Some years ago when I was chair of the department of civil and environmental engineering, a colleague introduced me to a visitor from Sandia Laboratories, perhaps the largest developer of armaments and weapons systems in the world. We had a nice visit, and as we chatted, the talk naturally centered on the visitor's engineering work. It turned out that his job in recent years had been to develop a new acoustic triggering device for bombs. As he explained it, the problem with bombs was that the plunger triggering mechanism could fail if the bomb hit at an angle, and thus the explosives would not detonate. To get around this, he dev- oped an acoustic trigger that would detonate the explosives as soon as the bomb hit any solid surface, even at an angle. As he talked, I watched his face. His enthusiasm for his work was clearly e- dent, and his animated explanations of what they had developed at Sandia exuded pride and excitement. I thought about asking him what it felt like to have spent his engineering career designing better ways to kill people or to destroy property - the sole purpose of a bomb. I wondered how many people had been killed because this man had dev- oped a clever acoustic triggering device. But good sense and decorum prevailed and I did not ask him such questions. We parted as friends and in good spirits.

Some years ago when I was chair of the department of civil and environmental engineering, a colleague introduced me to a visitor from Sandia Laboratories, perhaps the largest developer of armaments and weapons systems in the world. We had a nice visit, and as we chatted, the talk naturally centered on the visitor's engineering work. It turned out that his job in recent years had been to develop a new acoustic triggering device for bombs. As he explained it, the problem with bombs was that the plunger triggering mechanism could fail if the bomb hit at an angle, and thus the explosives would not detonate. To get around this, he dev- oped an acoustic trigger that would detonate the explosives as soon as the bomb hit any solid surface, even at an angle. As he talked, I watched his face. His enthusiasm for his work was clearly e- dent, and his animated explanations of what they had developed at Sandia exuded pride and excitement. I thought about asking him what it felt like to have spent his engineering career designing better ways to kill people or to destroy property - the sole purpose of a bomb. I wondered how many people had been killed because this man had dev- oped a clever acoustic triggering device. But good sense and decorum prevailed and I did not ask him such questions. We parted as friends and in good spirits.

This book makes the case that engineers have special professional obligations to protect and enhance the environment, and the authors--one an engineer and the other a philospher-- seek to provide an ethical basis for these obligations. In exploring these ethical issues, the authors aim to show that engineers make a difference. The text opens with a series of case studies in which engineers face complex and challenging decisions about the environment. Succeeding chapters examine different ideas about environmental ethics for engineers, including professional codes and both modern and historical discussions of environmental responsibility. The book concludes with a collection of readings that complement the text. Students, as well as practicing engineers, will find much of interest in this well-argued and thought-provoking book.

This book makes the case that engineers have special professional obligations to protect and enhance the environment, and the authors--one an engineer and the other a philospher-- seek to provide an ethical basis for these obligations. In exploring these ethical issues, the authors aim to show that engineers make a difference. The text opens with a series of case studies in which engineers face complex and challenging decisions about the environment. Succeeding chapters examine different ideas about environmental ethics for engineers, including professional codes and both modern and historical discussions of environmental responsibility. The book concludes with a collection of readings that complement the text. Students, as well as practicing engineers, will find much of interest in this well-argued and thought-provoking book.

SOLID WASTE ENGINEERING is one of a handful of engineering textbooks to address the growing and increasingly intricate problem of controlling and processing the refuse created by our urban society. While the authors discuss issues such as regulations and legislation, their main emphasis is on solid waste engineering principles. They maintain their focus on principles by first explaining the basic principles of the field, then demonstrating how these principles are applied in real world settings through worked examples.

"Vesilind?s book will serve as a valuable resource, not only for graduate students on the threshold of academic careers, but also for current assistant professors in need of a mentor and even for those top undergraduates deciding whether a doctorate followed by college teaching is the best use of their talents. Combining good-humored criticisms of academia with sincere defense of the contributions of professors, Vesilind gives informal and, more importantly, frank advice for every stage of the career, from the career choice to retirement."

--Eugenia P. Gerdes, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences

Bucknell University

Maybe you?d like to combine the two loves of your life?teaching and scholarship?and perhaps build a satisfying and profitable academic career, but you?re not sure if this is really what you want or how to go about it. Or maybe you?ve made up your mind but need some good advice on how to succeed. If so, this book is written for you. So You Want To Be a Professor begins with a discussion of jobs in academia and how to find them. Chapters cover a wide range of political skills for future academic success, including lecturing, organizing a course, meeting your first class, testing, maintaining a research program, and writing for publication. No other book provides such a practical overview of essential career-building skills. Even junior faculty will benefit from the advice in this engaging, comprehensive book.