Search results for ""Author . Highlights""

This engaging and easy-to-use natural history guidebook provides a thorough overview of native and honey bee biology and offers tools for identifying the most common bees of California and the Western United States. Full-color illustrations introduce readers to more than 30 genera of native bees, noting each one's needs and habits and placing them in their wider context. The author highlights bees' ties to our own lives, the food we eat, and the habitat we provide, and suggests ways to support bees in our own backyards. In addition to helping readers understand and distinguish among major groups of bees, this guide reveals how bees are an essential part of healthy ecosystem and how many plants, including important crop plants, depend on the pollination they provide. As growing evidence points to declining bee populations, this book offers critical information about the bond between plants and pollinators, and between humans and nature. Thoroughly researched and full of new insights into the ancient process of pollination, Field Guide to the Common Bees of California; Including Bees of the Western United States is invaluable for the window it opens onto the biodiversity, adaptive range, and complexity of invertebrate communities.

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Written by Chitram Lutchman, a project management professional with more than 20 years of field and business experience, Project Execution: A Practical Approach to Industrial and Commercial Project Management gives you a more optimistic view of this exciting and challenging area. The book focuses on the essential requirements for successful execution of commercial and industrial projects. It differs from other project management books by focusing exclusively on the Execution Stage of the project, leveraging this opportunity for value maximization for the organization.Lutchman identifies people, process, and systems readiness as key components of an overall Milestone Readiness Process. When managed properly, this readiness approach to project management greatly increases the ability of project leaders to deliver on budget and on schedule. The author highlights practical measures and tools that can be used by Project Leaders to promote smooth and controlled execution of a project, rewarding all stakeholders through a collective value maximization effort. He also pinpoints safety as a priority, strong leadership behaviors and stakeholder relations and management as key requirements for success. Lutchman draws on his in-the-trenches know-how and frontline experiences to provide practical recommendations for project execution requirements that, while intuitive, are very likely to be forgotten given the many competing priorities of project leaders.Whether you are a seasoned professional with years of experience or a novice just getting your feet wet, this book enhances your preparedness, skills, and capabilities in project execution or project support roles. This easy-to-follow road map is well equipped with practical tools, ideas, and concepts that enhances your ability to keep projects on budget and on schedule.

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This is an important first book on the major pivotal role Hampshire played in World War II. You will find principal details of the genesis for D-Day and how the Battle for Britain happened on a day by day basis. The author highlights the people s experience of total war from the blitz in Portsmouth, Gosport and Southampton and raids throughout Hampshire. Whilst, at sea and in the dockyards you will find details of the Royal Navy s role. As well as saluting the role of civilians creating and building Spitfires and Hurricanes, _Hampshire at War 1939 - 1945_ places a rightful spotlight on the role Hampshire's women played in the final victory. Hampshire s major effort towards final victory arose from the towns and hamlets of the County set out in this unique book. Training for the secret war and espionage took place in Beaulieu and the training for the Cockleshell Heroes took place around Southsea. Hampshire s War involved the arrival of men and women from all over the world but in particular from Canada and America with important cultural changes for everyone living there. In 1940, when invasion was threatened, a defence of Britain had to be oganised and Hampshire's coast was particularly vulnerable. Details of how German troops would be resisted after landings in the Solent and along Hampshire s coast are also explored. _Hampshire at war 1939 - 1945_ traces the progress of evacuating its children from vulnerable cities such as Southampton and Portsmouth and records the experience of children themselves. But most importantly, Murray Rowlands provides the experience of living through WWII, as it happened.

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A comprehensive review of the impact of dietary nutraceuticals on platelet function and its relationship to cardiovascular disease Nutraceuticals and Human Blood Platelet Function offers a summary of the most current evidence on the effects of anti-platelet factors isolated mainly from food and natural sources, their structure function relationship, bioavailability, mechanisms of actions, and also information on human trials data. The author—a noted expert in the field— explores platelet function and their roles in development of CVD, functional foods and bioactive compounds in CVD risk factors. The author highlights platelets, their mechanisms of actions, data from epidemiological studies, structure-function relationship clinical trial data, ex vivo and in vitro data. This important resource will focus primarily on human studies and emphasize functional and physiological implications of the nutritional impact on platelet function and CVD that could be an important approach to highlight the concept of preventive CVD nutrition. An authoritative text, Nutraceuticals and Human Blood Platelet Function: Offers a unique resource that connects nutrition with platelet function and its impact on cardiovascular disease Contains an evidenced-based approach, including data from human and animal clinical studies Reveals the impact of bioactive compounds and their effect on platelets Presents a text that is authored by an expert with vast experience in the field of nutrition and platelet function Written for professionals, academics, researchers, and students associated in the area of nutrition, Nutraceuticals and Human Blood Platelet Function offers a review of the most current research on the effects of platelet function and their roles in development of CVD, functional foods and bioactive compounds in CVD risk factors.

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Translates technical jargon into practical business communications solutions This book takes readers from traditional voice, fax, video, and data services delivered via separate platforms to a single, unified platform delivering all of these services seamlessly via the Internet. With its clear, jargon-free explanations, the author enables all readers to better understand and assess the growing number of voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and unified communications (UC) products and services that are available for businesses. VoIP and Unified Communications is based on the author's careful review and synthesis of more than 7,000 pages of published standards as well as a broad range of datasheets, websites, white papers, and webinars. It begins with an introduction to IP technology and then covers such topics as: Packet transmission and switching VoIP signaling and call processing How VoIP and UC are defining the future Interconnections with global services Network management for VoIP and UC This book features a complete chapter dedicated to cost analyses and payback calculations, enabling readers to accurately determine the short- and long-term financial impact of migrating to various VoIP and UC products and services. There's also a chapter detailing major IP systems hardware and software. Throughout the book, diagrams illustrate how various VoIP and UC components and systems work. In addition, the author highlights potential problems and threats to UC services, steering readers away from common pitfalls. Concise and to the point, this text enables readers—from novices to experienced engineers and technical managers—to understand how VoIP and UC really work so that everyone can confidently deal with network engineers, data center gurus, and top management.

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The two-hundredth anniversary of the U.S. Constitution and the intense debates surrounding the recent nominees to the Supreme Court have refocused attention on one of the most fundamental documents in U.S. history -- and on the judges who settle disputes over its interpretation. Liberty under Law is a concise and readable history of the U.S. Supreme Court, from its antecedents in colonial and British legal tradition to the present. William M. Wiecek surveys the impact of the Court's power of judicial review on important aspects of the nation's political, economic, and social life. The author highlights important decisions on issues that range from the scope and legitimacy of judicial review itself to civil rights, censorship, the rights of privacy, separation of church and state, and the powers of the President and Congress to conduct foreign affairs. Wiecek's own beliefs about the Court and the Constitution are unabashed and clearly stated. He expresses admiration for John Marshall while critically reviewing the mixed achievements of Marshall's successor, Roger Taney, author of the infamous Dred Scott opinion, which upheld the legitimacy of slavery. And he offers sharp criticism of the Court's "formalist" era in the early twentieth century, when judicial obstructionists "sought to shield a minority of wealth from the effects of democratic politics." Throughout, Wiecek underscores the importance of disagreements over just what law is, and over the Court's role in interpreting that law. In so doing, he broadens the context for current debates about the Constitution and efforts to establish what some have called a "jurisprudence of original intention." The mirror of history, heshows, reveals the limitations of such a narrow scope of interpretation.

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This book starts with an explanation of the phenomenon of pressure transients and how they may arise. It then gives an analysis of the constraints on the magnitude of transient pressures and the need for surge alleviation measures. Equations describing transient motion in pipelines are shown in a straight-forward manner and these are used to introduce the reader to some practical methods of computer analysis in use today. Case studies and assessments of systems and equipment. The author examines a range of case studies involving different types of systems and the types of surge suppression equipment which may be suited to each. Chapters are devoted to various aspects of pipelines which can have a bearing upon pressure transient behaviour. These include flexible pipeline systems and more complicated networks that involve branching and looped pipelines. The presence of air or gas within a system is also dealt with along with considerations for the development of persistent oscillations. Practical, descriptive and enlightening. This practical book provides an indepth analysis of actual systems, with emphasis on the type of hydraulic transient behaviour to be expected in each kind of configuration. Mathematical treatment is covered in a straightforward manner without the need to rely on advanced mathematical skills. Thus, the descriptive nature of this book allows the reader to understand behaviour without constant reference to equations. Due to his extensive experience and insight, the author highlights various pitfalls and provides ideas on when the physical extent of a study can be truncated. Where possible simplified equations are presented to enable rapid assessment of surge equipment capacities – such as those used for pressure vessels, feeder tanks and buffer tanks.

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Analyses the involvement of the agro-pastoral al-Hakkamat Baggara women of Darfur in Sudan's recent civil wars and the implications of this for conflict resolution and peacebuilding. WINNER OF THE 2019 AIDOO-SNYDER BOOK PRIZE Al-Hakkamat Baggara women hold an instrumental position in rural Sudan, wielding agency, social and political power. This book uncovers their significant, but widely overlooked, role during the war in Darfur from the 1970s to today's continuing conflict. The author examines the influence they exercised through composing and reciting poems and songs, informal speech and other symbolic acts, and analysestheir impact in the social and political domains. Challenging the pervasive portrayal of women as natural peacebuilders and their roles as passive and submissive, the author highlights how Sudan's state government co-opted al-Hakkamat Baggara women to lobby on its behalf, to rally for war and to advocate for peace. Understanding how they can contribute to the resolution and resettlement processes is vital to sustainable reconciliation and post-conflict transformation of the unstable state. Suad M.E. Musa (PhD) is a Freelance Consultant on gender and women's issues. She worked with the government of Sudan and with CSOs and INGOs in the Horn of Africa and Britain. She alsoworked as Assistant Professor of Sociology at Qatar University.

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The provision of food is undergoing radical transformations throughout the global community. Peter Oosterveer argues that, as a consequence, conventional national governmental regulations can no longer adequately respond to existing and emerging food risks and to environmental concerns. This book examines these challenges. Translating recent innovative thinking in the social sciences - as seen in the work of Manuel Castells and John Urry amongst others - to the world of food, this book reviews the challenges facing global food governance and the innovative regulatory arrangements that are being introduced by different governments, NGOs and private companies. The analysis includes case-studies on the European BSE crisis, GM-food regulation, salmon and shrimp farming and food labelling. The author highlights how contemporary governance arrangements also have to acknowledge increasing consumer demand for food produced with care for the environment, animal welfare and social justice. Developing and implementing adequate global food governance arrangements therefore demands the active involvement of private firms, consumers, and civil society organisations with national governments.Peter Oosterveer's book will appeal to scholars - postgraduate and above - involved in industrial organization, agricultural studies and environmental sciences as well as those with an interest in the globalisation and governance of this important and topical area.

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Paul Davidson investigates why the 1990s was a decade of financial crises that almost precipitated a global market crash. He explores the reasons why the global economy still struggles with the aftermath of these crises and discusses the possibility that volatile financial markets in the future will have real impacts on whole industries and national economic systems.The author highlights the central role that domestic and international financial markets play in determining the economic growth rate, unemployment rate and international payments position of capitalist economies. He explains why the primary function of financial markets is to create liquidity and demonstrates that a liquid market cannot be efficient, and an efficient market cannot be liquid. He also proves that preventing liquidity problems from developing in national and international financial markets is the key element in fostering prosperity. Statistical evidence and theoretical analysis are combined to demonstrate why orthodox prescriptions for 'liberalizing' labor, product, and capital markets are the wrong policies for promoting a civilized society in the 21st century.Professional economists, financial reporters, government policy makers, those working in international economic organizations such as the IMF, the World Bank and the WTO, and concerned citizens will all benefit greatly from reading this highly acclaimed book.

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A comprehensive text on financial market operations management Financial Market Operations Management offers anyone involved with administering, maintaining, and improving the IT systems within financial institutions a comprehensive text that covers all the essential information for managing operations. Written by Keith Dickinson—an expert on the topic—the book is comprehensive, practical, and covers the five essential areas of operations and management including participation and infrastructure, trade life cycle, asset servicing, technology, and the regulatory environment. This comprehensive guide also covers the limitations and boundaries of operational systems and focuses on their interaction with external parties including clients, counterparties, exchanges, and more. This essential resource reviews the key aspects of operations management in detail, including an examination of the entire trade life cycle, new issue distribution of bonds and equities, securities financing, as well as corporate actions, accounting, and reconciliations. The author highlights specific operational processes and challenges and includes vital formulae, spreadsheet applications, and exhibits. Offers a comprehensive resource for operational staff in financial services Covers the key aspects of operations management Highlights operational processes and challenges Includes an instructors manual, a test bank, and a solution manual This vital resource contains the information, processes, and illustrative examples needed for a clear understanding of financial market operations.

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This book is unique in providing a comprehensive, up-to-date synthesis of what is known about soil biodiversity and the factors that regulate its distribution, as well as the functional significance of below-ground biodiversity for ecosystem form and function. It describes the vast diversity of biota that live in the soil environment - the most complex habitat on Earth - and discusses the factors that act as determinants of this diversity across different spatial and temporal scales. The Biology of Soil also considers how biotic interactions in soil influence the important soil processes of decomposition and nutrient cycling . It demonstrates how interactions and feedbacks between diverse plant and soil communities act as important drivers of ecosystem form and function. The importance of these relationships for understanding how ecosystems respond to global change phenomena, including climate change, is discussed in depth. Much is still to be learned about the soil biota and their roles in ecosystems, and the author highlights some of the many challenges that face ecologists in the exploration of soil. Richard Bardgett has wide experience in soil and terrestrial ecology, and his background of research in many ecosystems is reflected in this book which is the most comprehensive, up-to-date volume currently available in soil ecology. It provides an introduction to the biology of soil, and it also discusses the most recent developments in this progressive field of ecology. The importance of soil biotic interactions for community and ecosystem ecology is illustrated through the use of numerous examples and case studies. The Biology of Soil provides an excellent, easy to read introduction for anyone working in the field of soil ecology and related disciplines, and will be ideal for students taking undergraduate and postgraduate courses in soil ecology, plant-soil relationships, ecosystem ecology, and land management.

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From vehicles to music, power generation to retail, every aspect of our daily routine has experienced drastic changes in the recent past, driven by secular forces such as digitization, a growing focus on sustainability, regulatory changes and evolving consumer behavior. Financial services are no exception. A paradigm change is at play in the financial sector, with a surge in competition from non-traditional actors, a revolution in customer experience evidenced by rising transparency and customer-centric strategies. FinTech is disrupting financial services, providing a historic opportunity for formally underserved customers, a formidable threat to existing banks and a critical challenge to regulators. Through the lens of FinTech (financial technology) — including payments, lending platforms, insurtech, superapps and market infrastructure — the author highlights the practical policy opportunities and risks of financial inclusion with a wealth of data.This book tells the story of entrepreneurs, companies, investors, researchers and regulators who are building the financial services of tomorrow and the mechanisms that will allow us as a society to fulfill the promise of inclusion. There are still challenges to overcome, particularly high levels of informality, subpar quality in financial services, and low levels of financial education. Regulators play a crucial role to foster inclusion, proposing sandboxes and stepping up their efforts against risks triggered by technology such as monopolistic behavior, consumer protection and cybercrime.Finance with a Purpose combines the theory in the fields of economics, finance and law with the practice of financial institutions, corporates, households and investors. By combining the latest academic research with ample professional experience in emerging markets, this book is essential for policymakers, scholars, and any reader who wants to understand the recent progress in financial inclusion and how it can be used to alleviate inequality and foster economic development.

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Following the demise of the Washington Consensus, developing countries are looking for new ideas to guide their development. This innovative book suggests taking seriously some of the findings of evolutionary economics and paying specific attention to the institutions that matter for economic development, particularly those related to science, technology and innovation. The author highlights how the institutional framework that will allow countries to grow should include universities, government laboratories and policy incentives for human capital and business research and development. He argues that there are no simple policies and no 'one-size-fits-all' solutions, and that the majority of developing countries have not yet found the right combinations of institutions. The book suggests that building successful national and regional innovation systems requires at least one generation of continuous effort, significant trial and error, and a thorough knowledge of the experiences of the OECD countries that built those institutions in the past. It moves on to demonstrate how certain countries such as Canada, Finland and Singapore have succeeded in catching-up and how several others, for example Argentina, Egypt, Mexico and the Philippines, have failed. It then pinpoints the main industrial, science, technology and innovation policies required by developing countries to achieve their goals. This unique and timely book will appeal to postgraduate students of international economics, international business and development economics, as well as students of science, technology and society.

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This unique work of evidence scholarship details the development of marketised forensic science provision in the UK. Exploring the impact that public policy developments have had upon the sector, it delves into the re-structuring of both the governance and delivery of expert scientific evidence. Using first-hand accounts drawn from empirical research, this study analyses the practices and perspectives of forensic experts and criminal justice personnel, with a particular focus on the influence of standardisation, expertise, and regulation on scientific method. Expanding our understanding of the ways in which forensic scientists have responded to policy-driven structural changes, the author highlights the effects of resulting adaptations. Challenging subsisting accounts of law’s deference to expert knowledge, this work uncovers the normative and conceptual underpinnings of law and science, to provide an innovative account of the practice of case construction. Using comparative case-study methods, the study highlights the need for a genuine theoretical engagement between the two domains and supports this endeavour with a range of empirically informed discussions, and detailed theoretical analyses. Revisiting the landmark cases, relevant legislative provisions, and government reports, the study offers a trenchant analysis of law’s mutable understandings of expertise and scientific method. Marketisation and Forensic Science Provision in England and Wales thus lays the foundations for a more rational and systematic approach to the consumption of expert evidence.

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Public Sculpture of Lancashire and Cumbria is a fascinating book that provides much needed attention to the best public sculpture and monuments in these north-west counties. With an invaluable introduction and notes, the author highlights in particular works of art that are in need of restoration or protection by local authorities and other owners.The art works included are mostly in urban areas however some are tucked away on moors and hilltops, and can be reached by a modest walk, and are thus less familiar. Many entries are accompanied by original photographs, often showing details of the craftsmanship. This book highlights the brilliant work of local sculptors, including several women, who have been neglected over the years and were suppressed by the usual dominance of craftsmen from London and the south east. Their biographies appear at the end of the book.Locations of the public sculpture are given and each dedicated entry provides a description and the measurements of the sculpture; records its inscriptions and its condition; the reason for its commemoration; the chief advocate and process of the commission; its sources of funding and cost; the choice of artist and source of the materials; the relationship between the artist and the architect; the name of the bronze founder or builder; the historical and political context; and the date and details of the unveiling ceremony.

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Offers a unique comparative exploration of the role of tradition in Islam and Christianity. The idea of 'tradition' has enjoyed a variety of senses and definitions in Islam and Christianity, but both have cleaved at certain times to a supposedly 'golden age' of tradition from the past. In comparing the role of tradition in Islam and Christianity, key themes are explored: * The roles of authority * Fundamentalism * The use of reason * Ijtihad (independent thinking) * Original comparisons between Islamic Salafism and Christian Lefebvrism The author suggests there has been a chain of thinkers from classical Islam to the twentieth century who share a common interest in ijtihad (or independent thinking). Drawing on past and present evidence, and using Christian tradition as a focus for contrast and comparison, the author highlights the seemingly paradoxical harmony between tradition and itjihad in Islam. The author draws on a variety of primary and secondary sources including contemporary newspaper and journal articles, documents and letters, adding an immediacy to a lucid and stimulating text. Key Features * Proposes a new vocabulary for the articulation of Islam * Offers original comparisons between Salafism and Lefebvrism * Highlights the paradoxical harmony between tradition and itjihad in Islam * Articulates the yearning amongst today's Muslim and Christian traditionalists for a revival of a 'golden age' from whence, they believe, all good traditions derive

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The first comprehensive study of medieval changelings and associated attitudes to the health and care of children in the period. The changeling - a monstrous creature swapped for a human child by malevolent powers - is an enduring image in the popular imagination; dubbing a child a changeling is traditionally understood as a way to justify the often-violent rejection of a disabled or ailing infant. Belief in the reality of changelings is famously attested in Stephen of Bourbon's disapproving thirteenth-century account of rites at the shrine of Saint Guinefort the Holy Greyhound, where sick children were brought to be cured. However, the focus on the St. Guinefort rituals has meant some scholarly neglect of the wealth of other sources of knowledge (including mystery plays and medical texts) and the nuances with which the changeling motif was used in this period. This interdisciplinary study considers the idea of the changeling as a cultural construct through an examination of a broad range of medical, miracle, and imaginative texts, as well as the lives of three more conventional Saints, Stephen, Bartholomew and Lawrence, who, in their infancy, were said to have been replaced by a demonic changeling. The author highlights how people from all walks of life were invested in both creating and experiencing the images, texts and artefacts depicting these changelings, and examines societal tensions regarding infants and children: their health, their care, and their position within the familial unit.

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Illustrated with breathtaking images of the Solar System and of the Universe around it, this book explores how the discoveries within the Solar System and of exoplanets far beyond it come together to help us understand the habitability of Earth, and how these findings guide the search for exoplanets that could support life. The author highlights how, within two decades of the discovery of the first planets outside the Solar System in the 1990s, scientists concluded that planets are so common that most stars are orbited by them. The lives of exoplanets and their stars, as of our Solar System and its Sun, are inextricably interwoven. Stars are the seeds around which planets form, and they provide light and warmth for as long as they shine. At the end of their lives, stars expel massive amounts of newly forged elements into deep space, and that ejected material is incorporated into subsequent generations of planets. How do we learn about these distant worlds? What does the exploration of other planets tell us about Earth? Can we find out what the distant future may have in store for us? What do we know about exoworlds and starbirth, and where do migrating hot Jupiters, polluted white dwarfs, and free-roaming nomad planets fit in? And what does all that have to do with the habitability of Earth, the possibility of finding extraterrestrial life, and the operation of the globe-spanning network of the sciences?

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IIE/Joint Publishers Book of the Year Award 2016! Awarded for ‘an outstanding published book that focuses on a facet of industrial engineering, improves education, or furthers the profession’. Engineering Decision Making and Risk Management emphasizes practical issues and examples of decision making with applications in engineering design and managementFeaturing a blend of theoretical and analytical aspects, this book presents multiple perspectives on decision making to better understand and improve risk management processes and decision-making systems.Engineering Decision Making and Risk Management uniquely presents and discusses three perspectives on decision making: problem solving, the decision-making process, and decision-making systems. The author highlights formal techniques for group decision making and game theory and includes numerical examples to compare and contrast different quantitative techniques. The importance of initially selecting the most appropriate decision-making process is emphasized through practical examples and applications that illustrate a variety of useful processes. Presenting an approach for modeling and improving decision-making systems, Engineering Decision Making and Risk Management also features: Theoretically sound and practical tools for decision making under uncertainty, multi-criteria decision making, group decision making, the value of information, and risk management Practical examples from both historical and current events that illustrate both good and bad decision making and risk management processes End-of-chapter exercises for readers to apply specific learning objectives and practice relevant skills A supplementary website with instructional support material, including worked solutions to the exercises, lesson plans, in-class activities, slides, and spreadsheets An excellent textbook for upper-undergraduate and graduate students, Engineering Decision Making and Risk Management is appropriate for courses on decision analysis, decision making, and risk management within the fields of engineering design, operations research, business and management science, and industrial and systems engineering. The book is also an ideal reference for academics and practitioners in business and management science, operations research, engineering design, systems engineering, applied mathematics, and statistics.

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The Teaching English series offers a mixture of methodology and practical ideas for teachers of English as a foreign language. The Teaching English Online series complements the main series, offering a mixture of methodology and practical ideas to get teachers started on an online platform, and to support them in creating and delivering dynamic and creative lessons whether they are teaching solely online or in combination with physical classes. Structuring Fun for Young Language Learners Online aims to provide ELT teachers, directors of studies and academic managers with advice about making the transition to teaching online, including: examples related to the author's own experience, online safety and best practice; managing your online classroom, dealing with stress and supporting learners; adapting traditional tasks and making the most of the online medium. The book includes a wide range of colourful activities and numerous illustrations and examples from actual online classes. Throughout, the goal is to help make lessons enjoyable for both teacher and learners. The emphasis is on low-tech, low-prep lessons with maximum results, whilst keeping the focus clearly centred upon the goal of increasing children's familiarity with and ability to produce words and sentences in English. In Structuring Fun for Young Language Learners Online the author examines how many principles of best practice (as covered in the recently-published Structuring Fun for Young Learners in the ELT Classroom, Chris Roland, Pavilion Publishing, 2020) from face-to-face lessons translate to online teaching. The author highlights what teachers will need to approach a little differently, and looks at where the new medium allows us to do things that we could not do so easily before. This book can be used for self-study, as guided reading on more structured training courses - where the three boxes for reflection and discussion at the end of each chapter (Questions for Reflection, Things to Try and Things to Share) can be used as the basis for group discussion - or for trainers preparing their own sessions at an in-house level.

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A reference for those working at the interface of operations planning and optimization modeling, Operations Planning: Mixed Integer Optimization Models blends essential theory and powerful approaches to practical operations planning problems. It presents a set of classical optimization models with widespread application in operations planning. The discussion of each of these classical models begins with the motivation for studying the problem as well as examples of the problem’s application in operations planning contexts. The book explores special structural results and properties of optimal solutions that have led to effective algorithmic solution approaches for each problem class.Each of the models and solution methods presented is the result of high-impact research that has been published in the scholarly literature, with appropriate references cited throughout the book. The author highlights the close relationships among the models, examining those situations in which a particular model results as a special case of other related models or how one model generalizes another. Understanding these relationships allows you to more easily characterize new models being developed through their relationships to classical models. The models and methods presented in the book have widespread application in operations planning. It enables you to recognize the structural similarities between models and to recognize these structural elements within other contexts. It also gives you an understanding of various critical operations research techniques and classical operations planning models, without the need to consult numerous sources.

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Will there be war with China? This book provides the most complete and accurate assessment of the probability of conflict between the United States and the rising Asian superpower. Equally important, it lays out an in-depth analysis of the possible pathways to peace. Written like a geopolitical detective story, the narrative encourages reader interaction by starting each chapter with an intriguing question that often challenges conventional wisdom. Based on interviews with more than thirty top experts, the author highlights a number of disturbing facts about China's recent military buildup and the shifting balance of power in Asia: the Chinese are deploying game-changing "carrier killer" ballistic missiles; some of America's supposed allies in Europe and Asia are selling highly lethal weapons systems to China in a perverse twist on globalization; and, on the U.S. side, debilitating cutbacks in the military budget send a message to the world that America is not serious about its "pivot to Asia." In the face of these threatening developments, the book stresses the importance of maintaining US military strength and preparedness and strengthening alliances, while warning against a complacent optimism that relies on economic engagement, negotiations, and nuclear deterrence to ensure peace. Accessible to readers from all walks of life, this multidisciplinary work blends geopolitics, economics, history, international relations, military doctrine, and political science to provide a better understanding of one of the most vexing problems facing the world.

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A personal growth roadmap guiding you into the future of relationships in work, life, play, and giving Curve Benders is a personal growth roadmap. It will guide you through the complicated intersection of work, life, play, and giving. Countless new forces will shape the future, so the strategic relationships we form in these areas of life are, of necessity, changing. This book will show you how to move into the future and dramatically alter your growth trajectory in both its direction and ultimate destination. David Nour, the author of Relationship Economics and a top thought leader on business relationships, has identified 15 forces that will heavily influence what we do and how and where we engage our current and prospective relationships to create value and make a difference in the lives of others. This book aims to provide you with a step-by-step guide for personal, professional, and organizational growth. The author highlights how certain relationships enable a non-linear growth trajectory. These relationships, in addition to augmenting what we can accomplish, often shape who we become. These relationships are “curve benders,” and this book will show you who and where they are, how to find and engage them, and, equally valuable, how you can become a curve bender to impact the lives and livelihoods of others profoundly. Gain insight into the value of your current strategic relationships and how they help you achieve your work, life, and giving goals Reconceptualize relationships to identify the people with the power, not only to help you achieve but to change who you become Learn how to become a “curve bender” who makes an outsized impact in the lives of others Become better at finding and engaging people, navigating the 15 forces that are reshaping our world This book is about strategic relationship planning, personal growth, and, ultimately, about you. Read Curve Benders to launch yourself into your best future.

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This masterful, richly illustrated account of the planning and building of the most important and influential early American railroad, the Baltimore and Ohio, is an essential contribution not only to railyway history but also to the broader history of the development of the United States in the first half of the nineteenth century. There was no precedent for the building of the B&O. The construction of the 380-mile line from Baltimore to the Ohio River over a period of 25 years is an epic story of astute planning and innovative engineering that overcame many formidable obstacles, notably the arduous traversing of 200 miles of mountain wilderness. Its successful inauguration provided a spur to internal improvements throughout the United States. Railroads, and certainly the B&O, epitomized progress, not only in the development and extension of the Western frontier but in the revelation that personal travel and the delivery of freight could be dramatically faster, better, and cheaper. The railroad deeply affected the development of Baltimore's port, industry, and urban geography, as well as its financial, educational, and cultural institutions. George Peabody, Enoch Pratt, William Walters, and Johns Hopkins—the city's most prominent philanthropists—were involved with the B&O, some intimately; the Johns Hopkins University was founded on B&O Railroad stock. The B&O also contributed by aiding in the growth of the state's iron and coal industries. The B&O came to be called "the Railroad University of the United States." Its civil engineers formed the core of the railroad engineering profession in America. The company's annual reports during the building of the line were, according to the American Railroad Journal in 1835, "a textbook and their road and workshops have been as a lecture room to thousands." Throughout, the author highlights the many types of men who were involved in that history: promoters, financiers, politicians, lawyers, newspaper editors, fixers and bagmen, civil engineers, inventors and mechanics, foremen, contractors, and feuding Irish laborers, who together built the first long-distance, general-purpose railroad in the United States. The book is illustrated with 80 photographs and drawings and 5 maps.

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Guide to kinematic theory for the analysis of spatial mechanisms and manipulators Kinematics of General Spatial Mechanical Systems is an effective and proficient guide to the kinematic description and analysis of the spatial mechanical systems such as serial manipulators, parallel manipulators and spatial mechanisms. The author highlights the analytical and semi-analytical methods for solving the relevant equations and considers four main elements: The mathematics of spatial kinematics with the necessary theorems, formulas and methods; The kinematic description of the links and joints including the rolling contact joints; Writing the kinematic chain and loop equations for the systems to be analyzed; and Solving these equations for the unspecified variables both in the forward and inverse senses together with the multiplicity and singularity analyses. Comprehensive in scope, the book covers topics ranging from rather elementary subjects such as spatial mechanisms with single degree of freedom to more advanced topics such as serial manipulators including redundant and deficient ones, parallel manipulators, and non-holonomic spatial cam mechanisms that involve rolling without slipping motions. The author presents an effective and accessible symbolic manipulation method making it possible to obtain neat and transparent expressions that describe the systems showing all the kinematic details. Such expressions readily lead to analytical or semi-analytical solutions. They also facilitate the identification and analysis of the multiplicities and singularities. This all-time beneficial book: Provides an easy-to-use systematic formulation method that is applicable to all sorts of spatial machanisms and manipulators Introduces a symbolic manipulation method, which is effective and straightforward to use, so that kinematic relationships can be simplified by using all the special geometric features of the system Offers an accessible format that uses a systematic and easy-to-conceive notation which has proven successful Presents content written by an author who is a renowned expert in the field Includes an accompanying website Written for academicians, students, engineers, computer scientists and any other people working in the area of spatial mechanisms and manipulators, Kinematics of General Spatial Mechanical Systems provides a clear notation, formulation, and a logical approach to the topic and offers a fresh presentation of challenging material.

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This masterful, richly illustrated account of the planning and building of the most important and influential early American railroad, the Baltimore and Ohio, is an essential contribution not only to railyway history but also to the broader history of the development of the United States in the first half of the nineteenth century. There was no precedent for the building of the B&O. The construction of the 380-mile line from Baltimore to the Ohio River over a period of 25 years is an epic story of astute planning and innovative engineering that overcame many formidable obstacles, notably the arduous traversing of 200 miles of mountain wilderness. Its successful inauguration provided a spur to internal improvements throughout the United States. Railroads, and certainly the B&O, epitomized progress, not only in the development and extension of the Western frontier but in the revelation that personal travel and the delivery of freight could be dramatically faster, better, and cheaper. The railroad deeply affected the development of Baltimore's port, industry, and urban geography, as well as its financial, educational, and cultural institutions. George Peabody, Enoch Pratt, William Walters, and Johns Hopkins—the city's most prominent philanthropists—were involved with the B&O, some intimately; the Johns Hopkins University was founded on B&O Railroad stock. The B&O also contributed by aiding in the growth of the state's iron and coal industries. The B&O came to be called "the Railroad University of the United States." Its civil engineers formed the core of the railroad engineering profession in America. The company's annual reports during the building of the line were, according to the American Railroad Journal in 1835, "a textbook and their road and workshops have been as a lecture room to thousands." Throughout, the author highlights the many types of men who were involved in that history: promoters, financiers, politicians, lawyers, newspaper editors, fixers and bagmen, civil engineers, inventors and mechanics, foremen, contractors, and feuding Irish laborers, who together built the first long-distance, general-purpose railroad in the United States. The book is illustrated with 80 photographs and drawings and 5 maps.

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An accessible introduction to metaheuristics and optimization, featuring powerful and modern algorithms for application across engineering and the sciences From engineering and computer science to economics and management science, optimization is a core component for problem solving. Highlighting the latest developments that have evolved in recent years, Engineering Optimization: An Introduction with Metaheuristic Applications outlines popular metaheuristic algorithms and equips readers with the skills needed to apply these techniques to their own optimization problems. With insightful examples from various fields of study, the author highlights key concepts and techniques for the successful application of commonly-used metaheuristc algorithms, including simulated annealing, particle swarm optimization, harmony search, and genetic algorithms. The author introduces all major metaheuristic algorithms and their applications in optimization through a presentation that is organized into three succinct parts: Foundations of Optimization and Algorithms provides a brief introduction to the underlying nature of optimization and the common approaches to optimization problems, random number generation, the Monte Carlo method, and the Markov chain Monte Carlo method Metaheuristic Algorithms presents common metaheuristic algorithms in detail, including genetic algorithms, simulated annealing, ant algorithms, bee algorithms, particle swarm optimization, firefly algorithms, and harmony search Applications outlines a wide range of applications that use metaheuristic algorithms to solve challenging optimization problems with detailed implementation while also introducing various modifications used for multi-objective optimization Throughout the book, the author presents worked-out examples and real-world applications that illustrate the modern relevance of the topic. A detailed appendix features important and popular algorithms using MATLAB® and Octave software packages, and a related FTP site houses MATLAB code and programs for easy implementation of the discussed techniques. In addition, references to the current literature enable readers to investigate individual algorithms and methods in greater detail. Engineering Optimization: An Introduction with Metaheuristic Applications is an excellent book for courses on optimization and computer simulation at the upper-undergraduate and graduate levels. It is also a valuable reference for researchers and practitioners working in the fields of mathematics, engineering, computer science, operations research, and management science who use metaheuristic algorithms to solve problems in their everyday work.

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Every solution that is in some way related to the IoT needs a platform; learn how to create that platform with us. This book is about being agile and reducing your time to market without breaking the bank. It is about designing something that can scale incrementally without rework and potentially disrupting the current work.So, the key questions are: What does it take? How long does it take? And, how much does it take to build your own IoT platform? This book answers these questions and provides you with step-by-step guide to building your own IoT platform. In this book, the author highlights what the core of an IoT platform looks like. There are always some must-haves and some nice-to-haves. This book distinguishes the two and focuses on building the must-haves. Building your IoT platform is not only the most significant cost-saver but can also be a satisfying learning experience. This edition will extend your work with a sample project to clarify the concepts and show you the possibilities. Additional chapters will also shed some light on the hardware interface and considerations.What You Will Learn· Master how to architect an interconnected system and develop a flexible platform architecture· Understand how to prioritize system requirements with a bottom-up approach· Design and build a robust IoT communications platform· Create an end-to-end application using guidelines in this book Who Is This Book ForIoT developers with basic-to-intermediate programming skills, small business owners, as well as entrepreneurs and startup founders would benefit from this book

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BUSINESS EXPERIMENTS with R A unique text that simplifies experimental business design and is dedicated to the R language Business Experiments with R offers a guide to, and explores the fundamentals of experimental business designs. The book fills a gap in the literature to provide a text on the topic of business statistics that addresses issues such as small samples, lack of normality, and data confounding. The author—a noted expert on the topic—puts the focus on the A/B tests (and their variants) that are widely used in industry, but not typically covered in business statistics textbooks. The text contains the tools needed to design and analyze two-treatment experiments (i.e., A/B tests) to answer business questions. The author highlights the strategic and technical issues involved in designing experiments that will truly affect organizations. The book then builds on the foundation in Part I and expands the multivariable testing. Since today’s companies are using experiments to solve a broad range of problems, Business Experiments with R is an essential resource for any business student. This important text: Presents the key ideas that business students need to know about experiments Offers a series of examples, focusing on a specific business question Helps develop the ability to frame ill-defined problems and determine what data and analysis would provide information about that problem Written for students of general business, marketing, and business analytics, Business Experiments with R is an important text that helps to answer business questions by highlighting the strategic and technical issues involved in designing experiments that will truly affect organizations.

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Explore the concept of time as it applies to the therapeutic setting Following the innovative first edition which she co-authored with her late father, Freddie Strasser, in the newly revised Second Edition of Time-Limited Existential Therapy: The Wheel of Existence, distinguished therapist Alison Strasser delivers an insightful aid to integrating and working with existential givens as they arise within a therapeutic encounter. She locates the concept of Time as central to all therapies, regardless of their theoretical modality, and demonstrates how it can be used in brief, short-term, and open-ended therapies. The book relies on the concept of The Wheel to provide a framework for understanding existential and phenomenological philosophies and to help readers put them into practice with clients. It includes meaningful case vignettes that bring existential themes to life and is accessible to both therapists and interested lay members of the public. Finally, the author highlights how our experience with COVID-19 has impacted, and been impacted by, the existential themes we all deal with on a regular basis. A thorough overview of a commonsense existential approach and a discussion of the mystery of time Practical discussions of the limitations and possibilities of time-limited existential therapies, as well as concepts and methods in the area. Comprehensive explorations of the tyranny of high morality, and examinations of the body, the "givents" and "connectedness". Time-Limited Existential Therapy: The Wheel of Existence is an indispensable resource for experienced psychotherapists, counsellors, social workers, coaches, and psychologists, as well as trainees in these fields seeking a common-sense approach to existential ideas in the context of therapy.

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An easy-to-read presentation of the early history of mathematics Engaging and accessible, An Introduction to the Early Development of Mathematics provides a captivating introduction to the history of ancient mathematics in early civilizations for a nontechnical audience. Written with practical applications in a variety of areas, the book utilizes the historical context of mathematics as a pedagogical tool to assist readers working through mathematical and historical topics. The book is divided into sections on significant early civilizations including Egypt, Babylonia, China, Greece, India, and the Islamic world. Beginning each chapter with a general historical overview of the civilized area, the author highlights the civilization’s mathematical techniques, number representations, accomplishments, challenges, and contributions to the mathematical world. Thoroughly class-tested, An Introduction to the Early Development of Mathematics features: Challenging exercises that lead readers to a deeper understanding of mathematics Numerous relevant examples and problem sets with detailed explanations of the processes and solutions at the end of each chapter Additional references on specific topics and keywords from history, archeology, religion, culture, and mathematics Examples of practical applications with step-by-step explanations of the mathematical concepts and equations through the lens of early mathematical problems A companion website that includes additional exercises An Introduction to the Early Development of Mathematics is an ideal textbook for undergraduate courses on the history of mathematics and a supplement for elementary and secondary education majors. The book is also an appropriate reference for professional and trade audiences interested in the history of mathematics. Michael K. J. Goodman is Adjunct Mathematics Instructor at Westchester Community College, where he teaches courses in the history of mathematics, contemporary mathematics, and algebra. He is also the owner and operator of The Learning Miracle, LLC, which provides academic tutoring and test preparation for both college and high school students.

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Displaced to Italy by their politics and morals, Byron and Shelley wrote, between 1816 and 1823, a series of closet dramas that the author reveals as being deeply embedded in contemporary radical culture. Why did they write dramas in Italy that were to be published in England but not to be produced theatrically? Why do these dramas invoke and apparently oppose textual and theatrical versions of themselves? In answering these questions, this book addresses other questions about the historical invention of English literature, the relation between literature and drama, and the relation between literature and political culture. The plays are shown to acquiesce in, and yet also resist, subvert, and ironize by means of a parodic self-censorship, the political, theatrical, and ecclesiastical censorship of the post-Waterloo period. The author argues that they not only explore questions of political action in their plots but also reconstruct, by reconvening, a radical audience that had been virtually eliminated in England during the period of the counterrevolutionary and Napoleonic wars. Like the radical culture of the 1790's, Byron and Shelley's plays are informed by a "new" politics of language. Focusing on the discursive conditions of radical culture and the plays, and bringing the procedures of cultural materialism into contact with those of deconstruction, the author highlights the political and literary operation of the plays' language. In the process, he shows how the plays contributed to the recrudescence of a polite radicalism that sought to align itself with and establish control over its plebeian counterpart. Detailed discussion of individual plays—Manfred, Sardanapalus, Prometheus Unbound, Marino Faliero, Hellas, Cain, Heaven and Earth, The Two Foscari, and The Cenci—is supported by investigations into Romantic criticism of the drama, the dynamics of the reviewing journals, and the philosophical construct of the "closet" of reasoning and reading.

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Ancient Jewish letter writing is a neglected topic of research. Lutz Doering's new monograph seeks to redress this situation. The author pursues two major tasks: first, to provide a comprehensive discussion of Jewish letter writing in the Persian, Hellenistic, and Roman periods and, second, to assess the importance of ancient Jewish letter writing for the emergence and early development of Christian epistolography. Although individual groups of Jewish letters have been studied before, the present monograph is the first one to look at Jewish letters comprehensively across the languages in which they were written and/or handed down (chiefly Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek). It operates with a broad concept of "letter" and deals with documentary as well as literary and embedded letters. The author highlights cross-linguistic developments, such as the influence of the Greek epistolary form on Aramaic and Hebrew letters or the non-idiomatic retention of Semitic "peace" greetings in some letters translated into Greek, which allowed for these greetings to be charged with new meaning. Doering argues that such processes were also important for early Christian epistolography. Thus, Paul engaged creatively with Jewish epistolary formulae. Frequent address of communities rather than individuals and the quasi-official setting of many Jewish letters would have provided relevant models when Paul developed his own epistolary praxis. In addition, the author shows that the concept of communication with the "Diaspora", in both halakhic-administrative and prophetic-apocalyptic Jewish letters, is adapted by a number of early Christian letters, such as 1 Peter, James, Acts 15:23-29, and 1 Clement. Ancient Jewish and early Christian letters also share a concern with group identity and cohesion that is often supported by salvation-historical motifs. In sum, Lutz Doering addresses the previously under-researched text-pragmatic similarities between Jewish and Christian letters.

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Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs) are a critical element of any armoured formation, giving tactical support to the tank. This newly updated book is an authoritative history and directory of armoured cars, armoured personnel carriers and self-propelled artillery, covering a wide range of wheeled, tracked and half-tracked vehicles. The book begins with a lively history of AFVs from the beginning of the 20th century through to the present generation of lighter, faster and more agile vehicles. From the days before radio communication through to the World Wars, the Cold War and the birth of the Infantry Fighting Vehicle, the author highlights the varied roles AFVs have played, as well as how these adaptable vehicles have evolved and developed over time. Next there are two substantial directories forming an illustrated guide to over 180 AFVs. The first of these covers the period from 1900–45 when the major types were evolving. The many photographs show the diversity of these vehicles, such as the Rolls-Royce Armoured Car, the Sexton 25PDR Self-Propelled gun and the Buffalo LVT Amphibious Assault Vehicle. The second directory focuses on the remarkable advances in AFV development post-World War II, from the BMP-1 Infantry Fighting Vehicle and the Scud Missile System TEL to the Boxer Multi-role AFV and the Varta Armoured Personnel Carrier. Detailed specification boxes are featured for every AFV described. These contain up-to-date information, including country of origin, weight, dimensions, armament, armour thickness, powerplant, speed and range. This wonderfully illustrated book provides enthusiasts and historians with key information about these diverse and multi-tasking vehicles. A newly updated global directory of over 180 armoured fighting vehicles, from the early 20th century to the present day. Examines the wide variety of roles played by AFVs throughout their 120-year history, including the first armoured cars of the 1900s, the coming of age of self-propelled artillery and amphibious infantry assault vehicles in World War II, plus the most recent peacekeeping armoured personnel carriers and multi-role vehicles. Features a range of historic wheeled and tracked vehicles such as the Lanchester Armoured Car, the Jeep Multi-role Vehicle and the M3 Half-track Infantry Carrier, plus modern vehicles like the Humvee Multi-role Vehicle, the FV430 Mk 3 Bulldog and the Foxhound Light Protected Patrol Vehicle. Specification boxes provide information about each AFV’s official name, country of origin, weight, dimensions, armament, armour thickness, powerplant, speed and range.

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Eudemus of Rhodes was a pupil of Aristotle in the second half of the fourth century BCE. When Aristotle died, having chosen Theophrastus as his successor, Eudemus returned to Rhodes where it appears he founded his own school. His contributions to logic were significant: he took issue with Aristotle concerning the status of the existential "is," and together with Theophrastus he made important contributions to hypothetical syllogistic and modal logic. He wrote at length on physics, largely following Aristotle, and took an interest in animal behavior. His histories of geometry, arithmetic, and astronomy were of great importance and are responsible for much of what we know of these subjects in earlier times.Volume 11 in the series Rutgers Studies in Classical Humanities is different in that it is composed entirely of articles that discuss Eudemus from a variety of viewpoints. Sixteen scholars representing seven nations have contributed essays to the volume. A special essay by Dimitri Gutas brings together for the first time the Arabic material relating to Eudemus. Other contributors and essays are: Hans B. Gottschalk, "Eudemus and the Peripatos"; Tiziano Dorandi, "Quale aspetto controverso della biografia di Eudemo di Rodi"; William W. Fortenbaugh, "Eudemus' Work On Expression"; Pamela M. Huby, "Did Aristotle Reply to Eudemus and Theophrastus on Some Logical Issues?"; Robert Sharples, "Eudemus Physics: Change, Place and Time"; Han Baltussen, "Wehrli's Edition of Eudemus of Rhodes: The Physical Fragments from Simplicius' Commentary on Aristotle's Physics"; Sylvia Berryman, "Sumphues and Suneches: Continuity and Coherence in Early Peripatetic Texts"; Istvbn Bodnbr, "Eudemus' Unmoved Movers: Fragments 121-123b Wehrli"; Deborah K. W. Modrak, "Phantasia, Thought and Science in Eudemus"; Stephen White, "Eudemus the Naturalist"; J orgen Mejer, "Eudemus and the History of Science"; Leonid Zhmud, "Eudemus' History of Mathematics"; Alan C. Bowen, "Eudemus' History of Early Greek Astronomy: Two Hypotheses"; Dmitri Panchenko, "Eudemus Fr. 145 Wehrli and the Ancient Theories of Lunar Light"; and Gbbor Betegh, "On Eudemus Fr. 150 Wehrli.""[Eudemus of Rhodes] marks a substantial progress in our knowledge of Eurdemus. For it enlarges the scope of the information available on this author, highlights the need of, and paves the way to, a new critical edition of the Greek fragments of his works, and provides a clearer view of his life, thought, sources and influence. In all these respects, it represents a necessary complement to Wehrli's edition of Eudemus' fragments." -Amos Bertolacci, The Classical BulletinIstvbn Bodnbr is a member of the philosophy department at the Eotvos University in Budapest, where he teaches and does research on ancient philosophy. He has been a junior fellow at the Center for Hellenic Studies and most recently has been an Alexander von Humboldt Stipendiat in Berlin at the Max Plank Institut for Wissenschaftsgeschichte and at the Freie Universitot.William W. Fortenbaugh is professor of classics at Rutgers University. In addition to editing several books in this series, he has written Aristotle on Emotion and Quellen zur Ethik Theophrastus. New is his edition of Theophrastus's treatise On Sweat.

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"Going to University is an exciting time but it can also feel scary and overwhelming. This excellent guide helps demystify some of the technicalities, so students can easily navigate the system… Recommended reading for anyone keen to make the most of this brilliant life opportunity."Lynda Brady, Pro Vice Chancellor (Student Experience), Edge Hill University, UK.“… It is clear the authors have considered the transition to university life from a range of perspectives, not just an academic one, which is particularly helpful for the challenges students face entering higher education.”Christie Pritchard, Student Learning Manager, University of Plymouth, UK.“This book is a must read… There is something in it for everyone who wants to start university, just started or is already there.”Nils Lenoch, Copenhagen Business Academy, Denmark.“In this book Catherine O’Connor with Liz Thomas’ shares an honest and direct message about life as you begin University and leave as a graduate... from this book you can learn all the tips and tricks on how to manoeuvre University life for the first time.”Fiona Nashie, University of Westminster, UK.“The past year or so has been a challenging time for students and teachers alike. Many of the skills needed to survive university life have gone unused for a multitude of students around the world. I believe that this book will be very useful for students who could not attend their first year on campus… The author highlights all the essential skills that will be required to achieve a satisfying experience at university. It has been very useful to me personally in dealing with any anxiety, or apprehension, regarding starting higher education due to the extended time away from social interactions with various people that are crucial for personal, and professional development.”Sherdil Asif, Student, University of Westminster, UK.Surviving your First Year at University is the ideal companion for new and existing students who want to get the most out of their university experience. Whether you are worried about money, mental health, time management or organising your course load this handy book is packed with advice on how to make the most of your degree. O’Connor and Thomas share their wisdom on topics including:•Understanding and navigating the university system•Coping with social and cultural change •Overcoming the challenges of living away from home•Creating opportunities for personal growth•Using your degree as a platform for your career aspirations•Special tips for International students•Maintaining physical and mental well-being The book describes in detail how a university works and what to expect in day-to-day life there. There are practical tips on coping with academic demands, examinations, money management, lifestyle and self-care.This text is an invaluable toolkit for all students who want to succeed at university.Catherine O’Connor is an Education Consultant and Author, with 25 years’ experience in the university sector at Trinity College Dublin and Dublin City University, Ireland. She is a regular contributor to the media and a subject expert on transition to higher education, career development and the future of work.Liz Thomas is a researcher and consultant in the field of higher education with over twenty years’ experience. Her research focuses on getting into university, experience and success in higher education, and progression to the labour market or further study.

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The date is the 6 June 1944. The paratroopers on board the aircraft are crammed together, joking and singing over the drone of the engines, none of them dwelling on the gnawing fear in their guts. They reach the French coastline, and everyone goes quiet when loud explosions and flashes erupt around the aircraft. Pilots desperately dodge and swerve through the cool night air while the men hold firm, preparing to jump. They reach the open door; the green light flicks on and they leap without hesitation into a sky lit up by flak, ready to meet their fate. One after another, thousands of white parachutes billow out and the men fall through the air not knowing where they might land or if they will even survive the drop; but their minds are set. They are clear about their mission and its critical importance as part of the bigger picture. Some 'chutes do not open, weapons and kit are torn off in the slipstream, and anti-aircraft guns pick men off and many never make it to the ground alive. The Normandy landings of 1944 were just one of the many famous operations in the stunning history of the Paras. This book by former paratrooper Jason Woods gives the reader an unprecedented snapshot of the role that these brave and determined paratroopers have played throughout their history, demonstrating not only the courage, strength and fitness of the men who make up this mighty regiment, but also their intelligence, compassion, and wicked sense of humour. This powerful journey through aspects of all the key wars and conflicts that the regiment has been engaged in over the last eighty years is made through the eyes of those who served. The book reveals how the Paras have become seen as an elite fighting force, feared by those who have had the misfortune to come up against them on the field of battle. This book covers challenging operations in Northern Ireland, the Falklands, Kosovo, and Sierra Leone. It includes an exciting overview of Operation Telic in Iraq, the epic battles in Afghanistan, and subsequent withdrawal of all British citizens and troops from Kabul in 2021, on Operation Pitting. Packed with short interviews and poignant quotes, many original and never seen before, from current and former Paras, the author highlights the regiment's constant evolution, as the battlefield conditions have changed, into today's modern 16 Air Assault Brigade Rapid Reaction Force and Special Forces Support Group, whilst always maintaining the core standards and ethos embodied in the regimental motto Utrinque Paratus 'Ready for Anything'. Finally, get a glimpse into the transition many Paras make when they eventually leave the regiment and join the secretive private security industry, known as the 'Circuit'. AUTHOR: Following a successful career within the British Parachute Regiment, Jason Woods worked as a body guard for a number of high net-worth families in the UK and Europe before joining the European Commission security team as they entered Afghanistan in 2002. Over the following two decades he operated in most of the world's hot spots such as Iraq, Sudan and Nigeria, culminating in Libya where he setup and ran one of the first international security companies to enter the war torn country based in Benghazi during the 2011 revolution. Jason eventually sold his business to a large US firm in 2017, retiring to Cyprus where he has written two other successful books prior to penning this book, his toughest challenge to date. 32 b/w illustrations

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Invites a new generation of readers to apply ethical reasoning to social justice challenges, accessible to people of faith from a broad range of backgrounds Social Justice in the Stories of Jesus introduces readers to the parables of the New Testament while exploring how they relate to social justice, ethics, and key issues of modern society. Centering on themes of mercy, justice, and human dignity, this unique volume invites readers to reflect on the meaning of Jesus's parables both in their original setting and in the context of present-day moral and ethical challenges. The author discusses social justice concepts from various traditions to enable readers to engage with the ethical implications of the parables in a range of different contexts. Each chapter focuses on one parable or set of parables, such as the parable of the Good Samaritan and the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, and includes historical background information and an analysis and interpretation of the parable. Throughout the text, the author highlights the connections between Jesus's parables and racism, violence, poverty, the environment, our obligations to one another, and other timely social justice issues. Blends an accessible overview of the parables of Jesus with an introduction to social justice and ethics Explores New Testament parables as viewed through the lens of contemporary writers, ethicists, and activists Emphasizes the Jewish roots of the parables and the need to guard against anti-Jewish readings of the parables Highlights the ways that Jesus’s parables challenged his first-century listeners to see their world in new ways and recognize the dignity of every person Engages with seminal thinkers in contemporary social justice, such as James Cone, Howard Thurman, Emilie Townes, Bishop Michael Curry, and Pope Francis Includes study and discussion questions for personal and group use Requiring no prior knowledge of the subject, Social Justice in the Stories of Jesus: The Ethical Challenge of the Parables is an ideal textbook for introductory courses on the Bible and New Testament, faith-based courses on ethics, and general Christian readers looking for an excellent resource for personal or congregational study. “Gordley’s excellent book on the parables of Jesus is utterly unique, focusing largely on their contemporary ethical significance, helpfully using modern Roman Catholic scholarship in crafting this highly recommended text.” — David Aune, Walter Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins Emeritus, University of Notre Dame. “This book incorporates socially conscious and justice seeking hermeneutics. Grounded in mercy ethics, it reorients biblical scholarship by making explicit the socioethical and praxiological demands embedded in New Testament parables.” — Néstor Medina, Associate Professor of Religious Ethics and Culture, Emmanuel College, University of Toronto. “Social Justice in the Stories of Jesus is an invitation into an engaging conversation about the Parables of Jesus that is both timeless and timely. Practical applications abound, and discussion questions are provided if the text is used in group settings.” — Julia A. Upton, Former Distinguished Professor of Theology, St. John’s University. “Gordley’s excellent book on the parables of Jesus is utterly unique, focusing largely on their contemporary ethical significance, helpfully using modern Roman Catholic scholarship in crafting this highly recommended text.” — David Aune, Walter Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins Emeritus, University of Notre Dame“Gordley’s excellent book on the parables of Jesus is utterly unique, focusing largely on their contemporary ethical significance, helpfully using modern Roman Catholic scholarship in crafting this highly recommended text.” — David Aune, Walter Professor of New Testament and Christian Origins Emeritus, University of Notre Dame

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