Category Archives: Books

This websites spends a lot of time explaining why we cannot electrify the world with wind, solar and so on. That means going back to books, kicking and screaming, but ultimately the knowledge stored on the internet is going away. So start buying paperback books for your grandchildren to read, for fun, to preserve knowledge, put on theatrical plays and enrich their lives

Booklist: Agriculture

Preface. Industrial agriculture is destroying topsoil, aquifers, and biodiversity with land use changes, heavy equipment, and pesticides — which only work for 5 years on average (see Dyer’s “Chasing the Red Queen” below), and scientists are running out of new … Continue reading

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Booklist: Trump, Russia, Drugs U.S. History, Politics, Corruption, Feminism

 More booklists Drugs J Hari. Chasing the scream. The first and last days of the war on drugs N Reding. Methland: The Death and Life of an American Small Town JH Halpern. Opium: How an Ancient Flower Shaped and Poisoned … Continue reading

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Booklist: Travel, Psychology, World history, Food, Anthropology, (Auto)biography, Cults, Religion

More booklists Travel & Science A Wulf.  The Invention of Nature: The adventures of Alexander von Humboldt, the lost hero of science. R Conniff. The Species Seekers: Heroes, Fools, and the Mad Pursuit of Life on Earth R Sapolsky. A … Continue reading

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American Arsenal: A Century of Waging War by Patrick Coffey

Source: www.compoundchem.com/2014/05/17/chemical-warfare-ww1 Preface. These are my notes from “American Arsenal: A Century of Waging War” (2013) by Patrick Coffey . Absolutely horrifying, especially chemical warfare. Here’s the publishers weekly blurb of what this book is about: “Science historian Coffey surveys … Continue reading

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Mining: Waste, Pollution, Destruction from Ugo Bardi’s “Extracted”

Preface. I’ve reworded/shortened some of the wording at times from this excellent book. Here are 7 other posts from this great book: Mining: Waste, Pollution, Destruction Ugo Bardi predictions of the future Minerals and War Minerals: Natural gas Minerals: Coal … Continue reading

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Energy Crisis Booklist: EROEI, Peak oil, Peak coal, Peak natural gas, Nuclear, Kerogen, Methane hydrates

More booklists Laws of physics Professor Tom Murphy, at the University of California, San Diego has a free textbook showing the math and physics of why renewables can’t replace fossil fuels: “Energy and Human Ambitions on a Finite Planet. Assessing … Continue reading

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Why didn’t any white collar corporate criminals go to jail after the crash?

[ This is a book review with excerpts of “The Chickenshit club: Why the justice department fails to prosecute executives”.  Here is how the author Eisinger summarizes the problem and consequences: “Businesses now have privileges not seen since the Gilded … Continue reading

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Book review of “1493 Uncovering the new world Columbus Created”

[ This book will be included in the “must read” category of my giant booklist when I get around to updating it. This book isn’t just about the past, the implications reverberate into the postcarbon future.  Will slavery return without … Continue reading

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Book review of “In order to live: A North Korean girl’s journey to freedom” by Yeonmi Park

Related Posts North Korea collapse posts How different nations have coped with oil shortages Dmitry Orlov: How Russians survived the collapse of the Soviet Union A book review of “Russia’s Food Policies and Globalization” Lessons Learned from How Cuba Survived … Continue reading

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Summary of German Armed Forces Peak Oil Study

[This is a summary I first published in 2011.  It’s important, so I’ve re-posted it today.  According to Der Spiegel this study was leaked and not meant for publication.  The document concludes that the public must be made aware of … Continue reading

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