Flash Points

A major new book by New York Times bestselling author and geopolitical forecaster George Friedman (The Next 100 Years), with a bold thesis about coming events in Europe. This provocative work examines “flashpoints,” unique geopolitical hot spots where tensions have erupted throughout history, and where conflict is due to emerge again. “There is a temptation, when you are around George Friedman, to treat him like a Magic 8 Ball.” —The New York Times Magazine With remarkable accuracy, George Friedman has forecasted coming trends in global politics, technology, population, and culture. In Flashpoints, Friedman focuses on Europe—the world’s cultural and power nexus for the past five hundred years . . . until now. Analyzing the most unstable, unexpected, and fascinating borderlands of Europe and Russia—and the fault lines that have existed for centuries and have been ground zero for multiple catastrophic wars—Friedman highlights, in an unprecedentedly personal way, the flashpoints that are smoldering once again. The modern-day European Union was crafted in large part to minimize built-in geopolitical tensions that historically have torn it apart. As Friedman demonstrates, with a mix of rich history and cultural analysis, that design is failing. Flashpoints narrates a living history of Europe and explains, with great clarity, its most volatile regions: the turbulent and ever-shifting land dividing the West from Russia (a vast area that currently includes Ukraine, Belarus, and Lithuania); the ancient borderland between France and Germany; and the Mediterranean, which gave rise to Judaism and Christianity and became a center of Islamic life. Through Friedman’s seamless narrative of townspeople and rivers and villages, a clear picture of regions and countries and history begins to emerge. Flashpoints is an engrossing analysis of modern-day Europe, its remarkable past, and the simmering fault lines that have awakened and will be pivotal in the near future. This is George Friedman’s most timely and, ultimately, riveting book.

A timely account of the four most troubled hotspots in the world’s most combustible region Asia is at a dangerous moment. China is rising fast, and its regional ambitions are growing. Reckless North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un may be assembling more nuclear weapons, despite diplomatic efforts to eradicate his arsenal. Japan is building up its military, throwing off constitutional constraints imposed after World War II. The United States, for so long a stabilising presence in Asia, is behaving erratically: Donald Trump is the first US president since the 1970s to break diplomatic protocol and speak with Taiwan, and the first to threaten war with North Korea if denuclearisation does not occur. The possibility of global catastrophe looms ever closer. In this revelatory analysis, geopolitical expert Brendan Taylor examines the four Asian flashpoints most likely to erupt in sudden and violent conflict: the Korean Peninsula, the East China Sea, the South China Sea and Taiwan. He sketches how clashes could play out in these global hotspots and argues that crisis can only be averted by understanding the complex relations between them. Drawing on history, in-depth reports and his intimate observations of the region, Taylor asks what the world’s major powers can do to avoid an eruption of war – and shows how Asia could change this otherwise disastrous trajectory.

A compelling, intimate account of how US foreign assistance in war zones and developing countries does not achieve its intended goals. From the hot savannah of Malawi to the cold, damp gray of Kosovo and into the volatile war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan, the United States and other donors have invested enormous financial and human resources in major peacekeeping and development efforts. Why then is the world no closer to being a “better and safer” place? Both a salient critique of US foreign assistance and a thought-provoking memoir, Flash Points describes the issues with personnel, language, and gender dynamics, as well as the cross-cultural challenges that often undermine and betray the best intentions of policy makers comfortably situated in Washington. Revealed in illuminating flashbacks, Jade Wu recalls her experiences in each of these four countries highlighting how, all too often, Americans in the field and the US government were unable to learn the lessons that ought to have been learned when dealing with host countries and their people. The final results were efforts poorly conceived and executed and, ultimately, detrimental to American national interests. “Flash Points should be required reading for professionals in foreign assistance programs and could be used in formal training programs for aid workers before heading abroad. It will also interest the general reader. Many will find it a fascinating story of one woman’s experiences abroad. By leaving many pages with illuminating quoted dialogue, all readers will be lured on through Jade Wu’s adventures, right up to the final ‘flashback.’” — Robert W. Maule, Retired US Senior Foreign Service Officer “While there are a variety of books on the subject, few offer the unique perspective of the author who has been a Peace Corps volunteer in Africa and worked in Kosovo, Iraq, and Afghanistan, countries where there have been major military, peacekeeping, and development efforts and investments. Wu’s perspective is that of an objective, critical observer who has worked in the trenches. Her observations are well-informed, astute, and compel the reader to think carefully about the ways in which this country often wastes enormous resources—including human lives—in efforts that are ill-conceived.” — Thomas R. Carter, Retired Senior Advisor, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

The properties of fuel oils. The possibilities and limitations of each grade. Methods which can be used to assure uniform quality and efficient combustion. Fuel oil impurities and how they affect combustion. How to diagnose and solve problems. This book is a Print-on-Demand edition. It replaces ISBN 978-0-8311-0205-0. This standard reference presents a broad scope of fuel oil technology. It uses both English and Metric units throughout. Chemistry of Petroleum Petroleum Refining Processes Grades and Types of Fuel Oils Gravity Heat of Combustion Viscosity Water and Sediment Carbon Residue Ash and Salt Residue Flash and Fire Points Pour Point Sulfur Color Fuel Oil Distillates Preheating of Fuel Oils Sampling Storage Tanks Stability of Fuel Oils Fuel Oil Treatments Reclaimed Fuel Oils Blending of Oils Transportation and Storage Troubles and Causes Stand-by Fuel Oil Diesel Fuel Oils Index

The Regulated Chemicals Directory"lM is meant to be a convenient source of information for everyone who needs to keep up-to-date regarding the regulations and recommendations that pertain to chemical substances. The RCDTM is designed to be the first reference book to consult when beginning compliance efforts. Every regulatory or advisory list used in the RCDTM is keyed to its source, to help readers who need more detailed information on regulations, recommendations, or guidelines readily locate source documents. Some organizations now center their compliance efforts on computerized information stored in cross-referenced databases. A unique feature of the RCDTM is the availability of an electronic version suitable for use on IBM-compatible personal computers, download onto mainframes and CD-ROM players. Both the print and electronic versions are updated with the same timeliness. For more information on the electronic versions of the Regulated Chemicals DirectoryTM, contact Chapman & Hall directly (One Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10119, fax-212-564-1505). Many companies working on product development need information on what may be regulated in the future. The RCDTM provides selected information on pending regulations and in-progress testing lists, which can provide a starting place for tracking future regulatory considerations. Information for the RCDTM is continually gathered and updated. Suggestions from readers for information that should be added to the RCDTM or for other ways to improve the book are welcomed by Chapman & Hall. - Patricia L. Dsida, Pres. ChemADVISOR® , Inc. ix Part A. Chemical Lists and Indexes Section 1.

Reality TV meets a chillingly realistic version of America--and the fame game is on! Amy had dreams of going to college, until the Collapse destroyed the economy and her future. Now she is desperate for any job that will help support her terminally ill grandmother and rebellious younger sister. When she finds herself in the running for a slot on a new reality TV show, she signs on the dotted line, despite her misgivings. And she's right to have them. TLN's Who Knows People, Baby--You? has an irresistible premise: correctly predict what the teenage cast will do in a crisis and win millions. But the network has pulled strings to make it work, using everything from 24/7 hidden cameras to life-threatening technology to flat-out rigging. Worse, every time the ratings slip, TLN ups the ante. Soon Amy is fighting for her life--on and off camera.

Deliberately, accidentally, or consequentially, first responders and waste site workers handle unknown substances of varying degrees of danger every day. Unidentified chemicals involved with clandestine production of WMD agents or drugs, explosive materials, unlabeled waste, and forensic samples all pose a threat to the worker and those they protect. A straightforward, concise handbook of practical strategies is needed to perform effective risk assessment and management in the face of uncertainty. Written for emergency workers responsible for the safe response to and management of unknown hazardous materials, Emergency Characterization of Unknown Materials providesreadily applicable strategies for developing and implementing a fluid concept of risk analysis based on hazard characterization in emergency situations where definitive identification of the material may be impractical or even impossible. Using a hands-on approach involving the manipulation of small amounts of material, the author discusses strategies to identify threats and vulnerabilities, ascertain exposure, and reduce or eliminate impact. The book begins with an overview of chemical and physical terms and definitions. It continues with a look at types of hazards presented by chemical compounds and mixtures, organisms, and radiation sources. It covers approximately 63 portable technologies for field identification or characterization and examines general technological advantages and disadvantages relative to hazard identification. The final chapter presents strategies for use in identifying or characterizing suspected weapons of mass destruction, illegal drugs, explosive substances, biological hazards, and other hazardous materials. Each chapter includes extensive references and a comprehensive index. Providing a sweeping overview of hazards and emphasizing risk analysis and public safety, Emergency Characterization of Unknown Materials gives first responders an advantage they deserve.

Completely revised, this new edition includes the latest material on oil analysis, the energy conservation aspects of lube oil application and selection and bearing protector seals. Information on synthesized hydrocarbons and oil mist lubrication is thoroughly revised. It addresses the full scope of industrial lubricants, including general purpose oils, hydraulic fluids, food-grade and environmentally friendly lubricants, synthetic lubricants, greases, pastes, waxes and tribosystems. Detailed coverage is provided on lubrication strategies for electric motor bearings, gear lubrication, compressors and gas engines, and steam and gas turbines. Other topics include proper lubricant handling and storage, as well as effective industrial plant oil analysis practices.