Are we doomed? As individuals, certainly, eventually, inevitably. But as a species? As a civilization? Leading catastrophe engineer Michel Bruneau thinks perhaps not. The Blessings of Disaster draws on knowledge from multiple disciplines to illustrate how our civilization's future successes and failures in dealing with societal threats-be they pandemics, climate change, overpopulation, monetary collapse, and nuclear holocaust-can be predicted by observing how we currently cope with and react to natural and technological disasters. Maybe most importantly, this entertaining and often counter-intuitive book shows how we can think in better ways about disasters, to strengthen and extend our existence as both individuals and as a species. When it comes to rare extreme events, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tornados, volcanic eruptions, technological accidents, terrorist attacks, pandemics, and even existential threats, it is in our nature to set ourselves up for disasters because the gamble may be worth it. But only maybe. The Blessing of Disaster is the very real story of the relationship between humans and disasters - and it's not a simple one. Bringing together his decades-long career spanning the globe as an earthquake and disaster engineer, detailed catastrophe case studies from extreme events like Japan's Kobe earthquake and category 5 hurricanes in the American South, along with thoughtful and practical solutions, Bruneau provides a thorough examination of the structural challenges that face today's (and tomorrow's) world. How we cope with today's threats is indicative of what the future holds. Contrary to popular forecasts, it is not all gloom and doom - but some of it definitely is.

This is the first comprehensive book about surgery on and around the vertebral artery all along its cervical and intracranial course. This vessel has been considered for long as out of surgical reach leaving many different pathologies not or incompletely treated. The surgical exposure and control of the vertebral artery not only permit to treat lesions of the vertebral artery wall or developed in contact to it but also to improve the access to the intervertebral foramen (tumors, osteophytes), to the anterior aspect of the spinal cord (tumors, spondylotic spurs), to the foramen magnum and to the jugular foramen. This book written by leading experts includes all aspects of vertebral artery surgery from anatomy to imaging, surgical techniques and pathologies; it is illustrated by many figures especially operative views and schematic drawings so that the beginner as well as the experienced surgeon find useful information. One of the editors of this book (B. GEORGE) was recently awarded the Olivecrona award for his work on the surgery of the vertebral artery.

Winner, Best Second Novel, 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Awards

Finalist, Literary Fiction, 2012 Book of the Year Award, Foreword Reviews

"My casket shall be filled to the rim with 2005 Saint-Emilion." So read the first line of the specific instructions for Keene's funeral-a funeral that nobody would attend, since he had no friends or family. This had to be a mistake. Carmina's ex-husband had never been one inclined towards such exuberance-"he was a boring engineer for Christ's sake." Besides, she didn't want to have anything to do with this sordid story-they hadn't spoken to each other for more than a decade. A story that would have her treasure hunt for junk, with a suicidal, pyromaniac kid in tow, while being courted by the shyest lawyer on earth. Keene didn't have friends, but he sure had quirky acquaintances; each of the eight Carmina has to visit holds a piece of the puzzle.

With its palette of quirky characters, imaginative developments, and unusual perspective on life and death, The Emancipating Death of a Boring Engineer is an inspirational journey that captivates, entertains, and provides food for thought to those of us who happen to know someone who might die someday (rare as it may be).

About the author:

Michel Bruneau is a boring engineer of the not so boring kind-whether he is emancipated or dead remains to be seen. His previous novel (Shaken Allegiances), which won the 2010 Grand Prize Next Generation Indie Book Awards and received much acclaim, depicted a Kafkaesque post-disaster world at the hands of self-serving actors. On a different tack, The Emancipating Death of a Boring Engineer is an uplifting story with an upbeat ending, because it was written with a pen of a different color.

www.michelbruneau.com

Reviews

"This is certainly one way to go out. A love triangle of the strangest kind. You might find yourself charmed by a so-called boring engineer."

ForeWord Reviews

"The Emancipating Death of a Boring Engineer tells a compelling, and, at times, funny story. An entertaining read."

San Francisco Book Review

"Plenty of humor with its own take on the romance, very much recommended reading."

Midwest Book Review

Truly delightful. A sweet and poignant testimonial to love. Well worth reading. Readers Favorite

"Zany with occasional moments of seriousness."

IndieReader Review

Winner, 2nd Place, Fiction, 2010 Next Generation Indie Book Awards

Winner, 1st Place, Regional Fiction, 2010 Next Generation Indie Book Awards

Shaken Allegiances spans 48 hours in a world askew-almost absurd-just after a devastating earthquake has struck and isolated Montreal Island in the dead of an icy winter, one week before a referendum on Quebec's secession from Canada. No power, no communications, no access, and -40 F, but no heroes to the rescue; no Schwarzenegger, no Stallone, no Charlton Heston. Provincial and federal politicians are busy waging an ideological war, while coordination of emergency response is in the hands of a lunatic; a structural engineer and a disc jockey form an odd couple in their pursuit of fame, while the frustrated media seek ways of leapfrogging the collapsed bridges to undertake some disaster tourism of their own. Their fortuitous encounters, and problems with quirky opportunists, converge to help make things worse. Kafka would feel at home.

Shaken Allegiances jolts with a disturbing and witty projection of today's unbridled narcissistic society, a disaster in full bloom that has sprung from the seeds of individualism planted in the 1980s. Its colorful characters, quixotic, ambitious, rapacious, self-righteous, naive, conceited, moronic, lost, or otherwise flawed, provide a fresh, entertaining and cynical view of the inescapable human folly.

About Michel Bruneau

Michel Bruneau's blend of deadpan humor and keen eye for the nonsensical side of human nature underlie his original perspective on contemporary existence. His previous book of fiction, "Inhumanite - Onze nouvelles qui insultent l'intelligence" (in French) has received excellent reviews, particularly from Radio Canada. In the technical realm, he has been an earthquake engineer for over 20 years, doing his share to reduce the risks of infrastructure collapse. As a professor and researcher, he has extensively published and has received many awards for his work. Born in Quebec City, expatriated by the demands of work, he lives in Buffalo, enjoying its comparatively balmy winters.
www.MichelBruneau.com

Reviews
Seeing how the civil and political authorities behave, we are forced to conclude that the earthquake, after all, is a lesser evil. ( ) They all work toward their own personal agenda. ( ) Nobody is spared. The characters sometimes resemble, to a fault, those we find in our own different parliaments. A warning to your readers ( ) to let them know from the outset that they will encounter things that may slightly unsettle them.
Line Boily, Radio Canada

"An earthquake cuts off Montreal Island from the world, and a whole circus of Canadian politics, media, and so much more erupt around it. A cynical and humorous look at the Quebec issue and modern Canada, "Shaken Allegiances" is uniquely Canadian and deserves a place in world fiction collections."
Midwest Book Review

Michel Bruneau has set the standard for combining excitement with factual content in the earthquake fiction genre. (...) This is not a novel in which to find role models. (...) Recommended to earthquake engineering experts as well as to the general public.
Robert Reitherman, Executive Director, Consortium of Universities for Research in Earthquake Engineering, EERI Spectra

Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product.Comprehensive coverage of the background and design requirements for plastic and seismic design of steel structures Thoroughly revised throughout, Ductile Design of Steel Structures, Second Edition, reflects the latest plastic and seismic design provisions and standards from the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC) and the Canadian Standard Association (CSA). The book covers steel material, cross-section, component, and system response for applications in plastic and seismic design, and provides practical guidance on how to incorporate these principles into structural design. Three new chapters address buckling-restrained braced frame design, steel plate shear wall design, and hysteretic energy dissipating systems and design strategies. Eight other chapters have been extensively revised and expanded, including a chapter presenting the basic seismic design philosophy to determine seismic loads. Self-study problems at the end of each chapter help reinforce the concepts presented. Written by experts in earthquake-resistant design who are active in the development of seismic guidelines, this is an invaluable resource for students and professionals involved in earthquake engineering or other areas related to the analysis and design of steel structures. COVERAGE INCLUDES: Structural steel properties Plastic behavior at the cross-section level Concepts, methods, and applications of plastic analysis Building code seismic design philosophy Design of moment-resisting frames Design of concentrically braced frames Design of eccentrically braced frames Design of steel energy dissipating systems Stability and rotation capacity of steel beams