The Astonishing, Astounding, Amazing Sonoran Desert

Science & Math

Smith, Harriet

Smith, Andrew T.

Nature & Ecology

Dockside Sailing Press

Lightning Fire from the Sky

Craig B. Smith

Physics

A Melanoma Patient’s Survival guide: Lemons Really Do Make Lemonade is an effort to bring awareness to the subject of melanoma. This insidious disease is being diagnosed in over 50,000 people a year in the United States alone. Melanoma will affect one in seventy-five people in California. That rate goes up each year. Melanoma can be a silent killer. This heart-warming book was written by a survivor of serious melanoma, Sally Welsh. Sally has shared her experience with thousands of people, and has prepared this book with the hope of making your journey a little easier. Her suggestions deal first of all with the questions you need to ask your doctor, before he cuts into you. You need to know about his initial scanning of you, whether he plans to use a “punch” biopsy or a “scrape” biopsy on a possible melanoma, whether he would send you for a Sentinel Node test if the melanoma was level 2 or more. Before treatment, you need to know the success rate of whatever drug is being prescribed for you. If you start on one drug and a better one is available, you may have lost the chance to be treated with the better drug. A good part of this book is devoted to using your mind, attitude, and sense of humor for your own healing. Casting out any negative thoughts that are consuming you and not listening to gloomy predictions will help you more than anything. Your mind is your best friend. Use it to help to heal yourself. The Lemonade book does not have all the answers, but it helps you to determine the questions. It is a commonsense book, but is not intended to replace medical expertise. Study, learn, and know what you are doing!

A Melanoma Patient's Survival Guide: Lemons Really Do Make Lemonade: You Just Have to Add a Little Sugar

Medical Books

Welsh, Sally

Medicine

SEEKING FREEDOM: A Five-Year Odyssey In the turbulent aftermath of World War II, Marshall Josip Broz Tito began clamping down on the citizens of Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Montenegro, now combined into the new state of Yugoslavia. Industries were nationalized and private land holdings seized by the state under a 1950 edict that proclaimed “the factories for the workers” and “the land for the peasants.” Authoritarian controls were extended by the Yugoslavian Communist Party to keep the diverse ethnic groups of the country under control. Fresh from two years’ service in the Yugoslavian army, Tony Burica returned to his hometown of Grohote on the island of Šolta. A year later, convinced there was no future for him in Yugoslavia under the authoritarian communist regime, he decided to flee the country to find work and opportunity elsewhere in Europe. Many others had fled the country, facing jail sentences and possibly execution if they were caught. Without telling his family, (for fear of reprisals against them), he, his brother, and three other Croatian friends stole a boat one windy December night in 1951 and sailed to Italy. They crashed the boat in the surf near Rodi Graganico, then made their way to the town of Foggia, where they were jailed and placed in a refugee camp for six months. When released, they tried to decide what to do next. Conditions in Italy were not much better than Yugoslavia, but Tony heard that the British and American occupation forces in Germany needed workers. In Germany Tony met Ivan Raos, a fellow Croatian. Thus began a life-long friendship and a 10,000 mile, five-year odyssey before the two adventurers finally reached Los Angeles, California, and a new life and the freedom they sought. Their travels in search of jobs and a better life would take them north to Sweden where they initially found work in a peat bog. After some months they felt somewhat isolated and alone in the close-knit Scandinavian community, and decided that better opportunities might be found in America. Their initial plan was to travel south, explore South Africa, cross over to Argentina, and then work their way north to the United States. They also were motivated by the spirit of adventure and a desire to see as much of the world as possible. Using some of the money they earned, they bought two bicycles and some camping gear, stole a small boat, and sailed across the Öre Sound to Denmark, only to be arrested. As stateless individuals with no passports, they were arrested multiple times as they crossed from one country to another before finally reaching Spain. They anticipated there would be trouble with the authorities, but they went anyway. From Spain they eventually reached the Canary Islands, where they attempted to stow away on a boat sailing to South America. They were discovered and returned to the island of La Palma. This led to the decision to build their own boat, an 18-foot sailboat that eventually took them across the Atlantic to a landfall on the island of Tobago. From Tobago they sailed to Venezuela, where they were again arrested and jailed and the boat was confiscated. When released, they found work on a plantation in the Venezuelan jungle near the Orinoco River. Once they’d earned some money, they set out again, crossing northern Venezuela and Colombia, hiking through remote jungles, traveling on foot, by boat, and by dugout canoe, but always working their way north. They traversed eastern Panama, at times living with the San Blas Indians. After several arrests, they became wary of border crossings and expert at slipping unnoticed across national frontiers. In this way, on foot and sometimes by bus, after nearly five years of travel, they finally reached Los Angeles, found work, became citizens, married, and began new and productive lives.

Seeking Freedom: A Five-Year Odyssey

Biographies & Memoirs

Burica, Mr Tony

Travelers & Explorers

Everyday Creatures is a collection of thirteen simply and elegantly told nature essays, set in time over the course of a naturalist’s lifetime—from field-trip experiences as a freshman and sophomore in college, through the challenges of producing a dissertation in ecology, and on through the author’s career at a major university. Yet these stories are not the scientific reports of a research professor, nor are they an attempt at popular science writing. These are personal essays that spring forth from observation and discovery of what nature has to show anyone who is willing to pay attention. The author begins with his early experiences in deserts and continues into forests, mountains, and the sea shore.Kenagy shares with the reader his own direct observations and transparent personal responses to meeting a wide variety of animals in their natural habitats, and he uses language that is understandable to anyone. He follows his discoveries with reflections on the values of natural history and the conservation of wildlife and habitats. This all adds up to inspire a passion for the greater care for our planet Earth and its future.The stories and comfortable style of Everyday Creatureshave attracted the acclaim of other writers: “Biologists often begin as nature-infatuated kids, turning over rocks, chasing critters through the brush. As they pursue scientific training, many quit venturing outdoors; instead of looking at animals, they hole up in labs to study molecules. Not so George James Kenagy, who has maintained his fascination with whole organisms, the communities they form, and the landscapes they inhabit. In his lively company, you can observe geckos, beavers, pandas, ants, kangaroo rats, desert iguanas, snowy egrets, deer mice, surf smelt, spiny lobsters, ground squirrels, darkling beetles, western rattlesnakes, hoary marmots, and other marvels of the living world. One of the most interesting animals you’ll meet in these pages is the author himself.”—SCOTT RUSSELL SANDERS, author of Earth Works: Selected Essays. “Everyday Creatures is a story of discovery, told with precision, intimacy, and wonder. Kenagy’s prose is clean and entirely accessible, informative to the scientist and non-scientist alike, a testament to a lifetime of attentiveness to the natural world.”—GREGORY MARTIN, author of Mountain City and Stories for Boys. “Kenagy is a rare specimen among modern biologists: a true naturalist, with deep knowledge of an astonishing variety of plants and animals. This book takes you from China to New England, from eastern Washington State to western Sonora, Mexico, with rewarding stops in between, all steeped in the decades of field work that have allowed him to contribute so much to our knowledge of the natural world. To read this is to be taken to all these places, and to learn about such diverse things as the temperatures that make beetles happy, ground squirrels that prey on chipmunks, the surprising adaptations of kangaroo rats, and even the relationship between campus committees and Canada geese. I read it from beginning to end without putting it down, and suspect you will too.“—DONALD K. GRAYSON, author of The Great Basin: A Natural Prehistory.

Everyday Creatures: A Naturalist on the Surprising Beauty of Ordinary life in Wild Places

Kenagy, George James

Biological Sciences

What if volcanoes are heating the planet? Maybe solar cycles are to blame? Isn’t carbon dioxide good for plants? These are but a few of the questions on global warming that are addressed in this book. If you are concerned that global warming may be a serious problem, but find it hard to know what to believe or how to help in the face of conflicting arguments, you will want to read this book. You don’t have to be a scientist to understand Dr. Shahir Masri’s explanations and solutions. They proceed along common-sense lines that are easy to follow. Climate change poses a major threat to public health and the environment. Yet, political squabbles and misinformation have stalled policy and enabled little progress to be made in solving the crisis. Similarly, the notion of a “climate debate” has created the illusion of a divided scientific community, when in fact most scientists agree that human activity is causing the planet to warm. At a time when open discussion is essential, talk of global warming has become entrenched in politics and all but taboo in unfamiliar company. In Beyond Debate, Shahir Masri clears up 50 of the most common misconceptions surrounding climate change. He simplifies the science and resolves the confusion so that everyone may better understand the issue. Now is not the time for silence, but rather a time for conversation and collective action to address greenhouse gas emissions and begin to solve the climate crisis. Action begins with understanding, which Beyond Debate so eloquently offers. Masri conveys a sense of urgency while describing opportunities for hope.

BEYOND DEBATE: Answers to 50 Misconceptions on Climate Change

Masri, Dr. Shahir

In ''Iwa Tales, by author Craig B. Smith, Kaimi Kanahele, a young boy living in Honolulu meets a mysterious ''Iwa (Frigate Bird) on the beach. Intrigued by the large bird''s peculiar behavior, the boy approaches the bird. He is surprised to find that the bird speaks to him in a series of guttural croaks and hissing sounds, strange, but perfectly understandable. The first tale told by the bird describes how the early Polynesians arrived in the Hawaiian Islands, guided by one of the ''Iwa''s ancestors.Later, back at home, Kaimi wonders if he really heard the bird speak, or was it his imagination, magnified by the wind rustling through the palm trees at the beach? On successive days, Kaimi again encounters the ''Iwa, who rails at Kaimi''s inattentiveness as he tells him more tales about the history of the islands. The second Tale recounts an ancient legend concerning a prince from the island of Kaua''i who came to O''ahu to perfect his surfing skills. He falls in love with a bird having supernatural powers and able to change herself into the form of a beautiful girl. When he breaks a promise, the girl dies and the prince is turned to stone. The ''Iwa uses this story to emphasize to Kaimi that he must promise to remember the ''Iwa''s tales.The third tale concerns Kamehameha, the king who united the islands. The ''Iwa tells Kaimi how the king narrowly escaped capture and death at the hands of his enemies by swimming to an underwater cave in the Mokulua Islands, not far from Kailua. The ''Iwa challenges Kaimi: "Can you be like Kamehameha and accomplish great deeds, help save the seas and preserve these islands?" Later, the underwater cave takes on great significance for Kaimi. The fourth tale describes the attack on Pearl Harbor from the perspective of the ''Iwa birds that viewed the ferocity of the bombing and feared for the invasion of the island. In the fifth tale, the ''Iwa tells the story of a family that settled on the island near Kailua and made their home a place of refuge for birds. They typified a generation that cared for the island and its precious resources. When war came, they had to leave their home, but were able to return later. The ''Iwa tells Kaimi of terrible things that are happening in the oceans, from plastics and debris that are killing sea turtles and birds, to rising sea levels and acidification that is killing coral, and urges him to do something about these problems. He predicts a bleak future for the islands unless the human residents change their ways and pay more attention to caring for the land and the sea.Although Kaimi went many times to the beach where he''d first met the ''Iwa, he never encountered the bird again.Yet, there is a sixth tale, when Kaimi accidentally discovers the underwater cave and suddenly realizes that the ''Iwa did have unique knowledge of the island. This and other mysterious events convince Kaimi of the wisdom of the bird''s stories, and he decides to devote himself to the future preservation of the Hawaiian Islands and the oceans around them.After graduating from high school, Kaimi went to the University of Hawai''i and earned a degree in biology. Now he works for an environmental organization dedicated to protecting oceans and coral reefs.If you ask, he will quote the seven principles of ocean literacy, that the earth in reality is mostly one big ocean. The ocean and life in the ocean shape the features of the earth, influence its weather and climate, and make it habitable. The ocean supports a great diversity of life, the ocean and humans are inextricably connected, and despite its importance, the ocean is largely unexplored. He''ll tell you about the importance of coral reefs, the small fish they shelter, and the marvelous chain of life that depends on them. He''ll also tell you sad stories of ocean pollution, of plastic strangling sea turtles, and of reefs suffocating from runoff. Finally, he''ll tell you about his favorite creature-the great ''Iwa birds that fly over the islands.

Iwa Tales: Legends for Our Times

Children's Books

Smith, Craig B.

Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths

Extreme Waves

Earth Sciences

“Biscuit Bomber Bob” is the story of the 57th Troop Carrier Squadron in the Southwest Pacific during WWII as seen through the experiences of one of its pilots. Bob graduated from High School and at age 18 in 1943 and immediately volunteered for the Army. He was accepted as a cadet for pilot training in the USAAF Western Training Command and gained his wings as a 2nd Lt. in June 1944. Three months later he was in New Guinea flying troop support missions with the 57th. Bob epitomizes the thousands of young Americans who left their homes and undertook hazardous flying conditions in unarmed planes. This is just as much their story as it is his. The troop carrier squadrons played a vital but largely unsung role in the Pacific War. Their motto was “Vincit Qui Primum Gerit,” which meant “He conquers who gets there first.” Flying first C-47s, the military version of the DC-3, and then later the larger C-46s, the Troop Carrier Squadrons ferried troops, ammunition, nurses, food, and supplies from one island battlefield to the next, airlifting the wounded or ill to hospitals in the rear. In this capacity they earned their nickname of the “Biscuit Bombers.” They flew in all kinds of weather with minimal navigation aids, often long stretches over open water where no rescue was possible, seeking out and landing on dirt airstrips carved out of the jungle, often while the shooting was still going on. They dropped paratroops on to enemy held airfields, and as soon as the perimeter was secured, landed more troops and supplies. While this is Bob’s story, it is also the story of dozens of other troop carrier squadrons and the flight and ground crew members that kept the C-47s and C-46s in working order. When the war ended, Bob returned home where he met and married his wife Beverly. Then, like thousands of other returning veterans, he restarted the life he’d put on hold four years earlier. He enrolled at UCLA, got a degree in electrical engineering, raised a wonderful family and went on to a distinguished career in electronics, digital communications, and took part in many new and innovative developments that were building blocks for the internet and eventual creation of the World Wide Web.

Flying With Biscuit Bomber Bob:: The Untold Story of WWII Air Transport in the Pacific

History

Mosier, Robert R.

Mosier, Beverly

Military

This whimsical book designed by artist Julie Bird, will enchant all ages. It is intended for the pre-school age group (3 to 5 years) just beginning to master basic concepts of reading, counting, and storytelling. Julie's birds just love peas and can't get enough of them! Can't say more because it would give the story away!

Peas, Oh Please!

Bird, Julie

Humor

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