Tuesday 11 January 2011

The Human Genome, Second Edition: A User's Guide (Elsevier Science in Society)



The Human Genome, Second Edition: A User's Guide (Elsevier Science in Society)
Julia E. Richards,R. Scott SH Hawley | 2004-10-21 00:00:00 | Academic Press | 480 | Social Sciences
This second edition of a very successful text reflects the tremendous pace of human genetics research and the demands that it places on society to understand and absorb its basic implications. The human genome has now been officially mapped and the cloning of animals is becoming a commonplace scientific discussion on the evening news. Join authors Julia Richards and Scott Hawley as they examine the biological foundations of humanity, looking at the science behind the sensation and the current and potential impact of the study of the genome on our society.

The Human Genome, Second Edition is ideal for students and non-professionals, but will also serve as a fitting guide for the novice geneticist by providing a scientific, humanistic, and ethical frame of reference for a more detailed study of genetics.

New in this edition:
· 60% new material, including data from the Human Genome Project and the latest genetics and ethics discussions
· Several new case studies and personal stories that bring the concepts of genetics and heredity to life
· Simplified treatment of material for non-biology majors
· New full-color art throughout the text
· New co-author, Julia Richards, joins R. Scott Hawley in this revision
Reviews
I had the tremendous honor of being taught genetics by two brilliant scientists at the University of Missouri Kansas City, one of whom was Dr. R. Scott Hawley (the other was Dr. Saul Honigberg). Dr. Hawley's name is regnant in the world of meiotic genetics, and a significant percentage of modern biological knowledge can be found within the many pages he has authored. Not only is Dr. Hawley a brilliant scientist, he is also a gifted story-teller. He has an excellent sense of humor, and he has repeatedly proven he can make a grown man cry with his heart-tugging stories of real people affected by very real disease. He infuses his literature on science and medicine with a dose of compassion, much-needed by students of science, like myself, who spend hours trying to see disease in terms of molecules rather than human faces.



I am not very familar with any other work done by Julie Richards, but if this text is representative of her fare I would say she too is quite gifted.



This is an excellent book.



That said, I would caution anyone who wants a very deep and detailed study of the science of genetics to look elsewhere because this book merely contains the essential molecular information for understanding the rest of the text (it is, after all, "a user's guide," not a PhD-student's guide). Still, it is an excellent, extremely informative read, with some paradigm-shifting perspectives to offer.
Reviews
I am a Genetics student at the University of Kansas with the intent of beginning medical school in August. I strongly feel this text has helped me to be better prepared on this topic. I enjoyed the style in which this book was written since you can almost hear the authors speak directly to you as you're reading. I especially admire and appreciate the authors' human sides come across in the examples that are given. Too bad my other science textbooks aren't as interesting!
Reviews
I personally think that the first edition was unfairly reviewed-A couple of the ridiculously negative reviewers who bashed the book (without providing much explanation or insight) were probably written by former students whom the authors flunked, since the attacks appear personal. Of course, the first edition wasn't perfect, although it was pretty darn good! I recently had a chance to peek at the new, 2nd edition, and was thrilled to see so many improvements. The language is much clearer and easier to follow since the authors use a nice conversational tone and less-technical language. The color art is really impressive and ADDS to the new edition. The book is at least twice as long and packed with current, up-to-date information such as human cloning, the human genome project and genetic diseases. I definitely recommend buying this book!
Reviews
This SECOND EDITION is a major improvement on the first (which was already pretty good). It's an excellent text on modern Human Genetics. Not too overwhelming for non-experts, in fact perfect for the absolute novice, but enough science to really get the gist of the issues. It goes a long way to explaining some difficult concepts that I haven't seen treated correctly elsewhere.
Reviews
I had this text for a MCB 10 (genetics) course at UC Davis in California. I found the science part of it interesting and for the most part helpful. I think the authors really tried to keep the reader's interest, and make a subject that is not always thought of as fascinating a little more light and relevant. People may disagree about including anecdotes in a textbook, but I think the anecdotes, while they may have been out of place, made the book more readable for me. Also, I really admired the way the authors focused on the individual aspects of the disorders they mentioned. As a young woman with Turners Syndrome, I can say that it was very refreshing that for once we were not portrayed as genetic mutants, and that individual differences that occur in any disorder was pointed out. I think it's sad, looking down the reviews, that only the bad reviews were seen as helpful. I would hope that people will give this book a chance.

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Knights of Desire


Knights of Desire
Melodee Aaron | 2008-01-01 00:00:00 | Siren Publishing | 125 | Romance Novels
Shane Rawls has been a marine for sixty years. She's seen a lot in that time, but she's never seen real knights and dragons, though, especially the delicious Sir Landis and Sir Clemmons. As she finds herself attracted to the two men, Shane falls into the clutches of the evil king of the dragons.

Sir Clemmons and Sir Landis have a war to fight. The lizards are killing people, including Landis' wife, and now they have kidnapped the beautiful woman from the stars who has enchanted them both.

Shane, Landis, and Clemmons must deal with their attraction all while trying to stay alive and end a war that has cost the lives of countless men and dragons. Can the three survive the evils of this medieval world? Can they overcome the limits of their feelings and find love in the aftermath?

"Those who have read my other works know I like to push the envelope, and Knights of Desire is no different. I had fun with this story, but I like polyamorous tales. Working with three or more sets of emotions is a challenge I enjoy." ~ Melodee ~
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Handbook of Nutrition and Immunity



Handbook of Nutrition and Immunity
M. Eric Gershwin,Penelope Nestel,Carl L. Keen | 2004-06-04 00:00:00 | Humana Press | 360 | Diets
An international panel of physicians, pediatricians, immunologists, and public health nutritionists concisely review for front-line health care providers and researchers the practical aspects related to evaluating nutrition and immunology in the field. Here, the busy physician and investigator will quickly find a clear and up-to-date understanding of the essential immunological facts in adult and child nutrition. Citing the latest research findings, the authors explain the role of nutrition in the case of current health issues, such as HIV, malaria, food allergies, diarrhea, acute respiratory infections, and the impact of macro- and micronutrient deficiencies, dietary fat, and antioxidants on immune status. A compact disk accompanies the book for downloading an ebook version to the reader's PC or PDA. Comprehensive and holistic, the Handbook of Nutrition and Immunity illuminates for busy health care providers and scientists the interaction and linkages between nutrition and immunology and provides an up-to-date understanding of the practical problems associated with evaluating nutritional and immune status in the field.

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Checkliste Neurologie



Checkliste Neurologie
Frank Reinhardt | 2005-08-31 00:00:00 | Thieme Georg Verlag | 764 | Subjects

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Fire and Hemlock



Fire and Hemlock
Diana Wynne Jones | 2002-01-01 00:00:00 | HarperTeen | 432 | Fiction Other
Centered around 19-year old Polly's exploration of two sets of memories and the mysterious house up the road, DWJ crafts a masterful story combining a mix of real-world and the magical world of Faerie. Geared towards her target young-adult demo, this book is also of interest to us old codgers who are young at heart. DWJ's writing and character development are top notch here, and the story thoroughly absorbing. Among her 5-star books, I'd put a few first above this one, but it was still a great read.
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Logic: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)



Logic: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)
Graham Priest | 2001-01-18 00:00:00 | Oxford University Press, USA | 144 | Philosophy
Logic is often perceived as having little to do with the rest of philosophy, and even less to do with real life. In this lively and accessible introduction, Graham Priest shows how wrong this conception is. He explores the philosophical roots of the subject, explaining how modern formal logic deals with issues ranging from the existence of God and the reality of time to paradoxes of probability and decision theory. Along the way, the basics of formal logic are explained in simple, non-technical terms, showing that logic is a powerful and exciting part of modern philosophy.
Reviews
As described by several others among these ratings, Priest's book is an easy to read and engaging introduction to some basic concepts of logic. It is not--and does not claim to be--a comprehensive survey. It would not serve as the textbook for a full course in logic, but can be an affordable supplement in other courses, or even read by someone simply curious about the study of logic.



HOWEVER, it is unfortunate that Priest also chose to go beyond his stated topic by setting up as his examples of logical errors all of the standard arguments about the existence of God (even though he later admits that the actual arguments are often more sophisticated than the versions he shoots down). Another Amazon reviewer has described this at length and given the book one star. The book is overall much better than that. But ANY good textbook book has an obligation to provide balance and range among its examples, political religious, or whatever. Otherwise the examples themselves can function to indoctrinate. (This is common practice in totalitarian cultures.) Questions about God are certainly open to debate--especially in a philosophy class. But by using the arguments for the existence of God merely as his examples of poor reasoning, Priest provides no opportunity for thoughtful debate and does seem to promote a dogmatic subtext.



Other than that, it is a very good book!


Reviews
I got this book because I am starting a study of philosophy. It is my understanding that that in order to understand philosophy, one must understand logic.



This book was fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. It wasn't at all what I expected-but that's OK. It is what it is.



About the author-At first I wasn't sure if he was a completely arrogant prick, a witty, funny writer. It turns out it is the latter. Very good work on that.



My goal in reading this book was to get a general sense, so I was able to gloss over some of the deeper details-especially the mathematical parts, but I was still able to get a sense of what he was saying. I feel that if I need to, I could always go back and re-read certain parts of this book.



I am very well satisfied by this book. I recommend it to anyone trying to gain exposure to formal logic.
Reviews
The rhetorical device of starting a narrative 'in medias res' is effective in Homer, but is an astonishingly poor organizational scheme for an introduction to logic. By the halfway point of "Logic: AVSI" one has been exposed to not only the majority of first order logic but also a big hunk of modal logic, and by the time one finishes, if one manages to, one has touched on temporal logic, probability theory, 'fuzzy' logic, and decision theory. That is too large a bolus to swallow for an introduction. Now, add to this basic pedagogical unsoundness a steady injection of odd addenda to the core of truth-functional and quantification logic as they are commonly understood, and one has a truly misleading mess. I refer in particular to Priest's introduction of non binary truth values as a solution to the non-problem of the p & !p -> q tautology, and his making an issue of the non-controversy of the use of the material conditional as the truth-functional implication. In doing so Priest has made it unclear why one would bother with formal logic at all, as its interpretation is problematic. Very few logicians or mathematicians consider formal logic up to first order as problematic, though obviously there are some who do. Finally I consider Priest's folding of modal logic into PL without any warnings as very unfortunate. Modal logics are interesting and useful but counterproductive at this level of exposition.

Overall this seems a thoroughly post-modern explication of logic. I doubt that Priest intended it as such, but the book qualifies by reintroducing doubts that were assuaged by universal acclimation well over 60 years ago.
Reviews
Most of the book was well-written. Other parts were not so well-written.



The chapter on time seemed interesting at first, but then he got into an argument about the past and the future, and tried to make a point that they contradict each other, but his conculsion didn't make sense to me. So I skipped the rest of the chapter and went on.



Later in the book he got into some math symbology which I don't think he explained it very well. But I found I could skim over that stuff and still understand the material.



Also, in the Kindle device, some of the special characters and tables don't show up very well.



But the book is not bad for the price, and a good way to test the waters if you're not sure if you'll enjoy studying logic.



You also might want to try Gensler's book. I'm reading it now. It costs a lot more, but it seems more well-written.
Reviews
For the logician or philosophy student, this book may be short. But in relation to the precise logical knowledge of most laymen, it's large enough (over a 100 pages). Priest covers a wide-range of ground and explains the subject at hand, always with a bit of context. He captures the readers interest by a brief visit with Tweedledum and Tweedledee. Then he presses countless necessary aspects of logic from truth tables to probability. I enjoyed how he brings in Frege, Russell, Aristotle, and many others as he explains sundry notions.



The title of this little book conveys what the student receives: A very short introduction to logic (when contrasting this work with a large technical monograph on logic).



I recommend this book for the:

Academic-minded reader who lacks knowledge of logic and its terminology; philosophy/logic students in college; and intelligent writers. Furthermore, it is not for those with a thirst for intellectual depth and breadth in the field of modern logic.

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Electrical Power Systems Technology



Electrical Power Systems Technology
Stephen W. Fardo | 1900-01-01 00:00:00 | Fairmount Press | 497 | Electrical Engineering
Covering the gamut of technologies and systems used in the generation of electrical power, this reference provides an easy-to understand overview of the production, distribution, control, conversion, and measurement of electrical power. The content is presented in an easy to understand style, so that readers can develop a basic comprehensive understanding of the many parts of complex electrical power systems. The authors describe a broad array of essential characteristics of electrical power systems from power production to its conversion to another form of energy. Each system is broken down into sub systems and equipment that are further explored in the chapters of each unit. Simple mathematical presentations are used with practical applications to provide an easier understanding of basic power system operation. Many illustrations are included to facilitate understanding. This new third edition has been edited throughout to assure its content and illustration clarity, and a new chapter covering control devises for power control has been added.
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Only-Child Experience & Adulthood



Only-Child Experience & Adulthood
Bernice Sorensen | 2008-04-15 00:00:00 | Palgrave Macmillan | 256 | Aging
This book presents stories of adult only-childrens' experience and offers an insight into the dilemmas and challenges only-children face particularly in interpersonal relationships and self-image. The focus is on revealing and making sense of adult only-child experience for only-children and those who live, parent, or work with them professionally.

Reviews
Bernice Sorensen has conducted research into the only-child experience in adulthood. Her research was conducted through interviews with adult only children at various stages, and also emails to her only-child website. As an only-child I found the book enlightening. A significant aspect of being an only-child, is that your childhood is experienced in isolation. As an adult there are no siblings who have witnessed what you have experienced; and only a minority of people you contact would understand this experience. For this reason I found the book refreshing, as only-child adults from around the world had the opportunity to contribute to the research via Sorensen's website. As a result of reading other 'onlies' experiences I found I am not unusual, but quite normal for an only-child.

Sorensen is also an only-child, and relates her experience alongside the stories told by her participants (who she calls co-researchers in the book, reflecting her own personal involvement in the study). Through the book, Sorensen explores the stereotypes of the way the world perceives the only-child, and where reality is for the only-child adults in the research. Her study reveals a disparity between public stereotypes of the only-child and the actual experience - for example; the spoilt and privileged stereotype is challenged, as many only-children appear to be denied by parents eager to be seen not to 'spoil' them, and as a result many receive less than children with siblings. The stories told give a 'voice' to many only-children whose experience has previously not been heard, and a rare opportunity to share in the experience others.

The first two chapters explain previous research studies, and the methodology Sorensen used for this study. This part I found tedious but essential for professionals using the book. The remainder of the book is devoted to the only-child stories as related in interviews or emails to the website. Sorensen discusses individually aspects of the stories that relate to the only-child experience, drawing on her own experience (personal and professional) and past studies and theorists. Common themes occurring from the stories are discussed; these include aloneness, lack of connectedness, self-esteem and enmeshment with parents, and how these affect the lives of only-children in many areas of their adult lives. Many of the participants reported limited social experience growing up, and felt this impacted significantly when trying to establish themselves in the adult world. Also dealing with the ageing and death of parents is felt more acutely by the only-child, and this is expressed as a concern, even with the younger participants.

I would highly recommend this book to all only-child adults and those close to them; and professionals in the counselling and health fields. Parents of young only-children would also benefit, as many of the negative experiences could be avoided with parental insight.

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Teach Yourself Windows Server 2008



Teach Yourself Windows Server 2008
| 2008-05-21 00:00:00 | | 0 | Windows Server 2008


In just 24 lessons of one hour or less, you will be able to install and configure Microsoft Windows Server 2008 and its various services for any size network. Using a straightforward, step-by-step approach, each lesson builds on the previous ones, enabling you to learn the essentials of Windows Server® 2008 from the ground up.

 

Step-by-step instructions carefully walk you through the most common tasks.

 

Q&As at the end of each hour help you test your knowledge.

 

By the Way notes present interesting information related to the discussion.

 

Did You Know? tips offer advice or show you easier ways to do something.

 

Watch Out! cautions alert you to possible problems and give you advice on how to avoid them.

 

Joe Habraken is a computer technology professional and best-selling author with more than fifteen years of experience in the information technology field. He has written more than twenty computer and information technology publications including Home Wireless Networking in a Snap, Skinning Windows XP, and Sams Teach Yourself Networking in 24 Hours (with Matt Hayden). Joe, a Microsoft Certified Professional and Cisco Certified Network Associate, currently serves as an associate professor at the University of New England in Biddeford, ME, where he teaches a variety of new media and information technology-related courses.

 

Learn how to?

--Install the latest version of the Windows network operating system

--Design and implement Active Directory Forests, Trees, and Domains

--Configure Windows servers for a number of different roles including domain controller, remote access server, file server, print server, Web server, and much more

--Add users to your domain?s Active Directory and organize users in groups and organizational units

--Implement network services such as DNS, DHCP, Windows Deployment Services, and Routing and Remote Access

--Secure your servers with the Windows Firewall and IPSec and make your domain more secure using the Active Directory Certificate Services

 

Register your book at informit.com/sams/title/9780672330124 for convenient access to updates and corrections as they become available.



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Routledge Intensive German Course (with 2 Audio CD)



Routledge Intensive German Course (with 2 Audio CD)
Paul Hartley | 2006-01-01 00:00:00 | Routledge | 288 | German
Designed for those with no previous knowledge of the language, this intensive course in German is lively, fast-paced, and provides students with a wide range of activities, taking them from beginner to intermediate level in one year.
Varied and rewarding, it is ideally suited to those students following a German language program either as a specialist route, or as part of an institution-wide language program designed for non-specialists.
Carefully structured and easy to follow, each chapter contains:
* initial details of the themes and grammatical structures to be covered
* a "Language Focus" section, with explanation of grammatical structures
* a "Language in Use" section, with exercises to test knowledge of the work covered in "Language Focus."
Providing an original and distinctive approach to language learning, the course also incorporates a basic grounding in German politics, society and current issues, allowing students to develop a sound understanding of German culture.
To perfect listening and pronunciation skills, audio materials are presented on accompanying CDs, and guidance for tutors.
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The Anterior Construction in Classical Hebrew (Monograph Series (Society of Biblical Literature)) (No 50)



The Anterior Construction in Classical Hebrew (Monograph Series (Society of Biblical Literature)) (No 50)
Ziony Zevit | 1900-01-01 00:00:00 | Scholars Press | 94 | Hebrew

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General Topology and Applications (Lecture Notes in Pure and Applied Mathematics Volume 123)



General Topology and Applications (Lecture Notes in Pure and Applied Mathematics Volume 123)
Shortt | 1990-02-23 00:00:00 | CRC Press | 312 | Mathematics
Proceedings of the Northeast Conference on the subject at Wesleyan University, Connecticut, in June 1988. The two dozen papers, by mathematicians from the US, Canada, and the Netherlands, report on recent advances in topology for research mathematicians and graduate students. They focus on the theor

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Handbook of Social Choice and Welfare, Volume 1 (Handbooks in Economics)



Handbook of Social Choice and Welfare, Volume 1 (Handbooks in Economics)
Kenneth J. Arrow,A.K. Sen,Kotaro Suzumura | 2002-08-29 00:00:00 | North Holland | 680 | Economics
The Handbook of Social Choice and Welfare presents, in two volumes, essays on past and on-going work in social choice theory and welfare economics. The first volume consists of four parts. In Part 1 (Arrovian Impossibility Theorems), various aspects of Arrovian general impossibility theorems, illustrated by the simple majority cycle first identified by Condorcet, are expounded and evaluated. It also provides a critical survey of the work on different escape routes from impossibility results of this kind. In Part 2 (Voting Schemes and Mechanisms), the operation and performance of voting schemes and cost-sharing mechanisms are examined axiomatically, and some aspects of the modern theory of incentives and mechanism design are expounded and surveyed. In Part 3 (structure of social choice rules), the positional rules of collective decision-making (the origin of which can be traced back to a seminal proposal by Borda), the game-theoretic aspects of voting in committees, and the implications of making use of interpersonal comparisons of welfare (with or without cardinal measurability) are expounded, and the status of utilitarianism as a theory of justice is critically examined. It also provides an analytical survey of the foundations of measurement of inequality and poverty. In order to place these broad issues (as well as further issues to be discussed in the second volume of the Handbook) in perspective, Kotaro Suzumura has written an extensive introduction, discussing the historical background of social choice theory, the vistas opened by Arrow's Social Choice and Individual Values, the famous "socialist planning" controversy, and the theoretical and practical significance of social choice theory. The primary purpose of this Handbook is to provide an accessible introduction to the current state of the art in social choice theory and welfare economics. The expounded theory has a strong and constructive message for pursuing human well-being and facilitating collective decision-making.

*Advances economists' understanding of recent advances in social choice and welfare


*Distills and applies research to a wide range of social issues






*Provides analytical material for evaluating new scholarship





*Offers consolidated reviews and analyses of scholarship in a framework that encourages synthesis.



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Money and its Use in Medieval Europe



Money and its Use in Medieval Europe
Peter Spufford | 1989-09-29 00:00:00 | Cambridge University Press | 484 | Economics
This is the first full-scale study of the history of money, not merely of coinage, to have been written for medieval Europe. The book is not limited to one country, or to any one period or theme, but extracts the most important elements for the historian across the broadest possible canvas. Its scope extends from the mining of precious metals on the one hand, to banking, including the use of cheques and bills of exchange, on the other. Chapters are arranged chronologically, rather than regionally or thematically, and offer a detailed picture of the many and changing roles played by money, in all its forms, in all parts of Europe throughout the Middle Ages. Thus money is seen as having differing significances for differing parts of individual societies. The book shows money moving and changing as a result of war and trade and other political, economic and ecclesiastical activities without regard for national barriers or the supposed separation between 'East' and 'West'.
Reviews
Peter Spufford's highly detailed history of Medieval European money is an invaluable reference book for numismatists who want to know deep details of the coins they study, and for historians interested in the impact of trade, plunder, metal mining, and industry on the Medieval economy.

Strangely, what I found it most useful for was as an aid to running fantasy role-playing games (e.g., Dungeons & Dragons). Spufford explains the impact of inflation in Medieval economies caused by the rapid influx of ready money (from the silver mines of Bohemia, for example), which would closely parallel the impact of a treasure hoard brought to a civilized community by fantasy adventurers.

Likewise, Spufford deals with the shortage of precious metals and their impact on coinage: debasement, depreciation, and depression, as "white" (silver) money gradually becomes "black" (base metal) coinage. DMs could readily reduce the impact of inflation in their campaigns by having adventurers discover a hoard of debased coinage with only a limited amount of "good" gold and silver coins. Rather than assuming that "treasure types" in monster hoards and lairs are good coinage all of the time, even a cursory study of "Money and Its Uses" should give the DM ideas for tossing in debased coinage.

Debased coins in hoards could, in turn, become adventure hooks if the player characters actually bother to study what they have found: why, for example are the coins of King Poobah IV mostly lead mixed with a small amount of silver when his father, King Poobah III, issued sound coins of good silver? Did something happen to cut off the silver supply? Is there perhaps an orc-infested silver mine somewhere nearby? As Spufford indicates -- primarily in relation to gold -- enemy action could off one state from its supply of precious metals in some other part of the world, enriching the enemy at the expense of the suddenly deprived state. In a fantasy campaign, the enemy might well be orcs, a dragon, or a lich instead of Turks or Mongols. On the other hand, a third state might well profit by trading with the first state's enemy. (In The Forgotten Realms Campaign setting, imagine Calimshan suddenly boycotting Waterdeep to trade exclusively with Amn, and you have a parallel with the commercial rivalry of, for example, Venice and Genoa trying to snare trade with the Muslim East.)

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Business 2.0 Volume 8 Number 3


Business 2.0 Volume 8 Number 3
| 1900-01-01 00:00:00 | | 130 | Popular
It is better to see ones, than read ten times!
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Global Communications, International Affairs and the Media Since 1945 (The New International History)



Global Communications, International Affairs and the Media Since 1945 (The New International History)
Philip Taylor | 1997-09-26 00:00:00 | Routledge | 272 | History
In Global Communications, International Affairs and the media Since 1945, Philip M. Taylor traces the increased involvement of the media in issues of peace and especially war from the nineteenth century to the present day. He analyzes the nature, role and impact of communications within the international arena since 1945 and how communications interacts with foreign policy in practice rather than in theory. Using studies which include the Gulf War and Vietnam, Taylor details the contemporary problems of reporting while at the same time providing a comprehensive historical context.
Reviews
This book is a must read for political science, foreign relations, military, and communications professionals and students. It provides a framework for discussion on topics of communications technology, international relations and military-media relations as they have evolved in the post-WWII era. While this description seems to cast a wide net for readers, the book does indeed deliver. While admittedly critical of the news media, the author suceeds in providing a realistic context to promote discussion on how international relations are affected by new communications technologies and the global media network.
Divided into four chapters with well-defined sub-heads, the author begins by briefly discussing the evolution of communications technologies and their impacts in the present day "information age." In his introduction, the author offers his own analysis of Alvin Tofler's Third Wave theory and its present and future impact, as well as an analysis of modern communications and how they constitute a "fourth dimension" of international relations.
Chapter one (International communications and international politics since 1945) examines the new political orders existing in the aftermath of World War II. Included are discussions about the rival Superpowers' use of new information technologies during the Cold War, as well as the political ramifications of an ever-expanding global communications network - to include the emergence of CNN as a powerful factor in international politics.
Chapter two (Brushfires and firefighters: international affairs and the news media) examines the effects of the news media on foreign policy, diplomacy and culture. The effects of television on all of the above are major themes throughout with an in-depth discussion of the effects of electronic news gathering (ENG) and continued discussion of the "CNN effect."
Chapter three (Illusions of reality: the media and the reporting of warfare) focuses on debunking some of the current myths regarding media-military relations as well as analyzing coverage throughout history, but most notably from Vietnam and the 1991 Gulf War. The author draws a further distinction between media reporting of "our wars" and "other people's wars" before concluding the discussion.
Chapter four (Mind games: information warfare and psychological operations) is an extensive discussion of the leveraging of third wave technologies in order to gain advantage on the 21st century battlefield. The author provides analyses of psychological (PSYOP) and propaganda operations, and how they have been used to success since the 1950s to the present. Included is an in-depth look at the stunning success of PSYOP operations in the 1991 Gulf War.
Relatively short (202p.) and well-documented, this book is one of the best discussion-starters available for students of communications, the media, and its effects on global diplomacy and military affairs.

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Statistical Analysis with R



Statistical Analysis with R
John M. Quick | 2010-10-26 00:00:00 | Packt Publishing | 300 | Algorithms
This is a practical, step by step guide that will help you to quickly become proficient in the data analysis using R. The book is packed with clear examples, screenshots, and code to carry on your data analysis without any hurdle. If you are a data analyst, business or information technology professional, student, educator, researcher, or anyone else who wants to learn to analyze the data effectively then this book is for you. No prior experience with R is necessary. Knowledge of other programming languages, software packages, or statistics may be helpful, but is not required.

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Programming 32-bit Microcontrollers in C: Exploring the PIC32 (Embedded Technology)



Programming 32-bit Microcontrollers in C: Exploring the PIC32 (Embedded Technology)
| 2008-04-01 00:00:00 | | 0 | Computer Engineering


*Just months after the introduction of the new generation of 32-bit PIC microcontrollers, a Microchip insider and acclaimed author takes you by hand at the exploration of the PIC32

*Free CD-ROM includes source code in C and the Microchip MPLAB C32 compiler

*Includes handy checklists to help readers perform the most common programming and debugging tasks

The new 32-bit microcontrollers bring the promise of more speed and more performance while offering an unprecedented level of compatibility with existing 8 and 16-bit PIC microcontrollers. In sixteen engaging chapters, using a parallel track to his previous title dedicated to 16-bit programming, the author puts all these claims to test while offering a gradual introduction to the development and debugging of embedded control applications in C.
Author Lucio Di Jasio, a PIC and embedded control expert, offers unique insight into the new 32-bit architecture while developing a number of projects of growing complexity.
Experienced PIC users and newcomers to the field alike will benefit from the text's many thorough examples which demonstrate how to nimbly side-step common obstacles, solve real-world design problems efficiently and optimize code using the new PIC32 features and peripheral set.

You will learn about:
*basic timing and I/O operation
*debugging methods with the MPLAB SIM *simulator and ICD tools
*multitasking using the PIC32 interrupts
*all the new hardware peripherals
*how to control LCD displays
*experimenting with the Explorer16 board and *the PIC32 Starter Kit
*accessing mass-storage media
*generating audio and video signals
*and more!

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Day 1 And the adventure begins
Day 2 Walking in circles
Day 3 Message in a Bottle
Day 4 NUMB3RS
Day 5 Interrupts
Day 6 Memory
Part 2 Experimenting
Day 7 Running
Day 8 Communication
Day 9 Links
Day 10 Glass = Bliss
Day 11 It's an analog world
Part 3 Expansion
Day 12 Capturing User Inputs
Day 13 UTube
Day 14 Mass Storage
Day 15 File I/O
Day 16 Musica Maestro!

*32-bit microcontrollers are becoming the technology of choice for high performance embedded control applications including portable media players, cell phones, and GPS receivers.
*Learn to use the C programming language for advanced embedded control designs and/or learn to migrate your applications from previous 8 and 16-bit architectures.
*All code examples and software tools required to get acquainted with Microchip's MPLAB development environment, and to complete all the projects described in the book, are offered in the attached CDROM including the MPLAB C32 C Compiler (free Student Edition) and the full source code for more than 15 entertaining projects.

User review
A Good Book For Those New To The PIC32/MIPS
A Good Book For Those New To The PIC32/MIPS


Lucio Di Jasio, Senior Applications Engineer, follows on his book, Programming 16-Bit PIC Microcontrollers in C: Learning to Fly the PIC 24 (Embedded Technology), with a similar look yet specific to the PIC32/MIPS 32-bit architecture. The style of this book departs from the previous in that the aeronautical theme `flying` has been nearly removed (there is still a debriefing section at the end of each chapter or `Day` as well as `checklists`). Other than those differences, the books are very much the same. So, if you enjoyed Lucio's first book, you will also enjoy this book. The `Tips & Tricks`, `Notes for the C Experts`, `Notes for the MIPS Experts` and `Notes for 8/16-bit PIC Microcontroller Experts` are similar to the previous book and are very useful.


That said, this book will not teach you the MIPS architecture, but will teach you the PIC32 with mention of how the PIC32 designers adapted prior PIC innovations to the PIC architecture. To learn MIPS (Specifically, the MIPS 4K core) as well as the PIC32, you should also consider the book See MIPS Run, Second Edition (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Architecture and Design) and, to a lessor extent MIPS Assembly Language Programming (for the hard core assembly enthusiasts). If your goal is simply to learn the PIC32, this book will get you started.


There are many interesting basic projects in the book including those dealing with the usual; interrupts, LCD, RS232, etc. The project (`Day 6: Memory`) is of particular note as the MIPS memory architecture is unlike the classic PIC architecture (it is not a Harvard architecture). Nearly all aspects of the PIC32 are covered including the PMP, A/D converter, and timers/comparators. The final `Days` of the book include projects on File IO, Mass Storage, PWM playback of WAV files and even a simply video generation project.


The book is slightly out of date due to updates in the C32 compiler (clearly the author cannot be held accountable for such changes), and a few missing mentions of defines required for some projects, and there are some rough spots where you really need to pay attention to the entire book to get a project to run (specifically the chapter or `Day 10: Glass = Bliss`). The project is well worth learning, but I found that in order to make sense of the code presented I needed to refer to the author's code (I generally like to type code and debug it as I go - your mileage may vary). The required files were a bit confusing. There are a few errors in the book, none that are serious, however, they is no mention on the errata page. Perhaps this is not an issue though as it does make you learn more about the PIC32 since you must refer to the data sheet and compiler include files to remedy the errors.


So, to summarize, I'd recommend this book in an instant to the individual that wants a guided tour of the new PIC32, does not want to begin by reading the data sheet (you should definitely read the data sheet at some point including the PIC32 Family reference manual) and wants to have some fun learning along the way. If you are a hard core PIC programmer to start with, you may get some use of the book specifically when it comes to the MIPS specific material but I suspect you will know by simply reading the contents.



User review
Nothing like it, but it sometimes isn't quite clear
A good book, nothing else out there like it on programming PIC32 in C.


You should come to this with some experience in C, but it isn't absolutely necessary. I'm learning to program in C at the same time I'm going through this book.


I'd give this five stars except it is sometimes lacking in explanations of new concepts. I'd give it 4.5 stars if that were possible.


The chapter sample code on the CD isn't well commented. On the other hand, if you copy the chapter sample code to your hard drive to use it, you can comment it yourself as you learn.

User review
Very nice resource
I just finished reading through this book and found it to be an excellent learning guide. I've never played with microcontrollers before and wanted a book that would help me learn the basics and understand both practical and theoretical issues in working with them. While the book is written around a specific microcontroller, I felt like it did a great job of presenting the material in a sufficiently general fashion that you could easily apply the principles to devices from other families or even manufacturers. I also think that using a book that was focused on a specific device was helpful, because it can then show you exactly how to do things while you're first learning rather than having to use overly general descriptions that might leave you wondering how you apply the concepts in real life.


There are some typos here and there, but nothing that was terribly confusing. My only real complaint is that sometimes variables or constants used in the author's code snippets are not defined or described in the text or code comments and it can be a little cryptic trying to figure out what he's doing with them (he's a big fan of highly abbreviated variable names). Fortunately, I felt like the underlying concepts were explained well enough that I could still understand what was going on at a high level even if was difficult to figure out some of the specifics of his code. This mostly happened in the later chapters where he deliberately passes over some of the nitty gritty details in order to focus on how to effectively use some of the more advanced microcontroller features. I thought the presentation was very effective in that regard.


Overall, an excellent read from a raw beginner's standpoint.

User review
Excellent, a must buy for anyone interested in the PIC32
This is an excellent companion to the PIC32 processor, the topics and software provided are perfect. Like his previous book on the PIC24, Di Jasio identified the key elements of the PIC32 and its peripherals and helps the reader through using them in practical, easy to understand terms that often build on previously learned information. If you are used to Microchip 8 bit processors, this is your book to step up to 32 bits, if you have experience with the 16 bit PIC24s, the PIC32 will feel very familiar.


It is a must buy for anyone who plans to use the PIC32 or the least bit curious about its capabilities.



User review
Outstanding book on the PIC32
If you want to learn the PIC32, the is THE book to get.


For anyone familiar with any of the PIC line: PIC16, PIC18, PIC24 or dsPIC, this book makes learning the PIC32 a snap. After reading the book I was able to port an entire suite of my PIC24 apps over to the PIC32 in a matter of hours. This book makes moving from any of the other PICs to the PIC32 easy and straightforward. It does a great job of walking

through the architecture, showing what the differences are, and how to use the new capabilities.


For those new to the PIC architecture, this book does a very good job

of describing the PIC32 microcontroller and how to program it. The examples used are interesting and well paced, and cover nearly every major feature of the PIC32.


I almost never give out five star ratings to anything, but I gave this one five stars because it is worth it.


Key thing to keep in mind if you do purchase the book, is that it expects you to already know the C programming language. No wasted space on trying to spoon feed C to newbies. So if you are new to C or have only used assembler in the past, it's time to get serious and learn C - download any of the free C compiler's from Microchip's Dev Tools web site, and

then sit down and get ready to program a screaming fast machine.




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Nanoscale Magnetic Materials and Applications



Nanoscale Magnetic Materials and Applications
liu | 2009-09-08 00:00:00 | springer | 732 | Other Engineering
Nanoscale Magnetic Materials and Applications covers exciting new developments in the field of advanced magnetic materials. Readers will find valuable reviews of the current experimental and theoretical work on novel magnetic structures, nanocomposite magnets, spintronic materials, domain structure and domain-wall motion, in addition to nanoparticles and patterned magnetic recording media.
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US Destroyers in action, Part 2 - Warships No. 20



US Destroyers in action, Part 2 - Warships No. 20
Al Adcock | 2004-01-01 00:00:00 | Squadron/Signal Publications | 50 | Naval
Provides an in-depth look at the history of the five classes of US destroyers. Includes full color artwork, B&W line art, technical data, and over 100 B&W photos. Adcock; 50 pgs.
Reviews
These five classes of destroyers were built in the 1930's and held to the 1930 London Treaty whereby the max displacement would be 1,500 tons. Five types of classes were built(total number of each in parenthesis) - the Farragut (8) the Porter (8), Mahan (16), Fanning (2), and the Craven (10).



This In Action book gives a brief overview of destroyer development between the wars and the changes each ship had during the war. As with all of the In Action format, the real information comes from the captions, photos, line drawings and 2 pages of color diagrams to show the camouflage patterns used by the Navy.



Destroyers were called "Tin Cans" for a reason - there was barely enough armor on these ships to hold the paint on. This is a very good account of their service, the ships, the action and the weapons. Recommended for modelers, naval buffs, destroyer fans alike.

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Red a Baseball Life



Red a Baseball Life
Red Schoendienst,Rob Rains | 1998-01-07 00:00:00 | Sagamore Publishing | 200 | Baseball
In Red: A Baseball Life, Red Schoendiest details all of the events that shaped his life, on and off the field, as he moved from the playing field to the managers office to his currant position as a special assistant to the general man- ager of the St. Louis Cardinals. Schoendiest played, coached and managed in nine World Series. He played 10 All-Star games and managed the National League squad in two. In 1989 he was inducted into baseballs Hall of Fame.
Reviews
In researching the creation of a manuscript for another ex-ballplayer, I thought this book would be valuable research material. In the end, the price was right, the book in the condition in which it was promised and, to my surprise and delight, the book was signed by the authors! How about that?
Reviews
It was fab. when he talked about his children and grand-children

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Football Fortunes: The Business, Organization and Strategy of the NFL



Football Fortunes: The Business, Organization and Strategy of the NFL
Frank P. Jozsa Jr. | 2010-03-26 00:00:00 | McFarland | 252 | Football (American)
Football may be sport, but the National Football League is at heart a business--how else to account for the stratospheric salaries of the players and coaches? Yet most people are unaware of how that business developed. This book details the growth of an industry that generates billions of dollars in revenue; explains the intricacies of the league's expansions and mergers, territories and relocations; the operation and organization of franchises; the role of stadiums and markets; and the effect of the NFL on domestic and foreign affairs.

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Plastic Food Packaging Materials: Barrier Function, Mass Transport, Quality Assurance, Legislation



Plastic Food Packaging Materials: Barrier Function, Mass Transport, Quality Assurance, Legislation
Otto G. Piringer,A. L. Baner | 2000-05-15 00:00:00 | Wiley-VCH | 576 | Engineering
Plastics have developed into the most important class of packaging materials. Their relative impermeability for substances from the surroundings has great influence on the shelf life and the quality of the packed goods. At the same time the interaction between the contents and the various components of the packaging plays a decisive role.
This particular book is indispensable in the search for the optimal plastic packaging. It facilitates the estimation of the influence on the goods which come from the surroundings and from the packaging. The authors do not restrict themselves only to the description of the phenomena of diffusion or transport in theory, but they show what they mean for practical applications.
Food represents the central theme as main area of application for plastic packaging. It can be considered to be the "model substance" and the findings are to be applied to many other products and systems. The main rules and regulations for food packaging of the European Community and the United States are presented in this book. Furthermore the authors emphasize the testing methods for proving the mass transport and the sensory check of the quality of the products.

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Encyclopedia of Online Websites



Encyclopedia of Online Websites
Jo Bourne, Janet Sacks, Catherine Bradley US Editors Beth Sutinis, Madeline Farbman, Christine Heilm | 2003-01-01 00:00:00 | DK Publishing, Inc. & Google | 450 | Internet
Project Editors: Sue Nicholson, Fran Baines, Clare Lister, Sarah Goulding, Jane Yorke, Karen O’Brien, Katherine Pearce, Jayne Miller, Mariza O’Keeffe

Editors: Jo Bourne, Janet Sacks, Catherine Bradley
US Editors Beth Sutinis, Madeline Farbman, Christine Heilman
Managing Editor Camilla Hallinan

Digital Content Manager Fergus Day

DTP Coordinators Toby Beedell, Eric Shapland

Cartography Simon Mumford

Category Publisher Sue Grabham
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The Rise of Mammals: The Paleocene & Eocene Epochs (The Prehistoric Earth)



The Rise of Mammals: The Paleocene & Eocene Epochs (The Prehistoric Earth)
Thom Holmes | 2008-12-30 00:00:00 | Chelsea House Publications | 163 | Animals

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Endocrinology at a Glance



Endocrinology at a Glance
Ben Greenstein | 1994-01-15 00:00:00 | Wiley-Blackwell | 109 | Diabetes
St. Thomas' Hospital, London, U.K. Synopsis of endocrinology, to supplement major endocrinology texts. For medical students, for course or exam review. Illustrated. DNLM: Endocrine Glands.

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From Edison to iPod: Protect your ideas and make money



From Edison to iPod: Protect your ideas and make money
Frederick W. Mostert,Lawrence E. Apolzon | 2007-02-19 00:00:00 | DK ADULT | 288 | iPods
Clear, concise, and accessible, this practical guide will give readers an unprecedented introduction to the fascinating world of Intellectual Property, one of the hottest and most misunderstood topics among business owners, inventors, and anyone with an idea. Frederick Mostert, one of the world's foremost experts, will help readers understand how, why, and when to protect their ideas and inventions.
Reviews
I liked this book so much I designed a website around it. Easy to read, very informative, great examples, super content. ideapalooza.com is the website.
Reviews
This is a very expert guide in a very accessible form. It has great information in a friendly easy to access format that is very helpful for clarifying complex issues. I think this is a good tool for anyone who owns their own business or is a marketing professional who deals with intellectual property issues.



This makes it easy to understand the difference between trademarks, registered trademarks, copyrights, and various patent types.
Reviews
This was a really great read. The book doesn't lay out a step-by-step method for filing patents or trademarks, but I think it is a lot more useful than a book like that.



The book gives a great detailed look at what each creative protection (patent, trademark, and copyright) can do for you. It does a really good job of explaining the protections, the requirements, and when each is appropriate. It also has a lot of great pointers on how to maximize your benefits and what to do when your rights have been infringed upon. I highly recommend it to somebody who does not know much about these areas and would like to know more. It is a great start into the world of idea protection. A quick read and really easy to understand.
Reviews
When does a great idea turn into a personal fortune? How about when you hit the "send" button? Whether you're a novelist, inventor, a blogger or someone with the best chili in your town, today's technology makes it possible for the innovator toiling away in a kitchen or a garage to become an international marketer. It's also the perfect opportunity for your idea to become someone else's fortune. And that's where Mostert and Apolzon come in. They are two of the world's top intellectual property lawyers and, without a sentence of legalese, they define the major forms of intellectual property, dispel myths and tell you what you can do to register and keep your idea your own. The book is also colorfully illustrated with case histories of how products from Coca-Cola to Velcro became household words and how they stay that way. If you're thinking maybe your recipe or poem or song should be shared with the world, save yourself a lot of aggravation and put this book on your shelf.
Reviews
I really love this book! It explains in plain English how to protect your creations, whether they are artistic or useful. I sent it to a friend, whose brother invents all sorts of handy little gadgets, and he uses it. I sent it to my mother, who is a painter, and she uses it. I also sent it to a friend who writes how-to manuals, and he uses it! The book is easy to understand, and it's full of wonderful photographs and entertaining examples of the use of trademarks, copyrights, and patents. I never thought learning how to protect my work could be so interesting!

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PAINTING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS-Steps and Art Lessons for painting Photos in Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop



PAINTING FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS-Steps and Art Lessons for painting Photos in Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop
| 2009-12-15 00:00:00 | | 0 | Digital Photography




`Painting for Photographers will help photographers greatly to create classic portraits into
classic paintings. You must have this great book.`

-Phillip Stewart Charis, photographer


Painting isn't just for artists anymore.



Photographers nowadays are interested in turning their digital photos into paintings in
Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop.



And now Painting for Photographers, published by Artistry Books, shows both
the art lessons and software steps for transforming photos into works of art.


Written and illustrated by Painter Master Karen Sperling, one of the

world's foremost Painter authorities and author of the first several Painter manuals and

several previous Painter books, Painting for Photographers is the first art book for photographers.



It starts with a look at the art concepts that photographers need

to know to paint their photos and describes the materials needed

to create art, in this case, the software program tools and features,

in addition to Wacom tablets.



Next, Painting for Photographers provides step-by-step instructions and

four-color illustrations for creating paintings in Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop

from popular photo subjects, including portraits, landscapes and pets, covering various styles of art,

including oils, watercolors and pastels.



Additionally, Painting for Photographers shows how to paint with traditional acrylics and

oils on top of the digital artwork after it's printed to canvas.

Painting for Photographers appeals to everyone from professional photographers who would like

to sell paintings to their clients to hobbyists who are interested in

painting photos of their kids and grandkids to graphic designers, illustrators, animators,

web art creators and fine artists who would like to use photos

as the basis for their artwork.



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