Search results for ""author matt"

According to the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study, air pollution from fine particulate matter caused 6.4 million premature deaths and 93 billion days lived with illness in 2019. Over the past decade, the toll of ambient air pollution has continued to rise. Air pollution’s significant health, social, and economic effects compel the World Bank to support client countries in addressing air pollution as a core development challenge. This publication estimates that the global cost of health damages associated with exposure to air pollution is $8.1 trillion, equivalent to 6.1 percent of global GDP. People in low- and middle-income countries are most affected by mortality and morbidity from air pollution. The death rate associated with air pollution is significantly higher in low-and lower-middle income countries than in high-income countries. This publication further develops the evidence base for air-quality management through up-to-date estimates of air pollution’s global economic costs. The analyses presented here build on previous cost estimates by the Bank and its partners, as well as on more comprehensive air-quality data from monitoring stations in many cities across the world. By providing monetary estimates of air pollution’s health damages, this publication aims to support policy makers and decision-makers in client countries in prioritizing air pollution amid competing development challenges. Its findings build a robust economic case to invest scarce budgetary resources in the design and implementation of policies and interventions for improving air quality. Such investments will deliver benefits for societies at large, and particularly for vulnerable groups. This publication builds a strong case for scaling up investments for air pollution control in low-and middle-income countries.

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Winner of the Garden Media Guild Practical Book of the Year Award 2022 From the creator of the wildly popular website ‘Vertical Veg’ and with over 200k people in his online community of growers, comes the complete guide to growing delicious fruit, vegetables, herbs and salad in containers, pots and more – in any space at home – no matter how small! If you long to grow your own tomatoes, courgettes or strawberries but thought you didn’t have enough space, Mark Ridsdill Smith, aka the ‘Vertical Veg Man,’ will show you how. Make the most of walls, balconies, patios, arches and windowsills and create rich, beautiful and delicious homegrown food. With proven results from his ten years of experience growing in all kinds of containers and teaching people how to grow bountiful, edible crops in small spaces, Mark will show you how gardening in containers is more than just a hobby but rather a way of creating a significant amount of delicious, low-cost, nutritious food. In his second year of growing in containers, Mark grew over 80kg of food worth £900! Inside The Vertical Veg Guide to Container Gardening, you’ll find: Mark’s ‘Eight Steps to Success’ How to make the most of your space How to draw up a planning calendar so you can grow throughout the year Planting projects for beginners and the best plants to start with Compost recipes and wormery guide for the more experienced gardener Troubleshoots for the specific challenges of growing in small spaces Ways to support pollinators and other wildlife in urban areas How growing food at home can contribute to wellbeing, sustainability and the local community Don’t be confined by the space you have – grow all the food you want with Mark’s Vertical Veg Guide to Container Gardening.

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The high-yield leveraged bond and loan market is now valued at $4+ trillion in North America, Europe, and emerging markets. What’s more the market is in a period of significant growth. To successfully issue, evaluate, and invest in high-yield debt, financial professionals need credit and bond analysis skills specific to these instruments. This fully revised and updated edition of A Pragmatist’s Guide to Leveraged Finance is a complete, practical, and expert tutorial and reference book covering all facets of modern leveraged finance analysis. Long-time professional in the field, Bob Kricheff, explains why conventional analysis techniques are inadequate for leveraged instruments, clearly defines the unique challenges sellers and buyers face, walks step-by-step through deriving essential data for pricing and decision-making, and demonstrates how to apply it. Using practical examples, sample documents, Excel worksheets, and graphs, Kricheff covers all this, and much more: yields, spreads, and total return; ratio analysis of liquidity and asset value; business trend analysis; modeling and scenarios; potential interest rate impacts; evaluating leveraged finance covenants; how to assess equity (and why it matters); investing on news and events; early-stage credit; bankruptcy analysis and creating accurate credit snapshots. This second edition includes new sections on fallen angels, environmental, social and governance (ESG) investment considerations, interaction with portfolio managers, CLOs, new issues, and data science. A Pragmatist’s Guide to Leveraged Finance is an indispensable resource for all investment and underwriting professionals, money managers, consultants, accountants, advisors, and lawyers working in leveraged finance. It also teaches credit analysis skills that will be valuable in analyzing a wide variety of higher-risk investments, including growth stocks.

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An in-depth look at how U.S. Latino advocacy groups are using ethnoracial demographic projections to bring about political change in the presentFor years, newspaper headlines, partisan speeches, academic research, and even comedy routines have communicated that the United States is undergoing a profound demographic transformation—one that will purportedly change the “face” of the country in a matter of decades. But the so-called browning of America, sociologist Michael Rodríguez-Muñiz contends, has less to do with the complexion of growing populations than with past and present struggles shaping how demographic trends are popularly imagined and experienced. Offering an original and timely window into these struggles, Figures of the Future explores the population politics of national Latino civil rights groups.Based on eight years of ethnographic and qualitative research, spanning both the Obama and Trump administrations, this book investigates how several of the most prominent of these organizations—including UnidosUS (formerly NCLR), the League of United Latin American Citizens, and Voto Latino—have mobilized demographic data about the Latino population in dogged pursuit of political recognition and influence. In census promotions, get-out-the-vote campaigns, and policy advocacy, this knowledge has been infused with meaning, variously serving as future-oriented sources of inspiration, emblems for identification, and weapons for contestation. At the same time, Rodríguez-Muñiz considers why these political actors have struggled to translate this demographic growth into tangible political gain and how concerns about white backlash have affected how they forecast demographic futures.Figures of the Future looks closely at the politics surrounding ethnoracial demographic changes and their rising influence in U.S. public debate and discourse.

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This in-depth study examines the social, religious, and philosophical thought of Simone Weil. Simone Weil for the Twenty-First Century presents a comprehensive analysis of Weil’s interdisciplinary thought, focusing especially on the depth of its challenge to contemporary philosophical and religious studies. In a world where little is seen to have real meaning, Eric O. Springsted presents a critique of the unfocused nature of postmodern philosophy and argues that Weil’s thought is more significant than ever in showing how the world in which we live is, in fact, a world of mysteries. Springsted brings into focus the challenges of Weil’s original (and sometimes surprising) starting points, such as an Augustinian priority of goodness and love over being and intellect, and the importance of the Crucifixion. Springsted demonstrates how the mystical and spiritual aspects of Weil’s writings influence her social thought. For Weil, social and political questions cannot be separated from the supernatural. For her, rather, the world has a sacramental quality, such that life in the world is always a matter of life in God—and life in God, necessarily a way of life in the world. Simone Weil for the Twenty-First Century is not simply a guide or introduction to Simone Weil. Rather, it is above all an argument for the importance of Weil’s thought in the contemporary world, showing how she helps us to understand the nature of our belonging to God (sometimes in very strange and unexpected ways), the importance of attention and love as the root of both the love of God and neighbor, the importance of being rooted in culture (and culture’s service to the soul in rooting it in the universe), and the need for human beings to understand themselves as communal beings, not as isolated thinkers or willers. It will be essential reading for scholars of Weil, and will also be of interest to philosophers and theologians.

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Radio Life: a gripping adventure and a riveting political thriller: The Commonwealth, a post-apocalyptic civilisation on the rise, is locked in a clash of ideas with the Keepers . . . a fight which threatens to destroy the world . . . again.When Lilly was first Chief Engineer at The Commonwealth, nearly fifty years ago, the Central Archive wasn't yet the greatest repository of knowledge in the known world, protected by scribes copying every piece of found material - books, maps, even scraps of paper - and disseminating them by Archive Runners to hidden off-site locations for safe keeping. Back then, there was no Order of Silence to create and maintain secret routes deep into the sand-covered towers of the Old World or into the northern forests beyond Sea Glass Lake. Back then, the world was still quiet, because Lilly hadn't yet found the Harrington Box.But times change. Recently, the Keepers have started gathering to the east of Yellow Ridge - thousands upon thousands of them - and every one of them determined to burn the Central Archives to the ground, no matter the cost, possessed by an irrational fear that bringing back the ancient knowledge will destroy the world all over again. To prevent that, they will do anything.Fourteen days ago the Keepers chased sixteen-year-old Archive Runner Elimisha into a forbidden Old World Tower and brought the entire thing down on her. Instead of being killed, though, she slipped into an ancient unmapped bomb shelter where she has discovered a cache of food and fresh water, a two-way radio like the one Lilly's been working on for years . . . and something else. Something that calls itself 'the internet' . . .

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Big Bible Science 2 helps children and those who teach them to explore God’s World and God’s Word through real world science experiments. There are twenty–one different units taking students through scientific concepts such as Potential and Kinetic energy, Levers, Pulleys, Chemical Reactions, Condensation and Symbiosis. God creates young minds to ask questions and seek answers. This book is designed to stir the imaginations of students and develop a lasting love for Christ. The units are fun, interesting, and affirm the biblical worldview of creation. Big Bible Science is written to appeal to various ages and learning styles. This material is ideal for homeschoolers or classroom–based activities. It is for the head and the heart: a good mix of solid science and inspirational devotions. Each unit has: Objectives: These are the science learning goals. Materials: What you need before each lesson The Big Idea: A scientific explanation of the lesson that also ties in a biblical perspective. Activities: Demonstrations, games and experiments. Apply it: Ideas about how to find examples of the lesson in your world. Go Beyond: For more advanced students this will challenge them to think and experiment further. Units in Big Bible Science 2: Potential & Kinetic Energy Simple Machines in a playground Mechanical Advantage of a Lever Fixed Pulley: Changing the Direction of Force Angular Momentum & Centripetal Motion Buoyancy of Boats Law of Conservation of Matter Indicators of a Chemical Reaction Heat Capacity & Specific Heart Condensation Colligative Properties Symmetry of Nature Deciduous and Evergreen Trees Plant a Bean Parts of a Plant at the Dinner Table Symbiosis Bird Population Study Endoskeleton versus Exoskeleton Carnivores, Herbivores & Omnivores: The Food Chain How the Moon Shines Weathering & Erosion

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Just as a garden needs worms, we need bad feelings.... We tend to think about bad feelings--feelings like anger, envy, spite, and contempt--as the weeds in life's garden. You may not be able to get rid of them completely, but you're supposed to battle them as best you can. The best garden is one with no weeds. The best life is one with no bad feelings. But this isn't quite right, according to philosopher Krista K. Thomason. Bad feelings are the worms, not the weeds. They're just below the surface, and we like to pretend they aren't there, but they serve an important purpose. Worms are just as much a part of the garden as the flowers, and their presence means your garden is thriving. Gardens aren't better off without their worms, and neither are we. The trick is learning how to enjoy our gardens, worms and all. Thomason draws on insights from the history of philosophy to show what we've gotten wrong about bad feelings and to show readers how we can live better with them. There is nothing wrong with negative emotions per se. Their bad reputation is undeserved. Negative emotions are expressions of self-love--not egoism or selfishness, but the felt attachment to ourselves and to our lives. We feel negative emotions because our lives matter to us. After explaining this, Thomason helps us look at individual bad feelings: anger, envy and jealousy, spite and Schadenfreude, and contempt. As she demonstrates in this tour of negative emotions, these feelings are valuable parts of our attachment to our lives. We don't have to battle negative emotions or "channel" them into something productive. Bad feelings aren't obstacles to a good life; they are part of what makes life meaningful.

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THE SEVENTH NOVEL IN THE MULTIMILLION-COPY BESTSELLING ADAM DALGLIESH SERIES FROM THE 'QUEEN OF ENGLISH CRIME' (Guardian) WINNER OF THE CWA SILVER DAGGER'Splendidly suspenseful . . . A triumph and a treat.' Guardian'P. D. James's best novel . . . The plot is detailed and satisfying and the characters are well drawn. I loved it.' 5* reader review'One of the best mysteries I have had the pleasure to read.' 5* reader reviewPERFECT FOR FANS OF VAL MCDERMID, RUTH RENDELL AND ELLY GRIFFITHS__________________________________________________________________________________Trust me, this murder is perfectly simple . . .Two men lie in a welter of blood in the vestry of St Matthew's Church, Paddington. Their throats have been brutally slashed. One is Sir Paul Berowne, a recently-resigned government minister; the other is a homeless man known only as a local alcoholic. Their deaths will be the first case for Commander Dalgliesh's new team, who have been tasked with investigating crimes of particular sensitivity. But as the Berowne family's veneer of prosperous gentility begins to crack and Dalgliesh uncovers more about the dead men, he struggles to keep his customary objectivity. Can he get to the bottom of the ugly and dangerous secrets swirling this case in time to prevent yet another death?__________________________________________________________________________________'Compulsive . . . heart-pounding suspense.' Sunday Times'The story is gripping, the characters beautifully drawn, the atmosphere powerful and the whole makes for a wonderful read.' 5* reader review'It is a masterpiece of the genre of mystery novel . . . Cuts through the decayed class system of the British society via the study of murder.' 5* reader review**Now a major Channel 5 series**__________________________________________________________________________________READERS LOVE THE ADAM DALGLEISH SERIES:'If you are not already an Adam Dalgliesh fan, I urge you to become one . . . James can describe a scene or delineate a character with precision and depth, like no other writer I have read.' 5* reader review'This series is now as thrilling and gripping as Agatha Christie's great mysteries . . . A wonderful treat I must savour.' 5* reader review'P. D. James is guaranteed to be worth reading.' 5* reader review'I would never give less than 5 stars to any P. D. James book. She is one of a kind, always constant, always wonderful writing, always great characters, and always a good mystery that you cannot put down.' 5* reader review'P. D. James writes mysteries for ordinary people. Her characters are relatable and her hero is dynamic. But don't expect cell phones or computers. Her stories are strictly old school, which is what I love about them.' 5* reader review'Crime writing at its very best!' 5* reader reviewPRAISE FOR P. D. JAMES:'A legend.' VAL MCDERMID'Masterful.' MICK HERRON'The greatest contemporary writer of classic crime.' SUNDAY TIMES 'Nobody can put the reader in the eye of the storm quite like P. D. James.' SUNDAY EXPRESS'One of the literary greats. Her sense of place was exquisite, characterisation and plotting unrivalled.' MARI HANNAH'There are very few thriller writers who can compete with P. D. James at her best.' SPECTATOR'Simply a wonderful writer.' NEW YORK TIMES'The queen of English crime.' GUARDIAN

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Explore planet Earth like you’ve never known before with this perfect children's encyclopedia for a young explorer.Forming part of a fantastic series of kid's educational books, this bold and brilliant kid's encyclopedia uses ground-breaking CGI imagery to reveal the world as you've never seen it before. Informative, diverse in subject matter, easy-to-read and brimming with beautiful graphics, young learners can explore the incredibly detailed cross-sections and cutaways that reveal the inner workings of the world around them, featuring floods, hurricanes, volcanoes, deserts and more.This charming children’s encyclopedia opens the world in new ways, with: - Packed with facts, charts, timelines, and illustrations that cover a vast range of topics. - Encompassing a visual approach with illustrations, photographs and extremely detailed 3D CGI images.- Crystal clear text distills the key information.- DK's encyclopedias are fact-checked by subject experts to offer accuracy beyond online sources of information.SI Knowledge Encyclopedia: Planet Earth! covers everything you need to know about Earth in glorious technicolor detail alongside easy explanations and fun facts to spark young minds to find out about our planet and how it works. The perfect encyclopedia for children aged 9-12, ideal for inquisitive minds, young learners can discover an array of fascinating facts, such as what’s inside Earth, and why is it so hot under the surface? How did our planet come about, and what did it look like in the beginning? How are mountains formed and why are forests important? What happens when glaciers melt and how can we stop climate change? Encourage youngsters to explore habitats and ecosystems – inside caves, among enormous redwoods, on the savannahs, or deep down under the oceans. This extraordinary encyclopedia fuels your imagination using its jaw-dropping visual approach to explain everything from what keeps Earth in its place to the great diversity of plants, animals, and people who live on it, why it is unique and how it is changing.Explore, Discover And Learn!DK's SI Knowledge Encyclopedia: Planet Earth uncovers the marvels of our world in unprecedented detail and with stunning realism. Encompassing engaging facts about Earth, including a closer look at nature, diving into the human body, the amazing world of science and our world’s history, you can spend quality time exploring the our universe with your children, accompanied by impressive visuals to engage their senses. A must-have volume for curious kids with a thirst for knowledge, this enthralling encyclopedia is structured in such a way that your child can read a bit at a time, and feel comfortable to pause and ask questions. Doubling up as the perfect gift for young readers, who are always asking questions about our planet! At DK, we believe in the power of discovery. This thrilling kid’s encyclopedia is part of the SI Knowledge Encyclopedia educational series. Celebrate your child’s curiosity as they complete the collection and discover diverse facts about the world around them. Dive into the deep blue with SI Knowledge Encyclopedia Ocean! Travel back in time to when dinosaurs roamed the earth with Knowledge Encyclopedia Dinosaur! And hone your knowledge on how the human body works with SI Knowledge Encyclopedia Human Body! Whatever topic takes their fancy, there’s an encyclopaedia for everyone!

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*Order now to read the long-awaited debut book from the huge TikTok sensation Evie Meg | This Trippy Hippie!*Hey guys, you might know me already from one of my social media channels where I talk about the highs and lows of living with Tourette's Syndrome. I've loved sharing those times with you and - as there are lots of things I can't fit into a 60 second video - I've decided to write a book! It's the full story of how I came to be diagnosed and how having Tourette's has changed my life. Writing it has given me an opportunity to talk about things I haven't felt ready to share before - for some reason it's easier to put down private things in written words than in a video! I talk about the many other illnesses I've been through and the dreams that it's affected - about my school days, relationships and my very lowest points - but I also talk about what I've managed to achieve in spite of all the obstacles. I hope it'll make you laugh and make you think, and empower you to realise that no matter what you're facing in life, there are always ways to deal with the challenges. It's also so important to me that people understand what life is like with a disability, so we can be compassionate towards each other. I've bared my soul in this book to hopefully help others to do this. I'm so excited (and just a little bit nervous) for you to read it!Evie Meg xxx

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Fermented and Distilled Alcoholic Beverages: A Technological, Chemical and Sensory Overview. Red Wines presents relevant material regarding red wine technologies and their variations, including current information about their chemistry and sensory profiles. The book provides crucial evidence regarding the use of novel technologies in red wines and discusses the relationship between chemical and sensory approaches, since both are closely related. This information will be useful for red wine producers, scientists and professors, and will be helpful as material for food science, technology and engineering graduate and post-graduate students. This book includes seven chapters with the following subject matter: red wines produced from American grapes (Vitis labrusca) (Brazil), Bordeaux Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (France), Tempranillo (Spain), Carmenère (Chile), Touriga Nacional (Portugal), Tannat (Uruguay), and Syrah (Brazil) grapes. The distinctiveness of this book lies in the fact that it provides information concerning the use of novel technologies in red wine production, comparing those with classical technologies used worldwide. The book provides useful data regarding the effect of these novel technologies on chemical properties, sensory wine acceptance and descriptive profiles, assessing the changes promoted in the wines' chemical profile as a result of the their quality improvement and sensory uniqueness.

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We've come a long way in the forty years since the Shongairi attacked Earth, killed half its people, and then were driven away by an alliance of humans with the other sentient bipeds who inhabit our planet. We took the technology they left behind, and rapidly built ourselves into a starfaring civilisation. Because we haven't got a moment to lose. Because it's clear that there are even more powerful, more hostile aliens out there, and Earth needs allies. But it also transpires that the Shongairi expedition that nearly destroyed our home planet ... wasn't an official one. That, indeed, its commander may have been acting as an unwitting cats-paw for the Founders, the ancient alliance of very old, very evil aliens who run the Hegemony that dominates our galaxy, and who hold the Shongairi, as they hold most non-Founder species, in not-so-benign contempt. Indeed, it may turn out to be possible to turn the Shongairi into our allies against the Hegemony. There's just the small matter of the Shongairi honor code, which makes bushido look like a child's game. We might be able to make them our friends -- if we can crush their planetary defenses in the greatest battle we, or they, have ever seen...

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The keys to wellness are written in the stars. In The Complete Guide to Astrological Self-Care, astrologer Stephanie Gailing shares a modern-day approach to the ancient healing art of medical astrology. Astrology is a stellar language that allows us to understand the nuances of who we are and how to live our life with more insight and awareness. And while we may look to our zodiac signs to help us navigate our relationships, career, finances, and family matters, did you know that astrology can also play quite a pivotal role in helping us optimize our vitality and well-being? From passionate Aries to sensitive Pisces, and all the signs in between, each astrological profile is associated with a unique temperament and different needs when it comes to nurturing body, mind, and spirit. Knowing these can help you personalize your self-care regimen by incorporating natural remedies and wellness practices more aligned with your signs. Divided into twelve chapters, one for each zodiac sign, The Complete Guide to Astrological Self-Care includes an array of holistic lifestyle approaches that will help you curate an astrologically aligned self-care regimen. For each sign you’ll find dozens of recommendations in categories including: Areas of Health Focus Eating Tips Health-Supporting Foods Wellness Therapies Relaxation Practices Natural Remedies Essential Oils Flower Essences Yoga Poses Sleep Tips In addition you’ll also discover ways to bolster your well-being by connecting to the celestial cycles, featuring topics such as: Stellar Life Stages: You’ll discover a road map—including an array of wellness strategies and journaling questions—to navigate your self-care from your twenties to your eighties based upon astrological invitations that occur at different times in our lives. The Moons: You’ll learn about the twenty-four different New Moons and Full Moons including the opportunities and challenges each one brings. You’ll find affirmations you can do on each lunation as well as self-care rituals to undertake and several questions to use as journaling prompts. Planetary Retrogrades: Get a deeper understanding of the opportunities for awareness that Mercury, Venus and Mars Retrograde yield. You’ll discover strategies to sidestep stress, self-care suggestions, ways to work with your dreams, meditation techniques, flower essences, supportive crystals, and journaling questions.The Complete Guide to Astrological Self-Care is part of the Complete Illustrated Encyclopedia series, elegantly designed and beautifully illustrated books that offer comprehensive, display-worthy references on a range of intriguing topics, including dream interpretation, techniques for harnessing the power of dreams, flower meanings, and the stories behind signs and symbols. Also available in the series: The Complete Book of Birthdays, The Complete Language of Flowers, and The Complete Book of Dreams.

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Push past resistance to discover and own new business territories Think Like a Futurist shows how to track changes, explore questions, and engage in new thinking that connects today's pressures with tomorrow's realities. Cecily Sommers shows how to apply long-term focus and strategies to needs as diverse as industry forecasts, innovation challenges, leadership development, or future-proofing a brand. By understanding intersecting potentials that one day may impact your organization, you can readily spot emerging trends and market shifts, uncovering opportunities on the horizon. Think Like a Futurist explores such questions as: Where will new markets emerge over the next 5-10-25 years? What will be the big issues of the day? How will lifestyle, social mores, and policy adapt? And what role do we play in that future? Offers a clear framework for thinking like a futurist, and direction for how to integrate it in high-pressure corporate environments Explains how the social, economic, and environmental crises of our time spring from just four constant and predictable forces Reveals the three dramatic disruptions on the horizon that should be a part of every strategic conversation Written by Cecily Sommers the Founder and President of The Push Institute, a non-profit think tank that tracks significant global trends and their implications for business, government, and non-profit. Filled with tools and models for a new world, this book should be required reading for strategists and innovators across disciplines. "Refreshing. A book that does not follow today’s push to be ‘innovative’ just to snag attention because of the current hot trending keyword. Matter of fact, Cecily Sommers’ book works to get us away from simply identifying and going for a ride on the latest trend(s) in our respective industries. Quite the contrary, rather than avoid a scientific or tactical discussion of trend identification, she works to give us the ability to go beyond trends and into the future. Cecily has drafted a book providing a nice blend of practical reality, philosophy, and practical execution. It speaks well to current discussions about how to drive ‘innovation’ or, better, creativity within your businesses—however large or small. All in, this is a book 254 pages long, including index, that is written at a practical level that, after closer study following an initial read-through, provides a methodology for anticipating the future and taking action to meet it. Provides a methodology for anticipating the future and taking action to meet it. Think Like a Futurist is a good read for anyone struggling with how to move their organization forward. Business leaders, product and program managers, service providers will all find the concepts Cecily introduces to be well laid-out with a reasonable amount of supporting content."—The source is a blog: http://jtpedersen.net/2012/11/15/what-ive-read-lately-think-like-a-futurist/

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Brassica juncea is a salient oilseed crop and contributes highest in domestic edible oils. It belongs to Brassicaceae family (Cruciferae). This annual herb is widely known for its adaptation to varying climatic conditions and manifest tolerance to diverse soil types. Most of Brassica species are diploid and amphidioploid. Brassica juncea (n=18) which is commonly known as Indian mustard. It is Asiatic in origin with prime centre of its diversity found in china from where it migrated to India via Afghanistan and other countries. Mustard is largely self-pollinated rabi season crop of temperate region, which relatively requires cool temperature for its growth and thrive well in irrigated and rainfed conditions. Seeds of mustard serve as a cheapest and healthiest source of oil in regular diet. Apart from its culinary purposes, it is also used in preparation of soaps, hair oils, lubricants, paints and as a condiment in pickles. Mustard oil extracted from this plant leads to the creation of by-product known as mustard cake, which is used as manure. This oil cake is used as cover crop for animal fodder due to its high protein and glucosinolate content. Brassica juncea plants are medicinally important source of phytochemical compounds of therapeutic significance. Brassica plants are studied for their bioactive potential and are reported to contain several other classes of alkaloids, tannins, saponins, anthocyanins, phytosterols, chlorophyll, glucosinolates, phytosteroids, terpenoids, glycosides, vitamin C, vitamin E, aliphatic and aromatic amines. Due to presence of these compounds, the plant displays anti-bacterial, anti-malarial, anti-hyperglycemic, anti-aging, anti-proliferative, anti-ulcer, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-genotoxic, neuroprotective, antidiabetic and antioxidant activities. Brassica juncea has the potential to eliminate, detoxify or sequester heavy metals from polluted soil. Sequestrating ability of Brassica juncea pivots upon mobility of toxic substance, plant attribute and crop management aspects. The crop management aspects include above surface biomass of plants, intercropping, amendment of organic matter and incorporation of legumes for better phytoextraction via India mustard through boosting growth and soil metal dissipation. Brassica juncea are described as hyperaccumulator, as they are able to uptake high amount of heavy metals such as lead, copper, nickel from contaminated sites. The metal uptake by Brassica juncea is influenced by heavy metal availability in surroundings, rate of metal accumulation by roots, percentage of heavy metal fixed in the roots, rate of metal storing in xylem and transferring heavy metals to shoots and resistance of cells for heavy metals. Brassica juncea can effectively be cultivated and render soils contamination free. Assorted agronomic practices comprising irrigation, weed management, addition of fertilizers and chelators augments Brassica juncea potential. It exhibits noteworthy contribution in the world. Keeping these points in mind, various aspects like the botanical description, economic importance, cultivation practices, therapeutic potential and phytoremediation capacity of Brassica juncea has been described in this book. Apart from this, various breeding methods, genetic and molecular approaches have been well explained to improve the quality of this crop.

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Dumped by Instagram post. Not a whiff of a social life. Can it get any worse?After a string of failed relationships - romantic and platonic - Lea’s had enough of watching life happen without her. When she bumps into Shep, a comedian at the Edinburgh festival in need of accommodation, it feels like destiny. And voilá – Lea now has a lodger and some company.The two get on like a flat on fire, and Lea can’t resist falling for outgoing Shep. But she knows it’s a mistake that will cost her heart – he’s just another guy passing through, after all. And with Shep’s stand up routine edging him closer to his big break, there’s no way he’ll stick around.Love is no laughing matter as the festival draws to a close. Can Lea find the confidence to step up and confess her feelings to Shep? Will he want to stay?A feel-good, heartwarming romance for anyone desperate to break out of their shell and find their true self. Perfect for fans of Beth O’Leary, Laura Jane Williams and Miranda Dickinson.Praise for Stand Up Guy ‘A heartwarming, laugh-out-loud romance with all the feels’ Sandy Barker‘Warm, witty, with just the right balance of poignancy ... Nina Kaye’s writing really brings the setting, story, and characters to life.’ Zoe Allison‘Nina Kaye has done it again, with another of her trademark warm, funny reads that also shines a gentle light on social issues. I really felt for the main character Lea, and rooted for her all the way to the heartwarming conclusion’ Fiona Leitch‘A 5-star read that nestles into your heart, leaving you with that lovely afterglow of a beautifully told story – a true gem for any bookworm.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘The banter back and forth between the characters is great. A story of romance, friendship, chasing your dreams and finding self-confidence. Definitely give this book a read!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘Full of laughter and tears, this book took me on a journey. There is so much that you can relate to… brilliant!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘This is genuinely my new favorite romance novel. No miscommunication tropes, just two adults telling each other how they’re feeling consistently. Amazingly well-written.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘This book had me in tears twice in the first three chapters… I really related to Lea and was totally invested in her story. Deserves to be a smash hit.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘I didn’t want it to end, but equally couldn’t put it down – I read it in a day… the best rom-com I’ve read all year. Lea and Shep are one of my favourite bookish couples ever.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘This is a great book. I was able to both laugh and have some tears.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review‘I have hoovered up all of Nina Kaye’s books so far, and Stand Up Guy was no different. The romance that develops is a brilliant ‘will they/won’t they?’ story. A wonderful read and highly recommended.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Reader review

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Learn all about polar expeditions and the Arctic in this climate-related instalment of DK Books' new educational fiction series for children.Meet the Secret Explorers - a band of brainiac kids from all around the world. Everyone in this diverse group of young experts has a speciality, from outer space to dinosaurs, and each story follows a character who gets chosen for a "secret exploration".In this fun, fact-filled children's book, engineering expert Kiki and Connor the marine biologist are sent on a mission to the Arctic. There they discover a research vessel studying the effects of climate change that has become trapped in the sea ice.To make matters worse, one of the ship's scientists who went to find help at a nearby research station hasn't returned. It's up to the Secret Explorers to find the scientist, free the ship, and save the day! Kids will love turning the pages to find out if the Secret Explorers manage to succeed in their mission!Enter the frozen world...With a thrilling narrative that keeps kids engaged, The Secret Explorers and the Missing Scientist book by SJ King is the perfect gift for children who are into all things arctic. It's written for children aged 7-9 years, with lots of information on the arctic world and the effects of melting sea ice.At the end of the book, you'll find "Kiki's Mission Notes" which is a summary of all the scientific facts and discoveries made throughout the story. With fun illustrations, quizzes, and a vocabulary list, the educational value of this book is outstanding and great for a classroom read!Get Ready to join the Secret Explorers ClubThe Secret Explorers series is a reminder to kids that they are limited only by their imagination and teaches them that learning is fun! But most of all, these educational books encourage children to believe that they can become experts in something they love.This edge-of-your-seat adventure book is packed with:- Fun facts and illustrations about polar bears- Simple and engaging explanations on how to survive in arctic conditions- Quizzes, mission notes, and a glossary of words with definitionsComplete the seriesEach book in the series combines exciting adventures with real-life facts related to the Secret Explorers' latest fictional mission.Don't miss out on more secret explorations! Take on an out-of-this-world mission in The Secret Explorers and the Comet Collision. Travel back in time to save a dinosaur egg from destruction in The Secret Explorers and the Jurassic Rescue. Set out on a journey to stop the Cairo Museum from closing down in The Secret Explorers and the Tomb Robbers. Then take a trip up an erupting volcano in The Secret Explorers and the Smoking Volcano.

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Taking humanity and popular culture as his subject matter, Nate Lowman (born 1979) approaches these themes as an active participant in the collective American experience. Underscoring this is desire: a longing for something or someone, or a wish for something to happen. The duality inherent in desire is contained in Lowman’s use of well-known images whose meanings are both instantly recognizable and constantly in flux. Appropriated, relatable images and language from American pop culture and its 24-hour news cycle form a narrative and tell part of the American story. Angels, poppies, hearts, pine-tree air fresheners, smiley faces, iconic celebrities, crosses and news articles—all presented through the lens of desire—confront viewers with the things of modern life that are often left unsaid and unexamined. For more than a decade, Nate Lowman has produced paintings, sculptures, and (often salon-style) installations that process and represent the unfolding human experience in a visual environment of endlessly proliferating public media archives. Re-presenting and reframing techniques of image reproduction as painterly practice, Lowman constructs narratives condensed in layers of studio techniques, including printing, cropping, projecting, cutting, staining, repurposing, lacquering, stripping and stretching. His paintings explore the capacity of images to mediate between the personal and the universal in cycles of decay and renewal. Published on the occasion of the Aspen Art Museum’s exhibition of the New York–based artist, Nate Lowman is the first comprehensive monograph on the artist to date.

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Exam board: SQALevel: National 5Subject: PhysicsFirst teaching: September 2017First exam: Summer 2018Practice makes permanent. Feel confident and prepared for the SQA National 5 Physics exam with this two-in-one book, containing practice questions for every question type and topic, plus two full practice papers - all written by an experienced examiner.- Choose to revise by question type or topic: A simple grid enables you to pick particular question styles or course areas that you want to focus on, with answers provided at the back of the book- Understand what the examiner is looking for: Clear guidance on how to answer each question type is followed by plenty of questions so you can put the advice into practice, building essential exam skills- Remember more in your exam: Repeated and extended practice will give you a secure knowledge of the key areas of the course (dynamics; space; electricity; properties of matter; waves; radiation)- Familiarise yourself with the exam paper: Both practice papers mirror the language and layout of the real SQA papers; complete them in timed, exam-style conditions to increase your confidence before the exams- Find out how to achieve a better grade: Answers to the practice papers have commentaries for each question, with tips on writing successful answers and avoiding common mistakesFully up to date with SQA's requirementsThe questions, mark schemes and guidance in this practice book match the requirements of the revised SQA National 5 Physics specification for examination from 2018 onwards.

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Offers scholars essential advice on bringing their work into the public eye The work of academics can matter and be influential on a public level, but the path to becoming a public intellectual, influential policy advisor, valued community resource or go-to person on an issue is not one that most scholars are trained for. The Public Professor offers scholars ways to use their ideas, research and knowledge to change the world. The book gives practical strategies for scholars to become more engaged with the public on a variety of fronts: online, in print, at council hearings, even with national legislation. Lee Badgett, a veteran policy analyst and public intellectual with over 25 years of experience connecting cutting edge research with policymakers and the public, offers clear and practical advice to scholars looking to engage with the world outside of academia. She shows scholars how to see the big picture, master communicating with new audiences, and build strategic professional networks. Learn how to find and develop relationships with the people who can take your research and ideas into places scholars rarely go, and who can get you into Congressional hearings, on NPR, or into the pages of The New York Times. Turn your knowledge into clear and compelling messages to use in interviews, blog posts, tweets and op-eds. Written for both new and experienced scholars and drawing on examples and advice from the lives of influential academics, the book provides the skills, resources, and tools to put ideas into action.

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Take your game to the next level with Pickleball, a guided skills journal and game tracker. Fast, fun, and oh-so-sociable, pickleball is the game that’s taken the world by storm. From the first match, “picklers” are hooked on the quick action, strategic play, and mental and physical benefits of this low-impact, highly enjoyable game. Pickleball isn’t just a sport anymore—it’s a way of life. Pickleball, an interactive workbook, will help you elevate your pickleball game no matter your starting level. Using tried-and-true techniques from the fields of sports psychology and self-improvement, Pickleball encourages you to approach the game with a growth mindset, creating a path to stronger performance through intention, accountability, and reflection. You’ll strengthen your game with: A skills inventory that helps you identify your starting point Exercises that help you identify your mental obstacles A detailed goal-setting process Game trackers that allow you to evaluate your play All of the book’s features will help you take charge of your gameplay and reach the next level. From recording a training plan to confronting your inner critic with a pep talk from your inner coach, you’ll take steps that will help you before you even step onto the court. A brief history of pickleball, pickleball trivia, and inspirational quotes are sprinkled throughout. This workbook is a must-have tool for pickleball players of any skill level.

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Seventeenth-century New Englanders were not as busy policing their neighbors’ behavior as Nathaniel Hawthorne or many historians of early America would have us believe. Keeping their own households in line occupied too much of their time. Under Household Government reveals the extent to which family members took on the role of watchdog in matters of sexual indiscretion.In a society where one’s sister’s husband’s brother’s wife was referred to as “sister,” kinship networks could be immense. When out-of-wedlock pregnancies, paternity suits, and infidelity resulted in legal cases, courtrooms became battlegrounds for warring clans. Families flooded the courts with testimony, sometimes resorting to slander and jury-tampering to defend their kin. Even slaves merited defense as household members—and as valuable property. Servants, on the other hand, could expect to be cast out and left to fend for themselves.As she elaborates the ways family policing undermined the administration of justice, M. Michelle Jarrett Morris shows how ordinary colonists understood sexual, marital, and familial relationships. Long-buried tales are resurrected here, such as that of Thomas Wilkinson’s (unsuccessful) attempt to exchange cheese for sex with Mary Toothaker, and the discovery of a headless baby along the shore of Boston’s Mill Pond. The Puritans that we meet in Morris’s account are not the cardboard caricatures of myth, but are rendered with both skill and sensitivity. Their stories of love, sex, and betrayal allow us to understand anew the depth and complexity of family life in early New England.

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People are unwittingly taking risks with their investments by entrusting them to advisers who are biased but don’t know it.Does your financial adviser tell you to hold on and never sell? That markets recover in the long run? Does your adviser seem to always have an optimistic disposition? Do they tell you not to worry, no matter what is going on in the outside world?In Bullshift, John J. De Goey explores the hidden relationship between bias and financial markets. He makes clear that investors and financial advisers are not the rational decision makers that economic theory assumes them to be, and that “tried and true” investment advice is not always sound. De Goey shows that advisers are immersed in a culture of Bullshift — they simply don’t realize how their positive outlook on markets is based on industry-wide groupthink.Unfortunately, this problem affects much more than just your own investment portfolio. After three years of an international pandemic, the full economic impact of the response to it still hasn’t been felt. There’s more pain coming, but the financial industry’s eternal optimism, abetted by government policies designed to consistently encourage growth and avoid tough choices, is walking us toward a cliff for the global economy.De Goey helps readers understand the subtle but profound challenges of industry bias, with optimism bias as a particularly vexing issue. The next downturn may be deeper than anything you or your adviser has ever experienced. True optimism comes from a shift to unbiased realism.

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Packed with voice, Shannon C.F. Rogers' I'd Rather Burn than Bloom is a powerful YA novel about a Filipina-American teen who tries to figure out who she really is in the wake of her mother's death. Some girls call their mother their best friend. Marisol Martin? She could never relate. She and her mom were forever locked in an argument with no beginning and no end. Clothes, church, boys, no matter the topic, Marisol always felt like there was an unbridgeable gap between them that they were perpetually shouting across, one that she longed to close. But when her mother dies suddenly, Marisol is left with no one to fight against, haunted by all the things that she both said and didn't say. Her dad seems completely lost, and worse, baffled by Marisol's attempts to connect with her mother's memory through her Filipino culture. Her brother Bernie is retreating further and further into himself. And when Marisol sleeps with her best friend's boyfriend - and then punches said best friend in the face - she's left alone, with nothing but a burning anger, and nowhere for it to go. And Marisol is determined to stay angry, after all, there's a lot to be angry about- her father, her mother, the world. But as a new friendship begins to develop with someone who just might understand, Marisol reluctantly starts to open up to her, and to the possibility there's something else on the other side of that anger- something more to who she is, and who she could be.

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In this refreshingly candid memoir, Kal Penn recounts why he rejected the advice of his aunties and guidance counselors and, instead of becoming a doctor or “something practical,” embarked on a surprising journey that has included acting, writing, working as a farmhand, teaching Ivy League University courses, and smoking fake weed with a fake President of the United States, before serving the country and advising a real one. You Can’t Be Serious is a series of funny, consequential, awkward, and ridiculous stories from Kal’s idiosyncratic life. It’s about being the grandson of Gandhian freedom fighters, and the son of immigrant parents: people who came to this country with very little and went very far—and whose vision of the American dream probably never included their son sliding off an oiled-up naked woman in a raunchy Ryan Reynolds movie…or getting a phone call from Air Force One as Kal flew with the country’s first Black president. With intelligence, humor, and charm on every page, Kal reflects on the most exasperating and rewarding moments from his journey so far. He pulls back the curtain on the nuances of opportunity and racism in the entertainment industry and recounts how he built allies, found encouragement, and dealt with early reminders that he might never fit in. And of course, he reveals how, after a decade and a half of fighting for and enjoying successes in Hollywood, he made the terrifying but rewarding decision to take a sabbatical from a fulfilling acting career for an opportunity to serve his country as a White House aide. Above all, You Can’t Be Serious shows that everyone can have more than one life story. Kal demonstrates by example that no matter who you are and where you come from, you have many more choices than those presented to you. It’s a story about struggle, triumph, and learning how to keep your head up. And okay, yes, it’s also about how he accidentally (and very stupidly) accepted an invitation to take the entire White House Office of Public Engagement to a strip club—because, let’s be honest, that’s the kind of stuff you really want to hear about.

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Whatever your position is on Black Lives Matter, defunding the police, and equity in law enforcement, former police chief Carmen Best shares the leadership lessons she learned as the first Black woman to lead the Seattle Police Department—a personal insider story that will challenge your assumptions on how to move the country forward. Chief Carmen Best has spent the last 28 years as a member of a big-city police force, an institution where minorities and women have historically found it especially difficult to succeed. She defied the odds and became the first Black woman to lead the Seattle Police Department. During her tenure, she was successful in bringing significantly more diversity to the force. However, when the city council cut her budget amid months of protests against police violence, she had no choice but to step aside. Without the city’s support, she felt she wouldn’t be able to continue changing the status quo of the police force from within.Throughout her career, Chief Best has learned lessons that those coming up behind her can benefit from. In this book, she will use her story to share those urgent lessons. Readers will read about: How Chief Best grew up to believe in the change she set out to create. Her early days in the police force, including lessons from the academy and her time on patrol. How she progressed in her career within a primarily white law enforcement culture and the events that led to her becoming Chief. How she built her team and overcame the politics involved in her high-level position until the call for defunding came. Carmen Best teaches readers the core qualities and mindset to persevere and rise through the ranks, even within a workplace whose culture and leadership must be challenged, and policies changed on the way to achieving that vision. Her motivating story serves as a master class in guiding principles for anyone striving to serve their community and rise to the highest echelon of success.

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The poem is perhaps the highest verbal form of communication. It illuminates and it conceals. It is as precise and as vague as a mirror."-David Meltzer Two-Way Mirror is a classic book of poetics. Written in short remarks, autobiographical anecdotes, and inspirational quotations drawn from philosophical, ethnographic, and literary sources, Two-Way Mirror is both a nondidactic guide to the art Meltzer has devoted his life to, and a literary pleasure in itself. With its various writing prompts, Two-Way Mirror has proven to be both inspirational and practical, a teaching tool and a guide to creativity that makes the perfect gift for poets at any stage of development. Attractively bound and printed in a deluxe gift edition, and featuring Meltzer's collection of found artwork collaged from thrift-store grammar books, this new and expanded edition retains the charm of the original while updating it for the present day.Building upon the version he self-published in 1977, Meltzer has written additional material that considers the effect of technological developments since the book's publication, as well as an afterword in which he reflects on the history of the volume, its inception, and its usefulness. Praise for Two-Way Mirror Reading Two-Way Mirror, I feel continually surprised, excited, alive. This book makes me want to make poems, and readers, beware: if you are not already a poet, this book could very well turn you into one."----Matthew Zapruder "I know of no better amalgam of poetry & poetics & no better introduction to the ways in which poetry can emerge for us & lead us beyond ourselves & toward our own fulfillments. Meltzer's grace of mind & the life of poetry that surrounds it make the case complete."--Jerome Rothenberg "A great book of learning from a lifetime's thoughts of the poem. Ramble, scribble, tickle, lightbulb! Timely and highly worthwhile."--Clark Coolidge "Invaluable for anyone who reads or writes poetry, or has a restless desire of any kind, this wondrous, zany compendium gives us 'a biography of poetry' that directly enters our veins, bypassing all the crud and restoring our sense of the art, and David Meltzer is a champion of the impossible to have compiled it ...a gift of delight and wisdom-keep it in your bag by day and by your bed at night."-Mary Ruefle

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In 1865 the Victorian poet Matthew Arnold rejoiced in the charm of Oxford, 'that sweet City with her dreaming spires'. A century and a half later, That Sweet City offers a visual and poetic tribute to what is still one of the fairest and most enthralling places in the world. Designed in the form of seven walks across and around Oxford, and radiating out into the surrounding countryside, this book evokes the buildings and landscapes, both famous and less well-known, that have witnessed and shaped the city's history. The first sequence of pictures and poems, Seven Sights of Oxford, leads the reader (and walker) from Christ Church Meadow across the High Street to the Radcliffe Camera; thence down Broad Street to St. Giles, the University Parks and Port Meadow. The second, Seven Secret Sights, offers a circular tour of lesser-known landmarks from the Town Hall to Folly Bridge, the Old Railway Bridge and Isis Lock, the re-emergent Radcliffe Campus, Mesopotamia and The Plain. Seven Ages of Oxford, starting with the Saxon Tower of St. Michael's Church in the Cornmarket, and finishing in the University s science area in South Parks Road (via the Castle, Worcester College, Christ Church, the Sheldonian Theatre and the University Museum), provides a short and eclectic history of the city and its ancient University. Other sequences of poems and paintings include Seven Treasures of Oxford (with the Alfred Jewel and the Bodleian Library), Seven Sights around Oxford (with Otmoor, Kelmscott and Blenheim Palace) and Seven Products of Oxford (including marmalade, books and Oxfam). A final walk, Seven Gardens of Oxford, celebrates the diversity of the city s many green spaces. An introduction provides a concise history of Oxford and explains the choice of sights, the structure of the poetry and the inspiration behind the illustrations. Maps make it easy for visitors to follow the walks and find their way around the city. In words and images, That Sweet City evokes a place constantly changing yet timeless in its beauty.

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In autumn 2006 an unnerving phenomenon hit the United States: honeybees were mysteriously disappearing from hives across the nation, with beekeepers reporting losses of between 30 and 90 per cent of their entire colonies. The problem soon spread to parts of Europe and even Asia, earning the name Colony Collapse Disorder. To this day nobody is absolutely sure why it is happening and what the exact causes are. However, in 1923 Rudolf Steiner, a scientist, philosopher and social innovator, predicted that bees would die out within 100 years if they were to be reproduced using only artificial methods. Startlingly, and worryingly, his prediction appears to be coming true. "Queen of The Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us?" is a companion book to the critically-acclaimed film of the same name. Compiled by the film's director Taggart Siegel, it makes a profound examination of the global bee crisis through the eyes of biodynamic and organic beekeepers, scientists, farmers, philosophers and poets. Revealing the mysterious world of the beehive and the complex social community of bees, the book unveils millennia of beekeeping, highlighting our historic and sacred relationship with bees, and how this is being compromised by highly-mechanized and intensive agro-industrial practices. The bees are messengers and their disappearance is a resounding wake-up call for humanity! With full colour, stunning photography throughout, this engaging, alarming but ultimately uplifting anthology begins with an account of how Siegel's film came to be made. It continues with a wealth of articles, interviews and poems that offer unique philosophical and spiritual insights. Besides investigating many contributory causes of Colony Collapse Disorder, the book offers remedies as well as hope for the future. "Queen of the Sun" features contributions from Carol Ann Duffy, Taggart Siegel, Jon Betz, David Heaf, Gunther Hauk, Horst Kornberger, Jennifer Kornberger, Jacqueline Freeman, Johannas Wirz, Kerry Grefig, Michael Thiele, Raj Patel, Vandana Shiva, Jeffery Smith and Matthew Barton. These compelling voices signal a growing movement striving to found a culture fully in balance with nature.

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'I am a big fan of Jenny Kane' Katie Fforde Welcome back to Mill Grange in the latest uplifting romance in the bestselling Mill Grange series! Helen Rogers has been lying to herself over her feelings for Tom since the moment they met. And for good reason; not only are they colleagues, working together with the archaeology groups at Mill Grange, but her sabbatical is almost over and she'll soon have to return to Bath. Tom Harris knows he's falling in love with Helen. How could he not? She's smart, kind and great with his son Dylan. But with his ex suddenly offering him a chance to spend more time with Dylan, and the staff of Mill Grange about to host a wedding, everything else has to be put to one side. Even his feelings for a certain archaeologist. As Helen's time at Mill Grange runs short, the two are forced to consider what matters most... *Can be read as a standalone, but best as a part of the wider series: get your hands on Midsummer at Mill Grange to start from book one!* Readers are loving Spring Blossoms at Mill Grange: 'What a fantastic story this was, I loved it from start to finish. This is a well written, truly delightful read' – Reader review 'Don't you just love a book that sweeps you away and transports to a sunnier, happy time. Well this book is the perfect escape. Curl up and enjoy this romantic comedy. I loved it' – Reader review 'Ah, Jenny has done it again... I am already champing at the bit for book 4! Being back with the gang at Mill Grange is like meeting up with long lost friends' – Reader review 'What a lovely feel-good story! It's a fantastic mixture of romance and humour, filled with enough laughable and serious moments to balance it out' – Reader review 'Kane's writing style, with its gorgeous and vivid descriptions, allows readers to visit places and follow the characters as if they'd been there themselves' – Reader review 'This is a really easy read which definitely had me smiling and maybe I did shed a tear or two as well. I will be waiting impatiently for the next instalment' – Reader review 'A truly delightful read, which definitely had me smiling... I will be waiting impatiently for the next instalment' – Reader review

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The digital era is beset by distraction, and it feels like things are only getting worse. At times like these, the distant past beckons as a golden age of attention. We fantasise about escaping our screens. We dream of recapturing the quiet of a world with less noise. We imagine retreating into solitude and singlemindedness, almost like latter-day monks. But although we think of early monks as master concentrators, a life of mindfulness did not, in fact, come to them easily. As historian Jamie Kreiner demonstrates in The Wandering Mind, their attempts to stretch the mind out to God—to continuously contemplate the divine order and its ethical requirements—were all-consuming, and their battles against distraction were never-ending. Delving into the experiences of early Christian monks living in the Middle East, around the Mediterranean, and throughout Europe from 300 to 900 CE, Kreiner shows that these men and women were obsessed with distraction in ways that seem remarkably modern. At the same time, she suggests that our own obsession is remarkably medieval. Ancient Greek and Roman intellectuals had sometimes complained about distraction, but it was early Christian monks who waged an all-out war against it. The stakes could not have been higher: they saw distraction as a matter of life and death. Even though the world today is vastly different from the world of the early Middle Ages, we can still learn something about our own distractedness by looking closely at monks’ strenuous efforts to concentrate. Drawing on a trove of sources that the monks left behind, Kreiner reconstructs the techniques they devised in their lifelong quest to master their minds—from regimented work schedules and elaborative metacognitive exercises to physical regimens for hygiene, sleep, sex and diet. She captures the fleeting moments of pure attentiveness that some monks managed to grasp, and the many times when monks struggled and failed and went back to the drawing board. Blending history and psychology, The Wandering Mind is a witty, illuminating account of human fallibility and ingenuity that bridges a distant era and our own.

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American politics is not just a combination of high ideals and low cunning. It is also the story of thousands of local influencers, fixers, activists, and run-of-the-mill voters who shape the destinies of candidates. It's about the flawed and ambitious people who become candidates and must first grind it out for one vote at a time, if they want to ascend to the nation's highest office. Nowhere is this more true, and more carefully preserved, than in the state of New Hampshire.Utterly atypical of the country as a whole, New Hampshire has nonetheless afforded itself the status of the beacon of American democracy. New Hampshire has, by law, been the first state to cast its votes in the presidential primaries since 1920. Between that year and 1992, no one became president without first winning the New Hampshire primary. Since then, every commander-in-chief has finished in the top two, and the state has retained its clout in the twenty-first century. A win in New Hampshire is said by statisticians to boost a candidate's chances nationwide by twenty-seven percent. For that reason, the state is also often the graveyard of political ambitions: the list of sitting presidents whose terms ended with primary challenges launched from New Hampshire's granite rocks includes Harry Truman and Lyndon Johnson. New Hampshire has also ruined the White House ambitions of a long list of well-known, well-funded challengers who couldn't figure out how to win it the hard way.Scott Conroy followed the 2016 campaign up and down the state of New Hampshire and used that experience to uncover the peppery local officials, wiley operatives, wide-eyed activists, and complicated handlers who have determined the state's primary outcomes for generations. Through the eyes of these sometimes anonymous but always deeply influential characters, he reveals the workings of American presidential politics at a point in the campaign when the White House is still a distant dream, and the votes that matter most can be found in far-flung hamlets like Dixville Notch, Berlin and Wolfeboro.

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THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER* From the writer and executive producer of the award-winning Netflix series The Good Place that made moral philosophy fun: a foolproof guide to making the correct moral decision in every situation you ever encounter, anywhere on earth, forever *'An absolute breeze to read; funny and enlightening and revealing' - Guardian'Enormously enjoyable, useful and readable' - The TimesHow can we live a more ethical life?This question has plagued people for thousands of years, but it's never been tougher to answer than it is now, thanks to challenges great and small that flood our day-to-day lives and threaten to overwhelm us with impossible decisions and complicated results with unintended consequences.Plus, being anything close to an 'ethical person' requires daily thought and introspection and hard work; we have to think about how we can be good not, you know, once a month, but literally all the time.To make it a little less overwhelming, this fascinating, accessible and funny book by one of our generation's best writers and adept minds in television comedy, Michael Schur, boils down the whole confusing morass with real life dilemmas (from 'should I punch my friend in the face for no reason?' to 'can I still enjoy great art if it was created by terrible people?'), so that we know how to deal with ethical dilemmas. Much as Chidi used humour and philosophy to make Eleanor a less selfish person, Schur takes us on a journey through the 2,500-year discussion of ethics, sketching a roadmap for how we ought to act along the way.By the time the book is done, we'll know exactly how to act in every conceivable situation, so as to produce a verifiably maximal amount of moral good. We will be perfect, and all our friends will be jealous. OK, not quite. Instead, we'll gain fresh, funny, inspiring wisdom on the toughest issues we face every dayWith contributions from Professor Todd May of Clemson University, who served as an advisor on The Good Place, this is a brilliant, clever and hugely entertaining book about one of the most important topics in the world.'The problem is, if all you care about in the world is the velvet rope, you will always be unhappy, no matter which side you're on.' - Tahani Al-Jamil, The Good Place

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The Roman emperor Commodus wanted to kill a rhinoceros with a bow and arrow, and he wanted to do it in the Colosseum. Commodus' passion for hunting animals was so fervent that he dreamt of shooting a tiger, an elephant, and a hippopotamus; his prowess was such that people claimed he never missed when hurling his javelin or firing arrows from his bow. For fourteen days near the end of AD 192, the emperor mounted one of the most lavish and spectacular gladiatorial games Rome had ever seen. Commodus himself was the star attraction, and people rushed from all over Italy to witness the spectacle. But this slaughter was simply the warm-up act to the main event: the emperor was also planning to fight as a gladiator. Why did Roman rulers spend vast resources on such over-the-top displays - and why did some emperors appear in them as combatants? Why did the Roman rabble enjoy watching the slaughter of animals and the sight of men fighting to the death? And how best can we in the modern world understand what was truly at stake in the circus and the arena? In The Day Commodus Killed a Rhino, Jerry Toner set out to answer these questions by vividly describing what it would have been like to attend Commodus' fantastic shows and watch one of his many appearances as both hunter and fighter. Highlighting the massive logistical effort needed to supply the games with animals, performers, and criminals for execution, the book reveals how blood and gore were actually incidental to what really mattered. Gladiatorial games played a key role in establishing a forum for political debate between the rulers and the ruled. Roman crowds were not passive: they were made up of sophisticated consumers with their own political aims, which they used the games to secure. In addition, the games also served as a pure expression of what it meant to be a true Roman. Drawing on notions of personal honor, manly vigor, and sophisticated craftsmanship, the games were a story that the Romans loved to tell themselves about themselves.

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Virtual, hands-on learning labs allow you to apply your technical skills in realistic environments. So Sybex has bundled AWS labs from XtremeLabs with our popular AWS Certified Data Analytics Study Guide to give you the same experience working in these labs as you prepare for the Certified Data Analytics Exam that you would face in a real-life application. These labs in addition to the book are a proven way to prepare for the certification and for work as an AWS Data Analyst.AWS Certified Data Analytics Study Guide: Specialty (DAS-C01) Exam is intended for individuals who perform in a data analytics-focused role. This UPDATED exam validates an examinee's comprehensive understanding of using AWS services to design, build, secure, and maintain analytics solutions that provide insight from data. It assesses an examinee's ability to define AWS data analytics services and understand how they integrate with each other; and explain how AWS data analytics services fit in the data lifecycle of collection, storage, processing, and visualization. The book focuses on the following domains: • Collection • Storage and Data Management • Processing • Analysis and Visualization • Data Security This is your opportunity to take the next step in your career by expanding and validating your skills on the AWS cloud. AWS is the frontrunner in cloud computing products and services, and the AWS Certified Data Analytics Study Guide: Specialty exam will get you fully prepared through expert content, and real-world knowledge, key exam essentials, chapter review questions, and much more. Written by an AWS subject-matter expert, this study guide covers exam concepts, and provides key review on exam topics. Readers will also have access to Sybex's superior online interactive learning environment and test bank, including chapter tests, practice exams, a glossary of key terms, and electronic flashcards. And included with this version of the book, XtremeLabs virtual labs that run from your browser. The registration code is included with the book and gives you 6 months of unlimited access to XtremeLabs AWS Certified Data Analytics Labs with 3 unique lab modules based on the book.

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Protect your retirement from the next big crash with a New Twist on the Old Investment Strategy. For years, advisors have recommended that investors take a "buy and hold" approach to the market, but people over fifty can't afford to rely on this strategy. Buy, Hold, & SELL! uncovers the myth of the "buy and hold" investment philosophy, and explains why it's dangerously incomplete. Written by Ken Moraif, one of Barron’s top 100 Financial Advisors in the United States three years a row and who called the 2008 market crash in November of 2007, this book outlines an alternative strategy that better serves investors who are at retirement age. Written in easy-to-understand language and buoyed by Ken's trademark humor, this guide shoots down the myths that keep investors in risky markets, and arms readers with the knowledge, motivation, and strategies that may help them survive-and even thrive-during the inevitable next bear market. Too many retirees lost a large percentage of their investments during the market collapse of 2008 and spent years trying to regain their footing. During the collapse, many advisors told their clients to stay in the market. Ken did the opposite, advising his clients and listeners of his popular radio show “Money Matters” to get out of the market in November of 2007-before the economic meltdown. With this book, Ken shares his 26 years of experience to help investors prepare for the imminent bear market that could devastate their retirement plans. For those looking to build a sound financial plan for the long run, this book provides expert insight and solid advice with supporting charts, graphs, statistics, and anecdotes. Understand the buy-hold-SELL strategy Learn how to design a sell strategy to protect principal in the next bear market Find clear-cut information regarding retirement finances Discover the benefits of a diversified portfolio This book expands upon old advice to provide the most important part of the equation: a sell strategy designed to protect principal. The goal of Buy, Hold, & SELL! is not to make investors rich quick, but to help keep them from becoming poor.

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In the last decade Black Americans have gone from exhilaration and hope with the election of Barack Obama to the malaise and fear of the Trump presidency. Both Administrations serve as tacit examples of the gains and regressions of minorities. From issues such as a burdensome relationship with the police to the old adage "last hired, first fired," people of color continue to face a mountain of challenges that block the path to total equality. In CONVERSATIONS IN BLACK, Gordon - a skilled interviewer - explores and debates the tactics used to secure Black America's rightful place in the "home of the brave."Through expansive dialogs with our nation's most important black leaders, Gordon will discuss the critical questions facing African Americans today and explore where people of color find themselves in today's charged political and social climates. From Colin Kaepernick's activism to the Black Lives Matter movement; from spearheading pop culture to swinging elections; from the pain of Trayvon Martin to the pride for Serena Williams; from civil rights leaders to Black conservatism, these conversations explore what Black power and Black excellence means today. Gordon brings together a stellar and diverse group of today's most prominent African-American leaders and influencers to talk about where African-Americans go from here. In the wake of America seeing a resurgence in overt racism and many believing the country's leader is stoking the flames of division, Gordon and others take on critical questions and explore answers surrounding where people of color find themselves in today's charged political and social climate.CONVERSATIONS IN BLACK will serve as a blueprint for African-American leadership in a divisive and ever complicated America. In spite of slavery, Jim Crow, a prison to pipeline system, and all the other injustices African-Americans have faced, there is a deep connection and loyalty to each other and the country, and through strengthening the politics, finances, and advocacy of people of color, victory will be revealed again and again. In Conversations in Black, Gordon embarks on the rigorous journey with a mighty team of black intelligentsia to define and outline new narratives for individuals and leadership

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In the last decade Black Americans have gone from exhilaration and hope with the election of Barack Obama to the malaise and fear of the Trump presidency. Both Administrations serve as tacit examples of the gains and regressions of minorities. From issues such as a burdensome relationship with the police to the old adage "last hired, first fired," people of colour continue to face a mountain of challenges that block the path to total equality. In CONVERSATIONS IN BLACK, Gordon - a skilled interviewer - explores and debates the tactics used to secure Black America's rightful place in the "home of the brave." Through expansive dialogues with our nation's most important black leaders, Gordon will discuss the critical questions facing African Americans today and explore where people of colour find themselves in today's charged political and social climates. From Colin Kaepernick's activism to the Black Lives Matter movement; from spearheading pop culture to swinging elections; from the pain of Trayvon Martin to the pride for Serena Williams; from civil rights leaders to Black conservatism, these conversations explore what Black power and Black excellence means today. Gordon brings together a stellar and diverse group of today's most prominent African-American leaders and influencers to talk about where African-Americans go from here. In the wake of America seeing a resurgence in overt racism and many believing the country's leader is stoking the flames of division, Gordon and others take on critical questions and explore answers surrounding where people of colour find themselves in today's charged political and social climate. CONVERSATIONS IN BLACK will serve as a blueprint for African-American leadership in a divisive and ever complicated America. In spite of slavery, Jim Crow, a prison to pipeline system and all the other injustices African-Americans have faced, there is a deep connection and loyalty to each other and the country and through strengthening the politics, finances and advocacy of people of colour, victory will be revealed again and again. In Conversations in Black, Gordon embarks on the rigorous journey with a mighty team of black intelligentsia to define and outline new narratives for individuals and leadership

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On the Road meets Tuesdays with Morrie in this pilgrimage by "an American classic" (Newsweek) to thank his most important mentors through memorable meals and conversations"Some years later, George Plimpton offered to punch me in the nose," recounts Rick Bass, remembering fondly a conversation with the famed Paris Review editor in his office, in which Plimpton, who had been slugged by Archie Moore, offered to connect Bass to a "hoary genealogy" that would include Ali and Frazier. Lineage has always been important to Bass. Before the punch-that-could-have-been, there was his failed bid to become Eudora Welty's lawn boy, and his first meal with Jim Harrison, during which he could barely bring himself to speak. That supper would eventually inspire this book, Rick's years-long pilgrimage to thank his heroes, and to pass on their legacy of mentorship to the next generation.The poignancy of this journey of thanksgiving is intensified by the place in life at which Bass finds himself. He is nearing sixty, his daughters are now grown, and his wife of more than two decades, who accompanied him on that long-ago dinner with Jim Harrison, has called an end to their marriage. In the wake of this loss, Bass sets out, accompanied by two young writers, to recapture the fire, the hunger, that has faded from his life.The Traveling Feast is a book about meeting one's debts in two directions--sending gratitude to the old exemplars, and a few contemporaries, from Peter Matthiessen to David Sedaris and John Berger to Lorrie Moore, while paying it forward to the next generation of writers, believing in and supporting them as Bass was by his own heroes. Each chapter in this fruitful journey recalls the meeting, the meal, and the history--the writer of the past and of the now. From the disastrous pecan tart to the illegally transported elk meat to the photo op gone awry are many resonant moments. What emerges is a guide not only to writing well but to living well, to sucking out all the marrow of life, in Thoreau's immortal phrase. The Traveling Feast is a chronicling of the old ways, a cross-continent pilgrimage to show gratitude for a legacy of American literature and the writers who made it.

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"This is one of the few books on Montaigne that fuses analytical skill with humane awareness of why Montaigne matters."--Harold Bloom, Sterling Professor of Humanities, Yale University "In this exhilarating and learned book on Montaigne's essays, Lawrence D. Kritzman contemporizes the great writer. Reading him from today's deconstructive America, Kritzman discovers Montaigne always already deep into a dialogue with Jacques Derrida and psychoanalysis. One cannot but admire this fabulous act of translation."--Helene Cixous "Throughout his career, Lawrence D. Kritzman has demonstrated an intimate knowledge of Montaigne's essays and an engagement with French philosophy and critical theory. The Fabulous Imagination sheds precious new light on one of the founders of modern individualism and on his crucial quest for self-knowledge."--Jean Starobinski, professor emeritus of French literature, University of Geneva Michel de Montaigne's (1533-1592) Essais was a profound study of human subjectivity. More than three hundred years before the advent of psychoanalysis, Montaigne embarked on a remarkable quest to see and imagine the self from a variety of vantages. Through the questions How shall I live? How can I know myself? he explored the significance of monsters, nightmares, and traumatic memories; the fear of impotence; the fragility of gender; and the act of anticipating and coping with death. In this book, Lawrence D. Kritzman traces Montaigne's development of the Western concept of the self. For Montaigne, imagination lies at the core of an internal universe that influences both the body and the mind. Imagination is essential to human experience. Although Montaigne recognized that the imagination can confuse the individual, "the fabulous imagination" can be curative, enabling the mind's "I" to sustain itself in the face of hardship. Kritzman begins with Montaigne's study of the fragility of gender and its relationship to the peripatetic movement of a fabulous imagination. He then follows with the essayist's examination of the act of mourning and the power of the imagination to overcome the fear of death. Kritzman concludes with Montaigne's views on philosophy, experience, and the connection between self-portraiture, ethics, and oblivion. His reading demonstrates that the mind's I, as Montaigne envisioned it, sees by imagining that which is not visible, thus offering an alternative to the logical positivism of our age.

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Looking for a convenient language course that fits your lifestyle and gets you speaking a new language in a matter of hours? The acclaimed audio-led Michel Thomas Method Total German course, endorsed by celebrities, executives and learners worldwide, will deliver the results you want. How does it work?During the course, you will join Michel and two students in a live lesson, learning from both their successes and their mistakes to keep you motivated and involved throughout the course. You, as the learner, become the third student and participate actively in the class. Within the very first hour you will be able to construct simple phrases by listening and thinking out answers for yourself without the pressure of writing or memorizing. You learn through your own language, so there's no stress, and no anxiety. You'll stick with it because you'll love it. Why is the method so successful? The Michel Thomas Method was perfected over 50 years by celebrated psychologist and linguist Michel Thomas. This unique method works with your brain and draws on the principles of instructional psychology. Knowledge is structured and organised so that you assimilate the language easily and don't forget it. The method breaks down the language into building blocks that are introduced sequentially in such a way that you create your response and move on to ever-more-complex sentences. There is no need to stop for homework, additional exercises or vocabulary memorization, so you progress rapidly. What's in the Course?Total German with the Michel Thomas Method includes up to 8 hours of audio on CD and a practice CD-ROM with interactive activities and assessment which should be done after the course and as a means of review. *Note that the content is the same as the previously entitled Foundation course, but with the addition of a CD-ROM. Learn anywhere Don't be tied to chunky books or your computer, Michel Thomas Method audio courses let you learn whenever you want: at home, in your car, or on the move with your MP3 player.Where do I go next? Perfect German follows on from the Total course with 11 hours of audio and a practice CD-ROM.

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'I cannot say enough about How to Read Now... Check it out' Roxane Gay'A red-hot grenade... One of my favourite books of the year' Jia Tolentino'Energetically brilliant, warmly humane, incisively funny' Andrew Sean Greer'I gasped, shouted, and holler-laughed . . . Phenomenal' R.O. Kwon'A wake-up call. A broadside. A rich and brilliant war cry' Chris PowerHow many times have we heard that reading builds empathy? That we can travel through books? How often have we were heard about the importance of diversifying our bookshelves? Or claimed that books saved our lives? These familiar words - beautiful, aspirational - are sometimes even true. But award-winning novelist Elaine Castillo has more ambitious hopes for our reading culture, and in this collection of linked essays, she moves to wrest reading away from the aspirations of uniting people in empathetic harmony and reposition it as thornier, ultimately more rewarding work. How to Read Now explores the politics and ethics of reading, and insists that we are capable of something better: a more engaged relationship not just with our fiction and our art, but with our buried and entangled histories. Smart, funny, galvanizing, and sometimes profane, Castillo attacks the stale questions and less-than-critical proclamations that masquerade as vital discussion: reimagining the cartography of the classics, building a moral case against the settler colonialism of lauded writers like Joan Didion, taking aim at Nobel Prize winners and toppling indie filmmakers, and celebrating glorious moments in everything from popular TV like The Watchmen to the films of Wong Kar-wai and the work of contemporary poets like Tommy Pico. At once a deeply personal and searching history of one woman's reading life, and a wide-ranging and urgent intervention into our globalized conversations about why reading matters today, How to Read Now empowers us to embrace a more complicated, embodied form of reading, inviting us to acknowledge complicated truths, ignite surprising connections, imagine a more daring solidarity, and create space for a riskier intimacy - within ourselves, and with each other.

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In Filmmaking Essentials for Photographers: The Fundamental Principles of Transitioning from Stills to Motion, Emmy Award–winning photographer and filmmaker Eduardo Angel helps you begin your journey to becoming as capable and confident with creating works of motion as you are with photographing still images., Emmy Award–winning photographer and filmmaker Eduardo Angel helps you begin your journey to becoming as capable and confident with creating works of motion as you are with photographing still images.Filmmaking Essentials for Photographers covers a wide range of tools, techniques, resources, and tips that offer practical input on how to transition to motion. This is not an in-depth book on editing, directing, or even lighting. Instead, the goal of this book is to cover the fundamental aspects of filmmaking from a straightforward nuts-and-bolts perspective. You will learn all about:• How to switch to a “filmmaker’s brain”: engage with a crew, understand the director’s and director of photography’s roles, and work with a script, shot lists, and storyboards• The basics of composition for motion: framing continuous shots, establishing a scene, and creating perspective and movement• The role of lighting, including how it is used to tell a story and how it directs the viewer’s attention• The crucial part that sound plays in motion, including music and soundscapes• How to use the right gear for the job: from cameras and lighting gear to microphones, rigs, and key accessories• The art and craft of editing: the post-production workflow, how to organize your assets, and how to deconstruct the editing process• Color theory and how you can use it to enhance the story you are telling• How to do more with less—no matter the budgetIncreasingly, opportunities come to those who can create content for clients that need both stills and motion. To that end, the final chapter of the book covers those business opportunities that will open up to you with your newfound skills in motion: from multimedia projects, educational content, and interviews, to independent short films, stock video footage, and commercials.

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SQL is the ubiquitous language for software developers working with structured data. Most developers who rely on SQL are experts in their favorite language (such as Java, Python, or Go), but they're not experts in SQL. They often depend on antipatterns - solutions that look right but become increasingly painful to work with as you uncover their hidden costs. Learn to identify and avoid many of these common blunders. Refactor an inherited nightmare into a data model that really works. Updated for the current versions of MySQL and Python, this new edition adds a dozen brand new mini-antipatterns for quick wins. No matter which platform, framework, or language you use, the database is the foundation of your application, and the SQL database language is the standard for working with it. Antipatterns are solutions that look simple at the surface, but soon mire you down with needless work. Learn to identify these traps, and craft better solutions for the often-asked questions in this book. Avoid the mistakes that lead to poor performance and quality, and master the principles that make SQL a powerful and flexible tool for handling data and logic. Dive deep into SQL and database design, and learn to recognize the most common missteps made by software developers in database modeling, SQL query logic, and code design of data-driven applications. See practical examples of misconceptions about SQL that can lure software projects astray. Find the greatest value in each group of data. Understand why an intersection table may be your new best friend. Store passwords securely and don't reinvent the wheel. Handle NULL values like a pro. Defend your web applications against the security weakness of SQL injection. Use SQL the right way - it can save you from headaches and needless work, and let your application really shine! What You Need: The SQL examples use the MySQL 8.0 flavor, but other popular brands of RDBMS are mentioned. Other code examples use Python 3.9+ or Ruby 2.7+.

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An eye-opening exploration of American policy reform, or lack thereof, in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement and how the country can do better in the future.In 2020, while the Covid-19 pandemic raged, the United States was hit by a ripple of political discontent the likes of which had not been seen since the 1960s. The spark was the viral video of the horrific police murder of an unarmed Black man in Minneapolis. The killing of George Floyd galvanized a nation already reeling from Covid and a toxic political cycle. Tens of thousands poured into the streets to protest. Major corporations and large nonprofit groups—institutions that are usually resolutely apolitical—raced to join in. The fervor for racial justice intersected with the already simmering demands for change from the #MeToo movement and for economic justice from Gen Z. The entire country suddenly seemed to be roaring for change in one voice. Then nothing much happened. In How Elites Ate the Social Justice Movement, Fredrik deBoer explores why these passionate movements failed and how they could succeed in the future. In the digital age, social movements flare up but then lose steam through a lack of tangible goals, the inherent moderating effects of our established institutions and political parties, and the lack of any real grassroots movement in contemporary America. Hidden beneath the rhetoric of the oppressed and the symbolism of the downtrodden lies the inconvenient fact that those doing the organizing, messaging, protesting, and campaigning are predominantly drawn from this country’s more upwardly mobile educated classes. Poses are more important than policies. DeBoer lays out an alternative vision for how society’s winners can contribute to social justice movements without taking them over, and how activists and their organizations can become more resistant to the influence of elites, nonprofits, corporations, and political parties. Only by organizing around class rather than empty gestures can we begin the hard work of changing minds and driving policy.

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The Art of Darkness is a visually rich sourcebook featuring eclectic artworks that have been inspired and informed by the morbid, melancholic and macabre. Throughout history, artists have been obsessed with darkness – creating works that haunt and horrify, mesmerise and delight and play on our innermost fears. Gentileschi took revenge with paint in Judith Slaying Holofernes while Bosch depicted fearful visions of Hell that still beguile. Victorian Britain became strangely obsessed with the dead and in Norway Munch explored anxiety and fear in one of the most famous paintings in the world (The Scream, 1893). Today, the Chapman Brothers, Damien Hirst and Louise Bourgeois, as well as many lesser known artists working in the margins, are still drawn to all that is macabre. From Dreams & Nightmares to Matters of Mortality, Depravity & Destruction to Gods & Monsters – this book introduces sometimes disturbing and often beautiful artworks that indulge our greatest fears, uniting us as humans from century to century. But, while these themes might scare us – can’t they also be heartening and beautiful? Exploring and examining the artworks with thoughtful and evocative text, S. Elizabeth offers insight into each artist’s influences and inspirations, asking what comfort can be found in facing our demons? Why are we tempted by fear and the grotesque? And what does this tell us about the human mind? Of course, sometimes there is no good that can come from the sensibilities of darkness and the sickly shivers and sensations they evoke. These are uncomfortable feelings, and we must sit for a while with these shadows – from the safety of our armchairs. Artists covered include Pablo Picasso, Georgia O'Keeffe, Francisco de Goya, Leonora Carrington, John Everett Millais, Tracey Emin, Vincent van Gogh, Barbara Hepworth, Paul Cezanne and Salvador Dalí, as well as scores more. With over 200 carefully curated artworks from across the centuries, The Art of Darkness examines all that is dark in a bid to haunt and hearten. This book is part of the Art in the Margins series, following up on The Art of the Occult, which investigates representations of the mystical, esoteric and occult in art from across different times and cultures.

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Operating out of a tiny office on Madison Avenue in the early 1960s, a struggling company called Marvel Comics presented a cast of brightly costumed characters distinguished by smart banter and compellingly human flaws. Spider-Man, the Fantastic Four, Captain America, the Incredible Hulk, the Avengers, Iron Man, Thor, the X-Men, Daredevil - these superheroes quickly won children's hearts and sparked the imaginations of pop artists, public intellectuals, and campus radicals. Over the course of a half century, Marvel's epic universe would become the most elaborate fictional narrative in history and serve as a modern American mythology for millions of readers. Throughout this decades-long journey to becoming a multibillion-dollar enterprise, Marvel's identity has continually shifted, careening between scrappy underdog and corporate behemoth. As the company has weathered Wall Street machinations, Hollywood failures, and the collapse of the comic book market, its characters have been passed along among generations of editors, artists, and writers-also known as the celebrated Marvel Bullpen. Entrusted to carry on tradition, Marvel's contributors-impoverished child prodigies, hallucinating peaceniks, and mercenary careerists among them-struggled with commercial mandates, a fickle audience, and, over matters of credit and control, one another. For the first time, Marvel Comics reveals the outsized personalities behind the scenes, including Martin Goodman, the self-made publisher who forayed into comics after a get-rich-quick tip in 1939; Stan Lee, the energetic editor who would shepherd the company through thick and thin for decades; and Jack Kirby, the World War II veteran who'd co-created Captain America in 1940 and, twenty years later, developed with Lee the bulk of the company's marquee characters in a three-year frenzy of creativity that would be the grounds for future legal battles and endless debates. Drawing on more than one hundred original interviews with Marvel insiders then and now, Marvel Comics is a story of fertile imaginations, lifelong friendships, action-packed fistfights, reformed criminals, unlikely alliances, and third-act betrayals - a narrative of one of the most extraordinary, beloved, and beleaguered pop cultural entities in America's history.

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