My writing includes books, book chapters and sections, web content, educational software, news stories, and science explorations. I also transform scientific journal manuscripts into short pieces for a lay audience. Over the years, I’ve done a lot of work for textbook companies, writing study guides, instructor’s manuals and other ancillary materials.
The biggest project I have completed is Our Fragile Planet, an eight book reference set. It was released in late 2007 and early 2008 by Chelsea House, who says:
“While change has been fundamental to the planet throughout its history, people have altered the environment in myriad ways: Resources are being overexploited; natural landscapes are being altered for human uses; pollution is contaminating the air, water, and soil; and global temperatures are rising. And there are always more people who need more food, energy, water, wood, and material goods. Our Fragile Planet is a thought-provoking new set that uses full-color photographs and illustrations, readable text, and informative sidebars to celebrate the wonders of the natural world and to understand how human activities are disrupting natural processes. Each title offers powerful methods for reducing the impact people are having on our planet, making this set an invaluable tool for readers passionate about environmental issues.” See them on Amazon: Our Fragile Planet, Desonie
Booklist named Oceans: How We Use the Seas one of the top 10 environmental books for youth in 2007!
Cosmic Collisions, my first book, dealt with the importance of asteroids
and comets in earth history and the possible consequences of a future
asteroid collision with our planet. The New York Times Book Review liked
my ability “to spin a good story” and reported that the book was “written
in simple, straightforward language.”
“… after a conversation with …, our domain expert, we both concur you are one of our most gifted writers.” Juli Weiss, CK-12 Foundation
“…you did indeed already receive some great honors from Booklist for Oceans: How We Use the Seas. That title was selected as one of Booklist's "Top Ten Environmental Books for Youth" and received a good review from that publication as well. Congratulations!”
Laurie Katz, Director of Publicity, Facts on File
“…you're a great writer.” Jodie Rhodes, Literary Agent
Writing Samples
Books and Book Chapters
Plate Tectonics, Earthquakes, Atmosphere, Weather, Climate, Ecosystems and Human Populations, and Human Actions and the Atmosphere chapters for Earth Science, CK-12 Foundation, to appear 2009: http://www.ck12.org.
Our Fragile Planet set, Chelsea House, 2007-2008
Atmosphere: Air Pollution and its Effects
Oceans: How We Use the Seas
Hydrosphere: Freshwater Systems and Pollution
Biosphere: Ecosystems and Biodiversity Loss
Climate: Causes and Effects of Climate Change
Geosphere: The Land and Its Uses
Polar Regions: Human Impacts on the Arctic and Antarctic
Humans and the Natural Environment: The Future of Our Planet
Scientific American Focus on Cosmic Collisions, Henry Holt and Company, 1996.
Articles, Radio Scripts, Educational Software, Encyclopedia Entries:
Articles for Argonne National Laboratory, “Post-Perovskite and Seismic Anisotropy at the Core-Mantle Boundary,” Argonne Now, Spring 2008; Insect Tracheae May Cause Oxygen to Limit Insect Size, Summer 2008
Radio scripts for “Our Ocean World,” produced by Finger Lakes Productions, including Why Explore the Arctic?, How Much is a Beach Worth?, Gray Whale Recovery, and Ocean Sounds, Finger Lakes Production, International, 2003.
Encyclopedia Entries for the Macmillan Science Library Biology, vol. 3, including Global Climate Change, Ocean Ecosystems: Hard Bottoms, Ocean Ecosystems: Open Oceans, Ocean Ecosystems: Soft Bottoms, 2002.
Oceanography, earth science and astronomy sections: StudyWorks! Science Deluxe, 2002, MathSoft Engineering and Education, Inc.
News stories and explorations for the web page of MathSoft, Inc., including What’s Hot about Astrobiology?, From Where the Whale?, Sleuthing at the Grand Canyon, Discovery of a Lost City, and Bleaching: A Coral Survival Strategy, 2000-2002.
A Bolt from the Blue, Children's Britannica, Yearbook 1997, Looking Back on 1996, Encyclopedia Britannica Inc.
The Threat from Space, Earth, August 1996.
The Fate of the Tethys Sea, The Sciences, January/February 1995
For clips or book sections, please contact me at: