The Wynants Kill: a small stream, but mighty
Robert J. Lilly ’39
aGatherin’, 2005

The Wynants Kill is a minor tributary of the Hudson River in Rensselaer County, N.Y., but the history of its 300 years of industrial development is rich in both narratives and themes, and its contribution to the growth of both Troy and Albany is important. The author has researched property records, published histories, newspaper accounts, and local lore to understand the complexities of the story. In this book he weaves together the fortunes of the mills that were built along its banks with the development of cooperation among the mill owners, by a close examination of the papers of the Wynants Kill (Improvement) Association.

Robert Lilly ’39 is a retired engineer with the New York State Office of General Services and a resident of Glass Lake in the Wynants Kill watershed.

Adrenaline
John Benedict, M.D. ’78
Sterling House, 2005

In this medical thriller/murder mystery, patients start dying unexpectedly in the OR at Mercy Hospital, and anesthesiologist Doug Landry finds himself the focus of the blame. As Landry struggles to clear his name and unravel the secret of the mysterious deaths, it becomes clear that someone will stop at nothing to keep him from exposing the truth. From the boardroom to the recovery room to the climax in the operating room, Landry becomes trapped in a grisly race against time to prevent more deaths — including his own.

John Benedict ’78, M.D., is an anesthesiologist in private practice in Harrisburg, Pa. Adrenaline is his first novel.

The Best Practices Enterprise
James Kerr ’87
J. Ross Publishing, 2006

This guide to achieving sustainable world-class performance provides guiding principles to senior executives and best practices to managers that can transform a firm into an organization capable of dominating its industry. The author asserts that there are seven best practices that are indispensable in this era of rapid change, increasing customer demands, and intense global competition. These best practices are supported by nearly 50 real examples and excerpts from actual projects to demonstrate how multiple organizations have institutionalized them.

James Kerr, M.S. ’87, is the managing partner at Kerr Consulting Group, and an adjunct professor at Rensselaer at Hartford.

Fundamentals of Industrial Catalytic Processes
Robert Farrauto ’68 and C.H. Bartholomew
Wiley and Sons, 2005

Fundamentals of Industrial Catalytic Processes, second edition, is a combination handbook and textbook that presents an up-to-date account of important catalyst, reactor, and process technologies for important catalytic processes practiced in a wide range of industries, including the chemical, petroleum, electric utility, food, transportation, and emission-control industries. Integrating science fundamentals necessary to the design and practice of these processes, the book addresses important basic principles of heterogeneous, homogenous, enzymatic, and polymer catalysis.

Robert Farrauto, Ph.D. ’68, is a research fellow with Engelhard Corp. and an adjunct professor of earth and environmental engineering at Columbia University.

Fluorinated Coatings and Finishes Handbook
Laurence W. McKeen ’73
William Andrew Publishing, 2006

The Handbook of Fluorinated Coatings and Finishes: The Definitive User’s Guide is both a reference and a tutorial for understanding fluoropolymer coatings. It discusses the basics of fluorocoating formulations, including ingredients and production processes. Also covered are the coating and curing processes, and defects and trouble-shooting solutions, testing performance, and sample commercial applications. The book addresses questions frequently posed by end-user design engineers, coaters, and coatings suppliers.

Laurence McKeen ’73 began his career with DuPont in 1978 as a mass spectroscopist, but moved into product development in the Teflon Finishes Group in 1980. His efforts have led to dozens of commercial products.