The Final Collapse [Illustrated Edition]


Book Description

General Cao Van Vien describes the final collapse of the South Vietnamese forces in 1975 following the military U.S. withdrawl. “General Cao Van Vien was the last chairman of the South Vietnamese Joint General Staff. For almost ten years he worked closely with other senior Vietnamese officers and civilian leaders and dealt with U.S. military and civilian representatives in Saigon. General Vien is therefore particularly well qualified to give an account of the final years from a South Vietnamese standpoint. “This is one of a series of monographs written by officers who held responsible positions in the Cambodian, Laotian, and South Vietnamese armed forces.” Includes over 20 maps, tables and illustrations.




Sustainability or Collapse?


Book Description

Scholars from a range of disciplines develop an integrated human and environmental history over millennial, centennial, and decadal time scales and make projections for the future. Human history, as written traditionally, leaves out the important ecological and climate context of historical events. But the capability to integrate the history of human beings with the natural history of the Earth now exists, and we are finding that human-environmental systems are intimately linked in ways we are only beginning to appreciate. In Sustainability or Collapse?, researchers from a range of scholarly disciplines develop an integrated human and environmental history over millennial, centennial, and decadal time scales and make projections for the future. The contributors focus on the human-environment interactions that have shaped historical forces since ancient times and discuss such key methodological issues as data quality. Topics highlighted include the political ecology of the Mayans; the effect of climate on the Roman Empire; the "revolutionary weather" of El Niño from 1788 to 1795; twentieth-century social, economic, and political forces in environmental change; scenarios for the future; and the accuracy of such past forecasts as The Limits to Growth.




The Worst Journey in the World (Illustrated Edition)


Book Description

The Worst Journey in the World is a memoir of the 1910–1913 British Antarctic Expedition led by Robert Falcon Scott. It was written by a member of the expedition, Apsley Cherry-Garrard, and has earned wide praise for its frank treatment of the difficulties of the expedition, the causes of its disastrous outcome, and the meaning (if any) of human suffering under extreme conditions. In 1910, Cherry-Garrard and his fellow explorers travelled by sailing vessel, the Terra Nova, from Cardiff to McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. The second-in-command, Dr Edward Wilson had a personal goal in Antarctica to recover eggs of the Emperor penguin for scientific study. As the bird nests during the Antarctic winter, it was necessary to mount a special expedition in July 1911, to the penguins' rookery at Cape Crozier. Wilson chose Cherry-Garrard to accompany him and another crew member across the Ross Ice Shelf under conditions of complete darkness and temperatures of −40 °C and below. All three men, barely alive, returned from Cape Crozier with their egg specimens, which were stored.




The Collapse of Richmond's Church Hill Tunnel


Book Description

Explore the facts and mysteries surrounding the history and collapse of Richmond, Virginia's Church Hill Tunnel. A must for fans of railroad and Richmond history. Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy, was in shambles after the Civil War. The bulk of Reconstruction became dependent on the railways, and one of the most important links in the system was the Church Hill Tunnel. The tunnel was eventually rendered obsolete by an alternative path over a viaduct, and it was closed for regular operation in 1902. However, the city still used it infrequently to transport supplies, and it was maintained with regular safety inspections. The city decided to reopen the tunnel in 1925 due to overcrowding on the viaduct, but the tunnel needed to be strengthened and enlarged. On October 2, 1925, 190 ft. of the tunnel unexpectedly caved in, trapping construction workers and an entire locomotive inside. In recent years, there has been a renewed interest in the tunnel and the mystery surrounding its collapse. There were cave-ins and sink holes above the surface for decades after the tunnel was sealed up, and in 1998, a reporter from the Richmond Times-Dispatch did an investigation, trying to determine the current condition of the tunnel. In 2006, the Virginia Historical Society announced its efforts to try and excavate the locomotive and remaining bodies.




Intergalactic Stories: 60+ SF Classics in One Edition (Illustrated)


Book Description

Intergalactic Stories: 60+ SF Classics in One Edition, illustrated and compiled from the pens of some of the most celebrated authors in science fiction, traverses the broad spectrum of humanity's outermost fantasies and fears. The collection showcases an array of literary styles, from the pioneering explorations of space operas to the intricate web of speculative science fiction, providing a panoramic view of the genre's evolution over several decades. Noteworthy for both its diversity and significance, the anthology presents an opportunity to engage with seminal works that have shaped the contours of modern science fiction, capturing the imagination with tales of interstellar adventure, dystopian futures, and the boundless curiosity of the human spirit. The contributing authors and editors, including Clifford D. Simak, Poul Anderson, Frederik Pohl, Damon Knight, and others, bring a rich tapestry of backgrounds to the collection. Their collective work aligns with various historical, cultural, and literary movements, from the golden age of science fiction to the more nuanced, philosophical undertones of the genre's later years. Through their diverse narratives, these authors contribute to a holistic exploration of what it means to venture beyond the known, blending tales of alien encounters, time travel, and cosmic wars with profound questions about humanity's place in the universe. For aficionados of science fiction and newcomers alike, Intergalactic Stories: 60+ SF Classics in One Edition offers an unparalleled journey through the myriad landscapes of speculative fiction. The anthology serves not only as an educational tool, enlightening readers on the genre's historical development and thematic richness but also as an invitation to witness the dialogue between some of its most influential voices. This collection promises a captivating exploration of the endless possibilities that science fiction represents, making it an essential addition to any literary library.




The Architecture of Collapse


Book Description

Using a variety of economic, financial, and political indicators, this book demonstrates that the global system has become an 'architecture of collapse'. The global financial crisis of 2008, the bilateral relationship between the U.S. and China, and the European sovereign debt crisis illustrate the causes and the consequences of global instability




Collapse


Book Description

From the author of Guns, Germs and Steel, Jared Diamond's Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Survive is a visionary study of the mysterious downfall of past civilizations. Now in a revised edition with a new afterword, Jared Diamond's Collapse uncovers the secret behind why some societies flourish, while others founder - and what this means for our future. What happened to the people who made the forlorn long-abandoned statues of Easter Island? What happened to the architects of the crumbling Maya pyramids? Will we go the same way, our skyscrapers one day standing derelict and overgrown like the temples at Angkor Wat? Bringing together new evidence from a startling range of sources and piecing together the myriad influences, from climate to culture, that make societies self-destruct, Jared Diamond's Collapse also shows how - unlike our ancestors - we can benefit from our knowledge of the past and learn to be survivors. 'A grand sweep from a master storyteller of the human race' - Daily Mail 'Riveting, superb, terrifying' - Observer 'Gripping ... the book fulfils its huge ambition, and Diamond is the only man who could have written it' - Economis 'This book shines like all Diamond's work' - Sunday Times




NKJV, Faithlife Illustrated Study Bible, Hardcover, Red Letter Edition


Book Description

The world’s most powerful Bible software brings you the most visually striking new study Bible! From the makers of Logos Bible Software, the NKJV Faithlife Illustrated Study Bible’s striking illustrations and comprehensive verse-by-verse insights will serve as a guide to help you understand and apply God’s Word. With informative contributions by respected scholars and bestselling authors like Charles Stanley, Randy Alcorn, and Ed Stetzer, and over 100 innovative infographics, this NIV study Bible brings the stories of Scripture to life and helps you to see events, places and people clearly. Features: Complete text of the New King James Version (NKJV) In-depth book introductions that include an outline and information on authorship, background, structure, themes, and a map, a timeline, or both Verse-by-verse study notes with the unique focus of revealing nuances from the original biblical languages for modern readers Informative contributions by Charles Stanley, Randy Alcorn, and Ed Stetzer, among others Over 100 innovative full color infographics, comprehensive timelines and informative tables to enrich Bible study Three detailed life-of-Jesus event timelines chronicling his infancy and early ministry, the journey to Jerusalem, and the passion and resurrection 27 family trees and people diagrams illustrate the interconnectedness of key characters in Scripture Helpful overview articles give a bird’s-eye view of the books of the Bible, noting the type of literature and key themes of each book. 14 original color maps at the back of the Bible provide historical and geographical context for key events of the Old and New Testaments Words of Christ in red 9-point type size




Maynard's Revenge


Book Description

It is now widely agreed that mainstream macroeconomics is irrelevant and that there is need for a more useful and realistic economic analysis that can provide a better understanding of the ongoing global financial and economic crisis. Lance Taylor’s book exposes the unrealistic assumptions of the rational expectations and real business cycle approaches and of mainstream finance theory. It argues that in separating monetary and financial behavior from real behavior, they do not address the ways that consumption, accumulation, and the government play in the workings of the economy. Taylor argues that the ideas of J. M. Keynes and others provide a more useful framework both for understanding the crisis and for dealing with it effectively. Keynes’s basic points were fundamental uncertainty and the absence of Say’s Law. He set up machinery to analyze the macro economy under such circumstances, including the principle of effective demand, liquidity preference, different rules for determining commodity and asset prices, distinct behavioral patterns of different collective actors, and the importance of thinking in terms of complete macro accounting schemes. Economists working in this tradition also worked out growth and cycle models. Employing these ideas throughout Maynard’s Revenge, Taylor provides an analytical narrative about the causes of the crisis, and suggestions for dealing with it.




The Collapse


Book Description

On the night of November 9, 1989, massive crowds surged toward the Berlin Wall, drawn by an announcement that caught the world by surprise: East Germans could now move freely to the West. The Wall—infamous symbol of divided Cold War Europe—seemed to be falling. But the opening of the gates that night was not planned by the East German ruling regime—nor was it the result of a bargain between either Ronald Reagan or George H.W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. It was an accident. In The Collapse, prize-winning historian Mary Elise Sarotte reveals how a perfect storm of decisions made by daring underground revolutionaries, disgruntled Stasi officers, and dictatorial party bosses sparked an unexpected series of events culminating in the chaotic fall of the Wall. With a novelist’s eye for character and detail, she brings to vivid life a story that sweeps across Budapest, Prague, Dresden, and Leipzig and up to the armed checkpoints in Berlin. We meet the revolutionaries Roland Jahn, Aram Radomski, and Siggi Schefke, risking it all to smuggle the truth across the Iron Curtain; the hapless Politburo member Günter Schabowski, mistakenly suggesting that the Wall is open to a press conference full of foreign journalists, including NBC’s Tom Brokaw; and Stasi officer Harald Jäger, holding the fort at the crucial border crossing that night. Soon, Brokaw starts broadcasting live from Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, where the crowds are exulting in the euphoria of newfound freedom—and the dictators are plotting to restore control. Drawing on new archival sources and dozens of interviews, The Collapse offers the definitive account of the night that brought down the Berlin Wall.