Wednesday 19 January 2011

Utility Computing Technologies, Standards, And Strategies



Utility Computing Technologies, Standards, And Strategies
| 2007-03-31 00:00:00 | Artech House Publishers | 288 | Computer Science
Providing you with expert guidance on integrating utility computing within your organization, this timely, easy-to-understand resource offers you a unified view of this increasingly important service-provisioning model. Cutting through the marketing hype, the book clearly explains the rationale behind utility computing strategies from major vendors like IBM, HP, and SUN. You gain a thorough understanding of the technologies behind utility computing and discover how they can be implemented and adapted within today"s SOO (service oriented organization) environment. The book delves into the nitty gritty of enterprise application architecture to show how independent software vendors can turn licensed applications into software as service (SaS) applications.

You find real-world case studies of vendors who have successfully implemented utility computing strategies and see how utility computing transcends different industries, from government and banking, to retail and healthcare. This practical book helps you identify what specific utility computing solutions are best suited for your organization and shows you how this architectural model can be adapted in a stepwise fashion, helping you avoid large upfront expenditures.
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Holy Feast and Holy Fast: The Religious Significance of Food to Medieval Women (The New Historicism: Studies in Cultural Poetics)



Holy Feast and Holy Fast: The Religious Significance of Food to Medieval Women (The New Historicism: Studies in Cultural Poetics)
Caroline Walker Bynum | 1988-01-07 00:00:00 | University of California Press | 300 | World
Reviews
Holy Feast and Holy Fast: The Religious Significance of Food to Medieval Women. Author: Caroline Walker Bynum. 300 pages. 1988



It took me almost two years to get through this book. I would pick it up, read some, set it down, think about it, read something it talked about and eventually come back to it and repeat the cycle.



This book challenged me and my feelings about certain aspects of my faith probably as much or more then the bulk of my seminary classes. In reality this book could easily be broken in to two books. One book about the role and imagery of food in the Christian religion or any religion for that matter. The other book would be about women in religion. In this context women in the Christian church. Granted that this book is about Roman Catholicism in the middle ages, yet issues of food eating, abstaining, imagery of women, hierarchy, spirituality etc apply not just to all Christian churches but to almost every religious tradition across the spectrum.



As to the first aspect, the issue of food in religious faith. Food, its meaning, purpose, and symbolism are an important issue in most religious systems. Food and faith can be looked at from a theological point of view which often provides a rationalized explanation for the various regimens of food. Food and faith can also be looked at from a physic - psychological point of view. The first point of view is usually where most people start and stop buttressing or attacking based on the rationalization and explanations about food. The second point of view though is much more interesting because the physical effects of say protein restriction or removal are universal on the human body and these effects can be shaped psychologically by faith. It is for many religious an uncomfortable topic of discussion because it breaks down uniqueness.



This book does an excellent job of explaining the development, motivations, and rationalization of food in the Roman Catholic Church in the Middle Ages especially as it relates to women's spirituality and the male hierarchy's reaction to that spirituality. While not intentionally delving into the second point of view it does lead the reader to consider this aspect of food and faith by the detailed descriptions of the physical and mental process in the words of the women and their observers. While reactions to food and other forms of asceticism are universal physically and often psychologically we must be careful when looking at rational and motivation to avoid using modern clinical assignations. This book does a good job of minimizing these diagnoses's by seeking to constantly frame the context through the words and experience of the participants.



It is an endlessly fascinating topic and there are entire university courses devoted to the issue of food and faith.



The second aspect of this book has the potential to makes religious readers, especially those of a conservative nature perhaps a bit squirmy. This issue is the issue of women in religion. What is documented in this book is the evolution of a distinctive spirituality as a reaction to evolution in the church itself. This of course led to reactions and further evolutions. The fault lines seem to have been set on spiritual authenticity, the role of the Eucharist and issues of authority. There was an increasing fervency in asceticism among women in direct contrast to a loosening of ascetic norms by the church as a whole. This is where the notion of food comes in to play.



In particular the type of fasting that was practiced. Fasting was a much talked about topic at seminary but this book really made me think about fasting in a new and more spiritually mystic way. The introspection resulted not from the theological underpinnings and explanations of fasting but from the specifics of the practice. The practices of these women did not emphasize the personal aspects of fasting but rather the communal and alms aspect of fasting. This aspect is sorely missing in most theological or pastoral discussions about fasting. Food its preparation and intake was one of the few areas in society that women controlled and so it became a tool of expression and asceticism for these women. Their responses and actions are worthy of study and reflection. In certain aspects they are definitely worthy of emulation. They tapped into a trueness and practice which is sadly lacking in modern Christianity which tends towards an individualized focus.



Besides fasting there were discussion about feasting and the meaning of the Eucharist and the symbology which surrounds it. One of the interesting images was of the priest as mother who gives birth to God in the Eucharist. That was one of the images that stayed with me as I kept plodding through this book. Gender role and gender bending based on actions and role not on biology. There is an undercurrent of this throughout the text which challenges and surprises. It is worth the effort.



The book is a slow read due to the detail, the academic style of the writing and for me the need to go and read some of the referenced works. It is in the end a book well worth the time and effort.


Reviews
Caroline Bynum is concerned with the role that food played in medieval spirituality. Holy Feast and Holy Fast argues that food was central, despite the traditional inclination among scholars to place chastity and poverty (renunciation of sex and money) at the core of medieval spirituality. This definition of religious renunciation partly arises because of medieval men's association with wealth, status, and marital dominance, aspects of life they could control and therefore renounce. Bynum instead argues that food was central to women's spiritual life, because it was the aspect of life over which they had control in society. According to Bynum, "human beings can renounce, or deny themselves, only that which they control."



Bynum is concerned mostly with refuting modern interpretation of the behavior of religious medieval women and their food practices. Some psychologists have suggested that the lives of female saints in that period presented the first known cases of anorexia nervosa; feminists on the other hand have argued that their self-inflicted pain and fasting reflected masochism, resulting from repressed feelings about their subservient role in society; others also have claimed that they were acting bizarrely for obscure reasons. What modern interpretations hold in common is that they were affected by illness resulting from practices that came out of control. Bynum makes important points regarding these modern currents to define behavior, trends she calls "secularization" and "medicalization": Firstly, medieval women consciously engaged in extreme food practices for spiritual ends; they were not a byproduct of some uncontrolled disorder. As Bynum points out, "extreme asceticism and literalism of women's spirituality were not, at the deepest level, masochism or dualism but, rather, efforts to give power and to give meaning. Secondly, the proper analysis of such behavior and practices must be put into the cultural context of the times, for which modern concepts are not applicable. In all, Bynum argues that to understand female spirituality of the late Medieval period, it is necessary to scrutinize the theology, the common precepts of Christianity among clergy and laity, and most importantly, the religious significance of food in this period.



Bynum explains that the transition from the Eucharist being a communal experience in the Early Church period, to becoming a sacred object, the incarnation of God and Christ himself, in the late Middle Ages, transformed the attitudes of devotees, laymen, and clergy alike toward food and the sacred. It was during this period of heightened importance of food in religious piety that women seize on the symbol of food to express their spirituality. It was a conscious effort on their part to renounce food, just as men renounced wealth and status to experience God. This new asceticism took the form of fasting and feasting, the idea of rejecting food as a way to take the spiritual food that is God, and taking the body of Christ during the consecration of the host, and feeding the poor. Bynum maintains that ascetic women's practices reflected common beliefs. Such beliefs were that the host itself was God incarnated and the resulting cult of the Eucharist, therefore women served the dual purpose of fasting and becoming food. Cultural preoccupations to fast and other food-related behavior were rooted in theological ideas of serving others. It was a pattern that repeated itself among the documented vita, despites particularities of individual cases that may have prompted the "medicalization" approach of modern analysts. Food was flesh, flesh is suffering, and suffering is fasting. It was imitatio Christi. because Christ had undergone all these conditions. In this context, miracles, fasting, and giving food to the poor were more a result of a deliberate effort by these women practitioners to experience God than the symptoms of a physical or mental disorder.



There were functional purposes for this asceticism as well, according to Bynum. In the worldly sphere, women could control their environment, their sexuality. They could reject an unwanted suitor, or simply to jeopardize family status and reputation by refusing to eat and give away food. On the other hand, it had the religious implication that a direct experience of the divine through fasting bypassed the priestly role of mediation between laity and God. At the time, a woman's refusing to take a host from a priest could seriously question the spiritual legitimacy of that priest in the act of consecration of the host. This was often associated with sexual immorality. Given the realities of the period, Bynum's explanation for the functions of asceticism strengthen the argument of women's voluntary behavior to fast and feast.



Bynum also brings up the intriguing argument that food asceticism by women was a sort of medieval counter-culture to the new, positivistic attitude of the Church toward the body. The clergy and ascetics alike were concerned about heresies that over-emphasized the duality between body and spirit as a cosmic struggle between good and evil. But female spirituality rejected this call for moderation. The core of their belief was that Christ was cloaked in a female body, born out of a woman, and that he had suffered in flesh and blood. It was not only the power of the symbolism that was at stake, which even brought the practitioners and their gender identity closer to God, but more importantly, the imitatio Christi aspect of their spirituality. To give up this asceticism meant to give up their own sense of purpose in the quest to experience God. This rejection of moderation is also key to understand why female ascetics were more likely to have Eucharistic visions and other mystical experiences than their male counterparts.



Bynum does not ignore that male spirituality also emphasized fasting and feast, as was the case of St. Francis of Assisi and Richard Rolle, the men who came closest to express food piety as did their women counterparts of the same age. Their emphasis on food, however unusual and mystical their experiences, were not at the core of their spiritual goals. It was poverty and preaching, practices embraced by the mendicant orders of the day. Most religious experiences dealing with Eucharistic miracles and fasting were more prominent among women. The number of cases proved that women were more closely associated with food than men in defining their spirituality.



In view of the evidence presented in Holy Feast and Holy Fast, the extracts from hagiographies, testimonies of the saints themselves, and the imagery, some of the most immediate questions are: Was there a corpus of writings that more or less delineated this particular mode of spirituality? In other words, was there a Benedict Rule for women, or a female counterpart of Bernard of Clairvoux's "On Loving God"? The experiences of woman mystics and saints across Western Europe that Bynum describes suggest that there was at least a tacit effort to consciously follow a set of guidelines, based on a reformed theology making food and body the central tenets of the order, to attain spiritual union with God. As we have seen, the identification of food and female, and food with Christ not only gave women a channel through which they could approach God, after renouncing what they controlled in society. Beyond this, and equally consequential, was the evolution of a new form of theology and spirituality that could have seriously challenge the conventional precepts of Christianity at the time. Was this female exceptionalism in receiving God through mystical experience a prelude to the witch hunts of later centuries?



Bynum also often mentions that food practices linked to female symbols had also their root in the pre-Christian world of Europe. The author would have given Holy Feast a whole new dimension to the subject had she taken the step further of tracing female food practices to the pagan era. Were there cultural traits from the Pagan world, still existing in Medieval Europe, that made women inclined to identify their body with food and the suffering Christ? It must have been extremely difficult to internalize the patrilineal Christian theology, even after centuries of conversion, in a world where female and male deities often had similar prominence, and where fertility goddess cults abounded. After all, the mystics described by Bynum lived in an extremely misogynistic society, which reflected in both, the secular and religious spheres. Once they found refuge in religion, they had to deal with the fact that the main deity of their devotion, and his son incarnate, were both male. It would, of course, take an ambitious anthropological work to try to understand the process of female religious adaptation to the body of Christ and identification with his body. However, I believe that a review on the pre-Christian female religious practices regarding food may be helpful to understand the rapid adaptation that connected women spirituality and food with God and Christ.



Bynum's work refutes traditional views on women's behavior in the late Medieval Era. They were consciously trying to unite with God through ascetic practices that bordered on the bizarre to a modern mind, but was full of meaning, as Bynum illustrates. Her argument throughout the book is highly persuasive, organized, and also fully documented with biographies and contemporary writings that reflect the mindset of the period. Often Bynum lets the women themselves speak through their own testimonies, lending their own voice and showing us their depth of spiritual experience, from which we can also discern the religious preoccupations and priorities of their day. Equally helpful are the visual material consisting of more than twenty pages with Medieval imagery showing food and female religious motifs. The poignancy and explicitness of these images also lends credence to the arguments expressed here, and familiarizes the readers with a subject in which symbols and representation of complex theologies could prove sometimes confusing, especially among the non-Catholic readership. Holy Fast and Holy Feast gives us an unorthodox, yet highly elaborate interpretation of female spirituality in the Middle Ages, and also makes a valuable contribution to the history of religion, theology, and asceticism in this crucial period of Western Christianity.


Reviews
This is a great read. I don't care if you're interested in history in general, history of the catholic church, history of western mysticism or just looking for something offbeat and interesting: This is a fascinating book! The history of mysticism and western intellectual tradition as it is intertwined with food is certainly there but for the reader seeking just plain bizarre to our modern eyes goings-on, that is in this text as well. In fact, for someone looking for a jump start to their imagination for their own writing, this book is a real bucket of volts. Go read it. Have fun. But, don't try it at home.
Reviews
This book is truly an exciting text in the field of hagiography studies. It looks at the stories of female vitae and reads the themes behind them with regard to the issues of denial and spirituality. While in the end, Bynum might lean a bit too far towards a feminist self-image reading, nonetheless, for the most part the book is valuable, well-reasoned and shows the potentialities for scholars of ways to approach the large and somewhat heterogeneous corpus of vitae.
Reviews
Caroline Bynum's book, Holy Feast and Holy Fast, examines the importance of food for religious women in the Middle Ages. Although there has been other recent research into the lives of women saints and the way they dealt with food and fasting, for instance by scholars like Weinstein and Bell, as she mentions in the introduction, Bynum promises that in her book she will treat evidence in a different way, most importantly by focusing on the women's point of view. The first two chapters are an introduction to religious women in the Middle Ages and religious food practices of both women and men. Then Bynum turns specifically to women's religious food practices and in the next four chapters she gives a multitude of examples of different women and their different habits or even rituals concerning food. As she says in the introduction, Bynum uses examples from the lives of well known saints, like Elizabeth of Hungary, Lidwina of Schiedam, Columba of Rieti and Catherine of Siena, not because these stories reflect what were normal fasting habits in the Middle Ages, but because their lives are well documented and they would serve as role models for Medieval women. She gives detailed examples of (extreme) food asceticism, cases of inedia, women's devotion of the eucharist and not being able to eat anything but the consecrated host, eucharistic visions, food miracles and some very graphic examples of women eating and drinking the filth of the sick: Several of [Catherine of Siena's] hagiographers report that she twice forced herself to overcome nausea by thrusting her mouth into the putrifying breast of a dying woman or by drinking pus... She told Raymond: "Never in my life have I tasted any food and drink sweeter or more exquisite than this pus." (171-2). Bynum identifies the reasons for this fasting as being, among other things, ways to get closer to God by imitating the lifestyle and suffering of Christ. They would do penance for their sins and suffer to save themselves and other people from Purgatory. The reason why especially women fasted was because food and their own bodies were the only things women had control over and through that control they could manipulate their surroundings. Despite the promising title of the last part of the book: "The Explanation", the first chapter and a good part of the second and third chapters of this section are rather disappointing and cause some confusion. Chapter 6 deals with the parallels between modern eating disorders, like anorexia nervosa, and fasting or inedia in medieval women, even though Bynum states her reluctance to make this connection in the introduction. This reluctance is clearly present throughout the chapter, resulting in a narrative that skips from one subject to another. The second and third chapters of "The Explanation" consist mainly of a repetition of things that were said earlier in the book. However, in the two remaining chapters, Bynum raises some interesting issues of the meaning of the body, women as food and Symbolic Reversal. On the whole, the presentation of the book is excellent and the impressive amount of footnotes that take up more than one hundred pages shows it to be a carefully researched book. Apart from the mentioned 'problem areas' the book makes enjoyable reading and provides the reader with plenty of food for thought and further research.

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The Rosicrucian Enlightenment (Routledge Classics)



The Rosicrucian Enlightenment (Routledge Classics)
Frances Yates | 2001-11-09 00:00:00 | Routledge | 352 | Philosophy
A history of the role that the occult has played in the formation of modern science and medicine, The Rosicrucian Enlightenment has had a tremendous impact on our understanding of the western esoteric tradition.
Reviews
To style this work of Dame Yates as historical is to do damage to the notion of history. What the book represents, more than anything else, is an apology for the rather absurd hermetical, cabalistic Rosicrucian mythology. As with her "Occult Philosophy in the Elizabethan Age", Dame Yates here demonstrates a rather profound lack of foundation in reality for one who would call herself a historian.



Within the corpus of the text, perhaps more than ninety percent of the narrative deals with the esoteric aspects of Rosicrucianism and its fairly interesting connections with freemasonry, Calvinism, and Lutheranism. That remaining small fraction that could be described as historical has to do mainly with the ridiculous attempt of the Elector of Palatine to usurp the throne of Bohemia at Prague. In terms of historical value, a short chapter would have captured everything. Relative to esoteric doctrine, volumes would not have yielded any rational thought.



One of the most insidious poisons transmitted in this work is that, somehow, the cabalistic Rosicrucians founded the modern European study of mathematics. We wonder, in this context, by what formulation the Dame would explain how Descartes and Pascal, certainly the two greatest mathematicians of the age, were Catholics, and thereby diammetrically opposed to the satanic Rosicrucian doctrine.



Michael A. Hoffman II has an excellent study tape, "Magic and Paganism in the Reign of Elizabeth I", which captures all that is of historical value within this and the aforementioned works of Dame Yates. Seekers after the truth would be much more well served by reviewing that study tape than by wading through these esoteric meanderings.
Reviews
Having known nothing about the Rosicrucians but having a long-standing interest in Renaissance magic, I found this topic completely fascinating and I can't believe the Rosicrucian movement isn't more intriguing to the general public today. Yates' discussion of Rosicrucianism was thoroughly researched, particularly from primary documents, and was very well-organized, but his writing style wasn't the most captivating (to say the least). This book is perfect for someone looking to do some serious research, but I purchased this book in the interest of having some summer reading-- whew.



All in all, reliable author and material, but it probably won't keep you up all night.
Reviews
_The Rosicrucian Enlightenment_ by Renaissance scholar Frances Yates is a fascinating account of the Rosicrucian movement in seventeenth century Europe and its relationship to various political intrigues of the time. Yates begins by remarking that in referring to Rosicrucians she is not referring to any of the modern day occult groups which go under this name and by referring to "enlightenment" she is not referring to the historical period known as the "Aufklarung" in which philosophers attempted to shed light on the darkness of superstition. Rather, Yates suggests that certain documents referred to as the "Rosicrucian manifestos" published in seventeenth century Germany brought about an enlightenment in which other intellectuals attempted to copy from them and incorporate elements of Rosicruicianism into their utopias. The word Rosicrucian refers at once to the semi-mythical (at least believed to be mythical by most modern scholars) hero of the manifestos Christian Rosencreutz but also to the Rosy Cross (combining "Rose + Cross" or perhaps "Ros" (dew) and "Crux" in an alchemical interpretation). Yates emphasizes two aspects of the Rosicrucian movement. First, she wants to ground this movement in the Hermetic philosophy, cabbalism, and magical traditions of the Renaissance (emphasizing her earlier studies on such Renaissance figures as Giordano Bruno and Marsilio Ficino). Second, she wants to emphasize the influence of the Elizabethan magus John Dee on Rosicrucianism.



Yates begins by describing a "royal wedding" between Princess Elizabeth and Frederick V, Elector Palatine of the Rhine. These two became known mockingly as "the Winter King and Queen of Bohemia" after Frederick's failed attempt to take the throne of Bohemia and their flight from Prague. Their union was supposed to represent a Protestant front against Hapsburg aggression and the forces of Catholic reaction. Yates shows the influence of Shakespeare and the theater on the pair as well as Spenser who wrote the _Faerie Queene_. It was at around this time that three Rosicrucian manifestos appeared. These include two pamphlets which first appeared in 1614 and 1615 with abbreviated titles of the _Fama_ and the _Confessio_ and a third publication appearing in 1616, an alchemical romance with the title _The Chemical Wedding of Christian Rosencreutz_. This last romance is believed to have been written by Johann Valentin Andreae, a Lutheran pastor with socialist interests. These writings inform the reader of an invisible and hidden society of Rosicrucians founded by Christian Rosencreutz and explain his exploits and adventures as well as delving into alchemical symbolism. Yates suggests that they express political support for "the Winter King and Queen".



Yates argues that one of the most important figures to play some role in the development of the Rosicrucian movement is that of John Dee. Dee, a learned magus well versed in mathematics, numerology, and science, was an important figure in Elizabethan England; however, as Yates suggests he came to influence the Rosicrucian movement when he visited Germany, Bohemia, and Prague. Indeed, the Rosicrucian manifestos, which praise science and rationality are developed along some of the same lines as Dee's writings. Other important figures involved in the Rosicrucian movement, though denying their Rosicrucianism, include Robert Fludd and Michael Maier, both of whom expressed in alchemical writings cabalistic principles as well as the relationship between microcosm and macrocosm. Rosicrucianism created a furore in Germany and also spread to France where it created a scare among the populace. Rosicrucians at first were believed to be linked to the Jesuits; however, given the antipapist sentiment expressed by the Rosicrucians in their manifestos they were soon taken to be enemies of the Jesuits by counter-reformation thinkers. Cartesian philosophy and the thought of Francis Bacon were also taken to be linked with the Rosicrucians. Rosicrucianism emphasized science and regarded the discovery of two new stars as a beacon in the sky which mirrored the coming age of enlightenment. Another figure associated with Rosicrucianism is that of Elias Ashmole, the chief representative of the alchemical movement in England who copied the manifestos. Eventually Andreae came to move away from Rosicrucianism, advocating instead Christian unions as part of his utopian "Christianopolis". However, these unions were motivated by the same basic underlying philosophy as the Rosicrucian manifestos. Others who wrote utopias based on these manifestos include Campenella in Italy and Comenius. Some have maintained that the founding of the Royal Society, a society of scientists and mathematicians, in England serves as the instantiation of the "invisible brotherhood". Even Isaac Newton has been regarded as influenced by Rosicrucianism. In addition, Rosicrucianism came to influence freemasonry, which incorporated Rosicrucian elements into its grades.



This book serves as an excellent introduction to the Rosicrucian movement in the seventeenth century. Yates is indebted to A. E. Waite whose book on the subject proved useful to her; however, she notes the problematic parts in his book. Yates also details much of the political intrigue surrounding this movement. This book includes an appendix which features the two Rosicrucian manifestos in full: the _Fama_ and the _Confessio_.


Reviews
I found this book to be invaluable in clearing the factual fog around the original Rosicrucians. The author was a scrupulous and brilliant historian who has not, as far as I can find, been seriously challenged on her major conclusions by another scholar of similar standing and specialty. The reviewers of this book who claim Dames Yates made "HUGE assumptions" and "misinterpretations" do not cite sources for these claims. Not to do so is, at best, a disservice and at worst, indicative that the sources are not of the same caliber as Dame Yates.
Reviews
This book began a revolution in encouraging scholars and laypersons to take the role of Esoteric movements as a legitimate element in the study of Western history. Though there have been recent disputes with some conclusions drawn by Dame Yates in this work, it still remains a pioneering document of historical research. The recent collection of essays by Christopher Bamford, "The Roscicrucian Enlightment Revisited" goes toward validation of much of this work. A seminal book in esoteric studies, highly recommended.

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Ramsey Theory: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow



Ramsey Theory: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
Alexander Soifer | 2010-01-01 00:00:00 | Birkhauser Boston | 189 | Mathematics
Ramsey theory possesses its own unifying ideas, and some of its results are among the most beautiful theorems of mathematics. The underlying theme of Ramsey theory can be formulated as: any finite coloring of a large enough system contains a monochromatic subsystem of higher degree of organization than the system itself, or as T.S. Motzkin famously put it, absolute disorder is impossible. Ramsey Theory: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow explores the theory̢۪s history, recent developments, and some promising future directions through invited surveys written by prominentresearchers in the field. The first three surveys pre historical background on the subject; the last three address Euclidean Ramsey theory and related coloring problems. In addition, open problems posed throughout the volume and in the concluding open problem chapter will appeal to graduate students and mathematicians alike.
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On Closed 3-braids (Memoirs of the American Mathematical Society)



On Closed 3-braids (Memoirs of the American Mathematical Society)
K. Murasugi | 1974-12-31 00:00:00 | Amer Mathematical Society | 114 | Mathematics

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Enhancing Agricultural Innovation: How to Go Beyond the Strengthening of Research Systems (Agriculture and Rural Development)



Enhancing Agricultural Innovation: How to Go Beyond the Strengthening of Research Systems (Agriculture and Rural Development)
World Bank Group | 2006-10-15 00:00:00 | World Bank Publications | 184 | Economics
Knowledge intensiveness has featured prominently in most strategies to promote agricultural development. In the past strengthened research systems may have increased the supply of new knowledge and technologies, but that has not necessarily translated into enhanced agricultural growth. Knowledge converts into products and services through an innovation system -- a network of organizations, enterprises and individuals focusing on bringing new knowledge into economic use, together with the institutions and policies that enable a well-functioning network. This book assesses the usefulness of the innovation systems concept in guiding investments to support knowledge intensive, sustainable agricultural development for developing countries and its collaborators.

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Special Edition Using Microsoft(R) Windows(R) Vista (Special Edition Using)



Special Edition Using Microsoft(R) Windows(R) Vista (Special Edition Using)
| 2007-01-05 00:00:00 | | 0 | Windows Vista


A new edition of this title is available, ISBN-10: 0789737817 ISBN-13: 9780789737816

 

 

Que crafted this book to grow with you, providing the reference material you need as you move toward Vista proficiency and use of more advanced features. If you buy only one book on Vista, Special Edition Using Microsoft® Windows® Vista is the only book you need.

  

Tired of the constant barrage of spam, spyware, viruses and other Net nasties? We show you how to rebuke the onslaught of hacker attacks, protect your identity, and keep your sanity, all at the same time. ·         Is the new Vista interface making your trigger-finger itch? Ours too?that is, until we turned Windows inside out, shook out all the loose parts and figured out just what makes this beast tick. Learn from our pain and suffering.  If you finally broke down and purchased a Windows Media Center computer, or you think you have one and didn't even know it, then you are holding just the book for you. We show you how to get up to speed with your new computer, transforming it from the little PC that could into the media juggernaut you never knew it could be. Ready to upgrade? We provide from-the-trenches advice on upgrading to Windows Vista?including detailed rollout advice for IT managers. Plan and manage deployment of Windows easily and efficiently?whether you're upgrading just a handful of computers, or an entire corporation! Want to set up a network at work or at play? Check out our hands-on coverage of installing, configuring and surviving on a Windows Vista-based network. We not only show you how to set up Windows networking features, we show you how to install and setup basic networking hardware. No other Windows book goes as deeply into networking as the one you are holding. Do you like to fileshare, but wish you could share with the open source community and Apple users? The wait is over; share files with other platforms, such as Novell Netware, Unix, Linux, Macintosh, and other Windows flavors. No longer will the Macs in your network be segregated from the Windows users.

 

I Introducing Windows Vista

1 Introducing Windows Vista . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

2 Installing and Upgrading Windows Vista . . . .41

3 The First Hour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

II Using Windows Vista

4 Using the Windows Vista Interface . . . . . . . .123

5 Managing Files and Searching . . . . . . . . . . . .165

6 Printing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .205

7 Sidebar and Other Supplied Accessories . . .235

III Multimedia and Imaging

8 Windows Media Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .261

9 Windows Imaging Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .289

10 Scanning and Faxing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .309

11 Producing Videos with Windows Movie

Maker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .325

12 Sound Recorder, DVD Maker, and Other

Multimedia Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .351

13 Windows Media Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .363

IV Windows Vista and the Internet

14 Getting Connected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .395

15 Using Internet Explorer 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .425

16 Email and Newsgroups with Windows

Mail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .473

17 Troubleshooting Your Internet Connection . . .529

18 Hosting Web Pages with Internet

Information Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .555

V Networking

19 Overview of Windows Networking . . . . . . . .591

20 Creating a Windows Network . . . . . . . . . . . .613

21 Mix and Match with Old Windows

and Macs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .665

22 Connecting Your Network to the Internet . .703

23 Using a Windows Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .741

24 Troubleshooting Your Network . . . . . . . . . . .787

VI Maintaining Windows Vista

25 Windows Management and Maintenance . .805

26 Tweaking the GUI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .901

27 Managing Hard Disks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .933

28 Troubleshooting and Repairing Problems . .965

29 Keeping Windows and Other Software

Up to Date . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .989

30 Installing and Replacing Hardware . . . . . . .1013

31 Editing the Registry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1041

32 Command-Line and Automation Tools . . . .1073

VII Security

33 Protecting Windows from Viruses and

Spyware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1135

34 Protecting Your Data from Loss and Theft . .1153

35 Protecting Your Network from Hackers

and Snoops . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1197

36 Protecting Yourself from Fraud and Spam . .1235

VIII Windows on the Move

37 Wireless Networking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1253

38 Hitting the Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1271

39 Meetings, Conferencing, and Collaboration . .1303

40 Remote Desktop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1321

41 Tablet PC Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1347

IX Appendix

A Windows Programs and Services . . . . . . . .1371

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1409



User review
Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows Vista (2nd Edition) by Robert Cowart
Don't try to compute without it, a must have for anyone using Microsoft Vista. I have used books by Cowart & Knittel for all of the operating systems since Window 95, and you won't go wrong spending the extra for this book instead of Vista For Dummies.

User review
Not what I expected
I should have read the chapter contents before ordering this book. I was looking for a book that showed how to use the new menus in the Word program using Vista. I thought it would cover all the changes using Vista vs. my old MS software, and assumed it would be covered in the book. Although it did have alot of information on Vista, it didn't have what I was looking for.

User review
Que Special Edition Using Microsoft's Windows Vista 2nd Edition
As with all the Que Special Editions, this book, at 1,489 pages and an enclosed CD is thorough in it's coverage of the use of the Windows Vista Operating System. The stated user level is Beginner to Intermediate. I found the procedures and tips a great help and easy to follow.


It covers all versions of the Vista OS. This second Edition covers the Vista service pack 1 as well. I highly recomend it as a 1-book `library`.


jerome-anderson@att.net

User review
Another winner from Que
Once again, if you want to even have a chance of understanding a Microsoft product, a Que book is the answer. Well written, well organized, and has more information that most of us `ordinary` users will ever need - until one of Microsoft's `features` rears its head. If it's not a complete Microsoft coding disaster, this book can probably tell you what's going on and perhaps even how to use/work around/fix it. This is no book for `Dummies` but rather, contains comprehensive descriptions of almost every conceivable feature of Vista.

User review
Special Edition Using Microsoft Windows Vista (2nd Edition) (Special Edition Using)
this book is another great help when tackling trouble or using it to use windows vista's full potential. it has more information to find what you want faster than going to Microsoft web pages.It also comes with a dvd which makes looking up information a lot easier.Well worth the price.I keep this close to my computer.


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Optische Netzwerke



Optische Netzwerke
Reiner Thiele | 2007-01-01 00:00:00 | Vieweg+Teubner Verlag | 274 | Subjects

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Network Processor Design, Volume 3: Issues and Practices, Volume 3 (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Architecture and Design)



Network Processor Design, Volume 3: Issues and Practices, Volume 3 (The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Computer Architecture and Design)
Mark A. Franklin,Patrick Crowley,Haldun Hadimioglu,Peter Z. Onufryk | 2005-02-15 00:00:00 | Morgan Kaufmann | 336 | Certification Central
The past few years have seen significant change in the landscape of high-end network processing. In response to the formidable challenges facing this emerging field, the editors of this series set out to survey the latest research and practices in the design, programming, and use of network processors.

Through chapters on hardware, software, performance and modeling, Volume 3 illustrates the potential for new NP applications, helping to lay a theoretical foundation for the architecture, evaluation, and programming of networking processors.

Like Volume 2 of the series, Volume 3 further shifts the focus from achieving higher levels of packet processing performance to addressing other critical factors such as ease of programming, application developments, power, and performance prediction. In addition, Volume 3 emphasizes forward-looking, leading-edge research in the areas of architecture, tools and techniques, and applications such as high-speed intrusion detection and prevention system design, and the implementation of new interconnect standards.

*Investigates current applications of network processor technology at Intel; Infineon Technologies; and NetModule.

Presents current research in network processor design in three distinct areas:
*Architecture at Washington University, St. Louis; Oregon Health and Science University; University of Georgia; and North Carolina State University.
*Tools and Techniques at University of Texas, Austin; Academy of Sciences, China; University of Paderborn, Germany; and University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
*Applications at University of California, Berkeley; Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain; ETH Zurich, Switzerland; Georgia Institute of Technology; Vrije Universiteit, the Netherlands; and Universiteit Leiden, the Netherlands.

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Spectral Nationality: Passages of Freedom from Kant to Postcolonial Literatures of Liberation



Spectral Nationality: Passages of Freedom from Kant to Postcolonial Literatures of Liberation
Pheng Cheah | 1900-01-01 00:00:00 | Columbia University Press | 432 | Asian

-- John Kraniauskas, Radical Philosophy


Reviews
Cheah (Univ. of California, Berkeley) attempts to assimilate the insight of several movements within contemporary scholarship, including cultural studies and deconstructionism, in order to articulate a defense of a properly defined "postcolonial" nationalism. The book offers a coherent, albeit questionable, argument against inherited theories of "organismic vitalism" and a justification for a new nationalism based on indigenous cultural sources; and it develops a political theory of freedom predicated on the author's definition of the concept. The book is divided into two parts. The first half serves as a critique of freedom as a faulty organic construct in the thought of Kant, Hegel, Fichte, Marx, and socialist political philosophy. The second half is a search for thinkers who integrate their own cultural milieu into the context of nationalism, utilizing figures from Southeast Asia (Pramoedya) and Kenya (Ngugi). The work is heavily influenced by the writings of Jacques Derrida, Frantz Fanon, and Amilcar Cabral, and evinces the literary idiom of postmodernism. The author's reluctance to ponder the potential contribution of capitalism and less radically egalitarian measures to achieve his ends presents a major obstacle to his enterprise. Summing Up: Optional. Graduate and research collections.



H. Lee Cheek, Jr., Ph.D.

Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Political Science

Athens State University

www.drleecheek.com

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The Skeptic Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience 2 volume set



The Skeptic Encyclopedia of Pseudoscience 2 volume set
Michael Shermer | 2002-11-14 00:00:00 | ABC-CLIO | 903 | Reference
Reviews
Even if your not a believer in the supernatural there's more to fight off such as astrology,acupuncture,UFO's,and other delusions you might think true but has no evidence. Great for debating those creationists and other weird beliefs people seem to have.

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Biomedical Applications of Proteomics



Biomedical Applications of Proteomics
Jean-Charles Sanchez,Garry L. Corthals,Denis F. Hochstrasser | 2004-04-12 00:00:00 | Wiley-VCH | 452 | German
The first book to provide an overview over applications of proteomics in the discovery of new diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic targets.
Examples of applications are presented for the most important diseases like heart and cardiovascular disorders, cancer, infectious diseases and diseases of the nervous system. Aspects of pharmatoxicology as well as bioinformatics are also included.
Authors from the U.S. , Europe and Australia contribute with their specific expertise. They are professionals from research institutions, hospitals and companies.
Denis Hochstrasser is an eminent scientist in the field of bioinformatics and proteomics and one of the founders of the Swiss Prot Databank as well as of the Swiss biotech company Genebio.


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Les Technologies a l'Ecole Secondaire et l'Apprentissage Français



Les Technologies a l'Ecole Secondaire et l'Apprentissage Français
| 1900-01-01 00:00:00 | | 0 | Others
Les Technologies a l'Ecole Secondaire et l'Apprentissage Français
Pu Laval (2010-01-10) | 2009-03-16 | ISBN: 276378772X | 288 pages | PDF | 1 MB
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Preventing Child Sexual Assault: Practical Guide to Talking with Children



Preventing Child Sexual Assault: Practical Guide to Talking with Children
Michele Elliott | 1900-01-01 00:00:00 | NCVO Publications | 58 | Subjects

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Performance Measurement and Management: A Strategic Approach to Management Accounting



Performance Measurement and Management: A Strategic Approach to Management Accounting
Professor Malcolm Smith | 2005-04-09 00:00:00 | Sage Publications Ltd | 312 | Accounting
Management accountancy has a dynamic role to play in the competitive strategy of

modern global businesses. This book sets out key strategic principles and then assesses how management accountancy can affect and direct these strategies. Engaging case studies reveal how theories and concepts translate into real business practice. Throughout, the book emphasizes:

- how accounting initiatives can trigger assessment and improvement of

performance management

- the importance of managerial decision making to good business practice

- how today's management accountancy measures against current research

Written for advanced undergraduate, postgraduate and MBA students taking

courses on management accounting and performance measurement and

management, the book will be also of interest to management and business

consultants, professional accountants and accounting academics.



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Artificial Intelligence: Structures and Strategies for Complex Problem Solving



Artificial Intelligence: Structures and Strategies for Complex Problem Solving
George F. Luger, William A. Stubblefield | 1997-01-01 00:00:00 | Addison Wesley | 868 | Networking
Combines the theoretical foundations of intelligent problem-solving with he data structures and algorithms needed for its implementation. The book presents logic, rule, object and agent-based architectures, along with example programs written in LISP and PROLOG. The practical applications of AI have been kept within the context of its broader goal: understanding the patterns of intelligence as it operates in this world of uncertainty, complexity and change.
The introductory and concluding chapters take a new look at the potentials and challenges facing artificial intelligence and cognitive science. An extended treatment of knowledge-based problem-solving is given including model-based and case-based reasoning. Includes new material on: Fundamentals of search, inference and knowledge representation AI algorithms and data structures in LISP and PROLOG Production systems, blackboards, and meta-interpreters including planers, rule-based reasoners, and inheritance systems. Machine-learning including ID3 with bagging and boosting, explanation based learning, PAC learning, and other forms of induction Neural networks, including perceptrons, back propogation, Kohonen networks, Hopfield networks, Grossberg learning, and counterpropagation. Emergent and social methods of learning and adaptation, including genetic algorithms, genetic programming and artificial life. Object and agent-based problem solving and other forms of advanced knowledge representation
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Power & Voice In Research With Children (Rethinking Childhood, V. 33)



Power & Voice In Research With Children (Rethinking Childhood, V. 33)
Lourdes Diaz Soto,Beth Blue Swadener | 2005-01-30 00:00:00 | Peter Lang Publishing | 256 | Americas
This volume critically examines issues of power and voice in research with children. Chapters focus on the relationship between researchers and children and explore how to more adequately represent the complexities, multiple perspectives, and understandings that emerge when the research process more fully includes children and youth. Contributors explore issues of imposition and power that are inherent in traditional research and even more problematic with children. Authors document how children's voices can guide us in learning about research methodologies, theories, and praxis, as well as about issues of race, identity, class, linguistic diversity and gender within larger postcolonial contexts and research traditions.

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Nikon D300 Digital Field Guide



Nikon D300 Digital Field Guide
J. Dennis Thomas | 2008-05-12 00:00:00 | Wiley | 288 | Digital Photography
With 12.3 megapixels, a three-inch LCD, Live View, and the ability to shoot up to eight frames per second, your D300 is an awesome camera. The more you know about using it, the more you'll get for your money, so take this guide with you on every shoot. Along with detailed instructions on using every feature, it provides full-color images of menu screens, helps you select lenses, and offers guidance for getting magnificent images in many situations.

Citing the Nikon D300's high-ISO performance, sophisticated autofocus system, 6 frames per second shooting speed, and an astoundingly sharp 3-inch LCD screen, all for less than $2,000, PopPhoto declared the Nikon D300 the camera of the year for 2007. Nikon D300 Digital Field Guide is filled with everything you need to know in order to take amazing photographs using your Nikon D300. This full-color portable guide walks you through the essential controls, features, and functions of the Nikon D300 digital SLR using step-by-step instructions and full-color images of each menu screen. This robust guide not only shows you how to adjust white balance, autofocus, exposure, and choose lenses, it also teaches you when and why you should adjust each of these key settings. The Nikon D300 Digital Field Guide goes beyond camera settings to offer you a refresher guide to the principles of digital photography, covering the essentials of lighting, composition, and exposure. Filled with amazing examples, this book also presents a variety of tips and tricks to capturing portraits, candids, sports, travel, macro photography, and much more.


Photo Tips and Bio from Author J. Dennis Thomas


About the Author

Top 10 D300 Accessories

Macro Photography Lighting Tips


Reviews
The book is easy to follow and well written. I would not recommend for accomplished photographers. It is too basic. It was perfect for me.
Reviews
The way this book was written was hardly different from the manual, i. e., I, myself could have written it. What I was expecting was a little insight from the author's expertise and I didn't get it. I certainly was disappointed in the pictures and old tips that I could get anywhere on the net for free. The only thing that excited me about this book was the price and free shipping.
Reviews
"Nikon D300 Digital Field Guide" has become my photography bible. It is concise and to the point; making it an excellent book for someone who just pulled a D300 out of the box and is utterly confused by all the features. Mr. Thomas takes the reader step-by-step through each feature in a very simple, straight forward, understandable manner. The bonus to this book is the "Real World Applications" chapter, in which a variety of photographic challenges are offered, complete with suggested settings and practical advice on composing an ideal shot. The books smaller size makes it easy to put in a camera case for quick reference. All in all, this book is well written for both the novice and expert looking for creative inspiration and utilizing the D300 in the most effective manner.
Reviews
I've owned the Nikon D50, D70s, D80 and most recently, and currently, the D300. For the D50 and D80, I purchased the Digital Field Guides by David Busch. I found those informative, well written and helpful. When I ordered the "Digital Field Guide" for my new D300, I did not notice that David Busch was not the author - this Thomas guy was.



Other reviewers have mentioned in detail the flaws and shortcomings of this book so no need for me to repeat the same stuff. I see now that David Busch has a guide for the D300 for sale on Amazon under a different title; wish I had bought that one instead. The author of this guide is purported to be a good photographer. I'd strongly recommend he stick to clicking shutters and leave the writing to those who know how to do that.
Reviews
Well-done. Clear and concise description of how to use the mind-boggling number of D300 features. A definite improvement over the Nikon Manual that comes with the camera. Also it is in color and has a comprehensive Index. The author too gives his opinion on which options he personnally prefers so it is not just a book of facts. A real bargain on Amazon -- you can't go wrong. For the time being, will be taking it on every trip.

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The Road Out of Debt: Bankruptcy and Other Solutions to Your Financial Problems



The Road Out of Debt: Bankruptcy and Other Solutions to Your Financial Problems
Joan N. Feeney,Theodore W. Connolly | 2010-08-31 00:00:00 | Wiley | 385 | Personal Finance

A practical guide to getting out of debt and understanding the option of personal bankruptcy

The current credit and financial crises have prompted Joan Feeney, a preeminent Massachusetts Bankruptcy Judge, and Theodore Connolly, a Finance and Bankruptcy Attorney, to write a book that will help people handle their financial troubles. The Road Out of Debt seeks to assist those considering bankruptcy by demystifying the bankruptcy process and explaining what you can expect to gain (or lose) from it.

With the insights of both a bankruptcy judge and a bankruptcy lawyer, you'll be able to determine when it's best to avoid bankruptcy, when you should seek bankruptcy protection, and, most importantly, how best to work through the bankruptcy process, if you so choose. With millions of Americans personally facing dire financial situations, job losses, home foreclosures, and other major financial challenges, no book could be more timely.

  • An exceptional resource for anyone contemplating bankruptcy or otherwise trying to figure out how to handle their debt
  • Puts the bankruptcy process in perspective and reveals specific steps to follow
  • Discusses how to decide whether or not bankruptcy is the right path for you
  • Written by a well-respected bankruptcy judge and bankruptcy attorney

As more people find themselves entering financial difficulties, an increasing number of them will need information to help them through these problems. The Road Out of Debt provides you with the serious solutions needed to overcome a personal financial crisis.

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Open Source GIS: A GRASS GIS Approach (The International Series in Engineering and Computer Science)



Open Source GIS: A GRASS GIS Approach (The International Series in Engineering and Computer Science)
| 2004-09-21 00:00:00 | | 0 | Geographic Information Systems


Since the first edition of Open Source GIS: A GRASS GIS Approach was published in 2002, GRASS has undergone major improvements. This second edition includes numerous updates related to the new development; its text is based on the GRASS 5.3 version from December 2003. Besides changes related to GRASS 5.3 enhancements, the introductory chapters have been re-organized, providing more extensive information on import of external data. Most of the improvements in technical accuracy and clarity were based on valuable feedback from readers. Open Source GIS: A GRASS GIS Approach, Second Edition, provides updated information about the use of GRASS, including geospatial modeling with raster, vector and site data, image processing, visualization, and coupling with other open source tools for geostatistical analysis and web applications. A brief introduction to programming within GRASS encourages new development. The sample data set used throughout the book has been updated and is available on the GRASS web site. This book also includes links to sites where the GRASS software and on-line reference manuals can be downloaded and additional applications can be viewed. Open Source GIS: A GRASS GIS Approach, Second Edition is designed for a professional audience, composed of researchers and practitioners in government and industry. This book is also suitable as a secondary text for graduate-level students in geomatics, computer science and geosciences.

User review
Excellent book that covers all major topics of using GRASS GIS
I bought this book for 2 reasons: I had tried to use GRASS for vector data processing - with mixed success - in the past, and wanted to gain a better understanding of its capabilities; and also because I had just been assigned some fairly difficult elevation data processing, and raster-based spatial analysis was something I had little experience with. The book succeeds on both counts. It has well-written explanations of basic GIS principles, and also describes operations in enough detail that one can replicate them with their own data.


While an amazing GIS application (I would actually call it a `GIS environment`), GRASS is not without its quirks. The book does a good job of steering a reader around potential roadblocks, and focuses on getting one going about the business of doing useful work. For example, they recommend using the GUI to set up a project, but then have you move back to using the command line interface (CLI) and X-based display window to accomplish the bulk of the work. This is brilliant. It showcases the ease with which GRASS commands can be chained together, and how other UNIX commands can be interleaved in the command sequences. Make no mistake, this book is written for an audience that is either familiar with, or willing to learn some UNIX. That alone makes it a refreshing change from many other books which feel apologetic when they stray away from the apparent comfort of a MS Windows-based GUI. GUI's are mentioned, but only briefly, and not in a way intended to be a useful guide. People looking for how to use GRASS via a GUI'd application would be better served by Gary Sherman's `Desktop GIS` book, which discusses how to use GRASS through the excellent Quantum GIS application.


The book is logically laid out, and generally well written. There are a few small grammar quirks which tell me that the authors are not native English speakers, but they are minor, and don't actually cause the reader to stumble over any sections. Code sections are well-defined by the use of a different font, and so far I have not encountered any that contain errors. The book is well-illustrated, although at a cost of over $90, I take issue with the lack of color. This is a topic related to cartography after all, and color matters.


I highly recommend this book to people who want to learn how to use GRASS effectively, or to teachers who want to structure a GIS course around an open source application. There is enough GIS theory presented to teach an intro-to-mid-level course on GIS. GRASS gets a bad rap from many in the GIS profession, and this book should allow most people to get over the initial humps and get started with it in an effective way. Hats off to Neteler and Mitasova.

User review
Excellent
This is the most exciting GIS book I have picked up. Invaluable to the GIS professional. Documentation available online does not replace the material in this book.

User review
A big, big help for the novice
As some of the other reviews here indicate, it's not that easy for a novice to get started using GRASS. I had trouble installing GRASS on my ubuntu machine; then I had a hard time getting the GUI to do anything. Once I got the book, and began using the command-line interface rather than the GUI, it went very smoothly. The book is expensive, but when I figure that the book probably saved me a couple of weeks of frustration, I think it was worth the price. For those who haven't looked at it yet, GRASS is very impressive; the tie-ins with R make this the obvious GIS choice for anyone focusing on spatial statistics.

User review
OK Book, poor quality binding
The book covers many subjects broadly, from Remote Sensing, LIDAR as well as scanning historial maps. However, I found myself using the online users manual for the basics and step by step detail on HOW to use GRASS.


In addition, the binding of the book broke within 6 months, and about 25 pages fell out of the spine, with average use.

User review
An excelent book for beginners
I bought this book because I needed to use GRASS and R to produce maps with the results of statistical analysis. Though I am an experienced programmer, I had never used R neither any GIS. The tutorials available on the Internet were enough to learn R, but GRASS was a brick wall.

After reading and trying the examples until page 200, I found myself able to work with raster and vectorial maps. Since I was completely illiterate on GIS, I learned in the book how the raster and vector data are organized, how to alter and combine maps and how to manage the vector databases. The sections about R and GRASS integration was very useful. Although it was of no particular interest to me, there are several sections about spatial analysis tools, 2D and 3D output, image processing and GRASS programing.

The book is not an exhaustive descriptions of the commands, which should be found on the GRASS documentation. It is more like a hands-on tutorial that makes you familiar with the system and the commands, even if you are novice. It will also be useful for people familiar with the graphic interface of other systems who need to start working with the command line.


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Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space



Doctor Who: Adventures in Time and Space
David F. Chapman | 2009-10-15 00:00:00 | | 0 | Fiction
Got this box set the other day and have been reading thru it. I have played other formats for RPG's and this D6 format is by far one of the easier to understand. Color books and Sheets are a great bonus to the fact that most RPG's will give you 2 color books, not here full color and tons of photos from the show. If you are a fan of the show, this gives and great way to carry on the Doctor's travels until the next series starts. You can play as the Doctor or one of the main companions or for you wanting too, make yourself up as a character and play yourself. Travel the whole of time and space with the Doctor and see what is out there to see. The rules are easy to grasp and well written. They put more of a lean towards Role-play not Roll-play. Mind you now that there will be rolling of dice, just that this system is designed to get the players using their minds and not just their dice to make the story move along.
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Electron Beams and Microwave Vacuum Electronics


Electron Beams and Microwave Vacuum Electronics
Shulim E. Tsimring | 1900-01-01 00:00:00 | John Wiley & Sons | 573 | Electrical Engineering
This book focuses on a fundamental feature of vacuum electronics: the strong interaction of the physics of electron beams and vacuum microwave electronics, including millimeter-wave electronics. The author guides readers from the roots of classical vacuum electronics to the most recent achievements in the field. Special attention is devoted to the physics and theory of relativistic beams and microwave devices, as well as the theory and applications of specific devices.
The book consists of two parts.

Part One, â€Å“Electron Beams,” include:
Motion of charged particles in static fields
Theory of electron lenses
Electron beams with self fields and problems in the formation and transport of intense electron beams

Part Two, â€Å“Microwave Vacuum Electronics,” features coverage of such topics as:
Physics and theory of the interaction of electron beams with electromagnetic fields in quasi-stationary systems (e.g., diodes, klystrons)
Systems with continuous interactions (e.g., traveling wave tubes, backward wave oscillators)
Crossed-field systems (e.g., traveling wave and backward wave tubes of M-type, magnetrons, crossed-field amplifiers, MILO)
Systems based on stimulated radiation of classical electron oscillators (e.g., classical electron masers, including gyrotrons, classical auto-resonance masers, free-electron lasers)
The author clearly states problems and then explores appropriate models, approximations, and derivations. This book, based on the author̢۪s own research and lectures, is recommended for students, researchers, and engineers working in such fields as electron beam technology, high-frequency vacuum devices for communications, radar, controlled fusion, charged particle accelerators, materials processing, and biomedicine.
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Broadcasting Pluralism and Diversity: A Comparative Study of Policy and Regulation



Broadcasting Pluralism and Diversity: A Comparative Study of Policy and Regulation
Lesley Hitchens | 1900-01-01 00:00:00 | Hart Publishing (UK) | 342 | Entertainment
Broadcasting Pluralism and Diversity is a study of the policy and regulatory measures relating to the promotion of media diversity in three jurisdictions: the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia. A central focus of the book is regulation of media ownership and control, and, taking an historical approach, the book argues that early policy and regulatory decisions continue to have a significant influence on current reforms. Whilst policy and reform debates focus on ownership and control measures, the book also argues that such measures can not be considered in isolation from other regulatory instruments, and that a holistic regulatory approach is required. As such, content regulation and competition regulation are also considered. Underlying the study is the contention that much of the policy informing pluralism and diversity regulation, although making reference to the importance of the media's role in the democratic process, has also been skewed by a futile focus on the different regulatory treatment of the press and broadcasting, which is adversely influencing current policy debates. The book argues that a different approach, using the public sphere concept, needs to be adopted and used as a measure against which regulatory reform in the changing media environment can be assessed.

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Ghosts/Aliens



Ghosts/Aliens
Trey Hamburger | 2008-11-04 00:00:00 | Three Rivers Press | 272 | Non-fiction
Product Description: Are you freaked out by the mere thought of a bird winking at you? Or do you panic when you hear an unexplained gurgling sound?

Well, listen to this. On Saturday, March 8, at 7:12 p.m., Trey Hamburger heard a second hand account of a teleporting Hot Pocket and started wiggin' out bad. So he and his amigo Mike Stevens basically went into combat mode and ended up encountering some of the most seriously messed-up shit ever. And they're STILL FREAKED OUT ABOUT IT. Now, even though these guys aren't SCIENTISTS, it's pretty for sure that they might have extrapolated something HUGE, which will have the intellectual community going nuts for weeks.

This is their story.

Ghost/Aliens is probably the first time ever a regular person has investigated this sort of thing. So now the people of planet Earth will finally know the truth about all those levitating towels and dead grandpas popping up all over the place.
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Changing Anarchism: Anarchist Theory and Practice in a Global Age



Changing Anarchism: Anarchist Theory and Practice in a Global Age
Jonathan Purkis and James Bowen | 2004-01-01 00:00:00 | | 256 | Sociology
The massive protests against globalization in recent years have rekindled interest in anarchism. Changing Anarchism sets out to reposition anarchist theory and practice by documenting contemporary anarchist practice and providing a viable analytical framework for understanding it.The contributions here, from both academics and activists, raise challenging and sometimes provocative questions about the complex nature of power and resistance to it. The areas covered include: sexuality and identity; psychological dependency on technology; libertarian education; religion and spirituality; protest tactics; mental health and artistic expression; and the ongoing "metaphorical wars" against drugs and terror. This collection epitomizes the rich diversity that exists within contemporary anarchism as well as demonstrating its ongoing relevance as a sociological tool.
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Applied Java Patterns



Applied Java Patterns
| 1969-12-31 00:00:00 | | 0 | Java Patterns


Increasingly, Java developers are recognizing the value of patterns in helping to build more robust, effective software systems -- but most books on patterns are either generic or focused on other languages. Now, the creators of Sun's own course on Java patterns have written the definitive book for working developers. Replete with working code, this book offers practical help with all types of patterns, in every facet of development -- from individual classes to overall system architecture. First, the authors introduce the fundamentals of patterns, presenting a high-level overview of how they can be used most effectively in Java development, and introducing each key type of pattern: creational, behavioral, and structural. Next, they present specific techniques for using patterns with core Java APIs (including security, event, JavaBeans, and Swing APIs); and in advanced distributed development with JDBC, RMI, CORBA, JNDI, and JavaSpaces. The book concludes with detailed coverage of pattern use in enterprise systems built with servlets, JSP, and other J2EE infrastructure technologies.

User review
Good as a reference and refresher
For the developer LEARNING Patterns, the Heads First book seems the most popular. But this is essential as a reference book. Premier examples, plus it reads more like a book and less like a math book (as most coding books are).


I open this up from time to time to keep those patterns not used often fresh in my mind to ensure I will realize when one is needed.


This is the first book that I go to for anything patterns, and I have a copy at work because my coworkers also come to this book when they need a refresher or reference.

User review
Pattern books with detailed examples explained
This is the Pattern book that can be made compariable with GoF's book -- Detailed and clear explanation of 23 patterns plus some system patterns. The full code examples can further illustrate the concepts in a modern view and benefitial to technical pattern design. Though it's Java approach, it can still work in other OO-related projects.

User review
Read Head First Design Pattern Instead
After reading this book, I did not see the author tried any new way to explain how, when and why to use design patterns. I don't think the book is worth the moeny I spent buying it.

User review
Java Applied Patterns as Supplement to GOF
I got the book before I had read the GOF book and found it quite useful. After reading the GOF book I found it even more so - I like the simpler examples and the fact that they are done in Java. Some people will not like the code reprint at the end of the book (about the last half of the book) - however I do, as it is quite convenient for referencing. Found the UML diagrams that were downloadable from the web reference site quite helpful.

The major problem with the book are the errors! The first pattern I looked at (Visitor) had an extraordinary number of errors. In the text it gave the methods one name and used another name in the code listing. Two of the classes for this pattern the code was simply duplicated from a third class. The downloaded examples did have the correct code. Be nice if there was a CD - but this is no major issue.

I would give it a 2 star at best, due to the errors, but if you can sift through the errors I think you will find it a nice supplement to the GOF book hence 3.5 stars (if I could).

User review
GoF and more for JAVA
Just shortly: Book contains all patterns from GoF book. Patterns are explained in more appropriate way and more closer to Java. Also examples are pretty simple and easy to understand. So the simplicity would be the best about this book.

I also like that the the second part of the book: `Patterns in the Java Programming Language` where the author covers extra patterns used in J2EE which I find very usefull !

I would like to see a CD or FD attached on the end of the book, although full code samples are also good (you don't need PC while reading the book). There is a web site to download examples and images and all fits on one single cheap floppy.

Anyway the best pattern book for Java I saw. I have many Pattern eBooks, but all of them are either too simple (can't really learn how to use the pattern), or too complicated (e.g. GoF is complicated for me). So this remains the best for me.


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North Korea in the World Economy (Routledge Advances in Korean Studies)



North Korea in the World Economy (Routledge Advances in Korean Studies)
Eun Kwan Choi,E. Han Kim,Yesook Merrill | 2003-06-25 00:00:00 | Routledge | 264 | Economics
This book brings together a selection of many of the world experts on the North Korean economy and covers such important issues as: possible unification with South Korea, the significance of China's economic success and the roles of Europe and the United States in North Korea.


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The Best-Laid Plans: How Government Planning Harms Your Quality of Life, Your Pocketbook, and Your Future



The Best-Laid Plans: How Government Planning Harms Your Quality of Life, Your Pocketbook, and Your Future
Randal O'Toole | 2007-09-25 00:00:00 | Cato Institute | 416 | Law
Drawing on 30 years of experience reviewing hundreds of government plans, Randal O'Toole shows that, thanks to government planners, American cities are choked with congestion, major American housing markets have become unaf-fordable, and the cost of government infrastructure is spiraling out of control. The book makes the case for repeal of federal planning laws and closure of gov-ernment planning offices. Every American who worries about the insidious growth of the Nanny State must read this book.
Reviews
I was not impressed by this book. The first chapter, about forestry planning, was impressive enough, since O'Toole has spent so much of his career in that area. It was enlightening to how tax money can be wasted.



With the next chapter on urban planning, he attacks a straw man. He asserts that all urban planners claim that suburbs cause obesity. Being pretty well-read in contemporary planning, I would say that no planner actually believes that. Everyone knows that many factors go into the high obesity rates in America.



That said, he shouldn't be looking at the contemporary fads of urban planning to attack urban planning, he should be looking at the patterns planners tend to follow, and the history of planning.



Throughout the book, he uses many "if-then" statements that are fallacies. He writes, "If sprawl does not cause obesity, there is no justification for Smart Growth America's call to rebuild the suburbs" (64). He jumps to conclusions like this constantly, ignoring important counter-examples, and it weakens his argument.



This is more like libertarian propaganda than a serious and critical look at planning. It's too bad--he really seems to know a lot.
Reviews
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. This book lays out a solid argument why centralized planning does not work. O'Toole argues that smaller units of control in everything from forestry to zoning, are usually more effective, accountable, adaptable, and accurate. Planning is simple one area where you should not cut out the middleman. He gives practical examples and presents the associated cost of bad planning. He also predicted the current housing crisis and several of its causes long before the rest of us saw it comming. You need to hear what this man has to say.
Reviews
Gets a little repetitious, but the patterns he's pointing out are there. This is a great way for folks to understand the concept of unintended consequences in heavy handed planning. Real case studies of how things work out, not just the hoped for results (which is usually all we ever hear) show what really happens and how reall harm can result from government planning. With the last 8 years of top-down attempts to manage every aspect of our lives, Best Laid Plans is a new way to look at problems and find solutions free of the political pitfalls and elitist ideologies sp often found in planning depts.
Reviews
Eye opening to what local government is doing to us, I have seen this first hand.
Reviews
Government planners claim to know all, from how individuals should be living their lives to how far to live from work and how much money to make, population distribution and more. THE BEST-LAID PLANS: HOW GOVERNMENT PLANNING HARMS YOUR QUALITY OF LIFE, YOUR POCKETBOOK, AND YOUR FUTURE refutes these claims, offering damning evidence on government planning gone awry - and what to do about it. Theory blends with case studies to create an analysis perfect for college-level classroom debate, making THE BEST-LAID PLANS a top pick for any college-level political science or American history collection.



Diane C. Donovan

California Bookwatch

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