Good Old Books: Archaeology by Walter Shepherd

Archaeology
by Walter Shepherd
Signet, 1966

Science students and laymen both will find this "detective story" about mankind's past as fascinating as it is informative. Clearly and without technical jargon, the author reveals what the archaeologist has learned about Stone Age man, his metal-working descendants, and the mighty civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Far East and the Mediterranean.

Tools and weapons, pottery, art, homes, inscriptions, vast monuments -- all are examined in words and pictures.

Of special interest is a whole section on "Archaeology in America."

Throughout, the emphasis is on how the archaeologist works, complete with
guidelines on how the interested reader can participate in "digs."

Archaeology
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Now in Review: Scarcity and Frontiers

Scarcity and Frontiers
How Economies Have Developed Through Natural Resource Exploitation
by Edward B. Barbier
Cambridge University Press, 2011

Throughout much of history, a critical driving force behind global
economic development has been the response of society to the scarcity of key natural resources. Increasing scarcity raises the cost of exploiting existing natural resources and creates incentives in all economies to innovate and conserve more of these resources. However, economies have also responded to increasing scarcity by obtaining and developing more of these resources. Since the agricultural transition over 12,000 years ago, this exploitation of new 'frontiers' has often proved to be a pivotal human response to natural resource scarcity.

This book provides a fascinating account of the contribution that natural resource exploitation has made to economic development in key eras of world history. This not only fills an important gap in the literature on economic history but also shows how we can draw lessons from these past epochs for attaining sustainable economic development in the world today.

Scarcity and Frontiers
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Good Old Books: The Road to Man

The Road to Man
by Herbert Wendt
Pyramic Publications, 1959

The Road to Man is a fascinating and informative trip through the animal kingdom, conducted by the author of the widely hailed In Search of Adam.

This revealing history of evolution deals with the ocean and its
inhabitants; it goes on to reptiles, insects, birds, and flying mammals.

It explains migration and the spread of species; and finally traces the decisive step from instinctual life to the beginnings of intellect.

Familiar and fantastic animals are portrayed and described in a broadly
conceived narrative which gives a unified picture of the mutual dependence
of all living creatures.

The Road to Man
In Search of Adam
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Nature Writing and Natural Histories

Good Old Books: Sport Fishing USA

Sport Fishing USA edited by E.C. Wilson
Ventura Associates, 1979

It is an unusual person who has not set aside his daily worries and at least once gone to a distant shore to wet a line. Indeed, doctors regularly prescribe this type of experience as a tonic for the weary.

"Escape from reality; it'll do you good," they say.

I wonder, is it such an escape?

Sport Fishing USA brings reflective thoughts about the frustrations, mysteries and rewards of sport fishing.

Sport Fishing USA
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Review: The View from Lazy Point

The View from Lazy Point
A Natural Year in an Unnatural World
by Carl Safina
Henry Holt and Co., 2011

Following the course of four seasons and the four directions of the compass, this philosophical memoir chronicles a year of the author's life as he travels from his coastal home on Long Island to Antarctica and the Arctic, and from islands in the Caribbean to the western edges of the Pacific Ocean trying to understand, as a scientist, how the natural world
is faring in the face of serious environmental challenges and what role humans have in its fate.

As he follows scientists studying troubled parrotfish in the coral reefs off the coast of Venezuela, managing salmon populations in Alaska, maintaining the Global Seed Vault in Svalbard (an archipelago halfway between Norway and the North Pole) and documenting the decline of penguin populations in Antarctica he concludes that old notions and beliefs of humans are compromising the survival of species and the ecosystems that support them.

"Science has marched forward. But civilization's values remain rooted in philosophies, religious traditions, and ethical frameworks devised many centuries ago," he writes, making the same observation in different words at several points in the book.

What is needed, he concludes, is greater development of the uniquely human trait known as compassion.

"Compassion doesn't simply mean caring for poor people or putting band-aids on need. It seeks to remedy sources of suffering," he explains. "It means we require a clear, peaceful way of providing what the world can bear - and knowing when enough is too much. In part, it means realizing that far fewer people would mean far less suffering."

The View from Lazy Point
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Review: Growing Tasty Tropical Plants in any home, anywhere

Growing Tasty Tropical Plants in any home, anywhere
by Laurelynn Martin and Byron Martin
Storey Publishing, 2010

For those of us living in cool, northern climates, the idea of growing tropical fruit at home for consumption has been a dream that few have dared pursue... until now.

Laurelynn and Byron Martin, third-generation greenhouse growers in Connecticut, have recently started supplying tropical plants to home gardeners who are growing them on decks, patios and in containers indoors all across North America.

"Growing Tasty Tropical Plants in any home, anywhere" documents their conviction that almost everyone can enjoy the taste of the tropics without leaving home, provided they have the proper cultivars.

"One of the keys to success with tropical container fruits is providing the right environment for the plants as they grow and mature," they explain. "Some types need a winter cool period, while others do best in warm conditions year-round. Some tropicals do well in partial sun, but many of them will produce fruit only when the grow in very bright conditions, such as a sunny windowsill, sunroom, or conservatory during the winter. If you don't have a sunroom or some large south-facing windows, then you'll need to explore using supplemental lighting for these plants."

The Martins profile 47 fruiting tropical plants in their text, from the well-known citrus fruits to the exotics like acerola, dwarf pomegranate and papaya and even chocolate, coffee, cinnamon, vanilla and sugarcane plants. An artist’s sketch and close up photograph of foliage, fruit and flower is included with each featured plant along with detailed instructions on cultivation, care and harvest.

"If you're brand new to container gardening, it's a good idea to start with plants that grow quickly and can tolerate a range ot temperatures," the Martins advise. These include coffee, fig, ‘Meyer’ lemon, naranjilla, orangeberry, tree tomato, and yerba mate plants.

This book invites readers to a gardening adventure rich with sunny flavors and exotic fragrances, growing fruits once forbidden beyond the tropics.

Growing Tasty Tropical Plants
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Review: The Startup Game

The Startup Game
Inside the Partnership between Venture Capitalists and Entrepreneurs
by William H. Draper and Eric Schmidt
Palgrave Macmillan, 2011

Co-authored by one of the best known and most respected venture
capitalists, William Draper, this book is an autobiographical account of
40 years of investing in entrepreneurs and their ideas.

Draper uses stories of risky investments, cagey CEOs and rancorous board
meetings to illustrate how he evaluates innovations and their innovators.
Object lessons drawn from his involvement with Skype, OpenTable, Hotmail,
Prolacta BioScience, Baidu, Selectica and dozens of other high-tech firms
make for fascinating reading.

Draper sums up much of his message in "The Top Ten Avoidable Mistakes of
Entrepreneurs" where he elaborates on the following preventable blunders:

* Creating overly optimistic projections about market size and
customer acquisitions.
* Underestimating timelines.
* Trying to do everything yourself.
* Failing to master the elevator pitch.
* Not downsizing when necessary.
* Being inflexible.
* Not developing a clear marketing plan.
* Building a board that consists only of friends.
* Not taking action in a recession.
* Not knowing the right way to approach venture capitalists.

Anyone expecting to meet with venture capitalists now or in the future
would be well advised to read this text carefully and take its lessons to
heart.

The Startup Game
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