Technology, Engineering & Agriculture Books

Book SynopsisRanging from vast inland seas to hydro-reservoirs, lakes are unique, complex, ecosystems. Warwick Vincent introduces lake science, or limnology, and the importance of protecting and sustaining these vitally important living resources. He explains the impact of factors such as climate, seasons, salinity, and sedimentation on lake biodiversity.Trade ReviewA fast-track insight into lakes, from how they're formed to a hit list of 'extreme lakes' in unusual places. Packed with facts but not (ahem) a dry read. * Sarah Barrell, National Geographic Traveller *Does an excellent job at showing how biology, chemistry and physics are inextricably linked and necessary to understand lakes. Overall, this short book provides an excellent and lucid introduction to the beauty and complexity of lakes. * Yves Prairie, UNESCO Chair in Global Environmental Change *This book is a sparkling gem! It is a must-read not only for novices intrigued by freshwaters but also academics teaching limnology (study of inland waters) and university students interested in the subject. * Marianne Moore, Frost Professor Emerita in Environmental Science, Wellesley College. *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: Deep waters 2: Sunlight and motion 3: Life support systems 4: Food chains to fish 5: Extreme lakes 6: Lakes and us Further reading Index

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Book SynopsisWritten primarily for students embarking on an undergraduate bioscience degree, this primer will introduce students to topics at the forefront of the subject that are being applied to probe biological problems, or to address the most pressing issues facing society. These topics will include those that form the cornerstone of contemporary research, helping students to make the transition to active researcher.Students will acquire a solid understanding of the essentials of microbial biotechnology, its applications in agriculture, diagnostics and urban and artistic conservation, as well as the potential threats genetic modification may pose to public health, the environment and intellectual property.Table of Contents1: The basic principles of a biotechnology process 2: Microbial growth 3: Microbial bio-production 4: Biotechnology and food and drink production 5: Environmental biotechnology 6: Application of synthetic biology to biotechnology 7: Diagnostics 8: Microbial biotechnology and agriculture 9: Using extremophiles in biotechnology 10: Microbial biotechnology in the art and built environment 11: Ethical considerations

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Book SynopsisHarrison Decoded: Towards a Perfect Pendulum Clock brings together the output of a forty-year collaborative research project that unpicked and put into practice the fine details of John Harrison''s extraordinary pendulum clock system. Harrison predicted that his unique method of making pendulum clocks could provide as much as one-hundred-times the stability of those made by his contemporaries. However, his final publication, which promised to describe the system, was a chaotic jumble of information, much of which had nothing to do with clockwork. One contemporary reviewer of Harrison''s book could only suggest that the end result was a product of Harrison''s ''superannuated dotage.''The focus of this book centres on the making, adjusting, and testing of Clock B which was the subject of various trials at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich. The modern history of Clock B is accompanied by scientific analysis of the clock system, Clock B''s performance, the methods of data-gathering alongside historical perspectives on Harrison''s clockmaking, that of his contemporaries, and some evaluation of the possible influence of early 18th century scientific thought.Trade ReviewThis is an intriguing book that anyone interested in clocks and their history will enjoy. * John Haine, University of Bristol, Journal for the History of Astronomy *Revolutionary work. * Bob Frishman, Kronoscope *The essays in this fascinating book effectively chart the progress of an extraordinary experiment, conducted over decades but with a recent, and very remarkable outcome * James Nye, The Antiquarian Horological Society Chairman *Combining historical context, technical details and experimental information, this well-illustrated edited collection describes the challenges as well as the delights of historical reconstruction. * Patricia Fara, Emeritus Fellow of Claire College, Cambridge *The authors provide a wonderful vindication of a native genius, following the original work of Martin Burgess. They give us an explanation of an alternative technology to the one accepted for the past 300 years, when it comes to the design of a mechanical precision timekeeper. * Anthony Randall, Winner of the Tomplon Medal from The Clockmaker's Company *This authoritative and accessible collection of essays tells the fascinating story of [the great clockmaker John Harrison], and how Harrison's enigmatic and astute eighteenth-century account of high-reliability pendulum motion and timekeeping was at last vindicated. * Simon Schaffer, University of Cambridge *Table of Contents1: Introducing the precision pendulum clock by Rory McEvoy 2: The origins of John Harrison's 'Pendulum-Clock' technology by Andrew King 3: Introducing Martin Burgess, clockmaker by William Andrewes 4: Rescuing Martin Burgess's Clock B by Donald Saff 5: Reflections on making clocks Harrison's way by Martin Burgess 6: Completing Clock B by Charles Frodsham et al 7: Adjusting and testing Clock B at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich by Jonathan Betts 8: Crunching the numbers: analysis of Clock B's performance at Greenwich by Tom van Baak 9: Decoding the Physical Theory of Harrison's Timekeepers by Mervyn Hobden 10: Analysis of the mechanisms for compensation in Clock B by David Harrison Appendix: Update on Clock B by Rory McEvoy

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Book SynopsisUnderstanding Nuclear Reactors provides a non-mathematical understanding of how nuclear reactors operate. It describes the components, the Pressure Vessel, the Pressuriser to control the pressure in a Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR), and the Steam Generator and it also explains how the chain reaction is controlled in the day-to-day operations in the Control Room. What goes on elsewhere in the nuclear fuel cycle, mining, enrichment, fuel manufacturer, spent fuel management, and reprocessing are also covered in detail. The book tells a set of historical stories about the development of the physics behind reactors and the discovery of fission and explains the hopes for the development of Generation IV reactors. Special attention is given to the safety of reactors and the lessons to be learned from the incidents at Three Mile Island, Browns Ferry, Chernobyl, and Fukushima. Hooton uses a set of stories to explain the invisible hazard of radiation on the human body. Global warming was the mo

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Book SynopsisThe Chemistry Maths Book provides a complete course companion suitable for students at all levels. All the most useful and important topics are covered, with numerous examples of applications in chemistry and the physical sciences. Taking a clear, straightforward approach, the book develops ideas in a logical, coherent way, allowing students progressively to build a thorough working understanding of the subject.Topics are organized into three parts: algebra, calculus, differential equations, and expansions in series; vectors, determinants and matrices; and numerical analysis and statistics. The extensive use of examples illustrates every important concept and method in the text, and are used to demonstrate applications of the mathematics in chemistry and several basic concepts in physics. The exercises at the end of each chapter, are an essential element of the development of the subject, and have been designed to give students a working understanding of the material in the text.Online Resources:The online resources feature the following: - Figures from the book in electronic format, ready to download- Full worked solutions to all end of chapter exercisesTrade ReviewReview from previous edition It seems well suited both for its stated purpose and as a "brush-up" book for undergraduates, graduate students, and others. The mathematics are carried out briskly and with very little dressing ... there is much material to cover here and it works well through Steiner's particularly lucid presentation. The notation is standard and clear ... I am impressed with this book, I am sure that it will remain open on my desk and will become well worn in short order. * C. Michael McCallum, University of the Pacific, Journal of Chemical Education, Vol. 74 No. 12 December 1997 *Table of Contents1. Numbers, variables and units ; 2. Algebraic functions ; 3. Transcendental functions ; 4. Differentiation ; 5. Integration ; 6. Methods of integration ; 7. Sequences and series ; 8. Complex numbers ; 9. Functions of several variables ; 10. Functions in 3 dimensions ; 11. First-order differential equations ; 12. Second-order differential equations. Constant coefficients ; 13. Second-order differential equations. Some special functions ; 14. Partial differential equations ; 15. Orthogonal expansions. Fourier analysis ; 16. Vectors ; 17. Determinants ; 18. Matrices and linear transformations ; 19. The matrix eigenvalue problem ; 20. Numerical methods ; 21. Probability and statistics

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Book SynopsisMathematical Techniques provides a complete course in mathematics, covering all the essential topics with which a physical sciences or engineering student should be familiar. It introduces and builds on concepts in a progressive, carefully-layered way, and features over 2000 end of chapter problems, plus additional self-check questions.Trade ReviewReview from previous edition This textbook offers an accessible and comprehensive grounding in many of the mathematical techniques required in the early stages of an engineering or science degree and also for the routine methods needed by first and second year mathematics students. * Engineering Designer March/April 2003 *There are also significant changes in content in the opening chapter, where the foundation material has been expanded usefully. The authors do not attempt to dodge theoretical hurdles. They are careful to explain many of the less intuitive properties of functions and to highlight generalisations without becoming over abstract. * Times Higher Education Supplement, November 2002 *Thoroughly recommended. * Zentralblatt MATH, 993:2002 *Table of ContentsPART 1. ELEMENTARY METHODS, DIFFERENTIATION, COMPLEX NUMBERS; PART 2. MATRIX AND VECTOR ALGEBRA; PART 3. INTEGRATION AND DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS; PART 4. TRANSFORMS AND FOURIER SERIES; PART 5. MULTIVARIABLE CALCULUS; PART 6. DISCRETE MATHEMATICS; PART 7. PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS; PART 8. PROJECTS; SELF-TESTS: SELECTED ANSWERS; ANSWERS TO SELECTED PROBLEMS; APPENDICES; FURTHER READING; INDEX

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Book SynopsisZoo Animals: Behaviour, Management and Welfare addresses the key questions surrounding the keeping of zoo animals, and reveals how we can apply our ever-growing understanding of animal behaviour to ensure zoo animals are managed as effectively as possible, without their health and welfare being compromised.Trade ReviewIt is written in a lively and accessible style, and covers every aspect of zoo animal management, from basic biology to legislation and record keeping. It is highly readable and scientifically well grounded. * Jenny Morton, The Biologist *Table of Contents1. Introduction ; 2. History and philosophy of zoos ; 3. Regulatory framework ; 4. Behaviour ; 5. Animal identification and record keeping ; 6. Housing and husbandry ; 7. Animal welfare ; 8. Environmental enrichment ; 9. Small population management ; 10. Conservation ; 11. Health ; 12. Feeding and nutrition ; 13. People in zoos ; 14. Research ; 15. We hope you enjoyed your visit

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Book SynopsisFor tens of millions of people around the world, a single name evokes the world of speed - Enzo Ferrari. Today''s Formula One would be unthinkable without the presence of the Ferrari cars on the grid. Win or lose, Ferrari attract more fans than all the other teams combined. And the cars unique appeal - their mystique, their myth - has its origins in the story of one man with a dictator''s will and the cunning of a Machiavelli. Going back to the origins of The Old Man, tracing his remarkable rise to prominence, and using sources which have hitherto remained silent, Richard Williams tells the story of a man who was one of the key figures of sport in the twentieth century, and whose influence over his sport is undiminished today, more than a decade after his death.Trade ReviewFast cars, fanatical fans, glamour and the brilliant writing of the Guardian's sports sage * GQ *Absorbing and authoritative... this book's trove of anecdotes is a treat * Daily Telegraph *Williams is clear and authoritative... he expertly unravels the myths from the facts * Scotland on Sunday *An engrossing read from start to finish - heartily recommended * Time Out *

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Book SynopsisDrawing on historical and scientific accounts, as well as a rich trove of anecdotes, this title shows how scientists, amateur breeders, and countless anonymous farmers and gardeners slowly caused the evolutionary pressures of nature to be supplanted by those of human needs.Trade Review"Kingsbury's account should be required reading for students preparing for a future as a plant breeder, geneticist, or molecular biologist. Fortunately, that requirement should prove unnecessary - the book is engaging at many levels, and I expect many scientists and lay readers to pick it up on their own accord." (Science) "This engaging history of the genetic milestones and individuals that have shaped the field helps to fill a long-standing gap." (Choice) "Apart from the amazing factual content, [Hybrid] is also a tale of human endeavour that will fascinate all those who love a good story, and one that I know I shall want to return to time and again." (English Gardener) "The scope of this well-researched book is stunning; it is apparent that the work was a labor of love. Kingsbury is thorough, and each chapter is a rewarding feast of narrative and information.... Hybrid is a masterful work by an admirably ambitious author." (American Gardener) "Shoppers who shun genetically modified foods in favor of 'natural' fruits and veggies may be in for a surprise. Horticulturalist Kingsbury's lively history documents the history of human meddling with plant genes since the dawn of agriculture." (Discover)"

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Weiser’s pioneering ideas, which he refined in the nineteen-eighties and nineties, led to the present-day Internet of Things, but his vision lost out to the surveillance-capitalist imperatives of Big Tech. Tinnell’s profound biography evokes an alternative paradigm, in which technology companies did not seek to monitor and exploit users." * New Yorker *"The story of Weiser’s undertaking is told by John Tinnell, a professor of English at the University of Colorado at Denver, in his new biography The Philosopher of Palo Alto, and it’s refreshingly strange. . . . Tinnell presents Weiser both as a progenitor of this state of affairs—his PARC was where 'the seeds for the Internet of Things had been sown”—and as the prophet of an alternative paradigm that might “hold some conceptual tenets for building a better Internet of Things today,' one that rejects 'total surveillance and zero privacy, runaway automation, and diminished agency.'” * New York Review of Books *"In the life of Mark Weiser, John Tinnell has found a morality tale for our times. For anyone looking to understand how technology is shaping society today, The Philosopher of Palo Alto is a compelling and necessary read." -- Nicholas Carr, author of The Shallows and The Glass Cage"This riveting, up-close account reveals how one man’s dream of benevolent computing helped set us on the road to the hyper-connected, surveillance-driven nightmare we inhabit today. A deeply unsettling and cautionary tale." -- Fred Turner, author of From Counterculture to Cyberculture: Stewart Brand, the Whole Earth Network, and the Rise of Digital Utopianism"Along with Doug Engelbart’s intelligence augmentation and Alan Kay’s Dynabook, Mark Weiser’s ubiquitous computing is one of the three big concepts that Silicon Valley has fed off of for decades. Tinnell has done a wonderful job of capturing the arc of Weiser’s ideas." -- John Markoff author of Whole Earth: The Many Lives of Stewart Brand“The Philosopher of Palo Alto is a really interesting read in the context of the latest developments in AI. I do have a boundless appetite for books about the history of the industry and was intrigued by this as I’d never heard of Mark Weiser. The reason for that gap, even though he ran the computer science lab at Xerox PARC, is probably that his philosophy of computing lost out. In a nutshell, he was strongly opposed to tech whose smartness involved making people superfluous.” -- Diane Coyle * Enlightened Economist *Table of ContentsPrologue Introduction: Googleville Chapter 1: Messy Systems Chapter 2: The Innovator as a Young Seeker Chapter 3: Asymmetrical Encounters Chapter 4: Tabs, Pads, and Boards Chapter 5: One Hundred Computers per Room Chapter 6: Retreat Chapter 7: Tacit Inc. Chapter 8: The Dangling String Chapter 9: Smarter Ways to Make Things Smart Chapter 10: A Form of Worship Epilogue Acknowledgments Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisA stunning visual celebration of cars over a century of progress!Introducing The Story of the Car - a historical and visual exploration of awe-inspiring automobiles over a period of one hundred years, from the first horseless carriage to driverless vehicles, this all-encompassing car book takes you on a journey to explore the ways in which this once rare and luxurious status symbol has become a fundamental part of everyday life. So get in gear and drive straight in to discover: -Fact-filled narrative spreads, profiles, and features offer readers an unrivalled range and breadth of information-Packed with colour photographs and artworks, fascinating facts, and biographies that bring every aspect of motoring to life-Covers cutting-edge advances in car technology providing the very latest information -Features specially commissioned photography, alongside evocative and rarely seen archive imagesTaking you on a technical jo

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Book SynopsisIs it okay to use potting compost? Which plants are best for absorbing pollution? What''s the alternative to carbon-packed fertilisers? How can I cut out single-use plastics?Aspects of gardening can actually be bad for the environment. But make a few changes and you can significantly reduce the carbon imprint of your outdoor space, and even use it to lessen the impact of your other activities.This green gardening book will make growing your own garden easy, enjoyable, and eco-friendly. It includes sections on:- How to grow plants that reduce your carbon footprint- Creating a garden that considers the local wildlife- Tips on setting up your garden, low-impact plants, and best fertilisers to use Turn your outdoor space into a low-impact, carbon-absorbing sink. This book is packed with ideas to grow a climate-friendly garden that will help protect the planet. Keen on starting your own garden but unsure about your

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Book SynopsisA GRIPPING, AUTHORISED HISTORY OF THE DARING 'RED DEVILS' TOLD THROUGH THE FATES OF SIX HEROES. 'Riveting . . . Full of daring action, standout characters and cutting edge operations, this is unputdownable' Damien Lewis'Gripping and authoritative. Family men, circus performers, solicitors, communists, and reactionaries all fought together and shed blood for their country - a true and moving story of war' Andy McNab------------------------------------Their German enemies called them the 'Red Devils'. Montgomery described them as 'men apart - every man an Emperor'. The cards they received on qualifying began: 'You are the elite of the British army'. The Parachute Regiment. In this gripping, authorized account, bestselling historian Mark Urban tells the story of the wartime creation and development of Britain's elite airborne infantry - who ranged from circus performers to solicitors, policemen to gravediggers, Christians and Jews to communists. Through the fates of six men - including recently widowed Geoffrey Pine-Coffin, who had to leave his little boy at home to head to the front, and Mike Lewis, whose photographs became iconic images of war - Urban vividly shows what it took to succeed in this new regiment. All six men would shed blood for their country in daring actions at D-Day, Arnhem and across the Second World War; two would not survive, and one would face disgrace. Based on deep archival research, British and German sources and new material from the men's families, and giving overdue recognition to the North African campaign, Urban's unvarnished history is a compelling and moving depiction of the highs and lows of battle.Trade ReviewGripping and authoritative. Family men, circus performers, solicitors, communists, and reactionaries all fought together and shed blood for their country-a true and moving story of war * Andy McNab *Riveting. Impeccably researched. Authoritative. Urban reveals the Red Devils in all their glory, as they forged the path for airborne forces to follow in WWII. Full of daring action, standout characters and cutting edge operations, this is unputdownable * Damien Lewis *A detailed, fast-paced history of these remarkable men that reads like a thriller. Brilliantly researched and brilliantly told * Julia Boyd *I couldn't put Red Devils down * Amanda Foreman *Excellent . . . Mark Urban has brought an old soldier's insights and a fine journalist's clarity to tell this story resoundingly well, mixing superb accounts of the battles with a deep understanding of personalities, service politics and the paratrooper ethos -- Patrick Bishop * Telegraph *If you want to get under the skin of the pioneers of airborne soldiering, this is it . . . fast paced, well written and attention-grabbing from start to finish -- Adrian Weale * Daily Mail Plus *Masterful . . . Mark Urban paints a colourful picture of the officers and men who volunteered for what in 1940 was a leap into the unknown -- Paul de Zulueta * Spectator *Does not disappoint . . . A story of courage and adversity, Red Devils is a must-read * Who Do You Think You Are Magazine *

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Book SynopsisEpisodes in the transformation of our understanding of sound and space, from binaural listening in the nineteenth century to contemporary sound art.The relationship between sound and space has become central to both creative practices in music and sound art and contemporary scholarship on sound. Entire subfields have emerged in connection to the spatial aspects of sound, from spatial audio and sound installation to acoustic ecology and soundscape studies. But how did our understanding of sound become spatial? In Stereophonica, Gascia Ouzounian examines a series of historical episodes that transformed ideas of sound and space, from the advent of stereo technologies in the nineteenth century to visual representations of sonic environments today.Developing a uniquely interdisciplinary perspective, Ouzounian draws on both the history of science and technology and the history of music and sound art. She investigates the binaural apparatus that allowed nineteent

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Book SynopsisAn argument for a design philosophy of better, not more.Never have we wanted, owned, and wasted so much stuff. Our consumptive path through modern life leaves a wake of social and ecological destruction--sneakers worn only once, bicycles barely even ridden, and forgotten smartphones languishing in drawers. By what perverse alchemy do our newest, coolest things so readily transform into meaningless junk? In Meaningful Stuff, Jonathan Chapman investigates why we throw away things that still work, and shows how we can design products, services, and systems that last. Obsolescence is an economically driven design decision--a plan to hasten a product's functional or psychological undesirability. Many electronic devices, for example, are intentionally impossible to dismantle for repair or recycling, their brief use-career proceeding inexorably to a landfill. A sustainable design specialist who serves as a consultant to global businesses and governm

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Book SynopsisWhy simple technological solutions to complex social issues continue to appeal to politicians and professionals who should (and often do) know better.Why do we keep trying to solve poverty with technology? What makes us feel that we need to learn to code--or else? In The Promise of Access, Daniel Greene argues that the problem of poverty became a problem of technology in order to manage the contradictions of a changing economy. Greene shows how the digital divide emerged as a policy problem and why simple technological solutions to complex social issues continue to appeal to politicians and professionals who should (and often do) know better.

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Book SynopsisOver the last half century, smartness—the drive for ubiquitous computing—has become a mandate: a new mode of managing and governing politics, economics, and the environment.Smart phones. Smart cars. Smart homes. Smart cities. The imperative to make our world ever smarter in the face of increasingly complex challenges raises several questions: What is this smartness mandate? How has it emerged, and what does it say about our evolving way of understanding—and managing—reality? How have we come to see the planet and its denizens first and foremost as data-collecting instruments?In The Smartness Mandate, Orit Halpern and Robert Mitchell radically suggest that smartness is not primarily a technology, but rather an epistemology. Through this lens, they offer a critical exploration of the practices, technologies, and subjects that such an understanding relies upon—above all, artificial intelligence and machine learning. The authors a

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Book SynopsisA captivating history of NASA’s Space Transportation System—the space shuttle—chronicling the inevitable failures of a doomed design.In Dark Star, Matthew Hersch challenges the existing narrative of the most significant human space program of the last fifty years, NASA’s space shuttle. He begins with the origins of the space shuttle: a century-long effort to develop a low-cost, reusable, rocket-powered airplane to militarize and commercialize space travel, which Hersch explains was built the wrong way, at the wrong time, and for all the wrong reasons. Describing the unique circumstances that led to the space shuttle’s creation by the administration of President Richard Nixon in 1972 and its subsequent flights from 1981 through 2011, Hersch illustrates how the space shuttle was doomed from the start.While most historians have accepted the view that the space shuttle’s fatal accidents—including the 1986 Challenger

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Book SynopsisThe vital story of how women designers and researchers pioneered the field of interaction and user experience design for software and digital interfaces.Framed against the backdrop of contemporary waves of feminism and the history of computing design, In through the Side Door foregrounds the stories of the women working in the field of computing and the emergent discipline of interaction design as the graphical user interface was developed. Erin Malone begins with a handful of pioneers who brought to the field various methods from a variety of backgrounds including design, technical communication, social psychology, ethnography, information science, and mechanical engineering. Moving into the early days of desktop computing, the book highlights the women on the teams inventing contemporary desktop computer interfaces and related tools, including those at Xerox PARC, Apple?s Human Interface Group, and Microsoft.Malone takes the reader through the invention of the World Wide Web, the third wave of feminism, and the dot-com boom and bust. Coming up to contemporary times, the book features women working on the web, designing equipment interfaces, and working in voice UX, mobile design, and civic design, and continues with the up-and-coming leaders driving social impact, changing human-centered design and research, and working to be accountable for the harms of contemporary software products. Along the way, the author also touches on the challenges and biases women have faced in the workplace and continue to encounter despite cultural and sociological advancements.

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Book SynopsisA landmark cultural history that reveals how the relentless pursuit of innovation has transformed our society, our institutions, and our inner selves.For half a century, innovation served as a universal good in an age of fracture. That consensus is cracking. While the imperative to innovate for a better future continues to fuel systemic change around the world, critics now assail innovation culture as an engine of inequality or accuse its do-gooders of woke groupthink. What happened? Drawing on a decade of research, Every American an Innovator by Matthew Wisnioski investigates how a once obscure academic term became ingrained in our institutions, our education, and our beliefs about ourselves. Wisnioski argues that innovation culture did not spring from the digital revolution, nor can it be boiled down to heroic entrepreneurs or villainous capitalists. Instead, he reveals the central role of a new class of experts in spreading toolkits and mindsets from the cornfields of 1940s Iowa to Silicon Valley tech giants today. This group of engineers, philosophers, bureaucrats, and business leaders posited that ?innovators? were society?s most important change agents and remade the nation in their image. The innovation culture they built transcended partisan divisions and made strange bedfellows. Wisnioski shows how Kennedy-era policymakers inspired President Nixon?s dream of a Nobel Prize for innovators; how anti-military professors built the first university incubators for entrepreneurs; how radical feminists became millionaire consultants; how demands for a rust belt manufacturing renaissance inspired theories of a global creative class; how programs that encouraged girls and minority children to pursue innovative lives changed the nature of childhood play; and why the innovation consensus is now in dispute.

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Book SynopsisHow extreme events, paradoxically, sow the seeds of positive response?and create opportunities for becoming adaptive to place.Throughout history humans have dealt with extreme events. Sometimes adaptively, coping with them, even thriving with them, reading the signals. Sometimes disastrously, repeatedly, ignoring the signals. Now extreme events and disasters are increasing in frequency and severity, and the signals are difficult to read. In Fire and Flood, Thomas Princen argues that the most useful signals may be those coming from fires and floods. And not just today?s fires and floods but those of the past too. This book looks to these past events as well as present-day ones to imagine?and to construct?a regenerative future. As much as some observers of the global ecological predicament would like to see extreme events as mere confirmation of climate change, their significance is much more. To see that requires in-depth investigation of disaster response, including long-term societal response, going beyond the harm and destruction, beyond the cries for better prevention and protection. And beyond the simplistic formula that, with awareness of extreme events, the world will finally ?combat? climate change. Princen?s objective is to read extreme events as signals, as indicators of how adaptive or maladaptive are a human population?s patterns of extraction, consumption, settlement, transport or, more generally, of how sustainable and just is a society?s material provisioning system, its economy. It is to sketch a plan for living with fire and flood, for becoming adaptive to place.

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Book SynopsisA revealing account of the prevalence?and alarming ubiquity?of military targeting, and how it has become a self-propelling worldview driven by dominance, violence, and power.The World According to Military Targeting engages directly with our grave world condition, asking how we ended up in a ?closed world? made for military targeting by military targeting. In this book, Erik Reichborn-Kjennerud explores how the operational logics and seductive forces of targeting produce a world in which the only ways to think about politics and security is through military supremacy, endless war, and global domination, with serious implications for social and political life.Offering a critical investigation of military targeting through the lenses of its historical formation, current operations, and future implications, the author presents an innovative investigation into targeting?s radical knowledge production, how it abstracts and brings into being new worlds, and the violence and destructive effects it generates. Through an interdisciplinary lens, the book draws attention to military doctrine and methodologies; statistical thought and practice; the mathematical and computational techniques of data production, processing, and modeling; and the so-called machine-learning algorithms and AI of today. The resulting narrative provides novel insights into how imagining the world, producing the world, and operationalizing the world are always wrapped up in each other and profoundly embedded in sociotechnical systems.

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Book SynopsisAcoustics and Noise Control provides a detailed and comprehensive introduction to the principles and practice of acoustics and noise control. Since the last edition was published in 1996 there have been many changes and additions to standards, laws and regulations, codes of practice relating to noise, and in noise measurement techniques and noise control technology so this new edition has been fully revised and updated throughout.The book assumes no previous knowledge of the subject and requires only a basic knowledge of mathematics and physics. There are worked examples in the text to aid understanding and a range of experiments help students use complicated apparatus.Thoroughly revised to cover the latest changes in standards, codes of practice and legislation, this new edition covers much of the Institute of Acoustics Diploma syllabus and has an increased emphasis on the legal issues relating to noise control. 

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Book SynopsisA.M. Neville is a Civil Engineering Consultant. He is a Past Vice-President of the Royal Academy of Engineering and a former Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of Dundee. He has many years' experience of teaching, research and consultancy in Civil and Structural Engineering in Europe and North America, and the Far East. He has numerous awards and medals, and is an Honorary Member of the American Concrete Institute, the British Concrete Society and the Brazilian Concrete Institute. J.J. Brooks is a Consultant, formerly a Senior Lecturer in Civil Engineering Materials and Director of Postgraduate Studies in the School of Civil Engineering at the University of Leeds. He is a member of the American Concrete Institute and a Fellow of the International Masonry Society. Both are co-authors of the major reference work Creep of Plain and Structural Concrete (Construction Press, 1983).Table of Contents 1. Concrete As A Structural Material. 2. Cement. 3. Normal Aggregate. 4. Quality Of Water. 5. Fresh Concrete. 6. Strength Of Concrete. 7. Mixing, Handling, Placing And Compacting Concrete. 8. Admixtures. 9. Temperature Problems In Concreting. 10. Development Of Strength. 11. Other Strength Properties. 12. Elasticity And Creep. 13. Deformation And Cracking Independent Of Load. 14. Permeability And Durability. 15. Resistance To Freezing And Thawing. 16. Testing. 17. Compliance With Specifications. 18. Lightweight Concrete. 19. Mix Design. 20. Special Concretes.

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Book SynopsisA compelling argument that the Internet of things threatens human rights and securitySobering and important.Financial Times, Best Books of 2020: Technology The Internet has leapt from human-facing display screens into the material objects all around us. In this so-called Internet of thingsconnecting everything from cars to cardiac monitors to home appliancesthere is no longer a meaningful distinction between physical and virtual worlds. Everything is connected. The social and economic benefits are tremendous, but there is a downside: an outage in cyberspace can result not only in loss of communication but also potentially in loss of life. Control of this infrastructure has become a proxy for political power, since countries can easily reach across borders to disrupt real-world systems. Laura DeNardis argues that the diffusion of the Internet into the physical world radically escalates governance concerns around privacy, discrimination, human safety, democracy, and national securityTrade Review"Sobering and important"—John Thornhill, Financial Times Best Technology Books of 2020“[A] very well researched and impeccably written text. While dense in terms of the information and discussion provided, particularly in the sections concerning the technical areas, The Internet in Everything remains easy to read and the lines of argument and discussion are clear and succinct. I do not hesitate to recommend this volume to political scientists, security practitioners and scholars as well as the interested public.”—Courteney J. O’Connor, LSE Review of Books"This brilliant and essential book does nothing less than alter our paradigm for thinking about the internet—from communications and indirect control to communications and direct control. The internet is even more powerful—or more dangerous—than we think."—Anupam Chander, author of The Electronic Silk Road: How the Web Binds the World Together in Commerce “This is a must-read. If you have limited time, read Chapters 1 and 8 at least. ‘All of the policy issues in two-dimensional digital space have leapt into three-dimensional real-world space and have added new concerns around physical safety and everyday human activity.’”—Vint Cerf, Internet Pioneer"The Internet isn't just about communication anymore, Laura DeNardis explains in this important new book. Digital networks can now directly affect and manipulate our physical world--even our own bodies. And when the Internet is embedded in everything, everything becomes a potential object of surveillance and control. DeNardis shows us why we need a new politics of privacy and security as the Internet gets physical."—Jack M. Balkin, Yale Law School“A crucial read for understanding the unseen but powerful mechanisms and standards which shape security and policy issues impacting everyone.”—Marietje Schaake, Member of European Parliament 2009-2019“With more things than people connected to the Internet, we enter a cyber-physical world of opportunities and threats. Laura DeNardis is the perfect guide to this strange new world.”—Joseph S. Nye, Jr., Harvard University and author of The Future of Power

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Book SynopsisBased on course material used by the author at Yale University, this practical text addresses the widening gap found between the mathematics required for upper-level courses in the physical sciences and the knowledge of incoming students.Trade Review`Shankar obviously enjoys his mathematics, and his attitude toward mathematics is simultaneously refreshing and contagious....Dirac notation is intriguingly introduced in the discussion of vector spaces. Finally, the book is richly endowed with well-chosen problems.' American Journal of Physics `Consistent with the needs of science students...a sound mathematical reference for anyone studying or practicing in the physical sciences.' Choice Table of ContentsDifferential Calculus of One Variable. Integral Calculus. Calculus of Many Variables. Infinite Series. Complex Numbers. Functions of a Complex Variable. Vector Calculus. Matrices and Determinants. Linear Vector Spaces. Differential Equations. Answers. Index.

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Book SynopsisI. Reactivity and Transformations of Mineral Constituents and Metals at the Soil-Solution Interfaces.- 1. Sorption Mechanisms at the Solid-Water Interface.- 2. Comparison between Bacterial and Chemical Dissolution of Al-Substituted Goethite. Incidence on Mobilization of Iron.- 3. Preparation and Thermodynamic Equilibria of Green Rusts in Aqueous Solutions and Their Identification as Mineral in Hydromorphic Soils.- 4. An XPS and AFM Coupled Study of Air and Bio-Oxidized Pyrite Surfaces37.- 5. Transformation of Iron-Containing Minerals in Kaolin during Growth of a Mixed Bacterial Culture Derived from Kaolin.- 6. Effect of Succinic Acid Produced by Microorganisms and Plant Roots on Copper Sorption by Soil.- 7. Interaction of Iron and Organic Matter in Relation to Its Uptake by Plants.- 8. Effects of Organic Matter, Iron, and Aluminium on Soil Structural Stability.- 9. Interactions of Mugineic Acid with Allophane, Imogolite, Montmorillonite, and Gibbsite.- 10. Aluminium Speciation, ToxicitTable of ContentsPart I: Reactivity and Transformations of Mineral Constituents and Metals at the soil-solution interfaces. 1. Sorption mechanisms at the solid-water interface; Ph. Behra, et al. 2. Comparison between bacterial and chemical dissolution of Al-substituted goethite. Incidence on mobilization of iron; N. Bousserrhine, et al. 3. Preparation and thermodynamic equilibria of green rusts in aqueous solutions and their identification as mineral in hydromorphic soils; J.-M.R. Génin, et al. 4. An XPS and AFM coupled study of air and bio-oxydized pyrite surfaces; V. Toniazzo, et al. 5. Transformation of iron-containing minerals in kaolin during growth of a mixed bacterial culture derived from kaolin; E.S. Shelobolina, et al. 6. Effect of succinic acid produced by microorganisms and plant roots on copper sorption by soil; T. Pampura, M. Ustinin. 7. Interaction of iron and organic matter in relation to its uptake by plants; A.M. Elgala. 8. Effects of organic matter, iron and aluminium on soil structural stability; M. Arias, et al. 9. Interactions of mugineic acid with allophane, imogolite, montmorillonite and gibbsite; S. Iridate, K. Inoue. 10. Aluminium speciation, toxicity and transfer from soils to surface waters in two contrasting watersheds exposed to acid deposition in the Vosges Mountains (North-Eastern France); O. Maitat, et al. 11. Ultrafiltration as a means to investigate copper resistance mechanisms in soil bacteria; I. Lamy, et al. Part II: Nature, Dynamics and Transformations of Organic Compounds and Enzymes in Soils. 12. Application of organicgeochemistry techniques to environmental problems; P. Faure, et al. 13. In situ ATR-FTIR characterization of organic macromolecules aggregated with metallic cations; F. Quilè, et al. 14. The structure of organic nitrogen in particle size fractions determined by 15N CPMAS NMR; H. Knicker, et al. 15. Polymerization: a possible consequence of copper-phenolic interactions; A. Oess, et al. 16. Effect of pH, Exchange Cations and Hydrolitic Species of Al and Fe on Formation and Properties of Montmorillonite-Protein Complexes; A. De Cristofaro, et al. 17. Adsorption and properties of urease immobilized on several iron, and aluminium oxides (hydroxides) and kaolinite; Q. Huang, et al. 18. The fate of acid phosphatase in the presence of phenolic substances, biotic and abiotic catalysts; M.A. Rao, et al. 19. Kinetics of catechol oxidation catalyzed by tyrosinase or &dgr;-MnO2; A. Naidja, et al. 20. Plant residue decomposition: effect of soil porosity and particle size; L. Fruit, et al. 21. The effect of humic substances from oxyhumolite on plant development; S.S. Gonet, et al. 22. Changes in some properties of humic substances from Melanudands induced by vegetational succession from grass to deciduous trees; T. Higashi, et al. 23. Characterization of the organic substances in reclaimed soils; L. Petrova, et al. Part III: Microorganism-Colloid Interactions and their Effect on Bioavailability of Pollutants and Nutrients in Terrestrial and Freshwater Environments. 24. Interactions between polychlorinated bip

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Book SynopsisFocusing on the field of terrestrial ecology, this work includes soil structure and function, economics of biodiversity, crop growth and development, ethnobotany and conservation. The volume is useful for professionals and researchers in the field of botany, zoology, ecology, vegetation science, agriculture, forestry and population biology.Table of ContentsPreface; R.S. Ambasht, N.K. Ambasht. 1. Applied Terrestrial Ecology; R.S. Ambasht, N.K. Ambasht. 2. The Influences of Compaction on Soil Structure and Soil Function in Forest Sites; E.E. Hildebrand, H.S. Kirchner. 3. An Overview of Ecological Plant Classification Systems: Linking Functional Response and Functional Effect Groups; A. Symstad. 4. Ecology of Soil Borne Pathogens in Crop Fields; M.W. Lee, Y.S. Lee. 5. Economics of Biodiversity; L. Fernandez. 6. Effects of Air Pollution on Crops in Developing Countries; J.N.B. Bell, F. Marshall. 7. Applied Ecology of Biodiversity; N.K. Ambasht, R.S. Ambasht. 8. Restoration and Management of Degraded Tropical Forest Landscapes; J.A. Parrotta. 9. Nutrient Export in Tropical Rain Forests; W.H. McDowell. 10. Ozone Stress Impacts on Plant Life; J. Bender, H.J. Weigel. 11. The effects of UV-B radiation on crop growth and development; A.K. Tobin. 12. Vegetation Ecology and Regeneration of Tropical Mountain Forests; R.W. Bussmann. 13. Influence of elevated levels of CO2 on Plants; M. Agrawal. 14. Plant Cover-Ecological Implications and Methodical Approaches; H. Dietz, T. Steinlein 15. Ecology of Individuals: Individual based Models of Single Population Dynamics; J. Uchmanski. 16. Concepts and Application of Non linear Complex Systems Theory to Ecological Succession; G.R. Walther, et al. 17. Soil Organisms and Litter Decomposition; G. Gonzáles. 18. Applied Ecology of Succession in Pine Forests of WesternJapan; M. Fujihara, et al. 19. Ethanobotany and Biodiversity Conservation; R.W. Bussmann. Index

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