NSW Rural Fire Service Library
New books, reports, and articles in the library
November 2024
Subjects
Inquiry into the ACT environment's bushfire preparedness (Report)
Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory, September 2024
The inquiry was launched in December 2023 to inquire and report on the ACT’s bushfire preparedness including the environmental factors contributing to bushfires in the ACT; the impact of bushfires on climate emissions, adaptation and biodiversity; bushfire risk, resilience, and potential impacts; the impact of bushfire on the ACT community, wildlife, and flora; the management of bushfire risks and bushfire preparedness of ACT parks; the condition of ACT parks; coordination between environmental agencies and other government agencies in relation to bushfire risk and management; and cross-border risks and issues, particularly engagement with New South Wales and the Commonwealth. This is the final report.
Use this ACT Parliament link to open the inquiry and report.
Fire - International
Wildfires are becoming faster and more dangerous in Western U.S.
Fast-growing fires were responsible for nearly 90 percent of fire-related damages despite being relatively rare in the United States between 2001-2020, according to a new study led by the University of Colorado Boulder. "Fast fires," which thrust embers into the air ahead of rapidly advancing flames, can ignite homes before emergency responders are able to intervene. The work, published in Science, shows these fires are getting faster in the Western U.S., increasing the risk for millions of people.
Use this ScienceDaily link to read the article online.
Contact the library to request a copy of The Science journal article, “The fastest-growing and most destructive fires in the US (2001 to 2020)”
Forest fires in Europe, Middle East and North Africa 2023 (Report)
European Commission Joint Research Centre, November 2024
This report contains the annual summary of the fire season of 2023 with official figures provided by 34 contributing countries for the number of fires, burnt areas and fire prevention efforts, and the analysis of fire danger and areas mapped in the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS). 2023 was counted as another critical year in the European Union as regards area affected by wildfires, although at around 500 000 ha, the total damage was significantly less than that recorded in 2022.
Use this EC link to read the report online.
New Gear, New Challenges (Magazine article)
NFPA Journal, November 2024
An article summarising the position papers and presentations that came out of the 2024 Urban Fire Forum held at the NFPA headquarters this September. Some of the most influential fire chiefs in the U.S. and Europe discuss the problem of PFAS and turnout gear, also on the agenda: artificial intelligence, lithium-ion batteries, and more.
Use this NFPA link to read the article online.
The forum’s presentations and the position papers are available online here.
Fire Hazards: Socio-economic and Regional Issues (eBook)
Springer Publications, 2024
This ebook aims to show the readers novel, relevant and reproducible power of collaborations between European research groups and stakeholders with the objective to synthesise the existing knowledge and expertise about fire management and hazard and defining a research agenda that promotes an integrated approach to create fire-resilient landscapes. The causes of increased fire risk are not only linked to climate change but are also a consequence of economic and social changes and political decisions. The enhanced risk of fires is moving beyond the capacity of even the best-funded wildland firefighting teams and therefore calls for the development of new approaches to fire management that are key nowadays at different scales. Instead of focusing primarily on increasing firefighting capabilities, a more effective approach is needed that focuses on long-term fire prevention through vegetation management by reducing fuel load or managing fuel type and fuel continuity at a landscape level.
Use this Springer link to read the book online.
"Building a diverse wildland fire workforce to meet future challenges" (ScienceDaily article)
Wildland firefighters are under significant strain, often overworked and underpaid despite the growing need to respond to larger, more destructive fires. Building a more resilient and effective workforce will require improving pathways for diverse applicants, strengthening commitments to health equity, and investing in workplace culture, according to a new Stanford University report.
Use this ScienceDaily link to read the article online.
The Standford University report can be read online here.
Predicting terrain-induced wind turbulence for smokejumper parachute operations (Journal article)
International Journal of Wildland Fire, Online 28 November 2024
Terrain-induced turbulence is dangerous for smokejumpers parachuting into complex terrain and results in numerous serious accidents annually. The authors assessed WindNinja’s suitability for use in identifying safe jump spots during smokejumper operations in complex terrain and found that WindNinja’s ability to reproduce key features in the mean wind speed and turbulence fields induced by the terrain make it suitable for use as an aid in identifying safe jump spots in complex terrain.
Essentials of fire fighting : firefighter 1 (Book)
Essentials of fire fighting : firefighter 2
IFSTA, 2024
Essentials 8th Edition is the most complete source for US firefighter training in the industry. It builds on IFSTA’s legacy of equipping firefighters with the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed in an ever-changing profession. IFSTA’s committee validation process ensures content is relevant, accurate, and is a true reflection of industry best practices. Essentials 8th features IFSTA’s student-focused design with large text, single column format, and frequent incorporation of high quality photos and illustrations. These features are proven to aid in learning and knowledge retention for adult learners.
Contact the library to borrow these books.
Playing with fire: Socioeconomic factors and deliberate wildfires in Texas (Journal article)
Journal of Environmental Management, Vol 370, November 2024
Deliberately setting fires, also known as arson, is one of the primary causes of human-caused wildfires in the US. Arson fires pose a significant threat, contributing to the human-caused wildfire problem in the southern US. Since more than 90% of wildfires in the South are human-caused, it is particularly important to examine the factors that influence the distribution of arson wildfires in this region. While most research has combined arson fires together with other human-caused wildfires, a smaller body of studies has focussed specifically on fires started by arson. The higher percentage of forest cover in a county and higher temperature regimes are also positively associated with arson fire occurrences. As such, we conclude that arson wildfires are more likely in areas with high accessibility to wildlands. Similarly, counties with high unemployment rates and consequently high crime rates are more likely to suffer from arson wildfires. Our results clearly show that a higher presence of law enforcement officers in a county deter arsonists. Similarly, financial well-being as indicated by the higher wage rates in a county plays an apparent role in curbing arson wildfire occurrences.
Contact the library to request a copy of this article.
Shrub cover declined as Indigenous populations expanded across southeast Australia. (Journal article)
Science, Vol 386 2024
Shrub layer fuels allow fire to spread vertically to forest canopy, creating high-intensity fires. The authors found that shrub cover, which fuels fires and spreads them into the forest canopy, was lower during the Middle to Late Holocene, when indigenous Australians were managing the landscape with burning, than it was during other time periods. Shrub cover has increased substantially since British colonisation and the forced removal of indigenous burning practices that came with it. Restoring cultural burning may thus help to prevent megafires.
Contact the library to request a copy of this article.
Cultural burning isn’t just important to Indigenous culture – it’s essential to Australia’s disaster management (News article)
The Conversation, Online 24 October 2024
Networks of Indigenous groups have begun using fire to once again care for Country all around Australia. These are positive signs. But there is more to do to dismantle remaining barriers to mainstreaming cultural burning – and making it possible to use these ancient techniques to reduce, or avoid, disasters.
Use The Conversation link to read the article online.
Professional Development
A new immersive cinema is helping firefighters to better prepare for megafires (News article)
The Conversation, Online 30 September 2024
Firefighters put their lives on the line to battle these fires. Yet many are not meaningfully and comprehensively prepared to respond to erratic and extreme conflagrations. This increases their chances of being injured, or worse. It may also hinder their ability to make the best decisions. To help address this, the University of New South Wales’ iCinema Research Centre has created iFire. This cutting-edge training system allows firefighters and emergency responders to virtually teleport into a burning landscape and train for the real thing. It could revolutionise the way we prepare for other natural disasters as well.
Use The Conversation link to read the article online.
The iFire link is available here on the UNSW website.
Wise animals : how technology has made us what we are (Book)
Tom Chatfield, 2024
Wise Animals explores the history of our relationship with technology, and our deep involvement with our creations from the first use of tools and the taming of fire, via the invention of reading and printing, to the development of the computer, the creation of the internet and the emergence of AI. Human children know no more of modern technology than their ancestors did of older technologies thousands of years ago, and develop in relation to the technologies of their time. We co-evolve with technology as individuals as we have as a species over thousands of years. Rather than see technology as a threat, this deeply humanist contribution to the debate proposes that we are neither masters nor victims of our technologies.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
Estimating fuel load for wildfire risk assessment at regional scales using earth observation data: A case study in Southwestern Australia (Journal article)
Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment, Vol 36, November 2024
The risk of wildfires is increasing globally and models are critical to reducing this risk. Such models require information on fuel load, a crucial factor of fire behaviour, which is generally determined using a combination of fuel age and fuel accumulation models. Traditionally, estimating fuel load relies on manually compiled fire history data (MCFH). In this paper, we introduce an approach to estimate fuel load using readily available earth observation (EO) data, MODIS MCD64A1. The approach is applied to a wildfire-prone region in Southwestern Australia from 2001 to 2021. Results suggest that MODIS produces more accurate and reliable estimates of fuel load compared with MCFH.
Use this ScienceDirect link to read the article online.
Designing Better Maps : A Guide for GIS Users (eBook)
Cynthia Brewer, 2024
Learn from the best with this popular book on creating successful maps with any GIS or illustration product, written by an expert cartographer. For more than 18 years, Designing Better Maps: A Guide for GIS Users has been essential reading for all mapmakers who use geographic information system (GIS) technology across industries and sectors, including government, commercial, creative, and education. This third edition continues the reliable legacy of this book, distinctive in its clear and efficient emphasis on core cartographic concepts and updated with new and revamped design practices. With more than 400 full-colour illustrations, this book applies map design best practices to both reference and statistical mapping, guiding you through the following processes: planning maps, using basemaps, using scale and time, explaining maps, publishing and sharing maps, applying type and labels, understanding and using colour, and customising symbols.
Contact the library for member's access to our eBook collection.
Co-intelligence : living and working with AI (Book)
Ethan Mollick, 2024
The release of generative AI--from LLMs like ChatGPT to image generators like DALL-E-marks a new era. We have invented technologies that boost our physical capabilities and others that automate complex tasks, but never, until now, have we created a technology that can boost our intelligence--with an impact on work and life that researchers project will be greater than that of steam power or the internet. Mollick urges us not to turn away from AI, and instead to invite AI tools to the table. He demonstrates how AI can amplify our own capacities, acting in roles from brainstorming partner to cowriter to tutor to coach, and assesses its surprising, positive impact on business and organizations. Marshalling original research from workers and teams who are leading the rest of us in embracing and leveraging AI, Mollick cuts through the hype to make a frank and eye-opening case for the real value of AI tools. Moreover, Mollick argues that the long-term impact of AI will be different from what we expect, advantaging English majors and art history experts more than coders, and impacting knowledge workers more than blue-collar workers.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
The year in tech. 2025 : the insights you need from Harvard Business Review (Book)
Harvard Business Review, 2024
A year of HBR's essential thinking on tech all in one place. Generative AI, biometrics, spatial computing, electric vehicles new technologies like these are reshaping organisations at the hybrid office, on factory floors, and in the C-suite. What should you and your company be doing now to take advantage of the new opportunities these technologies are creating and avoid falling victim to disruption? The Year in Tech 2025: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review will help you understand what the latest and most important tech innovations mean for your organisation and how you can use them to compete and win in today's turbulent business environment.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
Character limit : how Elon Musk destroyed Twitter (Book)
Kate Conger and Ryan Mac, 2024
Contact the library to borrow this book.
AI Literacy Fundamentals : Helping You Join the AI Conversation (Book)
Ben Jones, 2024
Contact the library to borrow this book.
Global Catastrophic Risk Assessment (US Report)
Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center, 2024
US Congress passed the Global Catastrophic Risk Management Act in 2022, which requires that the Secretary of Homeland Security and the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency coordinate an assessment of global catastrophic risk related to a set of threats and hazards. This report summarises what is known about the risks associated with six threats and hazards: artificial intelligence; asteroid and comet impacts; sudden and severe changes to Earth's climate; nuclear war; severe pandemics, whether resulting from naturally occurring events or from synthetic biology; and supervolcanoes. The risk summaries cover the following aspects: where feasible, estimates of the likelihood and potential consequences of each risk; factors causing the risk and associated uncertainties; and whether the risk is likely to change in the next decade.
Streaming disasters on TikTok: Examining social mediated crisis communication, public engagement, and emotional responses during the 2023 Maui wildfire (Journal article)
Public Relations Review, Vol 50, December 2024
Short video-sharing platforms, such as TikTok, play a significant role in allowing the public to experience natural disasters vicariously, share information, and coordinate peer-led disaster relief efforts. With emerging platforms like TikTok providing experientially immersive content, the role of digital storytelling in stimulating public engagement and emotions remains underexplored. Drawing from narrative persuasion theory and visual storytelling literature, the current study proposes an integrated framework to examine the storyteller, visual frame, and digital presentation characteristics of TikTok videos in predicting social-mediated public engagement and emotional reactions surrounding a recent natural disaster, the 2023 Maui Wildfire.
Contact the library to request a copy of this article.
Could crowdsourcing hold the key to early wildfire detection (ScienceDaily article)
University of Southern California, 7 November 2024
Computer science researchers have developed a new crowdsourcing system that dramatically slashes wildfire mapping time from hours to seconds using a network of low-cost mobile phones mounted on properties in high fire threat areas. In computer simulations, the system, FireLoc, detected blazes igniting up to 3,000 feet away and successfully mapped wilderness fires to within 180 feet of their origin.
Use this ScienceDaily link to read the article online.
The University of California authors' paper, FireLoc: Low-latency Multi-modal Wildfire Geolocation, is available online here.
Social media data for disaster risk management and research (Journal article)
International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, Vol 114, November 2024
The rise of social media has revolutionised disaster risk reduction (DRR) by offering real-time, large-scale data collection and fostering dynamic community engagement. This study explores the potential of social media analytics as a vital resource in understanding population responses during disasters. By harnessing social media data, researchers and policymakers can gain insights into public sentiment, immediate needs, and reactions to risk reduction measures. The study presents case studies on major disasters, including earthquakes and pandemics, demonstrating the efficacy and challenges of social media as a tool for DRR. Despite its advantages, such as immediacy and broad reach, the study addresses significant concerns like data accuracy, privacy, and misinformation. Drawing from the Horizon Europe initiatives, this research offers a comprehensive analysis of how social media can enhance disaster preparedness and response, while proposing future avenues for optimizing the integration of social media data in DRR strategies.
Use this ScienceDirect link to read the article online.
Throwing fuel on the fire? Contrasting fine and coarse fuel responses to windthrow in temperate eucalypt forests in south-eastern Australia (Journal article)
Forest Ecology and Management, Vol 572, November 2024
Windthrow is a disturbance in south-eastern Australian forests which significantly re-arranges forest and fuel structure by removing canopy trees. The implications for fuel dynamics and fire behaviour remains unquantified, making it a concern for fire managers. This study quantifies changes to forest and fuel structure caused by windthrow of varying severity, and uses this data to consider potential implications for fire behaviour. Thirty sites were established across dry eucalypt forests in south-eastern Australia ∼2 years after a severe windstorm resulted in extensive areas of windthrow.
Use this ScienceDirect link to read the article online.
Natural Environment
Living with Wildlife : A Guide for Our Homes and Backyards (eBook)
Possums in the roof, an echidna in the garden, or perhaps a python in the pantry? Living with Wildlife: A Guide for Our Homes and Backyards explores commonly asked questions and issues about encounters with wildlife. Taking a wildlife-friendly approach, Tanya Loos provides practical information, advice and solutions, based on current guidance from wildlife rescue organisations and the latest research. Living with Wildlife features helpful advice on wildlife rescue, both for every day and during extreme weather events, as well as common issues such as feeding wildlife, pets and driving. As urbanisation and climate change effects intensify, Australian wildlife need our help now more than ever, making this a timely guide for successfully living alongside our wild neighbours.
Contact the library for member's access to our eBook collection.
Biodiversity impacts of the 2019–2020 Australian megafires (Journal article)
Nature, Online 13 November 2024
With large wildfires becoming more frequent, we must rapidly learn how megafires impact biodiversity to prioritise mitigation and improve policy. A key challenge is to discover how interactions among fire-regime components, drought and land tenure shape wildfire impacts. The globally unprecedented 2019–2020 Australian megafires burnt more than 10 million hectares, prompting major investment in biodiversity monitoring. Collated data include responses of more than 2,000 taxa, providing an unparalleled opportunity to quantify how megafires affect biodiversity. We reveal that the largest effects on plants and animals were in areas with frequent or recent past fires and within extensively burnt areas.
Use this Nature link to read the article online.
After the Megafires: Effects of Fire Severity on Reptile Species Richness and Occupancy in South-Eastern Australia (Journal article)
Fire, Vol 7, October 2024
The Australian megafires of 2019–2020 were considered catastrophic for flora and fauna, yet little is known about their impacts on reptiles. The authors investigated the impacts of the 2019–2020 megafires on reptiles in Morton National Park, New South Wales, in eastern Australia. To understand how fire severity affects reptile species richness and occupancy, we surveyed 28 replicate plots across unburnt areas and areas affected by high and low fire severity. We estimated reptile species richness and occupancy by performing systematic searches for reptiles during five sampling occasions in 2023, three years after the megafires. We measured vegetation structure and quantified the thermal environment in shelter sites used by reptiles. Vegetation structure varied significantly between burn severity groups. High-severity plots had the least canopy cover and the thinnest leaf litter depth but had a taller understorey with more stems. The thermal quality within reptile retreat sites did not differ between fire severity classes. Despite strong differences in post-fire vegetation structure, there was no evidence that fire severity affected reptile species richness or occupancy of the delicate skink, Lampropholis delicata. These results highlight the complexity of reptile responses to fires and contribute to increasing our understanding of the impacts of megafires on reptile communities.
Use the MDPI Fire link to access the full-text online.
Thicker or Shorter Bark Fragments of Eucalypt Tree Species Make More Densely Packed Fuel Beds, Which Slow Down Fire Spread (Journal article)
Forests, Vol 15, online November 2024
Many eucalypt trees shed their bark annually. This bark becomes a component of the litter layer, which acts as fuel, especially during surface fires. The amount and quality of shed bark vary greatly among species, which might have important effects on forest surface fire behavior. In this study, we aimed to compare the bark fuel bed flammability of eight eucalypt tree species and tried to link their bark litter traits via the surface fuel bed structure to bark flammability. In controlled laboratory burns, three flammability parameters, the fire spread rate, total burning time, and maximum temperature, were measured. The bark litter traits included length, curliness, thickness, dry matter content, tissue density, carbon content, nitrogen content, and terpene content, while the litter bed packing ratio and packing density were also measured. We found significant differences in bark traits and flammability among species. Thicker bark fragments of the eucalypt tree species had higher packing densities in fuel beds, a slower fire spread, and a longer burning time. This relationship was strongly driven by the thick bark fragments of Eucalyptus punctata DC. Still, also within the other seven species, bark thickness was the strongest predictor of bark fuel bed flammability, with some additional explanatory power for bark length. For the first time, our study demonstrates that bark traits, particularly litter fragment thickness and length, drive bark litter flammability of eucalypt tree species through their effects on bark fuel bed structure. These findings contribute to our understanding and predictive power of wildfire behavior in forest stands dominated by different eucalypt species.
Use this MDPI link to read the article online.
Immediate impacts of fire on koala movement in a fragmented landscape (Journal article)
Global Ecology and Conservation, Vol 56, December 2024
Hazard reduction burns could pose a significant conservation challenge to threatened habitat specialists, such as koalas Phascolarctos cinereus. This study examines the immediate effects of a medium to hot hazard reduction burn on a small number of koalas occupying a fragmented agricultural area. Three koalas being monitored using GPS telemetry were inadvertently exposed to fire in a small strip of roadside vegetation in an agricultural landscape, providing an unexpected opportunity to assess their immediate responses to the fire. Nearly 81 % of available trees were burnt to some degree, with 31 % of tree foliage scorched up to 10.2 m above the ground. The koalas reduced their home range sizes by 20–54 % post-fire, where two avoided burnt areas while one remained within them. These findings highlight the importance of maintaining unburnt patches and corridors in fragmented landscapes and developing comprehensive conservation plans to mitigate the adverse effects of fire on koalas and other arboreal fauna.
Use this ScienceDirect link to read the article online.
Characterising the Chemical Composition of Bushfire Smoke and Implications for Firefighter Exposure in Western Australia (Journal article)
Fire, Vol 7, November 2024
This study by the Edith Cowan University in WA evaluates bushfire smoke as a workplace hazard for firefighters by characterising its chemical composition and potential health risks in Western Australia. Portable Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectrometry was used to measure airborne chemical concentrations at prescribed burns across five regions, including peat (acid sulphate) fire events. Samples were collected during both flaming and smouldering phases, as well as in perceived “clear” air resting zones. Results indicated that carbon monoxide (CO) was the dominant gas, reaching concentrations of 205 ppm at the fire front, followed by nitrogen monoxide (26 ppm) and methane (19 ppm). Peat fires produced distinct profiles, with ammonia (21.5 ppm) and sulphur dioxide (9.5 ppm) concentrations higher than those observed in typical bushfires. Smouldering phases emitted higher chemical concentrations than flaming phases 75% of the time. Even clear air zones contained measurable chemicals, with CO levels averaging 18 ppm, suggesting that firefighters are not free from exposure during rest periods. These findings highlight the need for fit-for-purpose respiratory protective equipment (RPE) and improved rest protocols to minimise exposure. The study underscores the importance of comprehensive health monitoring programs for firefighters to mitigate long-term health risks.
Use the MDPI Fire link to access the full-text PDF online.
Global Health Impacts of Wildfire Disasters From 2000 to 2023: A Comprehensive Analysis of Mortality and Injuries (Journal article)
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, Vol 18, Oct 2024
This study conducted a retrospective analysis of global wildfire disasters from January 2000 to December 2023, using data from the Emergency Events Database. The analysis focused on the direct health outcomes—mortalities and injuries—excluding indirect effects such as smoke inhalation. The study identified 309 significant wildfire disasters, with forest fires accounting for 80% of these events. These incidents resulted in 1890 fatalities and 14 360 injuries, with the highest tolls observed in Southern Europe, Northern America, and the Australia-New Zealand region. A notable rise in wildfire incidents was observed over the study period, underscoring the critical intersections between climate change, urban expansion, and wildfire risks.
Contact the library to request a copy of this article.
Where there’s smoke: the rising death toll from climate-charged fire in the landscape (News article)
The Conversation, Online 22 October 2024
Even low levels of smoke can make many heart and lung diseases worse, sometimes triggering a rapid deterioration in health. When we are repeatedly exposed over months and years, air pollution, including smoke, makes us more likely to develop heart, lung and other chronic diseases. New international research has linked the warming climate to some of the deaths from exposure to fire smoke in large parts of the world, including Australia.
Use The Conversation link to read the article online.
Workforce Health in Australia (Report)
Monash University, November 2024
This snapshot of workforce health in Australia uses existing data from seven nationally representative surveys to construct an evidence-base on modern worker wellbeing. It finds workplaces in which pain, psychological distress, mental health disorders and lost working time are common. The snapshot reports across ten domains of worker health and wellbeing, including five health and wellbeing outcomes: worker physical health, worker mental health, health at work, worker disability status, and deaths at work. The remaining five domains are determinants of health: social protection, health service use, financial circumstances, job characteristics, and lifestyle factors. It finds improvements in some areas, including job insecurity, physical activity and smoking, but worsening conditions around mental health and financial conditions.
Use this Monash University link to read the report online.
The geek way : the radical mindset that drives extraordinary results (Book)
Andrew McAfee, 2023
The bestselling author, McAfee, explains how engineers and geeks are changing the world of business - with extraordinary results. A new model is being pioneered by geeks; a radical new mindset that has shifted the paradigm entirely on what a business can - and should - be. They do not follow the rules of the Industrial era, with their hierarchies and bureaucratic ways of thinking nor do they follow the principles preached in business schools. They have all dedicated themselves to approaching business as a geek would: through trial and error, egalitarianism, evidence and stress-testing ideas in a group setting - rather than relying on the boss's instincts.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
People, Performance, and Succeeding As a Manager (eBook)
Harvard Business Review, 2024
Be the boss people want to work for. Being a manager is no easy task. You must measure and track your team members' performance toward goals and objectives while also providing opportunities for growth and development. You have to be empathetic to your team's needs and concerns while also maintaining your authority. How do you navigate these tensions? People, Performance, and Succeeding as a Manager is filled with practical advice from HBR experts who can help you answer these and other questions like: How do I earn the trust of my team? When and how should I deliver constructive feedback? What's the best way to motivate my employees? How can I take care of myself so I don't burn out? This book will help you figure out what kind of manager you want to be so that you can feel comfortable in your role, encourage the success of your people, and grow in your own career.
Contact the library for member's access to our eBook collection.
The innovator's dilemma : when new technologies cause great firms to fail (Book)
Clayton M. Christensen, 2024
In this classic bestseller-now updated with a fresh new package-innovation expert Clayton Christensen shows how even the most outstanding companies can do everything right-yet still lose market leadership. He explains why most companies miss out on new waves of innovation. No matter the industry, he says a successful company with established products will get pushed aside unless managers know how and when to abandon traditional business practices. Offering both successes and failures from leading companies as a guide, The Innovator's Dilemma gives you a set of rules for capitalizing on the phenomenon of disruptive innovation
Contact the library to borrow this book.
The psychology of stupidity (Book)
Edited by Jean-François Marmion, 2022
At last, stupidity explained! And by some of the world’s smartest people, among them Daniel Kahneman, Dan Ariely, Alison Gopnik, Howard Gardner, Antonio Damasio, Aaron James and Ryan Holiday. In order to battle idiocy, we must first understand it. In The Psychology of Stupidity, some of the world’s leading psychologists and thinkers will show you why smart people sometimes believe in utter nonsense, how our lazy brains cause us to make the wrong decisions, why trying to debate with fools is a trap and why the stupidest people don’t think they’re stupid
Contact the library to borrow this book.
Bent Flyvbjerg and Dan Gardner, 2023
Nothing is more inspiring than a big vision that becomes a triumphant, new reality. Understanding what distinguishes the triumphs from the failures has been the life’s work of Oxford professor Bent Flyvbjerg. In How Big Things Get Done, he identifies the errors that lead projects to fail, and the research-based principles that will make yours succeed:
- Understand your odds. If you don't know them, you won't win.
- Plan slow, act fast. Getting to the action quick feels right. But it's wrong.
- Think right to left. Start with your goal, then identify the steps to get there.
- Find your Lego. Big is best built from small.
- Master the unknown unknowns. Most think they can't, so they fail. Flyvbjerg shows how you can.
Full of vivid examples ranging from the building of the Sydney Opera House to the making of the latest Pixar blockbusters, How Big Things Get Done reveals how to get any ambitious project done ― on time and on budget.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
Stephanie Mead, 2016
Today's organisations face two daunting challenges: 1. How to create new sources of competitive advantage to sustain long-term growth, and 2. How to engage leaders at every level of the organization so that they are more proactive and forward-looking in their area of responsibility. The Art of Strategic Leadership uses a unique approach to examine what it means to be a strategic leader. Instead of focusing on the skills, behaviours, and tools found in typical books on strategic leadership, the authors shed light on the attributes and qualities necessary to lead strategic change and help transform a business. Strategic leadership is what modern leadership is all about. Organisations expect leaders to anticipate and be proactive more than ever before. In this book, the authors draw on their vast experience working directly with leaders at all levels and use an intriguing narrative to explain this inside-out approach to understanding strategic leadership. The narrative follows the journey of how one manager discovered these critically important qualities. You will experience first-hand how these values and attributes manifest in the lives of realistic leaders; how they orchestrate long-term strategic change needed for the organisation to compete and survive and actively shape the future while delivering short-term results.
How to work with (almost) anyone : five questions for building the best possible relationships (Book)
Michael Bungay Stanier, 2023
Have you ever had the experience of working with someone ... and they just didn't "get" you? For whatever reason, they do all the things that wind you up, put you off and drive you nuts. You couldn't figure out what made them tick, and you know you were underwhelming as a manager and leader for them. Of course, you have. We all have. And why, we wonder, do those experiences keep happening? Particularly when we've also experienced the opposite: great working relationships that soar. In this book, Stanier shares a tested process that sets up working relationships for the best possible success. It shows you how to communicate about who you are and what brings out the best and the worst in you. It gives you the tools to talk with your colleagues about each of your operating manuals, and to set a social contract for how you'll work together (not just what you'll be working on).
Contact the library to borrow this book.
Meteorology and Climate Change
State of the Climate 2024 (Report)
CSIRO, October 2024
Australia’s weather and climate has continued to change, with an increase in extreme heat events, longer fire seasons, more intense heavy rainfall, and sea level rise. This report draws on the latest national and international climate research, encompassing observations, analyses and future projections to describe year-to-year variability and longer-term changes in Australia’s climate. It is intended to inform economic, environmental and social decision-making by governments, industries and communities. The report is a synthesis of the science that underpins our understanding of Australia’s climate. Scientists found the oceans around Australia are continuing to warm, with increases in carbon dioxide in the atmosphere leading to more acidic oceans, particularly south of Australia.
Use this CSIRO link to open the report.
Climate of the nation 2024 (Report)
The Australia Institute, November 2024
This report provides an insight into Australians’ understanding of, and attitudes towards, climate change and Australia’s current and proposed climate policies. It shows that Australians are not only concerned about the climate crisis, they feel negative about the future in the context of climate change and that their government is not doing enough about it. This is especially true of younger Australians.
Rod Henderson, 2024
Rod Henderson spent 22 years of service as a soldier in the Australian Army. During the busiest period in the Army's history, Rod was deployed to East Timor, Papua New Guinea, Pakistan and Afghanistan. In Australia, he was involved in counter terrorism operations and disaster recovery. From an infantry paratrooper, to Chinook loadmaster and Black Hawk door gunner, Rod reveals an enthralling and unique perspective of service. Whether it is 'right place wrong time' or just unlucky, he found himself in a series of life threatening and traumatic events. Each one took a toll. Accepting the physical injuries and mental health challenges from his service, Rod found healing in the hallowed halls of the Australian War Memorial. This is not the story of a general or a Special Forces hero. It is the extraordinary memoir of a regular Australian soldier. Like so many others who have served their country with honour and distinction, the little-known stories of ordinary soldiers deserve to be told.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
Supercommunicators : how to unlock the secret language of connection (Book)
Charles Duhigg, 2024
From the author of The Power of Habit, this book is a fascinating exploration of what makes conversations work--and how we can all learn to be supercommunicators at work and in life. Come inside a jury room as one juror leads a starkly divided room to consensus. Join a young CIA officer as he recruits a reluctant foreign agent. And sit with an accomplished surgeon as he tries, and fails, to convince yet another cancer patient to opt for the less risky course of treatment. In Supercommunicators, Charles Duhigg blends deep research and his trademark storytelling skills to show how we can all learn to identify and leverage the hidden layers that lurk beneath every conversation. In this book, you will learn why some people are able to make themselves heard, and to hear others, so clearly.
Contact the library to borrow this book. The author’s other book Power of Habit is also available for loan.
Exactly : how precision engineers created the modern world (Book)
Simon Winchester, 2019
SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE 2018
Bestselling author Simon Winchester writes a magnificent history of the pioneering engineers who developed precision machinery to allow us to see as far as the moon and as close as the Higgs boson. Precision is the key to everything. It is an integral, unchallenged and essential component of our modern social, mercantile, scientific, mechanical and intellectual landscapes. The items we value in our daily lives – a camera, phone, computer, bicycle, car, a dishwasher perhaps – all sport components that fit together with precision and operate with near perfection. We also assume that the more precise a device the better it is. And yet whilst we live lives peppered and larded with precision, we are not, when we come to think about it, entirely sure what precision is, or what it means. How and when did it begin to build the modern world? Simon Winchester seeks to answer these questions through stories of precision’s pioneers.
White holes (Book)
By Carlo Rovelli, 2024
Rovelli has dedicated his career to uniting the time-warping ideas of general relativity and the perplexing uncertainties of quantum mechanics. In White Holes, he reveals the mind of a scientist at work. He traces the ongoing adventure of his own cutting-edge research, investigating whether all black holes could eventually turn into white holes, equally compact objects in which the arrow of time is reversed. Rovelli writes just as compellingly about the work of a scientist as he does the marvels of the universe. He shares the fear, uncertainty, and frequent disappointment of exploring hypotheses and unknown worlds, and the delight of chasing new ideas to unexpected conclusions.
Contact the library to borrow this book.
Writing, Presenting, and Communicating with Confidence (eBook)
Harvard Business Review, 2024
Contact the library for member's access to our eBook collection.
Revolutionizing Wildfire Detection Through UAV-Driven Fire Monitoring with a Transformer-Based Approach (Journal article)
Fire, Vol 7, online November 2024
The rapid detection and accurate localisation of wildfires are critical for effective disaster management and response. This study proposes an innovative Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)-based fire detection system leveraging a modified Miti-DETR model tailored to meet the computational constraints of drones. The enhanced architecture incorporates a redesigned AlexNet backbone with residual depthwise separable convolution blocks, significantly reducing computational load while improving feature extraction and accuracy. Furthermore, a novel residual self-attention mechanism addresses convergence issues in transformer networks, ensuring robust feature representation for complex aerial imagery. The model, which was trained on the FLAME dataset encompassing diverse fire scenarios, demonstrates superior performance in terms of Mean Average Precision (mAP) and Intersection over Union (IoU) metrics compared to existing systems. Its capability to detect and localize fires across varied backgrounds highlights its practical application in real-world scenarios. This advancement represents a pivotal step forward in applying deep learning for real-time wildfire detection, with implications for broader emergency management applications.
Use this MDPI link to read the article online.
Birdie’s Tree Storybooks (Book)
Children's Health Queensland
Birdie’s Tree is an award winning set of storybooks, videos and resources created by the Queensland Centre for Perinatal and Infant Mental Health (QCPIMH) to help children and families going through natural disasters and disruptive events. The books follow Birdie and Mr Frog as they learn about different natural disasters and how to cope and recover from stressful events. The storybooks are online for free. The library also has the hardcopies for several of the disasters including fire, flood and drought available for loan.
Use the Queensland Children’s Health link to access Birdie’s storybooks online.
Contact the library if you would like to borrow the hardcopies.
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