During our experiences in Asia, we have been lucky to review several references, which were not available nor reachable at my home country. Not reachable? Yes:
- Internet shopping is not popular: Credit cards would charge about 10% per item, plus an additional annual fee; plus, the additional fee for shipping and handling (20USD per item; e.g., for a 80USD paperback people should pay 110USD=10% their monthly income). The result: few people can afford having those art works.
- Libraries are outdated: Limited resources (in public universities, 95% of the budget is spent in salaries; why? .....well, everybody knows the answer, so I do not need to write it here).
This is not a complain, because now we understand that despite the limited access to basic literature in developing countries, we have managed to do something. Back to reality, visiting the libraries and having the chance to read readable copies of colored books, was like visiting Disneyland. So, in order not to loose such sensation and transmit it to my fellow colleagues and prospective colleagues, we decided to buy copies of some books and make them part of the library of our research group Aqua LED. Why sharing? Because our biggest dream is to demonstrate that RESEARCH in the developing world is possible.
Next are described some of those references, which from my perspective, are worth reading. As I said, I own most of them, so if you live near my place I may be able to lend you a copy of the one you are interested in.
General references in Hydrology (in order of importance, difficultness),
"Handbook of Hydrology". David R. Maidment, McGraw-Hill, Inc (2001). I like this book because it presents the topics covered using a simple language, from a practical perspective. I use this book when I need an initial reference to a given topic, or when I need to disambiguate a concept. The price may seem expensive (about 100 USD), but I think it is worth buying.
"Applied Hydrology (Civil Engineering)" Ven te Chow, McGraw-Hill, Inc (1999). When aimed to use this book to introduce Hydrology to undergraduates, it should be used together with additional references (e.g., Maidmennt´s Handbook of Hydrology). It certainly is more useful when used to teach at a graduate level as an introductory reference. The price is affordable (about 45 USD).
"Hydrology in Practice", Shaw, E., Beven, K., etc (2010). Another good reference. To tell you the truth, we acquired it when we say teh name of Prof Beven among the authors. Prof. Beven is an eminence on the field of environmental modeling, and his work has been an inspiration to me.
Please forgive me what I am about to say, but besides those titles, I do not enjoy reading general references that offer a quite good number of topics summarized in a very simple form (e.g., Hydrology for dummies), supposedly offered as introductory texts to Hydrology or Hydraulics. The contents in those texts seems to me an overwhelming amount of knowledge, which demands an amount of concentration and criteria that is still at development stage in undergraduate students. This may "kill" the interest of students.
Rainfall-Runoff modelling
"Rainfall-Runoff Modelling, The Primer, K. Beven, Wiley (2004). Prof. Beven, as an authority in Rainfall-Runoff modeling, provides a clear, easy to read contents on the topic. As a primer, a drawback of this book may seem the high emphasis given on the "equifinality" concept (and the derived GLUE technique) when referred to the uncertainty issue in hydrological modelling, which is not true, given that the author uses his experience to open the debate on an issue where knowledge is still limited. The same applies to the attention he gives to the TOPMODEL. This book is not cheap (about 65 USD), but it is interesting.
Rainfall-Runoff Modelling in Gauged and Ungauged Catchments, T. Wagener, Imperial College Press (2006). This is the first book in Rainfall-Runoff modelling I bought. It is a very clear reference on Rainfall-Runoff modeling, which together with Beven´s Primer, may provide a good idea on the issues faced by a modeler. This work is based on Thorsten´s PhD thesis, and provides a clear image on how robust is the knowledge that he has in the field. It certainly is a good example on how a respectable PhD (engineering) thesis should be developed. It is surprising how expensive this book is today (about 112 USD), because I remember I bought it in no more than 70 USD.
Uncertainty analysis in environmental modelling
Environmental Modelling: An uncertain future?, K. Beven, Spon Press (2008). I do not own this book (UPDATE: I have already ordered it, and now is here!!!), but as judged by the contents I have read in the pages available in google books, it summarizes well the awareness in the topic at the time the book was written. That is why I put this at first place.
Sensitivity Analysis in Practice: A Guide to Assessing Scientific Models, Saltelli et al., Wiley (2004). This book is a good reference when needed to carry sensitivity analysis. Practical, and easy to understand. Methods are clearly explained, because of which writing a code for its application is less complex than when using Saltelli´s 2008 reference.
Sensitivity Analysis, Saltelli et al., Wiley (2000). This provides a deeper theoretical contents that the Saltelli´s (2008) reference. When first reviewing this topic it may seem complex, but it becomes easier to follow when used after reading the reference above.
Statistics and Probability (Engineering)
Statistics probability and reliability for civil and environmental engineers, Kottegoda and Rosso, Mc Graw-Hill (1997). As the title says, it is focused to engineers. Simple, well explained, with examples easy to follow. It is a useful reference in the topic.
Remote Sensing (Engineering)
"Quantitative remote sensing of land surfaces", Liang, Wiley (2003). In difference with other similar Remote Sensing references where high emphasis is put on the theoretical basis, this book is practice-oriented, which is why I bought it. It is useful because it summarizes aspects useful in the practice, as I said before. However, a major drawback is that it has some errors in few formulas, so when used, it is strongly advisable to confirm the veracity of the formulas in other references. Because of the high cost (172 USD), and principally because there are several resources over the WEB and in journal papers, I would think carefully before buying it. If you are near Tohoku Dai, you may get a copy at the Engineering Library (I do not own a copy).
Glaciers hydrology (for engineers)
"Glaciers and climate change", Oerlemans, 2001. I found this book easy to follow, yet interesting. I think it is an interesting reading because it states the perspective of a climatologist on the topic. I bought it one day before the quake; I was reading it in the Shinkansen when I was returning home from Tokyo, but unfortunately I lost it during the event. I would really like to get another copy soon.
"Snow and Glacier Hydrology", Singh and Singh, 2001. This thick book (756 pages) is a good reference for engineers. It may not be too useful for scientists. If you are near Tohoku Dai, you may get a copy at the Engineering Library (I do not own a copy).
"The physics of glaciers", Patterson, 1994. It is a good reference to begin with when interested in the topic. Unfortunately I lost this copy during the quake, but I saw that it came up a new version I would like to buy. Then, I will post some comment on the differences between both editions. UPDATE: I have the new version!!!
"Encyclopedia of ice snow and glaciers", Singh et al., 2011. In the field of water science engineering, Prof. Singh has written several titles. I do not own this book, but a close friend does, because of which I have included this title among the "reachable ones". I will write what I think about this book once I read it.
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