Pink Smog


Book Description

Pink Smog, the long-awaited prequel to Francesca Lia Block's groundbreaking novel Weetzie Bat, was praised as "an intoxicating mix of mystery, fantasy, and romance" by ALA Booklist in a starred review. Weetzie Bat is one of the seminal young adult novels of the '90s and continues to be an iconic treasure for teens everywhere. Now Pink Smog reintroduces a whole new generation to the eponymous Weetzie Bat—before she was Weetzie. Against the backdrop of a Los Angeles teeming with magical realism, Louise Bat struggles to find a way to deal with life after her father's unceremonious departure. Longtime fans and newfound readers alike will fall in love with Francesca Lia Block's beautifully crafted and brutally honest world. Maggie Stiefvater, New York Times bestselling author of The Raven Boys, proclaimed "Pink Smog sparkles and obscures; it's a glorious mirage, like the city it pays homage to."




Weetzie Bat


Book Description

“Transcendent.” —New York Times Book Review “Magnificent.” —Village Voice “Sparkling.” —Publishers Weekly Francesca Lia Block’s dazzling debut novel, Weetzie Bat, is not only a genre-shattering, critically acclaimed gem, it's also widely recognized as a classic of young adult literature, having captivated readers for generations. This coming-of-age novel follows the eponymous Weetzie Bat and her best friend Dirk as they navigate life and love in a timeless, dreamlike version of Los Angeles. When Weetzie is granted three wishes by a genie, she discovers that there are unexpected ramifications…. Winner of the prestigious Phoenix Award, Weetzie Bat is a beautiful, poetic work of magical realism that is perfect for fans of Laura Ruby, Neil Gaiman, and Kelly Link.




Data Smog


Book Description

Media scholar ( and Internet Enthusiast ) David Shenk examines the troubling effects of information proliferation on our bodies, our brains, our relationships, and our culture, then offers strikingly down-to-earth insights for coping with the deluge. With a skillful mixture of personal essay, firsthand reportage, and sharp analysis, Shenk illustrates the central paradox of our time: as our world gets more complex, our responses to it become increasingly simplistic. He draws convincing links between data smog and stress distraction, indecision, cultural fragmentation, social vulgarity, and more. But there's hope for a saner, more meaningful future, as Shenk offers a wealth of novel prescriptions—both personal and societal—for dispelling data smog.




Smog Alert


Book Description

The world's cities are choking on pollution from traffic and industry. With the health of over 1.6 billion people under threat, poor urban air quality is fast becoming one of them most pressing environmental problems of our times. Smog Alert examines the causes and scale of urban air pollution, identifying who is most at risk, and what particular health risks various pollutants pose. It then considers an effective framework for air quality management, so that national and city authorities can consider what pollution control polices and measures are needed to deliver healthy urban air quality, and to sustain it in the future. Having established the background and framework, the book examines the existing and alternative measures to monitor and combat the declining air quality. It assesses smog alert systems; the potential for cleaner car and fuel technology; sustainable traffic management and public transport policies; and methods of controlling both industrial and residential emissions. Detailed case studies illustrate the severity and breadth of the problem - from the first serious photochemical smogs in Los Angeles to the dire warning offered by Mexico City; and from London (the city which coined the word 'smog') to Athens' pollution phenomenon, the 'nefos'. Drawing on the lessons learned from past experience, Smog Alert provides a comprehensive analysis of how health air quality may yet be achieved in the world's cities.




The Invisible Killer


Book Description

An urgent examination of one of the biggest global crises facing us today—the drastic worsening of air pollution—and what we can do about it The air pollution that we breathe every day is largely invisible—but it is killing us. How did it get this bad, and how can we stop it? Far from a modern-day problem, scientists were aware of the impact of air pollution as far back as the seventeenth century. Now, as more of us live in cities, we are closer than ever to pollution sources, and the detrimental impact on the environment and our health has reached crisis point. The Invisible Killer will introduce you to the incredible individuals whose groundbreaking research paved the way to today's understanding of air pollution, often at their own detriment. Gary Fuller's global story examines devastating incidents from London's Great Smog to Norway's acid rain; Los Angeles' traffic problem to wood-burning damage in New Zealand. Fuller argues that the only way to alter the future course of our planet and improve collective global health is for city and national governments to stop ignoring evidence and take action, persuading the public and making polluters bear the full cost of the harm that they do. The decisions that we make today will impact on our health for decades to come. The Invisible Killer is an essential book for our times and a cautionary tale we need to take heed of.




The Great Smog of India


Book Description

Air pollution kills over a million Indians every year, albeit silently. Families are thrown into a spiralling cycle of hospital visits, critically poor health and financial trouble impacting their productivity and ability to participate in the economy. Children born in regions of high air pollution are shown to have irreversibly reduced lung function and cognitive abilities that affects their incomes for years to come. They all suffer, silently. The issue is exacerbated every winter, when the Great Smog of India descends and envelops much of northern India. In this period, the health impact from mere breathing is akin to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. The crisis is so grave that it warrants emergency health advisories forbidding people from stepping out. And yet, for most of us, life is business as usual. It isn't that the scientific community and policymakers don't know what causes air pollution, or what it will take to tackle the problem. It is that the problem is social and political as much as it is technological, and human problems are often harder to overcome than scientific ones. Each sector of the economy that needs reform has its underlying political, economic and social dynamics that need to be addressed to make a credible impact on emissions. With clarity and compelling arguments, and with a dash of irony, Siddharth Singh demystifies the issue: where we are, how we got here, and what we can do now. He discusses not only developments in sectors like transport, industry and energy production that silently contribute to air pollution, but also the 'agricultural shock' to air quality triggered by crop burning in northern India every winter. He places the air pollution crisis in the context of India's meteorological conditions and also climate change. Above all, and most alarmingly, he makes clear what the repercussions will be if we remain apathetic.




Tokyoscope


Book Description

Didja know that Samuel L. Jackson's Biblical speech in Pulp Fiction was borrowed from the brain-damaged Sonny Chiba karate flick The Bodyguard? Or that the design for the Smog Monster in Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster was based on a bathroom sketch of female anatomy? TokyoScope: The Japanese Cult Film Companion is the first book of its kind: an elegantly designed, engagingly written introduction to the world of Japanese pop films covering Godzilla, karate, gangster, horror, Japan's infamous "pink" movies, and much more.




Witch Baby


Book Description

This isn't about slinkster dogs, strawberry sundaes, or sleeping on the beach. Because it's Witch Baby's story. And Witch Baby is different. So maybe it's a book about not belonging. About being outside, looking in. Or it could be about getting so mad you could smash the world. Or maybe it's really about true love, too. And Witch Baby just hasn't figured it out yet... The Dangerous Angels series continues with: 3. CHEROKEE BAT AND THE GOAT GUYS (Sep '02); 4. MISSING ANGEL JUAN (Nov '02); 5. BABY BE-BOP (Jan '03)




I Am Today


Book Description

A young girl realizes that she doesn’t have to wait until she’s grown-up to stand up for what is right and make a big impact. While playing on the beach in her coastal town, a young girl comes across a sea turtle ensnared by a wire. Her town is home to a factory that has provided jobs for many of her neighbors, including her mother, but it has also been dumping garbage from a pipe into the waters, threatening the creatures that live in them. Children are used to being asked what they’ll do and be when they grow up, but the girl knows there is so much she can do today to help. Unable to forget the sight of the struggling turtle, with a fantastic act she inspires the townspeople to compel the factory to change its destructive ways. Written in spare and evocative poetry, I Am Today is an empowering story for children who want to be the change the world needs.




A Hinky Taste of You


Book Description

Hel became an energy vampire at seventeen and reduced her first lover to ashes. Forty years later, she still looks seventeen. Hel's life is teaching hyperactive boys, roller derby, and worrying about paying her mother's hospital bills. Nick Jones, federal anti-magic cop, has a secret, too. Magic turns him on, to his shame. This makes it hard for Nick when he's assigned to recruit Hel to his new case. Nick feels guilty for his attraction to a teenager. Hel adores Nick's yummy energy. If he learns she’s a vampire, he'll send her to Hinky Guantanamo...if she doesn't kill him first. But can they keep their hands off each other? ____________________________________________________ REVIEWS “an enjoyable fun quick read…. This story takes place in the same world as her Brass Bed series, but because the characters are totally different, it won’t hurt to read this one out of order. If you haven’t read anything else by Jennifer Stevenson yet, I would recommend this one as a good introduction.” — Rebecca Jaxon “I finished Taste of You and I loved it! I immediately kindled the Stagehands one to read next–very impressed!” — Nicole Matos “…a fun quirky vampire paranormal romance … Have a good laugh, a cry, a flutter of nerves waiting in anticipation, with the problems they have to face. Read this hot, steamy, sexy book and meet these horny Characters.” — Melissa Craig “This book was very entertaining. It made me laugh out loud at some points. I will be reading more from this author. I couldn’t put it down!!!” — tattooma “This was an easy, fun read. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to laugh.” — Magelet87 “I have been waiting eagerly, impatiently, hungrily for Stevenson’s next book in the Hinky Chicago world and A Taste of You does not disappoint. I bought it one afternoon last weekend, read it that night without putting it down, and now… I’m waiting again. I can’t get enough of this world. … Stevenson’s Hinky Chicago owes nothing to any existing magic-touched world. It’s the freshest and most creative concept imaginable… and the most convincing. Not only that, the writing is intelligent, snappy, and utterly absorbing, the plot is fast-paced and enjoyably wild, and the characters are fun to be around. This is wonderful stuff. Wonderful. Encore! Encore!” — Elaine McCarthy “ECM” “I ended up actually really enjoying this book. It was a nice fresh take on the vampire type genre where instead of living off blood…The book was quite entertaining, but what I ended up liking most about the book was how funny it was. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun quick read.” — LyzzieB “This is my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it… I enjoyed all the roller derby action and the cool names the girls had given themselves. I especially enjoyed all the names for the different moves the girls would put on people.” — Squeak “The Dragon Mother”