TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Method: The method further comprises (ix) recycling at least a portion of the monooxygenates stream to the first reaction system. The glycols are recovered by separating finished glycol from the glycol rich stream. In the method, no process heat from external source is added between the first and second reaction systems, or to the second reaction system, where the temperature increase in the second reaction system results from the exothermic heats from the first reaction system and the second reaction system. The glycol rich stream in step (vii) comprises at least 25 wt.% of glycols. The oxygenated intermediates are subjected to: condensation to produce a liquid fuel; and dehydration and alkylation to produce a liquid fuel. In the method, at portion of either or both of the glycol-rich stream or mono-oxygenates rich stream is recycled to provide solvent for the first reaction zone. Preferred Components: The glycol content of the hydrogenolysis stream produced in step (ii) is at least 15 wt.%. The ratio of the hydrogenolysis stream provided to the first separation system and to the second reaction system is 1.5:1-10:1. The maximum steady state temperature of the first reaction system is at least 10 degrees C less than the maximum steady state temperature of the second reaction system. The conversion of carbohydrate or sugar alcohol in the first reaction system is limited to less than 80%, preferably less than 50%. The conversion of carbohydrates and sugar alcohols to monooxygenated compounds across the first reaction system and the second reaction system is less than 90%. The oxygenated intermediate stream from the second reaction system is flash distilled to provide a stream containing at least a portion of monooxygenate intermediates as feed for production of liquid fuels. The bottoms from flashing containing enriched concentrations of unconverted carbohydrates, sugar alcohols, glycols, and some monooxygenates, are recycle to the first reaction system. The temperature of the second reaction zone is at least 10 degrees C higher than the temperature of the first reaction zone. The recycled solvent is routed to a digestion zone to digest solid biomass to provide feed for the first reaction zone. EXAMPLE - No suitable example given.