Search results for ""Bridge""

“The definitive city child’s edition.” —The New York Times Book Review “Lobel’s paintings are gentle and reassuring…she has captured with richness and simplicity the joy and love of the holiday season.” —School Library Journal (starred review) Caldecott Honoree and beloved illustrator Anita Lobel pairs her beautiful drawings with the beloved Christmas poem, “The Night Before Christmas,” in this classic picture book that your family will treasure for years to come. ‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse… Since it was first published nearly 200 years ago “The Night Before Christmas” has enchanted readers young and old with the story of St. Nicholas landing on a snowy roof, climbing down the chimney, and filling all of the stockings with gifts before riding off in his sleigh, wishing “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!” Anna Lobel’s stunning, richly detailed illustrations for the poem have been cherished by families for over thirty years. Portraying a lush Victorian New York setting, children are snug in their beds, a cat is asleep under the tree, and the quiet city is blanketed with snow. As Santa Claus leaves the city after delivering gifts, he flies over a stunning moonlit Brooklyn Bridge. This beautiful, brand-new edition has been lovingly restored and is a gift that will be treasured year after year.

Read more less

Featuring more than 300 magnificent National Geographic images of all 50 states--and inspiring words from luminaries across the country--this collection is a gift-worthy celebration of America's unique natural and cultural treasures. America the Beautiful showcases the stunning spaces closest to our nation's heart--from the woods in the Great Appalachian Valley that Davy Crockett once called home to the breathtaking sweep of California's Big Sur coast to the wilds of Alaska. It also celebrates the people who have made this country what it is, featuring a wide range of images including the Arikara Nation in the early 1900s and scientists preparing for travel to Mars on a Hawaiian island. Culled from National Geographic's vaunted photo archives, spanning a period of more than 130 years, this provocative collection depicts the splendor of this great nation as only National Geographic can, with a dramatic combination of modern and historical imagery--from the creation of architectural icons like the Golden Gate Bridge and Lady Liberty to the last of the country's wild places preserved in our national parks. With a structure inspired by the original song "America the Beautiful," this book recognizes what makes our nation great, region by region. And all 50 states and six territories of the U.S. are honored with 50 words from celebrities, historians, activists, conservationists, and politicians who call America home. Profound and inspiring, this is a book for everyone who has ever marveled at the beauty of the United States.

Read more less

Monroe Katz cuts right to the heart of it: “The artist must find his own way to say what he has to say in paint, pencil or clay, but he has to be in a proper frame of mind, as a passionate artist, playing, experimenting, agonizing over subject matter, daring, failing, cutting free, trusting his or her inner voice, being in the ring rather than in the grandstand.” Yes, the artist must “dare to create.” From there, Dr. Katz takes us deep inside the high arts of painting and sculpting, showing us how to convey feeling with color, composition, texture, and, above all, the eye and heart of the artist at work. Whether he is depicting a rural landscape, a bridge in the Napa Valley, or the essence of his own daughter, Dr. Katz’s top priority is transmitting through paint or clay what the artist is feeling inside. And when you get that feeling right, he says, it’s like “music to your brush.” As he urges, “Be daring; don’t sacrifice feeling for accuracy, and draw every day.” And through these pages, this gifted artist and storyteller helps guide and inspire you every step of the way. Using sketches and paintings from his beloved Rembrandt and other great masters, plus his own work, the author explains composition, color, the use of light and shadow, plus the joys of painting to music, and the creative anguish that every artist faces on his journey of exploration and growth.

Read more less

"This series is a testimony to the Spirit breathing where He wills." America John Climacus: The Ladder of Divine Ascent edited and translated by Colm Luibheid and Norman Russell notes on translation by Norman Russell, preface by Kallistos Ware "Prayer is the mother and daughter of tears. It is an expiation of sin, a bridge across temptation, a bulwark against affliction. It wipes out conflict, is the work of angels, and is the nourishment of everything spiritual." John Climacus (c. 579-649) The Ladder of Divine Ascent was the most widely used handbook of the ascetic life in the ancient Greek Church. Popular among both lay and monastics, it was translated into Latin, Syriac, Arabic, Armenian, Old Slavonic, and many modern languages. It was written while the author (who received his surname from this book) was abbot of the monastery of Catherine on Mount Sinai. As reflected in the title, the ascetical life is portrayed as a ladder which each aspirant must ascend, each step being a virtue to be acquired, or a vice to be surrendered. Its thirty steps reflect the hidden life of Christ himself. This work had a fundamental influence in the particularly the Hesychastic, Jesus Prayer, or Prayer of the Heart movement. Pierre Pourrat in his History of Christian Spirituality calls John Climacus the "most important ascetical theologian of the East, at this epoch, who enjoyed a great reputation and exercised and important influence on future centuries." †

Read more less

What do famous people love to do during their free time in the Big Apple? Like all New Yorkers, even the well-known among them have cherished rituals that connect them to their city in a unique way—favorite restaurants, delis, museums, parks, galleries, landmarks, haunts, and hideaways. For one resident, it may be watching tango dancers on Saturday nights in Central Park; for another, it's riding a bike over the Brooklyn Bridge to get a slice of Grimaldi's pepperoni pizza and a view of the Manhattan skyline from across the East River. Perhaps it entails choosing from the many varieties of bread at Rock Hill Bake House in the Union Square Greenmarket or simply walking across 46th Street and ending up at the great Broadway hangout, Angus McIndoe. In a refreshing step beyond the usual travel guides and tourist listings, My City, My New York quotes VIPs and gives readers something truly unique: a chance to experience Manhattan the way its most notable luminary residents do. The activities and establishments included are diverse, often eclectic, and, most-importantly, nonexclusive––you don't need to be a celebrity to enjoy them. While offering new and creative possibilities for exploration, My City, New York is also a love letter to the Big Apple and will touch even the most jaded New Yorkers. Celebrities include: - Matthew Broderick- Woody Allen- Bette Midler- Joan Rivers- Donald Trump- Chris Noth- Mayor Michael Bloomberg- Alex Rodriguez

Read more less

Staged Readings studies the social consequences of 19th-century America’s two most prevalent leisure forms: theater and popular literature. In the midst of watershed historical developments—including numerous waves of immigration, two financial Panics, increasing wealth disparities, and the Civil War—American theater and literature were developing at unprecedented rates. Playhouses became crowded with new spectators, best-selling novels flew off the shelves, and, all the while, distinct social classes began to emerge. While the middle and upper classes were espousing conservative literary tastes and attending family matinees and operas, laborers were reading dime novels and watching downtown spectacle melodramas like Nymphs of the Red Sea and The Pirate’s Signal or, The Bridge of Death!!! As audiences traveled from the reading parlor to the playhouse (and back again), they accumulated a vital sense of social place in the new nation. In other words, culture made class in 19th-century America.Based in the historical archive, Staged Readings presents a panoramic display of mid-century leisure and entertainment. It examines best-selling novels, such as Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin and George Lippard’s The Quaker City. But it also analyzes a series of sensational melodramas, parlor theatricals, doomsday speeches, tableaux vivant displays, curiosity museum exhibits, and fake volcano explosions. These oft-overlooked spectacles capitalized on consumers’ previous cultural encounters and directed their social identifications. The book will be particularly appealing to those interested in histories of popular theater, literature and reading, social class, and mass culture.

Read more less

An insightful exploration of cutting-edge spectroscopic techniques in polymer characterization In Spectroscopic Techniques for Polymer Characterization: Methods, Instrumentation, Applications, a team of distinguished chemists delivers a comprehensive exploration of the vast potential of spectroscopic characterization techniques in polymer research. The book offers a concise outline of the principles, advantages, instrumentation, experimental techniques, and noteworthy applications of cutting-edge spectroscopy. Covering a wide range of polymers, from nylon to complex polymeric nanocomposites, the author presents recent developments in polymer science to polymer, analytical, and material chemists, assisting them in keeping track of the progress in modern spectroscopy. Spectroscopic Techniques for Polymer Characterization contains contributions from pioneers in modern spectroscopic techniques from around the world. The included materials bridge the gap between spectroscopists, polymer scientists, and engineers in academia and industry. The book also offers: A thorough introduction to the progress in spectroscopic techniques, including polymer spectroscopy and near-infrared spectroscopy Comprehensive explorations of topical polymers studied by spectroscopy, including polymer thin films, fluoropolymers, polymer solutions, conductive polymers Practical discussions of infrared imaging, near-infrared imaging, two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy, and far-ultraviolet spectroscopy In-depth examinations of spectroscopic studies of weak hydrogen bonding in polymers Spectroscopic Techniques for Polymer Characterization: Methods, Instrumentation, Applications is a must-read reference for polymer, analytical, and physical chemists, as well as materials scientists and spectroscopists seeking a one-stop resource for polymer characterization using spectroscopic analyses.

Read more less

The Book of Psalms has been precious to countless Jewish and Christian believers in many different languages and countries over many centuries. It has expressed their hopes and fears, inspired their faith, and renewed their trust in God. In this way, the spiritual insight and religious heritage of a small number of ancient Israelites has had a profound and lasting impact on humanity. The Book of Psalms is also of great importance in biblical scholarship. In the twentieth century, Psalms study was dominated by two approaches, but now it is in the midst of a sea change, and the older perspectives jostle for attention alongside newer interests. This volume aims to bridge the gap between basic introductions and specialized literature. Part 1 present overviews of current scholarly approaches and Ancient Near Eastern prayer. Part 2 covers central themes of distress, praise, king and cult. Part 3 gives an interesting sample of approaches concerned with the Psalter's content and final form. Part 4 considers interpretative traditions, seen in the shaping of the canonical Psalter and in later Christian and Jewish texts. The authors are Craig Broyles, Dale Brueggemann, Jerome Creach, Timothy Edwards, David Firth, Jamie Grant, David Howard, James Hely Hutchinson, Philip Johnston, Michael LeFebvre, Tremper Longman, Dwight Swanson, Any Warren-Rothlin, Gordon Wenham and Gerald Wilson. They have already published many books and articles, and made significant contributions to Old Testament scholarship.

Read more less

One of the major shortcomings of the current drug discovery and development process is the inability to bridge the gap between early stage discoveries and pre-clinical research to advance innovations beyond the discovery phase. This book examines a novel drug discovery and development model where the respective expertise of academia and industry are brought together to take promising discoveries through to proof of concept as a way to de-risk the drug discovery and development process.Expert author Helen Yu explores integrated drug discovery by analyzing the intersection of intellectual property law and competition law and discusses the role of stakeholders in efficient translation and commercialization of publically funded research. Considering the transactional risks associated with drug discovery and development, this book advocates for a greater emphasis on contractual freedom and economic efficiency when assessing collaborative partnerships between industry and public research organizations. This standout book bridges the gap between theoretical research and legal practice by providing a research-based applied perspective on university-industry collaborations in drug discovery and development.Achieving Proof of Concept in Drug Discovery and Development has an international appeal, especially in countries actively involved in drug discovery and development, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany, Japan, India and China. Organizations and associations in the drug discovery and development field would likely be interested in reading a book that provides a research-based applied perspective as well.

Read more less

There has been growing attention paid to urban agriculture worldwide because of its role in making cities more environmentaly sustainable while also contributing to enhanced food access and social justice. This edited volume brings together current research and case studies concerning urban agriculture from both the Global North and the Global South. Its objective is to help bridge the long-standing divide between discussion of urban agriculture in the Global North and the Global South and to demonstrate that today there are greater areas of overlap than there are differences both theoretically and substantively, and that research in either area can help inform research in the other. The book covers the nature of urban agriculture and how it supports livelihoods, provides ecosystem services, and community development. It also considers urban agriculture and social capital, networks, and agro-biodiversity conservation. Concepts such as sustainability, resilience, adaptation and community, and the value of urban agriculture as a recreational resource are explored. It also examines, quite fundamentally, why people farm in the city and how urban agriculture can contribute to more sustainable cities in both the Global North and the Global South. Key Features: · One of the first volumes to bring together evidence from urban agriculture in the Global North and the Global South · Explores the contribution of urban agriculture to livelihoods, ecosystems and conservation · Numerous case studies examine a very diverse range of urban agriculture systems

Read more less

In Taiwan, small-scale subcontracting factories of thirty employees or less make items for export, like the wooden jewellery boxes that Ping-Chun Hsiung made when she worked in six such factories. These factories are found in rice fields and urban areas, front yards and living rooms, mostly employing married women in line with the government slogan that promotes work in the home "Living Rooms as Factories." Hsiung studies the experiences of the married women who work in this satellite system of factories, and how their work and family lives have contributed to Taiwan's 9.1 percent GNP growth over the last three decades, the 'economic miracle'. This vivid portrayal of the dual lives of these women as wives, mothers, daughters-in-law and as manufacturing workers also provides sophisticated analyses of the links between class and gender stratification, family dynamics, state policy, and global restructuring within the process of industrialization. Hsiung uses ethnographic data to illustrate how, in this system of intersecting capitalist logic and patriarchal practices, some Taiwanese women experience upward mobility by marrying into the owners' family, while others remain home and wage workers. Although women in both groups acknowledge gender inequality, this commonality does not bridge divergent class affiliations. Along with a detailed account of the oppressive labor practices, this book reveals how workers employ clandestine tactics to defy the owners' claims on their labor. Author note: Ping-Chun Hsiung is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto, Scarborough.

Read more less

Since their spectacular rise in the 1990s, Russian gangs have remained entrenched in many parts of the country. Some gang members have perished in gang wars or ended up behind prison bars, while others have made spectacular careers off the streets and joined the Russian elite. But the rank and file of gangs remain substantially incorporated into their communities and society as a whole, with bonds and identities that bridge the worlds of illegal enterprise and legal respectability. In Gangs of Russia, Svetlana Stephenson explores the secretive world of the gangs. Using in-depth interviews with gang members, law enforcers, and residents in the city of Kazan, together with analyses of historical and sociological accounts from across Russia, she presents the history of gangs both before and after the arrival of market capitalism. Contrary to predominant notions of gangs as collections of maladjusted delinquents or illegal enterprises, Stephenson argues, Russian gangs should be seen as traditional, close-knit male groups with deep links to their communities. Stephenson shows that gangs have long been intricately involved with the police and other state structures in configurations that are both personal and economic. She also explains how the cultural orientations typical of gangs—emphasis on loyalty to one’s own, showing toughness to outsiders, exacting revenge for perceived affronts and challenges—are not only found on the streets but are also present in the top echelons of today’s Russian state.

Read more less

"This kind of systematic work is exactly what is needed for people to help bridge traditional Ayurvedic practice with modern science."—Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, Nobel laureate, current president of the Royal Society and group leader at the Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, UKAyurvedic Pharmacopoeial Plant Drugs: Expanded Therapeutics is the first review of all the therapeutic sections of 456 plant drugs in the first six volumes of the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India. It covers pharmacognosy of classical Ayurvedic herbs, their chemical constituents, therapeutic uses, and doses on the basis of contemporary scientific literature.The book reviews the classical attributes, compounds, and textual references of Ayurvedic plant drugs and updates the pharmacopoeial attributes of Ayurvedic herbs and formulations to make them more industry-oriented and facilitate their implementation. Sanskrit terminology has been converted into English equivalents, and botanical names assigned to Ayurvedic herbs in the text have been reviewed in historical as well as contemporary contexts. This will assist those who are not conversant with Sanskrit or have found multiple names of the same herb in Ayurvedic reference works and in different regions of India. With these salient features, this book provides an added scientific edge to the new generation of Ayurvedic students, faculty members, researchers, and enterprising phytopharmaceutical scientists. In addition, the scientific temper of this resource will help unravel many of the intricacies of classical Ayurveda.

Read more less

Since the publication of the first edition of Infectious Disease Management in Animal Shelters in 2009, research and practice in the field of shelter medicine have advanced significantly. This updated second edition of that seminal work provides the most up-to-date and comprehensive guide to preventing, managing, and treating infectious diseases affecting cats, dogs and exotic small companion mammals in animal shelters. Throughout the book, the authors—noted experts on the topic—bridge the gap between medicine (both individual and group) and management. The book is filled with practical strategies that draw on the latest research and evidence-based medicine as well as the authors’ personal experience in the field. While the text highlights strategies for the prevention of illness and mitigation of disease spread, the book also contains practical information on treatment and considerations for adoption. This important text: Offers the only book dedicated to the topic of infectious disease management in shelters Presents guidelines for general management and disease prevention and control in cats and dogs Includes shelter medicine’s core principles of humane population management in the context of supporting shelters’ goals for preserving welfare, saving lives and protecting human health Contains a new chapter on exotic companion mammals Written for shelter veterinarians, managers, and workers, the revised second edition of Infectious Disease Management in Animal Shelters is the only book to focus exclusively on infectious diseases in the shelter setting, blending individual animal care with a unique herd health perspective.

Read more less

Presents a clear bridge between mathematics and the liberal arts Mathematics for the Liberal Arts provides a comprehensible and precise introduction to modern mathematics intertwined with the history of mathematical discoveries. The book discusses mathematical ideas in the context of the unfolding story of human thought and highlights the application of mathematics in everyday life. Divided into two parts, Mathematics for the Liberal Arts first traces the history of mathematics from the ancient world to the Middle Ages, then moves on to the Renaissance and finishes with the development of modern mathematics. In the second part, the book explores major topics of calculus and number theory, including problem-solving techniques and real-world applications. This book emphasizes learning through doing, presents a practical approach, and features: A detailed explanation of why mathematical principles are true and how the mathematical processes work Numerous figures and diagrams as well as hundreds of worked examples and exercises, aiding readers to further visualize the presented concepts Various real-world practical applications of mathematics, including error-correcting codes and the space shuttle program Vignette biographies of renowned mathematicians Appendices with solutions to selected exercises and suggestions for further reading Mathematics for the Liberal Arts is an excellent introduction to the history and concepts of mathematics for undergraduate liberal arts students and readers in non-scientific fields wishing to gain a better understanding of mathematics and mathematical problem-solving skills.

Read more less

Inverse problems have been the focus of a growing number of research efforts over the last 40 years-and rightly so. The ability to determine a "cause" from an observed "effect" is a powerful one. Researchers now have at their disposal a variety of techniques for solving inverse problems, techniques that go well beyond those useful for relatively simple parameter estimation problems. The question is, where can one find a single, comprehensive resource that details these methods?The answer is the Inverse Engineering Handbook. Leading experts in inverse problems have joined forces to produce the definitive reference that allows readers to understand, implement, and benefit from a variety of problem-solving techniques. Each chapter details a method developed or refined by its contributor, who provides clear explanations, examples, and in many cases, software algorithms. The presentation begins with methods for parameter estimation, which build a bridge to boundary function estimation problems. The techniques addressed include sequential function estimation, mollification, space marching techniques, and adjoint, Monte Carlo, and gradient-based methods. Discussions also cover important experimental aspects, including experiment design and the effects of uncertain parameters.While many of the examples presented focus on heat transfer, the techniques discussed are applicable to a wide range of inverse problems. Anyone interested in inverse problems, regardless of their specialty, will find the Inverse Engineering Handbook to be a unique and invaluable compendium of up-to-date techniques.

Read more less

Andrew Leach’s Rome is the first book in Polity’s exciting new ‘Cities in World History’ series, which aims to provide the general reader and traveller with historically informed companions to the world’s greatest cities. Most city guides are good on practical details but very thin when it comes to recounting the histories of cities and contextualizing the buildings and sites for which they are famous. These new books from Polity bridge the gulf between guide and history by offering concise and accessible accounts written by some of the world’s leading historians. Rome has a history unmatched in richness by any city on the globe. It looms large in the word’s cultural imagination, and for millennia it has been a meeting point of great cultures, a place where myth mixes freely with history, leaving neither unscathed. In this compact history, Leach demonstrates what most visitors to the Eternal City will instinctively understand: that the buildings, streets, monuments and gardens of this ancient city give the visitor moments of direct communion with its past. He reveals the long, twisting history of Rome through its ruins, art works and monuments, its metro stations and modern apartment blocks. Each chapter takes the reader on a physical journey invoking Rome in different moments of its life. Engaging historical narrative is supplemented with maps and photos, making Rome an indispensable companion for those who want to dig below the city’s surface.

Read more less

Tracing the origins of modern political thought through three sets of arguments over history, morality, and freedomIn this wide-ranging work, Michael Sonenscher traces the origins of modern political thought and ideologies to a question, raised by Immanuel Kant, about what is involved in comparing individual human lives to the whole of human history. How can we compare them, or understand the results of the comparison? Kant’s question injected a new, future-oriented dimension into existing discussions of prevailing norms, challenging their orientation toward the past. This reversal made Kant’s question a bridge between three successive sets of arguments: between the supporters of the ancients and moderns, the classics and romantics, and the Romans and the Germans. Sonenscher argues that the genealogy of modern political ideologies—from liberalism to nationalism to communism—can be connected to the resulting discussions of time, history, and values, mainly in France but also in Germany, Switzerland, and Britain, in the period straddling the French and Industrial revolutions.What is the genuinely human content of human history? Everything begins somewhere—democracy with the Greeks, or the idea of a res publica with the Romans—but these local arrangements have become vectors of values that are, apparently, universal. The intellectual upheaval that Sonenscher describes involved a struggle to close the gap, highlighted by Kant, between individual lives and human history. After Kant is an examination of that struggle’s enduring impact on the history and the historiography of political thought.

Read more less

As most econometricians will readily agree, the data used in applied econometrics seldom provide accurate measurements for the pertinent theory's variables. Here, Bernt Stigum offers the first systematic and theoretically sound way of accounting for such inaccuracies. He and a distinguished group of contributors bridge econometrics and the philosophy of economics--two topics that seem worlds apart. They ask: How is a science of economics possible? The answer is elusive. Economic theory seems to be about abstract ideas or, it might be said, about toys in a toy community. How can a researcher with such tools learn anything about the social reality in which he or she lives? This book shows that an econometrician with the proper understanding of economic theory and the right kind of questions can gain knowledge about characteristic features of the social world. It addresses varied topics in both classical and Bayesian econometrics, offering ample evidence that its answer to the fundamental question is sound. The first book to comprehensively explore economic theory and econometrics simultaneously, Econometrics and the Philosophy of Economics represents an authoritative account of contemporary economic methodology. About a third of the chapters are authored or coauthored by Heather Anderson, Erik Biorn, Christophe Bontemps, Jeffrey A. Dubin, Harald E. Goldstein, Clive W.J. Granger, David F. Hendry, Herman Ruge-Jervell, Dale W. Jorgenson, Hans-Martin Krolzig, Nils Lid Hjort, Daniel L. McFadden, Grayham E. Mizon, Tore Schweder, Geir Storvik, and Herman K. van Dijk.

Read more less

At a time when night-singing insects have slipped beyond our notice—indeed, are more likely to be heard as NatureSounds than in a backyard—John Himmelman seeks to reconnect us to creatures whose songs form a part of our own natural history.On warm summer evenings, night-singing insects produce a whirring, chirping soundscape—a calming aural tapestry celebrated by poets and naturalists for millennia. But “cricket radio” is not broadcast for the easy-listening pleasure of humans. The nocturnal songs of insects are lures and warnings, full of risks and rewards for these tiny competitive performers. What moves crickets and katydids to sing, how they produce their distinctive sounds, how they hear the songs of others, and how they vary cadence, volume, and pitch to attract potential mates, warn off competitors, and evade predators is part of the engaging story Cricket Radio tells.Himmelman’s narrative weaves together his personal experiences as an amateur naturalist in search of crickets and katydids with the stories of scientists who study these insects professionally. He also offers instructions for bringing a few of the little singers into our homes and gardens. We can, Himmelman suggests, be reawakened to these night songs that have meant so much to the human psyche. The online insect calls that accompany this colorfully illustrated narrative provide a bridge of sound to our past and to our vital connection with other species.

Read more less

You've chosen this book. Which probably means you're a marketer, you've heard of scenarios and you want to know what they can do for you. Can they help with everyday marketing issues like brands, channels and relationships? The answer is yes. Rooted in customer needs, scenarios bridge the gap between corporate strategy and marketing tactics. They are a weapon for perceiving the unseen and a framework for thinking the unthinkable. This book's wealth of case studies will show you how they've helped top companies like Pfizer, Nestle and Courvoisier to do just that, and its practical lessons will show how they can do exactly the same for you. Gill Ringland and Laurie Young have gathered top-flight contributors to offer the first straightforward account of scenario planning for marketers. In readable chapters they show how, by integrating scenarios into the wider marketing toolkit, you can make your organization more customer-driven and consider a wider range of possibilities than your competitors. They explore how scenarios have driven creativity in a range of consumer marketing applications - even in FMCG sectors - and define their role in distribution, channel management, brand management and customer management strategy. Finally, they show how marketing scenarios can help to promote wider corporate innovation. The rich pictures painted by scenarios have made business strategy more visionary and creative, and they're set to do the same with marketing strategy. Read this book, and make sure it's your organization holding the brush.

Read more less

Visitors may wonder how Niagara Falls came to be the site of magnificent bridges, a famous cereal factory, and a picturesque New York state reservation, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. Although many have always admired the natural splendor of the Falls, William Irwin explains that it was not until the mid-1800s that Niagara truly captured the American imagination. With the coming of John Roebling's railway suspension bridge in 1855 came the promise of a "new" Niagara, one in which nature and technology could flourish in harmony. Although some saw the transformation of Niagara Falls as a national shame, for many others it stimulated utopian visions of a great modern America. Tourists flocked to a place that showcased both the beauty of nature and the marvels of technology. Companies such as Shredded Wheat (later absorbed by Nabisco) fed on the public's expectations of novel and revolutionary progress at Niagara. The Shredded Wheat factory and the Niagara Power Company became tourist attractions in their own right. Some developers went so far as to claim that their works exceeded Niagara's natural beauty. It was not until the 1920s that failed expectations revealed the scope of the blighted landscape.By taking us back to a period when Niagara Falls was appreciated as much for its utopian promise as for its natural beauty, The New Niagara reveals America's remarkable romance with technology and its faith in human mastery of the environment.

Read more less

In his latest collection of literary fiction, Mark Brazaitis evokes with sympathy, insight, and humor the lives of characters in a small Ohio town. The ten short stories of The Incurables limn the mental landscape of people facing conditions they believe are insolvable, from the oppressive horrors of mental illness to the beguiling and baffling complexities of romantic and familial love. In the book’s opening story, “The Bridge,” a new sheriff must confront a suicide epidemic as well as his own deteriorating mental health. In “Classmates,” a man sets off to visit the wife of a classmate who has killed himself. Is he hoping to write a story about his classmate or to observe the aftermath of what his own suicide attempt, if successful, would have been like? In the title story, a down-on-his-luck porn actor returns to his hometown and winds up in the mental health ward of the local hospital, where he meets a captivating woman. Other stories in the collection include “A Map of the Forbidden,” about a straight-laced man who is tempted to cheat on his wife after his adulterous father dies, and “The Boy behind the Tree,” about a problematic father-son relationship made more so by the arrival on the scene of a young man the son’s age. In “I Return,” a father narrates a story from the afterlife, discovering as he does so that he is not as indispensable to his family as he had believed.

Read more less

" . . . a work that builds a substantial bridge between Freudian psychoanalysis and radical feminist thought, particularly on the subject of lesbianism. . . . Presenting a complex argument about an issue vital to the psychoanalytic endeavor as well as to feminist theory, The Practice of Love should stimulate a reconsideration of 'perversion' and the construction of sexual fantasy. The illumination of the fantasies that make lesbian desire distinctive will necessarily open up our understanding of all sexuality." —Jessica Benjamin, New York Times Book Review"Teresa de Lauretis has entwined three books into one: a critical history of psychoanalytic theories of female homosexuality; a bold study of how lesbians keep disappearing from popular culture, especially film; and an original speculation on the dynamics of lesbian desire." —Elisabeth Young-Bruehl"An important and original contribution not only to lesbian and gay studies, but also to psychoanalytic theory and film criticism. De Lauretis brings a unique and valuable perspective to issues of great importance today in all these areas." —Leo Bersani"De Lauretis's influential theory gets top marks from sapphic scholars who know best." —OutIn an eccentric reading of Freud through Laplanche and the Lacanian and feminist revisions, Teresa de Lauretis delineates a model of "perverse" desire and a theory of lesbian sexuality. The Practice of Love discusses classic psychoanalytic narratives of female homosexuality, contemporary feminist writings on female sexuality, and the evolution of the original fantasies into cultural myths or public fantasies.

Read more less

What sets Staten Island apart from the rest of New York City? The island’s identity has in part been defined in opposition to the city, its physical and cultural differences, and the perception of neglect by city government. It has long been whiter, wealthier, less populated, and more politically conservative. And despite many attempts over the years, Staten Island is not connected by the subway to any of the other four boroughs.Kenneth M. Gold argues that the lack of a subway connection has deeply shaped Staten Island’s history and identity. He chronicles decades of recurrent efforts to build a rail link, using this history to explore the borough’s fraught relationship with New York City as a whole. The Forgotten Borough ranges from when Staten Island first contemplated joining the city in the 1890s to the opening of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge in 1964, highlighting pivotal moments when the construction of a subway appeared possible. The economics and engineering of tunnel construction, the difficulty of uniting Staten Islanders around a single solution, competition from the other boroughs, and resistance from powerful corporations and public authorities all undermined a rapid transit connection. Gold demonstrates that the failure to establish a rail link during this period caused Staten Island to diverge culturally, demographically, and politically from the other four boroughs. Drawing on extensive archival research, The Forgotten Borough shows how transportation infrastructure and politics shed new light on urban history.

Read more less

Ensure students are fully prepared for A-Level Maths with this revised second edition, fully updated to bridge the GCSE Maths 9-1 and A-level 2017 specifications. Written by an experienced A-level author who is a practising A-level teacher, this fully updated edition is an ideal resource to be used in the classroom or for independent study. Similar in structure to Collins Maths revision guides, the Bridging GCSE and A-level Maths Student Book is split into an explanation section and a practice section.• Identify and understand the transition from GCSE to AS and A-level Maths with ‘What you should already know’ objectives and ‘What you will learn’ objectives at the start of each topic• Get a head start on your AS/A-level Maths with introductions to key pure maths topics for all exam boards (AQA, OCR, MEI and Edexcel)• Boost your understanding with worked examples which include extra guidance in the form of ‘Handy hint’, ‘Checkpoint’, ‘A-level Alert!’ and ‘Common error’ boxes• Reinforce and build on your maths to fully prepare you for AS level/A-level with worked examples and plenty of practice questions from Grades 7-9 at GCSE Level extending to AS standard• Think and draw on different areas of maths with investigations at the end of some topics• Check your progress with answers to Maths practice questions at the back of the book• Test your understanding of the maths you’ve covered with the practice exam paper

Read more less

How the division of the Americas from the rest of the world affected human history.In 15,000 B.C. early humankind, who had evolved in Africa tens of thousands of years before and spread out to populate the Earth, arrived in Siberia, during the Ice Age. Because so much water was locked up at that time in the great ice sheets, several miles thick, the levels of the world's oceans were much lower than they are today, and early humans were able to walk across the Bering Strait, then a land bridge, without getting their feet wet and enter the Americas. Then, the Ice Age came to an end, the Bering Strait refilled with water and humans in the Americas were cut off from humans elsewhere in the world. This division - with two great populations on Earth, each oblivious of the other - continued until Christopher Columbus 'discovered' America just before 1500 A.D. This is the fascinating subject of THE GREAT DIVIDE, which compares and contrasts the development of humankind in the 'Old World' and the 'New' between 15,000 B.C. and 1500 A.D. This unprecedented comparison of early peoples means that, when these factors are taken together, they offer a uniquely revealing insight into what it means to be human.THE GREAT DIVIDE offers a masterly and totally original synthesis of archaeology, anthropology, geology, meteorology, cosmology and mythology, to give a new shape - and a new understanding - to human history.

Read more less

There is no doubt at all that Gehry's Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao is one of the most spectacular buildings of recent years. As the central element in Bilbao's comprehensive urban renewal programme the building raised high expectations from the outset. Its site between river, railway, bridge and new town makes it a symbol of the Basque metropolis that can be seen from a considerable distance. It is both the heart of the city and a test bed for the arts, representing both public presence and artistic change. The process by which it was created demonstrates the most recent advances in computer aided design and in material manufacture. For a long time design and building were broken down into a large number of individual components, Gehry's museum unifies this process and is thus able to create fluent links between architectural detail and urban impact. But the innovations do not stop at technology, they also extend to the way in which the interior spaces are shaped. These are extremely varied in form, as the museum is not so much designed to house a permanent exhibition of the collection, but to enable artists to create installations. In contrast with the usual neutral gallery spaces, Gehry offers a whole variety of stages for artistic presentation. His artist friends have risen to the challenge of his architecture and are experimenting very successfully with this new way of showing their work to the public.

Read more less

This biography of Elias Bickerman (1897-1981), one of the foremost historians of Graeco-Roman antiquity active in the twentieth century, focuses on his role as a historian of the Jews. Bickerman had an extraordinary life. He was born in Kishinev and grew up in St. Petersburg. He arrived in Berlin in 1922, where he pursued an academic career (Doctorate, 1926; Habilitation, 1930). With the rise of the Nazis, he moved to Paris in 1933, then to the USA in 1942. He died in Tel Aviv and was buried in Jerusalem.Albert Baumgarten explores the connections between Bickerman's life and his scholarly work on the Jews in its different cultural and academic contexts (Russian, German, French, and American). He argues that Bickerman intended to create a usable Jewish past. He further shows that Bickerman conceived the ancient Jewish encounter with Hellenism and the modern Jewish entry into European civilization in light of each other. He demonstrates that Bickerman argued that there were some ancient Jews who were wrong in the way they tried to bridge the gap between Judaism and Hellenism, while there were other ancient Jews who found the right solution. He illustrates the contemporary significance of these conclusions concerning the past for Bickerman himself and for other Jews of his time. Bickerman saw the circumstances of his life as a series of unfortunate dislocations. This book emphasizes the intellectual and academic benefit Bickerman derived from his life experience in the twentieth century.

Read more less

This brilliant new text by John Straub (Boston University) is designed to bridge the “mathematics knowledge gap” between what is commonly known by students after completing a year of introductory calculus, and what is required for success in the physical sciences and in physical chemistry courses. Key concepts from the introductory calculus sequence are reviewed and carefully selected topics in multivariate calculus, probability and statistics, ordinary differential equations, and linear algebra are explored. Additional chapters cover advanced topics, including partial differential equations, Fourier analysis, and group theory. Engaging narratives, fully worked examples, hundreds of colourful visualizations, and ample end-of-chapter problems with complete answers combine to make this stunning new text an excellent choice for a one-semester course on mathematical methods, as a supplement for courses in physical chemistry, or as a self-study guide. Ancillaries for adopting faculty include in-class worksheets, sample exams, and an answer manual. Key features: Abundant end-of-chapter exercises, including three difficulty levels, with answers at the back of the book Ample worked examples throughout, with clearly explained steps to guide problem solving Reviews of all basic introductory calculus concepts before the introduction of new topics Over 400 original color figures to help visualize problem solving and interpretation of results Margin notes offering historical context and additional mathematical details Key ancillaries including in-class worksheets, sample exams, and an answer guide for adopting instructors

Read more less

The 2007 bridge collapse in Minneapolis-St. Paul quickly became symbolic of the debilitated interstate highway system, and of what many critics see as America's disinvestment in its infrastructure. The extreme vulnerability of single-purpose, ageing infrastructure was highlighted once again when Hurricane Sandy churned its way across the northeast United States. Inundating New York City's vital arteries, floodwaters overwhelmed tunnels and sewers; closed bridges; shut down mass transit; curtailed gas supplies; and destroyed streets, buildings, and whole neighbourhoods. Next Generation Infrastructure takes a critical but ultimately hopeful look at how our infrastructure networks can be made more efficient, less environmentally damaging, and more resilient. Brown argues that, if we're to chart a course for global sustainability, we must begin to design, regulate, and finance infrastructure that decouples carbon-intensive and ecologically harmful technologies from critical infrastructure systems, namely the essential systems for contemporary society: water, wastewater, power, solid waste, transportation, and communication. The book highlights hopeful examples from around the world, ranging from the Mount Poso cogeneration plant in California to urban rainwater harvesting in Seoul, South Korea, to the multi-purpose Marina Barrage project in Singapore. Brown encourages us to envision infrastructure within a larger economic, environmental, and social context, and to share resources across systems, reducing costs and extending benefits. This is a must read for professionals and students interested in a more resilient urban future including urban designers, architects, urban planners, urban policymakers, landscape architects, and engineers.

Read more less

This book covers the essential theory and implementation of popular Bayesian optimization techniques in an intuitive and well-illustrated manner. The techniques covered in this book will enable you to better tune the hyperparemeters of your machine learning models and learn sample-efficient approaches to global optimization.The book begins by introducing different Bayesian Optimization (BO) techniques, covering both commonly used tools and advanced topics. It follows a “develop from scratch” method using Python, and gradually builds up to more advanced libraries such as BoTorch, an open-source project introduced by Facebook recently. Along the way, you’ll see practical implementations of this important discipline along with thorough coverage and straightforward explanations of essential theories. This book intends to bridge the gap between researchers and practitioners, providing both with a comprehensive, easy-to-digest, and useful reference guide. After completing this book, you will have a firm grasp of Bayesian optimization techniques, which you’ll be able to put into practice in your own machine learning models.What You Will Learn Apply Bayesian Optimization to build better machine learning models Understand and research existing and new Bayesian Optimization techniques Leverage high-performance libraries such as BoTorch, which offer you the ability to dig into and edit the inner working Dig into the inner workings of common optimization algorithms used to guide the search process in Bayesian optimization Who This Book Is ForBeginner to intermediate level professionals in machine learning, analytics or other roles relevant in data science.

Read more less

Ali ibn Abi Talib said: ‘The life of this world is quickly departing and the life of the hereafter is quickly approaching and each one of them has its children. So be children of the hereafter, not children of this world. For today there are deeds without reckoning, but tomorrow there will be reckoning without deeds. In this life even an atoms’ worth of good is accepted if it is done with sincerity. In the hereafter, the whole world in gold will do you no good. In every moment of the day of Judgment, from the moment you rise from their grave to when you take your place in the assembly. From when you are brought forth to be held accountable by your Lord, to when you are taken to the scale for the scrolls to be weighed, from when you prepare to cross the bridge to your anticipated arrival at the gates of Paradise. There are good deeds that You have sent forth that will come to your aid. Deeds that will take you by your hand and testify on your behalf, that will settle your feet and shade you from the scorching heat. That will light your way in the darkness and guide you to the abode of eternal delight. So do not ask your Lord when the day of Judgment will be, but ask yourself what deeds have you prepared for that day.

Read more less

New York will come alive with this beautiful and colourful pop-up book from Lonely Planet Kids. With a set of six stunning pop-ups and gorgeous illustrations, this book is the perfect introduction to the magic of New York for any age. This stylish look at the city's iconic landmarks will kickstart the travel bug in young explorers! Pop-up New York includes pop-ups of the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, Brooklyn Bridge, an iconic yellow cab and a hot dog cart! Also available: Pop-up London, Pop-up Paris About Lonely Planet Kids : From the world's leading travel publisher comes Lonely Planet Kids, a children's imprint that brings the world to life for young explorers everywhere. With a range of beautiful books for children aged 5-12, we're kickstarting the travel bug and showing kids just how amazing our planet can be. From bright and bold sticker activity books, to beautiful gift titles bursting at the seams with amazing facts, we aim to inspire and delight curious kids, showing them the rich diversity of people, places and cultures that surrounds us. We pledge to share our enthusiasm and love of the world, our sense of humour and continual fascination for what it is that makes the world we live in the diverse and magnificent place it is. It's going to be a big adventure - come explore!

Read more less

A Finalist for the 2022 James Beard Foundation Cookbook Award (International) Shortlisted for the André Simon Award Longlisted for the 2022 Art of Eating Prize A New York Times Best Cookbook of 2021 - A Guardian Best Food Book of 2021 - A Simply Recipes Favorite Cookbook of 2021 - A WBUR Here & Now Favorite Cookbook of 2021 The acclaimed author of Zaitoun returns with vibrant recipes and powerful stories from the islands that bridge the Mediterranean and the Middle East. For thousands of years, the eastern Mediterranean has stood as a meeting point between East and West, bringing cultures and cuisines through trade, commerce, and migration. Traveling by boat and land, Yasmin Khan traces the ingredients that have spread through the region from the time of Ottoman rule to the influence of recent refugee communities. At the kitchen table, she explores what borders, identity, and migration mean in an interconnected world, and her recipes unite around thickets of dill and bunches of oregano, zesty citrus and sweet dates, thick tahini and soothing cardamom. Khan includes healthy, seasonal, vegetable-focused recipes, such as hot yogurt soups, zucchini and feta fritters, pomegranate and sumac chicken, and candied pumpkin with tahini and date syrup. Fully accessible for the home cook, with stunning food and location photography, Ripe Figs is a dazzling collection of recipes and stories that celebrate an ever-diversifying region and imagine a world without borders.

Read more less

Tracing the origins of modern political thought through three sets of arguments over history, morality, and freedomIn this wide-ranging work, Michael Sonenscher traces the origins of modern political thought and ideologies to a question, raised by Immanuel Kant, about what is involved in comparing individual human lives to the whole of human history. How can we compare them, or understand the results of the comparison? Kant’s question injected a new, future-oriented dimension into existing discussions of prevailing norms, challenging their orientation toward the past. This reversal made Kant’s question a bridge between three successive sets of arguments: between the supporters of the ancients and moderns, the classics and romantics, and the Romans and the Germans. Sonenscher argues that the genealogy of modern political ideologies—from liberalism to nationalism to communism—can be connected to the resulting discussions of time, history, and values, mainly in France but also in Germany, Switzerland, and Britain, in the period straddling the French and Industrial revolutions.What is the genuinely human content of human history? Everything begins somewhere—democracy with the Greeks, or the idea of a res publica with the Romans—but these local arrangements have become vectors of values that are, apparently, universal. The intellectual upheaval that Sonenscher describes involved a struggle to close the gap, highlighted by Kant, between individual lives and human history. After Kant is an examination of that struggle’s enduring impact on the history and the historiography of political thought.

Read more less

Beethoven’s piano sonatas form one of the most important collections of works in the whole history of music. Spanning several decades of his life as a composer, the sonatas soon came to be seen as the first body of substantial serious works for piano suited to performance in large concert halls seating hundreds of people. In this comprehensive and authoritative guide, Charles Rosen places the works in context and provides an understanding of the formal principles involved in interpreting and performing this unique repertoire, covering such aspects as sonata form, phrasing, and tempo, as well as the use of pedal and trills. In the second part of his book, he looks at the sonatas individually, from the earliest works of the 1790s through the sonatas of Beethoven’s youthful popularity of the early 1800s, the subsequent years of mastery, the years of stress (1812–1817), and the last three sonatas of the 1820s. Composed as much for private music-making as public recital, Beethoven’s sonatas have long formed a bridge between the worlds of the salon and the concert hall. For today’s audience, Rosen has written a guide that brings out the gravity, passion, and humor of these works and will enrich the appreciation of a wide range of readers, whether listeners, amateur musicians, or professional pianists. The book includes a link to recordings of Rosen performing extracts from several of the sonatas, illustrating points made in the text.

Read more less

This book on business management combines theoretical knowledge with practical examples Agility and internal communication are two important competencies for modern business management. They should already be taught during studies so that upcoming managers are prepared for the challenges of management tasks at an early stage. This book on corporate management is an excellent tool for teaching current leadership concepts. Especially the combination of theoretical knowledge with practical case studies makes it interesting not only as a basis for exams for students, but also as a reference book for managers in companies. Theoretical knowledge, practically imparted A major strength of this book on business management is its bridge between theoretical knowledge and tips on how to implement practical concepts in businesses. Thus, not only students benefit from the imparted knowledge of this book, but also managers and employees from the following departments: Corporate Development Strategic controlling Legal and Compliance change management human resources Communications Management Current scientific discussions on internal communication and agile management are taken up and explained clearly using practical examples. Recent developments in this professional field are included. The book deals with these topics In their book on business management, the authors deal with the following topics, among others: Fundamentals of corporate management Introduction to communication-based management theory Perspectives of internal communication in the context of agile management Tasks of corporate management Factors of leadership communication, including normative leadership, strategic controlling and innovation management Outlook for future developments in internal communication

Read more less

Using well over 200 pin sharp photographs and informative text, the book will feature many aspects of railway development in Yorkshire prior to the Grouping of railways in 1923 as well as the years afterwards, up to 1948, and the establishment of British Railways. There is an impressive geographical spread across the region, including the West, East and North Ridings. Included is an outstanding collection of photographs gathered from postcards, original prints, and from glass plate negatives. The captions are well researched and written in a non railway jargon manner, for the enjoyment of a wide audience. The pictures should be of interest well beyond the average railway enthusiast as they form strong social history in portraying such themes as contemporary life, changing fashion in dress (male and female), advertising slogans of the period and excessive numbers of railway staff at many stations. They also show the varied styles of station, bridge and viaduct architecture as well as the way communities have changed. - A lavish reasonably-priced, hardback book, roughly covering the railway period in Yorkshire 1900- 1948 - Besides locomotives, stations, bridges, viaducts and other railway subjects are illustrated - Nothing has been gathered together in such a large sized book hitherto - Over 200 pin sharp photographs beautifully printed - A wealth of facts and figures useful to social historians and railway enthusiasts alike - A fantastic glimpse into Yorkshire's railway world in the first half of the 20th century.

Read more less

The Sdkfz 251 halftrack was one of the most versatile armoured vehicles produced by either side in the Second World War. Designed by the firm of Hannoversche Maschinenbau AG, or Hanomag, production ran to over 15,000 vehicles and it was eventually built as twenty-three separate variants serving as not only a personnel carrier, but also a command vehicle, mobile rocket launcher, armoured ambulance and bridge-layer. In his first book in the LandCraft series Dennis Oliver examines the Sdkfz 251 variants armed with the 7.5cm gun, initially used as an infantry support and reconnaissance halftrack and later as a tank killer as the result of Hitler's desperation to arm as many vehicles as possible with anti-tank weapons. Drawing on official documentation and unit histories Dennis investigates the formations that operated these deservedly famous vehicles and uses archive photos and extensively researched colour illustrations to examine the markings, camouflage and technical aspects of the Sdkfz 251/9 and 251/22 halftracks that served on the Western and Eastern Fronts in the last months of the war. A key section of his book displays available model kits and aftermarket products, complemented by a gallery of beautifully constructed and painted models in various scales. Technical details as well as modifications introduced during production and in the field are also examined, providing everything the modeller needs to recreate an accurate representation of these historic tanks.

Read more less

Sometimes you need to clash to make an impact.Bianca Bridge is like an eyeshadow palette. She's a vibrant kaleidoscope of big personality and even bigger dreams, with a tendency towards messiness and fallout. Case in point: ruining her career prospects and hopes of becoming a writer by having an affair with a married government minister.Fiercely confident and uncompromising, her tyrannical new boss Obadiah Cortland - makeup artist and legend in Trinidad's beauty scene - is like a statement red lipstick. 'The God of Good Looks' is a facade he has perfected over years of slipping through the island's rigid class barriers, and he knows as well as Bianca that the tiniest smudge can ruin your image.When Bianca's ex threatens both their futures, this clashing combination must find a way to work together to save everything they care about. But might they actually bring out the best in each other?Sparkling, big-hearted and life-affirming, The God of Good Looks is a story about prejudice and pride, the masks we wear and who we can become if we dare to take them off.-----'Phenomenal! A book worthy of a standing ovation. I will never forget how this novel made me feel' LIZZIE DAMILOLA BLACKBURN, author of Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband?'A dazzling delight ... I didn't want it to end!' COCO MELLORS, author of Cleopatra and Frankenstein'A glittering will-they, won't-they Bridget Jones re-boot' NIKKI MAY, author of Wahala

Read more less

Since the time of Turing, computer scientists have dreamed of building artificial general intelligence (AGI) - a system that can think, learn and act as humans do. Over recent years, the remarkable pace of progress in machine learning research has reawakened discussions about AGI. But what would a generally intelligent agent be able to do? What algorithms, architectures, or cognitive functions would it need? To answer these questions, we turn to the study of natural intelligence. Humans (and many other animals) have evolved precisely the sorts of generality of function that AI researchers see as the defining hallmark of intelligence. The fields of cognitive science and neuroscience have provided us with a language for describing the ingredients of natural intelligence in terms of computational mechanisms and cognitive functions and studied their implementation in neural circuits. Natural General Intelligence describes the algorithms and architectures that are driving progress in AI research in this language, by comparing current AI systems and biological brains side by side. In doing so, it addresses deep conceptual issues concerning how perceptual, memory and control systems work, and discusses the language in which we think and the structure of our knowledge. It also grapples with longstanding controversies about the nature of intelligence, and whether AI researchers should look to biology for inspiration. Ultimately, Summerfield aims to provide a bridge between the theories of those who study biological brains and the practice of those who are seeking to build artificial brains.

Read more less

A hands-on tool to connect with the celestial wisdom of Dragons. Chosen by the Angels to act as a bridge between Heaven and Earth, the spiritual beings known as Dragons are here to assist us in both daily life and the ascension process, delivering celestial wisdom from the ancient Angelic Realms and offering intervention for our highest good. Drawing on his lifelong spiritual connection to Dragons, spirit medium Angelo Thomas created this oracle deck and guidebook by channelling 44 specific Dragons from the Angelic Realms. The Dragons who stepped forward for this deck are unique in both nature and appearance, with their own personality and perspective on celestial wisdom. Infused with celestial energy, their messages reflect them as individual Angelic Beings and bring forth knowledge that can be used for inner spiritual work and developing the soul. The cards feature artist Sonja Hedger’s unique paintings, each designed to allow connection with the celestial energies of the Dragons for self-development and spiritual growth. In the accompanying book, the author and his Dragon guides explain how to use the cards to access ancient, celestial wisdom and apply it to everyday life through rituals, spiritual practices, and practical self-development tools. Presenting a portal into the ancient and archetypal world of Dragons, this oracle offers a hands-on tool for connecting with the Dragon energies of the Angelic Realms for spiritual guidance and profound celestial wisdom.

Read more less

Virgil Nemoianu's book starts from the assumption that, whether we like it or not, we live in a postmodern environment, one characterized by turbulence, fluidity, relativity, commotion, uncertainty, and lightning-fast communication and change. One question raised under these circumstances is whether we have thus entered an age of 'posthistory', one radically different from whatever happened in the past 10,000 years or so, or whether our present continues to be understandable by the methods of the philosophy of culture. The other important question is whether inside the postmodernist turmoil we can discover islands of stability, durability, continuity, and coherence. In answering such questions Nemoianu provides examinations of a political, religious, and aesthetic (particularly literary) nature. The book draws the conclusion that relativity and skeptical uncertainty themselves require such components of coherence and stability to prevent postmodernity from turning into uniformity and predictability. To the extent that most, or even all, things are considered carriers of truth, their opposite (the cultural identities) must also be granted the very same privilege. The 'adversarial' islands are engaged in a complex network of relations with their tempestuous surroundings, thereby ironically vindicating them by contrast. Hope is emphasized as the prominent and fundamental virtue of our time, and as the bridge connecting past, present, and future. The epilogue of the book suggests a tentative and subjective model of a defensive 'philosophical garden' which might help the reader imagine how to find appropriate protection - by isolation and creative interaction at the same time - in a world of chaos and disorder.

Read more less

Featuring more than 50 colour images, The Inner Rainbow takes the reader on an journey through time, from Ancient India to the present day. This is the journey of human consciousness - the story of an eternal, metamorphic process. As the author suggests, consciousness is not a self-contained, unchangeable faculty. The way we perceive the surrounding world today - with the potential for sophisticated and exact observation of natural phenomena - has evolved over thousands of years. What was once a blurred and fragmentary perception in the time of Ancient India has evolved to a clear awareness of everyday reality. Using pictures as his starting point, Henk van Oort outlines a remarkable narrative, beginning with the age-old myth of Noah's Ark, in which a rainbow is presented to the survivors of the Biblical flood. This rainbow in nature, with its seven colours, is mirrored in the ancient teaching of the seven human chakras, also with seven colours. Through a gradual process of change over centuries, this outer rainbow has been internalised into an inner rainbow, shaping a bridge between body, soul and spirit. With its ever-changing consciousness, this inner rainbow is a wonderful sense organ, in process of reaching a new peak of development. Understanding our past - the progressive stages we have passed through - is a prerequisite for optimal use of our consciousness now. Ultimately, then, this book can be seen as a guide for working with your own inner rainbow: to expand, deepen and enliven your picture of the world and your true self.

Read more less

The extensive destruction of wetlands across Europe represents a significant loss of biodiversity along with its related economic, cultural, ethical and scientific benefits. This volume addresses the critical issues surrounding this environmental change process, employing a range of analytical methods drawn from a variety of disciplines which bridge the social and natural science divide. The authors begin by exploring the various methodological approaches to the analysis of the causes and consequences of wetland loss in Europe. The findings reveal that a formal decision-support process can be defined which can assist in the search for a more sustainable approach to wetland management. The methods and tools advocated are interdisciplinary and require co-ordinated action by experts from a variety of different fields. The authors move on to present a series of case studies from which a number of general conclusions can be drawn. In particular, they identify conflicts concerning use, value and interest groups to be the most common in the context of wetland management versus development. Consequently, they argue that scientific analysis requires support from the social sciences in order to better understand and implement more participatory approaches to environmental management.Given the ongoing depletion of wetland ecosystems throughout the world, this novel interdisciplinary approach to their sustainable management is a timely and valuable exercise. Students, researchers and scholars of environmental economics, environmental science, ecology, geography and environmental politics will find this book to be a useful addition to the literature. It will also help policymakers, international agencies and NGOs to preserve these valuable environmental resources.

Read more less

The extensive destruction of wetlands across Europe represents a significant loss of biodiversity along with its related economic, cultural, ethical and scientific benefits. This volume addresses the critical issues surrounding this environmental change process, employing a range of analytical methods drawn from a variety of disciplines which bridge the social and natural science divide. The authors begin by exploring the various methodological approaches to the analysis of the causes and consequences of wetland loss in Europe. The findings reveal that a formal decision-support process can be defined which can assist in the search for a more sustainable approach to wetland management. The methods and tools advocated are interdisciplinary and require co-ordinated action by experts from a variety of different fields. The authors move on to present a series of case studies from which a number of general conclusions can be drawn. In particular, they identify conflicts concerning use, value and interest groups to be the most common in the context of wetland management versus development. Consequently, they argue that scientific analysis requires support from the social sciences in order to better understand and implement more participatory approaches to environmental management.Given the ongoing depletion of wetland ecosystems throughout the world, this novel interdisciplinary approach to their sustainable management is a timely and valuable exercise. Students, researchers and scholars of environmental economics, environmental science, ecology, geography and environmental politics will find this book to be a useful addition to the literature. It will also help policymakers, international agencies and NGOs to preserve these valuable environmental resources.

Read more less

The day is 8 August 1963. It is the early hours of the morning, and a group of men are waiting at a railway bridge in Buckinghamshire. They are about to rob a mail train, on its way to London from Glasgow, and they have no idea that on board they will find approximately £2.5 million (over £50 million in today's money) in cash - the largest of its time. Among their number is Ronnie Biggs. He will be remembered long after most of the other names are forgotten, and the money spent or lost. What is it about Ronnie Biggs that fascinates people sixty years on from the crime that made his name? Is it the man or the myth that makes Ron a latter-day Robin Hood - the odd man in the confederation of criminals who held up a train on that fateful day? This is Ronnie Biggs' official autobiography. It tells of one of the most extraordinary lives of the twentieth century. From Ron's daring escape from HMP Wandsworth, to how he managed to outwit and outrun a posse of law enforcement officers as one of the world's most wanted men; from plastic surgery in Paris, and his years on the run in Brazil - complete with two kidnappings and an attempted suicide - to his return to the UK after 13,087 extraordinary days on the run. Published for the sixtieth anniversary of Britain's most famous crime, this is a daring, exciting and often misunderstood life of a man who has seen and done it all, told in his own words.

Read more less