MSI Press Blog

Every May, California Wildfire Awareness Month serves as a crucial reminder of the ongoing battle against wildfires . With its dry climate, vast forests, and strong winds, California is particularly vulnerable. While many wildfires are sparked by natural forces—lightning strikes or extreme heat—far too many are caused by human carelessness. A single neglected campfire, discarded cigarette, or sparks from equipment can turn into a raging inferno, destroying homes, habitats, and lives. The Brutal Reality of Wildfires Firefighters and forest service personnel stand at the front lines, risking everything to protect lives, landscapes, and livelihoods. Their work is grueling, dangerous, and often unappreciated. One such hero was the late Carl Leaver , a typesetter and graphic artist for MSI Press, who worked for the U.S. Forest Service early in his career. Despite his expertise in timber inventory—a role critical to conservation—he was frequently pulled away to fight wildfires. It’s a sta...

California wildfires have been swirling all around is in recent days. Today, the view from the MSI Press offices looked apocalyptic.  Well, see for yourself. The view above is straight across the valley straight ahead. The view below is looking to the right. For more Inside MSI Press posts, click HERE .

  1948-2021 It is with great sadness that MSI Press notes the death of Carl Leaver, CEO of the Press and typesetter and graphic designer par excellence . Many authors have expressed not only condolences but also a sense of legacy from covers he designed that they love.  Here is his obituary: On August 16, 2021, Carl Don Leaver of San Juan Bautista passed into eternal rest. A forester with the US Forest Service in Idaho and Montana, he turned to nature photography while working in the Bitterroot National Forest. His photographs graced national magazine covers and on a weekly basis the local paper of Hamilton, MT, the Ravalli Republican. He later worked on photography projects for the US Army (AFEES) and taught photography at the New York Institute of Technology in Amman, Jordan. His final career change led him to computer graphics and publishing as co-owner of MSI Press LLC; his many typeset books and book covers have helped MSI Press authors win a large number of awards over t...

    1948-2021 It is with great sadness that MSI Press notes the death of Carl Leaver, CEO of the Press and typesetter and graphic designer  par excellence . Many authors have expressed not only condolences but also a sense of legacy from covers he designed that they love.  Here is his obituary: On August 16, 2021, Carl Don Leaver of San Juan Bautista passed into eternal rest. A forester with the US Forest Service in Idaho and Montana, he turned to nature photography while working in the Bitterroot National Forest. His photographs graced national magazine covers and on a weekly basis the local paper of Hamilton, MT, the Ravalli Republican. He later worked on photography projects for the US Army (AFEES) and taught photography at the New York Institute of Technology in Amman, Jordan. His final career change led him to computer graphics and publishing as co-owner of MSI Press LLC; his many typeset books and book covers have helped MSI Press authors win a large number of ...

  The Connection Between Dirty Air and Alzheimer’s For decades, we’ve talked about air pollution as a threat to lungs and hearts. Only recently have scientists begun asking a more unsettling question: What if the air we breathe is also quietly reshaping our brains? And more specifically—could polluted air increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease? The emerging answer is not comforting. But it is empowering, because understanding the mechanisms gives us leverage to protect ourselves and the people we care for. 🌫️ Air Pollution Doesn’t Stay in the Lungs The old assumption was simple: inhaled pollutants irritate the lungs, maybe the bloodstream, but the brain is protected by the blood–brain barrier. We now know that assumption was wrong. Ultrafine particles—especially PM2.5, the microscopic soot from traffic, industry, and wildfires—are small enough to: travel directly from the nose into the olfactory nerve bypass the blood–brain barrier lodge in brain tissue trigger inf...