Customer Reviews (1)

Anthropology applied to American Railroading
This is as far as I know, the ONLY serious study concerning what railroad work entails and how railroaders become enculturated into their crafts.It is written specifically from the perspective of the Locomotive Engineer (Engine Driver, for those of you living outside the USA).Author Frederick Gamst writes in his preface that he conducted his research between 1955 and 1961, during 6 1/2 years employment in engine service, as well as fieldwork between 1970 and 1975.

Gamst refers to the individuals, unions, and companies by fictitions names in this book to protect privacy, also undoubtedly not to discourage participation in the future.The railroad he worked for and later further researched is fictitiously called the "Central City and Urbana Railroad".According to other works by Gamst I have read, it appears to have been the Western Division of the Southern Pacific.

For those with no experience whatsoever in Anthropology or Sociology, don't despair!Dr. Gamst explains the importance and meaning of industrial ethnology as well as he explains railroad terms, customs, and behaviors.Chapters include:

1. Introduction (Scope of the Book, In the Rail World, Industrial Ethnology)

2. The Railroad and its Setting (Development of the railroads and the United States, Railroads in Contemporary American Society, The Geographical Setting of the CC & U)

3. Hiring Out (Enculturating the Railroader, Becoming a Student, Examining the Diesel-Electric, Learning the Craft, Flattening Wheels, Learning, A Retrospection)

4. Operating and Other Rules (The Book of Rules, Scope of Rules, Local Additions to Rules, Rules as Ideal and Actual Patterns, Examinations on Rules, Rules, a Retrospection

5. Freight Train, Freight Train, Goes So Slow (The call is out, Bean time conversation, In the register room, Leaving Town, The Man in Charge, The Delayer)

6. On the High Iron (Running to Cementon, Picking up Cars, Radioing Ahead, Hotboxes, "It was on this grade...", Down the Hill, Setting Out)

7. The Home Terminal (Heading home, Arriving at Urbana Terminal, Mileage, other good, and protection of good, Off The Job)

8. Future Trends for the Hoghead (Railroad growth in a developed country, rail demographics, The hoghead is a Lady, Energeticlimits to Growth, Technological Development, Diversification, Nationalization, and Regulation)

*References & Glossary

While 25 years down the line, a few of the things Gamst discusses are outdated, as a Railroad Conductor who has worked in both freight and passenger service, many more things discussed here are still relevent.There is still pride in our craft, and we still hire out, get quits, go to beans, spot cars, pull cars, make set-outs and pick-ups...

On a personal level, this volume (and several of his other published works) was an inspiration and help to me during my senior year in College when I did a study on railroad occupational subculture, and needed ideas for structuring my project and conducting interviews with railroad employees.Gamst has in essence provided a template for further research on our subculture, offering a well thought out and planned work which clarifies what makes a Rail, a Rail.
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Product Description
This ground-breaking text looks at the ways of integrating sustainability aspects into science and engineering. In providing an all-round sustainability education, it teaches students within engineering and environmental science the implications of their decisions on the environment.

Taking a life cycle approach to address environmental, economic and social issues, it covers areas of fresh water and wastewater, air pollution, solid waste management, design and manufacturing of chemicals, process design and contracting, industrial ecology and energy sources and technologies

• Case study based, with real world and practical examples relevant for developed and developing countries

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Product Description
Sustainable Development in Practice: Case Studies for Engineers and Scientists, is a completely revised and updated second edition of this successful text. The book explores the concept of sustainable development and its implications for science and engineering practice and looks at how sustainability criteria can be combined with traditional scientific and engineering considerations to design and operate industrial systems in a more sustainable manner. Taking a life cycle approach to address economic, environmental and social issues, the book will present a series of new practical case studies drawn from a range of sectors, including mining, energy, food, buildings, transport, waste, and health.

Most of the existing books on sustainable development are aimed at the social sciences and humanities. This book uniquely, is aimed at engineers and scientists and it successfully combines technical, economic, social and environmental aspects of sustainable development in the case studies. Clearly structured throughout, the book opens with a general introduction to the issues surrounding sustainable development and explores the concept of sustainable development and its implications for technical experts. Recognising that practical interpretation of sustainable development depends on the context, the second part of the book is devoted to a set of case studies drawn from a range of industrial sectors including mining, energy, food, buildings, transport, waste and health. Each case study sets out real practical problems and explores the scientific and technical aspects of each problem whilst also taking into consideration its economic, environmental and social ramifications to position the expert analysis in the context of sustainable development.

This book is essential reading for all engineers and scientists concerned with sustainable development. In particular, it provides key reading and learning materials for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students taking courses in environmental, chemical, civil or mechanical engineering, manufacturing and design, environmental science, green chemistry and environmental management.

Completely revised and updated throughout, the Second Edition now covers twelve new sectors/applications. These new applications are particularly pertinent to sustainable development with each case study including a section on communicating ideas/processes with the non-engineering and non-scientific audience to draw out the importance of this subject for engineers and scientists. The book now includes a supplementary website that includes further case study material not included in the book.

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Product Description
"Beyond Failure" presents the circumstances of important failures that have had wide-reaching impacts on civil engineering practice. Each case study narrates the known facts of the situation: design and construction, the failure, subsequent investigation or analysis, and, where appropriate, additional issues such as technical concerns, ethical considerations, professional practice issues, and long-term effects. The case studies are organized around eight common topics of undergraduate engineering courses, and each case study has teaching points and a reading list, so this book is useful to engineering faculty and their students. With more than 40 full cases, this book will also appeal to practicing engineers with an interest in forensic investigations or the analysis of historic failures. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Best I've read
I am a civil engineer, and have read a number of textbooks and journals on engineering failures and forensic engineering.I think this book is the best I've read.A multitude of cases are separated into sections based on the general area of cause; structural statics and dynamics, structural analysis, mechanics of materials, etc.It contains many varied cases, each covered in an informative and interesting manner.I would recommend it highly. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Industrial Engineer, published by Thomson Gale on September 1, 2006. The length of the article is 984 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Forecasting variation.(Case study)
Author: Susan Chandy
Publication: Industrial Engineer (Magazine/Journal)
Date: September 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 38Issue: 9Page: 52(2)

Article Type: Case study

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Product Description
This digital document is an article from Industrial Engineer, published by Institute of Industrial Engineers, Inc. (IIE) on June 1, 2010. The length of the article is 1296 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: A safe journey in time.(Case Study)
Author: David Brandt
Publication: Industrial Engineer (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 1, 2010
Publisher: Institute of Industrial Engineers, Inc. (IIE)
Volume: 42Issue: 6Page: 52(2)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more