A remarkably comprehensive manual written, unfortunately, in turgid prose.
An exhaustive guide to the management, suppression, and ecological significance of forest fires.
Debut author Gboloo begins the first installment in his four volume series by outlining the destructiveness of global warming as attested by the most recent scientific findings. The link between climate change and forest fires is important: hotter temperatures can contribute to more fires, and the forests play a crucial role in rejuvenating ecologically embattled microclimates and absorbing carbon dioxide. Also, the devastation wrought by forest fires is considerable, measurable in the loss not only of trees, but economic resources and human life. Moreover, more than 80 percent of the world’s woodlands are vulnerable to fires. In some countries that lack of preparedness is a function of poverty, but in others, it’s the result of ignorance regarding forest-fire management. The author covers an extraordinary array of topics, including strategies for the prevention and suppression of wildfires, the causes of desertification, the salaries of fire wardens, and campfire safety. There is also a discussion of the evolution of forest-management theory in the United States as well as a study of the kinds of tree species that are the most fire resistant (paloverde, Chilean mesquite, willow acacia). The study uses charts, graphs, and photographs to illustrate the author’s points and opens with four forewords from prominent professionals from the forestry- and emergency-management industries. Gboloo’s knowledge of the subject is impressively encyclopedic—at one point, he provides an analysis of the management resources used in the most fire-prone states. Wildfire management is a multidisciplinary affair, and the author expertly discusses the scientific, ecological, and economic components of it. The prose, however, is both congested and meandering, and paragraphlong sentences defy easy interpretation. Also, the writing is almost mechanically academic and plodding: “Academic institutions are the champions on knowledge acquisition and application by graduating students who leave and apply their knowledge on the field.” This still remains a valuable resource for forestry professionals.
A remarkably comprehensive manual written, unfortunately, in turgid prose.Pub Date: March 24, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-9983183-4-9
Page Count: 382
Publisher: Mindstir Media
Review Posted Online: June 28, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s...
Music journalist and musician Wald (Talking 'Bout Your Mama: The Dozens, Snaps, and the Deep Roots of Rap, 2014, etc.) focuses on one evening in music history to explain the evolution of contemporary music, especially folk, blues, and rock.
The date of that evening is July 25, 1965, at the Newport Folk Festival, where there was an unbelievably unexpected occurrence: singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, already a living legend in his early 20s, overriding the acoustic music that made him famous in favor of electronically based music, causing reactions ranging from adoration to intense resentment among other musicians, DJs, and record buyers. Dylan has told his own stories (those stories vary because that’s Dylan’s character), and plenty of other music journalists have explored the Dylan phenomenon. What sets Wald's book apart is his laser focus on that one date. The detailed recounting of what did and did not occur on stage and in the audience that night contains contradictory evidence sorted skillfully by the author. He offers a wealth of context; in fact, his account of Dylan's stage appearance does not arrive until 250 pages in. The author cites dozens of sources, well-known and otherwise, but the key storylines, other than Dylan, involve acoustic folk music guru Pete Seeger and the rich history of the Newport festival, a history that had created expectations smashed by Dylan. Furthermore, the appearances on the pages by other musicians—e.g., Joan Baez, the Weaver, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Dave Van Ronk, and Gordon Lightfoot—give the book enough of an expansive feel. Wald's personal knowledge seems encyclopedic, and his endnotes show how he ranged far beyond personal knowledge to produce the book.
An enjoyable slice of 20th-century music journalism almost certain to provide something for most readers, no matter one’s personal feelings about Dylan's music or persona.Pub Date: July 25, 2015
ISBN: 978-0-06-236668-9
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Dey Street/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 15, 2015
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 2015
BOOK REVIEW
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BOOK TO SCREEN
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Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
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