Earth, Wind, Fire, and Rain


Book Description

We might think humans have control over our environment, but Mother Nature has proven us wrong again and again. Earth, Wind, Fire, and Rain: Real Tales of Temperamental Elements tells the story of five of America’s deadliest natural disasters that were made worse by human error, ignorance, and greed. For example, in the fall of 1871, loggers and farmers chopped trees and burned brush in the vast forest around Peshtigo, Wisconsin. Fire was a tool they believed they could control. But on October 8, 1 million acres burned in the deadliest fire in American history. Later that century, meteorologists mistakenly predicted clearing skies for New York City on March 10, 1888. Then, two devilish storm fronts collided in what was called the Great White Hurricane. The blizzard brought New Yorkers to their knees and unprepared city leaders were powerless to help. Powerless too were the residents of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, on May 31, 1889. A private club of wealthy businessmen owned a dam upriver from Johnstown. The club modified the dam to improve recreation on their private lake, but these changes weakened the structure. When heavy rains fell, the dam burst, flooding Johnstown with 20 million tons of water. Residents of San Francisco had no warning when a massive earthquake struck on April 18, 1906. It toppled buildings, ruptured gas mines and ignited fires. Years of political corruption had underfunded the fire department, leaving it without the equipment or training to quench the inferno, and San Francisco burned. In the 1920s, farmers transformed the dry, windy southern Plains by digging up the buffalo grass and planting millions of acres of wheat. But nature fought back by turning this breadbasket into a Dust Bowl. On April 14, 1935, Black Sunday, a 200-mile cloud of dirt buried fields, livestock, and people. Peoples’ choices did not cause these disasters, but they did give the forces of nature an extra nudge. However, tragedy sparked reforms in weather forecasting, soil and forest management, and emergency preparation. But remember—no one can control nature. So be prepared to get out of the way when disaster strikes. This is the tenth book in a series called Mystery & Mayhem, which features true tales that whet kids’ appetites for history by engaging them in genres with proven track records—mystery and adventure. History is made of near misses, unexplained disappearances, unsolved mysteries, and bizarre events that are almost too weird to be true—almost! The Mystery and Mayhem series delves into these tidbits of history to provide kids with a jumping off point into a lifelong habit of appreciating history. The five true tales told within Earth, Wind, Fire, and Rain are paired with maps, photographs, and timelines that lend authenticity and narrative texture to the stories. A glossary and resources page provide the opportunity to practice using essential academic tools. These nonfiction narratives use clear, concise language with compelling plots that both avid and reluctant readers will be drawn to.




My Life with Earth, Wind & Fire


Book Description

With an introduction by Steve Harvey and a foreword by David Foster The Grammy-winning founder of the legendary pop/R&B/soul/funk/disco group tells his story and charts the rise of his legendary band in this sincere memoir that captures the heart and soul of an artist whose groundbreaking sound continues to influence music today. With its dynamic horns, contrasting vocals, and vivid stage shows, Earth, Wind & Fire was one of the most popular acts of the late twentieth century—the band “that changed the sound of black pop” (Rolling Stone)—and its music continues to inspire modern artists including Usher, Jay-Z, Cee-Lo Green, and Outkast. At last, the band’s founder, Maurice White, shares the story of his success. Now in his seventies, White reflects on the great blessings music has brought to his life and the struggles he’s endured: his mother leaving him behind in Memphis when he was four; learning to play the drums with Booker T. Jones; moving to Chicago at eighteen and later Los Angeles after leaving the Ramsey Lewis Trio; forming EWF, only to have the original group fall apart; working with Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond; his diagnosis of Parkinson’s; and his final public performance with the group at the 2006 Grammy Awards. Through it all, White credits his faith for his amazing success and guidance in overcoming his many challenges. Keep Your Head to the Sky is an intimate, moving, and beautiful memoir from a man whose creativity and determination carried him to great success, and whose faith enabled him to savor every moment.




Earth, Wind, and Fire


Book Description

Today's world demands an integrated attitude and vision toward all of life--an approach embraced and enhanced by the contributors to Earth, Wind, and Fire. In this scholarly and passionate work members of the Feminist Hermeneutics Task Force of the Catholic Biblical Association orchestrate an approach to understanding a feminist model of creation that is faithful to biblical tradition and celebrates the rich diversity of all creation. Inviting conversation between Bible and theology, feminist scholars and theologians, the contributing writers explore themes such as the significance of embodiment, the integrity of creation, the interconnectedness of humanity with other creatures, the evolutionary nature of creation, and integral connections between creation and salvation, ecojustice and human liberation. Both detailed and holistic, Earth, Wind, and Fire is a compelling, insightful, and reader-friendly approach to the creative artistry of God. Chapters and contributors are: Creation, Evolution, Revelation, and Redemption: Connections and Intersections by Carol J. Dempsey, O.P.; The Priestly Creation Narrative: Goodness and Interdependence" by Alice L. Laffey; Everyone Called By My Name: Second Isaiah's Use of the Creation Theme by Joan E. Cook, SC; Wild, Raging Creativity: Job in the Whirlwind by Kathleen M. Connor; Soundings in the New Testament Understandings of Creation by Barbara E. Bowe, RSCJ; Sabbath: the Crown of Creation by Barbara E. Reid, OP; Creation Restored: God's Basileia, the Social Economy, and the Human Good by Tatha Wiley; The Samaritan Woman and Martha as Partners with Jesus in Ministry: Recreation in John 4 and 11 by Judith Schubert, RSM; All Creation Groans in Labor: Paul's Theology of Creation in Romans 8:18-23 by Sheila E. McGinn; Of New Songs and An Open Window; by Mary Ann Donovan, SC; Being a New Creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) is Being the Body of Christ: Paul and Feminist Scholars in Dialogue by Mary Margaret Pazdan, OP; Creation in the Image of God and Wisdom Christology by Mary Catherine Hilkert, OP; Also includes a Prologue and Epilogue by Carol J. Dempsey, OP, and Mary Margaret Pazdan, OP, a Bibliography, and Indexes.




Heaven's Breath


Book Description

A “comprehensive and fascinating study” of how wind has shaped the world as we know it, affecting all aspects of human and natural life—from geography to political history, plant life to psychology, and biology to philosophy (The Observer) Wind is everywhere and nowhere. Wind is the circulatory system of the earth, and its nervous system, too. Energy and information flow through it. It brings warmth and water, enriches and strips away the soil, aerates the globe. Wind shapes the lives of animals, humans among them. Trade follows the path of the wind, as empire also does. Wind made the difference in wars between the Greeks and Persians, the Mongols and the Japanese. Wind helped to destroy the Spanish Armada. And wind is no less determining of our inner lives: the föhn, mistral, sirocco, Santa Ana, and other “ill winds” of the world are correlated with disease, suicide, and even murder. Heaven’s Breath is an encyclopedic and enchanting book that opens dazzling new perspectives on history, nature, and humanity.




Shining Star


Book Description

Earth, Wind & Fire has sold some ninety million records and won eight Grammy awards. But while its charismatic founder, Maurice White, and Philip Bailey, one of popular music’s greatest voices, are remarkable musical talents, their relentless work ethic exhausted and emotionally gutted the group. Now, Bailey shares the inside story of his professional and spiritual journey, from his origins to the band’s meteoric rise to stardom, and from its breakup to its triumphant reinvention. Shining Star will mesmerize the supergroup’s millions of fans and anyone who loves an inspiring story about what happens when real life exceeds your dreams.




Wind and Water Shape the Land


Book Description

Earth is a beautiful place! See some of its most amazing sights as you find out how Wind and Water Shape the Land. Sing along as you explore What Shapes Our Earth! This hardcover book comes with CD and online music access.




Wind as a Geological Process


Book Description

This book gives an account of geological aspects of windblown material. Aeolian processes play an important role in modifying the surface of the Earth, and they are also active on Mars. Additionally, they are thought to occur on Venus and possibly Titan as well. The authors describe the following aspects: wind as a geological process, the aeolian environment, physics of particle motion, aeolian abrasion and erosion; aeolian sand deposits and bedforms, interaction of wind and topography and windblown dust. A particular strength of the book is that it deals with aeolian processes in a planetary context, rather than as a purely terrestrial phenomenon. In so doing, the authors ably demonstrate how we can gain better understanding of the Earth through comparative planetology. This paperback reissue will enable the book to be used as a text for advanced students in planetary science. Special terms are defined when they are first used. There is a glossary and an exhaustive bibliography.




To Love the Wind and the Rain


Book Description

"To Love the Wind and the Rain" is a groundbreaking and vivid analysis of the relationship between African Americans and the environment in U.S. history. It focuses on three major themes: African Americans in the rural environment, African Americans in the urban and suburban environments, and African Americans and the notion of environmental justice. Meticulously researched, the essays cover subjects including slavery, hunting, gardening, religion, the turpentine industry, outdoor recreation, women, and politics. "To Love the Wind and the Rain" will serve as an excellent foundation for future studies in African American environmental history.




And Soon I Heard a Roaring Wind


Book Description

A thrilling exploration of the science and history of wind from the bestselling author of Cold. Scientist and bestselling nature writer Bill Streever goes to any extreme to explore wind -- the winds that built empires, the storms that wreck them -- by traveling right through it. Narrating from a fifty-year-old sailboat, Streever leads readers through the world's first forecasts, Chaos Theory, and a future affected by climate change. Along the way, he shares stories of wind-riding spiders, wind-sculpted landscapes, wind-generated power, wind-tossed airplanes, and the uncomfortable interactions between wind and wars, drawing from natural science, history, business, travel, as well as from his own travels. And Soon I Heard a Roaring Wind is an effortless personal narrative featuring the keen observations, scientific rigor, and whimsy that readers love. You'll never see a breeze in the same light again.




Losing Earth


Book Description

By 1979, we knew all that we know now about the science of climate change - what was happening, why it was happening, and how to stop it. Over the next ten years, we had the very real opportunity to stop it. Obviously, we failed.Nathaniel Rich's groundbreaking account of that failure - and how tantalizingly close we came to signing binding treaties that would have saved us all before the fossil fuels industry and politicians committed to anti-scientific denialism - is already a journalistic blockbuster, a full issue of the New York Times Magazine that has earned favorable comparisons to Rachel Carson's Silent Spring and John Hersey's Hiroshima. Rich has become an instant, in-demand expert and speaker. A major movie deal is already in place. It is the story, perhaps, that can shift the conversation.In the book Losing Earth, Rich is able to provide more of the context for what did - and didn't - happen in the 1980s and, more important, is able to carry the story fully into the present day and wrestle with what those past failures mean for us in 2019. It is not just an agonizing revelation of historical missed opportunities, but a clear-eyed and eloquent assessment of how we got to now, and what we can and must do before it's truly too late.