Oct./Nov. 1982 RAIN Page 23 Energy A Golden Thread: 2500 Years of Solar Architecture and Technology, audiovisual presentation based upon the book by Ken Butti and John Perlin, 80-35mm slides, $90; 80-frame filmstrip, $38 (both with printed narration). Audio narration on cassette, $7. Available from: Butti/Perlin and Associates 511A Strand Street Santa Monica, CA 90405 Solar homes in ancient Greece, solar greenhouses in eighteenth century Europe and a thriving solar \Vater heater industry in pre-World War 1 California: these are just a few of the surprises from the past described in Ken Butti and John Perlin's fascinating book, A Golden Thread, first published in 1980. As we noted in our RAIN review (VII:3:5) the book provides plenty of lessons to ponder as we go about building a solar society: "energy short-sightedness has been a recurring disease and solar fascination has always proved fickle; the sun has repeatedly gained ascendancy when traditional energy sources . . . have been in short supply, and it has been repeatedly forgotten when more convenient sources . . . have come on the scene." Public awareness of solar's rich past and public enthusiasm for the promise of' a sunpowered future may be vital in assuring that we do not once again fall into the patterns of our ancestors. Schools, community groups, extension services and solar businesses now have an excellent opportunity to spread the word with this new audiovisual version of A Golden Thread. Authors Butti and Perlin are also making available two more-specialized audiovisual programs based upon their research: Solar Water Heating: The Last 100 Years and Solar Architecture: The Last 6000 Years. Each of these programs is available from the address above in a set of 50- 35mm slides for $58 or a 50-frame filmstrip for $29 (printed narration included for each program; audio narration cassette $7additional). — John Ferrell Solid-Fuel Furnaces and Boilers, by John W. Bartok, Jr., 1982,216 pp., $8.95 from: Garden Way Publishing Charlotte, VT 05445 Wood and coal fired heating systems have started coming back into use because of the high fuel bills associated with gas and oil fir^ units. As with any new trend, the American publishing industry is spewing forth information on the new heating options as fast as it can be typeset. This is the third book on the topic we've reviewed in less than a year (see Heating With Coal, RAIN VIII:4,21 and Central Heating With Wood and Coal, RAIN VIII:6,19). All of these books talk about fuel, equipment, installation and operations of solid-fuel fired equipment. All have some valuable information not detailed elsewhere. However, Central Heating With Wood and Coal, written by Larry Gay, is far and away the best single source among the three. Gay not only gives you checklists to evaluate equipment and insure a safe installation — he also does an excellent job of explaining the reasoning behind the lists. — Gail I^tz "Special Energy Policy Issue," Sun Times , May/Jime 1982, single copies $1.00 ppd. from: Solar Lobby 1001 Coimecticut Ave. N.W., Suite 510 Washington, DC 20036 Sun Day, May 3, 1978: a celebration of maturing energy technologies, growing public acceptance and a seemingly bright future. We were hardly on the verge of creating Solar Camelot, but looking back, in this second year of a national administration whose energy p>olicy consists largely of reactors and reaction, it's easy to remember things that way. This special issue of Sun Times reviews what has happened to our solar and conservation prospects since Sun Day. One article analyzes the deficiences and dangers inherent in the Reagan policies, another describes the near-term potential for renewables and outlines the policy changes which will be required if that fx>tential is to be fuUy realized. "Few of the remaining serious obstacles to the widespread use of solar energy are technical," the authors of the second article conclude. "With solar technologies and energy consumers maturing, the larger questions now surround the availability of capital, access to information and political support." For those of us involved in disseminating solar information or in lobbying for policy change, this is an excellent handbook. — John Ferrell This Pomona Valley, California family had a Day and Night solar water heater on the roof of their house in 1911. From: A Golden Thread
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