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If you were to travel to the Amazon, say, or the source of the Nile, you would likely find the people there wearing corporate logo-branded T-shirts and listening to the latest pop hits on the radio. Using a GPS device or satellite photos, you can track your location just about anywhere on the face of the planet. Given globalism and the ease of travel to once-remote places, where is a would-be flag-planting adventurer to go these days?
The answer, writes Michael Ray Taylor in this intriguing book, is inward: inside the earth by way of the millions of caves that pierce its surface. Following an international team of fellow cavers--men and women in peak physical form and apparently without fear--his narrative takes us deep within the ice caves of Greenland; a vast underground labyrinth of rivers and chambers in Mexico's Yucatan; a cave on a cliff wall overlooking the Colorado River near the Grand Canyon, one that no human had ever before entered; and other great caverns of North America. High-quality (and sometimes astounding) full-color images accompany the text, offering views that usher us into a world of blind snakes, bats, strange geological formations, and uncanny sights that few surface-dwellers have been privileged to see.
Caving is not merely adventure for its own sake, Taylor notes. "Over the past decade," he observes, "scientists have been surprised to learn that in the deepest recesses of the Earth are repositories of exotic microbes ... far more varied in types of species and their individual strategies for survival than all the plants of an equatorial rain forest." Some of these microbes, he suggests, may deliver chemicals for fighting disease; they also deliver important evidence about the history of life on the planet.
But, all that said, caving offers plenty of thrills, and Taylor's book does a superb job of capturing both the science and the adventure of a journey to the center of the earth. --Gregory McNamee
Customer Reviews:
Where no large-format camera has gone before..........2006-04-13
CAVES: EXPLORING HIDDEN REALMS by Michael Ray Taylor (0792279042, $35.00) provides some outstanding cave shots from caving experiences around the world. The book accompanies a new film 'Journey Into Amazing Caves' which was released in March 2001: many of the hundred-plus photos are from the film and highlight places no large-format camera has gone before.
How would you like to explore the mysteries of caves?.......2004-04-25
Many of us have probably been very fascinated with caves since we were small children. However, we probably never had the actual experience of exploring caves nor will we ever undertake such a voyage to many of our planet's uncharted regions.
Perhaps, the wisest and safest way to satisfy our curiosity pertaining to the study of caves, or as it is called, Speleology, is to seek out a good reference text. National Geographic Society's coffee-table book entitled CAVES: EXPLORING HIDDEN REALMS, authored by Michael Ray Taylor, would certainly meet the criteria as being one of the most outstanding introductions to the mysteries of the underground.
The tome is the companion text to the McGillivray Freeman Imax film by the same title.
Taylor separates the book into three distinct sections, ice, water and earth in order that we have a general understanding as to where caves are to be located as well as their respective formations. As the author states: "the skin of the world hides many caves. All are profoundly shaped by, and profoundly affect, the nature of the land overhead. Caves are to a surface landscape as veins and capillaries are to a human face-the hidden structure of an inseparable whole."
The ice section introduces us to the caves of the heartland of Greenland where glossy photos provide us with fantastic visual entertainment that convey to us the beauty of these caves as well as the danger constantly prevalent within. Moreover, we are also clued in to the many animal creatures found within these subterranean enclaves such as the tardigrade. It is to be noted that the study of life in caves is known as biospeleology.
Our adventure moves onto to some of the caves discovered beneath the Yucatan or the section dealing with water. One only has to stare at the introductory photos to this chapter and we can appreciate the utterances of the cavers when they assert: "we are amid the wildest scenery we had yet found in Yucatan; and, besides the deep and exciting interest of the ruins themselves, we had around us what we wanted at all other places, the magnificence of nature."
The final stop on our journey delivers us to the caves of the earth where we explore the deepest one in the United States, Lechuguilla located in New Mexico. We also venture into the caves of Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia or as they are termed the TAG region. The spectacular photo of the Lechuguilla certainly reaffirms the statement that "a picture is worth a thousand words."
Enhancing the usefulness of the book are the many articles pertaining to the study of caves that have been contributed by several well-known experts. These short essays also include those of the author, Michael Ray Taylor, who has explored more than 600 caves in expeditions that have taken him around the world.
Bon voyage on your next expedition into the world of caves where all you will need is a good chair and Michael Ray Taylor's brilliant book.
Norm Goldman Editor of Bookpleasures.com
Where in the world to cave.......2003-07-04
I am always left breatheless at the majestic beauty of every cave I am blessed to enter. This book gives wonderful descriptions of caves and the pictures in this coffeesque style book are the icing on the cake.
A great guide to caving.......2002-12-12
This book is very well written with lovingly detailed chapters devoted to the many splendid cave networks dotted around the world. There's a great section on the flora and fauna of the underworld, as well. I went potholing in Kak Canyon once, and saw a couple of chutney ferrets, all thanks to this book. Incredible creatures - and I wouldn't have known they were there until I read this.
Super cave explorers.......2002-02-14
I really liked this book. It has good pictures for people who want to be a cave explorer. It tells you a good description of the caves these people explored. I really liked the fact that they explored ice, water and earth caves. I think students that are studying caves would really like this book
Book Description
From the ocean to the giant oaks and mansions of Savannah, the Kahns guide cyclists of all ages and abilities to one of the best cycling venues in the country. Giant oaks draped with Spanish moss, wrought-iron-clad mansions, lush plantations, vistas of marsh and ocean, and miles and miles of flat, well-kept roadway—all combine to make the coastal lowlands of Georgia and South Carolina one of the best bicycle-touring spots in the nation. Jane and Buddy Kahn guide cyclists through the region's most rewarding land- and cityscapes. Visit Savannah's graceful squares; the mysterious Okefenokee Swamp; the sunny Golden Isles of Georgia; and the Carolina Low Country, rich with history and warm with hospitality. For this new second edition the Kahns have added one bonus tour, for a total of 26. Tours range in length from 6 to 60 miles, offering something for cyclists of all abilities. Each tour includes a detailed map, mile-by-mile directions, and information on natural and historic points of interest you'll see along the way. 3 new tours in this edition. 25 black and white photographs • 26 maps.
The first edition of this book was titled 25 Bicycle Tours in Coastal Georgia and the Carolina Low Country.
Customer Reviews:
Contents..........2005-07-28
Who ever heard of a tribe of Indians living in the old ways in the suburbs of a modern city? That is what the Tiguas have been doing for three hundred years.
They have secretly lived in El Paso, Texas, since 1682. Neighbors did not know who they were. Everyone thought the tribe was "extinct." How did they hide for hundreds of years? Why did they do it? And how did they preserve their ancient ways in the modern city; dancing on the highway, hunting rabbits on a missile range, praying to the sun in the smog, believing in their tribal brotherhood in what the Tigua Governor says is the "dog eat dog, people eat people" world, and most of all, staying Indian!
Book Description
This book considers how nature - in both its biological and environmental manifestations - has been invoked as a dynamic force in human history. It shows how historians, philosophers, geographers, anthropologists and scientists have used ideas of nature to explain the evolution of cultures, to understand cultural difference, and to justify or condemn colonization, slavery and racial superiority. It examines the central part that ideas of environmental and biological determinism have played in theory, and describes how these ideas have served in different ways at different times as instruments of authority, identity and defiance. The book shows how powerful and problematic the invocation of nature can be. The Problem of Nature covers a whole cycle of environmental history and its interpretation, from the Black Death in the fourteenth century, the first European voyages of discovery and the opening of the American frontier through to the imperialism of the nineteenth century and the example of India under colonial rule. David Arnold shows how both the natural environment and ideas about nature have changed radically over the last five centuries. The author describes the profound influence that historical and social theory and the biological sciences have had upon each other. He shows how the outcomes of their interaction not only informed and shaped the European impact upon the world and on itself, but how crucial they are to American conceptions of the society and history of the United States. He provides provocative answers to the questions of what role the environment should have in the conceptualization of time and place; and of how far societies and their histories can be understood from the perspectives of natural and biological sciences.
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Grundlagen der allgemeinen und anorganischen Chemie
Alfons Hädener , and
Heinz Kaufmann
Manufacturer: Birkhäuser Basel
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ASIN: 3764370416 |
Book Description
Diese etablierte Einführung in die Chemie liegt nun in einer sorgfältig überarbeiteten und erweiterten Auflage vor. Das Buch vermittelt Studierenden der Chemie im Haupt- und Nebenfach das Verständnis für die Grundlagen der allgemeinen und anorganischen Chemie und ermöglicht darüber hinaus auch eine Vertiefung des in der Schule gebotenen Lehrstoffes. Das erste Kapitel legt die dem Atombau und dem Periodensystem zugrunde liegenden Modelle und Prinzipien klar und verständlich dar. Weitere Kapitel behandeln die chemische Bindung, das Massenwirkungsgesetz und seine Anwendungen, Redoxreaktionen und Radioaktivität. Die Chemie der wäßrigen Lösungen wird mit Hilfe des Massenwirkungsgesetzes besonders ausführlich behandelt. Viele Rechenbeispiele sind ausführlich dargestellt, und zahlreiche Übungen ermuntern zur aktiven Mitarbeit und Selbstkontrolle.
Book Description
Designed for those involved in analysis and design of random systems, this text analyzes a class of discrete mathematical models of engineering systems. It clearly identifies key issues and offers an instructive review of relevant theoretical concepts, with particular attention to a spectral approach. 93 figures. 7 tables.
1991 edition.
Book Description
Integration of theory and application offers improved teachability.
* Provides a comprehensive introduction to stationary processes and time series analysis.
* Integrates a broad set of applications into the text.
* Utilizes a wealth of examples from research papers and monographs.
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Finite Element Methods for Structures with Large Stochastic Variations (Oxford Texts in Applied and Engineering Mathematics, 7)
Isaac Elishakoff , and
Yongjian Ren
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
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ASIN: 0198526318 |
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The finite element method (FEM) can be successfully applied to various field problems in solid mechanics, fluid mechanics and electrical engineering. FEM is a numerical method widely used in computer aided engineering, which allows for modelling and analysis of engineering and mathematical problems, e.g. safety testing. This reference text is the first to discuss finite element methods for structures with large stochastic variations. Stochastic variations are those that follow a random probability distribution or pattern and whose behaviour may be analysed statistically but not predicted precisely. Graduate students, lecturers, and researchers in mathematics, engineering, and scientific computation will find this a very useful reference. This book is the latest in the Oxford Texts in Applied and Engineering Mathematics series, which includes texts based on taught courses that explain the mathematical or computational techniques required for the resolution of fundamental applied problems, from the undergraduate through to the graduate level. Other books in the series include: Jordan and Smith: Nonlinear Ordinary Differential Equations: an introduction to dynamical systems; Sobey: Introduction to Interactive Boundary Layer Theory; Scott: Nonlinear Science: emergence and dynamics of coherent structures; Tayler: Mathematical Models in Applied Mechanics; Ram-Mohan: Finite Element and Boundary Element Applications in Quantum Mechanics.
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Uncertainty Assessment of Large Finite Element Systems (Lecture Notes in Applied and Computational Mechanics)
Christian A. Schenk , and
Gerhart I. Schuëller
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 3540253432 |
Book Description
The treatment of uncertainties in the analysis of engineering structures remains one of the premium challenges in modern structural mechanics. It is only in recent years that the developments in stochastic and deterministic computational mechanics began to be synchronized. To foster these developments, novel computational procedures for the uncertainty assessment of large finite element systems are presented in this monograph. The stochastic input is modeled by the so-called Karhunen-Loève expansion, which is formulated in this context both for scalar and vector stochastic processes as well as for random fields. Particularly for strongly non-linear structures and systems the direct Monte Carlo simulation technique has proven to be most advantageous as method of solution. The capabilities of the developed procedures are demonstrated by showing some practical applications.
Book Description
In this monumental new account of the Vichy years, Julian Jackson examines French experiences of Occupation during the 'Black Years' of 1940-4. Pulling together previously separate 'histories' of occupation, resistance, and collaboration he presents a definitive history of the period. This is a more complex history than the traditional dichotomy between 'collaboration' and 'resistance', one in which the ideological frontiers between Vichy and the Resistance were often blurred. This study ranges from the politics of Marshal Petain's regime to the experiences of the ordinary French people, from surrender in 1940 to the purges of liberation. The author restores the organized Resistance to a more central role than has been customary in recent years and presents a new social history of the resistance which takes in the roles of foreigners, women, Jews, and peasants. He uncovers the long term roots of the Vichy regime in political and social conflict and cultural crisis stretching back to the Great War and concludes by tracing the lasting legacy and memory of Occupation since 1945.
Customer Reviews:
Brilliant.......2007-01-14
By all accounts, this is the penultimate history of "the dark years" in France during 1940-44. I agree wholeheartedly. The approach is at once scholarly without being pedantic. Every page is a gem. I have learned so much about not only the years of the occupation, but also about France itself, and why its history (political and social) contributed greatly to the rise of the Vichy government. There are, according to Jackson, proved beyond the shadow of a doubt, many,many strands of influence upon not only Vichy but the Resistance and how both were viewed during and after the war. To those who complain that it is "geared toward specialists", I suggest that you choose your topics a bit more carefully if you want something a bit more simplistic. The subject is not easy, but Jackson does a masterful job of keeping the prose interesting and vibrant. This would get SIX stars if it were possible. Bravo. A tour de force that belongs in every historian's library.
Not for the casual reader.......2004-05-20
In other readings of World War II, I had always felt I did not have a solid grounding in the history of Vichy France. I have been greatly intrigued for some time as to how a country like France could have collaborated to such a degree. This gap in knowledge, I hoped, could be filled by a general treatise on the subject. Having reviewed several books on Vichy France I chose 'France- The Dark Years, 1940-1944' as the one work upon which I would rely.
While I did admire the scope of the work, and have no argument that this book may be called the latest definitive source, be warned that this book is not written for those who do not have a working knowledge on the subject. The author does not spend time on set-up: the reader is presumed to know of not only the leading political figures in France during the 1930's-40's, but also those of greater obscurity. The list goes on with the presumptions of the author- we are supposed to know about newspapers of the era (of which there were many), political parties, both major and insignificant, and the names of resistance groups.
Again, this would not be critical if I had the requisite knowledge of the politics and society of France during this era, of which I do know some. But this book is written for the doctoral level student of this era in history, not for those seeking a more general overview.
DARK FRANCE.......2003-09-05
Although I knew something about de Gaulle, Vichy, "The Resistance," etc; usually these topics were tangential to some other main topic I was reading. Jackson's BIG book set me straight on everything I always wanted to know about Vichy, the Germans, and the Free French, Petain, de Gaulle, etc.
France 1940-1944 covers highly controversial "history."
Almost none of the various personalities and political parties survive Jackson's detailed analysis without taking their "lumps." France 1940-1944 presents an ambiguous, painful story about collaboration, indifference and a few resisters.
Surely the French will never escape the shame of Vichy
Jackson often delivers clever insights and mixed judgments. Jackson gives you enough background to evaluate some of the following puzzles:
·Why did Churchill recognize De Gaulle in 1940, instead of the Vichy Government?
·Why did FDR try so hard to get rid of "Le Grand Charles" (De Gaulle)?
·Why did many French literally cheer when France lost the War with Germany in June 1940?
·Why did powerful and influential French express such bitterness, invective, and hatred against Jews?
·Why did the "Resistance" accept De Gaulle in 1944? After all, thousands of French fought and died inside France while De Gaulle remained safely in England and Africa.
·Why didn't the Communists launch a takeover at the time of the Liberation?.
After you read this book you will understand some of the powerful destabilizing forces in French society. But Dark Years is a long book, it's serious reading, and it's written in
a rather academic style -- dull if you are not really intrigued by France, the French, De Gaulle, the Germans, the Jews, etc.
Limited in scope, but excellent in detail.......2003-03-31
Buy this book - truly outstanding. I look forward to the other parts in Jackson's three-part series, "France: The Dark Years: before 1940" and "France: The Dark Years: after 1944". I gather there is a special book being brought out called "France: The Very Dark and Frankly Bloody Annoying Months, October 2002 - March 2003"
Definitive World War II History on Nazi-Occupied France.......2002-12-22
Julian Jackson's history is the most distinguished account I've read on France during the period from 1940 through 1944. He makes an excellent case noting how the Vichy Regime was indeed part of a longstanding political tradition in France which went as far back as the Ancien Regime; he makes a similar observation of the Resistance, noting how its political philosophy could be traced directly back to the French Revolution. Jackson clearly notes the intense dislike - if not outright hatred - of many French towards their German occupiers, noting that such sentiments may have played a decisive part in ensuring the survival of more French Jews than their counterparts in other Nazi-occupied countries. Much to my surprise, he clearly demonstrates how support for the Vichy Regime came not only from a staunchly conservative elements - but also liberal, and indeed socialist elements - within French society. He also succeeds in noting how figures such as French resistance leader Jean Moulin and future French president Francois Mitterand underwent transformations - some major, but also minor - in their politics, eventually shifting their support from the Vichy regime to DeGaulle's Free French movement. Despite Vichy's reputation for cultural as well as political repression, Jackson shows that cultural activities ranging from the fine arts through film not only survived, but also flourished, at least during the early history of the Vichy Regime.
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- Ecological Education in Action: On Weaving Education, Culture, and the Environment
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- Encountering the World: Toward an Ecological Psychology
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