Page 12 RAIN January/February 1985 . ACCESS: International A. T. Mazingira, bimonthly, $25/year, from: Tycooly International Publishing Limited 6 Crofton Terrace Dun Laoghaire 1 Co. Dublin_, IRELAND Mazingira, "the international magazine for environment and development," is an excellent magazine, supported by the United Nations Environment Program. Good quality photos, dear and relevant articles, and concise synopses of current issues combine to make this magazine well worth reading from cover to cover. Here's a sample of article subjects from a recent issue: implications of the developed countries' convenience food movement for the Third World; Bangkok's population problems; the pesticide problem; and a review of Peter Taylor's book, The Smoke Ring-The Politics of Tobacco. -JS Appropriate Technology for Health, inquire for price from: World Health OrganizationCH 1211 Geneva 27 SWITZERLAND If I wete still doing development work in the Third World, I can think of no other periodical I'd rather receive than this one. Published by the World Health Organization, Appropriate Technology for Health presents a'wide variety of useful information and interesting discussions in the traditions of E. F. Schumacher and Rene Dubos. It mainly addresses the needs of primary health care workers, b1:1t should be fascinating reading for anyone interested in small-scale technologies, planetary/ personal health, or wisdom from differ~nt cultures. Appropriate Technology for Health reminds me of RAIN: it's conversational, easy to read, has·a nice balance of graphics and text, contains pertinent access information, and is printed mostly in black and white (suitable for toilet paper and compost). Highly recommended.-JS A.T. International 1331 H Street NW · Washington, DC 20005 A. T. I~temational is a private, non-profit, development assistance organization. In collaboration with indigenous organizations, it helps plan, manage, and finance appropriate technology programs for the rural poor in underdeveloped countries throughout the world. The emphasis is , on developing programs that will become commercially successful and soon wean themselves.from the need for outside assistance. ATI receives most ofits funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID). -FLS · Farmers ofFive Continents, by Don Paarlberg, 1984, 109 pp., $13.50 from: University of Nebraska Pres~ 901 North 17th Street Lincoln, NE 68588. Farming has traditionally been viewed as a simple and noble way to make a living, a livelihoodthat sustains human life. But now even Americans realize that there is. nothing simple about.it; low market rates and high interest rates are forcing U.S. farmers to file for bankruptcy and sell off family fa:r:ms at an unprecedented rate. In "Farmers of Five Continents" author Don Paarlberg visits 19 farms in 12 countries to observe, question, and assess each country's farming system. Each country has its own chapter in the book portraying the different scales of farming. There are the farm-city communes throughout mainlan~ Chin~, and in Java leftover estates from Dutch colonists are still maintained, though a smallholds system is also being instituted. Paarlberg notes the growth of part-time farming in Taiwan and the struggle over modernizing farming techniques in Upper Volta. Other countries covered include Bali, Brazil, El Salvador, India, Malaysia, Portugal, the SoViet Union, and the United States. Paarlberg's standard for judging a specific farming system lies in its "economic performance, ecological sound-· ness, and political acceptability." However, Paarlberg never-really deals with the issue of ecological soundness. In El Salvador, for example, he praises the intercropping of corn and beans for its superior adaptation to the hilly countryside. In one sense it is ecologically sound. This same system relies on regular application of pesticide also, and Paarlberg condones this. He neither mentions its repercussions nor discusses any viable alternatives to its use. By observing the population growth in each country Paarlberg raises questions about the ability of each country to feed itself in the future. He describes the coercive family planning program in China, and the resistance to that idea in modern India. The author asks many good questions, but answers few of them. However, the author engages the reader in his project and his interviews reveal his sensitivity to other cultures. If the book had focused on half as many countries the work would have more depth and accuracy; more than one farmer per country could be interviewed and not just those in management positions. This book is a well-written, though very general overview of current international farming practices. -CarolAnn Oldershaw Improved Cooking Stoves in Developing Countries, by Gerald Foley and Patricia Moss, 1983, 175 pp.,·s20 from: Earthscan 1319 F Street NW Washington, DC 20004 Deforestation is a serious problem in many developing countries. Hopes for improving the dismal fuel situation in much of the Third World have rested on programs promoting more energyefficient cooking stoves. This book analyzes these programs from a broad and critical perspective. Both past programs and plahs for the fut ure come under scrutiny. I was pleasantly surprised because the author's research covers more than just the technical aspects of stove design. It also carefully and thoroughly analyzes use of appropriate · materials, local preferences, and effect of stove design on lifestyle. This wellillustrated publication asks many of the right questions about the secondary functions of traditional stoves such as space heating and insect repelling, which may not be fulfilled by more energyefficient versions. It even includes a history of civilization's use of wood as a fuel, which helps make this report a valuable resource for anyone interested in the prospects and pitfalls of applying appropriate technology. -Clay Dennis Clay Dennis has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell and is presently a student at the Atkinson Graduate School of Management at Willamette University.
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