History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

21st Century Complete Guide to Biofuels and Bioenergy: Department of Energy Alternative Fuel Research, Agriculture Department Biofuel Research, Biomass, ... Landfill Methane, Crop Residues (CD-ROM)

Average customer rating:

Save time and google the information yourself

21st Century Complete Guide to Biofuels and Bioenergy: Department of Energy Alternative Fuel Research, Agriculture Department Biofuel Research, Biomass, ... Landfill Methane, Crop Residues (CD-ROM)
U.S. Government
Manufacturer: Progressive Management
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1592482791

Book Description

This comprehensive CD-ROM provides a thorough guide to information about biofuels and bioenergy. Key topics covered: Biofuels; Biomass Research & Development Initiative; Bioenergy; Biopower; Alternative Fuels; United States Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center (AFDC); Biodiesel; Ethanol; Methanol; Biofuels News 1993 through 2002; Alternative Fuel News 1997 through 2003; Alternative Fuel Price Report 2000 through 2002; DOE Pulse Newsletter 1998 through 2003; EPA Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP); USDA Biobased Products and Bioenergy Coordination Council; USDA Agricultural Research Service Bioenergy & Energy Alternatives.

Biofuels coverage includes: Biodiesel; Biodiesel Infrastructure Resources; Biodiesel Publications including: Impact of Biodiesel Fuels on Air Quality and Human Health; Production of Biodiesels; Methanol Publications include: Handbook for Handling, Storing, and Dispensing E85 Ethanol; ABCs of Biofuels for Students; Student Glossary. Biomass Research & Development Initiative Publications include: Roadmap for Biomass Technologies in the United States; Vision for Bioenergy & Biobased Products in the United States; Biomass R&D Technical Advisory Committee Recommendations; The U.S. Dry-Mill Ethanol Industry Success Stories; Strategic Plan of the Biomass R&D Board; Biomass Report to the President; Biomass R&D Act; Biomass Program Multiyear Plan 2003 to 2008; EPA Landfill Methane Outreach Program (LMOP); Regional Biomass Energy Program (RBEP). Alternative Fuels coverage includes: What's New?; Resources and Documents; FAQs; AFV Vehicles. Biopower-Renewable Electricity from Plant Material coverage includes Environment; Technologies; Markets; R & D; FAQs; Glossary; Key Players; RFPs. Periodicals include: Alternative Fuel News September 1997 through 2003; Alternative Fuel Price Report May 2000 through December 2002; Biofuels News Spring 1998 through Spring 2002; predecessor publication Biofuels Update Fall 1993 through Winter 1997; Department of Energy DOE Pulse Newsletter 1998 through 2003. USDA Biobased Products and Bioenergy Coordination Council; USDA Agricultural Research Service Bioenergy & Energy Alternatives coverage includes: Development of Biotechnological Resources for Biofuels; Harvesting, Preprocessing, and Storage of Crop Residues for Biobased Products; Value-Added Products from Plant Materials; Fermentation Biotechnology Research; Biocatalysts to Produce Biofuels; Bioprocess Engineering to Convert Biomass to Biofuel; Ignition and Combustion Characteristics of Biofuels; Vegetable Oil-Based Alternative Diesel Fuels, Extenders, and Additives.

In all, this CD-ROM has over 19,000 pages reproduced using Adobe Acrobat PDF software - allowing direct viewing on Windows and Apple Macintosh systems. Reader software is included on the CD. There is no other reference that is as fast, convenient, comprehensive, and portable.

Our CD-ROMs are privately-compiled collections of official public domain U.S. government files and documents - they are not produced by the federal government. They are designed to provide a convenient user-friendly reference work, utilizing the benefits of the Acrobat format to uniformly present thousands of pages that can be rapidly reviewed, searched, or printed without untold hours of tedious searching and downloading. Vast archives of important public domain government information that might otherwise remain inaccessible are available for instant review no matter where you are. This book-on-a-disc makes a great reference work and educational tool.

Customer Reviews:

Save time and google the information yourself.......2005-07-27

This is a CD of 2003 government web site screen captures converted to .pdf format. No wrapper app to guide you through the maze. You can save a few dollars and go directly to the sites that are up to date and free...

Average customer rating:

An interesting resource
Reprint
A great resource!!!

The Encyclopedia of Wood

Manufacturer: Skyhorse Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

ASIN: 1602390576

Book Description

Timber is one of our most precious, versatile, and vulnerable resources, so using it effectively is important. Knowing your material inside and out is the first step to doing just that. Read about the structure of wood itself, from growth rings to its chemical composition. Learn wood’s physical and mechanical properties, including everything from elasticity to nuclear radiation. This extensive manual includes a section on stress grading as well as thorough descriptions of which fasteners to use and when. It has information on adhesive bonding, biodeterioration, control of moisture content, preservation, fire safety, specialty treatments, and much more. The Encyclopedia of Wood is an essential resource for builders, architects, engineers, and woodworkers.

Customer Reviews:

An interesting resource.......2007-08-12

For anyone interested in wood, in its ability to withstand stress, its bark, shrinkage, moisture content, fastening it to things, or even its preservation this is a wonderful book. A work of the U.S Department of Agriculture, Forest Service's Forest Product laboratory it is not strictly an encyclopedia but a collection of essays, pictures and descriptions of various aspects of wood.

The first sections detail types of wood, structure of wood and physical properties of wood. Later sections examine more obscure mathematical concepts regarding wood such as stress grades and structural analysis equations. Important chapters detail types of fastenings, drying and control of moisture as well as protection and preservation. An important chapter examines the use of wood in buildings and bridges. This is not a book that is a `how to' regarding wood. It is also not a book about all the types of wood in the world or how to identify all of them necessarily. It is rather a collection of sometimes seemingly unsystematically collected material on wood and many aspects of it.

An interesting book.

Seth J. Frantzman

Reprint.......2007-06-13

This is a reprint of the 1999 edition of the "Wood Handbook - Wood as an Engineering Material", a classic reference to those who use wood as an engineering material (illustrations are few and consist of black&white photographs). Several other reprints exist, but this has the distinction of being the cheapest in the market, which will be due, at least in part, to the fact that this is a paperback, while the others are hardbacks.

A great resource!!!.......2007-04-03

This book is full of information!!! It's got everything you'll ever need to know to work with wood safely and efficiently. If you use it for a living, or if you're just a hobby woodworker, like myself, it's a great reference to have around.

Lost Revolutions: The South in the 1950s

Average customer rating:

A look at Southern Culture in the 1950's
Excellent appraisal of the Southern paradox

Lost Revolutions: The South in the 1950s
Pete Daniel
Manufacturer: The University of North Carolina Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0807848484
Release Date: 2000-04-12

Book Description

This sweeping work of cultural history explores a time of startling turbulence and change in the South, years that have often been dismissed as placid and dull. In the wake of World War II, southerners anticipated a peaceful and prosperous future, but as Pete Daniel demonstrates, the road into the 1950s took some unexpected turns.

Daniel chronicles the myriad forces that turned the world southerners had known upside down in the postwar period. In chapters that explore such subjects as the civil rights movement, segregation, and school integration; the breakdown of traditional agriculture and the ensuing rural-urban migration; gay and lesbian life; and the emergence of rock 'n' roll music and stock car racing, as well as the triumph of working-class culture, he reveals that the 1950s South was a place with the potential for revolutionary change.

In the end, however, the chance for significant transformation was squandered, Daniel argues. One can only imagine how different southern history might have been if politicians, the press, the clergy, and local leaders had supported democratic reforms that bestowed full citizenship on African Americans—and how little would have been accomplished if a handful of blacks and whites had not taken risks to bring about the changes that did come.

Customer Reviews:

A look at Southern Culture in the 1950's.......2007-07-13

Read this for graduate American history course. Lost Revolutions by Pete Daniel is a book that looks at the South during the 1950's. More specifically, it is a cultural history of the American South from the end of World War II until the Freedom Summer of 1964. Daniel's thesis is, "The South that evolved in the twenty years after the war emerged out of displacement, conflict, and creativity - not tranquility" (1). Daniel covers many themes that support his thesis. Among these themes are the migration of small farmers to cities, the advent of NASCAR, Rock n' Roll, and the lost occasions to give full citizenship to African Americans. The author's intention for writing this book is twofold. First, Daniel explores the cultural achievements of the "Lowdown culture" (91). He does this by looking at how the displaced farmers kept their rural roots, despite the fact that they lived in urban areas. Second, Daniel delves into the reasons why the middle-class and upper-class South did not want to desegregate. Lost Revolutions is a fascinating cultural history that sheds light on many current issues.

Daniel discusses numerous issues that surrounded the South after the end of World War II. Primarily, the author looks at a multitude of reasons that massively shrank the number of farmers in the South. "Over a million farm operators left the land in the 1950s" (60). Ezra Taft Benson was a major contributor in the displacement of small farmers in the South. Benson was appointed the secretary of agriculture under
Eisenhower in 1952. This is about the same time that farm machinery, such as tractors, began to replace labor-intensive farming techniques. Additionally, since the Great Depression the majority of southern farmers relied on Government subsidies. "Calculations, allotments, and regulations - not hard work - determined whether farmers succeeded or failed" (46). In 1959 a seventy-one-year-old Alabama farmer named E. Spech said, " ... now we can't move without a handout ... Each morning the men headed for some local restaurant for a cup of coffee while their wives sleep till noon" (59). It was obvious to many that Benson did not want to support the small farmer, but rather Agribusiness and the large farmer. Many of the white southern landowners bought more farms, machinery, and became wealthy with the support of the government. Conversely, small farmers, tenant farmers, and sharecroppers, both black and white, left their farms for the cities.

One of the themes that Daniel discusses in Lost Revolutions is the role of the government on the southern environment. As machinery cut down on the need for workers on a farm, so to did the use of chemicals. Interestingly, after World War One, two the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) teamed up with the Chemical Warfare Service to combine their chemical research. These organizations researched
chemicals like DDT, which could be used against humans or insects to shut down the nervous system. DDT and other similar chemicals were used to dust crops by plane, but usually this was done by hand to save money. The USDA even funded the dusting of private property with dieldrin, which is 20 times more toxic than DDT in order to eradicate Argentine fire ants. This supposed scourge was built up by using "Red propaganda" in order scare Americans that an invading insect was going to ruin their land.
The government would eventually spend $156 million dollars to extinguish the Argentine fire ant. This resulted in ruining the environment in many places and actually caused the ...fire ant to speed up its evolutionary cycle and spread throughout the country. The picture that Daniel paints of organizations like the USDA and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) helps to support his thesis that the South was changing out of conflict.

Lost Revolutions gives the history of displaced southerners who banded together, despite having different skin colors. " ... when it came to exchanging something offensive to the upper class, racial barriers collapsed" (92). The Lowdown culture of the South thrived on being unruly, unrespectable, hard-drinking, and rough. The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) has roots in bootlegging and quickly became something that the Lowdown culture gravitated to in the 1950s. The drivers, mechanics, and fans typically put pleasure over values by their bad behavior on and off the track. Additionally, the Lowdown culture produced, "jazz, blues, country, gospel, rhythm and blues, rock On'roll, and soul music" (122). People like Elvis Presley, B.B. King, Willie Mitchell, and Otis Redding were the sounds of the 1950s and the music had no color barrier. The culture that the displaced southerners found joy in reflected their beliefs and could have helped to end segregation in the South. The author describes the South in the 1950s by looking at the continuation of segregation as something that came from the white middle class and the elite. Daniel argues that the working-class southerners were typically not fighting against integration in the South. This is seen through the crisis at Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Daniel describes why many whites and blacks feared integration at Central High School. The nine black students who attended Central were kept from major physical harm by the 101st Airborne, which was sent by President Eisenhower. Segregationists saw this action as a threat to state rights and a throwback to
Reconstruction. The strength of Daniel's account of this well-known event lies in his telling of the rest of the story. He tells how the "Littlerock Nine" were subjected to being hit, having hot soup dumped on them, seeing racial words written in the bathroom, and having to be submissive. In the end, Daniel notes the opportunity for positive integration was lost when, "Segregationists policed the color line with a vengeance and intimidated and white person who deviated from their code" (283).

Lost Revolutions is a book that looks at the driving forces behind the Southern culture in the 1950s. The author focuses on segregation as a major topic, but also looks at the cultural collision brought out by the upper-class, middle-class, and the Lowdown cultures. After WorId War II many people in the South favored integration, civil rights, and a positive change in culture. However, "The white elite engineered agribusiness, migration, and massive resistance, a counterrevolution that poisoned both the environment and race relations" (305). The damage done to race relations is to take many years to heal, and in many places is still waiting for resolution. The Blues and NASCAR are proof that race relations in the South could have come from positive cultural influence. Daniel does not look at the South as being predominantly full of segregationists. Rather, he points to lack of leadership, ignorance, and fear as the major reasons that the South had an uneasy end to segregation. Daniel claims that the working class
people of the South were swept away in the racial tension that embattled the 1950s. Segregation in the South ended through laws and intervention rather than a belief in equality. "Before they [the working-class] were divided or tamed, these people redefined the South and established enduring cultural monuments" (305).

As a graduate student in philosophy and history, I recommended this book for anyone interested in American history, civil rights era history.

Excellent appraisal of the Southern paradox.......2000-07-28

The 1950's South was both a time and a place of contradictions. On the one hand, there was a cultural revolution going on that fused both white and black musical tastes into one revolutionary music genre (rock 'n' roll) and a political revolution that went on (integration) which made the cultural achievements seem to pale in comparison. In essence, the South of the 1950's was a confusing maelstrom of contradictory policies and failed opportunities for peaceful change.

So argues Pete Daniel in his book "Lost Revolutions: The South in the 1950's". Daniel's thesis is that the South offered ripe opportunities for change during the immediate post-World War II era but these opportunities were overlooked by the fact that warring factions between African-Americans and whites prevented to make important cultural revolutions make a difference in the political spectrum. These important cultural revolutions consisted of: the importance of rhythm and blues in forging feelings of appreciation between blacks and white country and western singers, the rise of NASCAR as a unifying factor among lower-class whites to challeng the hegemony of the white middle and upper-classes, and, finally, the rebeliousness exhibited by both white and black youth to forge a new consensus for political change. Daniel's book does an excellent job of explaining both why there were contradictions in Southern society and how these contradictions contributed to a painfully fought battle for integration and equal rights. This is a battle which is still being fought today but more on a state's rights and regionalistic front than a racial front.

Daniel's book is a true lesson in primary source research and his endnotes clearly demonstrate this. Interviews, 4 pages of manuscript collection sources, and numerous prominent secondary sources fully back up a thought-provoking thesis. This book is a welcome addition to southern historiography.

Average customer rating:

This is a two part book

Timber Bridges: Design, Construction, Inspection, And Maintenance (Volume 1)
Michael A. Ritter , United States Department of Agriculture , and United States Forest Service
Manufacturer: University Press of the Pacific
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Civil | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
Surveying & Photogrammetry | Civil | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1410221911

Customer Reviews:

This is a two part book.......2007-01-22

As I can now see on the cover, this is part 2 of a series. I needed ideas on how to build a small driveway bridge which is in part one.

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Keys to Soil Taxonomy
U. s. Department of Agriculture
Manufacturer: University Press of the Pacific
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Soils: Genesis and Geomorphology

ASIN: 1410224740

Public and Media Relations for the Fire Service

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Tim Birr: A Firefighter's Firefighter
Gets the job done!

Public and Media Relations for the Fire Service
Tim Birr
Manufacturer: Fire Engineering Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0912212799

Book Description

Many fire chiefs have been overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of satellite trucks, news helicopters, and media personnel when an incident in their jurisdiction attracts the media's attention. If reporters cannot get fast, accurate information from fire officials, they'll get it from whomever they can. This book is intended to help fire departments master the basics of the game and begins with an overview of public relations and the role of reporters. The middle of the book provides insight into how to choose a PIO and the role of that person. This is followed by a brief discussion of skills and preparations as well as policies for providing information and statements and concludes with a listing of sources for additional training.

Working with the media should be an ongoing process not just at fires or emergencies but throughout the year to help you get your message across to the community that you serve. This book is not for public relations professionals or advertising agencies, but is intended for fire service personnel and managers and those who want to know more about public and media relations. This is the first book of its kind dedicated to helping the fire service with media relations. 156 pages

Customer Reviews:

Tim Birr: A Firefighter's Firefighter.......2003-04-20

Tim Birr brings 30 years of firefighting experience to an intense and critical job ... facing the media, the public and families in times of crises. This is a must-have on your shelf if you are in communications, public or private.

Gets the job done!.......2000-10-13

Tim puts all his experience to work for me in this book. Common sense approach.

21st Century Ethanol, Gasohol, and Renewable Fuels Digest ¿ Fuel Ethanol, E85 Fuel, Bioethanol, Dry-Mill Production, Grain and Cellulosic Sources, Agricultural Issues, Energy Department Alternative Fuels Information, Agriculture Department on Corn Ethanol ¿ Series on Renewable Energy, Biofuels, Bioenergy, and Biobased Products

Average customer rating:

This is not a book

21st Century Ethanol, Gasohol, and Renewable Fuels Digest ¿ Fuel Ethanol, E85 Fuel, Bioethanol, Dry-Mill Production, Grain and Cellulosic Sources, Agricultural Issues, Energy Department Alternative Fuels Information, Agriculture Department on Corn Ethanol ¿ Series on Renewable Energy, Biofuels, Bioenergy, and Biobased Products
U.S. Government
Manufacturer: Progressive Management
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Ring-bound
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ASIN: 1592484514

Book Description

This is a collection of authoritative documents and publications about ethanol, including fuel ethanol, E85 ethanol, gasohol, bioethanol, dry-mill production, grain and cellulosic sources, agricultural issues, energy department alternative fuels information, agriculture department on corn ethanol, and more.

CRS Report for Congress on Fuel Ethanol, Background and Public Policy Issues, Fuel Ethanol: Background and Public Policy Issues - The Summary states: "In light of a changing regulatory and legislative arena, ethanol as a motor fuel has taken on a pivotal role in bringing together often conflicting environmental and energy security interests. Ethanol is produced from biomass (mainly corn) and is mixed with gasoline to produce cleaner-burning fuel called "gasohol" or "E10." The market for fuel ethanol, which utilizes 10 % of the nation's corn crop, is heavily dependent on federal incentives and regulations. A major impetus to the use of fuel ethanol has been the exemption that it receives from the motor fuels excise tax. Ethanol is expensive relative to gasoline, but it is subject to a federal tax exemption of 5.2 cents per gallon of gasohol (or 52 cents per gallon of pure ethanol). This exemption brings the cost of pure ethanol, which is higher than that of conventional gasoline and other oxygenates, within reach of the cost of competitive alternatives. In addition, there are other incentives such as a small ethanol producers tax credit. It has been argued that the fuel ethanol industry could scarcely survive without these incentives. The Clean Air Act requires that ethanol or another oxygenate be mixed with gasoline in areas with excessive carbon monoxide or ozone pollution. The resulting fuels are called oxygenated gasoline (oxyfuel) and reformulated gasoline (RFG), respectively. Using oxygenates, vehicle emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been reduced by 17%, and toxic emissions have been reduced by approximately 30%. However, there has been a push to change the oxygenate requirements for two reasons. First, methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), the most common oxygenate, has been found to contaminate groundwater. Second, it is argued that emissions could be reduced to similar levels through the use of clean burning gasoline that does not contain oxygenates. Uncertainties about future oxygenate requirements, as both federal and state governments consider changes, have raised concerns among farm and fuel ethanol industry groups and have prompted renewed congressional interest. Without the current regulatory requirements and incentives, or something comparable, much of ethanol's market would likely disappear. Expected changes to the reformulated gasoline requirements could either help or hurt the

Customer Reviews:

This is not a book.......2007-06-28

This is a bunch of documents pulled from the internet and put together in a binder. I doubt this is a US government publication.

Living on An Acre: A Practical Guide to the Self-Reliant Life

Average customer rating:

Give me something I can use...
A book full of 30 second sound bites

Living on An Acre: A Practical Guide to the Self-Reliant Life
U.S. Department. of Agriculture
Manufacturer: The Lyons Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1592281141

Book Description

Whether maintaining a second home, starting a part-time farm, or going back to the land, LIVING ON AN ACRE is the leading handbook for the small-scale farmer, and a comprehensive approach to solutions to every land-related problem.
LIVING ON AN ACRE covers everything:
· considering the rural versus the urban life
· choosing a region
· what to think about when remodeling an older house
· how to build a barn
· growing for self-sufficiency versus growing for profit
· beekeeping
· raising livestock
· taking in visitors
· farming fish.
· and much more!

Customer Reviews:

Give me something I can use..........2007-01-03

This book is great if you just retired and want to start a small hobbie farm and you have lots of money to spend, because that is what the Government wants you to do in this book. I think they really need to retitle this book because it is not fitting! It offers nothing of value if you really want to make a go at trying to live on a small scale farm and be self-suffient. They keep pointing you to buy this or spend money here to do that. But if your really trying to live off a small scale piece of land I would recommend Joel Salatin "You Can Farm."

Good luck to you if you are going to try and do this!

A book full of 30 second sound bites.......2005-04-30

This book offers very little useful information on rural living other than references for where to get real information. It gives a superficial overview of the many ways you can make a few dollars off of your cottage or hobby farm, but not enough details on any subject to be helpful.

This book was obviously not intended for people wanting information about living on a small, rural homestead. Instead, it seems designed for bored yuppie housewives who want "something rural" on their bookshelf or who are looking for a few hobby ideas and little more.

A better place to start for a Practical Guide to the Self Reliant Life would be : "How to Survive Without a Salary: Learning How to Live the Conserver Lifestyle," by Charles Long.

The Idea Factory: Learning to Think at MIT

Average customer rating:

I bought the wrong book...quite disheartening to read about post-graduate life at MIT!
Industry needs Talent, MIT presents Talented employees, Industries rewards with charitable contributions. Continuing the cycle
Accurate and humorous, a good read!
Accurate but atypical
A fun read - and yes, it IS accurate. Painfully accurate.

The Idea Factory: Learning to Think at MIT
Pepper White
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0262731428

Book Description

This is a personal story of the educational process at one of the world’s great technological universities. Pepper White entered MIT in 1981 and received his master’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1984. His account of his experiences, written in diary form, offers insight into graduate school life in general--including the loneliness and even desperation that can result from the intense pressure to succeed--and the purposes of engineering education in particular. The first professor White met at MIT told him that it did not really matter what he learned there, but that MIT would teach him how to think. This, then, is the story of how one student learned how to think. There have of course been changes at MIT since 1984, but its essence is still the same. White has added a new preface and concluding chapter to this edition to bring the story of his continuing education up to date.

Customer Reviews:

I bought the wrong book...quite disheartening to read about post-graduate life at MIT!.......2006-07-23

I bought the early edition of this book from Amazon in the early 90's, with the mistaken belief that the book is about creativity at MIT.

Nevertheless, despite the sheer disappointment of my own failure in checking out the book in the first place, I plonked into the book with gusto.

In a nut shell, it's about the life of a MIT post-graduate. [The author entered MIT in 1981 & received his Masters degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1984.] Though informative in many respects, I find it quite disheartening to read about the author's personal struggles & triumphs as he went through one of the top-notch technological universities in the world. In a way, it's an eye opener for me.

Although the subtitle is 'Learning to Think at MIT', the author merely shares his own personal experiences in understanding the scientific model & tackling engineering problems as part of the MIT curriculum.

Did I enjoy reading the book? I am ambivalent at best. However, if it is of some consolation to the author, I reckon this may be a good book to read by those aspiring to get into MIT.

With that note, it may deserve a rating of 5. Regrettably, I have to give it a rating of 3 from my standpoint.

Industry needs Talent, MIT presents Talented employees, Industries rewards with charitable contributions. Continuing the cycle.......2006-07-07

MITs philosophy is best described as follows, "We teach you to think!" MIT teaches students to solve problems; retain complex scientific information; discern the application and meaning of equations; and establish a problem solving mentality the believed building blocks of thought. MIT student thus becomes the Greek, "thinking man". Professors challenge the students to approach problem solving from a framework or system understanding and read carefully the problem for inferences or vital clues to solving problems. Pattern matching similar published problems meets with minimal success; memorizing patterns is not the MIT way; many of the problems require multiple steps to solve, awareness of various formulas, and logic for pruning and selecting equations to express the idea of the problem. The student thinks about the details of the problem, recognizes simple framework constraints, and solves the problem using mathematics and physics; and genius students advance through MIT rapidly. "We try to let talented people who know what they want to achieve it here; we try to stay out their way. But if you're at all uncertain, you'll be in for a rough ride". The luke-warm seemingly spewed out of MIT; survival at MIT is finding experiments with a budget, a prestigious mentor, and projects funding yielding opportunities for meaning research and development.

Does examinations and testing represent the bulk of the MIT experience? Most of the students know a majority of the equations before attending MIT, as demonstrated by their speed at solving examination problems. I don't see alot of value in the testing. I would says the testing is requested by the students as a measurement of how well they are doing. But testing does not prove quality. It seems that testing would be stronger in the undergraduate students and R&D projects and group dynamics more of an emphasis in the graduate programs. MIT is looking for quality work. Testing is a way to build confidence. Projects deliverables are the true measurement of quality.

At MIT the students do not have time to read. Problem solving is the cherished characteristic instill in the student. Information is communicated to him like "drinking water from a fire hose".

The best approach to eating an elephant is one bite at a time. Learning to study and solve problems can be fun. Mastery of a specialized area builds confidence. Students converge on certain principles and concepts and internalize the equations for physics, thermodynamics, fluids, and computer science becoming experts in these domains. In the PMM, Pepper claims he lack EE knowledge that could have given them the win. MIT provides students with materials, drills, lathes, presses machines for fabrication. MIT believes every student should know basics of circuitry, programming, and electronics.

MIT knows that information is not intelligence; intelligence is coveted by R&D professors; the process of drawing out and revealing intelligent students is shrouded in rituals and academic ceremonies. A student willing to reveal his intelligence will receive opportunities to receive money for work completed on projects. The R&D projects provide cheap labor for the professor and quality results for the funding companies.

Thinking is preferred to reading. The professors want to help influence the thinkers that can change the world of science and technology; MIT professors appear friendly and approachable; MIT professors assistance is usually meet with questions that point the student in the correct direction rather than an answer; many of the MIT professors are fabulously wealthy, possess important technology patents rights and own big technology companies.

Lecture information is presented at a rapid flow. The professor's lectures on the material then the teacher assistances reiterate the content of the lecture with the students. Prestige may be one reason a student would desire to attend a University where the intensity and pressure would seem cruel, unfair, and self-defeating. Do MIT student hate the school?

MIT believes that global competition, ignorance, and failure to excel is where the real cruelty exists. There is a difference being taught and learning. "You need to pioneer your way through the solution yourself; blaze your own trail". The problem set given to the students are not a part of graduation by helpful for mastery of the principle and concepts; Bell curve grading destroys plenty of bright and capable minds, shifting them into the rejection side of the curve; average on the Bell curve means the student can stay in the class; and if the student is borderline between one grade and another, they may submit their lecture book, for the higher grade; students balance soccer with studies, "don't get too wrapped up in your work. Have some fun sometimes." Good advice. MIT student take their performance seriously; they sacrifice social life for work; some kill themselves, if they fail to get their Masters or Doctorate.

1. MIT graduation percentage must be successful perceived and obtainable, otherwise, the school would not survive 2. MIT prestige is more likely to be based on the attraction of big money. Darwinism adversity is thought too allow the best and brightest minds to emerge at the top. The rest are set away. MIT approach does seem very darwinistic and often student complain about having "no hope". MIT presents a Godless face too the pursuit of scientific excellence. Is intelligence excellence an individualistic aspiration. Is the isolation necessary? 2

MIT students rise through the ranks, earn prestige, gain teaching opportunities, interact with other students throught "student breaks", get a fat pay check, and make breakthroughs by work in research opportunities 3. MIT has one hand in Industry, another hand in Space, and both hands in Government 4. MIT phds are sought after for employment in think tanks, research and development, and industry consulting. MIT students are constantly preparing and being tested. Examination means working fast, understanding the problem, and know what you want from the school. 5 MIT students can program and run advanced stimulation software to solve pressing problems; fabricated circuitry; mill, lathe, and drill machine part; they designed revolutionary designs yield lower costs, reasonable safety, and maximum performance; they were capable of solving tough problems: cogeneration, nuclear energy, fusion containment, and fuel efficiency; engineer contributions designed to improve the community and not acquire money. 6. Most MIT find a niche in the system. The students develop their own sub culture within MIT; they congregate as special interest intelligentsia groups sharing a common purpose, similar interest, and possession unique skills for the group; they find willing to mentorship too preach them the doctrines and teachings they desire; they focus on topics in which they are both strong intellectually at grasping and comfortable in expanding; and avoid coursework that is perilous and prone to failure. These subcultures are very selective about who gets in. The group protects their unique entity because external admittance could destroy the group dynamics; a new person is risky because he could disrupt the interests, flow, and direction of the group; the group's research and ideas may become a source of wealth for the University. MIT longs for the opportunity to partnership with these emerging groups and profit from their technologies and inventions.

MITs value is bring smart people together; give them reasons to learn; encourage them to become creative, focused, and energized; recognize their leadership and skills; and MIT wants too maintain long term relationship with these students, as they become the next generation of brains that form the world.

Pepper says MIT students are often isolated, lonely, depressed, a over worked. He talks about a student name Steve, who is brillant but disrupted about the school and neither religious clergy nor professional psych analysis can help the kid. Twice, Pepper intervenes with Campus Police think the kid had commit suicide. The teachers talk openly about kids that have killed themselves and try to help. One possible reason for the pressure is that professors are desparate too get research money. Getting research grants means they need good workers, so they are pruning for the bests, and these takes its tole on students confidence. When Mary commits suicide, the full impact of the self confidence problems hit you in the gut. It will make you cry.

The book becomes interesting as Pepper talks about his Engineer Thesis, 720 project contest, competing in the perpetual motion machine contest. The PMM made me think about how the wheel was truing. I figure that it was pulse electromagnetic and the timing mechanism was in the box. However, I did not think about the capicator storing up and releasing a pulse. I found the experience described by Pepper challenging, insightful, and aspiring. I like the idea that companies are interested in solutions that MIT students offer. I like the idea that students are toughen to meet real world challenges and problems. This is where the fun begins, once the fear is gone. How can a student hate MIT, if MIT is the reason for their opportunties?

Accurate and humorous, a good read!.......2006-02-18

Read this book if you want to know what it is like to live and breathe and be at MIT. Being at MIT is an honor, and a privilege that I take seriously...and a pain. Pay close attention to Pepper's underlying message...MIT is a place of beautiful torture and torturous beauty...a place students hate, but alumni miss dearly.

A warning to readers...don't let his experience define yours. While I am currently going through much of what Pepper has described, I must give my fellow reviewers that his (or my) experience can be atypical. Last year, for eg, I breezed through and couldn't identify with most of Pepper's experiences. Most MIT student experiences lie between these extremes.

The bottom line...accurately painted with a great sense of humor.

Accurate but atypical.......2005-09-18

I'm currently a grad student in the same lab Pepper White worked in. His descriptions of the professors, classes, and quals are dead-on, even today - not all that much has changed in that regard. Some of the same equipment is still in the lab.

But his MIT experience is NOT typical, for a whole host of reasons. He took way, way more classes than any grad student should - I've never taken more than two per semester, often only one. A master's thesis usually takes 2 years or less. Most students aren't resident tutors in Senior House, one of MIT's more, shall we say, unique dorms. Considering how unprepared he was to be a graduate student in mechanical engineering, I'd say he did pretty well in the end.

Unfortunately, the part about knowing someone lost to suicide is all too typical, but many, many ways MIT is a kindler, gentler place than it was in the early '80s, for better or for worse.

A fun read - and yes, it IS accurate. Painfully accurate........2005-08-26

As one of the undergraduates in Pepper White's dormitory, and one who shared many if not most of Mr. White's experiences, I can personally attest to the accuracy of almost every description in this impressively detailed and honest account. In fact if anything Pepper's book is honest to a fault, perhaps leaving people who lived and worked in a different part of this incredibly varied school with the mistaken impression that his descriptions are innaccurate simply because they don't match their own.
Not everyone going through MIT is going to experience the same things - some will have kinder, more supportive professors and friends while many others will suffer under less kind, less supportive (and quite often downright nasty) professors and friends who are more interested in their work than in spending the extra time it takes to be a good friend. Some because of their natures will thrive in the isolation and loneliness of eighty or hundred hour work weeks, month after month, year after year, and others will sooner or later find this life just too lonely and unsatisfying to bear and decide that it's time to move on.
Pepper was one who moved on (though this wasn't his choice, it's interesting to wonder if he would have moved on anyway if he had passed his PhD exams). So it might be helpful to think of his book and descriptions as being accurate for the sort of person who also would be inclined to move on in similar circumstances. Whether that's the majority or minority at MIT is hard to say. My guess, as one who also chose to move on (but
who also knew many who genuinely liked this life, as well as many (mostly students from underdeveloped foreign countries) who hated it but endured it anyway because they felt that a PhD from MIT was the only chance they had to succeed in life) is that more students at MIT hate it than like it (or at least that more students in the early 80's, the time this book describes, hated it than liked it) and that for them Pepper's impressive work could not be more accurate.

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