Page 10 RAIN ENERGYEnergy Sttategies: Toward a Solar Future, edited by fl.W. Kendall and S.!. Nadis of the Union of Concerned Scientists, 1980, 320 pp., paperback $7.50 available from: Union of Concerned Scientists 1384 Mass. Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138. - Cloth cover $16.50 trom: Ballinger Publi~hing Co. 17.Dunster St. <Cambridge, MA 02138 This is a gr,eat book: big, meaty, cornpre- , hensive, clear. Exactly what is needed as our energy crisis·wors,ens and dozens of • well-meaning groups rush forward with dozens of proposed solutions·. The authors of this 320-page book-six of the top scientis(s and analysts of the Union of Cqncerned Scientists-survey, with easy conHdence and unsurpassed expertise, all of the major alternatives: nuclear, fusion,-. coal, s~lar, and many others. They explain the physical principles, the techni~al difficulties, and the ~nvironrnental hazards. Then they make tlie difficult comparisons. They point out_that, for the long term . (2000 to 2050 AD), only coal, breed~r reactors, fusion, and solar could play rna1or roles. But coal and breeders would create big environmental problems, and fusi~n is .still unproven'. Therefore the authors ur?e that the nation concentrate on con servation and solar; including photovoltaic, solar thermal, biomass, and wind. Using excellent charts and tables based 011 up-to-dat'e information, they ?Pell out in great detail the enormous potentialities of these .avenues. How does this book compare with the recent best-selfer "Energy Futures" by Stobaugh and Yergii:i (Random Hou~e, 1979, $12.95)? Both books a~e beautifully •organized and clearly written. '!30th are superb. Both come out strongly for conservation and for solar energy. But whereas Stobaugh and Yergin concentrate on commercial, economic and polit,ical aspects, the Union on Concerned Scientists team has concentrated on the technologies the~- selves-~hich, in this reviewer's opinion, are more fundamental than the consequent commercial and political considerations. -William A. Shurcliff William Shurcliff has written several solar heating and optics books, and_is an honorary research associate at Harvard University. "Democracy and the Energy Mobilization Board/' A_mory Lovins, Not Man Apart, February 1980, $15/year from: • Friends of the Earth 124 Spear St. . San Francisco, CA 94105 Amory Lovins comes through agai1' with a penetrating analysis of the dangers und~rlying one of our most idiotic energy follies. The Energy Mobilization Board, if implemented, is likely to set loose·s9rne bl~ody energy wars in th,e Western states arid other "National Sacrifice Areas," set into motion centrifugal poHtical forc~s that will firmly discredit our central go_vernrnent, and contribute to a complete breakdown of federal-state cooperation. Lovins pr~poses, in contrast that we build our nation'al en~ ergy polic; around what we have consensus on, such as solar and c;onservation; rather than upon areas when~there is maior and deep controversy, such ~s nuclear or syn- · fuels. An important paper exposing the issue of whether Washington'will join the re~t of the U.S. on the soft path we are already embarked upon, or whether it will be left in the deserved dust of history. -:-Torn Bender Compendium of Federal Programs,Related to Community Energy Conservation, Feb. 1979, from: • . U.S. Dept. of Housing & Urban Development • • 451 Seventh St. ·S.W. Washington, DC 20410 Non-profit-corporations and neighborhpod groups will benefit more from this guide than will the individual homeowner or renter. The programs listed and briefly described are those basic ones like the Community Development Block Grant Pr?grarn (CDBG) and the various sections and titles of housirig loans and subsidies available .from government offices. The compendium is not intended to be all-inclusive, but more to poiht organizations in general di~e~tions in order to facilitate the process of cmzen . participation. The focus, as I said, is on . groups of people. Individuals'with no background in federal programs will find themselves with little useable information. 1:'he descriptions do not even clarify where to go for that information. Such suggestions as "more information is available from local • housing and community development agencies" is not likely to ~ncourage a~ isolated senio'r citizen looking for_fuel bill assistance. But then local programs have •local publicity ~s one of their tasks . ~he Compendium performs its task well rn providing information first to those tocal groups. -cc. TRAVEL Th.e Vegetarian Times Guide to Dining in the U.S.A., by the editors of Vegetarian Times, 1980, 314 pp., $8.95 from: Atheneum Publishers 597 Fifth Ave. New York, NY 10017 . If you're one of the 12 million Americans on some form of non-meat diet, or if you simply enjoy vegetarian fare ?n occasi~~, put this book in your travel kit._Over five hundred vegetarian restaurants recommended by the readers of Vegetarian Times have been compiled here, ranging from the simple to the gourmet, from the strictly vegetarian to more conventional _ea~ert~s with vegetarian offerings. Each_hstmg includes information on prices, specialties, • atmosphere, hours of operation, and availability of 'alcoholic beverages, as well as some first-person reports and specifics on _finding out-of-the-way places. -MR Roadfood ~ by Jane ~nd Michael Stern, 1978, 387 pp., $6.95 from: , Random House/Obst Books 201 East 50th St. New York, NY 10022 Ever have frustrated food yearnings on the road? Travelers interested in affordable alternatives to plastic food will find this guide a godsend; with tips on where to find superb sour cre,arn raisin pie.in Wisconsin, the best ribs in Wyoming, authentic Hopi cooking in Arizona; or stunning homemade ice cream in Maine. My·copy is marked through with notes on some of the finest meals I've ever had--;-in some of the last places I would·have ever imagined! AH of Roadfood' s 400 inexpensive r~gional restaurants are within 10 miles of a major highway, and clearly il)dicated on maps at the beginning of each section. • . Besides the selection of roadside eateries, what really distinguishes Roadfood is that it is a delight to read even if you're not going anywhere. Wit_h.pointed pen the authors characterize q1linary accomplishments and flaws, describing in delicious detail not only the food but the people who make .and serve it and t,he environments they live in. . While you may not agree with every one of the Sterns' descriptions, their recommendations are well worth a try. The few disappointrne11ts Roadfood led me to were due to a change of ownership/ management since the authors' visits. If you enuoy the offbeat in general, not just food,' check out the Sterns' companion volume, Amazing America (sa~e access as Roadfood) , a guide to 600 of the craziest, kookiest sights in the land. -MR
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