The village community in a drought prone region of South India take on their fate in their own way. Fed on a philosophy of their own, they try to resolve their problems guided by their own native wisdom; their bargains with the Nature and God must conform to their traditions and customs, they think. They explain to themselves the reasons for their sad plight and the nature of the remedial measures, both of which they believe are imbedded in their fate, which runs its course on the twin wheels of sin and righteousness; their philosophy contrasts with the New Culture the underpinnings of which, theoretically, are freedom of man and democracy, but, in reality are diverse and different. Perplexed, they pine for what has been lost to them for good. They love the banter and the chitchat, get into tiffs with fellow men and come out to fall back into a familiar groove to live a life agreeable to their Community and their Deities.

Eleven-year-old Shahumin, who has just begun learning the wisdom of the elders, befriends an odd-looking youth whom she meets in the woods, not realizing he is an Other, one of the people not created by YAWH, and an enemy of her people.

Treatise on Geophysics, Second Edition, is a comprehensive and in-depth study of the physics of the Earth beyond what any geophysics text has provided previously. Thoroughly revised and updated, it provides fundamental and state-of-the-art discussion of all aspects of geophysics. A highlight of the second edition is a new volume on Near Surface Geophysics that discusses the role of geophysics in the exploitation and conservation of natural resources and the assessment of degradation of natural systems by pollution. Additional features include new material in the Planets and Moon, Mantle Dynamics, Core Dynamics, Crustal and Lithosphere Dynamics, Evolution of the Earth, and Geodesy volumes. New material is also presented on the uses of Earth gravity measurements. This title is essential for professionals, researchers, professors, and advanced undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of Geophysics and Earth system science. Comprehensive and detailed coverage of all aspects of geophysics Fundamental and state-of-the-art discussions of all research topics Integration of topics into a coherent whole

Treatise on Geophysics: Mantle Dynamics, Volume 7 aims to provide both a classical and state-of-the-art introduction to the methods and science of mantle dynamics, as well as survey leading order problems (both solved and unsolved) and current understanding of how the mantle works. It is organized around two themes: (1) how is mantle convection studied; and (2) what do we understand about mantle dynamics to date. The first four chapters are thus concerned with pedagogical reviews of the physics of mantle convection; laboratory studies of the fluid dynamics of convection relevant to the mantle; theoretical analysis of mantle dynamics; and numerical analysis and methods of mantle convection. The subsequent chapters concentrate on leading issues of mantle convection itself, which include the energy budget of the mantle; the upper mantle and lithosphere in and near the spreading center (mid-ocean ridge) environment; the dynamics of subducting slabs; hot spots, melting anomalies, and mantle plumes; and finally, geochemical mantle dynamics and mixing. - Self-contained volume starts with an overview of the subject then explores each topic in detail - Extensive reference lists and cross references with other volumes to facilitate further research - Full-color figures and tables support the text and aid in understanding - Content suited for both the expert and non-expert

After the discovery that elements were commonly composed of isotopes, there developed a range of studies of the variability of isotopic compositions in Earth materials, which was able to add to our understanding of Earth processes and history. This collection of chapters from the Treatise on Geochemistry describes the range of isotopic studies. The chapters are grouped into the following categories: light stable isotopes, radiogenic tracers, noble gases and radioactive tracers. The first three groups depend on mass spectrometric measurements. The section on radioactive tracers employs both radioactive counting techniques and the newly developed accelerator mass spectrometric techniques. Comprehensive, interdisciplinary and authoritative content selected by leading subject experts Robust illustrations, figures and tables Affordably priced sampling of content from the full Treatise on Geochemistry