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
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
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
