Publisher: libreka classics
Getting Gold: a practical treatise for prospectors, miners and students by J. C. F. Johnson libreka classics – These are classics of literary history, reissued and made available to a wide audience. Immerse yourself in well-known and popular titles!
I could never again maintain that I was caught up in this game unwillingly. I knew now what I wanted to do. Willingly would I accept the hardship and fear, the discipline and the sacrifices, if only I could be given back the chance to climb that mountain.' Joe Tasker lies, struck down by a tooth abscess, in a damp, bug-infested room in the Himalaya, wondering if he will be well enough to climb Dunagiri, his first venture to the 'big' mountains. He is there with Dick Renshaw to attempt to make a two-man ascent of the Peak - one of the first true Alpine-style expeditions to the Greater Ranges; an attempt that forms part of this tale of adventure in the savage vertical arena of hostile mountains. Joe Tasker was one of Britain's foremost mountaineers. A pioneer of lightweight mountaineering and a superbly gifted writer, in Savage Arena he vividly describes his participation in the first British winter ascent of the North Face of the Eiger; his first ascent of the West Wall of Changabang with Peter Boardman - considered to be a preposterous plan by the established climbing world; the first ascent of the North Ridge of Kangchenjunga; and his two unsuccessful attempts to climb K2, the second highest mountain in the world. This is a story of single-minded determination, strength and courage in a pursuit which owes much of its value and compulsion to the risks entailed - risks which often stimulate superlative performances. It is also a story of the stresses, strains and tensions of living in constant anxiety, often with only one other person, for long periods in which one is never far from moments of terror, and of the close and vital human relationships which spring from those circumstances. It is a moving, exciting and inspirational book about the adventuring spirit which seeks endless new climbing challenges to face, alluring problems to solve and difficulties to overcome, for it is not reaching the summit which is important, but the journey to it. Joe Tasker and Peter Boardman died on Everest in 1982, while attempting a new and unclimbed line. Both men were superb mountaineers and talented writers. Tasker's first book, Everest the Cruel Way, was first published in 1981. Savage Arena, his second book, was completed just before he left for Everest. Both books have become mountaineering classi. The literary legacy of Tasker and Boardman lives on through the Boardman Tasker Prize for Mountain Literature, established by family and friends in 1983 and presented annually to the author or co-authors of an original work which has made an outstanding contribution to mountain literature. For more information about the Boardman Tasker Prize, visit: www.boardmantasker.com 'The most riveting book on climbing that I have ever read.' Chris Bonington 'A gripping story of tremendous courage and unbelievable endurance.' Sir Edmund HillaryShow book
Neuve Chapelle a lost battlefield is now opened up for the explorer to learn more about the actions that took place there.In Early 1915, the British decided to take the offensive for the first time in the war against German positions in Northern France. The initial objective was a bulge, about one mile across, in their lines at Neuve.Events which took place here early in 1915 are described in detail and show why this almost forgotten battle set the course of the war.Show book
Against the backdrop of the late Cold War, a tiny American start-up company forged a secret deal to place American scientific payloads aboard the Soviet space station MIR. Born out of sheer desperation after the Challenger explosion and grounding of the United States space shuttle program, the agreement was negotiated and approved behind the backs of NASA and Congress, with the help of United States government officials inside the Commerce and Defense departments. On a cold gray morning in February 1988, the company founder met with three graduate students and their professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to put his plans into action. Baikonur Man, written by one of those students, recounts the subsequent five-year saga of how science, comradery, hardship, drama, and occasional lunacy led to the first American experiments and payloads to fly on Russian rockets.Show book
A psychiatrist takes a critical look at this SSRI and newer medications that are among the most frequently prescribed drugs in America. Prozac. Millions of Americans are on it. And just about everyone else is wondering if they should be on it, too. The claims of the pro‑Prozac chorus are enticing: that it can cure everything from depression (the only disorder for which Prozac was originally approved) to fear of public speaking, PMS, obesity, shyness, migraine, and back pain—with few or no side effects. But is the reality quite different? At what price do we buy Prozac‑induced euphoria and a shiny new personality? Psychiatrist Peter Breggin, MD, and coauthor Ginger Ross Breggin answer these and other crucial questions in Talking Back to Prozac. They explain what Prozac is and how it works, and they take a hard look at the real story behind today’s most controversial drug: The fact that Prozac was tested in trials of four to six weeks in length before receiving FDA approvalThe difficulty Prozac’s manufacturer had in proving its effectiveness during these testsThe information on side effects that the FDA failed to include in its final labeling requirementsHow Prozac acts as a stimulant not unlike the addictive drugs cocaine and amphetamineThe dangers of possible Prozac addiction and abuseThe seriousness and frequency of Prozac’s side effects, including agitation, insomnia, nausea, diarrhea, loss of libido, and difficulty reaching orgasmThe growing evidence that Prozac can cause violence and suicideThe social and workplace implications of using the drug not to cure depression but to change personality and enhance performance Using dramatic case histories as well as scientific research and carefully documented evidence, the Breggins expose the potentially damaging effects of Prozac. They also describe the resounding success that has been achieved with more humane alternatives for the treatment of depression.Talking Back to Prozac provides essential information for anyone who takes Prozac or is considering taking it, and for those who prescribe it.Show book
A railway historian chronicles the pioneering career of Richard Maunsell with a thorough account of the locomotive classes he built for the SE&CR. As the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the South Eastern & Chatham Railway from 1913 to 1923, Richard Maunsell brought successful innovations to a number of steam locomotive classes. Notably, the D and E 4-4-0s were rebuilt as D1 and E1 locomotives with higher pressure boilers and long-travel valve events. Maunsell also made significant modifications to the L class—designed by his predecessor, Harry Wainwright—just before their delivery in 1914. In the 1920s, Maunsell designed the L1 class for the 80-minute express line between London Victoria and Folkestone. He then built his masterpiece: the 3-cylinder V class—also known as the Schools class—for express services on all three constituent parts of the Southern Railway. In this authoritative history, author and civil engineer David Maidment describes the design, construction, operations and performance of these locomotives. Maidment’s expert text is supported by more than photographs illustrating each class from their construction to their final demise in 1962. This volume also includes an update on the three Schools class locomotives that have been preserved and operate on Britain’s heritage steam railways.Show book
Secular and sacred, ancient and new, words for contemplation—and inspiration to act in defense of the earth. Our planet, our home, is in crisis, plain and simple—and this collection of quotes, poems, essays, and prayers will inspire all to actively reverse the man-made causes of global warming, stem the tide of environmental destruction, and reconnect to the good earth. Short essays of topical interest introduce each of the eight sections of this book, and the 250 voices inside, most of them contemporary, began to harmonize together as they seem to call out for their own canonical structure — one bounded by the ancient elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water. This collection of voices is like a “green book of devotional hours,” reminiscent of the Books of Hours medieval people used to hold in their palms. And like that medieval book, The Green Devotional reminds us that we are connected to something broader and wiser than ourselves. Including selections from Rachel Carson, Cornel West, Bill McKibben, Alice Walker, Sue Monk Kidd, Dean Koontz, Barbara Kingsolver, Daniel Pinchbeck, Arundhati Roy, and many others, The Green Devotional ends with a section of “Closing Prayers” that prepare us not just to go to sleep, but to rest up for another day of passionate action.Show book
