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An Introduction to Traffic Flow Theory (Springer Optimization and Its Applications #84)
by Lily ElefteriadouThis text provides a comprehensive and concise treatment of the topic of traffic flow theory and includes several topics relevant to today's highway transportation system. It provides the fundamental principles of traffic flow theory as well as applications of those principles for evaluating specific types of facilities (freeways, intersections, etc. ). Newer concepts of Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and their potential impact on traffic flow are discussed. State-of-the-art in traffic flow research and microscopic traffic analysis and traffic simulation have significantly advanced and are also discussed in this text. Real world examples and useful problem sets complement each chapter. This textbook is meant for use in advanced undergraduate/graduate level courses in traffic flow theory with prerequisites including two semesters of calculus, statistics, and an introductory course in transportation. The text would also be of interest to transportation professionals as a refresher in traffic flow theory, or as a reference. Students and engineers of diverse backgrounds will find this text accessible and applicable to today's traffic issues.
An Introduction to Traffic Flow Theory (Springer Optimization and Its Applications #84)
by Lily ElefteriadouThis second edition of An Introduction to Traffic Flow Theory adds new material in several chapters related to advanced technologies including autonomy, the use of sensors and communications, and particularly congestion mitigation solutions that leverage connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs). It also includes a new chapter that briefly outlines several mathematical analysis techniques commonly used in traffic flow theory, aiming to introduce students to some of the most frequently used tools available for traffic operational-related analysis. This new edition also includes several updates related to the most recent versions of the Highway Capacity Manual and the Green Book. This textbook is meant for use in advanced undergraduate/graduate level courses in traffic flow theory with prerequisites including two semesters of calculus, statistics, and an introductory course in transportation. The text would also be of interest to transportation professionals as a refresherin traffic flow theory or as a reference. Students and engineers of diverse backgrounds will find this text accessible and applicable to today’s traffic issues.This text provides a comprehensive and concise treatment of the topic of traffic flow theory and includes several topics relevant to today’s highway transportation system. It provides the fundamental principles of traffic flow theory as well as applications of those principles for evaluating specific types of facilities (freeways, intersections, etc.). Newer concepts of Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and their potential impact on traffic flow are discussed. State-of-the-art traffic flow research, microscopic traffic analysis, and traffic simulation have significantly advanced and are also discussed in this text. Real-world examples and useful problem sets complement each chapter.
An Introduction to Transport Phenomena in Materials Engineering
by David R. Gaskell Matthew John KraneThis book elucidates the important role of conduction, convection, and radiation heat transfer, mass transport in solids and fluids, and internal and external fluid flow in the behavior of materials processes. These phenomena are critical in materials engineering because of the connection of transport to the evolution and distribution of microstructural properties during processing. From making choices in the derivation of fundamental conservation equations, to using scaling (order-of-magnitude) analysis showing relationships among different phenomena, to giving examples of how to represent real systems by simple models, the book takes the reader through the fundamentals of transport phenomena applied to materials processing. Fully updated, this third edition of a classic textbook offers a significant shift from the previous editions in the approach to this subject, representing an evolution incorporating the original ideas and extending them to a more comprehensive approach to the topic.FEATURES Introduces order-of-magnitude (scaling) analysis and uses it to quickly obtain approximate solutions for complicated problems throughout the book Focuses on building models to solve practical problems Adds new sections on non-Newtonian flows, turbulence, and measurement of heat transfer coefficients Offers expanded sections on thermal resistance networks, transient heat transfer, two-phase diffusion mass transfer, and flow in porous media Features more homework problems, mostly on the analysis of practical problems, and new examples from a much broader range of materials classes and processes, including metals, ceramics, polymers, and electronic materials Includes homework problems for the review of the mathematics required for a course based on this book and connects the theory represented by mathematics with real-world problems This book is aimed at advanced engineering undergraduates and students early in their graduate studies, as well as practicing engineers interested in understanding the behavior of heat and mass transfer and fluid flow during materials processing. While it is designed primarily for materials engineering education, it is a good reference for practicing materials engineers looking for insight into phenomena controlling their processes.A solutions manual, lecture slides, and figure slides are available for qualifying adopting professors.
An Introduction to Ultra-Fast Silicon Detectors: Design, Tests, And Performances (Series in Sensors)
by Marco Ferrero Roberta Arcidiacono Marco Mandurrino Valentina Sola Nicolò CartigliaThe book describes the development of innovative silicon sensors known as ultra-fast silicon detectors for use in the space-time tracking of charge particles. The first comprehensive collection of information on the topic, otherwise currently scattered in existing literature, this book presents a comprehensive introduction to the development of ultra-fast silicon detectors with the latest technology and applications from the field. It will be an ideal reference for graduate and postgraduates studying high energy and particle physics and engineering, in addition to researchers in the area. Key features Authored by a team of subject area specialists, whose research group first invented ultra-fast silicon detectors The first book on the topic to explain the details of the design of silicon sensors for 4-dimensional tracking Presents state-of-the-art results, and prospects for further performance evolutions The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com/e/9780367646295 , has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license.
An Introduction to Universal Artificial Intelligence (Chapman & Hall/CRC Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Series)
by Marcus Hutter David Quarel Elliot CattAn Introduction to Universal Artificial Intelligence provides the formal underpinning of what it means for an agent to act intelligently in an unknown environment. First presented in Universal Algorithmic Intelligence (Hutter, 2000), UAI offers a framework in which virtually all AI problems can be formulated, and a theory of how to solve them. UAI unifies ideas from sequential decision theory, Bayesian inference, and algorithmic information theory to construct AIXI, an optimal reinforcement learning agent that learns to act optimally in unknown environments. AIXI is the theoretical gold standard for intelligent behavior.The book covers both the theoretical and practical aspects of UAI. Bayesian updating can be done efficiently with context tree weighting, and planning can be approximated by sampling with Monte Carlo tree search. It provides algorithms for the reader to implement, and experimental results to compare against. These algorithms are used to approximate AIXI. The book ends with a philosophical discussion of Artificial General Intelligence: Can super-intelligent agents even be constructed? Is it inevitable that they will be constructed, and what are the potential consequences?This text is suitable for late undergraduate students. It provides an extensive chapter to fill in the required mathematics, probability, information, and computability theory background.
An Introduction to Veterinary Medicine Engineering
by Nadja Johnson Bressan Catherine M. CreightonDo cephalopods change color when under distress? Is the reptilian heart analogous to a diaphragm positive displacement pump? Are digital twins the answer for animal experimentation? This book explores the new field of veterinary engineering science and discusses how to better measure vital signs in exotic and companion animals. A vast opportunity exists for developing novel technologies that target reductions to the number of invasive procedures patients are subjected to. We examine improvements to animal care and enhancement of animal welfare while creating a more sustainable veterinary healthcare ecosystem. The authors address the challenges engineers face in designing healthcare equipment for animals and how the field of veterinary engineering contributes to traditional veterinary medicine. This book brings a novel field of engineering to train future veterinarians and engineers on design and application of technology to veterinary medicine.Serves as a learning resource for the training and education of veterinary students, veterinarians and engineersDemonstrates through experiments and case studies the merging point between engineering and veterinary medicineDiscusses concepts and issues associated with engineering and veterinary medicineIllustrates veterinary challenges using an engineering-design approachProvides examples of veterinary applications with successful outcomes, incorporating step-by-step directions for engineers
An Introduction to Virtual Sound Barriers
by Xiaojun QiuA virtual sound barrier is an active noise control system that uses arrays of loudspeakers and microphones to create a useful size of quiet zone and can be used to reduce sound propagation, radiation, or transmission from noise sources or to reduce noise level around people in a noisy environment. This book introduces the history, principle, and design methods of virtual sound barriers first, and then describes recent progress in research on the systems. Two virtual sound barrier systems, i.e., planar virtual sound barrier system and three-dimensional virtual sound barrier system, are discussed including applications, limitations and future direction discussions.
An Introduction to Wavelet Modulated Inverters, 1st Edition
by S. A. Saleh M. Azizur RahmanThe introductory chapter briefly presents the fundamental topologies and operation of power inverters. The second chapter contains a description of wavelet basis functions and sampling theory with particular reference to the switching model of inverters. Chapter three outlines the connection between the non-uniform sampling theorem and wavelet functions to develop an ideal sampling-reconstruction process to operate an inverter for obtaining its optimal performances. The scale based linearly combined basis functions are developed in chapter four in order to successfully operate single phase wavelet modulated inverters. Chapter four also contains the development of the non-dyadic type multiresolution analysis, that are responsible for sampling and recontruction of three continuous time reference modulating signals for three phase inverters. The performances of single phase wavelet modulated inverters for static, dynamic and non-linear loads are presented in chapter five, while chapter six contains the simulation and experimental performances of three phase wavelet modulated voltage source inverters for different loads at various operating conditions. This book presents the latest technology in the advancing power electronics field.
An Introduction to the Design and Behavior of Bolted Joints, Revised and Expanded (Mechanical Engineering Ser.)
by John BickfordOffering a broad-based review of the factors affecting the design, assembly and behaviour of bolted joints and their components in all industries, this work details various assembly options as well as specific failure modes and strategies for their avoidance. This edition features material on: the contact stresses between bolt head or nut face and the joint; thread forms, series and classes; the stiffness of raised face flange joints; and more.
An Introduction to the Engineering of Fast Nuclear Reactors
by Anthony M. JuddThis book is an invaluable resource for both graduate-level engineering students and practicing nuclear engineers who want to expand their knowledge of fast nuclear reactors, the reactors of the future! The book is a concise yet comprehensive introduction to all aspects of fast reactor engineering. It covers topics including neutron physics; neutron flux spectra; flux distribution; Doppler and coolant temperature coefficients; the performance of ceramic and metal fuels under irradiation, structural changes, and fission-product migration; the effects of irradiation and corrosion on structural materials, irradiation swelling; heat transfer in the reactor core and its effect on core design; coolants including sodium and lead-bismuth alloy; coolant circuits; pumps; heat exchangers and steam generators; and plant control. The book includes new discussions on lead-alloy and gas coolants, metal fuel, the use of reactors to consume radioactive waste, and accelerator-driven subcritical systems.
An Introduction to the Mathematical Theory of Finite Elements (Dover Books on Engineering)
by J. N. Reddy J. T. OdenThis introduction to the theory of Sobolev spaces and Hilbert space methods in partial differential equations is geared toward readers of modest mathematical backgrounds. It offers coherent, accessible demonstrations of the use of these techniques in developing the foundations of the theory of finite element approximations.J. T. Oden is Director of the Institute for Computational Engineering & Sciences (ICES) at the University of Texas at Austin, and J. N. Reddy is a Professor of Engineering at Texas A&M University. They developed this essentially self-contained text from their seminars and courses for students with diverse educational backgrounds. Their effective presentation begins with introductory accounts of the theory of distributions, Sobolev spaces, intermediate spaces and duality, the theory of elliptic equations, and variational boundary value problems. The second half of the text explores the theory of finite element interpolation, finite element methods for elliptic equations, and finite element methods for initial boundary value problems. Detailed proofs of the major theorems appear throughout the text, in addition to numerous examples.
An Introduction to the Mathematical Theory of Inverse Problems (Applied Mathematical Sciences #120)
by Andreas KirschThis graduate-level textbook introduces the reader to the area of inverse problems, vital to many fields including geophysical exploration, system identification, nondestructive testing, and ultrasonic tomography. It aims to expose the basic notions and difficulties encountered with ill-posed problems, analyzing basic properties of regularization methods for ill-posed problems via several simple analytical and numerical examples. The book also presents three special nonlinear inverse problems in detail: the inverse spectral problem, the inverse problem of electrical impedance tomography (EIT), and the inverse scattering problem. The corresponding direct problems are studied with respect to existence, uniqueness, and continuous dependence on parameters. Ultimately, the text discusses theoretical results as well as numerical procedures for the inverse problems, including many exercises and illustrations to complement coursework in mathematics and engineering. This updated text includes a new chapter on the theory of nonlinear inverse problems in response to the field’s growing popularity, as well as a new section on the interior transmission eigenvalue problem which complements the Sturm-Liouville problem and which has received great attention since the previous edition was published.
An Introduction to the Mechanics of Incompressible Fluids
by Michel O. DevilleThis open access book allows the reader to grasp the main bulk of fluid flow problems at a brisk pace. Starting with the basic concepts of conservation laws developed using continuum mechanics, the incompressibility of a fluid is explained and modeled, leading to the famous Navier-Stokes equation that governs the dynamics of fluids. Some exact solutions for transient and steady-state cases in Cartesian and axisymmetric coordinates are proposed. A particular set of examples is associated with creeping or Stokes flows, where viscosity is the dominant physical phenomenon. Irrotational flows are treated by introducing complex variables. The use of the conformal mapping and the Joukowski transformation allows the treatment of the flow around an airfoil. The boundary layer theory corrects the earlier approach with the Prandtl equations, their solution for the case of a flat plate, and the von Karman integral equation. The instability of fluid flows is studied for parallel flows using the Orr-Sommerfeld equation. The stability of a circular Couette flow is also described. The book ends with the modeling of turbulence by the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations and large-eddy simulations. Each chapter includes useful practice problems and their solutions. The book is useful for engineers, physicists, and scientists interested in the fascinating field of fluid mechanics.
An Introduction to the Physics and Electrochemistry of Semiconductors: Fundamentals and Applications
by Maheshwar SharonThis book has been designed as a result of the author's teaching experiences; students in the courses came from various disciplines and it was very difficult to prescribe a suitable textbook, not because there are no books on these topics, but because they are either too exhaustive or very elementary. This book, therefore, includes only relevant topics in the fundamentals of the physics of semiconductors and of electrochemistry needed for understanding the intricacy of the subject of photovoltaic solar cells and photoelectrochemical (PEC) solar cells. The book provides the basic concepts of semiconductors, p:n junctions, PEC solar cells, electrochemistry of semiconductors, and photochromism. Researchers, engineers and students engaged in researching/teaching PEC cells or knowledge of our sun, its energy, and its distribution to the earth will find essential topics such as the physics of semiconductors, the electrochemistry of semiconductors, p:n junctions, Schottky junctions, the concept of Fermi energy, and photochromism and its industrial applications. "The topics in this book are explained with clear illustration and indispensable terminology. It covers both fundamental and advanced topics in photoelectrochemistry and I believe that the content presented in this monograph will be a resource in the development of both academic and industrial research". Professor Akira Fujishima, President, Tokyo University of Science, and Director, Photocatalysis International Research Center, Tokyo University of Science, Japan
An Introduction to the Theory of Piezoelectricity (Advances in Mechanics and Mathematics #9)
by Jiashi YangThis textbook introduces theoretical piezoelectricity. The second edition updates a classical, seminal reference on a fundamental topic that is addressed in every materials science curriculum. It presents a concise treatment of the basic theoretical aspects of continuum modeling of electroelastic interactions in solids. The general nonlinear theory for large deformations and strong fields is established and specialized to the linear theory for small deformations and weak fields, i.e., the theory of piezoelectricity. Relatively simple and useful solutions of many static and dynamic problems of piezoelectricity that are useful in device applications are given. Emphasis is on the formulation of solutions to problems rather than advanced mathematical solution techniques. This book includes many examples to assist and enhance students’ understanding of piezoelectricity and piezoelastics.
An Introductory Guide to Computational Methods for the Solution of Physics Problems (Lecture Notes in Physics #955)
by George Rawitscher Victo dos Santos Filho Thiago Carvalho PeixotoThis monograph presents fundamental aspects of modern spectral and other computational methods, which are not generally taught in traditional courses. It emphasizes concepts as errors, convergence, stability, order and efficiency applied to the solution of physical problems. The spectral methods consist in expanding the function to be calculated into a set of appropriate basis functions (generally orthogonal polynomials) and the respective expansion coefficients are obtained via collocation equations. The main advantage of these methods is that they simultaneously take into account all available information, rather only the information available at a limited number of mesh points. They require more complicated matrix equations than those obtained in finite difference methods. However, the elegance, speed, and accuracy of the spectral methods more than compensates for any such drawbacks. During the course of the monograph, the authors examine the usually rapid convergence of the spectral expansions and the improved accuracy that results when nonequispaced support points are used, in contrast to the equispaced points used in finite difference methods. In particular, they demonstrate the enhanced accuracy obtained in the solution of integral equations.The monograph includes an informative introduction to old and new computational methods with numerous practical examples, while at the same time pointing out the errors that each of the available algorithms introduces into the specific solution. It is a valuable resource for undergraduate students as an introduction to the field and for graduate students wishing to compare the available computational methods. In addition, the work develops the criteria required for students to select the most suitable method to solve the particular scientific problem that they are confronting.
An Invitation to Mathematical Physics and Its History
by Jont AllenThis state of the art book takes an applications based approach to teaching mathematics to engineering and applied sciences students. The book lays emphasis on associating mathematical concepts with their physical counterparts, training students of engineering in mathematics to help them learn how things work. The book covers the concepts of number systems, algebra equations and calculus through discussions on mathematics and physics, discussing their intertwined history in a chronological order. The book includes examples, homework problems, and exercises. This book can be used to teach a first course in engineering mathematics or as a refresher on basic mathematical physics. Besides serving as core textbook, this book will also appeal to undergraduate students with cross-disciplinary interests as a supplementary text or reader.
An Invitation to Metamaterials: Theory and Applications (Lecture Notes in Physics #1037)
by Didier FelbacqThis book provides a thorough introduction to the fundamental principles and cutting-edge applications of metamaterials. It offers a balanced perspective, combining theoretical, experimental, and computational approaches. Topics covered include rapidly evolving areas such as metasurfaces, quantum metamaterials, and nonlinear metamaterials. The book also extends its scope beyond optics to explore applications in acoustics, thermal science, mechanics, and even seismology. A dedicated chapter discusses topological insulators, providing detailed insights into this advanced topic. The text is designed for advanced graduate students and early career researchers in the field of metamaterials. Specialists in the field will also benefit from the book's presentation of new developments and innovative approaches. Two chapters focus on advanced mathematical methods, including fiber bundles, Chern numbers, pseudodifferential operators, and scattering theory. These sections are crafted to be reasonably self-contained, with references provided for readers who wish to explore these topics further.
An Invitation to Probability and Data Analysis for Physicists (UNITEXT for Physics)
by Roberto PiazzaThis book is an introduction to probability, statistics, data analysis, and hypothesis testing in physics. It is designed to be taught at different levels, from basic to advanced, and to be enjoyed by anyone doing research in the physical sciences or related subjects. It aims to be a companion in a journey leading the reader to appreciate and enjoy the major role of these subjects in all aspects of the physical sciences. With specific examples, the book encourages readers to meditate on the distinctive meaning of probability in classical and quantum physics. The author draws on his teaching experience in statistical physics and data analysis, as well as his research work in fields like complex systems and soft matter, to provide a comprehensive introduction to statistical methods.
An Isogeometric Approach to Beam Structures: Bridging the Classical to Modern Technique
by Buntara S. GanThis book proposes a novel, original condensation method to beam formulation based on the isogeometric approach to reducing the degrees of freedom to conventional two-node beam elements. In this volume, the author defines the Buntara Condensation Formulation: a unique formulation in condensing the dynamic equilibrium equation for beam structures, suitable for reducing the number of unlimited dynamic equations necessary to yield a classic two-node beam element. Professor Buntara's method overcomes the problem of the isogeometric approach where the number of degrees of freedom is increased along with the complexity of the geometrical beam element and facilitates implementation of the codes into the existing beam structures programs, and CAD geometrical data into the conventional FE beam element codes. The book proposes a new reduction method where the beam element can be treated as under the conventional beam element theory that has only two nodes at both ends.
An Overview of High-energy Ball Milled Nanocrystalline Aluminum Alloys (SpringerBriefs in Materials)
by Nick Birbilis Rajeev Kumar Gupta B. S. MurtyThis book presents a comprehensive overview of the nanocrystalline Al based alloys as prepared using high-energy ball milling (HEBM). It discusses the influence of HEBM parameters on grain refinement and examines methods for the consolidation of nanocrystalline Al powders; further, it reviews the effects of various processing parameters on the final microstructure and the impact of microstructure on corrosion and mechanical properties. The book also provides guidelines for choosing appropriate HEBM parameters for the production of nanocrystalline Al powders and methods for consolidating them in net-shaped components. Future challenges and possible applications of high-energy ball milled Al alloys are also discussed. The book is intended for researchers and professionals interested in aluminium alloy development, manufacturing technologies, light metals and nanocrystalline metallic materials.
An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook's Battle for Domination
by Sheera Frenkel Cecilia Kang'The ultimate takedown' New York Times'The problem of Facebook is Zuckerberg. And the question posed by this splendid book is: what are we going to do about him?' Observer'A comprehensive account . . . drawn from first-hand testimonies. Thoroughly engaging' The Times'What marks this book out is how it gets under the corporate bonnet . . . to build a picture of astounding corporate arrogance and irresponsibility' Sunday Times'An explosive new book' Daily Mail__________________________________________Award-winning New York Times reporters Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang unveil the tech story of our times in a riveting, behind-the-scenes exposé that offers the definitive account of Facebook's fall from grace. Once one of Silicon Valley's greatest success stories, for the past five years, Facebook has been under constant fire, roiled by controversies and crises. It turns out that while the tech giant was connecting the world, they were also mishandling users' data, allowing the spread of fake news, and the amplification of dangerous, polarising hate speech. Critics framed the narrative as the irreconcilable conflict between the platform's lofty mission to advance society by bringing people together while also profiting off of them. The company, many said, had simply lost its way. But the truth is far more complex. Drawing on their unrivalled sources, Frenkel and Kang take readers inside the complex court politics, alliances and rivalries within the company, its growing political influence as well as its skirmishes with privacy groups and the FTC, to shine a light on the fatal cracks in the architecture of the tech behemoth. Their explosive, exclusive reporting led them to a shocking conclusion: The missteps of the last five years were not an anomaly but an inevitability - this is how the platform was built to perform. In a period of great upheaval, growth has remained the one constant under the leadership of Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg. Each has stood by as their technology is co-opted by hate-mongers, criminals and corrupt political regimes across the globe, with devastating consequences. In An Ugly Truth, they are at last held accountable.
An Ugly Truth: Inside Facebook's Battle for Domination (Language Acts and Worldmaking #29)
by Sheera Frenkel Cecilia Kang'The ultimate takedown' New York Times'The problem of Facebook is Zuckerberg. And the question posed by this splendid book is: what are we going to do about him?' Observer'A comprehensive account . . . drawn from first-hand testimonies. Thoroughly engaging' The Times'What marks this book out is how it gets under the corporate bonnet . . . to build a picture of astounding corporate arrogance and irresponsibility' Sunday Times'An explosive new book' Daily Mail__________________________________________Award-winning New York Times reporters Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang unveil the tech story of our times in a riveting, behind-the-scenes exposé that offers the definitive account of Facebook's fall from grace. Once one of Silicon Valley's greatest success stories, for the past five years, Facebook has been under constant fire, roiled by controversies and crises. It turns out that while the tech giant was connecting the world, they were also mishandling users' data, allowing the spread of fake news, and the amplification of dangerous, polarising hate speech. Critics framed the narrative as the irreconcilable conflict between the platform's lofty mission to advance society by bringing people together while also profiting off of them. The company, many said, had simply lost its way. But the truth is far more complex. Drawing on their unrivalled sources, Frenkel and Kang take readers inside the complex court politics, alliances and rivalries within the company, its growing political influence as well as its skirmishes with privacy groups and the FTC, to shine a light on the fatal cracks in the architecture of the tech behemoth. Their explosive, exclusive reporting led them to a shocking conclusion: The missteps of the last five years were not an anomaly but an inevitability - this is how the platform was built to perform. In a period of great upheaval, growth has remained the one constant under the leadership of Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg. Each has stood by as their technology is co-opted by hate-mongers, criminals and corrupt political regimes across the globe, with devastating consequences. In An Ugly Truth, they are at last held accountable.
An Unlikely Vineyard
by Alice Feiring Deirdre HeekinAn Unlikely Vineyard tells the evolutionary story of Deirdre Heekin's farm from overgrown fields to a fertile, productive, and beautiful landscape that melds with its natural environment. Is it possible to capture landscape in a bottle? To express its terroir, its essence of place--geology, geography, climate, and soil--as well as the skill of the winegrower? That's what Heekin and her chef/husband, Caleb Barber, set out to accomplish on their tiny, eight-acre hillside farm and vineyard in Vermont. But An Unlikely Vineyard involves much more. It also presents, through the example of their farming journey and winegrowing endeavors, an impressive amount of information on how to think about almost every aspect of gardening: from composting to trellising; from cider and perry making to growing old garden roses, keeping bees, and raising livestock; from pruning (or not) to dealing naturally with pests and diseases. Challenged by cold winters, wet summers, and other factors, Deirdre and Caleb set about to grow not only a vineyard, but an orchard of heirloom apples, pears, and plums, as well as gardens filled with vegetables, herbs, roses, and wildflowers destined for their own table and for the kitchen of their small restaurant. They wanted to create, or rediscover, a sense of place, and to grow food naturally using the philosophy and techniques gleaned from organic gardening, permaculture, and biodynamic farming. Accompanied throughout by lush photos, this gentle narrative will appeal to anyone who loves food, farms, and living well.
An Unnatural Metropolis: Wresting New Orleans from Nature
by Craig E. ColtenStrategically situated at the gateway to the Mississippi River yet standing atop a former swamp, New Orleans was from the first what geographer Peirce Lewis called an "impossible but inevitable city." How New Orleans came to be, taking shape between the mutual and often contradictory forces of nature and urban development, is the subject of An Unnatural Metropolis. Craig E. Colten traces engineered modifications to New Orleans's natural environment from 1800 to 2000 and demonstrates that, though all cities must contend with their physical settings, New Orleans may be the city most dependent on human-induced transformations of its precarious site. In a new preface, Colten shows how Hurricane Katrina exemplifies the inability of human artifice to exclude nature from cities and he urges city planners to keep the environment in mind as they contemplate New Orleans's future. Urban geographers frequently have portrayed cities as the antithesis of nature, but in An Unnatural Metropolis, Colten introduces a critical environmental perspective to the history of urban areas. His amply illustrated work offers an in-depth look at a city and society uniquely shaped by the natural forces it has sought to harness.