The Rocket Lab: Maurice Zucrow, Purdue University, and America’s Race to Space focuses on the golden era of space exploration between 1946 and 1966, specifically the life and times of Purdue University’s Dr. Maurice J. Zucrow, a pioneering teacher and researcher in aerospace engineering. Zucrow taught America’s first university course in jet and rocket propulsion, wrote the field’s first textbook, and established the country’s first educational Rocket Lab. He was part of a small c...

Shines a light on Detroit architect Wirt Rowland who, until now, has largely slipped into obscurity.In the early 1900s, Detroit was leading the nation in architectural innovation and designer Wirt Rowland was at the forefront of this advancement, yet few are even aware of his substantial contribution to the evolution of architectural style. It is widely believed that celebrated local architect Albert Kahn designed many of Detroit's structures, such as the General M...

The Complete Guide to Safe, Durable, and Beautiful Cob BuildingsPart of the Sustainable Building Essentials series, Essential Cob Construction delivers the most up-to-date design, engineering, and building guidance for one of the world's most enduring and expressive natural materials: cob. Learn how to build structurally sound, comfortable, low-carbon homes using clay, sand, and straw—with full support for permitting and modern building science.

This engaging survey of the Space Age links science and technology with politics and popular culture, war and peace, and crises and controversies. It examines the history of spaceflight as a mirror of human thought and action across the Earth.The volume encompasses the new astronomy and sciences of the modern era, the early dreamers and pioneers after 1903, the national competitions of the First World War, the rocket states that prepared for the Second World War, the rivalries and ...

At the turn of the 20th century, industrial manufacturing was expanding dramatically while factory buildings remained fire-prone relics of an earlier age. That is, until a 28-year-old civil engineer finally achieved what engineers around the world had unsuccessfully attempted. Working in his brother’s basement in Detroit, Julius Kahn invented the first practical and scientific method of reinforcing concrete with steel bars, which finally made it possible to construct strong, fireproof buil...

Rockets and Revolution offers a multifaceted study of the race toward space in the first half of the twentieth century, examining how the Russian, European, and American pioneers competed against one another in the early years to acquire the fundamentals of rocket science, engineer simple rockets, and ultimately prepare the path for human spaceflight.Between 1903 and 1953, Russia matured in radical and dramatic ways as the tensions and expectations of the Russian revolutio...

The original, complete, user-friendly introduction to natural building, now fully revised and updatedThe popularity of natural building has grown by leaps and bounds, spurred by a grassroots desire for housing that is healthy, affordable, and environmentally responsible. While there are many books available on specific methods such as straw-bale construction, cob, or timber framing, there are few resources which introduce the reader to the entire scope of this burg...

Witchcraft to Celebrate Your Optimistic & Adventurous SelfBoost your magical practice and personal development with the power of your Sagittarius Sun sign. Ivo Dominguez, Jr. and Enfys J. Book share what strengths and challenges your sign brings to both witchcraft and everyday life. Featuring recipes, exercises, stories, rituals, and spells from the authors and a host of Sagittarius contributors, this book teaches you how to best connect with your sign's energy, ma...

Permaculture in a Nutshell is a concise and accessible introduction to the practice of permaculture in temperate climates. It covers how permaculture works in the city, the country and on the farm and explores ways in which people can work together to recreate real communities.

A lot of pleople wonder what homesteading is and how it fits into our modern society. In a nutshell it is a return to being self sufficient, living off the land if you will. As more and more individuals are trying to find ways to save money they are looking at ways to grow what they can.A lot may find it surprising to know that having a boxed garden or a potted garden is an urban way to homestead.This book provides all the information that one could ever want to know on a b...

Do you love growing things... like flowers... herbs... or vegetables?Do you want to garden... but don't have the yard space to grow anything? If so, then you've found the right book!Everyone loves greenery! The fresh feeling... the sense of life... and homegrown vegetables.Gardens increase the quality of your home -- making them livelier with a garden and the greenery.As a culture, in our everyday hectic lives, we've become too sterilized and cut off from our...

Permanent agriculture - abundance by design"The wealth of practical knowledge in The Permaculture Handbook is a welcome addition to North America's canon of books on permaculture design, and will serve other regions as well. Peter Bane's broad and well-tested experience in ecological living will guide homeowners, gardeners, and small farmers toward designing and living in lushly productive and harmonious landscapes."― Toby Hemenway, author of