Koncocoo

Best Mining

Metal Detecting: A Beginner's Guide: to Mastering the Greatest Hobby In the World
“I have been metal detecting for over 5 years and this great metal detecting guide book taught me plenty of new tips and tricks.” - Mike in Texas. While this metal detecting book may be geared towards the novice treasure hunter, there are plenty of choice tips that even experienced treasure hunters can pick up. Mark Smith reveals some of his best guarded metal detecting secrets in this metal detecting guide that puts more treasure in your find's pouch. Learn how to find more treasure by: understanding common metal detecting terminology, understanding which metal detectors work the best and where, understanding how and why a metal detector works, other equipment you will need, proper etiquette, what you can expect to find, why you should never throw anything away, how to identify your finds, how to identify jewelry, how to tell if it is real gold, how to metal detect with children, which recovery tools work the best, how to recover treasure, how to metal detect private property, how to identify unknown metal detecting finds, metal detecting creeks, rivers and lakes, pinpointing, making weak targets stronger, cleaning your finds, the best places to use your metal detector, selling your finds and more! Find out how you can maximize your treasure with this informative metal detecting book today.
Reviews
"I purchased this as a retirement gift for a co-worker who mentioned metal detecting would be a hobby they would like to pursue post retirement."
"Covers everything you need to get started,or expand on what you already know."
"Book looked awesome by cover pretty basic inside good but not awesome big print good for old guys a book anybody with a little experience could have written will not order any other books by this writer."
"Mark hits it solid in that detecting info he has accumulated."
"Me and my 10 year old grandson loved this book, we bought a second hand metal detector at the local pawn shop for $36 and have been having a blast finding relics, coins, just exploring, I highly recommend this book if you are a beginner."
"I really enjoyed this book."
"Excellent introduction."
"Mark explains to the novice the basics of metal detecting."
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Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free
A masterwork of narrative journalism and a stirring testament to the power of the human spirit, Deep Down Dark captures the profound ways in which the lives of everyone involved in the catastrophe were forever changed. “Weaving together the drama of the miners' harrowing ordeal below ground with the anguish of families and rescuers on the surface, Tobar delivers a masterful account of exile and human longing, of triumph in the face of all odds. “Whether the story is completely new to you, or if you were one of the millions glued to the news reports and wondering, will they make it-physically, emotionally, spiritually-you'll be greatly rewarded to learn how they did.” ― Mac McClelland, The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice). “In this masterful dissection of the 2010's dramatic sixty-nine day ordeal by thirty-three trapped Chilean miners, Héctor Tobar weaves a suspenseful narrative that moves back and forth between the waking nightmares of the buried men, and those of their families on the earth's surface.
Reviews
"The book, a chronology of the events and a collection of portraits of the men both above and below ground, is the first of its kind, honoring an agreement the miners made to one another to tell their story only as a group. Tobar begins DEEP DOWN DARK with a description of the San José mine: a rocky, lifeless mountain situated in the Atacama Desert of Chile. Tobar, however, eagerly invites readers into this male-dominated world, exposing the dilapidation and ever-blowing dust of the mine and preparing them for the miners’ eerie descent into the depths of the earth. As they prepare to enter the mine shaft, Tobar handles their characters with great care, presenting them neither as heroes nor villains, but as regular men dealing with the monotony and banality of working life. Still, their personalities begin to shine --- from Mario Sepúlveda, nicknamed Perri (short for “Perrito,” or “small dog”) for his canine-like loyalty and aggression, to Yonni Barrios, a paunchy Romeo who moves between the homes of his wife and girlfriend depending on their moods. Tobar takes readers through the day, weaving personal details and stories seamlessly with the plot, distinguishing each of the 33 miners from one another with nicknames and humorous anecdotes. Others, like the young Bolivian immigrant Carlos Mamani, were terrified and took shelter in the Refuge, a fortified room within the mine stocked with basic medical supplies and enough food for about 15 men to survive for only a few days. His talent for pen portraits continues as he exposes the miners’ family members --- their dramas, fears and hopes --- accurately without feeling vulgar or voyeuristic. The owners of the San José appear to have completely given up, making the collapse a disaster of the people, uniting estranged families and unconnected citizens alike. It is at this point that they deliver their world famous message “Estamos bien en el refugio, los 33.” Though it seems that all will be well from now on, Tobar carefully details the dangers still present: the miners must learn to eat normally again, several of them have entered the early stages of kidney failure, and their hope is dwindling. Exposing the days of the miners post-contact is the greatest strength of Tobar’s book, as people worldwide focused only on the excitement of the men, rather than the agony of their time spent waiting for rescue even after contact was made. Tobar is quick to point out that their journey is not over, with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the pains of celebrity making their transitions even more difficult, but they are alive and stronger than ever before."
"33 men: 69 days unimaginable but it happened in Chile in 2010. Until now it was one of those news stories we all remember but Hector Tobar has brought these men to live as human beings; fathers, brothers, husbands and sons. The truth about the conditions is as bad as one would imagine but to hear it told straight from the miners experiences is heart wrenching but also speaks to the human spirit and ones ability to survive even under the worst conditions. These men experienced a full gamete of emotions: hope, despair, loneliness, companionship, isolation, encouragement, depression."
"I have absolutely no sense of how large or small their underground space was but just the thought of being buried alive scares most people, and these guys had to endure that situation, the longer time was while they were waiting to be drilled out."
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The Metal Detecting Bible: Helpful Tips, Expert Tricks and Insider Secrets for Finding Hidden Treasures
THE ULTIMATE A-TO-Z GUIDE REVEALING EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO BECOME A METAL DETECTING EXPERT Nothing is as thrilling as finding cool (and often valuable) stuff right under your feet. Tones” from his popular YouTube videos that chronicle his metal detecting adventures from around the world.
Reviews
"while it did have some good info I wish it was more in tune with actual detecting.The subtleties etc.I do appreciate all your hard work."
"educational book so far ."
"Informative book."
"This is a great book for beginners and a great refresher for us more experienced dirt diggers!"
"I love the book."
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Best Chilean History

Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free
The exclusive, official story of the survival, faith, and family of Chile's thirty-three trapped miners. “Weaving together the drama of the miners' harrowing ordeal below ground with the anguish of families and rescuers on the surface, Tobar delivers a masterful account of exile and human longing, of triumph in the face of all odds. Taut with suspense and moments of tenderness and replete with a cast of unforgettable characters, Deep Down Dark ranks with the best of adventure literature. As Tobar works his way through each miner's recovery, the TV headlines recede from our memory, and a more delicate series of portraits emerges.” ― Noah Gallagher Shannon, The Washington Post. Whether the story is completely new to you, or if you were one of the millions glued to the news reports and wondering, will they make it--physically, emotionally, spiritually--you'll be greatly rewarded to learn how they did.” ― Mac McClelland, The New York Times Book Review. A novelist and Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, [Tobar] combines a historian's eye for context with a gifted storyteller's ear for minor-key character traits . “If Dante's Inferno was a real place, it would look and feel like the subterranean fever dream Héctor Tobar describes in Deep Down Dark . Taking us into the post-apocalyptic landscape of Chile's Atacama Desert and guiding us through the labyrinthine hell of the world's most famous mine accident, Tobar's taut narrative plumbs the depths not only of the mine itself, but of the 33 trapped miners' hearts and souls as they fight for life, and reconcile themselves--first, to death, and then to the far more challenging task of surviving. “Héctor Tobar takes us so far down into the story and lives of the Chilean miners that his reconstruction of a workplace disaster becomes a riveting meditation on universal human themes. “In this masterful dissection of the 2010's dramatic sixty-nine day ordeal by thirty-three trapped Chilean miners, Héctor Tobar weaves a suspenseful narrative that moves back and forth between the waking nightmares of the buried men, and those of their families on the earth's surface. “It's almost hard to believe that Héctor Tobar wasn't himself one of the trapped Chilean miners, so vivid, immediate, terrifying, emotional, and convincing is his Homeric narration of this extraordinary incident. Deep Down Dark is a literary masterpiece of narrative journalism, surgical in its reconstruction, novelistic in its explorations of human personality and nuance. In a manner that feels spiritual, Tobar puts himself at the service of his story, and his fidelity to and unquenchable curiosity about every fact and detail generates unforgettable wonderment and awe.” ― Francisco Goldman. I know 2014 still has three months left to go, but I don’t expect to find anything I liked better than Héctor Tobar’s Deep Down Dark: The Untold Stories of 33 Men Buried in a Chilean Mine, and the Miracle That Set Them Free. You know the story – 33 men were buried in a spectacular mine collapse, stayed underground for two months, and then were rescued, all of them unharmed.
Reviews
"33 men: 69 days unimaginable but it happened in Chile in 2010. Until now it was one of those news stories we all remember but Hector Tobar has brought these men to live as human beings; fathers, brothers, husbands and sons. The truth about the conditions is as bad as one would imagine but to hear it told straight from the miners experiences is heart wrenching but also speaks to the human spirit and ones ability to survive even under the worst conditions. These men experienced a full gamete of emotions: hope, despair, loneliness, companionship, isolation, encouragement, depression."
"The book, a chronology of the events and a collection of portraits of the men both above and below ground, is the first of its kind, honoring an agreement the miners made to one another to tell their story only as a group. Tobar begins DEEP DOWN DARK with a description of the San José mine: a rocky, lifeless mountain situated in the Atacama Desert of Chile. Tobar, however, eagerly invites readers into this male-dominated world, exposing the dilapidation and ever-blowing dust of the mine and preparing them for the miners’ eerie descent into the depths of the earth. As they prepare to enter the mine shaft, Tobar handles their characters with great care, presenting them neither as heroes nor villains, but as regular men dealing with the monotony and banality of working life. Still, their personalities begin to shine --- from Mario Sepúlveda, nicknamed Perri (short for “Perrito,” or “small dog”) for his canine-like loyalty and aggression, to Yonni Barrios, a paunchy Romeo who moves between the homes of his wife and girlfriend depending on their moods. Tobar takes readers through the day, weaving personal details and stories seamlessly with the plot, distinguishing each of the 33 miners from one another with nicknames and humorous anecdotes. Others, like the young Bolivian immigrant Carlos Mamani, were terrified and took shelter in the Refuge, a fortified room within the mine stocked with basic medical supplies and enough food for about 15 men to survive for only a few days. His talent for pen portraits continues as he exposes the miners’ family members --- their dramas, fears and hopes --- accurately without feeling vulgar or voyeuristic. The owners of the San José appear to have completely given up, making the collapse a disaster of the people, uniting estranged families and unconnected citizens alike. It is at this point that they deliver their world famous message “Estamos bien en el refugio, los 33.” Though it seems that all will be well from now on, Tobar carefully details the dangers still present: the miners must learn to eat normally again, several of them have entered the early stages of kidney failure, and their hope is dwindling. Exposing the days of the miners post-contact is the greatest strength of Tobar’s book, as people worldwide focused only on the excitement of the men, rather than the agony of their time spent waiting for rescue even after contact was made. Tobar is quick to point out that their journey is not over, with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and the pains of celebrity making their transitions even more difficult, but they are alive and stronger than ever before."
"I have absolutely no sense of how large or small their underground space was but just the thought of being buried alive scares most people, and these guys had to endure that situation, the longer time was while they were waiting to be drilled out."
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Best Antique & Collectible Precious Metals

Metal Detecting: A Beginner's Guide: to Mastering the Greatest Hobby In the World
“I have been metal detecting for over 5 years and this great metal detecting guide book taught me plenty of new tips and tricks.” - Mike in Texas. While this metal detecting book may be geared towards the novice treasure hunter, there are plenty of choice tips that even experienced treasure hunters can pick up. Mark Smith reveals some of his best guarded metal detecting secrets in this metal detecting guide that puts more treasure in your find's pouch. Learn how to find more treasure by: understanding common metal detecting terminology, understanding which metal detectors work the best and where, understanding how and why a metal detector works, other equipment you will need, proper etiquette, what you can expect to find, why you should never throw anything away, how to identify your finds, how to identify jewelry, how to tell if it is real gold, how to metal detect with children, which recovery tools work the best, how to recover treasure, how to metal detect private property, how to identify unknown metal detecting finds, metal detecting creeks, rivers and lakes, pinpointing, making weak targets stronger, cleaning your finds, the best places to use your metal detector, selling your finds and more! Find out how you can maximize your treasure with this informative metal detecting book today.
Reviews
"I loved the information, It was very specific and helpful, It had lists that were really helpful, like what areas to aim for, What tools are necessary, What settings you should use in order to get the most out of your time out metal detecting."
"Covers everything you need to get started,or expand on what you already know."
"Book looked awesome by cover pretty basic inside good but not awesome big print good for old guys a book anybody with a little experience could have written will not order any other books by this writer."
"Mark hits it solid in that detecting info he has accumulated."
"Me and my 10 year old grandson loved this book, we bought a second hand metal detector at the local pawn shop for $36 and have been having a blast finding relics, coins, just exploring, I highly recommend this book if you are a beginner."
"I really enjoyed this book."
"Excellent introduction."
"Mark explains to the novice the basics of metal detecting."
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Best Geologic Drilling Procedures

The Big Rich: The Rise and Fall of the Greatest Texas Oil Fortunes
-- The Economist Phenomenal reviews and sales greeted the hardcover publication of The Big Rich, New York Times bestselling author Bryan Burrough's spellbinding chronicle of Texas oil. The fortunes of the Big Four swelled during the Second World War, when the United States was the world�s leading producer of crude, but by the nineteen-eighties Middle Eastern oil was ascendant, and the barons� legacies had �dissolved into a sordid litany of debauchery, family feuds, scandals, and murder.� Burrough brings each of his outsized subjects brilliantly to life, pitching their individual epics against a grand narrative of rise and decline.
Reviews
"Great read into the elly of the discovery of oil in the South & Southwest."
"Th3 story of the greatest capitalists of the 29th century."
"historically informative."
"Raised in oil country, this seems to be quite an accurate historical account.."
"If you're from Texas or not, you'll remember a lot of these things happening but maybe not in depth - the Hunt silver debacle, Cullen starting U of H, Dallas Cowboy history and so much more."
"Engrossing Book."
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Best Pre-Confederation Canadian History

Northern Armageddon: The Battle of the Plains of Abraham and the Making of the American Revolution
A huge, ambitious re-creation of the eighteenth-century Battle of the Plains of Abraham, the pivotal battle in the Seven Years’ War (1754–1763) to win control of the trans-Appalachian region of North America, a battle consisting of the British and American colonists on one side and the French and the Iroquois Confederacy on the other, and leading directly to the colonial War of Independence and the creation of Canada. It took five years of warfare fought on three continents—Europe, Asia, and North America—to bring the forces arrayed against one another—Britain, Prussia, and Hanover against France, Austria, Sweden, Saxony, Russia, and Spain (Churchill called it “the first world war”)—to the plateau outside Quebec City, on September 13, 1759, on fields owned a century before by a fisherman named Abraham Martin . It was the final battle of a three-month siege by the British Army and Navy of Quebec, the walled city that controlled access to the St. Lawrence River and the continent’s entire network of waterways; a battle with the British utilizing 15,000 soldiers, employing 186 ships, with hundreds of colonists aboard British warships and transports from Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, with France sending in a mere 400 reinforcements in addition to its 3,500 soldiers. France surrendered Quebec to the British, setting the course for the future of Canada, paving the way for the signing of the Treaty of Paris that gave the British control of North America east of the Mississippi, and forcing France to relinquish its claims on New Orleans and to give the lands west of the Mississippi to Spain for surrendering Florida to the British. Excitement about Peter MacLeod’s. NORTHERN ARMAGEDDON. “Significantly advances our understanding of the naval role in the battle of the Plains of Abraham and excels all previous studies . He skillfully illuminates the many ways Americans fit into the big picture of the continent’s conflicts, in which two big nations emerged out of a patchwork of contending powers.”. —Clarke Crutchfield, Richmond Times-Dispatch “Writing with a keen eye for the dramatic, MacLeod tells this story in a big way, giving equal parts to each side . The events of the battle are finely rendered, and MacLeod makes a strong case for their importance as a precursor to the American Revolution.”. — Publishers Weekly “MacLeod explores the extent of Quebec’s insurmountable natural defenses and Wolfe’s inability to overcome them . The author’s strong knowledge of every aspect of the fight prevails to produce an intricate, enlightening account . Students of American history will appreciate the detail and the thoroughness of this account of what Churchill called the ‘first world war.’ ”. — Kirkus “Definitive . Americans (who composed roughly a third of the conquering army) did not realize at the time that as Montcalm’s men surrendered they had taken the first steps on their own country’s path to independence.
Reviews
"i like history, and I found this to be history that i enjoyed reading ."
"Almost finished with this book."
"Excellent, well written."
"This is a welcome book on the battle for Quebec, which helped determine the outcome of the so-called French and Indian War. One point made by the author is that Quebec's defense was enhanced immensely by a geological formation going back 500,000 years. The leader of the French forces at Quebec was General Montcalm, who had established a pretty good record in the war. The French forces--and citizens of Quebec--struggled with acquiring enough food and other needed goods. There is a nice discussion of how the French strove to create logistics to provide food and other needed goods. In the aftermath, with the French withdrawing and both commanding generals dead, the British moved to put Quebec under siege."
"On Thursday, September 13, 1759, at 10 o'clock in the morning, the Marquis de Montcalm, commander of the French forces at Ville de Québec (Quebec City), ordered his troops to charge the British forces under General James Wolfe that were arrayed on the Plains of Abraham below the city. All Canadians are well aware of this famous battle but what they, and their American neighbours and other people around the world, generally don't know is that this battle not only shaped the future of Canada but, as Dr, MacLeod says, it also shaped the futures of "...the United States, Native Americans across the continent, the French and British Empires, and the world." In the telling of this story, Dr. MacLeod, an historian at the Canadian War Museum, surpasses all previous accounts of the conflict, and he does so in a manner that makes his book in its dynamics more akin to a thriller than the sort of sloggy tome we can associate with history books. Canadians whose "langue maternelle" is English, and who can be chauvinistic about the outcome of the battle, will be sobered by the facts of how utterly ruthless the British were in their scorched earth policy toward the Canadians (i.e, the people of Québec, who were the only true "Canadians" at the time). Had he been the leader of the French troops and the Canadian irregulars, Québec might never have fallen for it was precisely the place he worried about that the British troops finally scaled in the middle of the night."
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Best Nuclear Engineering

Atomic Accidents: A History of Nuclear Meltdowns and Disasters: From the Ozark Mountains to Fukushima
Mahaffey, a long-time advocate of continued nuclear research and nuclear energy, looks at each incident in turn and analyzes what happened and why, often discovering where scientists went wrong when analyzing past meltdowns. Although his latest work focuses mostly on radioactivity’s dark side, from its discovery in 1896 to its role in the recent Fukushima meltdown, Mahaffey nonetheless does argue persuasively that, by closely investigating its shortcomings, nuclear power can be made safer. Mahaffey guides us through more than a century of atomic research, includingmisadventures with radioactive elixirs ("The radium water worked fine until hisjaw came off," reads a 1932 headline) and long-forgotten accidents atenrichment plants...The compelling tales unravel like slow-motion horror stories,spiraling towards disasters we know are coming.PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (Starred Review) - 13 January 2014. Mahaffey, a former senior researchscientist at the Georgia Tech Research Institute, employs his extensiveknowledge of nuclear engineering to produce a volume that is by turns alarming,thought-provoking, humorous, and always fascinating.KIRKUS (Starred Review) - 6 February 2014.
Reviews
"Public concerns are considered simplistic, but nothing critical is said about these high-tech dangerous systems sometimes being run as casually as a local car repair shop. Then after the spill Bob and I had to think fast, so we mopped up the nuclear waste and dumped it out back where it won't bother anybody."
"Really great read; lots of info, well written."
"This book is a better read than Chuck Hansen's Us Nuclear Weapons the Secret History which was way to technical and not for the laymen."
"A good, if technical, overview of the history of nuclear power and reactor design flaws and accidents."
"One learns a lot about nuclear physics."
"The author managed to explain the complex chains of events that lead to each of the failures detailed within quite clearly, I never felt this book was talking down to the audience or dumbing things down excessively."
"It appears that at least from the material that he has selected, our particular species is often surprising resilient to gawd-awful radiation doses (though often and sadly, not quite resilient enough)."
"Finally, the author wraps up with a discussion on the future of the nuclear industry and what he believes are smart choices on nuclear alternatives (not non-nuclear alternatives, but alternate approaches to nuclear fission/fusion)."
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Best Electric Energy

Lights Out: A Cyberattack, A Nation Unprepared, Surviving the Aftermath
In this New York Times bestselling investigation, Ted Koppel reveals that a major cyberattack on America’s power grid is not only possible but likely, that it would be devastating, and that the United States is shockingly unprepared. Among the nation’s estimated three million “preppers,” we meet one whose doomsday retreat includes a newly excavated three-acre lake, stocked with fish, and a Wyoming homesteader so self-sufficient that he crafted the thousands of adobe bricks in his house by hand. We also see the unrivaled disaster preparedness of the Mormon church, with its enormous storehouses, high-tech dairies, orchards, and proprietary trucking company – the fruits of a long tradition of anticipating the worst. With urgency and authority, one of our most renowned journalists examines a threat unique to our time and evaluates potential ways to prepare for a catastrophe that is all but inevitable. "[Koppel's] suggestion that the United States look back to the era of mass civil defense as a model for how we might start to make preparations is provocative and sobering at the same time." " Lights Out is a timely warning about the vulnerability of America to a massive cyberattack that would cripple all we take for granted – electricity, communication, transportation. Koppel explores how cyberwarfare threatens all of us, assesses the risks, criticizes the lack of government action, and finds praise for the Mormon way of disaster preparedness. “As readers would expect from Ted Koppel, Lights Out is dramatic but not hyped, tied to today’s news of shaky infrastructure and cyber attacks but also forward looking. “In Lights Out , Ted Koppel uses his profound journalistic talents to raise pressing questions about our nation’s aging electrical grid. "Try to imagine what a malevolent government, armed with the latest computer sophistication, could do to another nation's complex and entirely digital-dependent economy and social infrastructure. “A bold enumeration of the challenges posed by the digital age; an appeal to safeguard new instruments of human flourishing by studying the ways in which they could be exploited.”. — HENRY A. KISSINGER.
Reviews
"In a relatively short and readable book, Koppel succinctly and unemotionally makes the case that (a) the electric grid of the U.S. is extremely vulnerable to collapse due to either cyberwarfare, EMP attack, or solar flare; (b) due to a variety of economic and political reasons, we have not implemented necessary steps to protect the grid; and (c) most frighteningly of all, we do not have emergency plans on either the state or federal level to deal with a widespread collapse of the grid. Koppel notes that the report of the commission tasked with evaluating a potential EMP attack predicted that, in the case of such an attack that would destroy large parts of the grid, only 1 in 10 Americans would still be alive a year later. As a chilling example, consider the quote Koppel provides by Jeh Johnson, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, who when asked how the country would respond to a collapse of the grid, said "Oh, I'm sure FEMA has the capability to bring in backup transformers." My impression is that Koppel started the book this way to show that he isn't merely fear-mongering, but if you find your eyes glazing over the minutiae of the SCADA computer software used by electric companies, don't give up on the book entirely; skip to the second section, "A Nation Unprepared," which documents chillingly the lack of planning for a collapse of the grid by the very federal agencies that OUGHT to be planning for such an event, and the third section, "Surviving the Aftermath," where Koppel describes the mind-set and actions taken by the groups most likely to survive a grid collapse, such as preppers and the Mormons."
"It is broken out into bite-sized chapters, like television news items, keeping interest but delivering the salient points succinctly. Hackers could, if they so desired, crash the whole electric grid, much as the United States and Israel ruined Iran’s uranium processing plants and as Iran turned 30,000 Saudi computers into useless doorstops. If similar efforts were made against the USA, it would mean weeks and months before power was restored. Cabinet Secretaries contradict agency heads on the existence of plans, administration “experts” minimize the possibilities, first responders hope they can retire before they have to deal with it. They are individually preparing for a Mad Max sort of post-apocalypse era, where bullets matter as much as dried food. It’s a short, fast read, a slap up the side of the head, and a national scandal. We spend billions on 800 foreign bases and ensuring dangerous liquids like chocolate frosting don’t make it into airplane cabins, but the national electrical grid limps to its almost inevitable fate, unattended."
"This book reflects the authors capability to interview important people. Based on a TV interview I expected more details, Such as a ranking of which geographic areas are most in danger. If you remember the Northeast blackout of 2003 in which a software bug plunged 55 million in to the dark then you know the possibility of computer failure taking down the grid."
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Best Engineering Power Systems

Wiring a House: 5th Edition (For Pros By Pros)
Expanded AFCI and GFCI protection in homes New approaches to ensure the safety of photovoltaic (PV) electrical systems New methods to distribute low voltage power New DC provisions designed to save energy lost in conversion from AC Updated to the 2014 NEC (current through 2017). He covers all the basics from idiot-proof advice on how to keep track of your tools ― cart them in bins in a little red wagon ― to the highly technical aspects of wiring, and tried-and-true industry tips. A master electrician, building inspector, and licensed general contractor, Cauldwell shows how to properly use electricity in this revision of his 1996 text. Proceeding through the house, Cauldwell demonstrates how to wire both new construction and renovations and to install receptacles, switches, fixtures, and wired-in appliances.
Reviews
"This book goes straight into advanced wiring designs and circuits for projects, electrical codes you need to know to be up to standards, and installing therm-electric floor-warming systems. Wiring a House For Pros by Pros (The name says it all). This book teaches you the experience to be an electrician. However this book does not go in-depth in planning home electrical projects. For a range of Difficulty in understanding/learning how to wire a home: BEGINNER>>>>>>>>>>INTERMEDIATE>>>>>>>>>>ADVANCED. Home-Depot 123>>>>>Black&Decker>>>>>>>>>>>Wiring a House For Pros By Pros. If you do not know what a wire stripper or wire cutter is or how to use it, I highly suggest the Home Depot 123."
"(see similar review) I estimated how to run wire to receptacles, what kind of wire was needed, how to follow safety rules and wire it to new breakers in my breaker box. (individual circuits) Then ran wire in the garage for my tools and table saw with 12-2 wire and receptacles and hooked up a roof fan to air the garage out when working there. Now I don't have to run outside to trip a breaker any more because the old wiring couldn't support the microwave and TV."
"I started a remodel job on my second floor of my 1935 Craftsman 1 1/2 story house by adding a dormer which includes a walk in closet from the master bedroom and a very large bathroom. I am no beginner when it comes to construction, but when we opened up the house we found knob and tube wiring. I did my electrical work and the inspector was impressed at the rough in and final inspection so much so that he said just before leaving that he had to shake my hand."
"I would recommend this book to anyone doing any wiring themselves because it has good tips even if you already basically know what you are doing."
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Best Fossil Fuels

The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money & Power
Deemed "the best history of oil ever written" by Business Week and with more than 300,000 copies in print, Daniel Yergin’s Pulitzer Prize–winning account of the global pursuit of oil, money, and power has been extensively updated to address the current energy crisis. The Prize portrays the interweaving of national and corporate interests, the conflicts and stratagems, the miscalculations, the follies, and the ironies." "Impassioned and riveting...only in the great epics of Homer will readers regularly run into a comparable string of larger-than-life swashbucklers and statesmen, heroes and villains."
Reviews
"It focuses on the effects of oil on the economies of both consuming and producing nations as well how access to oil affects the political power of nations."
"It makes no sense to export a precious finite resource, and it makes a lot of sense to use our enemy's supply first."
"This is the third copy of this book that I have purchased."
"The sentiments of various people and groups towards oil (good or bad) were negligible in the book which gave it almost a sterile feel. I now have a much stronger understanding of just how oil plays its enormous role in the global society. I can't say enough about how well this book informs its reader in an enjoyable and insightful way. It may at points be dry material, but in no way did i feel like this book was written over my head."
"Fascinating story from the time of ancient people using oil, oil tar, to drilling in Pennsylvania, drilling in the Near and Far East, etc."
"This is a long book, but if you want to write a comprehensive story of oil and its impact on the economy spanning more than a century, it's going to be long."
"This is one of the best histories of the Oil Business."
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Best Alternative & Renewable Energy

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope (P.S.)
But William had read about windmills, and he dreamed of building one that would bring to his small village a set of luxuries that only 2 percent of Malawians could enjoy: electricity and running water. Amazon Best of the Month, September 2009: Discarded motor parts, PVC pipe, and an old bicycle wheel may be junk to most people, but in the inspired hands of William Kamkwamba, they are instruments of opportunity.
Reviews
"In spite of this, William's insatiable curiosity and a chance library book on physics provided him the desire to build his own windmill out of tools and supplies he fashioned out of discarded junk."
"The amazing story of a young boy,growing up in poverty and life-threatening challenges,who refused to be dissuaded from expanding his knowledge in the face of closed educational opportunities."
"It was an uplifting story."
"It made me ashamed the way I complain about what I don't have."
"Thank you for this book."
"Against magnificent odds William Kamkwamba achieves amazing results using trash found across from a local school."
"This a marvelous true story of 14 year old boy in the remote part of remote country (Malawi) who is forced to drop out of school in a time a famine and decides to teach himself all about electricity and how to make a windmill to produce it for his family using and old bicycle generator and all kinds of odd parts to create a every aspects of a system distribution system - wiring, circuit breakers, a backup battery kept charged for when the wind doesn't blow -- every single thing."
"Well written, inspiring story that makes one feel proud of our fellow man."
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