Bøker av Stephen J. Pyne

The Ice is a compilation of more about ice than you knew you wanted to know, yet sheer compelling significance holds attention page by page. . . . Pyne conveys a view of Antarctica that interweaves physical science with humanistic inquiry and perception. His audacity as well as his presentation warrant admiration, for the implications of The Ice are vast.New York Times Book Review

A stunning combination of landscape photography and thematic essays exploring how the concept of wilderness has evolved over time

Earth is the only planet known to have fire. The reason is both simple and profound: fire exists because Earth is the only planet to possess life as we know it. Fire is an expression of life on Earth and an index of life s history. Few processes are as integral, unique, or ancient.

Fire is a defining element in Canadian land and life. With few exceptions, Canada's forests and prairies have evolved with fire; its peoples have exploited fire and sought to protect themselves from its excesses. This book narrates the history of this saga.

In this lively account of one [fire] season, Pyne introduces us to the tightly knit world of a fire crew, to the complex geography of the North Rim, to the technique and changing philosophy of fire management.

Back in PrintWorld Fire is the story of how fire and humans have coevolved. The two are inseparable, and together they have repeatedly remade the planet.Pyne considers the evolution of fire in such diverse regions as Australia, Africa, Brazil, Sweden, Greece, Iberia, Russia, and India and then ponders Antarctica, the land without fire. As he examines changing techniques for and attitudes toward fire control, Pyne challenges our concepts of nature and wilderness and explains why the study and management of fire have tremendous environmental, cultural, and political implications.BooklistA sweeping historical treatise that examines our worlds love/hate relationship with conflagration. His engrossing ideas leave bright embers in the memory.Outside

Repeatedly, if paradoxically, the American Northeast has led national developments in fire. In this new book in the To the Last Smoke series, renowned fire expert Stephen Pyne narrates this history and explains how fire is returning to a place not usually thought of in America's fire scene.

America is not simply a federation of states but a confederation of regions. Some have always held national attention, some just for a time. Slopovers examines three regions that once dominated the American national narrative and may now be returning to prominence.

Style and Story is for those who wish to craft nonfiction texts that do more than simply relay facts and arguments. Stephen J. Pyne explains how writers can employ literary tools and strategies to strengthen their work. With advice gleaned from years of teaching writing to graduate students, Pyne offers pragmatic guidance on how to create powerful nonfiction, whether for an academic or popular audience.

"Painting, architecture, politics, even gardening and golf all have their critics and commentators," observes Stephen Pyne. "Fire does not." Aside from news reports on fire disasters, most writing about fire appears in government reports and scientific papers--and in journalism that has more in common with the sports page than the editorial page. "Smokechasing" presents commentaries by one of America's leading fire scholars, who analyzes fire the way another might an election campaign or a literary work. "Smokechasing" is an American coinage describing the practice of sending firefighters into the wild to track down the source of reported smoke. Now a self-described "friendly fire critic" tracks down more of the history and lore of fire in a collection that focuses on wildland fire and its management. Building on and complementing a previous anthology, "World Fire," this new collection features thirty-two original articles and substantial revisions of works that have previously appeared in print. Pyne addresses many issues that have sparked public concern in the wake of disastrous wildfires in the West, such as fire ecology, federal fire management, and questions relating to fire suppression. He observes that the mistake in fire policy has been not that wildfires are suppressed but that controlled fires are no longer ignited; yet the attempted forced reintroduction of fire through prescribed burning has proved difficult, and sometimes damaging. There are, Pyne argues, many fire problems; some have technical solutions, some not. But there is no evading humanity's unique power and responsibility: what we don't do may be as ecologically powerful as what we do. Throughout the collection, Pyne makes it clear that humans and fire interact at particular places and times to profoundly shape the world, and that understanding the contexts in which fire occurs can tell us much about the world's natural and cultural landscapes. Fire's context gives it its meaning, and "Smokechasing" not only helps illuminate those contexts but also shows us how to devise new contexts for tomorrow's fires.

The life of Grove Karl Gilbert, first chief geologist of the US Geological Survey, spanned the heroic age of American geology during the time that this young earth science was being intellectually and institutionally defined. This biography reveals that few other scientists can match Gilbert's range of talents.

When first published in 1982, this work was one of the most remarkable scholarly projects ever undertaken by an America historian: a systematic rewriting of U.S. history that put fire at the center of the narrative. From prehistory to the present-day conservation movement, Pyne explores the efforts