Engineering in Emergencies

This is a practical handbook for relief workers who provide humanitarian assistance in times of disaster. It offers practical guidance on how to ensure the personal safety and effectiveness of relief workers while assessing the disaster situation and determining how to help. Chapters specifically address concerns about health and sanitation, and water sources, treatment, and distribution. They also discuss restoring electricity, ensuring mecanical equipment functions properly, that vehicles are available and running, and that roads and other transportation infrastructure is available. Finally, they address providing shelter for those affected by the disaster and establishing temporary settlements if homes are uninhabitable.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Engineering in Emergencies: A Practical Guide for Relief Workers
2nd ed.
Jan Davis and Robert Lambert
HV 553 .D39 2002

Presidential Powers

Originally established in Article II of the Constitution, presidential powers today are determined by judicial decisions as well as by historical precedents. Kent explores how the president expresses and uses power, as well as how this power is kept balanced by the legislative and judicial branches. He explores three overlapping needs for presidential power that are expressed in the Constitution--providing leadership on foreign policy, maintaining congressional control over policymaking, and ensuring that the president is accountable to the public. He considers presidential ability to appoint federal officials, make treaties, conduct war, pardon criminals, and the interaction of the president with congressional and judicial requests for information. Kent's subject material is wide-sweeping, drawing on historical as well as contemporary examples to illustrate his points.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Presidential Powers
Harold J. Krent
JK 516 .K73 2005

Making Innovation Work

Innovation does not just happen. It must be managed and measured. This book provides a start-to-finish process for creating business growth from innovation. Drawing on both research and experience, the authors demonstrate what works, what doesn't, and how to use management tools to maximize the value that your company gets from its investment into innovation. They describe strategies that foster innovative thinking and organizational structures that make innovation possible and sustainable. They also describe how to manage innovation, including how to measure throughout every phase of the innovation process. This book takes the mystery out of innovation by showing how to lead it, track it, and encourage it.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Making Innovation Work: How to Manage It, Measure It, and Profit from It
Tony Davila, Marc J. Epstein, and Robert Shelton
HD 58.8 .D37 2006

Insurgency and Counter-Insurgency in Iraq

Hashim attempts to explain the complicated insurgency in Iraq against the United States and other Coalition partners in the Iraq War. Rather than a single group with a common leader and ideology, as many people believe, Hashim explains that the Iraqi insurgents are a disparate group--former regime loyalists, Iraqis who resent foreign occupation, Islamic extremists, and criminal organizations--who loosely cooperate and coordinate attacks because they share a common enemy. However, this alliance has fractured considerably throughout the war, particularly as more "mainstream" insurgents trade their cooperation for political guarantees in the new Iraq. Hashim provides historical context for his explanations, but also provides sufficient religious and political analysis to portray each of the insurgent groups, their origins, goals, methods, successes, and failures. He looks into the future, hypothesizing about political and sectarian groups that may shift from being allies to being antagonists as each claims something for themself in the new Iraq. This book helps to explain the complications in Iraq today and suggests that these will not all be settled by a removal of coalition troops.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Insurgency and Counter-Insurgency in Iraq
Ahmed S. Hashim
DS 79.76 .H3758 2006

A World Without Ice

This book explains why ice matters to our climate and how humans are dramatically changing this component of our environment. Pollack explains the delicate balance between the earth and its ice--how it has shaped our planet, defined the limits of human settlement, regulates temperatures and affects ocean currents. He demonstrates that during the last three centuries, rapid population growth, the rise of industrial economies, and accelerated pollution rates have shifted the balance between the earth and the ice to a tipping point. Soon, he asserts, we may be living on a planet without ice. To avert this crisis, he lays out actions that we must take to avoid this irreversible change in our planet.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

A World Without Ice
Henry Pollack
GB 2405 .P55 2009

Physics for Nonphysicists

Written by an environmental scientist, this book explains the essential concepts and jargon in the field of physics for those who are nonspeacilists. By providing both students and working professionals and clear, concise overview of important topics, Spellman hopes to improve their abilities to solve problems. Written similar to a textbook, each chapter ends with problems that can be used to test the reader's understanding of the topics presented and their ability to apply the mathematical equasions that are explained.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Physics for Nonphysicists
Frank R. Spellman
QC 24.5 .S64 2009

Trade Off

In this time of economic crisis, many people are looking toward businesses to lead us out of it and to develop good leaders for the future. Sobel Lojeski asserts, however, that most people believe that we are in a leadership crisis as well as an economic crisis and that business executives are unprepared to be the leaders that we need to move into the future. She argues that the digital age has brought with it new expectations about performance, behavior, innovation, and other factors that impact the bottom line of corporations as well as the popularity and success of political administrations. Building on her earlier work defining the concept of Virtual Distance, she proposes that leadership models and characteristics must also be adjusted to better prepare companies for competition in the digital marketplace and for leaders of increasingly virtual workplaces. This is a thought provoking and timely study that challenges most current thought on leadership development.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Leading the Virtual Workforce: How Great Leaders Transfor Organizations in the 21st Century
Karen Sobel Lojeski
HD 57.7 .S6925 2010

The Sibley Guide to Trees

This colorfully illustrated book provides an easy to use way to identify and learn about trees throughout North America. Organized in families, the author first describes the family, discussing common traits, providing a general description, and mentioning common or notable species. Subsequent pages focus on species or cultivars, giving more specific descriptions along with illustrations, native habitat, and describing its flowering or reproductive cycle. Latin identification names as well as common names are provided for each species. Introductory pages provide an overview of tree growth patterns, leaf shapes, flowering and fruiting patterns, and examples of bark, buds, and other interesting tree characteristics. This book will be a useful guide for gardeners, bird watchers, and those who simply want to be able to identify the nature that they are observing.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

The Sibley Guide to Trees
David Allen Sibley
QK 475 .S497 2009

The Box

The first container ship was a a refitted oil tanker carrying 58 shipping containers on a voyage from Newark to Houston. Modern container shipping has come a long way since 1956, creating new deep water ports, giving birth to the trailer trucking industry, and making it possible to ship millions of tons of goods around the world in days, whether by ship or transport plane. This book tells the history of container shipping, focusing on how the practical idea of one man transformed not only the transportation industry, but also revolutionized global trade.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger
Marc Levinson
TA 1215 .L47 2008

The New Human Capital Strategy

Hall argues that in today's services and knowledge-based economy, most companies have no methods in place for measuring the productivity of their largest investment--people. He compares this to manufacturing, where companies spend considerable effort measuring productivity, improving processes, and managing and growing financial resources. Human resources departments, where many companies delegate responsibility for managing people, are not currently organized to consider human productivity in terms of customer or stakeholder value. Instead, he suggests that these companies incorporate human capital management programs, which measure customer service and knowledge-based activities and make the connection between these and the financial growth of the company. He asserts that by doing this, the investment that the company makes in its people--hiring smart, creative employees and developing them over time--is an investment that will be managed to demonstrate a return over time.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

The New Human Capital Strategy: Improving the Value of Your Most Important Investment--Year After Year
Bradley W. Hall
HD 4904.7 .H285 2008

Drought Management and Planning for Water Resources

While droughts are most common in warm, arid regions, there frequency in more temperate, fertile areas is increasing. While scientists offer many explanations for the shift in rainfall patterns from El Nino to global warming, the unpredictability of these changes makes managing droughts and their effects on water resources quite a challenge. This book is a collection of essays that provide strategies and techniques for mitigating the effects of droughts and effectively managing water resources. These strategies emphasize the need to use potable water sources wisely, minimizing wasted water, reusing water when possible, and maximizing treatment of conventional and marginal sources. They also encourage desalination and the extraction of groundwater. In addition to providing tools for water management during drought conditions, this book discusses ideas that can also be applied to regions where water resources are becoming insufficient to serve the population, specifically the American west, Middle East, and other areas within the developing world. Essays explore legal and administrative requirements of water distribution networks, drought alert systems, and proactive ways to reduce drought effects.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Drought Management and Planning for Water Resources
ed. by Joaquin Andreu, Guiseppe Rossi, Federico Vagliasindi, and Alicia Vela
TD 345 .D76 2006

Power without Persuasion

For a long time, Presidential scholars have asserted that the power of the president rested on the ability to persuade. Without this ability to convince other political actors, specifically Congress, they believed little could be accomplished. Howell argues quite the opposite. He sites numerous occasions from the Louisiana Purchase through present day when presidents have made unilateral policy decisions without support for their position, and often even over the vocal objections of Congress, agencies, or other political interest groups. Beyond his historical study, however, Howell examines the political conditions in which presidents are able to change policies without congressional or judicial support or consent. This is an important shift in interpretation that will certainly change how the office of the president is seen.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Power Without Persuasion: The Politics of Direct Presidential Action
William G. Howell
KF 5053 .H68 2003

Trust Agents

This book will show you how to tap into the web as a marketing and influencing tool. The authors explain that the world of the web is defined by its transparency. Becoming a trust agent--someone trusted by others--is not an easy task, but it is a powerful position once established. This book explains how to establish social networks and to use them to build company reputation and influence. This marketing technique is built upon a new currency--not money, but trust. Once established, it can be shared with others and, the authors assert, is a more powerful tool for your company than traditional marketing or public relations techniques. This book is a must-read for any organization who wants to learn how to shape their reputation in the internet world.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Trust Agents: Using the Web to Build Influence, Improve Reputation, and Earn Trust
Chris Brogan and Julien Smith
HF 5415.1265 .B75 2009

Just Good Business

In the aftermath of Enron and other corporate scandals, this book on social responsibility within corporations is most welcome. McElhaney asserts that the need for social organizations, for-profit businesses, and government to work together for the well being and profit of everyone involved makes sense and is just good business. She lays out seven "rules of the road" that will help organizations demonstrate their responsibility, while at the same time making their customers, partners, and other stakeholders aware of their claims. These efforts which McElhaney calls branding might equally be considered organizational transparency. Her message is simple. Be honest about who you are. Be simple and consistent about what you do. And, tell your story so that you are held accountable.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Just Good Business: The Strategic Guide to Aligning Corporate Responsibility and Brand
Kellie A. McElhaney
HD 60 .M378 2008

Urban Stormwater Management Tools

Urban areas are increasingly covered with pavement, making the management of stormwater and runoff particularly challenging This book provides designs of stormwater inlets, sewers, and holding basins. It discusses concerns about wetlands and other ground surfaces and the effects that stormwater has on them. It provides methods for learning about methods for designing wastewater management strategies and for integrating operations and management concerns into designs

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Urban Stormwater Management Tools
Larry W. Mays
TD 657 .U7693 2004

Design for Environment

This book offers a business-driven rationale for developing sustainable products and manufacturing processes. The author argues that innovation and environmentalism generate value for businesses as well as helping communities to meet local and global energy and clean environment challenges. It offers a toolkit to manage an entire product life-cycle. For example, examples suggest integrating development of new products with engineering. It provides a suite of environmental strategies and provided analysis for selecting those that are appropriate for use in your company or organization. Finally, it offers metrics that can help measure the effectiveness of product and process life-cycle management.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Design for Environment: A Guide to Sustainable Product Development
2nd ed.
Joseph Fiksel
TS 171 .D478 2009

Occupational Safety and Health Simplified for the Construction Industry

This book attempts to simplify the task of complying with the regulations in 29 CFR 1926. These safety regulations will be presented in a non-technical way. Explanations will include the requirements of each regulation and recommend ways to fill them. Each thematic safety area--for example construction hazards, injury prevention, and understanding the Occupational Safety and Health Act--will also include training standards and recommendations for construction managers. The book will highlight the most frequent causes of construction workplace injuries and accidents and answer questions about which laws and regulations you are required to follow at your construction site.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

Occupational Safety and Health Simplified for the Construction Industry
Government Institutes Research Group
TH 443 .G68 2007

A. D.: New Orleans After the Deluge

Cartoonist Josh Neufeld portrays the real-life story of seven people leading up to and following Hurricane Katrina. In developing these characters, Neufeld helps readers to understand the critical question that all residents faced--whether to stay in New Orleans or to flee. In telling these stories, Neufeld presents the wide spectrum of lives that were disrupted by the hurricane. At the same time, he shows some of the extraordinary ways that residents banded together and the heroic acts that took place to help neighbors.

This book can be found in HECSA Library:

A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge
Josh Neufeld
F 379 .N553 A26 2009