Drylands are a sizeable part of the world's potentially arable land. They vary from the hyper-arid regions of the classic deserts of Africa and Asia to the more common semi-arid and sub-humid areas that support extensiveagricultural systems dependent on rainfall or irrigation.Following their successful and innovative work The Economics of Dryland Management the editors have assembled twenty case studies from nine countries in the continents of Africa, Asia, North America and...

It has always been thought that some level of pollution and waste is unavoidable in development projects. But no one has made much effort to quantify and assess the extent of this sort of damage.In this book a group of analysts from the Asian Development Bank and from the East West Center propose a means of constructing useful economic evaluations of the impacts of development projects on the environments in which they are constructed. This study demands the systematic evaluation o...

We have always had land in which the agricultural productivity is limited because there is not enough moisture. Systems of farming and burning often degrade dryland further until it is desert. Today, however, the problem is becoming much more serious. Over 20 per cent of the world's population lives in dryland areas, and unless action is taken drylands will increase dramatically.This book focuses on the people who live and .farm in the drylands, their use of land resources and the e...

In a thrilling adventure, a young sleuth and his professor friend are challenged to solve a riddle and win a fortuneProfessor Roderick Childermass may be the strangest person Johnny Dixon has ever met, but compared to his brother Peregrine, the professor is practically normal. Peregrine is a born trickster, and when he knows his death is near, he sends a letter promising the professor his entire $10,000,000 estate—assuming he can solve one final riddle. The profess...

A boy sneaks into an old church to confront a mad ghost in this adventure by the author of The House with a Clock in Its WallsIt's the 1950s when Johnny Dixon's mother dies, his father goes to fight in the Korean War, and he goes to live with his grandparents. Although life in a new house is strange, Johnny's "Grampa" listens to his favorite ballgames, takes him on long walks, and tells him stories of the strange mysteries that lurk in the shadows. Best of...

A clever young man and an eccentric professor search for a missing fortune, in this spooky adventure full of "marvelous surprises" ( Publishers Weekly)H. Bagwell Glomus built an empire out of cereal. In the 1920s, his Oaty Crisps were the most popular breakfast in the United States, and Mr. Glomus was the wealthiest man in the little town of Gildersleeve, Massachusetts. But he was not a happy man. In 1936, he took his own life and his will was never found....

A bookish boy searches for his missing best friend in this spooky tale by the author of The House with a Clock in Its WallsOn a country lane in snowbound 1950s New Hampshire, a car goes skidding off the road. Professor Childermass and Johnny Dixon escape unscathed, but their car is stuck, and they are forced to walk into town. Johnny doesn't mind. A curious young man, he has fun anytime the professor takes him out, because he's treated like an adult. Toget...

A boy tries to stop a rampaging robot in this "deliciously wicked fun" tale by the author of The House with a Clock in Its Walls ( School Library Journal)When feared Yankees slugger Cliff Bullard goes barnstorming around the northeast, offering $10,000 to any local pitcher who can strike him out, Professor Childermass and Johnny Dixon get a sneaky idea. There's a local legend about a crackpot inventor who once built a robot capable of throwing a b...

A young hero and his professor friend set out to save a priest from a ghost, in this novel by the author of The House with a Clock in Its WallsAside from the eccentric Professor Childermass, young sleuth Johnny Dixon's best friend may be Father Higgins, the kindly priest at the local church. When Higgins is transferred to the congregation in the tiny town of Rocks Village, Johnny and the professor are afraid they won't see their old friend ever again. But ...

A young man fights to save his father from a spirit's curse in the epic finale to a series starring "a terrific hero" ( The New York Times)The sea is calm, the air is fresh, and the bobbing boat feels like a living creature underneath Johnny Dixon's feet. Johnny hardly ever sees his father, who trains Air Force pilots in Colorado, and their annual Florida fishing trip is the highlight of his year. They're on their way back to Duston Heights, Massachusetts,...

Hidden away in the local library, a sorcerer's book casts an evil spell in a novel by the author of The House with a Clock in Its WallsJohnny Dixon and his best friend Fergie are whiling away a rainy day at the Duston Heights library when Johnny asks a screwy question: "What's the last book in the library?" After Johnny goes home, Fergie decides to find out. There, under number 999.99, he finds a very peculiar tome, The Book of True Wishes

A "spooky[,] spine-tingling" time travel adventure that takes a boy and his eccentric professor friend to the mysterious Byzantine Empire ( Publishers Weekly) . . .[Description]Johnny Dixon is worried about Professor Childermass. The professor has always been an odd duck, but lately his behavior has been positively bizarre. He's been talking to himself and stalking down the street with his collar turned up and his hat over his eyes, and now he won't...