Cycles of Life: Civilization and the Biosphere (Scientific American Library Paperback) [Paperback]

Vaclav Smil (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0716760398 | ISBN-13: 978-0716760399 | Publication Date: October 1, 2000

Once seen as a collection of individual components, nature is now regarded as a unified system—a biosphere that permeates the Earth’s waters and extends from parts of its crust up into the atmosphere.

In Cycles of Life, Vaclav Smil describes current efforts to take into account the complex interplay of living organisms and environmental changes that shape the functioning of biogeochemical cycles. He focuses on the effects of human interference in these cycles caused by actions ranging from the combustion of fossil fuels to feeding a growing population. As we discover how intricate biospheric cycles are, and see the large-scale consequences that a seemingly local change can have, we realize the valuable contributions biogeochemical studies can make to the future of our planet.

Based on the latest scientific research, Cycles of Life is an authoritative introduction to the workings of the biosphere, one that emphatically calls for thoughtful environmental management, yet remains sensible in its recommendations for preventing further environmental damage.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Chemistry for better living? At our current rate of chemical overdose, it may or may not be possible, but with Cycles of Life for a roadmap we might view the cycles with clarity enough to control our chemistry."
—Bloomsbury Review

"[Cycles of Life] investigates the cycles operating within the biosphere, and provides a look at the connections between the many forces at work in the world in which we live . . . . [It] will appeal to both biologists and non-biologists who wish to gain an understanding of the life cycle in which we actively participate."
—Biosis

"A delightful and thoughtful work on the intricate dance of Earth’s biospheric constituents."
—John Katzenberger, Director, Aspen Global Change Institute

"Cycles of Life gives an excellent historical perspective on our contemporary understanding of global biogeochemistry . . . For this topic, I can’t think of a better volume aimed at the general audience."
—Christopher S. Potter, Ecosystem Research Scientist, NASA Ames Research Center

"Smil brilliantly combines history and the newest developments in our understanding of biogeospheric cycles. By starting from a world without life and then showing how living organisms have influenced these cycles, he gives a fascinating picture of how life has shaped and is shaping our Earth.
—Thomas Kuhlbusch, NRC Associate, EPA Ecosystems Research Division

About the Author

Vaclav Smil is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. During nearly 30 years of interdisciplinary research there, Professor Smil has focused on the interactions of environment, energy, food, population, economy, and society. He has published 16 books and more than 200 papers on these topics. His most recent books are China's Environmental Crisis, Global Ecology, Energy in World History, Energies: An Illustrated Guide to the Biosphere and Civilization, and Feeding the World.

Product Details

• Paperback: 221 pages
• Publisher: W. H. Freeman (October 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0716760398
• ISBN-13: 978-0716760399
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,137,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Vaclav Smil is currently a Distinguished Professor in the Faculty of Environment at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. He completed his graduate studies at the Faculty of Natural Sciences of Carolinum University in Prague and at the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences of the Pennsylvania State University. His interdisciplinary research interests encompass a broad area of energy, environmental, food, population, economic, historical and public policy studies, and he had also applied these approaches to energy, food and environmental affairs of China.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (Science Academy) and the first non-American to receive the American Association for the Advancement of Science Award for Public Understanding of Science and Technology. He has been an invited speaker in more than 250 conferences and workshops in the USA, Canada, Europe, Asia and Africa, has lectured at many universities in North America, Europe and East Asia and has worked as a consultant for many US, EU and international institutions. His wife Eva is a physician and his son David is an organic synthetic chemist.

Official Website: www.vaslavsmil.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating, January 12, 2006

By 

Jerrad Pierce - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cycles Of Life: Civilization And The Biosphere (Paperback)

I found this book (2 ed. Scientific American 2001) to be easily readable, and while the general thrust of the work may be about the greenhouse effect that is not the main topic. Rather, the book focuses on exploring the flows of major substances in the environment e.g; carbon, nitrogen, water and phosphorous. I've loaned this book and and it was greatly appreciated there too. Alas, it seems it can be difficult to go back and reference material; the index is a bit skimpy and the text arrangement works well for reading but may only allow you to find the general section of what you are looking for.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The background to the "Greenhouse Effect", April 17, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Cycles of Life: Civilization and the Biosphere (Scientific American Library Series,) (Hardcover)

This book gives the reader the background to consider the "Greenhouse Effect" and all its ramifications in a serious way. Very good reading and very thought provoking.