar power technology improves every day -- now a system of concentrated sun energy applied to solar cells has driven costs down to 5¢ per kilowatt hour -- matching the cost of the use of coal in energy production.

* Geographic luck offers certain locations special energy advantages. Waves and tides supply coastal homes in Norway with energy. Abundant waterfalls drive turbines throughout that mountainous country. And under Norway's continental shelf, there are considerable reserves of oil and gas.

* In the Sahara, they have just begun to harvest energy from the sun; the deserts of New Mexico are perfect for solar farms. And Saudi Arabia is sometimes referred to as the "Saudi Arabia" of solar energy.

Those who would like another route to energy independence should propose a plan that will be better than Mr. Shuster's plan. That may not be easy, because I think Mr. Shuster may have underestimated the possible savings from his approach, extraordinary as even those numbers may seem.

Here is why: The moment the U.S. commits to this plan, OPEC will know that oil and gas will be marginalized as future sources of energy. Energy independence is the greatest threat to the power of the cartel.

Immediately, oil prices will start to fall as oil producers scramble to compete for diminishing demand, both current and projected. There are about one trillion barrels of known reserves in the ground; if you were holding them, what would you do between now and 2040?

Prices will need to fall in order to sell the overhang of excessive supply of oil in a rapidly energy converting world.

But, the U.S. must tax gasoline in a more imaginative way than what Mr. Shuster suggests. He proposes a 50¢ tax per gallon of gasoline. A better way will be to guarantee a $3.00 price of gasoline, and pocket the difference between what is likely to be a $1.00 per gallon (or less) market price and the $3.00 guaranteed price. The difference will then finance the conversion costs of changing to an energy-independent economy instead of fueling the profits of oil companies and the OPEC cartel.

The falling market price is likely to generate $280 billion per year in surcharges on gasoline. Add this to the other fees on electricity production (2.5¢ per kilowatt), coal ($50 per ton), gas ($1 per 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas burned) and gas guzzlers, and the annual take will be $450 million per year - enough to finance the entire cost of conversion in only 7.2 years.

I don't know if it is possible to build 277 nuclear power plants per year over those 7.2 years, or 361 thousand 2-megawatt windmills, or the equivalent in solar energy plants. Engineers will have to come up with drawings, technologies and time lines to make it happen.

I do know that it would be the kind of effort that could define our generation. I believe that leadership and steadfastness will be the critical factors in such a gargantuan project, and I believe that we can do it.

I am a grandfather, too.

I read Mr. Shuster's persuasive and brilliant book with a critical eye. I am not a nuclear scientist. I know nothing about fast neutron reactors or the reasons why they are considered to be environmentally sound.

But I know that the ideas underlying the book are simply derived by applying the principles of productivity to perhaps the most challenging problem of our time. And because I know productivity, I took the liberty to speed up the transformation by 22.8 years (317%).

Even I am probably underestimating the gains from succeeding in this extraordinary quest; the returns from having our children grow up in a clean, safe and just world, a world in which they are educated and cared for, will exceed any projections Mr. Shuster and I could dare offer.

Mr. Shuster is 74 years of age. Consider his perspective when he sat down to write this book. He wrote it as a message to a future that he thought he would never know but that his grandchildren would. And that fueled his efforts.

Now, we both might live to see it.

Will the leader of this all-important energy quest please step forward?

Shuster has hit the nail right on the head! We have to get our heads out of the Arabian sand as quickly as possible. This book is the alarm clock ringing a wake up call to Americans specifically, but to all humanity in general. It should be a must read for all our political leaders.

He succinctly describes our current energy consumption problems, describes "clean" and "popular" alternatives, explains why these will not and can not play more than a minor role in our energy independence and then talks in detail about THE solution.

THE solution is nuclear power. Not the nuclear power that the media likes to demonize but new, safer technology using Fast Neutron Reactors. Reactors which use existing nuclear waste as fuel and are 99% efficient rather than "Light Water Reactors" which are only 1% efficient, virtually eliminating the existing waste. These reactors also emit NO carbon dioxide, mercury, nitrogen oxides or other harmful pollutants. He also brings to light the important new agency called the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP) which has as it's agenda the nonproliferation of weapons grade nuclear material and the sharing of Fast Neutron Reactor material for power generation.

He offers a "timeline" and costs for implementation, which always seems to be missing in books of this nature. The sources and details are very well researched and documented. The bibliography reads like a "Whose Who" of the scientific and engineering world.

A remarkably important book arriving exactly at the right time. Read it. Call your Congressional Representative or Senator and demand a nonpartisan "Call to Arms," for the sake of our country and its future.

This book by Joe Shuster says it all! Read it and use it for a reference. Get 2 copies and pass one on!

This book is comprehensive in its scope and provides a good solution which will work if we get some things changed in congress soon.

We need to get the fast neutron reactors on line ASAP! This will work!

Pass it Forward!

M. Allison
Lakeville, MN

This book is something you need to read if you are the least bit concerned about diminishing resources and your life in 10 years. The book addresses a series of concerns - scarce resources, pollution, and costs of energy - that you may have had in the back of your mind, but haven't articulated.
It walks you though what the energy - and that's really our lifeblood if you think about it - outlook is for the next thirty years with some hard data. And the outlook is not pretty as population increases and - even with massive conservation efforts - we'll need more energy than we have now. And the stuff to make energy - oil and natural gas - is running out as current prices seem to demonstrate. And coal is a really really dirty fuel. Did you know for example, that a coal fired power plant gives out many more times nuclear radiation than a nuclear plant does?
The author proposes the means to get to energy independence - or energy neutrality - within 30 years by a combination of wind, solar, and nuclear power that can be done with current technology at relatively little cost. Heck - if we can spend 70 billion on a police action in Iraq, we certainly can do this. The proposal is well researched, and gives facts and figures that make sense.
It's easy to read at any level and amazingly persuasive. Go buy it!

This book provides a powerful example that thinking out of the box can open up a new perspective on a conflict that had seemed to be unsolvable. And this book is an example that academic research can lead to applicable and practical results.

The conflict between work life and family life is as old as the industrial age. We all know it and we all experience it in our daily life. The four authors, all of them experienced researchers, have or most of their lives tried to better understand this conflict and its underlying story. But with this book they went a step beyond traditional approaches. Based on case studies they unveil a number of assumptions on which this conflict is based. They challenge norms and traditional thinking. Career choices, life opportunities, values and reward structures are based on a specific western type of thinking that historically has been shaped by white, married, middle-class men. The result is a system that dominates most of our work-life and effects our private life, that of men and women. The authors question this system from two angles. First, they analyze the often painful struggle between having a life and a career, and how individuals are trying to balance the two. Second, they show that the widely believed assumption: "this system is bad for us but good for the organization" does not hold true. Organizations and work processes are often inefficient and the individual behavior that is based on these norms don't move the whole organization forward.

This book does not make the mistake of ending up with an easy answer. The authors identify leverage points for significant change in organizations. The book has helped me to rethink basic assumptions about work and organizations in the industrialized world and to see new potential for change.

This book provides a powerful example that thinking out of the box
can open up a new perspective on a conflict that had seemed to be
unsolvable. And this book is an example that academic research can
lead to applicable and practical results.

The conflict between work life and family life is as old as the
industrial age. We all know it and we all experience it in our daily
life. The four authors, all of them experienced researchers, have
for most of their lives tried to better understand this conflict and
its underlying story. But with this book they went a step beyond
traditional approaches. Based on case studies they unveil a number
of assumptions on which this conflict is based. They challenge
norms and traditional thinking. Career choices, life opportunities,
values and reward structures are based on a specific western type of
thinking that historically has been shaped by white, married,
middle-class men. The result is a system that dominates most of our

work-life and effects our private life, that of men and women. The
authors question this system from two angles. First, they analyze
the often painful struggle between having a life and a career, and
how individuals are trying to balance the two. Second, they show that
the widely believed assumption: "this system is bad for us but good
for the organization" does not hold true. Organizations and work
processes are often inefficient and the individual behavior that is
based on these norms don't move the whole organization forward.

This book does not make the mistake of ending up with an easy answer.
The authors identify leverage points for significant change in
organizations. The book has helped me to rethink basic assumptions
about work and organizations in the industrialized world and to see
new potential for change.

As a coach and consultant to attorneys struggling to make
the business case for effective and usable work-life practices, I found this book to be an invaluable tool and resource.
Law firms are bastions of gendered assumptions about ideal
workers. The insatiable demand for ever-increasing billable hours makes developing and maintaining a normal life outside of work an extraordinary challenge, particularly for women attorneys. "Beyond Work-Family Balance" clearly articulates the tacit gendered assumptions underlying current law firm work practices and effectively establishes the connection between gender equity and workplace performance.
I wish the managing partners of every law firm would read this.
I'll refer all of my coaching clients to it. At least it will
confirm that it's the system - not them - that has the problem.

This is a book we have all been waiting for. After decades of reflection and debate about how best to develop innovative, high performance organisations, on the one hand, and how to enhance gender equity and work-personal life integration on the other hand, this book tells us that the two are not only compatible, but mutually dependent. Written in a non technical and thoroughly engaging style, the book argues that work practices and norms which are inequitable are also ineffective. The authors have the rare knack of presenting a deep and thoughtful analysis in such a clear way that their argument seems simple and obvious.

The heart of the problem lies in the gendered assumptions that underpin many everyday working practices . The authors point out that assumptions based on traditional masculine values and life situations include the defining of commitment in terms of long working hours that preclude time for family or personal life, and the valuing of stereotypical male competencies, such as heroic action and firefighting, above interpersonal and other competencies regarded as more “feminine”. Drawing on action research in a range of organisations they demonstrate how these assumptions and the practices that follow from them, undermine effective performance, but are so taken-for-granted that we rarely question them.

What really distinguishes this book is that the authors go beyond identifying problems to provide a well tried method for bringing about meaningful change It does not offer one size fits all solutions but does provide a process for reaching tailor made solutions. Their method of Collaborative Interactive Action Research (CIAR) includes examining working practice and the assumptions that sustain ineffective practices and gender inequity and then thinking collaboratively with work teams to come up with innovative solutions to what they call the “dual agenda”. The case studies used throughout the book are based on experience in a wide range of organisations so that everybody should be able to identify with at least some of the situations described. This should leave limited room for the traditional cry of “it won’t work here”.

For all those readers who are interested in organisational performance and change and in gender equity, whether or not they have already made the connections between the two, this book will make compulsive reading. Even the most cynical will find it difficult to totally disregard the central message that gender equity and effective performance go hand in hand.

The long-awaited, "Beyond Work-Family Balance," is finally out! Many of us have been waiting for
the better part of a decade for a full treatment of the worklife
integration experiments at Xerox and elsewhere, and this is it! If you are
looking for a book to get you charged up about the business case for
work/life programs, go elsewhere. If you want the most honest, detailed
account of attempts to make the business case successful in practice, this
is the book for you. The basic argument starts with integration: we cannot
improve things unless and until we are willing to bring the public sphere
of employment and the private sphere of home together, a process that can
range from embarrassing to painful. The second ingredient is the dual
agenda of improving business performance and gender equity. The tightrope
involved in carrying this dual agenda into the workplace is what makes the
book interesting, powerful, and realistic. The authors argue that an
interactive research approach is required to make the dual agenda work,
with the researchers listening and learning almost as much as the
participants in the business world, a process that requires constant
feedback, reflection, and communication. Indeed, an entire chapter is
devoted to lessons for research teams wishing to pursue research while
applying a dual agenda to themselves. Sometimes the dual agenda succeeds,
and employees and managers learn how to improve the functioning of
workplaces for all participants (yes, stockholders even benefit). But the
fundamental honesty of the authors leaves us wondering: is it worth it?
Fortunately, I think the answer is yes, but the authors leave us in no
doubt as to the incredible amount of work required.
The one question left hanging concerns unions, since the parallels
between many labor-management cooperation initiatives and the integration
approach are multiple (if not perfect), but unions are not mentioned.
Well, that leaves something for the next book. Incredibly well-written,
brutally honest, and extremely insightful! A must-read for academics and
practitioners alike.

Previous reviewers have called this volume "thorough", "passonate", "eloquent", "inspiring", "useful", and "comprehensive". It is all those things, but it's also:

Funny!

For example, the description of Old Dad Mountain area states that "The Barnstow-Vegas dirt-bike race passes through the northern end of the area ... Soda Lake has obligingly swallowed several vehicles whole." There are unexpected one-liners like this throughout the book.

Foreman and Wolke have compiled a thorough catalogue of big wilderness in the United States. More than just a catalogue, though, with typical passion, the authors state their case for expanding and interconnecting the wilderness we have left.

This book is for anyone who loves wilderness and wants not only to preserve what we have, but wants to see the expansion and rewilding of landscapes that can be salvaged.

Highly recommended.

I've had this book since 1992. In fact, I'm here browsing because I'm debating whether to get the 1998 edition. It is a very well-written, state-by-state description of the large wildernesses in the U.S. -- and the problems facing each. Excellent and eloquent descriptions of each area's topography, wildlife, flora, etc. provide inspiration and high-level overview for early stages of trip planning. National coverage expands usefulness as a reference. Get it!

I've had this book since 1992. It is a very well-written, state-by-state description of the large wildernesses in the U.S. -- and the problems facing each. Excellent and eloquent descriptions of each area's topography, wildlife, flora, etc. provide inspiration and high-level overview for early stages of trip planning. National coverage expands usefulness as a reference. Get it!

This book provides the reader a glimpse into the remaining wilderness areas in the west over 100,000 acres (& smaller ones in the east). It is comprehensive and provides details of the history of the US Forest Service's accomplishments and failures to protect wilderness on public land in this great country we call America.

Robyn Ochs and the Bisexual Resource Center folks who took on this project should be commended... It's got lists of bi-themed movies, non-fiction and fiction, websites, national and international listings of bi organizations. An invaluable resource for queer folks, bi-friendly organzations, businesses, schools and churches!!

The new edition of the Bisexual Resource Guide is very informative and useful. I particularly enjoyed the "Why Bi?" section, with personal accounts of why people identify as bisexual. If you identify as bi or know someone who does, this may be a tremendous personal resource, as just knowing that there are other bis and resources out there can be very important. If you work in human services, or if you work or volunteer for a BGLTQ organization, the listings section is also an excellent source for referrals and networking.

This book has EVERYTHING! Quotes, comics, of course the comprehensive listing of groups -- and I mean comprehensive. All 50 states are covered as well as 65 other countries. There are articles on safer sex, personal stories about why people identify as bisexual, bisexuals in films, bisexuals on the web. It's the perfect addition to the Bisexual Resource Center's web site.

This fabulous book is a treasure for anyone who has ever wondered how and where to meet like-minded individuals, support groups, professionals, etc. in their region. It is thoroughly researched and exhaustive, and what's more - it is genuinely fun to read! I laughed over the comics by well-known cartoonists like Roberta Gregory, and learned a great deal about safer sex in the updated articles on playing safe with any gender. This book should be on the bookshelf of anyone in the helping professions, as well as anyone who identifies as bisexual. I cannot recommend it highly enough!

This latest and newest edition is much more than a listing of the 2000+ Bi organizations and how to get in touch with them. It also contains information about bisexuality itself, how to find speakers, consultants, etc. It even has a fiction section. A great book indeed

Finally, someone isn't just "talking" about the problem, but "solving" it! Dr. Shulman shows us again (in his second book) that he is the authority on employee theft and shoplifting. Considering the huge financial losses companies experience due to employee theft, it only makes sense that this book would be the best investment they could possibly make. Also, a MUST READ for anyone who works in crime prevention, probation, security and loss prevention.

I was researching for books on employee theft from a humanistic first person perspective and this was the only book on the topic that addressed this. Without making excuses for why people steal from work, this author included many personal stories of those who did steal from work and how they got into that, what the consequences were, and how they stopped. I found it very interesting and think most people could relate to the mindsets of why people do it. I also enjoyed reading the perspectives of loss prevention and company owners. I think the author is on to something here and hope others read this book because we sure could use a different angle on why there is so much stealing in the world.

Whether you "borrow" or steal from work, or have employees. Theft from work IS happening. Whether time, resources, or property a lot of people feel entitled to do it. This book has tools and insight on both sides. Even if you don't wear the "loss prevention" hat. Employees and managers are involved and have vested interests in employee theft. So much money is lost due to "shrinkage" - invest in your company and buy the book.

I recently saw the author on The Early Show and was very impressed with the balance he struck between holding people accountable for employee theft while acknowledging that all kinds of people steal from work for different reasons. As an employer who has been stolen from many times, I have often been bewildered by how some of my best employees could "bite the hand that feeds." After reading this book--which has stories from those who have stolen as well as business owners like me--I have much more insight into this problem and what to do about it. This is an important book and one of the more in-depth and progressive-minded on this topic. I recommend it for fellow business owners who have their heads in the sand about how prevalent this problem is and what you need to know to survive. I truly hope, as the author states in this book, that many people can be helped who have found themselves in the destructive pattern of employee theft. Thank you for an interesting and provocative read.

This book is a must read for anyone who is interested in understanding the "why" in how employee theft occurs. It doesn't excuse theft, but helps the reader understand the addictive process that occurs in the average person that leads to employee theft. This book would be especially helpful for the therapist working with clients who have been in the legal system due to employee theft or have theft addictions. It would also be beneficial to attorneys, judges, probation officials and loss prevention departments who sometimes have less than an "open mind" when dealing with theft. Hopefully this book can help them see the human side to the issue.

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guide has been tucked into my wallet for a couple of years now, but even with its straightforward green, yellow, red categories, I've found myself staring at restaurant menus in bafflement. How can salmon fall into all three categories and how do I know which one I'm ordering???

Grescoe's book has thinned the fog surrounding the world of seafood. In interesting and easy to read chapters, the book explores the oceans from the bottom of the food chain all the way to the top, and provides a well-rounded explanation of the issues facing the seafood industry and the environment.

Though I had anticipated a doomsday narrative that would shatter my love of seafood, instead it has left me feeling empowered to ask the right questions and make better choices.

BOTTOMFEEDER
By Taras Grescoe
I was really looking forward to reading this book and I was not disappointed. When it comes to eating seafood responsibly I have always felt at a loss for information. First of all I grew up in North Eastern Ohio and the only "local" fish there came from Lake Erie and there was a time that no one would eat fish from Lake Erie. I also am allergic to just about every kind of shell fish. So beyond the Gortons Fisherman my palate is unrefined to say the least. After reading this book I have a much better understanding of how the oceans of our world are being affected by the lack of understanding on the part of most of its people. This book, over the course of 10 chapters takes the reader through the problems facing our most endangered species of fish as well as the many reasons why these fish are endangered. It is not one simple problem but the answer is actually not that difficult to implement even though it is not popular every where. The answer is being informed and not accepting practices that are destroying our oceans. If we don't buy products that are not ethically produced there will be no market for them. I liked the fact that every chapter had a focus on a specific fish and its ecosystem. What the challenges were for that ecosystem and what could be done about it. Because of this chapter by chapter approach when I want to reference the book again in the future I will have a much easier time finding the information I need. It seems to me after reading this book that the two main culprits in the problems facing our oceans is ignorant indiffference on the part of the consumer and the greed of those that see the ocean as a source of income and not a way of life. I will never look at seafood the same way again. While I am not a big seafood consumer myself I now want to explore eating the fishes that are sustainable and incorporate them into my family's diet. After all fish is brain food. I liked this book a lot even though it was not a fast read. I had to work my way through each chapter because it was filled with so much information. The author does include a good index in the back as well as an appendix to resources. There also is a section on which fish to eat and which to avoid. My only real complaint is that I wish it had a good recipe for sardines.

If you are a junkie for food politics and ethical and healthy food choices this book stands with Pollan, Nestle, Schlosser and Shiva.

The book takes the reader up and down the food chain as both a diner and a social/environmental critic.

even for the well informed amongst us there is lots to learn and appreciate. Grescoe connects lots of dots and makes eating seafood a fully engaging activity.

Bottomfeeder is an excellent read on a critically important topic. The book documents the massive overfishing that combined with environmental pressures is driving many fish species to the point of extinction, and that much of the cheap seafood on our plates is not safe or sustainable for humans or the planet. Unfortunately, this issue has gotten limited coverage outside the environmental media and for many readers Grescoe's book will be an eye opener that explores new territory.

Marine biologists estimate by 2040 a large number of species will be decimated. If whole sections of the aquatic food chain go the way of once plentiful Chesapeake Bay oysters and blue fin tuna, what will happen? Grescoe jokes about fish and chips being replaced with jellyfish and chips as a lighthearted way to highlight the issue. As he points out, fishing is the only large scale hunting activity still carried out in the wild. Decades of massive, industrial scale fishing are an uncontrolled experiment, upturning species in every ocean, turning predator into prey and destroying environments and human health through questionable fishing techniques, unsafe farming practices and black markets.

Nobody escapes responsibility for this mess, but Grescoe turns what could have been an angry polemical rant into a globe trotting adventure and keeps Bottomfeeder enjoyable to read. His love of food shines through on every page as he talks to fishermen, scientists, bureaucrats and chefs. By the end of the book, the root cause of overfishing is shown to be the familiar toxic brew of greed and ignorance familiar to the environmental genre, aided by ineffective government oversight and often compounded by chefs whose promotion of a tasty fish can spell disaster for a species.

The tragedy is that Bottomfeeder may be too late to have a large impact. Chesapeake Bay oysters will likely never return and the race to the bottom is well under way around the world. The book does however give some excellent suggestions on fish to enjoy and species to avoid, leaving the reader a small part to play in turning back this "tragedy of the commons".

Even if you don't read this book, check out the Monterey Bay Aquarium website for "Seafood Watch", a handy guide on sustainable seafood.

This valuable book is full of important information about what is involved to get seafood in the grocery case or on the restaurant table and allows you to make environmentally sound and healthy choices. Although you will probably ban many popular seafoods off your table after you read this, many other tasty and nutritious kinds of seafood can take their place and you will be able to continue enjoying these kinds of seafood without guilt, knowing you will no longer be contributing to fish stock depletion or environmental destruction.

Henty is wonderful, and his storys are engaging enough for reluctant readers.
This book is great at helping you or you child select a Henty title from a specific time frame.

Need a book to add to your learing on the crusades? Find the title.
Winning His Spurs (Large Print Edition): A Tale of the Crusades

Other Child studing Ancient Rome? Find a title.
Beric The Briton: A Story Of The Roman Invasion

Grear timesaver, or would help so you can read the books in chronological (Historical) order

HOME EDUCATORS: If you are trying to put together a history-based curriculum, this volume is very helpful! You can gauge which time periods in your student's course of study need some bolstering up (or livening up) and search in this book for the proper Henty novel to introduce. For example, to bulk up our study on "Ancient Times," I needed a novel about Hannibal. This terrific reference book tells me to get Henty's "The Young Carthaginian" to meet that requirement.

Another problem it solves is that sometimes a history-based curriculum can get predictable. Everyone seems to be covering the same things and the only variance is how deeply they're studied. This guide covers all of Henty's books and makes it easy to locate his books on obscure subjects and events which you can tantalize your children with. Children seem to love citing these forgotten tales and bedazzling their peers and family with them!

This volume will also prove invaluable to PEOPLE EDUCATING THEMSELVES. As an adult who is battling her "learning gaps," I just page through this reference until I find something that doesn't ring ANY bells! By reading a Henty, I enjoy a terrific adventure (which I can later discuss with my children), educate myself and, if I want to, pursue the subject more deeply later on.

When you open this book you will see: one book title and an introduction, per page. It's good if you want to sample a complete list of Henty books.

This is a great book for any Henty collector or inquirer. The book gives a brief synopsis of many of Henty's works in chronological order. I find it invaulable in picking the next book I want to buy and read. Henty is a great author for home educators, history buffs, and action adventure readers. The books contain excellent morals and are historically accurate.

G.A. Henty wrote arround 144 books. Many of the books revolve around a fictional character who interacts with real persons from that historical period. Heroism, honor, courage, and leadership are integral characteristics of the main protagonists. I have trouble putting down a Henty story. I highly recommend this resource.

This Book has the most information that I can find on G.A. Henty!

Anne Bruce has her thumb on the heartbeat of human nature. Her latest book "Building A High Morale Workplace" transcends corporate walls and infiltrates any business environment that demands human interaction, which in today's society is all of them.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants an instant surge of energy and posses the desire to implement techniques that will engage and inspire your team.

Thank you Anne Bruce, you have helped me to see the limitless opportunity, for the first time all over again!

Anne Bruce is a great author who has written a book that has a message that is both easy to digest and also easy to apply to the modern workplace. Her style is smooth and all of her chapters build towards helping the reader understand the importance of improving morale in the workplace. Her examples are interesting, her teachings meaningful and her conclusions insightful. Morale building made easy .... what a great thought. I heartily recommend this well-written book to all Managers!!

This book flows great. I've read all of Anne's books and, just as I am with her others, I'm very impressed with this one. It flows great. I really feel like, as the author, Anne is sitting across the table from me talking me through each step. It's practical, real-world (just like all her work)and completely relevant for any manager who is committed to making "high morale a high priority".

Anne Bruce is a great author who has written a book that has a message that is both easy to digest and also easy to apply to the modern workplace. Her style is smooth and all of her chapters build towards helping the reader understand the importance of improving morale in the workplace. Her examples are interesting, her teachings meaningful and her conclusions insightful. Morale building made easy .... what a great thought. I heartily recommend this well-written book to all Managers!!

Anne Bruce's "Building A High Morale Workplace" is a must read for anyone truly interested in making their work environment a happy and productive place. Her use of the Management experiences of others together with specific steps for implementing morale building procedures will prove to be an invaluable resource.

This book is full of wonderful ideas about every aspect of Pervasive Developemental Disorders and sensory integration tactics for any and all situations at home, school and in Therapy (ABA, Speech, OT, etc.).

This is great for professionals or for parents of children with PDD or Autism. It gives some fresh strategies for dealing with challenging situations and behaviors as well as arming one with more knowledge to better meet the needs of children with whom one works. As a friend of a mom that has a child with PDD, I know that this book has been useful for them. As one that is trying to figure this disorder out, I then read the book and it definitely gave me a greater understanding him and even ways that I can interact with him when we are together.

I am a parent of a child with regulatory disorder. This book was very helpful to not only describe the theory of his behavior, but helpful strategies for our family and him. This is a must read for all teachers and physicans, also any family with a child sensitive to sensory stimuli.

As a physical education instructor, I've always got my eyes open to ideas for working with my kids that have PDD. This book gives ideas and activity suggestions that I can use modify our activities so that they can participate as well. It gave me a much better understanding of their needs.

There are other books that give more comprehensive details on the inner workings of sensory integration problems, and more complete lists of the hundreds of ways they can manifest in a child's daily behaviours. But this book beats all when it comes to ideas you can try and therapeutic activities you can do with minimal equipment and expense. The emphasis is on fun, and tailoring the program to your child's preferences and needs. Absolutely the perfect book for someone whose child has been diagnosed with SI issues, and is saying, "Okay, now what do I *DO*???" And highly useful for others who haven't even come quite that far on the diagnostic journey. I love that it addresses every aspect of the child's day, from bathing and dressing to school and other out-of-the-house events.

The explanations of SI problems and SI needs are compact, readable and simple enough that you can lift them and use them when giving your "What is SI?" speech to teachers, friends, sitters, whoever.

Accompany this book with Carol Stock Kranowitz's The Out-of-Sync Child Has Fun, and you will never ever lack for fun, therapeutic, low-cost activities to do with your SI-dysfunction child!!!

This book offers a great perspective on film acting. There are several chapters that address rather general info on acting, but what is really useful is dialectic in the middle. Written in play form, it goes over a newcomer's first day on the set and explains all the basics of shooting a scene, how to prepare, the names and jobs of everyone on a set, and set lingo. This book is extremely useful if you are planning on acting in film (whether it's a student film or the big leagues) and want to feel prepared for the experience. If you're a veteran or even have done several shoots, it probably won't be as useful to you, but it still provides a great, easy to understand breakdown. The repeated reference to set terms (i.e. craft services, 2nd AD, boom operator, director of photography) throughout the dialogue really drums in meaning instead of just being a glossary, though there is an extensive one in back in case you missed anything. This is a must read for newcomers to acting or filmmaking, for that matter.

I never really understood the film making process until I read this book. It is written with a real human spirit as he takes us through step-by-step. I felt as if I was on that shoot myself - nervous and anxious about everything that the character "Newcomer" was faced with and didn't understand. What a relief to have a book that finally explains all the terminology and gives specific advise on what to expect and how to meet the acting demands of working on a set. If you're in the Seattle area, you should check out his classes. He's a very gifted teacher as well.

Richard Brestoff discusses acting brilliantly and tells what we REALLY should know about acting in front of a camera and on a set/location for television/movie acting. This book was by far the most interesting, helpful, informative piece of literature about acting I've ever been so lucky to get my hands on! I only wish I could thank him personally.

Even as a non-actor, I found the comments and information in this book fascinating. It explains the duties of various film crew members, and details the steps involved in making a film. I'll never watch TV or movies the same again!

I have read all of Richard Brestoffs books. And taken many of his classes. By far, this was my preferred book that landed me a 3-day part on Melrose Place.

Dream your Dream, Buy this Book, and apply the techniques...

Thanks Richard! Matthew Lucas