The Human Powered Home

A complete guide to modern pedaled-powered, treadled, and hand-cranked devices for the home. What if I could harness this energy? An unusual question for anyone putting in a long stint on a treadmill perhaps, and yet human power is a very old, practical and empowering alternative to fossil fuels. Replacing motors with muscles can be considered a political act -- an act of self-sufficiency that gains you independence. The Human-Powered Home is a one-of-a-kind compendium of human-powered devices gathered from a unique collection of experts. Enthusiasts point to the advantages of human power: Portable and available on-demand Close connection to the process or product offers more control Improved health and fitness The satisfaction of being able to make do with what is available This book discusses the science and history of human power and examines the common elements of human-powered devices. It offers plans for making specific devices, grouped by area of use, and features dozens of individuals who share technical details and photos of their inventions. For those who want to apply their own ingenuity, or for those who have never heard of human-powered machines, this book is a fine reference. For those who are beginning to understand the importance of a life of reduced dependency on fossil fuels, this book could be a catalyst for change.

Human Powered is a concise and accessible guide that will help you collaboratively solve problems, resolve conflict and inspire others.

This book discusses the role electricity plays in sustaining and improving the quality of life. The author elucidates the numerous approaches to estimating value, including electricity’s contribution toward the U.S. Gross Domestic Product; its role in medicine, and its ability to power communications. Traditional measures such the cost of outages, the impact of storms, the cost of restoring power systems after storms, the Value of Lost Load (VOLL), consumer Willingness to Pay (WTP) to avoid outages, and consumer surveys are covered extensively. In addition, the book speculates on life without electricity and how society may have evolved without it.

The Power of Design offers an introduction and a practical guide to product innovation, integrating the key topics that are necessary for the design of sustainable and energy-efficient products using sustainable energy technologies. Product innovation in sustainable energy technologies is an interdisciplinary field. In response to its growing importance and the need for an integrated view on the development of solutions, this text addresses the functional principles of various energy technologies next to the latest design processes and innovation methods. From the perspective of product applications, the book provides clear explanations of technologies that are significant for product integration, such as batteries, photovoltaic solar energy, fuel cells, small wind turbines, human power, energy saving lighting, thermal energy technologies in buildings, and piezoelectric energy conversions. The design processes and innovation methods presented in this book include various approaches ranging from technical, societal and creative methods that can be applied in different stages of the design process. Other features include: a methodological approach, enabling readers to easily apply the theory to their research projects and to the actual design of sustainable products with energy technologies discussion on interaction design and smart grid interventions colour photographs that illustrate the final products numerous case studies of product development projects and concepts in practice, enabling readers to understand and design energy-efficient products in several different markets a companion website containing useful information about the cases and an additional design cases with sustainable energy technologies The Power of Design provides a comprehensive and visually-appealing opening into the subject for third and fourth year students, postgraduates, and professionals in the areas of energy, environment, product design and engineering

Carefully researched over ten years and eagerly anticipated by the agile community, Crystal Clear: A Human-Powered Methodology for Small Teams is a lucid and practical introduction to running a successful agile project in your organization. Each chapter illuminates a different important aspect of orchestrating agile projects. Highlights include Attention to the essential human and communication aspects of successful projects Case studies, examples, principles, strategies, techniques, and guiding properties Samples of work products from real-world projects instead of blank templates and toy problems Top strategies used by software teams that excel in delivering quality code in a timely fashion Detailed introduction to emerging best-practice techniques, such as Blitz Planning, Project 360o, and the essential Reflection Workshop Question-and-answer with the author about how he arrived at these recommendations, including where they fit with CMMI, ISO, RUP, XP, and other methodologies A detailed case study, including an ISO auditor's analysis of the project Perhaps the most important contribution this book offers is the Seven Properties of Successful Projects. The author has studied successful agile projects and identified common traits they share. These properties lead your project to success; conversely, their absence endangers your project.

This is the first comprehensive book ever written about human-powered vehicles (HPVs). Filled with 180 impressive photographs, detailed drawings, and tables, Human Powered Vehicles explains the history of HPVs, offers practical insights into their design, and considers future possibilities of human-powered travel. Allan V. Abbott and David Gordon Wilson, HPV designers and former presidents of the International Human Powered Vehicle Association, have assembled a list of contributors representing a who's who of leaders in human-powered vehicles. They review the development of human-powered water, land, and air vehicles, focusing on the innovations that have significantly improved performance in recent years. Inside this book, you'll find applications of human power in history; a discussion of all major factors that enhance or limit the performance of the "human engine"; design issues for rowing shells, hydrofoils, bicycles, human-powered aircraft, and other HPVs; descriptions of famous human-powered vehicles, such as the Gossamer Condor; and an examination of the economic and environmental advantages of human-powered travel. A fascinating read for bicyclists, inventors, hobbyists, and sports enthusiasts, this book is also an excellent human factors reference for sports medicine and exercise science professionals.

“This is a delightful and funny adventure ... It is also lonely, dangerous and frightening.”—THE LONDON TIMES He survived a terrifying crocodile attack off Australia’s Queensland coast, blood poisoning in the middle of the Pacific, malaria in Indonesia and China, and acute mountain sickness in the Himalayas. He was hit by a car and left for dead with two broken legs in Colorado, and incarcerated for espionage on the Sudan-Egypt border. The first in a thrilling adventure trilogy, Dark Waters charts one of the longest, most gruelling, yet uplifting and at times irreverently funny journeys in history, circling the world using just the power of the human body, hailed by the London Sunday Times as “The last great first for circumnavigation.” But it was more than just a physical challenge. Prompted by what scientists have dubbed the “perfect storm” as the global population soars to 8.3 billion by 2030, adventurer Jason Lewis used The Expedition to reach out to thousands of schoolchildren, calling attention to our interconnectedness and shared responsibility of an inhabitable Earth for future generations. * * WINNER of the BENJAMIN FRANKLIN AWARD & ERIC HOFFER AWARD * * “Often funny and irreverent, always frank and authentic, Lewis’s first volume of The Expedition series is also marked by the thrills of a first-rate adventure.”—FOREWORD REVIEWS “Skating through Alabama with long hair, duct tape on the nipples, and women’s culottes … What were you thinking?”—JAY LENO, The Tonight Show “A riveting true-life adventure as inspiring as it is thrilling.”—UTNE READER “An extraordinary expedition on an epic scale.”—BEN FOGLE, television presenter and adventurer “Last great first for circumnavigation.”—THE SUNDAY TIMES “Truly a tale for our time. You really smell, taste and breathe this journey in a way that is only possible by travelling more slowly.”—ROYAL SCOTTISH GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY

In Tunisia and Morocco.