This multivolume resource is an excellent research tool for developing a working knowledge of basic energy concepts and topics. With energy issues so much in the news, it is important that students get a clear understanding of how energy is produced and how it affects virtually every aspect of our lives. The multivolume set A Student Guide to Energy does just that, with an accessible introduction to the basic concepts and key topics concerning nonrenewable energy sources, future renewable energy programs, and the importance of achieving a sustainable energy program for future generations. A Student Guide to Energy is divided into five separate volumes. Volume 1 highlights our present dependence on nonrenewable energy sources—oil, gas, coal, and nuclear power. Volumes 2, 3, and 4 look at the renewable energy sources that will play a vital role in our future, including solar energy, hydrogen fuel cells, wind and water power, and geothermal energy. The concluding volume focuses on efforts to develop a global sustainable energy system that encompasses energy efficiency, conservation, and a healthy, cleaner environment.

A comprehensive guide to the weather, climate, and their impact on human life. This comprehensive reference explains in clear terms what we know about weather, from the everyday to the extreme. A Student Guide to Climate and Weather introduces students and other interested readers to the dynamic work of meteorologists and climatologists, specifically their efforts to mitigate the impact of weather events and climate change on people and the environment. The five separate volumes of A Student Guide to Climate and Weather focus on weather extremes; air masses and weather patterns; cyclones, hurricanes, and tornadoes; climate change; and the Earth and the sun. Each volume combines a wealth of scientific data, dramatic historical events, and the latest ideas and methods from the worlds of meteorology and climatology. What did we learn from the Dust Bowl? What are the consequences of Arctic melting? How do we protect cities near oceans from rising sea levels? These and other crucial questions are explored in this cornerstone reference.

Striving to explore the subject in as simple a manner as possible, this book helps readers understand the elusive concept of entropy. Innovative aspects of the book include the construction of statistical entropy from desired properties, the derivation of the entropy of classical systems from purely classical assumptions, and a statistical thermodynamics approach to the ideal Fermi and ideal Bose gases. Derivations are worked through step-by-step and important applications are highlighted in over 20 worked examples. Around 50 end-of-chapter exercises test readers' understanding. The book also features a glossary giving definitions for all essential terms, a time line showing important developments, and list of books for further study. It is an ideal supplement to undergraduate courses in physics, engineering, chemistry and mathematics.

A Georgetown professor’s look at the subjects one needs to study for a truly well-rounded education. A Student’s Guide to Liberal Learning is an inviting conversation with a learned scholar about the content of an authentic liberal arts education. It surveys ideas and books central to the tradition of humanistic education that has fundamentally shaped our country and our civilization. This accessible volume argues for an order and integration of knowledge so that meaning might be restored to the haphazard approach to study currently dominating higher education. Freshly conveying the excitement of learning from the acknowledged masters of intellectual life, this guide is also an excellent blueprint for building one’s own library of books that matter.