Christopher Mark O’Brien ’98
New Society Publishers, 2006

Fermenting Revolution: How to Drink Beer and Save the World documents how “beer activists” around the world are leading the sustainability movement. The author traces the path of brewing from a women-led, home-based craft to corporate industry, describes how craft breweries and home-brewing are forging stronger communities, and explains how mega-breweries are pioneering sustainable business models.

Chris O’Brien, M.S. ’98, is director of the Responsible Purchasing Network at the Center for a New American Dream. He is part owner of an organic and fair trade brewing supplies company, and is publisher of Beeractivist.com.

Andrew Mowatt ’93
iUniverse, 2006

Severed Branch is a work of historical fiction that has dual plots. Businessman Gordon Mackenzie is haunted by a vivid, recurring dream of desolate stretches of a war-torn wasteland. Unexpectedly chosen to lead a project for his company in France, he faces conspiracy and dissention at work while becoming aware of the hidden traces of the past scattered within the Picardy region that are inexplicably linked to his mysterious dreams.

Andrew Mowatt ’93 is a sourcing professional in the financial services industry and a certified purchasing manager, who is an avid researcher of the Somme battle in World War I.

Jeff Davis ’57
BookSurge Publishing, 2005

Jess Martin retires after teaching mathematics for 30 years at the University of New Mexico. He is offered the job of meeting airplanes bringing marijuana into the U.S. and this leads to Jess ending up with of lot of drugs and money. The original owners chase Jess to get it back and there is an eventual showdown.

Jeff Davis ’57 is associate professor emeritus of mathematics and statistics at the University of New Mexico. He lives in a one-room cabin in the Datil Mountains of New Mexico.

Robert Messler Jr. ’65
Butterworth-Heinemann, 2006

Integral Mechanical Attachment highlights one of the world’s oldest technologies and makes it new again. Think of buttons and toggles updated to innovative snaps, hooks, and interlocking industrial parts. This single-source reference covers all major techniques for integral mechanical attachment within the context of other types of joining, including chemical (adhesive) bonding, melting and solidification (welding, soldering, brazing), and mechanical joining (fasteners and part features).

Robert Messler Jr. ’65, Ph.D. ’71, is professor of materials science and engineering at Rensselaer.

Kevin Meyer ’85
iUniverse, 2007

Evolving Excellence: Thoughts on Lean Enterprise Leadership is a compilation of favorite posts from the Evolving Excellence blog. “Lean,” also known as the Toyota Production System, is a system of removing unnecessary waste while respecting people. Topics include learning from the masters, the false god of the almighty algorithm, looking lean vs. being lean, and the impending global struggle between workers and management.

Kevin Meyer ’85 is president and founder of Superfactory Ventures LLC and has 20 years of experience implementing lean enterprise at Osram/Sylvania, Abbott Laboratories, Newport Corp., and Specialty Silicone Fabricators.

Wayne Green ’44
Wayne Green Books, 2002

Isn’t prevention of illness better than making yourself sick and then going for a treatment? asks the author. He proposes that chronic illnesses, such as cancer, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s, can be avoided or cured when you give the body the nutrition, water, exercise, sun, and sleep it’s been designed to use. His recommendations include what poisons to avoid, what foods to eat, and how best to reduce stress. He even offers a money-back guarantee.

Wayne Green ’44 has been founder, editor, and publisher of some 35 magazines, including The Repeater Journal, Byte, 70-Micro, and CD Review.