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Material: Making and the Art of Transformation
by Nick KaryA master craftsperson explores the ways in which working with our hands reveals the essence of both our humanity and our relationship with the natural, material world In our present age of computer-assisted design, mass production and machine precision, the traditional skills of the maker or craftsperson are hard to find. Yet the desire for well-made and beautiful objects from the hands (and mind) of a skilled artisan is just as present today as it ever has been. Whether the medium they work with is wood, metal, clay or something else, traditional makers are living links to the rich vein of knowledge and skills that defines our common human heritage. More than this, though, many of us harbor a deep and secret yearning to produce something – to build or shape, to imagine and create our own objects that are imbued not only with beauty and functionality, but with a story and, in essence, a spirit drawn from us. Nick Kary understands this yearning. For nearly four decades he has worked on commission to make fine, distinctive furniture and cabinets from wood, most of it sourced near his home, in the counties of South West England. During this time, he has been both a teacher and a student; one who is fascinated with the philosophy and practice of craft work of all kinds. In Material, Kary takes readers along with him to visit some of the places where modern artisans are preserving, and in some cases passing on, the old craft skills. His vivid descriptions and eye for detail make this book a rich and delightful read, and the natural and cultural history he imparts along the way provides an important context for understanding our own past and the roots of our industrial society. Personal, engaging, and filled with memorable people, landscapes and scenes, Material is a rich celebration of what it means to imagine and create, which in the end is the essence of being human, and native to a place. As Kary puts it, “Wood and words, trees and people, material and ethereal – it is here I love increasingly to dwell.”
Materials and Sustainability: Building a Circular Future
by Julia L Goldstein Paul Foulkes-ArellanoThis book examines sustainable manufacturing, from the extraction of materials to processing, use, and disposal, and argues that significant changes in all of the above are needed for the world to progress toward a more circular economy.Materials and processing methods are usually chosen with performance as the key metric. Why has our society embraced plastics? Because they work. In most cases, they are lighter, easier to manufacture, and less expensive than the metal, wood, glass, or stone they have replaced. Why do industrial manufacturers use toxic chemicals? Because they are effective, but the unintended consequences may be severe. By learning how various materials are made and what happens when they are recycled, readers will better understand the value of materials and the challenges that manufacturers face when trying to make their facilities and products less toxic and less wasteful. The three chapters in Part I provide essential background about materials in the circular economy, chemicals, and waste. Part II delves into specific materials. It includes chapters on plastics, metals, wood and paper products, glass, and novel materials. Part III covers recycling and manufacturing processes, and Part IV delves into practical considerations, including the effect of regulations, concluding with a chapter that helps readers translate the information presented into action. Interviews with industry experts round out the chapters and offer valuable insights.Materials and Sustainability is a must-read for business professionals who are serious about making their companies as environmentally responsible as possible and for business and engineering students who want to begin their careers with practical knowledge about materials and their impacts.
Mathematical Advances Towards Sustainable Environmental Systems
by Anil K. Gupta Darren M. Reynolds James N. Furze Kelly Swing Richard H. McclatcheyThis edited volume focuses on how we can protect our environment and enhance environmental sustainability when faced with changes and pressures imposed by our expansive needs. The volume unites multiple subject areas within sustainability, enabling the techniques and philosophy in the chapters to be applied to research areas in environmental science, plant sciences, energy, biodiversity and conservation. The chapters from expert contributors cover topics such as mathematical modelling tools used to monitor diversity of plant species, and the stability of ecosystem services such as biogeochemical cycling. Empirical research presented here also brings together mathematical developments in the important fields of robotics including kinematics, dynamics, path planning, control, vision, and swarmanoids. Through this book readers will also discover about rainfall-runoff modelling which will give them a better idea of the effects of climate change on the sustainability of water resources at the watershed scale. Modelling approaches will also be examined that maximize readers insights into the global problem of energy transition, i. e. the switch to an energy production system using renewable resources only. Collective and discrete insights are made to assist with synergy which should progress well beyond this book. Insight is also given to assist policy formations, development and implementations. The book has a strong multi-disciplinary nature at its core, and will appeal to both generalist readers and specialists in information technology, mathematics, biology, physics, chemistry and environmental sciences.
Mathematical Models and Environmental Change: Case Studies in Long Term Management (Routledge Focus on Environment and Sustainability)
by Douglas J. CrookesThis book demonstrates how mathematical models constructed in system dynamics modelling platforms, such as Vensim, can be used for long-term management of environmental change. It is divided into two sections, with the first dedicated to theory, where the theory of co-evolutionary modelling and its use in the system dynamics model platform is developed. The book takes readers through the steps in the modelling process, different validation tools applicable to these types of models and different growth specification, as well as how to curve fit using numerical methods in Vensim. Section 2 comprises of a collection of applied case studies, including fisheries, game theory and wildlife management. The book concludes with lessons from the use of co-evolutionary models for long-term natural resource management. The book will be of great interest to students and scholars of environmental economics, natural resource management, system dynamics, ecological modelling and bioeconomics.
Mathematical Models of Plant-Herbivore Interactions (Chapman & Hall/CRC Mathematical Biology Series)
by Zhilan Feng Donald DeAngelisMathematical Models of Plant-Herbivore Interactions addresses mathematical models in the study of practical questions in ecology, particularly factors that affect herbivory, including plant defense, herbivore natural enemies, and adaptive herbivory, as well as the effects of these on plant community dynamics. <P><P> The result of extensive research on the use of mathematical modeling to investigate the effects of plant defenses on plant-herbivore dynamics, this book describes a toxin-determined functional response model (TDFRM) that helps explains field observations of these interactions. <P><P> This book is intended for graduate students and researchers interested in mathematical biology and ecology.
Mathematical Optimization of Water Networks (International Series Of Numerical Mathematics Series #162)
by Martin Oberlack Günter Leugering Kathrin Klamroth Jens Lang Alexander Martin Antonio Morsi Manfred Ostrowski Roland RosenWater supply- and drainage systems and mixed water channel systems are networks whose high dynamic is determined and/or affected by consumer habits on drinking water on the one hand and by climate conditions, in particular rainfall, on the other hand. According to their size, water networks consist of hundreds or thousands of system elements. Moreover, different types of decisions (continuous and discrete) have to be taken in the water management. The networks have to be optimized in terms of topology and operation by targeting a variety of criteria. Criteria may for example be economic, social or ecological ones and may compete with each other. The development of complex model systems and their use for deriving optimal decisions in water management is taking place at a rapid pace. Simulation and optimization methods originating in Operations Research have been used for several decades; usually with very limited direct cooperation with applied mathematics. The research presented here aims at bridging this gap, thereby opening up space for synergies and innovation. It is directly applicable for relevant practical problems and has been carried out in cooperation with utility and dumping companies, infrastructure providers and planning offices. A close and direct connection to the practice of water management has been established by involving application-oriented know-how from the field of civil engineering. On the mathematical side all necessary disciplines were involved, including mixed-integer optimization, multi-objective and facility location optimization, numerics for cross-linked dynamic transportation systems and optimization as well as control of hybrid systems. Most of the presented research has been supported by the joint project „Discret-continuous optimization of dynamic water systems“ of the federal ministry of education and research (BMBF).
Mathematical Paradigms of Climate Science
by Christopher Jones Piermarco Cannarsa Fabio Ancona Alessandro PortaluriThis book, featuring a truly interdisciplinary approach, provides an overview of cutting-edge mathematical theories and techniques that promise to play a central role in climate science. It brings together some of the most interesting overview lectures given by the invited speakers at an important workshop held in Rome in 2013 as a part of MPE2013 ("Mathematics of Planet Earth 2013"). The aim of the workshop was to foster the interaction between climate scientists and mathematicians active in various fields linked to climate sciences, such as dynamical systems, partial differential equations, control theory, stochastic systems, and numerical analysis. Mathematics and statistics already play a central role in this area. Likewise, computer science must have a say in the efforts to simulate the Earth's environment on the unprecedented scale of petabytes. In the context of such complexity, new mathematical tools are needed to organize and simplify the approach. The growing importance of data assimilation techniques for climate modeling is amply illustrated in this volume, which also identifies important future challenges.
Mathematics in Nature: Modeling Patterns in the Natural World
by John AdamFrom rainbows, river meanders, and shadows to spider webs, honeycombs, and the markings on animal coats, the visible world is full of patterns that can be described mathematically. Examining such readily observable phenomena, this book introduces readers to the beauty of nature as revealed by mathematics and the beauty of mathematics as revealed in nature. Generously illustrated, written in an informal style, and replete with examples from everyday life, Mathematics in Nature is an excellent and undaunting introduction to the ideas and methods of mathematical modeling. It illustrates how mathematics can be used to formulate and solve puzzles observed in nature and to interpret the solutions. In the process, it teaches such topics as the art of estimation and the effects of scale, particularly what happens as things get bigger. Readers will develop an understanding of the symbiosis that exists between basic scientific principles and their mathematical expressions as well as a deeper appreciation for such natural phenomena as cloud formations, halos and glories, tree heights and leaf patterns, butterfly and moth wings, and even puddles and mud cracks. Developed out of a university course, this book makes an ideal supplemental text for courses in applied mathematics and mathematical modeling. It will also appeal to mathematics educators and enthusiasts at all levels, and is designed so that it can be dipped into at leisure.
Mathematics of Planet Earth: Protecting Our Planet, Learning from the Past, Safeguarding for the Future (Mathematics of Planet Earth #5)
by Hans G. Kaper Fred S. RobertsSince its inception in 2013, Mathematics of Planet Earth (MPE) focuses on mathematical issues arising in the study of our planet. Interested in the impact of human activities on the Earth’s system, this multidisciplinary field considers the planet not only as a physical system, but also as a system supporting life, a system organized by humans, and a system at risk. The articles collected in this volume demonstrate the breadth of techniques and tools from mathematics, statistics, and operations research used in MPE. Topics include climate modeling, the spread of infectious diseases, stability of ecosystems, ecosystem services, biodiversity, infrastructure restoration after an extreme event, urban environments, food security, and food safety. Demonstrating the mathematical sciences in action, this book presents real-world challenges for the mathematical sciences, highlighting applications to issues of current concern to society. Arranged into three topical sections (Geo- and Physical Sciences; Life Sciences, Ecology and Evolution; Socio-economics and Infrastructure), thirteen chapters address questions such as how to measure biodiversity, what mathematics can say about the sixth mass extinction, how to optimize the long-term human use of natural capital, and the impact of data on infrastructure management. The book also treats the subject of infectious diseases with new examples and presents an introduction to the mathematics of food systems and food security. Each chapter functions as an introduction that can be studied independently, offering source material for graduate student seminars and self-study. The range of featured research topics provides mathematical scientists with starting points for the study of our planet and the impact of human activities. At the same time, it offers application scientists a plethora of modern mathematical tools and techniques to address the various topics in practice. Including hundreds of references to the vast literature associated with each topic, this book serves as an inspiration for further research.
Matsutake Worlds (Studies in Social Analysis #12)
by Lieba Faier and Michael J. HathawayThe matsutake mushroom continues to be a highly sought delicacy, especially in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean cuisine. Matsutake Worlds explores this mushroom through the lens of multi-species encounters centered around the matsutake’s notorious elusiveness. The mushroom’s success, the contributors of this volume argue, cannot be accounted for by any one cultural, social, political, or economic process. Rather, the matsutake mushroom has flourished as the result of a number of different processes and dynamics, culminating in the culinary institution we know today.
Mattias's Crossing
by Eva ApelqvistMattias is getting ready to leave for his hockey game when his mother suddenly falls ill. His father is away tending their reindeer herd, so it’s up to Mattias to get her down the mountain through the snow and ice and find emergency help.
Mauritius: A successful Small Island Developing State (Europa Perspectives: Emerging Economies)
by Robin Nunkoo Boopen Seetanah Raja Vinesh SannasseeThe economic upturn and performance of Mauritius is a far cry from predictions made in the 1960s. The island’s remarkable economic performance since the 1980s can been attributed to a multitude of factors instrumental to the success of the economy, including structural reforms, outward looking export orientated strategies, diversification in the manufacturing, tourism and financial services sectors amongst others, sound economic governance and institutions, and significant investment in human capital. This book attempts to provide a detailed analysis of the various key ingredients which have helped to propel Mauritius to its current status. The various chapters provide important readings for both academics and policymakers, with the final chapter providing key policy strategies which the government needs to implement to help Mauritius graduate to the next level of development: namely to that of a high-income economy and, in moving out of the middle-income trap, laying the foundations for future growth and shared prosperity in the light of both domestic challenges and global constraints.
Maverick Gardeners: Dr. Dirt and Other Determined Independent Gardeners
by Felder Rushing“Be forewarned that this book honors people like the woman in my hometown who paints the numbers of her favorite NASCAR drivers on her elephant ears, and a Tokyo gardener with over a hundred bonsai plants.” So says renowned garden journalist Felder Rushing in his new book Maverick Gardeners: Dr. Dirt and Other Determined Independent Gardeners. In this book, Felder delves deeply into the psychology of what motivates and sustains the Keepers of the Garden Flame. For thousands of years, a loosely connected web of unique, nontraditional gardeners has bonded people across race, culture, language, and other social conventions through sharing unique plants and stories. Found in nearly every neighborhood worldwide, these “determined independent gardeners” (DIGrs) are typically nonjoiners who garden simply and exuberantly, eschewing customary horticultural standards in their amateur pursuits of personal bliss. Included in Maverick Gardeners are classic “passalong plant” lists, a dollop of how-to, numerous color photographs, and thought-provoking essays on quintessential tools, sharing with others, getting away with wildflowers in suburbia, and organizing a plant swap. The centerpiece of this unique gardening journey is the no-holds-barred story of a ten-year cross-cultural collaboration between the horticulturist author and a flamboyant rebellious gardener who called himself Dirt. Through swapping plants and garden lore—and rubbing shoulders with fellow DIGrs—they unraveled their shared humanity. From the practical to the inspiring, Maverick Gardeners is the perfect book for those nonconformist souls who see no sense in trying to fit in and follow the footpaths of others.
Mavis
by Brenda K. Marshall[From the back cover:] Mavis Schmidt Holmstead has always been the strong one. The oldest of six sisters who grew up on a North Dakota farm, Mavis has spent a lifetime comforting and cooking, mending and managing. Now a man is dead, and the confessed murderer is Mavis--widow, mother, grandmother, matriarch. Soon her sisters gather together, not only to support Mavis, but to discover the truth. She must be lying about the murder, but why? To answer that question, buried secrets are exposed, revealing shocking truths that are both harrowing and redemptive...
Mawson's Will: The Greatest Survival Story Ever Written
by Sir Edmund Hillary Lennard BickelMAWSON'S WILL is the dramatic story of what Sir Edmund Hillary calls "the most outstanding solo journey ever recorded in Antarctic history." For weeks in Antarctica, Douglas Mawson faced some of the most daunting conditions ever known to man: blistering wind, snow, and cold; loss of his companion, his dogs and supplies, the skin on his hands and the soles of his feet; thirst, starvation, disease, snowblindness - and he survived. Sir Douglas Mawson is remembered as the young Australian who would not go to the South Pole with Robert Scott in 1911, choosing instead to lead his own expedition on the less glamorous mission of charting nearly 1,500 miles of Antarctic coastline and claiming its resources for the British Crown. His party of three set out through the mountains across glaciers in 60-mile-per-hour winds. Six weeks and 320 miles out, one man fell into a crevasse, along with the tent, most of the equipment, all of the dogs' food, and all except a week's supply of the men's provisions.Mawson's Will is the unforgettable story of one man's ingenious practicality and unbreakable spirit and how he continued his meticulous scientific observations even in the face of death. When the expedition was over, Mawson had added more territory to the Antarctic map than anyone else of his time. Thanks to Bickel's moving account, Mawson can be remembered for the vision and dedication that make him one of the world's great explorers."A riveting account . . . makes Mawson's achievement a symbol of the desire to live." -- The New York Times Book Review"A powerful reading experience." -- Publishers WeeklyFrom the Trade Paperback edition.
Max & Mo Go Apple Picking
by Brian Floca Patricia LakinMax and Mo are tired of eating corn. Luckily the big ones -- the kids -- just went apple picking. Everyone knows you can make applesauce with apples, but is there anything else you can make with them?
Max and Kate: At the Planetarium
by Mick ManningDid you know you can explore space and visit the stars from right here on planet Earth? Follow along with Max and Kate as they visit a science museum and learn about the night sky.
Max and the Tag-Along Moon
by Floyd CooperExperience the wonder of the moon following you home with a Coretta Scott King Award-winning illustrator! Great for Father’s Day and Grandparent’s Day!Max loves his grandpa. When they must say good-bye after a visit, Grandpa promises Max that the moon at Grandpa’s house is the same moon that will follow him all the way home. On that swervy-curvy car ride back to his house, Max watches as the moon tags along. But when the sky darkens and the moon disappears behind clouds, he worries that it didn’t follow him home after all. Where did the moon go—and what about Grandpa’s promise? Floyd Cooper received the Coretta Scott King Award for The Blacker the Berry, three Coretta Scott King Honors for Brown Honey in Broomwheat Tea, Meet Danitra Brown, and I Have Heard of a Land, and an NAACP image award. In Max and the Tag-Along Moon, his lush paintings perfectly capture the wonder of the moon, the love between grandfather and grandson, and that feeling of magic every child experiences when the moon follows him home.. “Coretta Scott King Award–winning Cooper has created a gentle, comforting story that will reassure children that those who love us are always with us.”—Booklist“Cooper uses his signature style to illustrate both the landscape--sometimes viewed from the car windows or reflected in the vehicle's mirror--and the expressive faces of his characters. Coupled with the story's lyrical text, this is a lovely mood piece. A quiet, warm look at the bond between grandfather and grandson.”—Kirkus Reviews
Maxine and the Greatest Garden Ever
by Ruth SpiroBest friends Maxine and Leo combine their maker and artistic skills to create (and save!) the ultimate garden in this empowering, STEM-focused picture bookAfter sketching and plotting and planting, Maxine and Leo know they've made The Greatest Garden Ever! But they're not the only ones who think so. Soon, all sorts of animals make their way in, munching on carrots and knocking over pots. When Leo and Maxine can't agree on a way to deter these unwelcome critters, it looks like there's more on the line than saving their garden--they just might need to save their friendship too.
May Saves the Day
by Laura GehlFrom her trendy suit to her messenger bag, May is the picture of a successful businesswoman. After all, she is founder and sole proprietor of Word Saver, Inc. Carrying her trusty bag of letters, May saves the day again and again, turning angry BEES into playful BEETS and a rampaging BEAR into a silly BEARD. Stu begs to be her sidekick, but May insists that a businesswoman does not need a sidekick. However, May quickly realizes that teamwork may be the word of the day when a tornado threatens the town. Author Laura Gehl brings word play to a new level in this adventurous and humorous picture book, featuring spirited art by Serena Lombardo.
Maya Lin, Public Art, and the Confluence Project (Routledge Focus on Art History and Visual Studies)
by Matthew ReynoldsThe first scholarly monograph devoted exclusively to this vital work of contemporary public art, this book examines Maya Lin’s Confluence Project through the lens of environmental humanities and Indigenous studies. Matthew Reynolds provides a detailed analysis of each earthwork, along with a discussion of the proposed final project at Celilo Falls near The Dalles, Oregon. The book assesses the artist’s longtime engagement with the region of the Pacific Northwest and explores the Confluence Project within Lin’s larger oeuvre. Several consistent themes and experiences are common amongst all the sites. These include an emphasis on individual, multisensory encounters with the earthworks and their surrounding contexts; sound as an experiential dimension of landscape; indexical accounts of the multicultural, multispecies histories of each place; and an evocation of loss. The book will be of interest to scholars working in art history, contemporary art, environmental studies, environmental humanities, and Native American studies.
Maya's Blanket: La manta de Maya
by Monica BrownBilingual English/Spanish. Based on a Yiddish folk song, a young girl's cherished baby blanket becomes old and worn over time and she finds new ways to use it as she grows up.Little Maya has a special blanket that Grandma stitched with her own two hands. As Maya grows, her blanket becomes worn and frayed, so with Grandma's help, Maya makes it into a dress. Over time the dress is made into a skirt, a shawl, a scarf, a hair ribbon, and finally, a bookmark. Each item has special, magical, meaning for Maya; it animates her adventures, protects her, or helps her in some way. But when Maya loses her bookmark, she preserves her memories by creating a book about her adventures and love of these items. When Maya grows up, she shares her book--Maya's Blanket/La manta de Maya--with her own little daughter while snuggled under her own special blanket. Inspired by the traditional Yiddish folk song "Hob Ikh Mir a Mantl" ("I Had a Little Coat"), this delightful bilingual picture book puts a child-focused, Latino spin on the tale of an item that is made into smaller and smaller items. Maya's Blanket/La manta de Maya charmingly brings to life this celebration creativity, recycling, and enduring family love.
Maybe One
by Bill MckibbenFrom the groundbreaking, bestselling author of The End of Nature, a controversial and provocative book arguing that to help the planet we should begin to voluntarily limit our numbers. Bill McKibben's books and essays on our environment -- physical and spiritual -- have shaped and spurred debate since The End of Nature was published in 1989. Then, he sounded one of the earliest alarms about global warming; the decade of science since has proved his prescience. Now, in Maybe One, he takes on the most controversial of environmental problems -- population. We live in a unique and dangerous time, he asserts, when the planet's limits are being tested and voluntary reductions in American childbearing could make a crucial difference. The father of a single child himself, McKibben maintains that bringing one, and no more than one, child into this world will hurt neither your family nor our nation -- indeed, it can be an optimistic step toward the future. Maybe One is not just an environmental argument but a highly personal and philosophical one. McKibben cites new and extensive research about the developmental strengths of only children; he finds that single kids are not spoiled, weird, selfish, or asocial, but pretty much the same as everyone else. McKibben recognizes that the transition to a stable population size won't be easy or pain-free but ultimately is inevitable. Maybe One provides the basis for provocative, powerful thought and discussion that will influence our thinking for decades to come.
McBroom the Rainmaker
by Sid FleischmanFarmer McBroom decides to put an end to the drought. Adventures Of McBroom.
McDougal Littell Science: Ecology
by Rita Ann Calvo Kenneth Cutler James TrefilScientists are curious. Since ancient times, they have been asking and answering questions about the world around them. Scientists are also very suspicious of the answers they get. They carefully collect evidence and test their answers many times before accepting an idea as correct. In this book you will see how scientific knowledge keeps growing and changing as scientists ask new questions and rethink what was known before.