Fire: A Very Short Introduction
- ISBN-10
- 0192565613
- ISBN-13
- 9780192565617
- Series
- Fire
- Category
- Science
- Pages
- 144
- Language
- English
- Published
- 2020-06-25
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Author
- Andrew C. Scott
Description
Fire is rarely out of the headlines, from large natural wildfires raging across the Australian or Californian countrysides to the burning of buildings such as the disasters of Grenfell tower and Notre Dame. Fire on these scales can represent a serious risk to human life and property. But the advent of fire made and controlled by humans also represented a crucial point in our evolution, allowing us to cook our food, forge our weapons, and warm our homes. This Very Short Introduction covers the fundamentals of fire, whether wild or under human control, starting with the basics of ignition, combustion, and fuel. Andrew Scott considers both natural wildfires and the role of humans in making and suppressing fire. Despite frightening reports of wildfire destruction, he also shows how landscape fires have been part of our planet's history for 400 million years, and do not always have to be extinguished. He also considers the problem of fires in urban settings, including new ways to prevent fires. The cost of wildfire can be steep - as well as the burning, post-fire erosion and flooding can have a great impact on both humans and the environment. It can also have a lasting effect in shaping ecosystems and plant life. Scott ends by examining the relationship between fire and the climate, and considering the future of wildfire in a warming world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.
Get the book
Other editions
-
- 2022-05-10
- 160 pages
- Paperback
- Simon and Schuster
-
- 2020-08-01
- 307 pages
- Paperback
- NewSouth Publishing
Similar books
-
Graceling
By Kristin CashoreIn a world where some people are born with extreme and often-feared skills called Graces, Katsa struggles for redemption from her own horrifying Grace, the Grace of killing, and teams up with another young fighter to save their land from a ...
-
Fire with Fire
By Destiny SoriaRaised to be fierce dragon slayers, two sisters end up on opposite sides of the impending war when one sister forms an unlikely, magical bond with a dragon in this standalone YA contemporary fantasy that's perfect for fans of Slayer and ...
-
Books on Fire: The Destruction of Libraries Throughout History
By Lucien X. PolastronYet, almost as old as the idea of the library is the urge to destroy it. The reasons cited for this are many: educated people are much harder to govern, and some proclaim that only the illiterate can save the world.
-
Forest Fire Creates Inferno
By Louise Spilsbury, Richard SpilsburyCase studies of recent forest fires, including the 2016 fires in California, provide readers with real-life examples to encourage connections between the book's STEM content and social studies concepts of conservation, community engagement, ...
-
Young Men and Fire: Twenty-fifth Anniversary Edition
By Norman MacleanHaunted by these deaths for forty years, Norman Maclean puts together the scattered pieces of the Mann Gulch tragedy in Young Men and Fire, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award.
-
Fire on the Mountain: The True Story of the South Canyon Fire
By John N. MacleanA gripping account of the tragic 1994 South Canyon forest fire that killed fourteen firefighters chronicles the string of seemingly small human blunders that contributed to the tragedy. Reprint.
-
Fire Study
By Maria V. SnyderThe Chronicles of Ixia Series by Maria V Snyder Book One: Poison Study Book Two: Magic Study Book Three: Fire Study Book Four: Storm Glass Book Five: Sea Glass Book Six: Spy Glass Book Seven: Shadow Study Book Eight: Night Study Book Nine: ...
-
Assorted Fire Events: Stories
By David MeansRanging across America, taking in a breathtaking array of voices and experiences, this story collection now stands as one of the finest of our time.
-
The Great Chicago Fire: All Is Not Lost
By Steven Otfinoski"Vivid storytelling and authentic dialogue bring American history to life and place readers in the shoes of people who experienced one of the worst fires in American history - the Great Chicago Fire.
-
The Strand Theatre Fire: The 1941 Brockton Tragedy and the Fallen Thirteen
By James E. Benson & Nicole B. CasperWilliam E. Kelleher, who had a dramatic rescue after the collapse from the rafters of the theater, and William H. Berry would not return to work. ... Cornelius J. Burke was out of work for six months due to a severely injured back.