Category Archives: books

Martian city names of science fiction

Posted on April 9, 2024 by problogic

A little out-of-this-world fun on this Tuesday, also known as post eclipse day. Here are the names of cities, towns, places, and bases on Mars from science fiction. If any were missed, please pass them along, as well as any … Continue reading →

Posted in aerospace, architecture, art, Astronomy, books, cities, civics, engineering, entertainment, environment, film, fun, history, humanity, infrastructure, land use, literature, movies, Outer Space, pictures, reading, Science, Science fiction, space, spatial design, sustainability, technology, Television, toponymy, Travel, urban design, urban planning, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Trekking to the Signal Peak Lookout thru snow

Posted on March 22, 2024 by problogic

Yesterday (March 21, 2024), we trekked to the storied Signal Peak Lookout (in the book A Song for the River) within the Gila National Forest of southwestern New Mexico. While we encountered little trouble reaching the closest saddle to the … Continue reading →

Posted in archaeology, architecture, books, climate, ecosystems, environment, forests, fun, geography, hiking, historic preservation, history, land use, literature, lookouts, Maps, mountains, natural history, nature, pictures, recreation, topography, tourism, trails, Travel, walking, Wilderness, wildfire | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Five captivating books about being a fire lookout

Posted on March 20, 2024 by problogic

Below are my five favorite books read to date about serving as a fire lookout in the United States or Canada. The books are listed in order of personal preference, though each brings a unique and timeless perspective to this … Continue reading →

Posted in book reviews, books, Canada, climate, climate change, Climate Change, Communications, culture, ecosystems, environment, geography, history, land use, literature, lookouts, mountains, natural history, nature, North America, rivers/watersheds, sustainability, weather, Wilderness, Wildlife, Women, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Favorite books read in 2023

Posted on December 24, 2023 by problogic

The following are this blog author’s favorite books read during 2023. Peace and Happy Holidays to all! 1. Lookout: Love, Solitude, and Searching for Wildfire… (2021) Trina Moyles   2. Ghostwalker: Tracking a Mountain Lion’s Soul… (2018) Leslie Patten … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, Animals, architecture, art, book reviews, books, cities, ecosystems, entertainment, environment, fun, geography, Highway displacement, highways, hiking, historic preservation, history, Housing, immigration, inclusiveness, infrastructure, injustice, land use, Language, literature, lookouts, Mining, natural history, nature, planning, Poem, racism, reading, recreation, spatial design, sprawl, sustainability, transportation, urban planning, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Beyond “Silent Spring”: 12 books on the environment that every planner should read

Posted on November 29, 2023 by problogic

The following list of books are among those on environmental topics that this blog author has read. They are presented in alphabetical order and are meant to represent of cross-section of interesting books on the environment. Given the huge catalog … Continue reading →

Posted in Africa, Animals, atomic age, book reviews, books, Canada, charities, cities, climate, climate change, Communications, deserts, economics, ecosystems, education, entertainment, environment, forests, geography, government, Great Lakes, health, history, humanity, lakes, land use, literature, lookouts, natural history, nature, planning, pollution, reading, rivers/watersheds, Science, sustainability, topography, urban planning, weather, Wilderness, Women, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Favorite book by year it was read and by year published

Posted on November 16, 2023 by problogic

By Year the Book Was Read – only have kept track since 2011 YEAR READ BOOK (YEAR PUBLISHED) AUTHOR 2024 2023 Lookout: Love, Solitude, and Searching for Wildfires in the Boreal Forest (2021) Trina Moyles 2022 Everything Now: Lessons from … Continue reading →

Posted in art, book reviews, books, cartoons, Communications, entertainment, fun, history, Language, literature, pictures, reading, Science fiction, Women, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

17 non-planning centric books that all planners should read

Posted on November 14, 2023 by problogic

Listed below are 17 books that this retired planner believes every planner should read at some point during their career. They are books which are not planning-centric, though they may speak to planning issues from outside of the planning realm. … Continue reading →

Posted in Advocacy, ageism, art, atomic age, book reviews, books, cities, civics, Civil Rights, civility, climate, climate change, Communications, consumerism, culture, diversity, economics, Economy, ecosystems, education, entertainment, environment, feminism, hiking, historic preservation, history, homelessness, Housing, humanity, inclusiveness, India, injustice, land use, literature, lookouts, military, Mining, money, Native Americans, natural history, nature, planning, politics, pollution, poverty, racism, recreation, Science, social equity, spatial design, sprawl, technology, tourism, trails, Travel, urban planning, walking, weather, Wilderness, Women, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Is Soul City’s dream being realized in Illinois?

Posted on June 8, 2023 by problogic

Floyd McKissick nurtured a powerful vision following the conclusion of World War II. His dream encompassed the creation of a groundbreaking integrated city, one that would provide Black Americans with the opportunity to embrace the full range of economic, cultural, … Continue reading →

Posted in Active transportation, advertising, Advocacy, Africa, Alternative transportation, architecture, atomic age, bicycling, Biking, book reviews, books, branding, business, cities, civics, Civil Rights, colleges, commerce, Communications, culture, demographics, distribution, diversity, economic development, economic gardening, Economy, ecosystems, education, engineering, entrepreneurship, environment, futurism, geography, government, health, highways, historic preservation, history, Housing, humanity, inclusiveness, industry, infrastructure, land use, literature, logistics, Maps, marketing, new urbanism, Passenger rail, pictures, place names, placemaking, planning, politics, Privatization, product design, racism, rail, Railroads, reading, recreation, social equity, spatial design, sprawl, Statistics, topography, toponymy, tourism, trails, transportation, Travel, trucking, urban design, urban planning, walking, writing, zoning | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Scaling peaks of stone despite achy bones: A memoir and and an aspiration

Posted on May 24, 2023 by problogic

I wish I had discovered my passion for peak hiking earlier in life. Not realizing it until my early 60s has left me with less time to explore summits than I would have preferred. Despite the delay, the rewards often … Continue reading →

Posted in art, book reviews, books, culture, deserts, ecosystems, entertainment, environment, family, fun, geography, Geology, health, hiking, history, infrastructure, land use, logistics, Love, Maps, Mining, mountains, natural history, nature, peace, pictures, placemaking, planning, pollution, psychology, reading, recreation, rivers/watersheds, spatial design, Statistics, sustainability, topography, toponymy, tourism, trails, transportation, Travel, visual pollution, walking, water, Wilderness, Wildlife, Women, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Why do former Western mining towns more often appear to recover while Eastern ones continue to decline? A comparative analysis from a human and A.I.

Posted on April 22, 2023 by problogic

There are many thoughts on this issue and it can be much more complex that just a single reason. As a result, it was decided to compare this blog author’s thoughts on the subject to those of chat.openai.com to see … Continue reading →

Posted in art, books, business, cities, commerce, Communications, culture, economic development, education, energy, entertainment, entrepreneurship, environment, film, geography, Geology, government, health, historic preservation, history, humanity, infrastructure, land use, literature, Maps, Mining, mountains, movies, music, Native Americans, natural history, nature, opinion, pictures, place names, placemaking, planning, politics, pollution, psychology, recreation, revitalization, social equity, songs, spatial design, Statistics, sustainability, technology, Television, topography, tourism, Trade, Travel, unemployment, urban planning, visual pollution, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment