Bookshelf

Recent and new publications by WPI alumni, faculty, and staff

Building Fire Performance Analysis

by Robert W. Fitzgerald ’53, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Robert Fitzgerald, professor of civil and environmental engineering in WPI’s Center for Firesafety Studies, bases this comprehensive analysis of building fire performance on contemporary fire knowledge and experience, focusing on the functions of fire and fire defenses to understand how a building will behave during a fire. The 515-page book is geared to fire safety practitioners making day-to-day risk-informed decisions, including building code officials, fire service officers, fire safety engineers, the fire equipment industry, insurance inspectors and underwriters, architects, and facility risk managers.

Performance-Based Building Design Concepts

by Brian J. Meacham ’84 (editor), International Code Council

The 2001 publication of the International Code Council’s (ICC) Performance Code for Buildings and Facilities ushered in a new era of building regulations in the United States. Meacham’s publication is designed as a companion to the 2001 book, geared to building design and performance professionals who want to learn more about performance, how to apply performance concepts appropriately, and what to look for in the review of designs that have been developed using the ICC PC. He is a principal risk and fire consultant with Arup, in its Westborough, Mass., office, and is also an adjunct FPE professor. David Lucht, former director of WPI’s Fire Protection Engineering program, penned the introduction.

Glowing Genes: A Revolution in Biotechnology

by Marc Zimmer ’88 (Ph.D.), Prometheus Books

The genes that produce bioluminescence in jellyfish, coral, and other organisms, are shedding new light on a wide variety of scientific problems, from cancer to bioterrorism. Connecticut College professor Marc Zimmer has written the first popular science book on the emerging field of bioluminescence. He describes these genes as “the microscopes of the new millennium,” because they hold the potential for advances in medicine, manufacturing, and agriculture. The book’s spectacular color plates show a sampling of the transgenic organisms that have been produced.

Dominica: Land of Water

by Jonathan Bird ’90, Jonathan Bird Photography

“It has been said that if Christopher Columbus could explore the Caribbean again today, Dominica is the only island he would still recognize,” writes photographer Jonathan Bird. His newest book depicts the island of Dominica (not to be confused with the Dominican Republic), revealing a tropical paradise unspoiled by sugar cane plantations or by casinos, malls and resorts. The 96-page soft cover book includes 90 images, from towering mountain waterfalls to a volcanically heated boiling lake, printed on art-grade glossy paper.

To have your recently published book featured in this column, please send a copy (prepublication proofs are acceptable) to Editor, Transformations, WPI, 100 Institute Road, Worcester, Mass. 01609.

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Last modified: Apr 13, 2005, 09:28 EDT