Life Under Glass: The Inside Story of Biosphere 2

Book Description

Planet in a bottle. Eden revisited. Laboratory under glass. The largest self-sustaining closed ecological system ever made. Biosphere 2 is many things to many people. From its half-acre farm to its

coral reef to its emerald forest- this unique research facility has proven itself a marvel of human engineering and a testament to the human imagination. For two years, four men and four women lived and worked inside the structure, recycling their air, water, food and wastes and setting a world record for living in an isolated environment. But what has this giant glass-and-steel greenhouse been to those most intimately involved with it? What has it meant to the first crew who studied and cared for it? What was it really like sealed inside a giant laboratory for twenty-four months? In Life Under Glass crew members Abigail Alling and Mark Nelson with co-captain Sally Silverstone present the full account of those two remarkable years. From the struggles of growing their own food, to learning how to help sustain their life-giving atmosphere, the general reader is offered a rare glimpse into how a group of dedicated researchers managed to surprise the world and fulfill their dream. Other crews may come and go, but no one else will face the risks, the uncertainties, and the challenges that this new breed of explorers did on Biosphere 2's maiden voyage. Here is the fascinating story of how it all appeared- living under glass.

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating project.......2007-01-10

This book was particularly fascinating to me as we had just visited the site in Arizona. I was somewhat disappointed that there was not more information on the personalities,, relationships and individual reactions and interactions of the persons in the experiment. I realize that they agreed not to publish that information, but from the standpoint of a mental health professional, I would have been most interested in that aspect of the project.

Informative, entertaining, whitewashed.......2006-01-17

This is a detailed though rather one-sided description of the grandest terrarium experiment in history. It is a hopeful, upbeat, seemingly complete and satisfying account of daily life inside Biosphere 2. Color photos show the the facility's interior and exterior, not to mention the smiling crew of eight, both in their normal work clothes and the "Star Trek" uniforms they wore for publicity photos. The book articulately describes the hopes that drove Biosphere 2, how it was built, and some of the challenges the crew faced during their 2-year closure.

But the book is not complete. It was written by two of the four crew members who were loyal to project co-founder John Allen. The division between the loyalists and the remaining four became significant during the oxygen crisis they experienced three months into the experiment. By many accounts, communication between the two factions has been strained to nonexistent ever since. Hopefully a forthcoming book, The Human Experiment: My Two Years and Twenty Minutes Inside Biosphere 2, by Jane Poynter (from the other faction) will shed some light on this.

The press and scientific community have been hard on the entire project, especially the pro-Allen faction. I would have liked to read something about this conflict from their point of view. But Life Under Glass dodges it entirely, opting instead to present an informative if somewhat sanitized read.

So you wanna be a Biospherian?.......2004-12-22

Having first read "Biosphere 2: The Human Experiment" by John Allen, I came away with the technical side of its workings with only a brief look at the actual participants themselves and the going-on inside the 'dome. I searched out this book to gain a more personal aspect as to what it was like to live in isolation from the outside world with several other great scientists and have to deal with the fact that your very survival inside this pseudo-spaceship would depend utterly upon fragile human relationships and teamwork. The author is very good at describing a typical workday inside B2 and also describes the many personalities, quirks and eccentricities that made the people around her all so human. This is a book about the PEOPLE and not just a focus on the technology, and that's exactly what I found to be most interesting. What B2 fan hasn't wondered if they themselves could have managed inside for a year if given the chance? After reading this book, I realized I didn't have the "right stuff" to be a biosperian and probably would have been banging on the airlock to get out after a week. If you want to know what it was like to live in there, then read it from the people who lived it..the authors themselves. Very enlightening and recommended.

A healthier life is possible for both people and Earth.......2003-09-21

I have always been interested in the functioning of small closed ecosystems. Biosphere2 has been the largest and longest-running example of one that actually included humans! A mixture of nature and technology, the concept behind the Biosphere2's original experiment is fascinating: whether humans can survive and thrive in a sealed enclosure while producing no waste, and recycling everything including air and water. Despite the eventual fate of this facility (it is now run as an open system lab by the U. of Columbia), the original experiment remains valuable as an idealistic example of what is possible in how we choose to live life on Earth.

The book is well written and delves into every issue faced by the Biospherians in their two-year voyage from mundane everyday work (and partying) to the basics of the science of a closed ecosystem (carbon cycles, depleted oxygen, etc.). However, I found it a bit too self-promoting. Published by the "Biosphere Press", the book is also an effort to sell the Biosphere's concept without delving too much into the difficulties of its appplication. Regardless, I wish a similar project (perhaps modified and improved based on lessons learned) was continued on a permanent basis.

Compelling and interesting.......2001-06-22

An excellent inside view of what it was like for 8 people to live inside the Biosphere 2 for two years. This book sparked my interest in leading a healthier life, and in trying to live with as little impact on the Earth as possible. When you consider what terrible impact any outside toxins (e.g. pesticides) would have had inside Biosphere 2, you have to wonder what effects the toxins are having on us, out here in Biosphere 1 (Earth). Definitely a well-written book; a good read; very compelling.

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Native New Zealand Flowering Plants
J.T. Salmon
Manufacturer: Reed New Zealand
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

New Zealand | Australia & Oceania | History | Subjects | Books
General | Botany | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0790006847

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The art album of New Zealand flora: Being a systematic and popular description of the native flowering plants of New Zealand and the adjacent islands
E. H Featon
Manufacturer: Bock & Cousins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Botany | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0008AICLQ

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Description of new native flowering plants,
Donald Petrie
Manufacturer: M.F. Marks, Govt. Printer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Botany | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0008A2JPQ

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Description of new native flowering plants, with a few notes,
Donald Petrie
Manufacturer: M.F. Marks, Govt. Printer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Botany | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0008A2L36

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Description of new native flowering plants, with some notes on known species,
Donald Petrie
Manufacturer: M.F. Marks, Govt. Printer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Botany | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0008A2L5O

Book Description

The best of California, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, Palm Springs and Hollywood, Disneyland and Universal Studios, the Grand Canyon, Death Valley and the Napa Valley.

Thomas Cook Drive Around Guides are designed to provide you with a comprehensive but flexible reference source to guide you as you tour a country or region by car. This guide divides California into touring areas – one per chapter. Major cultural centers or cities form chapters in their own right. Each chapter provides at least a day’s worth of activities – often more.

Drive Around California: Your guide to great drives (Drive Around - Thomas Cook)

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Drive Around California: Your guide to great drives (Drive Around - Thomas Cook)
Maxine Cass , and Fred Gebhart
Manufacturer: Thomas Cook Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1841574627

Book Description

This title features the best of California, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, Palm Springs and Hollywood, Disneyland and Universal Studios, the Grand Canyon, Death Valley and the Napa Valley.

Book Description

Dozens of Instant & Irresisitible Ideas and Activities to Teach about the Flag, the Pledge, the Presidents and More‹From Creative Teachers Across the Country
Help young students begin to understand the meaning behind our national symbols and the workings of our government with these engaging, teacher-tested activities. Kids of all learning styles will have fun with the activities, games, and manipulatives in this collection while boosting skills in math, reading, writing, social studies, and art. Also includes calendar activities, songs, book links, computer connections, and a big, colorful "Pledge of Allegience" Poster!

Customer Reviews:

Hey Mr. Murph!.......2004-12-03

Your love for books continues I see and I'm excited that you've written many childrens books, and even some for teachers. Guess what, my sister and I now teach preschool together! I was trying to find your email because I wanted to ask you a few things. My e-mail is Desireeinpink@aol.com Yes, it's 'Termine' your favorite student your first year of ever teaching. Remember- 2nd grade @ Goodnoe elem.? Anyways, email me, take care! Oh, and I love the Teddy Bear book :)

A Flag for Our Country (Stories of America)

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A Flag for Our Country (Stories of America)
Eve Spencer
Manufacturer: Steck-Vaughn
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0811480518

The American Flag in the Art of Our Country [Allentown Art Museum, June 14 - Nov. 14, 1976]

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The American Flag in the Art of Our Country [Allentown Art Museum, June 14 - Nov. 14, 1976]
Allentown Art Museum
Manufacturer: PA: Allentown Art Museum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JI784O

Product Description

Three-page introductory essay written by M.L. D'Otrange Mastai. The pictures are illustrated chronologically after this, with an index of artists' names at the rear. Exhibition of works by eighty-four artists from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in various media in which the flag is depicted Includes paintings, sculpture, folk art, and graphic arts. Wraps. 92 pp. 12 color, 87 bw plates.

The cross and the flag, our church and country;: Heroic deeds ... from the discovery of America to the dawn of the twentieth century (The Georgetown library)

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The cross and the flag, our church and country;: Heroic deeds ... from the discovery of America to the dawn of the twentieth century (The Georgetown library)
John Gilmary Shea
Manufacturer: Pub. for the Catholic Historical League of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

THE CROSS AND THE FLAG: Our Church and Country.

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THE CROSS AND THE FLAG: Our Church and Country.
LL.D. John Gilmary Shea
Manufacturer: NY: Catholic Historical League of America, 1899. 1013p.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KIIZSQ

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Flag Day (Our Country's Holidays)
Sheri Dean
Manufacturer: Gareth Stevens Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0836865049

Flag Day/dia De La Bandera (Our Country's Holidays/Las Fiestas De Nuestra Nacion)

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Flag Day/dia De La Bandera (Our Country's Holidays/Las Fiestas De Nuestra Nacion)
Sheri Dean
Manufacturer: Gareth Stevens Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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The flag of our country,
James Rush Bronson
Manufacturer: Patriotic Supply Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0008ARIR0

"Old glory" ... the flag of our country: A suplementray reader containing practical lessons in patriotism for use in public or private schools

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"Old glory" ... the flag of our country: A suplementray reader containing practical lessons in patriotism for use in public or private schools
Albert Elias Maltby
Manufacturer: The Author
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Books & Reading | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Readers | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B00085UI18

Old glory;: The story of our country's flag

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Old glory;: The story of our country's flag
George Alexander Ross
Manufacturer: Platt & Munk Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006AKC70

Book Description

Conservation biology relies not only on the general concepts, but on the specific methods, of population ecology to both understand and predict the viability of rare and endangered species and to determine how best to manage these populations. The need to conduct quantitative analyses of viability and management has spawned the field of "population viability analysis," or PVA, which, in turn, has driven much of the recent development of useful and realistic population analysis and modeling in ecology in general. However, despite calls for the increased use of PVA in real-world settings?developing recovery plans for endangered species, for example?a misperception remains among field-oriented conservation biologists that PVA models can only be constructed and understood by a select group of mathematical population ecologists.

Part of the reason for the ongoing gap between conservation practitioners and population modelers has been the lack of an easy-to-understand introduction to PVA for conservation biologists with little prior exposure to mathematical modeling as well as in-depth coverage of the underlying theory and its applications. Quantitative Conservation Biology fills this void through a unified presentation of the three major areas of PVA: count-based, demographic, and multi-site, or metapopulation, models. The authors first present general concepts and approaches to viability assessment. Then, in sections addressing each of the three fields of PVA, they guide the reader from considerations for collection and analysis of data to model construction, analysis, and interpretation, progressing from simple to complex approaches to answering PVA questions. Detailed case studies use data from real endangered species, and computer programs to perform all described analyses accompany the text.

Book Description

When a species colonizes an area that it has not previously inhabited, it is called an "invasion", and it can result in the extinction of endemic species. The increase in numbers of humans travelling the world presents opportunities for invasions by organisms and the spread of diseases such as
rabies and smallpox. Using the large amount of data from studies in pest control and epidemiology, it is possible to construct mathematical models that can predict which species will become invaders, which habitats are susceptible to invasion, and the biological impact. This book presents a clear
and accessible introduction to the modeling of biological invasions. It demonstrates the latest theories and models, and includes data and examples from various case studies showing how these models can be applied to problems from deadly human diseases to the spread of weeds.

Conservation Biology in Theory and Practice

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The only textbook out there worth getting

Conservation Biology in Theory and Practice
Graeme Caughley , and A. Gunn
Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Natural History | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Wildlife | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0865424314

Customer Reviews:

The only textbook out there worth getting.......2003-07-13

This is a serious book about a serious subject, and reading it makes it clear how much we lost when we lost Graeme Caughley. This book is suitable for an advanced undergraduate or first-year graduate class in conservation where you are dealing with students who have at least some background in basic ecology and data analysis. Written in Caughley's iconoclastic style, with a strong Southern hemisphere emphasis in terms of examples and case studies, the book is a welcome relief from the conservation-lite type texts that litter the booksellers inventories. Caughley pulls no punches when he criticizes some of the more sweeping generalizations that have captured the popular imagination, and he expects his readers to be able to deal with math if they are going to mess around with survival curves, MVPs, or whatever. I found the writing to be clear, lucid, and to the point. Caughley gives an excellent review of theoretical aspects of conservation & then delvs into a series of case studies that illustrate points made in the first half of the book. Some of these will be familiar to most readers, others are more exotic, more intriguing, and each delivers useful lessons-of-practice to ponder over, argue about, and learn from. Even though this text is now 7 years old it is perhaps a mark of Caughley's foresight that it still has a very contemporary feel to it. Anne Gunn is to be commended for making sure that this book got out in a relatively intact form, and i would STRONGLY encourage professionals, teachers, and students to get it & keep it on your desk.

Conservation Biology: The Theory and Practice of Nature Conservation, Preservation, and Management

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Conservation Biology: The Theory and Practice of Nature Conservation, Preservation, and Management

Manufacturer: Chapman & Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Natural History | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0412019515

Book Description

A First Course in Fuzzy Logic, Third Edition continues to provide the ideal introduction to the theory and applications of fuzzy logic. This best-selling text provides a firm mathematical basis for the calculus of fuzzy concepts necessary for designing intelligent systems and a solid background for readers to pursue further studies and real-world applications. New in the Third Edition: · A section on type-2 fuzzy sets - a topic that has received much attention in the past few years · Additional material on copulas and t-norms · More discussions on generalized modus ponens and the compositional rule of inference · Complete revision to the chapter on possibility theory · Significant expansion of the chapter on fuzzy integrals · Many new exercises With its comprehensive updates, this new edition presents all the background necessary for students and professionals to begin using fuzzy logic in its many-and rapidly growing- applications in computer science, mathematics, statistics, and engineering.

Customer Reviews:

prof. review.......2006-01-15

this is the best intro to fuzzy ever writen....im a university prof on the subject of AI so...Ive read tons of books on the subject and this is by far the best intro to fuzzy even for those who ll be learning on their own... very simple put and yet very abording on the matter!

A First Course in Fuzzy Logic.......1999-12-22

If you are looking for a book on Fuzzy Logic Theory, this is a good book. It explains the mathematical basis of fuzzy logic, the mathmatical symbols used, provides proofs for theorems, etc. The chapters and sections are clearly labeled in the table of contents, making it easy to zero in on a topic. It is a College Text Book, with problems to solve at the end of each chapter. Selected problems have answers in the back of the book. Unfortunately, that wasn't the type of book that I expected or needed. I was looking more for the hands on, how to, type of book. That is the only reason it did not get 5 stars.

Outstanding, for people who are interested in this area.......1999-09-21

This is the clearest explanation and application of fuzzy logic that has been published. It is thorough, without being arcane or pedantic.

Customer Reviews:

One of the great periods of world literature- anthologized.......2005-09-20

Nineteenth century Russia Literature is one of the great Literatures of Mankind. Consider 'War and Peace' and 'Karamozov' Tolstoy and Dostoevsky alone, two of the giants. But also in that century Pushkin, Gogol, Lermontov, Turgenev, Chekhov other very major writers.
In this anthology there are also included Herzen,Solovoyev, Saltykov- Schedrin, Griboyedov, Goncharov, Tyutchev, and others.
The Tolstoy is 'Ivan Ilyich' and the Dostoevsky 'The Grand Inquisitor' .
There are clearly written introductions to each of the works.
This a an overabundantly rich anthology,an overabundance and richness which reflects the character of nineteenth century Russian Literature as a whole.

Re: Contents listing below by stonechat.......2001-09-28

I disagree with stonechat's correction of the review by the New Orleans reader. I am holding this title in my hand and the contents listed by stonechat are incorrect ... maybe stonechat listed the contents of the Portable Twentieth Century Russian Reader? I dunno.. just trying to be helpful :)

everything important right here!.......2000-06-11

This anthology is an excellent reader's companion to any modern Russian work--be it Nabokov's Pnin or Tolstoy's War and Peace. Not only does it provide excellent autobiographical coverage on all the major Russian authors of the period, but it has characteristic passages from works too big to be included that allow the dilettante and the serious reader alike to investigate Russian literature in as much depth as suits each. The book is comparable to the Norton's Anthology of English Literature, but on a smaller scale and less heavily footnoted. Authors covered include of course Pushkin, Dostoyevsky, Tolstoy, Chekhov, and Gorky, but also Griboyedov, Lermontov, Gogol, Aksakov, Tyutchev, Karolina Pavlova, Goncharov, Turgenev, Herzen, Prutkov, Saltykov-Shchedrin, Solovyov and some Russian Folk Proverbs. A rare treat it provides is the chance to read some of Dostoyevsky's political non-fiction, Tolstoy's literary criticism, and eleven Pushkin poems. Plot summaries and brief literary analyses are included with the biographical information. Very readable and complete, though some translations are written in akwardly formal language (a flaw ubiquitous in Russian translations that does not detract from the diversity of selections or the beauty of included prose)

The Portable Nineteenth-Century Russian Reader

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The Portable Nineteenth-Century Russian Reader
Various
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJ3EGO

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