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An Almanac for Moderns
by Donald Culross PeattieAn Almanac for Moderns contains a short essay for each day of the year that contemplates a unique but factual aspect of unbridled nature. According to a review in Nation, this collection of essays manages to "appeal to the ordinary lover of nature . . . but the turn of Peattie's mind is poetic and speculative." The New York Times calls this book "a fine and subtle perception . . . rising at times to an intense lyric beauty . . . a book which the reader will deeply treasure, and to which he will repeatedly return."
An Almanac for Moderns
by Donald Culross PeattieAn Almanac for Moderns contains a short essay for each day of the year that contemplates a unique but factual aspect of unbridled nature. According to a review in Nation, this collection of essays manages to "appeal to the ordinary lover of nature . . . but the turn of Peattie's mind is poetic and speculative." The New York Times calls this book "a fine and subtle perception . . . rising at times to an intense lyric beauty . . . a book which the reader will deeply treasure, and to which he will repeatedly return."
Almost Anywhere: Road Trip Ruminations on Love, Nature, National Parks, and Nonsense
by Krista SchlyerWhat do you do when your world ends? At twenty-eight years old, Krista Schlyer sold almost everything she owned and packed the rest of it in a station wagon bound for the American wild. Her two best friends joined her--one a grumpy, grieving introvert, the other a feisty dog--and together they sought out every national park, historic site, forest, and wilderness they could get to before their money ran out or their minds gave in. The journey began as a desperate escape from urban isolation, heartbreak, and despair, but became an adventure beyond imagining. Chronicling their colorful escapade, Almost Anywhere explores the courage, cowardice, and heroics that live in all of us, as well as the life of nature and the nature of life. This eloquent and accessible memoir is at once an immersion in the pain of losing someone particularly close and especially young and a healing journey of a broken life given over to the whimsy and humor of living on the road.
Almost Complete Poems
by Stanley MossMoss is oceanic: his poems rise, crest, crash, and rise again like waves. His voice echoes the boom of the Old Testament, the fluty trill of Greek mythology, and the gongs of Chinese rituals as he writes about love, nature, war, oppression, and the miracle of language. He addresses the God of the Jews, of the Christians, and of the Muslims with awe and familiarity, and chants to lesser gods of his own invention. In every surprising poem, every song to life, beautiful life, Moss, by turns giddy and sorrowful, expresses a sacred sensuality and an earthy holiness. Or putting it another way: here is a mind operating in open air, unimpeded by fashion or forced thematic focus, profoundly catholic in perspective, at once accessible and erudite, inevitably compelling. All of which is to recommend Moss's ability to participate in and control thoroughly these poems while resisting the impulse to center himself in them. This differentiates his beautiful work from much contemporary breast-beating. Moss is an artist who embraces the possibilities of exultation, appreciation, reconciliation, of extreme tenderness. As such he lays down a commitment to a common, worldly morality toward which all beings gravitate.
Almost Green
by James GlaveIn Almost Green, James Glave demonstrates that the journey along the path to a greener life is not always easy but is frequently hilarious and always enlightening. Glave--a writer and stay-at-homedad--describes his experiences building a green writing studio in the front yard of his home on Bowen Island, British Columbia, a not-so-green paradise where SUVs still outnumber compost boxes.While coping with the many frustrations and small victories of this undertaking, Glave also dabbles in grassroots neighborhood activism. He visits a truly green family living in the concrete jungle of the city and decides he must divest himself of his hulking SUV, so generously given to him by his father-in-law, without offending his benefactor.
Almost Somewhere: Twenty-Eight Days on the John Muir Trail (Outdoor Lives)
by Suzanne RobertsWinner of the National Outdoor Book Award in Outdoor Literature It was 1993, Suzanne Roberts had just finished college, and when her friend suggested they hike California&’s John Muir Trail, the adventure sounded like the perfect distraction from a difficult home life and thoughts about the future. But she never imagined that the twenty-eight-day hike would change her life. Part memoir, part nature writing, part travelogue, Almost Somewhere is Roberts&’s account of that hike. John Muir wrote of the Sierra Nevada as a &“vast range of light,&” and that was exactly what Roberts was looking for. But traveling with two girlfriends, one experienced and unflappable and the other inexperienced and bulimic, she quickly discovered that she needed a new frame of reference. Her story of a month in the backcountry—confronting bears, snowy passes, broken equipment, injuries, and strange men—is as much about finding a woman&’s way into outdoor experience as it is about the natural world Roberts so eloquently describes. Candid and funny, and finally, wise, Almost Somewhere not only tells the whimsical coming-of-age story of a young woman ill-prepared for a month in the mountains but also reflects a distinctly feminine view of nature. This new edition includes an afterword by the author looking back on the ways both she and the John Muir Trail have changed over the past thirty years, as well as book club and classroom discussion questions and photographs from the trip.
Almost Time
by Gary D. Schmidt Elizabeth StickneyA tender father-and-son story about the passage of time, the change of seasons, and the excitement of reaching a goal.Eager for maple syrup, Ethan can&’t wait till sugaring time rolls around. And he can&’t wait till his loose tooth falls out. But his father keeps telling him it&’s not time yet, and no matter how hard he tries, he can&’t make time pass more quickly. The closeness of father and son is evident throughout as they wait and then celebrate the end of waiting. The brief, lyrical text is illuminated by G. Brian Karas&’s beautifully composed, evocative illustrations.
The Alnö Carbonatite Complex, Central Sweden (GeoGuide)
by Valentin R. Troll Peter KrestenThis GeoGuide provides an overview of the geology of Alnö, combined with an up-to-date field itinerary. Covering all major geological aspects, it offers an essential summary of Alnö and its intriguing magmatic rocks in a compact form suitable for field excursions and home study alike. As one of the type localities for carbonatite, the late Proterozoic Alnö ring complex has been a crucial site for carbonatite-related research (next to the Fen complex in Norway), and provided one of the earliest test beds for this unique group of igneous rocks. Five geological excursions introduce the visitor to the most rewarding outcrops, including detailed descriptions and a wealth of high-quality colour photographs. The excursions are complemented by a detailed review of the history of scientific investigation on Alnö and, in particular, a catalogue of exotic and common minerals associated with the complex’s carbonatitic and alkaline silicate rocks. Finally, a summary of its trace element and isotope geochemistry as well as a brief outlook on Alnö’s potential as a future source of Rare Earth Elements (REEs) completes the book.
Aloft: A Meditation on Pigeons & Pigeon-Flying
by Sy Montgomery Stephen BodioThe humble pigeon is anything but "common" to those who know the true nature of these birds. This bird is so enamored by some that, for over six thousand years, people have devoted themselves to the art of pigeon flying and pigeon breeding. Across the world, from the cities of America to China, enthusiasts have lovingly nurtured their flocks, creating thousands of breeds from small to large, and admired their beauty in every shape and size: pigeons with crests and frills, those who fly and those who can't.Stephen Bodio draws readers in with resounding prose and a captivating portrayal of one of the most overlooked birds in the world. Aloft stunningly brings to light the incredible feats accomplished by homing pigeons, capable of flying thousands of miles back home, often twenty-four hours at a time, as well as the innate natural beauty and grace that each breed has in its own right.Aloft reveals fascinating insight that will ensure no one will look upon the "common pigeon" the same way again.
Aloha Summer
by Bill WallaceFourteen-year-old John Priddle didn't want to leave his friends in Oklahoma. But Daddy, a would-be inventor, was offered a job on Mr. Doles pineapple plantation in the Hawaii Territory in 1925. Hawaii was beautiful, but to John it was anything but paradise. He had never felt more alone in his life. Nobody wanted to be his friend. The Hawaiian kids called him "haole" -- "white guy" -- and wouldn't play with him. Then John met Kalola Pukui -- a girl in his class who was not like anyone he had met before. She knew he was uneasy around girls, so she promised not to be a girl around him -- and proved she could run, fish, and ride better than any boy around. Then she challenged him to take a chance on friendship -- a friendship that would change his life....
Alone
by D. J. BrazierThe trip of a lifetime—that’s what it was supposed to be, paid for with money Gran left 13-year-old Sam in her will, but when the small plane taking Sam and his Dad back to the airport crashes in the jungle, Sam is left alone and terrified. As time passes with no sign of rescue, Sam grows weaker and has to dig deep to find levels of resolve and resourcefulness he never knew he had in order to survive. Desperate and close to giving up, Sam’s spirits are lifted by the arrival of an otter cub whose companionship and loyalty give Sam the strength he needs to keep going. But when disaster strikes, Sam has to make the hardest decision of his life. Can Sam save his friend and make it out of the jungle alive?
Alone on the Ocean (Fountas & Pinnell Classroom, Guided Reading)
by Catherine Friend Scott PlumbeNIMAC-sourced textbook. Stranded! Fisherman Ernie Hazard found himself all alone on the ocean in the middle of a gigantic storm. There was no one to help him survive, so he had to help himself.
Alone on the Wall: Alex Honnold And The Ultimate Limits Of Adventure
by David Roberts Alex HonnoldThe life and death-defying feats of Alex Honnold, a visionary climber of the sort that comes along only once in a generation. Only a few years ago, Alex Honnold was little known beyond a small circle of hardcore climbers. Today, at the age of thirty, he is probably the most famous adventure athlete in the world. In that short time, he has proven his expertise in many styles of climbing and has shattered speed records, pioneered routes, and won awards within each discipline. More spectacularly still, he has pushed the most extreme and dangerous form of climbing far beyond the limits of what anyone thought was possible. Free soloing, Honnold's specialty, is a type of climbing performed without a rope, a partner, or hardware--such as pitons, nuts, or cams--for aid or protection. The results of climbing this way are breathtaking, but the stakes are ultimate: if you fall, you die. In Alone on the Wall, Honnold recounts the seven most astonishing climbing achievements so far in his meteoric and still-evolving career. He narrates the drama of each climb, along with reflective passages that illuminate the inner workings of his highly perceptive and discerning mind. We share in the jitters and excitements he feels waking in his van (where he lives full time) before a climb; we see him self-criticize in his climbing journal (a veritable bible for students of the sport); and we learn his secrets to managing fear--his most enviable talent. Veteran climber and award-winning author David Roberts writes part of each chapter in his own voice, and he calls on other climbers and the sport's storied past to put Alex's tremendous accomplishments in perspective. Whenever Honnold speaks in public, he is asked the same two questions: "Aren't you afraid you're going to die?" and "Why do you do this?" Alone on the Wall takes us around the world and through the highs and lows in the life of a climbing superstar to answer those fascinating questions. Honnold's extraordinary life, and his idiosyncratic worldview, have much to teach us about risk, reward, and the ability to maintain a singular focus, even in the face of extreme danger.
Alone on the Wall (Expanded edition): Alex Honnold And The Ultimate Limits Of Adventure
by David Roberts Alex HonnoldIncluding two new chapters on Alex Honnold’s free solo ascent of the iconic 3,000-foot El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. On June 3rd, 2017, Alex Honnold became the first person to free solo Yosemite's El Capitan—to scale the wall without rope, a partner, or any protective gear—completing what was described as "the greatest feat of pure rock climbing in the history of the sport" (National Geographic) and "one of the great athletic feats of any kind, ever" (New York Times). Already one of the most famous adventure athletes in the world, Honnold has now been hailed as "the greatest climber of all time" (Vertical magazine). Alone on the Wall recounts the most astonishing achievements of Honnold’s extraordinary life and career, brimming with lessons on living fearlessly, taking risks, and maintaining focus even in the face of extreme danger. Now Honnold tells, for the first time and in his own words, the story of his 3 hours and 56 minutes on the sheer face of El Cap, which Outside called "the moon landing of free soloing…a generation-defining climb. Bad ass and beyond words…one of the pinnacle sporting moments of all time."
Along the Appalachian Trail: New Jersey, New York and Connecticut
by Leonard M. Adkins Appalachian Trail ConservancyCrossing through 14 states from Maine to Georgia, the Appalachian Trail enters New Jersey through the Delaware Water Gap, crosses New York's Hudson River, and rises over Connecticut's Lion's Head. The area is considered by some to be the pathway's birthplace, for in 1923, just two years after Benton MacKaye originally proposed the trail, the first few miles specifically constructed for the Appalachian Trail were built by volunteers in New York's Harriman and Bear Mountain State Parks. These photographs and the corresponding narrative present a historical perspective on what it took to create the trail, including the thousands of volunteers and the arduous tasks they performed, those who lived along the trail before and during its creation, the many people who have enjoyed the trail through the years, and the original routes that are no longer part of the present-day Appalachian Trail.
Along the Appalachian Trail: West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania
by Leonard M. Adkins Appalachian Trail ConservancyUnlike counterparts on other sections of the 2,180-plus-mile Appalachian Trail who could locate the pathway within national parks and forests, builders of the 270 miles of trail detailed in Along the Appalachian Trail: West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania did not have vast tracts of federal lands on which to construct the footpath. Yet they succeeded in creating a trail within many of the states' scenic areas. Hundreds of vintage photographs--provided by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, National Park Service, state archives, and local trail-maintaining clubs--present an illustrated narrative of the Herculean work and dedication it took for volunteers to plan, build, and continue to maintain the trail in these states. Included are the glimpses of American history the trail passes by, the pathway's early (and later) supporters and hikers, and original locations that have been rerouted off of today's trail.
Along the Huerfano River (Images of America)
by Kay Beth AveryLong before English speakers set eyes upon it, the volcanic plug on the south bank of the Huerfano River was tagged with a moniker that means "the orphan." Spanish conquistadors saw it as a rock pile that God dumped in the middle of nowhere, an odd little cone far removed from the regular foothills edging the Sangre de Cristo Mountain Range. In the 18th century, this outcropping and the river that bears the same name were famous landmarks for Native American tribes, Hispanic explorers, and French adventurers. Then in the 19th century, along came US mountain men, gold-seekers, cowboys, sheep ranchers, railroad workers, town developers, and coal miners from 31 different countries, speaking 27 different languages. Counterculture revolutionaries discovered the area in the 1960s and established five separate communes west of Walsenburg. Each wave of immigrants brought new perspectives and lifestyles.
Along the Trail in Algonquin Park: With Ralph Bice
by Ralph BiceAlong the Trail in Algonquin Park has delighted thousands of readers across Canada and the United States from the time of its first publication in the summer of 1980. This is the fourth reprint of the classic work by the late legendary outdoorsman, Ralph Bice of Kearney, Ontario. The writing is vintage Ralph Bice; a combination of unequalled park knowledge, remarkable outdoor adventures and delightful rustic humour. Along the Trail was originally to have been titled "Forty Years in Algonquin Park," but by the time the book appeared, the author’s lifelong love affair with the park had exceeded eighty. In 1993, the time of Algonquin Park’s centennial, the "Grand Old Man of Algonquin" had entered his 94th year. He was to continue to live nearby his beloved park until his passing in 1997. Remembered not only for his writings, Ralph Bice is honoured by a fitting memorial to "Mister Algonquin" as Algonquin Park visitors will now discover when they enter the west side of the park. For here the lake he favoured over all others, Butt Lake, has been renamed Ralph Bice Lake.
Alpine Plant Life: Functional Plant Ecology of High Mountain Ecosystems
by Christian KörnerThis book is a completely revised, substantially extended treatment of the physical and biological factors that drive life in high mountains. The book covers the characteristics of alpine plant life, alpine climate and soils, life under snow, stress tolerance, treeline ecology, plant water, carbon, and nutrient relations, plant growth and productivity, developmental processes, and two largely novel chapters on alpine plant reproduction and global change biology. The book explains why the topography driven exposure of plants to dramatic micro-climatic gradients over very short distances causes alpine biodiversity to be particularly robust against climatic change. Geographically, this book draws on examples from all parts of the world, including the tropics. This book is complemented with novel evidence and insight that emerged over the last 17 years of alpine plant research. The number of figures – mostly in color – nearly doubled, with many photographs providing a vivid impression of alpine plant life worldwide.Christian Körner was born in 1949 in Austria, received his academic education at the University of Innsbruck, and was full professor of Botany at the University of Basel from 1989 to 2014. As emeritus Professor he is continuing alpine plant research in the Swiss Alps.
Alpine Treelines: Functional Ecology of the Global High Elevation Tree Limits
by Susanna Riedl Christian KörnerAlpine treelines mark the low-temperature limit of tree growth and occur in mountains world-wide. Presenting a companion to his book Alpine Plant Life, Christian Körner provides a global synthesis of the treeline phenomenon from sub-arctic to equatorial latitudes and a functional explanation based on the biology of trees. The comprehensive text approaches the subject in a multi-disciplinary way by exploring forest patterns at the edge of tree life, tree morphology, anatomy, climatology and, based on this, modelling treeline position, describing reproduction and population processes, development, phenology, evolutionary aspects, as well as summarizing evidence on the physiology of carbon, water and nutrient relations, and stress physiology. It closes with an account on treelines in the past (palaeo-ecology) and a section on global change effects on treelines, now and in the future. With more than 100 illustrations, many of them in colour, the book shows alpine treelines from around the globe and offers a wealth of scientific information in the form of diagrams and tables.
The Alps: A Human History from Hannibal to Heidi and Beyond
by Stephen O'SheaA thrilling blend of contemporary travelogue and historical narrative about the Alps from “a graceful and passionate writer” (Washington Post). For centuries the Alps have seen the march of armies, the flow of pilgrims and Crusaders, the feats of mountaineers, and the dreams of engineers?and some 14 million people live among their peaks today. In The Alps, Stephen O’Shea takes readers up and down these majestic mountains, battling his own fear of heights to journey through a 500-mile arc across France, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Germany, Austria, and Slovenia. O’Shea, whose style has been hailed for its “engaging combination of candid first-person travel writing and absorbing historical narrative” (Chicago Sun-Times), whisks readers along more than 2,000 years of Alpine history. As he travels pass-by-pass through the mountains, he tells great stories of those (real and imagined) who have passed before him, from Hannibal to Hitler, Frankenstein’s monster to Sherlock Holmes, Napoleon to Nietzsche, William Tell to James Bond. He explores the circumstances behind Hannibal and his elephants’ famous crossing in 218 BCE; he reveals how the Alps have profoundly influenced culture from Heidi to The Sound of Music; and he visits iconic sites, including the Reichenbach Falls, where Arthur Conan Doyle staged Sherlock Holmes’s death scene with Professor Moriarty; Caporetto, the bloody site of the Italians’ retreat in World War I; and the Eagle’s Nest, Hitler’s aerie of a vacation home. O’Shea delves into Alpine myths and legends, such as the lopsided legs of the dahu, the fictitious goatlike creature of the mountains, and reveals why the beloved St. Bernard dog is so often depicted with a cask hanging below its neck. Throughout, he immerses himself in the communities he visits, engagingly recounting his adventures with contemporary road trippers, watchmakers, salt miners, cable-car operators, and yodelers.
Altered Policy Landscapes: Fracking, Grazing, and the Bureau of Land Management
by Robert E. Forbis Jr.This book documents the United States Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) shift from a rancher-dominated agency to an energy-dominated agency. This shift is analyzed by identifying the conditions under which the expansion of hydraulic fracturing (fracking) in the Rocky Mountain West triggered a political conflict between ranching and energy stakeholder groups. Through scrutiny of federal actions and policies implemented by the Executive Branch between 2004 and 2010, the book sheds light on the emphasis of domestic energy production during this time period, and how the traditional ranching and energy alliance was split by shifting policy interests. The book is meant for policy makers, natural resource agencies, and students and researchers engaged in political science, public administration, and natural resource management. Chapter 1 introduces readers to the case study at hand, and reviews literature on public land agencies and policies. Chapter 2 summarizes the legal history of public land management by the federal government, and the conditions that caused the BLM to favor energy development over ranching in the mid-2000's. Chapter 3 details the role of the Executive Branch (Bush-Cheney administration) in affecting the BLM's domestic energy policies and resource allocation, and chapter 4 analyzes the role of subgovernments in affecting the BLM's motivations too. Chapters 5, 6 and 7 contain first-hand accounts from government officials, state petroleum associations, and ranching supported interest groups to explore the concept of subgovernment stakeholder domination in policymaking, and analyze the similarities and differences between different policy-making elites. Chapter 8 concludes the text by summarizing subgovernment theory, mapping the behaviors of subgovernment actors, and discussing the implications for future political appointees in the direction of land-management agencies like the BLM.
Alternating Current – Social Innovation in Community Energy (Energiepolitik und Klimaschutz. Energy Policy and Climate Protection)
by Arwen ColellCommunity energy projects give their own answers to the challenges of energy system change: They are social innovations. By building new relations between local economies, communities and technical infrastructures, these projects not only change the energy system but also respective power structures. Drawing on case studies from Germany, Denmark and Scotland, this book shows the importance of community ties, and shared symbols for successful processes of transformation and develops recommendations for policy decision-makers.
Alternating Currents: Electricity Markets and Public Policy
by Timothy J. Brennan Karen L. Palmer Salvador A. MartinezMany states within the U.S., and many countries across the world, are opening their electicity markets to competition. Many others are uncertain about their plans. These differences emphasize the complexities involved in the technology and regulatory structure of the electricity industry--an industry for which the introduction of market competition has been notoriously difficult. In response to these challenges, Alternating Currents provides a timely overview and analysis of the concerns facing industry regulators, legislators, and others as they consider whether, when, and how to open electricity markets. Authors Brennan, Palmer, and Martinez offer background on the history of regulatory policy and the technology for producing and delivering electric power. They then provide insights into the policy debates and economic issues involved in eleven important topics, including industry structure, system integrity and reliability, the mitigation of market power, and environmental protection. Alternating Currents describes the recent events leading to the demise of retail competition in California with the intent on drawing lessons for the future. In the end, the authors offer their perspective about what makes electricity a unique resource and how those factors make the potential conflict between competition and reliability the most pressing of the long-term concerns about the transformation of the electric power industry.
Alternative Development: Unravelling Marginalization, Voicing Change
by Cathrine Brun Piers BlaikieThis book brings together a collection of essays that discuss alternative development and its relevance for local/global processes of marginalization and change in the Global South. Alternative development questions who the producers of development knowledges and practices are, and aims at decentring development and geographical knowledge from the Anglo-American centre and the Global North. It involves resistance to dominant political-economic processes in order to further the possibilities for non-exploitative and just forms of development. By discussing how to unravel marginalization and voice change through alternative methods, actors and concepts, the book provides useful guidance on understanding the relationship between theory and practice. The main strength of the book is that it calls for a central role for alternative development in the current development discourse, most notably related to justice, rights, globalization, forced migration, conflict and climate change. The book provides new ways of engaging with alternative development thinking and making development alternatives relevant.