Tuesday, 8 March 2011

The Flying Circus of Physics,2 Ed



The Flying Circus of Physics,2 Ed
Jearl Walker | 2006-01-01 00:00:00 | Wiley | 352 | Physics
Witness astounding feats of physics

Hurry! Hurry! Come one, come all. Meet a man who can pull two railroad passenger cars with his teeth and a real-life human cannon ball. Come face to face with a dead rattlesnake that still bites. And unlock the secrets to the magician's bodiless head.

Welcome to Jearl Walker's Flying Circus of Physics, 2nd Edition, where death-defying stunts, high-flying acrobatics, strange curiosities, and mind-bending illusions are all part of everyday life. You don't need a ticket; you only need to look to the world around you to uncover these fascinating feats of physics.

Completely updated and expanded, this Second Edition of Jearl Walker's best-selling book features more than 700 thoroughly intriguing questions about relevant, fun, and completely real physical phenomena. Detailed explanations and references to outside sources guide your way through the problems.

You'll discover answers to such questions as:
* Can you start a fire with ice?
* Why does the sky turn green just before a tornado?
* Why do wintergreen LifeSavers glow in the dark when you bite them?
* If you are falling in an elevator, should you try to jump up at the last second or lay flat against the floor?
* How do electric eels produce their electric field?
* Why is wet sand darker than dry sand?
* What causes an oasis mirage?
* Why do stars twinkle?
* Could you drive a car on a ceiling?
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Solid State Physics: Advances in Research and Applications, Vol. 24



Solid State Physics: Advances in Research and Applications, Vol. 24
Frederick Seitz,Henry Ehrenreich,David Turnbull | 1970-11-11 00:00:00 | Academic Press | 480 | Engineering

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The ETF Handbook: How to Value and Trade Exchange Traded Funds



The ETF Handbook: How to Value and Trade Exchange Traded Funds
David J. Abner | 2010-01-01 00:00:00 | Wiley | 253 | Finances and Money
The first technical guide to ETFs geared towards professional advisors, institutional investors, and financial professionals seeking to understand the mechanics of ETFs

Author/trader Dave Abner has created The ETF Handbook as a resource for everyone utilizing these sophisticated tools. With this book as your guide, you'll learn from a professional ETF trader with practical guidance for valuation and best execution techniques.

This reliable handbook skillfully touches upon the technical details of ETFs not covered elsewhere. From the mechanics of ETF development to pricing and valuation techniques, this guide pres a complete background on ETF mechanics and offers extensive insights on using them from a professional's perspective. It addresses how to position ETFs efficiently within a portfolio, and examines who ETF users are and how the funds are employed. Along the way, Abner also offers recommendations on where to find data related to these financial instruments.
Contains the technical ETF information needed by today's financial professionals
Includes pricing and valuation spreadsheets and an instructional webinar that walks you through the world of ETFs
Touches upon topics such as calculating NAV (net asset value) and best practices for executing ETF order flow

Filled with in-depth insights and expert advice, The ETF Handbook contains ETF information that is critical for virtually every financial professional.
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British Aestheticism and the Urban Working Classes, 1870-1900: Beauty for the People (Palgrave Studies in Nineteenth-Century Writing and Culture)



British Aestheticism and the Urban Working Classes, 1870-1900: Beauty for the People (Palgrave Studies in Nineteenth-Century Writing and Culture)
Diana Maltz | 2005-12-17 00:00:00 | Palgrave Macmillan | 296 | England
This cultural study reveals the interdependence between British Aestheticism and late-Victorian social reform movements. Following John Ruskin, who believed in art's power to civilize the poor, cultural philanthropists promulgated a Religion of Beauty as they advocated practical schemes for tenement reform, university-settlement education, Sunday museum opening, and High Anglican revival. Although subject to novelists' ambivalent, even satirical, representations, missionary aesthetes nevertheless constituted an influential social network, imbuing fin-de-siècle artistic communities with political purpose and political lobbies with aesthetic sensibility.


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Fundamentals of Database Systems (3rd Edition)



Fundamentals of Database Systems (3rd Edition)
Ramez Elmasri, Shamkant Navathe | 1999-01-01 00:00:00 | Addison Wesley Publishing Company; 3rd Bk&Cdr edition | 1009 | Databases
Combines clear explanations of theory and design, broad coverage of models and real systems. Excellent examples with up to date introductions to modern database technologies are included. DLC: Database management.

Responding to the requests of database professors nationwide,the leading textbook for the introductory database management course is being fully revised in time for the startof Fall 1999 classes. Fundamentals of Database Systems, Third Edition is updated to reflect the latest developments indatabase research and practice. It combines clear explanations of theory and real systems, broad coverage of modeling and design of databases, and excellent examples with up-to-date introductions to modern database technology.

Features of the Third Edition

Presents clear and complete discussion of the relational approach including modeling, design, and query languages

Reorganized material on data modeling to clearly separate entity relationship modeling, extended entity relationship modeling, and object-oriented modeling

NEW! Gives examples of real database systems - Oracle and Microsoft Access - in Ch. 10

NEW and EXPANDED! Provides coverage of the object-oriented and object relational approach to data management including ODMG and SQL3

NEW! Includes discussion of decision support applications of data warehousing and data mining, as well as emerging technologies of web databases, multimedia, and mobile databases

NEW! Covers advanced modeling in the areas of active, temporal, and spatial databases

NEW! Discusses current database application areas of GIS, genome, and digital libraries
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Guide to Information Sources in Mathematics and Statistics (Reference Sources in Science and Technology)



Guide to Information Sources in Mathematics and Statistics (Reference Sources in Science and Technology)
Martha A. Tucker,Nancy D. Anderson | 2004-09-30 00:00:00 | Libraries Unlimited | 368 | Social Sciences

This book is a reference for librarians, mathematicians, and statisticians involved in college and research level mathematics and statistics in the 21st century. We are in a time of transition in scholarly communications in mathematics, practices which have changed little for a hundred years are giving way to new modes of accessing information. Where journals, books, indexes and catalogs were once the physical representation of a good mathematics library, shelves have given way to computers, and users are often accessing information from remote places. Part I is a historical survey of the past 15 years tracking this huge transition in scholarly communications in mathematics. Part II of the book is the bibliography of resources recommended to support the disciplines of mathematics and statistics. These are grouped by type of material. Publication dates range from the 1800's onwards. Hundreds of electronic resources-some online, both dynamic and static, some in fixed media, are listed among the paper resources. Amazingly a majority of listed electronic resources are free.


Reviews
This is a pared-down reprint of _A Guide to Library Service in Mathematics_, which is still available. That book was a guide to math librarianship plus an annotated bibliography of materials. The annotations are merely "This is a book about...", helpful before the Internet, but now completely worthless. If you want to find a good book, you would now browse the reviews on Amazon. The only part of the 1993 book that is still worth reading is the advice for librarians, which is just what was cut from this new edition. So, I can't see any justification for the existence of this book. Besides that, the paper, printing, and binding are poor. I suppose the reason why they decided to publish this is to compete with Dekker, which has just come out with _Using the Mathematics Literature_.

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Morningstar Guide to Mutual Funds: Five-Star Strategies for Success



Morningstar Guide to Mutual Funds: Five-Star Strategies for Success
Christine Benz | 2005-10-07 00:00:00 | Wiley | 304 | Investing
GUIDE TO MUTUAL FUNDS

SECOND EDITION

"Picking actively managed mutual funds is no mean challenge. And as the recent era underscores, past performance is of little help. The Morningstar Guide to Mutual Funds helps cut through the fog with a solid volume of constructive information. The central message--'truly diversify, keep it simple, focus on costs, and stick with it'--is not only timeless, it is priceless."
--John C. Bogle, founder and former CEO, The Vanguard Group

"Successful investors know they must do their own due diligence. Morningstar has done much of that homework in this guide. Leave it to Morningstar to get it right, offering smart ways to pick, build and monitor a portfolio. It's a commonsense guide that should grace every investor's shelf."
--Ted David, CNBC Anchor

"There's nothing Morningstar doesn't know about mutual funds. And at last, for ready reference, there's a book. You'll find everything here you need to know about managing fund investments, inside or outside a 401(k)."
--Jane Bryant Quinn, Newsweek columnist and author of Making the Most of Your Money
Reviews
I'm getting around to reviewing this books years after I purchased it. It is an excellent introduction and strategy guide to investing through mutual funds, but that is not enough. Mutual funds can tank as badly as any stock. If you are like me, pretty darn smart and busy making a living, turn your money over to a professional that will manage a portfolio of mutuals for you. But there is the rub, finding a competent manager. I got lucky and found someone good. So, read the book and use your knowledge to reject the managers that don't really know what they are doing until you find one that does.
Reviews
A good good book for those wishing basic information to start investing in Mutual Funds.
Reviews
My dad read this book & found it one of the best overviews of Mutual Funds. He said it had taken him over 30 years to reach many of the conclusions in the book - and some he learned the hard way. He wished this book had been around when he started investing 30+ years ago.
Reviews
I bought this book because I had read the multi-volume series on investing Benz also wrote for Morningstar, and I also follow her articles on their website. If you are just starting out as an investor, or you are looking for a refresher (or ONE book to give someone who is not an educated investor) this book is an ideal choice. Well done. She takes the mystery [and maybe some of the fear] out of investing in Mutual Funds.
Reviews
Christine Benz is extremely knowledgeable and articulate, explainly the ins and outs of mutual funds in easily understood language. This is your first and last stop if you wish to become informed about this popular way of investing your money. The only downside is that it was published in 2005. A more up-to-date edition would have more--or perhaps changing--information on featured funds.

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Cultural Atlas of Ancient Egypt



Cultural Atlas of Ancient Egypt
John Baines,Jaromir Malek | 1900-01-01 00:00:00 | Checkmark Books | 240 | Egypt
Reviews
If you are interested in ancient cultures as I am this is a great addition to your studies. It gives you a visual element to what can be just words on a page. If you only have a passing curiosity about Egypt it is a wonderful way to dip your feet in the Nile for just a little while. If you like maps and graphics it is a thrill ride.
Reviews
This book reads well, in a subject area where turgid prose is the rule. It begins with topical sections giving a good overview, each of which can be read in an hour or two. Then it proceeds on a journey down the length of the Nile. Although I needed to read more specialized books, at the price of turgid prose, to delve deeply into some aspects of Egyptian prehistory, I regret that I had not started with this one. This book will do nicely as the ONLY or the FIRST book on Egypt in one's library, depending upon one's needs. Having read several books on Egypt previously ,which lacked good maps, the topical maps in this book justify the entire expense.
Reviews
As Baines and Malek explained in their introduction, they attempted to make this atlas useful for those readers who might plan to travel to Egypt and visit the ancient sites. The authors made good on this claim by devoting over half of the atlas to a section entitled "A Journey Down the Nile", which provides a survey of ancient sites that are encountered while traveling down the Nile from Elephantine towards the Delta. Archaeological finds are briefly introduced for each location through a combination of discussion, illustrations, and frequent maps. Since this part of the atlas is organized according to geography (south to north along the Nile), sites from different historical periods are inevitably mixed together, which leads to a confusing sequence of, for example, Ptolemaic temples followed by New Kingdom tombs followed by Predynastic graves and so on. While this arrangement might be useful as a travel guide of sorts, armchair travelers (like myself) who expect a continuous development of ideas may be disappointed. Perhaps if the authors had organized their "Journey" chronologically as well as geographically, this atlas would have had more of an impact on its readership, especially when reinforced by the plethora of photos, illustrations, and maps that are present.



Despite this misgiving, I thought that the short articles that constitute the remainder of the atlas were informative and interesting. Topics covered in these articles include Egyptian art, religion, and writing, among others. And of course, numerous photos and diagrams are provided that are a pleasure in and of themselves.



As far as I'm concerned, the major strengths of the "Cultural Atlas of Ancient Egypt" are the excellent historical maps, the floor diagrams of the major sites, and the visual delight provided by the beautiful photos. Although the geographical framework is a limitation, the strengths outweigh the weaknesses, and this book will probably be able to satisfy the "Egyptomania" fix of many readers.


Reviews
I have loved traveling to Egypt for years and have devoured everything decent I can find to read about this country and its people. If you want to understand the Egyptians this volume is one good place to start.
Reviews
This is the second edition of one of the finest summations of ancient Egyptian civilization ever written for the general reader. Not only is this an exellent introduction to many aspects of Egypt, it is a visual delight. The maps, especially, configure in the reader's mind spacial relationships and their cultural implications. Other illustrations of temple precincts and related architectural elements of Egyptian life supplement the excellent writing, written for, but never "down to" non-specialists. If I were to own only one reference work on ancient Egypt, this would be the one.

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Microeconomics of Banking, 2nd Edition



Microeconomics of Banking, 2nd Edition
Xavier Freixas,Jean-Charles Rochet | 2008-04-30 00:00:00 | The MIT Press | 384 | Economics
Over the last thirty years, a new paradigm in banking theory has overturned economists' traditional vision of the banking sector. The asymmetric information model, extremely powerful in many areas of economic theory, has proven useful in banking theory both for explaining the role of banks in the economy and for pointing out structural weaknesses in the banking sector that may justify government intervention. In the past, banking courses in most doctoral programs in economics, business, or finance focused either on management or monetary issues and their macroeconomic consequences; a microeconomic theory of banking did not exist because the Arrow-Debreu general equilibrium model of complete contingent markets (the standard reference at the time) was unable to explain the role of banks in the economy. This text provides students with a guide to the microeconomic theory of banking that has emerged since then, examining the main issues and offering the necessary tools for understanding how they have been modeled.

This second edition covers the recent dramatic developments in academic research on the microeconomics of banking, with a focus on four important topics: the theory of two-sided markets and its implications for the payment card industry; "non-price competition" and its effect on the competition-stability tradeoff and the entry of new banks; the transmission of monetary policy and the effect on the functioning of the credit market of capital requirements for banks; and the theoretical foundations of banking regulation, which have been clarified, although recent developments in risk modeling have not yet led to a significant parallel development of economic modeling.
Reviews
this book gives a good overview over the literature. sadly, the models introduced in the text and in the exercises are often set up poorly (some variables and parameters are never defined, timing assumptions are not discussed, etc).
Reviews
I found this book very useful to introduce my postgraduate students to the core microeconomic theories of financial intermediation. Several chapters have been updated in the second edition to include the latest developments in the literature. Many papers, theoretical and empirical, are also commented, and a large set of references are provided. Nevertheless, some derivations aren't crystal clear, and some minor mistakes still remain. In any case, this is the best textbook on microeconomics of banking in the market.
Reviews
Really interesting to understand these complex systems, i really think that is "the" book recommended.

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Panzergrenadiers in Action - Weapons Number Five



Panzergrenadiers in Action - Weapons Number Five
Ronald L. Redmon,James F. Cuccarese | 1900-01-01 00:00:00 | Squadron/Signal Publications | 50 | Conventional
Reviews
Another winner in the "In Action" Series - it's tough to tackle all of the different uniforms worn by Panzergrenadiers (armored infantry). Six years of war, different terrain, weather all had impacts on what the troops wore when. Volumes have been dedicated to the subject. This 48 page book literally gives a snapshot of uniforms, weapons, and the armored vehicles they rode into combat. There are two pages of color drawings to show camouflage patterns. It's a glimpse, but very representative of the odds and ends soldiers wear & the equipment used.



As an added bonus - medals worn, web gear, armored car types, fantastic photos of soldiers at war. An excellent book for modelers and those who want to see more detail of German uniforms without paying a fortune on a specialized book. I've enjoyed it very much and read it several times. It's not worth the current $38.66 asking price for a new book, but a copy for $10.00 or so makes an excellent addition to your library.


Reviews
As a former member of a Panzergrenadier division I found this booklet highly informative and well illustrated. It provides factual information and refreshed some of my memories after nearly six decades. What is also of interest is that the U.S. armed forces have now adopted, with minimal modification, the essence of the Wehrmacht helmets. The reasons are obvious, because they protected not only the head but also the top of the neck.
The booklet can be recommended to anyone interested in WW II.
Reviews
This small document gives a brief, yet complete description on the Panzergrenadiers. The photo's are all real. And are very intersting. The book even goes over the change in uniforms and equipment through the years. I was able to read this from cover to cover in a matter of an hour. Great fun. This is book 5 in a series of books from squadron. I want them all!!!!!

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RFID Field Guide : Deploying Radio Frequency Identification Systems



RFID Field Guide : Deploying Radio Frequency Identification Systems
| 2005-02-08 00:00:00 | | 0 | RFID


The RFID Field Guide is a comprehensive source of practical advice fordesigning and deploying RFID systems in a variety of industries andapplications. It features real-life examples, case studies and frameworks thatdemonstrate how to successfully deploy RFID solutions. In addition toconcisely explaining the fundamentals of the technology, Moradpour andBhuptani carefully analyze RFID's capabilities, possibilities and businessadvantages, and describe a process for evaluating the costs and benefits ofRFID projects. They also address issues related to compliance with variousmandates, security and privacy. Appropriate for those new to the technologyand those already starting to work with and evaluate RFID, this book is a fieldguide for the practitioner to gain a detailed understanding of the technology orsimply get answers to specific questions.

User review
Thin on Technology, Thick on Assesment
I bought the book expecting it to be perfect for somebody who is in charge of deploying RFID technology. I found the first few chapters quite useful for this regard. However, the bulk of the book was focused on analyzing the cost and benefits of introducing RFID in the first place, how to sell it to management, pilot programs, etc. This is excellent advice, but not very useful for somebody interested in the HOW TO deploy RFID. Overall, I was very disappointed with this book on the technical side, although it was an interesting read on the management side.

User review
Better hands-on experience
You can find a lot of written stuff about RFID on the Internet for free. When you try playing with the real readers and tags and try to write your own RFID application it becomes clear that the practice is far behind the theory. A narrow (and inexpensive) shortcut for matching both is so called `PIRF` (platform independent radio frequency API). It is Java based and runs on both Windows and Linux platforms. The Lite version comes with some of TI developers Kits. There are some examples on how to use it and it works fine with a number of RFID readers (mostly TI ). Anyways, it is useful for you first clash with RFID to have it on your side.

User review
discusses business issues; especially concerning privacy
As Sun gropes around for a next Big Thing in technology, this book tries to suggest that RFID might be it. The text is written at a management level of discussion. You do not need to be in IT hardware or software to benefit from the book's explanations.


The authors discuss the business implications of RFID deployment. Not just in the background of a supply chain, but also at a mass consumer level. To wit, there is a careful airing of the privacy issues that might arise if RFID tags can be used for tracking people and their purchases. And different countries have different policies towards these issues.


The conclusion is broadly positive for an eventual ubiquitous deployment. Prudently, the authors desist from suggesting when that might be.

User review
Disappointing
The information presented in this book is very basic and entry level for those who have not a clue about RFID. All information are available almost every where on the internet, they just gathered them in a book form. The book explains stuff that every body knows when implementing a technical project, like selecting vendors, implementing projects, etc.

Recomended only for those who have never implemented a technical project (not even RFID).

User review
RFID Field Guide
This is an excellent book for a company evaluating Radio Frequency Identification. It is a great reference for both a project manager or a person in the trenches, who is doing the implementation. Its focus is evenly balanced between the business issues and the technical issues.


The authors provide an overview of RFID, including historical context to set the stage. They follow through with key concepts about RFID and as well as EPC standards and dedicate most of the book towards implementation related issues, including project management and cost-benefit analysis. Each chapter begins with a set of questions which I found quite useful. The authors successfully tie the lessons learned from other deployments and the historical technology adoption trends into the book to make some interesting predictions about RFID as well as provide a road-map for the practitoners. The variety of examples sprinkled through out the book as well as the detailed case studies in the back of the book drive home the points.


This is a must-read for anyone thinking of evaluating or deploying RFID. The corresponding web-site (www.rfidfieldguide.com) offers a comprehensive list of RFID vendors as well as informatin on the basic and advanced RFID classes offered by the authors.


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On The Rule of Law: History, Politics, Theory



On The Rule of Law: History, Politics, Theory
Brian Z. Tamanaha | 2004-12-13 00:00:00 | Cambridge University Press | 188 | Jurisprudence
Although it is currently the most important political ideal, there is much confusion about what the 'rule of law' means and how it works. Brian Tamanaha outlines the concerns of Western conservatives about the decline of the rule of law and suggests reasons why the radical Left have promoted this decline. Two basic theoretical streams of the rule of law are then presented, with an examination of the strengths and weaknesses of each. The book's examination of the rule of law on a global level concludes by deciding whether the rule of law is a universal human good.

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Beyond Integrity: A Judeo-Christian Approach to Business Ethics



Beyond Integrity: A Judeo-Christian Approach to Business Ethics
Scott Rae,Kenman L. Wong | 2004-08-28 00:00:00 | Zondervan | 480 | Ethics
A revised, updated, improved edition of a groundbreaking textbook in Business Ethics that will fill the need for a textbook in Business Ethics for professors and students at Christian colleges and universities.
Reviews
I had to read this book for my Business Ethics class and the stories are a good length and definitely makes you think! Especially when you bring it in to discussion in class. I really enjoyed this book!
Reviews
I have taught this book in a Christian-oriented Business Ethics college course aimed at working adult students.



This is a very professional work. There is an excellent selection of case studies, many of them of fairly recent vintage. There are great discussions of theoretical concepts including models of social involvement (from the likes of Friedman, Goodpaster, and Rivoli) and "groupthink."



The book falls short in the otherwise promising subtitle: A Judeo-Christian Approach to Business Ethics. Rae and Wong present a variety of different ethical approachs and find merit in nearly all of them. For instance, ethical egoism is found to be consistent with a Christian world view because, after all, each of us must be concerned with the future of our own soul. What we seem to get is a generally eclectic view of ethics. In the end, the authors give the greatest weight to virtue ethics. However, it is highly debateable whether this view properly characterizes the "Judeo-Christian approach." While concern for one's soul, virtues, etc., certainly are part of the Christian life, many Christian ethicists might characterize the overall approach in terms of a modified divine command theory. In any case, after laying out all these approaches, and picking their favorite, the authors fail to apply virtue ethics with any regularity to their subsequent commentaries and discussions.



In my class, students much preferred the other textbook we used: Richard C. Chewning, et al's "Business Through the Eyes of Faith." This is a very different kind of book from "Beyond Integrity," but it seemed to speak directly to the students' personal situations. We might have been better off using a standard secular text on ethics, together with Chewning et al. However, "Beyond Integrity" is the book to use if you must have a top-flight business text with a Christian point of view.



Few doubt that we need to raise the level of honesty and integrity in the workplace. Given that most Americans proclaim a belief in God, and at least pay lip service to the Bible and Christianity, it makes sense that we should be calling on our employers and employees to "walk the talk." Arguably, a properly practiced Judeo-Christian ethic can provide the resources to build a better business environment.
Reviews
I am a Christian CEO in Hong Kong and have written a book review on this book for the Graduate Christian Fellowship a few months back. An excellent reference. Touched on many important and controversial issues including capitalism, bribery in third world, honesty, advertisement and marketing, etc. Presented many primary articles with balanced, provocative opinions from all sides. A book for the serious thinker. NOT FOR NEW CHRISTIAN BELIEVERS NOR FOR NON-BUSINESS PERSON. Only one criticism: the editors' own comments at the end of each chapter is a bit weak; not the same calibre as the 20-30 authors.

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Spielend die Zukunft gewinnen: Wachstumsmarkt Elektronische Spiele (German Edition)



Spielend die Zukunft gewinnen: Wachstumsmarkt Elektronische Spiele (German Edition)
Said Zahedani,Albrecht Ziemer | 2008-12-18 00:00:00 | Springer | 148 | Advertising

Der Markt für elektronische Spiele wächst seit 20 Jahren, auch in Deutschland. Diese Spiele kombinieren inhaltliche Kreativität mit technologischer Herausforderung. Sie machen Spaß, sind pädagogisch lehrreich und führen in die Welt des Internets. Anders als etwa in europäischen Nachbarländern oder in Japan fehlt es hierzulande dennoch an gesellschaftlicher Anerkennung. Fachleute des MÜNCHNER KREISES haben sich mit den Risiken und Chancen an der Schnittstelle zwischen Markt, Technologie und gesellschaftlicher Relevanz auseinandergesetzt.



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Computational Approaches to Morphology and Syntax (Oxford Surveys in Syntax & Morphology)



Computational Approaches to Morphology and Syntax (Oxford Surveys in Syntax & Morphology)
| 2007-09-27 00:00:00 | | 0 | Miscellaneous


The book will appeal to scholars and advanced students of morphology, syntax, computational linguistics and natural language processing (NLP). It provides a critical and practical guide to computational techniques for handling morphological and syntactic phenomena, showing how these techniques have been used and modified in practice.
The authors discuss the nature and uses of syntactic parsers and examine the problems and opportunities of parsing algorithms for finite-state, context-free and various context-sensitive grammars. They relate approaches for describing syntax and morphology to formal mechanisms and algorithms, and present well-motivated approaches for augmenting grammars with weights or probabilities.


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Towards Parenthood: Preparing for the Changes and Challenges of a New Baby



Towards Parenthood: Preparing for the Changes and Challenges of a New Baby
Jeannette Milgrom,Jennifer Ericksen,Bronwyn Leigh,Yolanda Romeo,Elizabeth Loughlin | 1900-01-01 00:00:00 | Acer Press | 145 | Parenting
Reviews
This workbook has practical advice and is presented clearly and with humor. It covers a wide array of topics, and it is obvious the writers are a team who knows their topic with great authority. Thank you!

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Voices from the Spectrum: Parents, Grandparents, Siblings, People With Autism, And Professionals Share Their Wisdom



Voices from the Spectrum: Parents, Grandparents, Siblings, People With Autism, And Professionals Share Their Wisdom
Cindy N. Ariel,Robert A. Naseef | 2006-01-31 00:00:00 | Jessica Kingsley Publishers | 268 | Education
"Voices from the Spectrum" is a compelling collection of personal accounts from people on the autism spectrum and those who care for them, including professionals, friends and family members. The broad scope of this book presents insights into the autism spectrum from many different perspectives - from first-hand accounts of the autistic child's school and childhood experiences to parents' and grandparents' reactions to a diagnosis. A number of chapters written by professionals explain their motivations for working with autistic people and reveal what they have learned from their work and how it has affected their lives. The contributors describe experiences of autism from the mildest to the most severe case, and share their methods of adapting to life on the spectrum.
Reviews
There are many great resources directed at families and now, more than ever, there are many choices for those on the spectrum. In this book, we have a bit of both-- this resource is appropriate for many different audiences and allows the reader to learn from many who are connected to life with autism. This is an excellent choice for "introducing" someone to autism but also for those who are well versed but want to expand their understanding.
Reviews
We have climbed that mountain and seen the valley...from up high, you get a wonderful panoramic view. I want everybody to join us on this mountain and lift up your voices and shout about autism!



Shout about the challenges of having autism; living with someone who has it or about the reaction that those uninformed about autism express. Shout out a celebration of having autism as well because people with autism make life much more interesting. Shout about the injustices towards those with autism and stupid prejudices about autism such as that tired "R*** M***" (which is a slur in the autism world) cliche. Shout out about what autism means to you personally. Do an autism dance if you need to. Add your voice and be heard!



This is an excellent book. Relatives of people with autism as well as professionals get to add their voices to the chorus about autism and its affect on people at large. Readers get treated to the personal insights of those who contributed to this wonderful book.



This is a book that I feel everybody will benefit from and come away with a larger store of tolerance and acceptance of autism. I like the wide range of voices and experiences that are heard and shared in this book. That makes for a richer chorus. As for adults with Asperger's, make this book a new friend and join in the Mountain Top Chorus!








Reviews
Reading Voices from the Spectrum was like talking with friends who knew and loved my son. The Autism spectrum is so varied, but the majority of entries had something I could relate to. While reading I started taking notes, I found new ways to explain my sons' needs, in IEP meetings as well as to friends and relatives. I highlighted supports to implement and ideas for his future. From sibling entries I gained an added appreciation for how my other children might be feeling.



There are many books on the Autism Spectrum with valuable facts and research information, but this is the only one I've found written by people who actually live the facts and research.


Reviews
In my work as the Editor of a large, international newsletter for parents of individuals on the autism spectrum, I read about 6 books each month on individuals with ASD, their families, new therapies and research. This book is absolutely superb. Dr. Naseef's essay as a parent is one of the most porfound, realistic and positive I've read in my 24 years of service to the autism community and in my 34 years as the parent of a woman with autism. The variety of essays and perspectives sets this book apart from all others.

Susan J. Moreno, M.A.

President, MAAP Services for Autism and Asperger Syndrome

Editor, The MAAP newsletter
Reviews
In this book I was so pleased to read about other people being married to a person with autism. They talk about how the spouse with autism did many things that they didn't understand but they still stayed in the marriage and I feel that is because being married to a person with autism is being married to a very unique and caring person.I have survived 49 years of life with autism.In this book I read so much that was similar to my own life. I highly praise the people who have helped and got so deeply involved with the children with autism. I unfortunately never had that kind of help when I was a child. All the stories in this book should be read by anyone who wants to understand the beauty of autism.



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Was ist Soziobiologie?



Was ist Soziobiologie?
Franz M. Wuketits | 2002-09-01 00:00:00 | C.H.Beck | 128 | Subjects

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The Patient's Guide to Surgery



The Patient's Guide to Surgery
Edward L., III Bradley | 1900-01-01 00:00:00 | University of Pennsylvania Press | 197 | Reference

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Evolution of the Insects (Cambridge Evolution Series)



Evolution of the Insects (Cambridge Evolution Series)
David Grimaldi,Michael S. Engel | 2005-05-16 00:00:00 | Cambridge University Press | 772 | Biology
To come
Reviews
The product arrived before the expected, in perfect conditions.

Personally I have to say that this book is one of the best books in this topic, if you have a chance to buy it, you won't regret.
Reviews
This is simply a GREAT book. I am not a scientist! The book is technically more than sound and yet accessible for the natural history buff, bug fans, those interested in flower/insect symbiosis. Anyone curious about the natural world "must-have" this book on their shelves--or rather in their hand. The book is beautiful. It is also an appropriate "gift" for a PhD specializing in etymology, although he probably already has it? Or the bright, curious high-school girl. I couldn't put it down!
Reviews
The illustrations are stunning.



The writing is judicious and comprehensive, but never tedious or stale.



The citations are comprehensive and up-to-date, and the discussion based on them synthesizes the views of naturalists, entomologists, paleontologists, biologists, and systematists, but without ever burying important contemporary controversies.



The authors are active researchers, who somehow found the time to put this gorgeous volume together for the rest of us while pursuing their own fresh interests.



You need not be a professional to read, enjoy, and benefit from this volume. Any intelligent layperson with an abiding interest in science and the deep evo-devo connections between ourselves and this most successful animal group will gain enrichment and goggle at the photos, paintings, charts, and other graphic content. Recent fossil discoveries are particularly well discussed and displayed, but the graphics are superb overall--the illustrations of grasshopper dentition are alone worth the price of admission!



Really, what more could you want?



Any tome of this size and production quality is bound to be pricey. But there are solutions to that--encourage your local public library system to obtain a copy, or indulge in a "guest researcher" membership at your nearest university library, or simply grit your teeth and get a copy now.



Because you know volumes like these don't stay in print forever, and are not the kind that diminish greatly in price over any reasonably near term.
Reviews
The book was in our hands before the predicted day and in excellent conditions. It is the recommended literature to the PhD course of Entomology, in this field.
Reviews
This book was a textbook for a course on insect fossils I took a few years ago and we read it cover to cover. My fellow classmates and I (all professional entomologists) had mixed reviews of this book. While it undoutedly provides a lot of good information and is a tremendous contribution to the field of insect fossils, it also contains several mistakes and leaves out a lot of important information. For example, the professor for my fossil insect course is one of the world's experts on giant water bug fossils and was appalled to see what was clearly a giant water bug fossil, from a formation in Germany he has studied himself, labeled as a naucorid, a completely different insect. A description of a dryopid beetle fossil on another page said that all stages of dryopids are aquatic when the larvae are terrestrial. My classmates and I found several such errata throughout the book and felt they seriously undermined the reliability of the information it contains. We were also all annoyed by the lack of molecular support for the arguments presented by the authors. While morphological data is certainly important to consider in systematic studies, it is blatently obvious that the authors don't think much of molecular phylogenetic data. This is unfortunate because in several cases, molecular data has cleared up long standing controversies over taxnomic deliniations where morphological data alone could not. It is clear from the text that the authors are more comfortable with the morphological data than molecular (as expected - they're experts on insect fossils), which would be fine if the book was called Insect Paleontology. However, this book is called Evolution of the Insects. Molecular data is a huge part of modern insect systematics and phylogenetics and any book purporting to canvas the subject of insect evolution should take advantage of the entire wealth of knowledge available and report on it all. That said, this book does what few other books does: it contains information on both extant and extinct linages and it covers the groups we know only through fossils as thoroughly as it does the living taxa. For me, that information alone makes this book worth reading, and is the reason I give it 3 stars insted of 2.

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Power Supplies for All Occasions


Power Supplies for All Occasions
M.C. Sharma | 1980-01-01 00:00:00 | Business Promotion Bureau | 86 | Electrical Engineering
Power Supplies for All Occasions
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Middle Ages Reference Library Vol 2 - Biographies


Middle Ages Reference Library Vol 2 - Biographies
| 1900-01-01 00:00:00 | | 1 | History
Middle Ages Reference Library Vol 2 - Biographies
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UML Bible



UML Bible
| 2003-06-02 00:00:00 | | 984 | UML


* Comprehensive coverage of all aspects of UML (Unified Modeling Language), including use, diagramming notation, the object constraint language, and profiles
* UML is the industry standard specification for modeling, visualizing, and documenting software projects
* Includes up-to-date coverage of both UML 1.4 and the new 2.0 UML specifications
* Thoroughly covers executable UML and testing UML diagrams, making coding more efficient
* Companion Web site provides additional code samples and updates

User review
Quick reference
I need to read UML diagrams provided by another company, initially I thought there are bunch of free on-line resources, but it turns out that's not a effective way to sort things out quickly, this book is a overkill for a casual user like me, but it saved me tons of time to search the meaning of a particular symbal etc.

User review
Amazing book
That's the best UML book I've ever read!


There're a lot of amazing detailed examples in it, the explanations are very useful and with an easy use of language.


Therefore, really the best! It helped me a lot!

User review
Very good although short on complex examples
UML Bible is as solid a reference as I've come across. It is extremely comphrehensive and contains many many examples. The problem with this book is the problem with every other UML book I've purchased: It's long on explaining the UML specification and short on providing examples of good architectural design practice. The book does include a case study of sorts but stops short of providing a complete set of architectural drawings depicting an application system. That is, of course, what most of us who are buying these books want. We want to design computer systems with UML.

User review
UML Bible - a guide and reference to UML
Excellent for learners and as a reference. I found the book was very well structured: it was easy for me to find what I needed to know quickly. It was also not too `heavy` to read cover to cover in order to get familiar with all the aspects of UML.

User review
Excellent book for medium to advanced UML users
The book is laid out very well, starting with a review of UML and provides thorough and detailed descriptions of all the diagrams and notations. I'm using this nearly exclusively to help me model projects, and is on my desk instead of on my bookshelf.


The author clearly understands UML and takes the reader effectively through the distinctions between the many notations.


Pluses

- Excellent description on the differences between UML 1.4 and 2.0, including completely different chapters where necessary

- Detailed descriptions of all the notations including less often used pieces

- Explicit definitions of key terms that limit confusion created from the `common understanding` of the definitions

- Excellent example that runs through the entire book, with appropriate departures to clarify points.

- Valuable introduction to the Object Constraint Language (OCL) and action semantics

- Most information that belongs in the appendix / late chapters is there (see below)


A few dings -


First, I would have to agree with Mr. Duff's comments on the target audience - I'm fairly experienced with Object Oriented programming and with design work, but when I tried to read this, I started getting confused and very sleepy. I started out with UML for Dummies and this made life much easier.


Second, the author included an early chapter and 50 pages throughout the book to the architecture and formal definition of UML. Frankly, I'm not sure who is really interested in the definition of the UML 1.4 four layer architecture model and the UML 2.0 superstructure library, but to me the bigger sin is to put it in chapter 2 instead of an appendix / later chapter. I didn't gain anything except a headache by reading about it earlier in the book.


Third, although he is very clear about it through the book, the version that I have came out before the final specification. This may cause some things to be different from his version to the final specification. However, he details those specifically, gives the likely outcomes, and the detailed areas are in the hinterlands of UML.


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Architextiles (Architectural Design)


Architextiles (Architectural Design)
Will Alsop, Denise Bratton, Adriaan Beukers | 2007-01-10 00:00:00 | Wiley Academy Press | 136 | Architecture
Focusing on the intersections between textiles and architectural design, this title communicates the full range of possibilities for a multidisciplinary design hybrid. It examines the generative concepts, forms, patterns, materials, processes, technologies and practices that are driving this cross-fertilisation in contemporary urban and architectural design. Architextiles represent a transition stage in the reorientation of spatial design towards a more networked, dynamic, interactive, communicative and multifunctional state. The paradigms of fashion and textile design, with their unique, accelerated aesthetics and ability to embody a burgeoning, composite and complex range of properties such as lightness, flow, flexibility, surface, complexity and movement have a natural affinity with architecture's shifts towards a more liquid state. The preoccupation with textiles in architecture challenges traditional perceptions and practices in interior, architectural, urban, textile and fashion design. Interweaving new designs and speculative projects for the future, Architextiles, brings together architects, designers, engineers, technologists, theorists and materials researchers to unravel these new methodologies of fabricating space.
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All-Stars and Movie Stars: Sports in Film and History



All-Stars and Movie Stars: Sports in Film and History
Ron Briley,Michael K. Schoenecke,Deborah A. Carmichael | 2008-06-20 00:00:00 | The University Press of Kentucky | 328 | Movies

Sports films are popular forms of entertainment around the world, but beyond simply amusing audiences, they also reveal much about class, race, gender, sexuality, and national identity. In All-Stars and Movie Stars, Ron Briley, Michael K. Schoenecke, and Deborah A. Carmichael explore the interplay between sports films and critical aspects of our culture, examining them as both historical artifacts and building blocks of ideologies, values, and stereotypes. The book covers not only Hollywood hits such as Field of Dreams and Miracle but also documentaries such as The Journey of the African American Athlete and international cinema, such as the German film The Miracle of Bern. The book also explores television coverage of sports, commenting on the relationship of media to golf and offering a new perspective on the culture and politics behind the depictions of the world's most popular pastimes. The first part of the book addresses how sports films represent the cultural events, patterns, and movements of the times in which they were set, as well as the effect of the media and athletic industry on the athletes themselves. Latham Hunter examines how the baseball classic The Natural reflects traditional ideas about gender, heroism, and nation, and Harper Cossar addresses how the production methods used in televised golf affect viewers. The second section deals with issues such as the growth of women's involvement in athletics, sexual preference in the sports world, and the ever-present question of race by looking at sports classics such as Rocky, Hoosiers, and A League of Their Own. Finally, the authors address the historical and present-day role sports play in the international and political arena by examining such films as Visions of Eight and The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. This important and unique collection illuminates the prominent role that sports play in society and how that role is reflected in film. Analysis of the depiction of sports in film and television provides a deeper understanding of the appeal that sports hold for people worldwide and of the forces behind the historic and cultural traditions linked to sports.



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The No-Cry Nap Solution: Guaranteed Gentle Ways to Solve All Your Naptime Problems



The No-Cry Nap Solution: Guaranteed Gentle Ways to Solve All Your Naptime Problems
Elizabeth Pantley | 2008-01-01 00:00:00 | McGraw-Hill | 256 | Health and Care
“Easy naptime solutions that really work--without any tears.”
Kathy Lynn, President, Parenting Today

“Naps: Children need them. Parents want them. Here are the tools to make them happen.”
Maureen A. Doolan Boyle, Executive Director, MOST (Mothers of Supertwins), Inc.

Does your child:
nap only in your arms, a sling, a swing, or the car?
require elaborate rituals before sleeping?
get fussy, act cranky, or have tantrums due to lack of sleep?
take very short naps--or none at all?

Naps are important to a child's mood, well-being, and development. The No-Cry Nap Solution offers you a proven formula to allow your baby, toddler, or preschooler to get daily restorative rest. You'll learn gentle, loving, tear-free techniques, developed by world-renowned parenting expert Elizabeth Pantley and tested by hundreds of families around the world, guaranteed to help you:
Convince any child to nap every day
Effortlessly settle your child for naptime in his or her own bed
Turn short, fitful naps into long, peaceful ones
Establish a nap schedule that works for you and your child
Easily adapt nap routines to your child's developing needs
Confidently deal with sudden changes, nap strikes, and travel
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Environmental Policymaking: Assessing the Use of Alternative Policy Instruments



Environmental Policymaking: Assessing the Use of Alternative Policy Instruments
Michael T. Hatch | 2005-05-30 00:00:00 | State University of New York Press | 265 | Popular Economics

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Foundations of GTK+ Development (Expert's Voice in Open Source)



Foundations of GTK+ Development (Expert's Voice in Open Source)
| 2007-04-23 00:00:00 | | 0 | Programming


GTK+ is one of the most influential graphical toolkits for the Linux operating system. It is the technology upon which the GNOME and XFCE desktop environments are based, and its crucial to have clear understanding of its complexities to build even a simple Linux desktop application. Foundations of GTK+ Development guides you through these complexities, laying the foundation that will allow you to cross from novice to professional.

Foundations of GTK+ Development is aimed at C programmers and presents numerous real-life examples that you can immediately put to use in your projects. Some familiarity with C programming is assumed, as the book delves into new topics from the beginning. Topics like object inheritance are covered early on to allow for complete understanding of code examples later. And the provided examples are real-life situations that can help you get a head start on your own applications.



User review
probably not worth more than $10-$15
first of all, as someone who has already done a handful of small, basic GTK+ projects, i bought this book in hope to find some more information on how to build custom widgets, and how to incorporate custom widgets into a new/existing project. that was my goal.


this book is for the person who has no Internet/web-searching skills whatsoever, as well as the person who has no native/core understanding of how computers work. it is definitely a 'how to program' book for those who have no clue on how to program. the book goes into pretty good detail of all of the native widgets available in GTK, plus it talks a little bit about Glade. there is a chapter on Glib, and there is 1 [small] chapter on creating custom widgets.


i find the [long] chapter on Glib useless. this is because Glib is actually one of the best documented OS libraries out there. the Glib documentation page is pretty thorough, and there are lots of examples out there. in my opinion, this was a waste of a chapter/paper. a quick visit to a codesearch page will provide lots of easy examples of what you are looking for in Glib. i can understand a reference book dedicated to Glib (a good idea, actually,,.), but glazing over it in a long chapter isnt worth it, because i can get that same cookie-cutter, mediocre information on the web pretty quickly.


the areas that this book shines are chapters 7, 8, and 9. these are chapters over the text view widget, the tree view widget, and menus and toolbars. the text view widget has many facets because of the buffers involved, and this book covers them. the tree view widget can be as simple or as complicated as you want, and this book touches on some good concepts. same goes for menus and toolbars. these are the least documented widget sets on the internet (there is a big tree view tutorial out there, but it is old), so these chapters are nice to have.


the chapter on custom widgets didnt help much. his 2 examples of custom widgets are: a small program that displays an IP address in textboxes (each octet in a textbox, and with rules applied so only numbers can be entered, valid range,,.), and a scrolling marquee (just scrolling text). there is some mildly useful info in these chapters, but it is too lightweight to really help and be worth much. there are only a handful of tutorials on the internet on how to create C-based custom GTK widgets, and they all contain the same information that this guy is giving us.


if you want to learn some detail of every widget in GTK (or at least in Glade), then buy the book. but, i would say that with 2-4 hours of time and $0 of investment, you can sit down and screw around with Glade enough to figure out almost everything that this book has to say about the widgets and Glade. i opened up Glade for the first time, and within a few hours, understood almost everything there is to know about Glade and what it is doing, as well as all of the widgets contained therein.


in summary, this book is for anyone who has no clue what they are doing, and is either no good at using search engines (or just doesn't want to). if you're doing a GTK project, you have more than likely been scouring the Internet for hours already, and I would say that most of this book contains information that you have already seen. it really doesn't bring anything new to the table, although the chapters 7, 8, and 9 are useful, as information on those subjects isn't really centralized anywhere on the Internet.


this book could have shined if it had gone into 2 or 3 in-depth, full-fledged projects involving both GTK widgets and custom widgets (with a little bit of Cairo). there is no great reference [online or book] on how to build a project with both normal & custom widgets (with some Cairo), and this book refused to touch on those subjects as well, which stinks. it is mostly regurgitated information that you are either likely to see or likely to have seen in your initial learning/development of GTK+ projects.

User review
Annoying writing, but good content
I'm a few chapters in, and no major complaints so far.


First, and most important with a technical book, I haven't noticed any glaring technical problems with the information. The example code and explanations seem reasonably correct and work as expected. I should note, though, that I'm using the Ocaml language binding, and not using the example code verbatim.


I also like that the author provides a higher level explanation of using Gtk. The Gtk documentation is great for explaining each and every function, but not so good at explaining what I'm supposed to call in the first place. The book gives a good explanation of the concepts behind the API, which I was having difficulty figuring out solely from the API documentation.


My biggest complaint is the author's writing style. Personal preference, but I really dislike the use of `you` in technical books, and this one uses it all over the place. Sentences like `In Chapter 11, you will be covering how to create your own signals when you are taught how to create custom widgets,` drive me crazy.


It's also a bit wordy. Again, personal preference, but it's annoying enough that I knocked it down to 4 stars.

User review
The best book I ever had
This book is always available online free of charge but I like to have a paper copy.


It has a great mix with theory, examples, etc and is great for `learning by doing`.


I had this book for some time, and I like it very much. It is great both as a reference (but there you could use Internet instead) and as a study material.

User review
besides the online errata sheet, found another bug
It's a good book and I learned a great deal. Just one problem about using gtk_combo_box_get_active_text ,,.


In one example the output from gtk_combo_box_get_active_text is freed using g_free. In another example it is not freed.


I'm all confused what I should do with the output string. To complicate things, the official gnome GtkComboBox documentation does not state anything one way or the other.

User review
Good but could be even better
I may be the first person to rate this book less than five stars. And please don't get me wrong this is a good book in the sense that it is right up to date and the examples are very helpful. There are, in my opinion, two main areas where the book could have been improved. It dives off into a discussion of some very interesting applications of GLib including socket programming which the author says must of needs be incomplete. This doesn't really fit in with the main thrust of the book and probably should have been the basis, in an expanded form, for a separate book. This space could well have been used for a more expanded treatment of the issues at hand. Secondly the author's views on user interface design have overly influenced his treatment of GtkFixed, GtkLayout etc. One suspects that his work as a developer has been primarily in producing tools for anyone anywhere rather than applications for corporations and / or small businesses. However, regardless of the above, armed with this book plus the API documentation will get you going much faster and more efficiently than if you have only the API documentation.


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Hungry For You: An Argeneau Novel



Hungry For You: An Argeneau Novel
Lynsay Sands | 2010-01-01 00:00:00 | Avon | 384 | Romance Novels
The entertaining finish to the Willan sisters is a fun Argeneau-Hunter vampire romance. Filled with humor from the onset with the Olive Oyl - Jessica Rabbit comic gender debate and with a terrific casualness re vampirism when Bricker welcomes Cale to Canada with one bag or two, fans will enjoy this entry. The suspense takes a back seat to the chef who can't boil water without burning it and the restaurateur falling in love but after waiting for an eternity for his lifemate, he must show patience he does not have. Fans of the urban fantasy saga will appreciate the latest romantic thriller.
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Departures in Reading



Departures in Reading
Peter Viney | 1984-12-31 00:00:00 | Oxford University Press | 0 | Education

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Flash for the Real World: E-Commerce Case Studies



Flash for the Real World: E-Commerce Case Studies
Steve Street | 2001-07-18 00:00:00 | Sams | 304 | Internet

This book will have case studies directed to intermediate, advanced and professional Flash developers. It is assumed that all readers are familiar with Flash and how to use its tool sets. The advanced case study will mention additional web technologies such as ASP, JavaScript and SQL Server but these technologies will not necessarily need to be fully understood by the reader. The other technologies that are used in the book will not be explained in tutorial manner, instead they are mentioned in order to show how they were used to supplement and extend the capabilities of Flash. The goal of the case studies is not to provide copy and paste code or timelines but to reveal the process to the reader so they can elevate their projects to the same.


Reviews
This is a Flash book that focuses on specific projects the author has been involved in. There are only six such projects covered. They include,
- a product demo
- an interactive holiday card
- two web sites done in Flash
- LEGO game
- Furniture.com's Room Planner

Even though the book promises source code on the CD, the Room Planner project relies heavily on ASP/database backend and they DO NOT include this code. The result is that the Flash source included for Room Planner will not work.

When someone from our firm asked the author about this he replied that his former employer owns that code and would not allow it to be published.

You can still learn from the Flash source code but its value is a whole lot less because you cannot see the application working. And, given that Furniture.com is now out of business you cannot see the application in action there either!

Our main reason for this review is to simply alert others BEFORE they buy this book about the missing source code. If this is not an issue for you this book may benefit you. In our case, we purchased the book to learn from the Room Planner source code so the book has little value to us.
Reviews
Breaking the mold of the how-to and step-by-step approach this book looks at the business side of building a succesful Flash project. It's refreshing to hear why decisions were made, because of budget limitations, difficult clients or looming deadlines. This book is an excellent read, is well written and offers a realistic look at the many challenges Flash developers face besides the technology. An excellent addition to my library!

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Judaism and Hellenism: Studies in Their Encounter in Palestine During the Early Hellenistic Period



Judaism and Hellenism: Studies in Their Encounter in Palestine During the Early Hellenistic Period
Martin Hengel | 1900-01-01 00:00:00 | Fortress Pr | 0 | Subjects
Reviews
Martin Hengel, considered one of the top biblical scholars in the world, published this book about 1970. It has since influenced a generation of scholars, being cited in hundreds of publications. The book was published in two volumes, with volume one being the book itself, and volume two being the notes and index.



The old History of Religions theory had crashed to an inglorious end when Hengel published this book. Hengel's conclusion was that "It is not possible to say that Judaism maintained a straight course through the Hellenistic period...Still less can it be claimed that it was completely permeated by the Hellenistic spirit" (p310).



The 'wisdom school' was influenced by Greek thought, which among the people took on a strong eschatological expectation. Still, Hengel insists that Judaism maintained its singularity. "The almost complete fusion of religion and nationalism... prevented any assimilation" (p 313).



Among the Greek influences were the 100 years Palestine was under the Ptolemies, Attic pottery, the Greek language, irrigation, and minted money. "Interest in Hellenistic civilization, however, remained predominantly limited to the well-to-do aristocracy of Jerusalem" (p 56). So did that main pipeline of Hellenism, Greek schools.



Earlier schools among the Jews were "exclusive, status-conscious... scribal schools" (p 80). Among the Jewish people, even as Hellenism was influencing their elite, elementary schools were formed that had enormous impact on the common people. The idea was to educate every Jewish boy. Simeon b Setah ordered all Jewish boys to go to school. So did Jubilees.



"The school age was set a 6-7...non-Jews and Samaritans were prohibited as teachers...Instead of Homer, the Hebrew Bible, especially the Pentateuch, held pride of place in instruction" (p 82). Instruction was to continue for 10 years. The Cynic philosopher Oenomaus said, "'Go and observe their synagogues and schools..you cannot succeed'" in changing the Jews, because of those schools and synagogues.



The result of this education system was a burst of literary creativity. "It is astonishing what creative forces were developed in their small and relatively remote Jewish temple state measuring barely more than twenty-four miles across, during the Persian and early Hellenistic period" (p 113).



Hengel argues that the Septuagint was influenced very little by Hellenism. And that Ben Sira "By asserting that all wisdom comes from the Lord...formulates a Jewish declaration of war against Hellenism" (p 138).



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Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Current Controversies, from the Ovary to the Pancreas (Contemporary Endocrinology)



Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Current Controversies, from the Ovary to the Pancreas (Contemporary Endocrinology)
Andrea Dunaif,R. Jeffrey Chang,Stephen Franks,Richard S. Legro | 2008-02-19 00:00:00 | Humana Press | 350 | Internal Medicine
All four editors of this title are extremely prominent in the field of PCOS. Although they are all U.S.-based, they are internationally renowned. The book includes the latest diagnostic criteria for PCOS, and comprises the most up to date information about the genetic features and pathogenesis of PCOS. The diagnostic criteria for PCOS took shape in 1990 following an NIH conference co-organized by Dr. Dunaif, resulting in her classic volume, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (1992). That title recommended diagnostic criteria of hyperandrogenism and chronic anovulation with the exclusion of specific disorder of the ovary, adrenal, and pituitary. These criteria dominated the field but were revised in 2003 by a working group of international experts at a conference in Rotterdam. Since then, it has become increasingly clear over the past several years that PCOS is a complex genetic disease resulting from the interaction of susceptibility genes and environmental factors. This volume critically reviews the methodological approaches and the evidence for various PCOS susceptibility genes. Additional familial phenotypes of PCOS and their potential genetic basis are also discussed. In all, this title is comprehensive and replete with the latest in expert recommendations on PCOS. This expert opinion remains critical to guiding practice in PCOS because sufficient data for evidence-based guidelines remains scarce.

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How I Became a Quant: Insights from 25 of Wall Street's Elite



How I Became a Quant: Insights from 25 of Wall Street's Elite
Richard R. Lindsey,Barry Schachter | 2007-07-09 00:00:00 | Wiley | 386 | Business Life
Praise for How I Became a Quant

"Led by two top-notch quants, Richard R. Lindsey and Barry Schachter, How I Became a Quant details the quirky world of quantitative analysis through stories told by some of today's most successful quants. For anyone who might have thought otherwise, there are engaging personalities behind all that number crunching!"
--Ira Kawaller, Kawaller & Co. and the Kawaller Fund

"A fun and fascinating read. This book tells the story of how academics, physicists, mathematicians, and other scientists became professional investors managing billions."
--David A. Krell, President and CEO, International Securities Exchange

"How I Became a Quant should be must reading for all students with a quantitative aptitude. It provides fascinating examples of the dynamic career opportunities potentially open to anyone with the skills and passion for quantitative analysis."
--Roy D. Henriksson, Chief Investment Officer, Advanced Portfolio Management

"Quants"--those who design and implement mathematical models for the pricing of derivatives, assessment of risk, or prediction of market movements--are the backbone of today's investment industry. As the greater volatility of current financial markets has driven investors to seek shelter from increasing uncertainty, the quant revolution has given people the opportunity to avoid unwanted financial risk by literally trading it away, or more specifically, paying someone else to take on the unwanted risk.

How I Became a Quant reveals the faces behind the quant revolution, offering you?the?chance to learn firsthand what it's like to be a?quant today. In this fascinating collection of Wall Street war stories, more than two dozen quants detail their roots, roles, and contributions, explaining what they do and how they do it, as well as outlining the sometimes unexpected paths they have followed from the halls of academia to the front lines of an investment revolution.
Reviews
It is interesting to read these tales in light of the financial disaster of recent times. These babes in the woods have destroyed our economy and any moral underpinnings of the banking industry. I recommend reading this in conjunction with the new book by Scott Patterson.
Reviews
The stories are pretty good at first but they start to all sound very similar after the first 5 or 6.
Reviews
I really enjoyed the personal insight into the 20 quants spotlighted in this book. There are so many brilliant minds featured on CNBC and Bloomberg TV and these guys are on there all the time. So it was interesting to read about so many of them and how they stumbled upon being the best and brightest at the forefront of their industry. It really is a must read if you are thinking about going into financial math or if you just want some insight into the masterminds of financial mathematics.
Reviews
THe book is boring! talks about history of the elite's and thier transition from nerds to quants. Most of the stuff doesn't even makes sense as all they talk about is thier work in physics and its importance.
Reviews
I almost threw the book away when reading the first chapter. The first chapter of any book is very important. I don't understand usingr what criteria the editors of the book had to choose someone whose writing is so uninspiring and even annoying. Especially, the tone of his writing is inappropriate and too casual; is the person really serious? While I admit that that person was smart enough to be succuessful as a quant as he started the new career, I don't sense any degree of seriesness or struggle involving his life-changing decision to become a quant. He might have to be smarter to appreciate that not everyone is smart as he is.



Other than the first chapter, I utterly enjoyed some variety of people's experiences. It is very good to have certain variety. However, the book offers too much variety as to completely lose the focus. For the reader's point (people with no finances backgroud), the most crucial thing is to have some hope that (even) they can be successful and some assurance that what they are preparing to become quants is relevant. In that senese, the book title "How I became a quant" is absolutely misleading.

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Watching Earth from Space: How Surveillance Helps Us -- and Harms Us



Watching Earth from Space: How Surveillance Helps Us -- and Harms Us
Pat Norris | 2010-01-01 00:00:00 | Praxis | 285 | Aeronautical Engineering
Our planet is constantly monitored by hundreds of space-borne instruments. This book describes the technology of those instruments and the sciences that provide useful information from them. It also discusses the political implications of space-borne monitoring. From the moment satellites were launched into orbit their ability to see what was happening on a global scale was appreciated — and feared. This well researched book strives to answer such diverse questions as: Are satellites really a threat to individual privacy? How bad, really, is climate change and global warming? Why can’t we find Osama bin Laden? Does the world have enough fresh water? The military side of the story is linked to the big security issues that we face, such as terrorism and civil wars. The civilian side of the story involves numerous successful collaborations in weather forecasting, navigation, communications, and other such "peaceful" uses of satellite surveillance. How the world handles the knowledge gained from these Earth watchers will be critical in the years to come, and Norris skillfully leads us through the issues and possible paths we can take.
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Organisational Learning and Management Accounting Systems: A Study of Local Government (Strategic Resource Management Series)



Organisational Learning and Management Accounting Systems: A Study of Local Government (Strategic Resource Management Series)
Maria Italia,Judy Oliver,Albie Brooks,Louise Kloot | 1900-01-01 00:00:00 | UNSW Press | 54 | Management

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Computer-Aided Forensic Facial Comparison



Computer-Aided Forensic Facial Comparison
Martin Paul Evison, Richard W. Vorder Bruegge | 2010-01-01 00:00:00 | CRC Press | 209 | Law
Countless facial images are generated everyday through digital and cell phone cameras, surveillance video systems, webcams, and traditional film and broadcast video. As a result, law enforcement and intelligence agencies have numerous opportunities to acquire and analyze images that depict persons of interest. Computer-Aided Forensic Facial Comparison is a comprehensive exploration of the scientific, technical, and statistical challenges facing researchers investigating courtroom identification from facial images.

Supported by considerable background material, research data, and prototypic statistical and applications software, this volume brings together contributions from anthropologists, computer scientists, forensic scientists, and statisticians. Topics discussed include:

Face database collection in 3D
Error and distinguishing power associated with craniofacial landmarks
Statistical analysis of face shape variation
Comparison of instrumentation
Court admissibility issues
Missing data
Computer applications development

Based on the quantification and analysis of more than 3000 facial images, this seminal work lays the foundation for future forensic facial comparison, computer applications development, and research in face shape variation and analysis. Using experimental and real case data, it demonstrates the influence of illumination, image resolution, perspective, and pose angle on landmark visibility. Two DVDs are included which contain the raw 3D landmark datasets for 3000 faces, additional datasets used in 2D analysis, and computer programs and spreadsheets used in analysis and in the development of prototypic applications software.
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