Following on from their 2013 book, Sustainability Assessment: Pluralism, Practice and Progress, the authors are rapidly establishing themselves as lead authorities on this subject. Their new Handbook of Sustainability Assessment has many strengths. It brings together the latest research from leading experts from many parts of the world. It provides a valuable mix of conceptual work, practical applications and relevant techniques, and reflects on effectiveness in practice. In particular, as summarized by one of the many learned contributors, this Handbook marks a watershed between the end of the early life of applications and research initiatives in sustainability assessment and the beginning of many new possibilities. All these strengths make this book essential reading for both researchers and practitioners.' - John Glasson, Oxford Brookes University, UK'In a single volume the authors have succeeded in capturing the essential background, and cutting-edge thinking around the theory and practice of sustainability assessment. This is a timely and much needed contribution to an emerging field that has seen a proliferation of definitions and frameworks. It provides an indispensable resource for policy-makers, practitioners, researchers and students who are grappling with understanding the broad and complex terrain that this form of assessment covers. It should make an important contribution to directing decision-making towards sustainability.' - Theo Hacking, University of Cambridge, UK Sustainability assessment refers to any process that directs decision-making towards sustainability. This groundbreaking Handbook presents state of the art thinking and research on the theory and practice of this broad and rapidly evolving field. Emphasizing how traditional impact assessment practices can be improved to contribute to sustainable outcomes, the overall aim is to enhance the effectiveness of sustainability assessment practice. Based on original contributions from world-leading researchers and practitioners, the book examines sustainability assessment in five sections: the first explores the conceptual foundations of sustainability assessment from different perspectives; the second section introduces some of the different scales and decision-contexts to which sustainability assessment can be applied; third, sectoral approaches to sustainability assessment are investigated, focusing in particular on energy as a key area of future focus; the fourth section introduces several tools used within sustainability assessment, including ecosystem services, multi-criteria analysis, systems analysis, and objectives-driven approaches; finally, key aspects of sustainability assessment governance are considered, including managing decision complexity and community engagement. This essential and comprehensive exploration of sustainability, including strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, will be invaluable to students, academics and practitioners. Contributors: C. Adelle, M. Audouin, A. Bond, M. Burns, R. du Toit, A. Diduck, C.G. Duarte, V. Ferretti, T. Fischer, A.L.C.F. Gallardo, K. Gaudreau, D. Geneletti, R. Gibson, W. Grace, J. Gunn, N. Hanley, J. Hartz-Karp, S. Hayes, A. Jordan, L. Lamorgese, D. le Maitre, T.F. Malheiros, A. Morrison-Saunders, J. Nel, B. Noble, P. O'Farrell, M. Partidario, P. Pereira, S. Petrova, J. Pope, F. Retief, D. Russel, L.E. Sanchez, W. Sheate, J. Sinclair, J. Turnpenny, M. Vespa, A. Weaver, S. Weiland

Sustainability Assessment is an increasingly important tool for informing planning and development decisions across the globe. Required by law in some countries, strongly recommended in others, a comprehensive analysis of why Sustainability Assessment is needed and clarification of the value-laden and political nature of assessments is long overdue. Currently the writing on the subject is limited and comprises, for the most part, guidance documents and completed assessments. This book overcomes these shortcomings by simultaneously providing the knowledge, inspiration and range of assessment tools in decision-making students require to tackle Sustainability Assessment challenges nested within wide-ranging values and sustainability-grounded evidence. The collection details the current state-of-the art in relation to Sustainability Assessment theory and practice, and considers the pluralistic nature of the tool and the implications for achieving sustainable decision-making. The contributors set out the context for Sustainability Assessment and then outline some contested issues which can affect interpretations of whether the decision tool has been effective. Current practice worldwide is assessed against a consistent framework and then solutions to some of the inherent weaknesses and causes of conflict in relation to the perceived sustainability of outcomes are put forward. The book is unique in setting out state-of-the-art in terms of Sustainability Assessment practice by focusing on those countries with developing experience. It also covers emerging factors influencing effectiveness of decision-making tools and evaluates how they affect the performance of Sustainability Assessment. Written by authors among the leading university academics teaching impact assessment courses in the most acclaimed universities worldwide operating in this field, it is ideally suited for the growing numbers of courses in impact assessment education and training.

Sustainability Assessment is an increasingly important tool for informing planning and development decisions across the globe. Required by law in some countries, strongly recommended in others, a comprehensive analysis of why Sustainability Assessment is needed and clarification of the value-laden and political nature of assessments is long overdue. Currently the writing on the subject is limited and comprises, for the most part, guidance documents and completed assessments. This book overcomes these shortcomings by simultaneously providing the knowledge, inspiration and range of assessment tools in decision-making students require to tackle Sustainability Assessment challenges nested within wide-ranging values and sustainability-grounded evidence. The collection details the current state-of-the art in relation to Sustainability Assessment theory and practice, and considers the pluralistic nature of the tool and the implications for achieving sustainable decision-making. The contributors set out the context for Sustainability Assessment and then outline some contested issues which can affect interpretations of whether the decision tool has been effective. Current practice worldwide is assessed against a consistent framework and then solutions to some of the inherent weaknesses and causes of conflict in relation to the perceived sustainability of outcomes are put forward. The book is unique in setting out state-of-the-art in terms of Sustainability Assessment practice by focusing on those countries with developing experience. It also covers emerging factors influencing effectiveness of decision-making tools and evaluates how they affect the performance of Sustainability Assessment. Written by authors among the leading university academics teaching impact assessment courses in the most acclaimed universities worldwide operating in this field, it is ideally suited for the growing numbers of courses in impact assessment education and training.

Stepping up from a first degree to a Masters degree is a big leap. Undertaking a higher degree is a huge amount of work and that is why this title is so important. It is a shortcut to success.. Undertaking a masters degree is a huge undertaking, it is a formidable challenge. This book helps to illuminate your way; it is like having a team of expert academics to advise you on the way. This title takes the reader step-by-step through the process of developing their thesis; right from framing the initial research focus to delivering the finished, hopefully sparkling thesis. That is why it is such an important contribution to this level of study.

Alan made the mistake of being born at both the wrong time and in the wrong place. The year was 1936, a short time before the outbreak of the Second World War. The place was suburban London not far from Northolt, a major RAF fighter aerodrome. During the latter part of the Blitz his parents evacuated him to safety in Paignton, a seaside town in Devon a long distance from the German attacks on the capital and its environs. However he little knew that life in the air raid shelter among the falling bombs intended for Northolt was far less onerous than living in an old Victorian house with the admonitions of elderly grandparents constantly ringing in his ears.

After the war he graduated in medicine but becoming dissatisfied with the hierarchical class structure of the new National Health Service, so redolent of the life in the environment of the class consciousness of life with his snobbish grandparents, decided to emigrate to Australia. Life In Tasmania proved too much for his first marriage. He met 'the Blonde and together the two of them sailed a Tasmanian built wooden cutter, daring the often challenging waters of the Tasman Sea. On board the same boat they explored beautiful coasts of Tasmania, in the process uncovering some of the ghosts of the state's colonial past.

Alan Bond was a child of London, shaped by the horrors of World War II. He survived the worst of the London Blitz era before being sent to live in Devon. Even though he was sent away for his own safety, life with his elderly relatives compared rather unfavourably with life among the falling bombs.

As a young man, he decided upon a career in medicine. After earning his degree at university, he followed another dream of life abroad. He settled in Tasmania to work as an anaesthetist. This new existence proved too challenging for his marriage to survive, so he started over again as a single man. But life had other plans in store for this adventurer. He met the Blonde, and his life changed forever.

Now retired, he and his Australian lady shared a time of adventure on the high seas, daring the often challenging waters of the Tasman Sea and the Bass Strait. On board their boat, a wooden cutter, they explored the beautiful coasts of Tasmania and uncovered some of the ghosts of the state's colonial past.

Alan Bond's story is one of adventure, loss, and newfound love, of second chances, surprises, and dreams pursued-and achieved.

All three episodes from the third series of the BBC's fast-paced modernised crime drama based on the characters created by Arthur Conan Doyle. Laptops, mobile phones and the internet are the new tools for crime in a modern London under threat from serial killers, bombings and gang warfare. Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch), the most brilliant intellect of his generation, has a unique analytical brain unlike anyone else's, and staves off the ever-present threat of boredom by solving crimes, the more intricate and baffling the better. Meanwhile, his friend and flatmate, John Watson (Martin Freeman), is an army doctor invalided home from the battlefields of Afghanistan. The episodes comprise: 'The Empty Hearse', 'The Sign of Three' and 'His Last Vow'.

People form enduring emotional bonds with other animal species, such as dogs, cats, and horses. For the most part, these are domesticated animals, with one notable exception: Many people form close and supportive relationships with parrots, even though these amusing and curious birds remain thoroughly wild creatures. What enables this unique group of wild animals to form social bonds with people, and what does this mean for their survival? In Thinking Like a Parrot, Alan Bond and Judy Diamond look beyond much of the standard work on captive parrots to the mischievous, inquisitive, and astonishingly vocal parrots of the wild. Focusing on the psychology and ecology of wild parrots, Bond and Diamond document their distinctive social behavior, sophisticated cognition, and extraordinary vocal abilities. Also included are short vignettes--field notes of the natural history and behavior of both rare and widely distributed species, from the neotropical crimson-fronted parakeet to New Zealand's flightless, ground-dwelling kakapo. This composite approach makes clear that the behavior of captive parrots is grounded in the birds' wild ecology and evolution, revealing that parrots' ability to bond with people is an evolutionary accident, a byproduct of the intense sociality and flexible behavior that characterize their lives. Despite their adaptability and intelligence, however, nearly all large parrot species are rare, threatened, or endangered. To successfully manage and restore these wild populations, Bond and Diamond argue, we must develop a fuller understanding of their biology, of the complex set of ecological and behavioral traits that has led to their vulnerability. Spanning the global distribution of parrot species, Thinking Like a Parrot is rich with surprising insights into parrot intelligence, flexibility, and--even in the face of threats--resilience.