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Terrestrial Energy: How Nuclear Energy Will Lead the Green Revolution and End America's Energy Odyssey
This is quite possibly the most important book about energy in a generation For over thirty years Americans have been fed a steady diet of half-truths, misinformation, urban legends and outright fabrications about energy. The small amount of accurate information that does reach us is often obscured by scientific terminology or one-sided political posturing. When faced with a dramatic increase in energy demand, uncertain supplies and the potentially harmful effects of carbon emissions how are we to make informed choices? Veteran journalist William Tucker has relied on years of research and investigation to help us make sense of America s energy predicament without the burdens of political pressures or predetermined outcomes. It seems odd that nuclear energy has to be reintroduced to America. After all, today, thirty years after we began construction of our last new nuclear reactor, it still supplies nearly 20 percent of our electrical energy needs. And surprisingly, all this output is from plants that were once considered relics, but are now being run with an efficiency and safety record that was hard to envision a decade ago. Perhaps the misgivings have always been with us. Since dawn of the Atomic era, nuclear power has been inextricably associated with nuclear weapons--each reactor a bomb waiting to go off. The accident at Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania and its amazing convergence of timing with the film, The China Syndrome reinforced the idea that a nuclear meltdown is a real, terrifying possibility that could kill thousands of people. The later, catastrophic disaster at Chernobyl in the Ukraine heightened these fears. And so the use of atomic energy became controversial. Yet as Tucker makes absolutely clear, nuclear is the same process that heats the center of the earth to 7,000oF, hotter than the surface of the sun. The concentration of power in the nucleus of the atom is incredible. The disintegration of a single uranium atom produces 2 million times more energy than the breaking of a carbon-hydrogen atom in coal, oil, or natural gas, all with zero carbon emissions and zero greenhouse gases. In Terrestrial Energy, Tucker is not content to merely give an argument about why nuclear is the best choice for our energy future. Instead he meticulously surveys entire the energy scene that has frustrated Americans for the past 30 years. Is there such a thing as clean coal? Can we expect that onservation will ever reduce our energy consumption? And what about the renewable energy sources (wind, solar energy, hydropower, and biofuels) and their promise of clean, plentiful power? Each has its place in America s energy mix but each of these sources also has serious problems. The limiting factor of all these technologies will not be the amount of energy radiating from the sun but the amount of land that will be required to capture and store it. And what are the real dangers of an increase in the use of nuclear power? We have learned to become fearful of radiation at any dose, when in reality, we are regularly exposed to its effects, it is naturally occurring, often benign and in some cases even beneficial. Then there is the waste that supposedly makes nuclear technology unmanageable. It is much less alarming when you consider that the reason America has a nuclear waste problem is because we fail to recycle our spent fuel rods. At the same time that world energy demand steadily increases, Americans are also being asked to be better stewards of the environment. Now is the perfect moment to renew our commitment to use the greatest scientific discovery of the 20th century as the forward-thinking solution. Terrestrial energy is without doubt, the only realistic, practical answer to our energy dilemma..
Price: $18.15
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The Paths We Choose
With over ten million albums sold and multiple Grammy nominations, the hard rock band Godsmack has become one of the most successful groups of the last decade. The band's driving beats and searing lyrics have garnered widespread acclaim, while their well-known work ethic has earned the industry's respect. Fans who attend Godsmack concerts are sure to be rewarded with a fiercely energetic show. The force behind the band comes largely from founder and front man Sully Erna. Onstage, growling into the microphone with characteristic intensity, he appears perfectly at home, and it's no wonder. Erna has been immersed in the world of rock ever since he got his first drum set at the age of five. Given his achievements, that early start might suggest that his career was a straight shot to the top. The truth is, Erna took so many detours during the years between his first drums and Godsmack's first contract that, more than once, he nearly forgot his destination. In The Paths We Choose, he relates the turbulent story of his life before the platinum albums and packed arenas. "The Lawrence I remember was full of murderers, thieves, and rapists and half the time those people were your next-door neighbors," Erna writes of his childhood hometown in the gritty Boston suburbs. Although the danger of the streets was a constant reality, young Sully's world really revolved around music. From the day he convinced his mom to pay for drum lessons, "beating the skins" was all he ever wanted to do. As he grew older, Erna began devoting all his energy to one band after another. Life as a marginally-successful (and sometimes downright unsuccessful) musician was always unpredictable, and Sully's good times were equally matched by his frustrations. He learned that talent and passion were not enough; he also had to know who to trust. Beautiful blondes attracted Erna like a moth to an open flame, and his affairs with them were intense and often unstable. Outwardly hardened, yet privately vulnerable, he couldn't open up. This, combined with his high-adrenaline lifestyle, seemed bound to catch up with him and did. Here, Sully delves with surprising sensitivity into the emotional struggles that almost forced him to abandon his ambitions. Musical fame was never a given for Sully Erna. He could easily have continued to be "just another punk on the streets." The extraordinary success he now enjoys with Godsmack only came by an unlikely combination of talent, sweat, lucky breaks, and hard falls. Any one of the decisions he made along the way could have brought him to a dead end. But that just might be the whole point. Sully's story shows us that whatever hardship we may face, ultimately, our choices determine our destiny. He's made the most of every advantage and obstacle he has faced, and reminds us that we can, too. But for Sully, career success is not an ultimate destination. Every day brings a new fork in the road another path to choose..
Price: $13.98
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Bartleby and Benito Cereno
Two memorable and stirring works—first written as magazine pieces and later published in The Piazza Tales. "Bartleby," (also called "Bartleby the Scrivener") is a haunting moral allegory set in the business world of 19th-century New York. "Benito Cereno," a harrowing tale of slavery and revolt aboard a Spanish ship, is regarded by many as Melville’s finest short story. .
Price: $0.10
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Now Is Gone: A Primer on New Media for Executives and Entrepreneurs
Now Is Gone seeks to help businesses embrace Social Media intelligently Readers can learn if their organization is ready, how to begin, the predominant participation is marketing approach that other businesses are using, social media marketing strategies, and general social media insights. In addition to best practices, the book is laced with case studies that demonstrate corporate successes. This primer provides the quickest way for executives and entrepreneurs to figure out social media marketing..
Price: $8.00
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Ernie Davis: The Elmira Express, the Story of a Heisman Trophy Winner-Anniversary Edition
Here, in this special anniversary edition, is the original, enduring story of Ernie Davis as told by those who were closest to him. The basis for the Universal Pictures film The Express, Robert C. Gallagher s definitive biography is a story of outstanding athletic achievement and greatness. And it is a tale of unusual courage in facing a grave illness. Most of all, it is the account of a remarkable young man who inspired all who knew him. As a sophomore, Ernie Davis led an undefeated Syracuse football team to its first National Championship and to victory in the Cotton Bowl. His brilliant performances continued throughout the remainder of his college years. He became a consensus All-American, surpassing the legendary Jim Brown s rushing records. In 1961, Davis was awarded the Heisman Trophy, the annual award given to the best collegiate football player in the country. It was the first time in history that this prestigious award was presented to an African American. The number-one draft pick in the 1962 NFL draft, he signed a record rookie contract with the Cleveland Browns and seemed destined for professional stardom. However, he never played a down in the NFL. That summer, he was diagnosed with leukemia. His lifelong dream would remain unfulfilled when he succumbed to the disease less than a year later. In battling his illness, Ernie continued to show the dignity and heart of a champion, becoming an inspiration to the nation and moving President John F. Kennedy to eulogize him as "an outstanding man of great character"p>
Ernie Davis almost certainly would have made his mark in professional football. But it was not his football achievements alone that made his life unforgettable. Instead, it was his unique personal qualities that are most vividly remembered.
The description from the cover of the 1983 edition explained best the significance of this book and its full and rich portrayal of the life of Ernie Davis: "Until now the inspiration of Ernie s short but remarkable life could only be enjoyed by those who knew him personally. However, with the publication of Ernie Davis: The Elmira Express it is here for all of us to savor." .
Price: $15.21
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The Chez Francois Cookbook
Alsace-Lorraine has produced one of the world's richest and most varied cuisines It combines traditional French cooking with surprising and delicious ingredients. Franois Haeringer and his son, Jacques, have captured the flavor of Alsace in the hills outside Washington, D.C., home of L'Auberge Chez Franois, acclaimed "Best Restaurant in Washington" for fifteen straight years by readers of The Washingtonian magazine. Now everyone, not only those fortunate enough to dine at Chez Franois, can savor the cuisine of Alsace. Jacques Haeringer has revised and expanded his original cookbook to include some favorite new recipes developed since the previous edition, especially in its selection of pastries and desserts. From subtly blended soups to splendorous desserts his cookbook offers everyone an Alsatian culinary experience. The familiar and the serendipitous take their place side by side. In keeping with his tradition of personally overseeing every aspect of preparation, Franois Haeringer has reviewed all the recipes for accuracy. They detail the methods used daily by the Haeringers, but the occasional recipe that may be too time consuming is followed by "Monsieur Franois's hint to the home cook," so that substitutions, variations, and alternate techniques can facilitate cooking without sacrificing flavor..
Price: $12.00
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Bartleby & Co.
A marvelous novel by one of Spain's most important contemporary authors, in which a clerk in a Barcelona office takes us on a romping tour of world literature In Bartleby & Co., an enormously enjoyable novel, Enrique Vila-Matas tackles the theme of silence in literature: the writers and non-writers who, like the scrivener Bartleby of the Herman Melville story, in answer to any question or demand, replies: "I would prefer not to." Addressing such "artists of refusal" as Robert Walser, Robert Musil, Arthur Rimbaud, Marcel Duchamp, Herman Melville, and J. D. Salinger, Bartleby & Co. could be described as a meditation: a walking tour through the annals of literature. Written as a series of footnotes (a non-work itself), Bartleby embarks on such questions as why do we write, why do we exist? The answer lies in the novel itself: told from the point of view of a hermetic hunchback who has no luck with women, and is himself unable to write, Bartleby is utterly engaging, a work of profound and philosophical beauty..
Price: $8.72
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Benito Cereno, Bartleby: The Scrivener, and The Encantadas
In this collection readers will find three of Herman Melville's most popular shorter works, "Benito Cereno", "Bartleby: The Scrivener", and "The Encantadas". Considered to be one of Melville's best short stories, "Benito Cereno" is a tale of the revolt aboard a Spanish ship. "Bartleby: The Scrivener" is a moral allegory set on Wall Street in New York. And "The Encantadas" are a collection of sketches based on Melville's experiences in the Galapagos Islands..
Price: $4.75
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