Other books that might interest you

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  The Shocking Truth about...

  Zoey Fraisers

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  Environmental conservation has long been portrayed as a noble and essential pursuit—one aimed at safeguarding the planet's ecosystems and securing a sustainable future. From tree planting campaigns to the protection of endangered species, the image of environmentalism has often been one of hope and progress. Yet beneath this well-crafted narrative lies a complex, often uncomfortable truth that few are willing to confront. Despite decades of environmental initiatives, the state of our planet continues to deteriorate at an alarming rate, and many of the efforts we believe are making a difference may, in fact, be little more than a facade. 
    
  The shocking reality is that many conservation efforts, though well-intentioned, have been ineffective or even counterproductive. Corporate interests, government policies, and misleading claims about “green” products have created an illusion of progress while exacerbating the very problems they are supposed to address. Major corporations, under the guise of corporate social responsibility, engage in environmental degradation on an unprecedented scale, often using conservation as a marketing tool to distract from their harmful practices. In parallel, governments, despite claiming to prioritize environmental issues, often fall short in enacting meaningful change due to political and economic pressures. 
    
  Furthermore, the term "conservation" itself is often misused, with projects that promise to restore ecosystems sometimes masking the exploitation of natural resources. While wildlife preservation and habitat restoration are vital components of environmental protection, they are frequently treated as standalone solutions that fail to address the root causes of environmental destruction, such as overconsumption and industrial pollution.

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  Machine Learning System Design...

  James Ferry

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  Designing and building machine learning (ML) systems can seem daunting for beginners, but understanding the foundational steps and principles can simplify the process. At its core, ML system design involves a series of well-defined steps that guide the transformation of raw data into valuable insights through predictive models. Here’s a beginner’s guide to understanding and implementing these steps effectively. 
  The first step in designing an ML system is problem definition. Clearly defining the problem you aim to solve is crucial. This involves understanding the business context, identifying the goals, and determining the type of problem—whether it is classification, regression, clustering, or another ML task. A well-defined problem ensures that the subsequent steps are aligned with the desired outcomes. 
  Once the problem is defined, the next step is data collection and preprocessing. Data is the backbone of any ML system, and its quality significantly impacts the performance of the models. Collect data from various sources and ensure it is relevant to the problem. Data preprocessing involves cleaning the data to handle missing values, removing duplicates, and normalizing the data. It also includes feature engineering, which involves selecting, modifying, or creating new features that enhance the predictive power of the model. 
  Finally, the deployment and monitoring phase ensures that the ML model is operational and continues to perform well over time. Deploy the model to a production environment where it can make real-time predictions or be used in batch processing. Implement monitoring systems to track the model’s performance and detect any drift in data distribution that might require retraining the model. Regularly update the model with new data to maintain its accuracy and relevance. 
   

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  The Waste Between Our Ears - The...

  Gerry Gillespie

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  The time for effective change is shrinking. 
  In this book, writer, researcher and advocate Gerry Gillespie outlines how we can create a global solution, and it starts between our ears. In order to restore our world ecosystems and our vital soils, he wants to change how we think about our trash. Readers will learn why we all need to change our mind about waste management systems, how to reconnect our organic waste to local soil and food growers, and why this leads to more local jobs. 
  With chapters about source separation, soil management and climate change, and practical approaches to zero waste, Gillespie presents a practical, logical argument for one way to save the world and grow a local economy. In economic and environmental terms, clearly explains how, if waste were collected as source-separated products, more than half of it could be returned to soils as quality compost and biological products. A very large percentage of the remainder can be put back through recycling, re-manufacturing and reusing. And it’s not just theoretical. Gillespie details how this reduction of waste is already being achieved in parts of the world and how we could do it globally … if we could only think differently. 
  Advocates, nonprofit directors, waste managers, landfill directors, environmentalists, entrepreneurs, eco-farmers and anyone searching for environmental solutions and opportunities with source separation should not only read this book … we must figure out how to change our thinking, and put Gillespie’s plan into action.

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  Saved by a Stranger -...

  Lezlee Peterzell-Bellanich

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  Saved by a Stranger is an honest, down-to-earth, informative book inspiring hope, perseverance, and triumph for those who are facing the need for a new organ. Through great storytelling, the author helps patients and caregivers feel empowered as they face the challenges of the unknown. 
  After battling a rare autoimmune disorder called Primary Schlerosing Cholangitis (PSC) for eighteen years which led to cirrhosis, Lezlee Peterzell Bellanich's husband, Capt. Rob, finally received his life-saving liver transplant on September 10, 2020 at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. Today, he looks and feels like a healthy man with a new engine inside of him. 
  What were all of the twists and turns that led to where they are now? How does hearing amazing survival stories from other transplant patients provide hope and crucial information to those on the waitlist? How, who, and where do donated organs come from? 
  Saved by a Stranger unlocks the mystery of organ donation and transplantation through honest storytelling. The author not only describes their family's personal journey, which included relocating from New York to Florida at the beginning of the Covid outbreak, but also features chapters and interviews with other transplant patients and medical professionals in this field. In doing so, she hopes to increase organ donor registration, give hope to those on the transplant waitlist, and encourage all transplant centers to have regular support group meetings like the Mayo Clinic's weekly Second Chance support group for liver and kidney transplant patients and caregivers.

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  Cosmos Issue 99 - Ancient Insights

  The Royal Institution of Australia

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  From the nanoscale to the planetary, Issue 99 goes on an adventure across space and time:In the Top End, David Hancock documents ancient rock art as it’s renewed by a new generation of people on Country.From the shores of Botany Bay, Drew Rooke reports on the epic bird migrations turning avian science on its head.Ella Finkel documents a decade of brainwaves in neuroscience, a field already being revolutionised by AI.Plus zombies in real life, the science of fake meat, hope in the ocean and the Aussie mozzies defeating dengue at a global scale. 
  Dive in – a universe of science is waiting for you. 
  This is Issue 99 of Cosmos, a quarterly science print magazine. 
  Produced by The Royal Institution of Australia, Cosmos aims to inspire curiosity in 'The Science of Everything' and make the world of science accessible to everyone.

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  Mission Zero - The Independent...

  Chris Skidmore

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  Mission Zero is a landmark independent report into the delivery of the UK's commitment to net zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. Chaired by Chris Skidmore, the UK's former Energy Minister who was responsible for signing net zero into law, its conclusions set out, for the very first time, a new economic narrative for climate policy, demonstrating the vast financial opportunity that net zero can deliver.
  This timely and crucial report acts as a template for how all countries can map out future challenges and opportunities and, above all, deliver their own pathway to net zero while also creating new jobs, industries and investment for the future.
  Commissioned by the UK's Prime Minister in September 2022, Mission Zero is the largest engagement exercise on net zero conducted to date and has been widely recognised as the most informative and detailed document on the topic, covering every sector and aspect of society. This important book is a vital piece of work and an indispensable must-read for anyone interested in energy, climate and sustainability policy.

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