Clean Energy Nation Now Available on NetGalley

Our upcoming book, Clean Energy Nation: Freeing America from the Tyranny of Fossil Fuels by U.S. Congressman Jerry McNerney, Ph.D., and Martin Cheek, is now available for review on NetGalley. Click HERE to submit your request.

If you are a book reviewer, journalist, librarian, professor, bookseller, and blogger, or other book professional, we invite you to download an e-galley of the book today.

Dangerous CO2 emissions, massive oil spills, dwindling supplies—the problems with fossil fuels are driving a long-overdue reassessment of our nation’s energy policies. U.S. Congressman Jerry McNerney, a renewable energy engineer and the first representative with expertise in energy independence, leads the way to change. In Clean Energy Nation, he and journalist Martin Cheek make an impassioned argument for drastically reducing dependency on fossil fuels and developing sustainable, readily available energy sources—solar, wind, biofuel, geothermal, and hydrogen-based power.

Bringing together a rare combination of scientific knowledge, political savvy, and insightful journalism, the authors reveal the pros and cons of alternative energy sources and examine how our nation became addicted to fossil fuels in the first place. The book reads like the dramatic story it is, complete with dire projections about peak oil and grim scenarios of rising oceans…keen insights into policies and players that have stalled progress on climate change and favored big oil…and astute recommendations for building a clean energy economy and a prosperous, stable future.

CONGRESSMAN JERRY McNERNEY, PH.D., was elected to California’s 11th Congressional District in November 2006. He is a member of the House Select Committee on Global Warming and Energy Independence and the House Committee on Science and Technology. Prior to serving in Congress, he was an energy consultant for Pacific Gas and Electric, FlowWind, and the Electric Power Research Institute. MARTIN CHEEK has worked as a journalist for more than two decades, specializing in science and high-tech industry.

Click HERE to submit your request for a copy of Clean Energy Nation.

NetGalley is a service for people who read and recommend books, such as book reviewers, journalists, librarians, professors, booksellers, and bloggers.

There are a number of different reading options for this e-galley:

• Quick Browse. Preview the galley using NetGalley’s web-based reader.
• Download Galley. Read a Protected (DRM) galley on your computer, Sony Reader, B&N’s Nook, Kobo Reader, or other device. You’ll need Adobe Digital Editions (free software). You can also read on your iPad or iPhone via the Bluefire Reader app.
• Kindle. Send a NetGalley file to your Kindle device, using your @Kindle.com or @free.Kindle.com email address. Make sure to follow the instructions here. Note:The Kindle button works for Kindle devices only. By pressing the orange Kindle button for a NetGalley title, you can send the file to your Kindle device. You will not be able to share that file with any Kindle apps (like Kindle for PC or iPhone).
• Email Publisher. This button will allow you to email the publisher directly to request a reading option not currently enabled.

You can find all of AMACOM’s e-galleys on NetGalley HERE.

Spring 2011 Catalog Online Now!

Our Spring 2011 catalog is now online! You can download a pdf of the catalog HERE. Check out all our seasonal catalogs HERE.

Highlights from the new catalog include:

• Unbeatable Resumes: America’s Top Recruiter Reveals What Really Gets You Hired by Tony Beshara, with a Foreword by Dr. Phil McGraw.
• Full Engagement!: Inspire, Motivate, and Bring Out the Best in Your People by best-selling author Brian Tracy.
• Clean Energy Nation: Freeing America from the Tyranny of Fossil Fuels by Congressman Jerry McNerney, Ph.D., and Martin Cheek .
• 6 Secrets to Startup Success: How to Turn Your Entrepreneurial Passion into a Thriving Business by John Bradberry.
• Cracking the New Job Market: The 7 Rules for Getting Hired in Any Economy by R. William Holland, with a Foreword by Barbara Ehrenreich.

We look forward to seeing these books on your shelf!

Talkin’ ‘Bout My Generation

They’re like the cool kids in high school. Everyone wants to know them and everyone wants them on their team. They type really fast, and have reinvented the art of multitasking. They grew up with technology at their fingertips and they’re adept at making changes fast and acclimating even faster.

Call them what you want: Generation Y’ers, Baby Boom Echos, Millenials, but they’re in high demand and chances are you know at least one of them. You might even have one of your own. Some consider them impatient; Others consider them eager. But to recruiters, marketing firms, and social media networks they’re a godsend.

Gen Y’ers are the biggest thing since…well, since Gen X’ers. Their attention spans are shorter but their creativity has led to some fascinating advancements in the way we organize and share information with innovations such as Facebook, Mint.com and YouTube.

Here are a few reading recommendations for the Gen Y’er in your life, because, believe it or not, they actually can sit still to read a book…while making dinner and texting, of course.

Generations at Work: Managing the Clash of Veterans, Boomers, Xers and Nexters in your workplace by Ron Zemke, Claire Raines, and Bob Filipczak

Although it’s not a matter of Gen Y’ers vs. Baby Boomers, disparities in opinions and social mores can sometimes make it feel that way. The authors offer up some insightful suggestions for dealing with the generational divide to create an engaging and productive workplace.

Absolutely Small: How Quantum Theory Explains Our Everyday World by Michael D. Fayer, Ph.D.

Sometimes Gen Y’ers need a break from the ubiquitous tech talk. Media and digital technologies are helpful for knowing how to reach people and build online communities. But where are the answers to age old curiosities like “Why are blueberries blue?” Author Michael D. Fayer, Ph. D. cleverly breaks down difficult concepts and lays them out accessibly, making even the toughest ideas easy to digest.

The AMA Handbook of Business Writing: The Ultimate Guide to Style, Grammar, Punctuation, Usage, Construction, and Formatting by Kevin Wilson and Jennifer Wauson

With grammar and writing style taking a back seat to e-colloquialism, an all-inclusive handbook on writing is a must for Gen-Yers. Press releases, memos, newsletters, proposals, and many more are outlined alphabetically in this guide. Top-notch communication skills are still imperative and can make any Gen-Yer stand out above among his or her peers in this competitive job market.

Work Your Strengths: A Scientific Process to Identify Your Skills and Match Them to the Best Career for You by Chuck Martin, Richard Guare, and Peg Dawson

If a Gen Y’er had to answer the question, “Where do you see yourself in the next ten years” it might go unanswered. The Gen Y generation is known for not settling into a career that isn’t meant for them. By providing an online profile and using a science-based technique, the authors of Work Your Strengths help readers narrow down their paths to discover career options that fit their personalities.

More Time For You: A Powerful System to Organize Your Work and Get Things Done by Rosemary Tator and Alesia Latson

Between unpaid internships, grad school, new jobs and career advancements, Gen Y’ers are busier than ever. Rosemary Tator and Alesia Latson help readers go from overwhelmed to organized to keep important tasks properly prioritized. Charts neatly keep schedules in order while screenshots easily show how to implement the programs for less delaying tasks and increased productivity.

Before you ask yourself, “What Is It About 20-Somethings?” try suggesting one of these books to the Gen-Yer in your life. You may be faced with initial hesitation, followed by a Tweet or two to find out if any of their friends have read it, but they’ll be thankful you thought to recommend them something besides a link.

To see more of our books, visit our website at www.amacombooks.org.

By Lauren Johnson, publicity intern at AMACOM.

Michael D. Fayer, Ph.D. on his upcoming “TechNation” NPR Interview

The following is a guest post from Michael D. Fayer, author of Absolutely Small: How Quantum Theory Explains Our Everyday World.

On Wednesday August 25th I drove thirty miles north from my home base as a professor in the Department of Chemistry at Stanford University to the San Francisco radio studio of the NPR station, KQED. I was to be interviewed by Dr. Moira Gunn for her national radio show, Tech Nation. In spite of a slight panic on the way caused by of all things a flat tire, Moira and I had a great conversation about my new book, Absolutely Small.

Of course, Moira has done thousands of radio interviews, but I have not, so this was a new experience for me. Having listened to Moira’s show over the years I was thrilled being on her show, though I admit I was a tad nervous. But Moira, the consummate professional and gracious host put me at ease immediately. We did the interview in a sound proof studio with one of those windows into the control room. A microphone on a stand was put in the right position in front of me, and I was warned not to move around too much. This is hard for me because I’m used to waving my arms and running around when I get excited talking about science, but I locked my face to the mike, and all went well.

We first talked about why the book is called Absolutely Small. I described how the concept of size is fundamental to understanding how quantum mechanics is different from classical mechanics. For example, classical mechanics is great for describing the flight of a base ball, designing an airplane, or landing a space craft on Mars. However, if you want to know why cherries are red and blue berries are blue, you need quantum theory. If you want to understand what a trans fat is or why electricity goes through metals but not glass, you need quantum theory. The vast majority of things that you see around you have their properties because of the nature of the atoms and molecules that make them up. Atoms, molecules, electrons, and photons are small in an absolute sense. The fundamental problem with classical mechanics is that in nature size is absolute, and classical mechanics is not set up to describe absolutely small objects. So at the beginning of the 20th century, the edifice of classical mechanics, which up to that time seemed to explain everything, began to fall apart.

One of the areas Moira and I discussed was fats. What is a polyunsaturated fats, a monounsaturated fats, and unnatural fats produced by chemical processing, trans fats. We have all heard of these fats, but what are they and why does it matter? Understanding the nature of molecules gives the answer. We also talked about the remarkable properties of absolutely small particles such as electrons and photon. The amazing thing about such objects is that in some sense they can be in more than one place at the same time. This is not a property of baseballs, and is counter to our intuition of how the world works. Quantum theory makes this seemingly impossible property of absolutely small particles understandable and shows how the property is necessary to explain phenomena that are important for describing the world around us.

Quantum theory seems to be mysterious, but it only seems that way because we don’t have a quantum theory intuition. We intuitively understand that if you hit a baseball harder, it will go farther. But our classical intuition stops working when we want to understand the beautiful world of atoms and molecules. Absolutely Small presents the material necessary to think quantum and gain a better understanding of our everyday world without the stumbling block of math.

The interview with Dr. Moira Gunn will air on TechNation on this Sunday, September 12. You can listen to it HERE.

Michael D. Fayer, Ph.D., is the David Mulvane Ehrsam and Edward Curtis Franklin Professor of Chemistry at Stanford University and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. He has won major prizes and honors in the fields of physics, chemistry, and molecular spectroscopy. He is the author of Absolutely Small: How Quantum Theory Explains Our Everyday World and Elements of Quantum Mechanics.

Green Your AMACOM Library for Earth Day

This post originally appeared on April 22, 2009.

AMACOM has been publishing books in the environmental field, so today is a great day to highlight some of our eco-friendly titles on the blog!

GREEN YOUR BUSINESS

Investing in a Sustainable World: Why Green is the New Color of Money by Matthew J. Kiernan, Ph.D.

“Matthew Kiernan has successfully scaled the Green Wall that often separates those working in the financial and sustainability domains. His latest book demystifies the concept of sustainable investment and provides a compelling rationale for Wall Street to consider environmental and social criteria, not as afterthoughts but rather as core considerations in our investment decision-making framework.” –Abyd Karmali, Managing Director, Global Head of Carbon Markets, Merrill Lynch

“If you’re a long-term investor, you have to care about sustainability, because it also equates to the ultimate sustainability of corporate earnings. As a Fund that invests across multiple generations, seeking short term gains at the expense of our planet and mankind, will ultimately prove too costly to long-term corporate earnings and therefore reduce our overall return. We at CalSTRS take this book’s messages very much to heart.” –Christopher Ailman, Chief Investment Officer CalSTRS

The Sustainable Enterprise Fieldbook: When it All Comes Together edited by Jeana Wirtenberg, Ph.D., William G. Russell, David Lipsky, Ph.D.

“this book offers a compilation of excellent, practical resources for developing a sustainable enterprise.” –Choice

“A very user-friendly and practical book on sustainability. It is well written and comprehensive, very clear, and concise in its explanations and applicable examples.” –People & Strategy

Green Tech: How to Plan and Implement Sustainable IT Solutions by Lawrence Webber and Michael Wallace

With today’s electronic systems consuming massive amounts of energy, and improper disposal of old equipment threatening to release dangerous toxicity into the atmosphere, any company whose IT department isn’t actively working to shrink its carbon footprint isn’t just hurting the environment…it is also probably wasting money. Green Tech provides readers with practical, easily implemented strategies for sustainable computing. Filled with realistic, cost-efficient ideas, this book shows that going green isn’t just the right thing to do, but also a good business strategy.

GREEN YOUR HOME

Your Eco-Friendly Home: Buying, Building, and Remodeling Green by Sid Davis

“…easy to understand book for both readers who are interested in making small changes, or who want a completely sustainable home.” –ForeWord

“For anyone with questions about ways to buy, build or remodel a home so that it meets more environmentally friendly standards, this book provides the answers.” –Long Island Newsday

“…addresses practical considerations of how to find and finance eco-friendly real estate as well as use environmentally sound materials and techniques to make homes more efficient.” –Home Maintenance Club

“This guide gives you all the general home building, buying or renovating information you need…but Your Eco-Friendly Home then takes you a step further, explaining how to make your home as green as possible while keeping your budgetary and other individual needs in mind…this no-nonsense book…points to a wealth of resources and green websites to help you towards your eco-friendly journey.” –LowImpactLiving.com, review by Green LA Girl

“I can certainly see myself referring back to the book as a resource and a launch point to help weigh my options. I like this book because when I finished it, I left knowing more than when I started, but also feeling a little more realistic in both my home buying and my green home aspirations.” –Treehugger.com

“Davis’s latest book guides buyers who are searching for eco-friendly real estate down the right path in a market that offers little or no resources…The book is a must-buy for those home buyers or owners wishing to go-green” –Gay Real Estate USA

“Clear, understandable language brings readers up to speed on green real estate concepts that could otherwise be tricky for beginners.” — The Sierra Club’s Green Life Blog

GREEN YOUR MIND

Food Fray: Inside the Controversy over Genetically Modified Food by Lisa Weasel, Ph.D.

2009 Green Book Festival Competition Winner in the Scientific category

“The well-written and well-researched book combines interviews with scientists, activists, farmers, and consumers with scientific insights into this contemporary controversy.” — SciTech Book News

“An intelligent synthesis of solid research, firsthand reporting, and comprehendible analysis that manages to stay objective while critically examining the issues at hand.” –World Future Review

“A riveting and disturbing reality check, Food Fray is a crucial reminder that it’s time to be informed, not passive. Weasel’s is a compelling voice affirming that the desire to know more about GM foods before eating them and to allay concerns about safety and environmental impacts, isn’t at all anti-science. It’s a decidedly pro-human stance.” –The Miami Herald

“Weasel asks and answers important questions about the world’s food supply.” –The Oregonian

“Dr. Weasel masterfully navigates the complicated and multi-faceted history of the storied GM debate, giving equal treatment to the various sides and ultimately entrusting the readers to come to their own conclusions. The end result is required reading for anyone curious about GM technologies, past, present and future.” — Common Ground Magazine

Nuclear Nebraska: The Remarkable Story of the Little County That Couldn’t Be Bought by Susan Cragin

“This inspiring story teaches a wonderful lesson of democracy in action.” –ALA Booklist

Where We Stand: A Surprising Look at the Real State of Our Planet by Seymour Garte, Ph.D.

“Garte’s reasoned discussion[…]a valuable tool for increasing science literacy with regards to the important environmental issues of the day” –Publishers Weekly

“For people who are put off by all the talk of global warming these days, a new book, ‘Where We Stand: A Surprising Look at the Real State of Our Planet’ by Seymour Garte, Ph.D., gives a balanced and in many ways positive view of the state of the planet. Garte, a professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh, goes over both the critical issues still facing man, as well as the often-forgotten progress and positive developments. Perusing the book, I find the author’s messages to be more insightful than I would have expected with a level of optimism that’s refreshing.” — Green World Blog, BostonHerald.com

“Where We Stand, is an antidote for an overly pessimistic view of the future of the environment…He presents an authoritative and compelling argument for the role of technology and scientific discovery — an unusual stance in the ecological worldview.” —HealthNet Media

“Dr. Garte does a very good job of spelling out where we’re doing well, how we’ve failed, and what we can continue to do to improve. This book is a testament to the academics and good attitude of Dr. Garte, a professor of environmental and occupational health at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. Hopefully, by reading it, everyone can learn something, whatever your personal or political views on the subject. I highly recommend this book!” –MilitantLibertarian.org

Happy Earth Day everyone! Keep making the world a better place to live!