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How to Resist Amazon and Why: The Fight for Local Economics, Data Privacy, Fair Labor, Independent Bookstores, and a People-Powered Future! (Real World)
by Danny CaineWhen a company's workers are literally dying on the job, when their business model relies on preying on local businesses and even their own vendors, when their CEO is the richest person in the world while their workers make low wages with impossible quotas... wouldn't you want to resist? Danny Caine, owner of Raven Book Store in Lawrence, Kansas has been an outspoken critic of the seemingly unstoppable Goliath of the bookselling world: Amazon. In this book, he lays out the case for shifting our personal money and civic investment away from global corporate behemoths and to small, local, independent businesses. Well-researched and lively, his tale covers the history of big box stores, the big political drama of delivery, and the perils of warehouse work. He shows how Amazon's ruthless discount strategies mean authors, publishers, and even Amazon themselves can lose money on every book sold. And he spells out a clear path to resistance, in a world where consumers are struggling to get by. In-depth research is interspersed with charming personal anecdotes from bookstore life, making this a readable, fascinating, essential book for the 2020s.
How to Resist Amazon and Why: The Fight for Local Economics, Data Privacy, Fair Labor, Independent Bookstores, and a People-Powered Future!
by Danny CaineWhen a company's workers are literally dying on the job, when their business model relies on preying on local businesses and even their own vendors, when their CEO is the richest person in the world while their workers make low wages with impossible quotas... wouldn't you want to resist? Danny Caine, owner of Raven Book Store in Lawrence, Kansas has been an outspoken critic of the seemingly unstoppable Goliath of the bookselling world: Amazon. In this book, he lays out the case for shifting our personal money and civic investment away from global corporate behemoths and to small, local, independent businesses. Well-researched and lively, his tale covers the history of big box stores, the big political drama of delivery, and the perils of warehouse work. He shows how Amazon's ruthless discount strategies mean authors, publishers, and even Amazon themselves can lose money on every book sold. And he spells out a clear path to resistance, in a world where consumers are struggling to get by. In-depth research is interspersed with charming personal anecdotes from bookstore life, making this a readable, fascinating, essential book for the 2020s.
How to Sell Anything Online: The Ultimate Marketing Playbook to Grow Your Online Business
by Anaita SarkarAre you ready to supercharge your sales? When it comes to growing a business, it's no longer about what you sell, but how you sell it. Whether you’re just starting out, upgrading your side hustle or wanting to grow your existing business, your success depends on your sales. How to Sell Anything Online reveals the most successful marketing strategies from some of the best online businesses around the world. From content marketing and ads for Facebook, TikTok, Google and Instagram to influencer marketing, website optimisation and SEO, this book will be your go-to business sidekick. Anaita Sarkar, cofounder and CEO of Hero Packaging and founder of marketing company Sell Anything Online, shares a comprehensive toolkit of online actions and tips that you can put in motion immediately. With the help of case studies from experts across the industry, you’ll learn how to: Reinforce the foundational pillars that every small business needs for success. Create brand awareness and seamlessly convert your audience into loyal customers using a simple, proven marketing funnel. Maximise how different social media platforms are used to propel your business forward. Discover the “magic bucket” strategies for treating your customers like VIPs, building a community and developing brand ambassadors. Whether you’re mastering content creation, optimising email campaigns or exploring influencer collaborations, this guide has you covered. With How to Sell Anything Online, you’ll discover the secret sauce for consistent, profitable sales growth!
How to Solve Real-world Optimization Problems: From Theory to Practice (SpringerBriefs in Operations Research)
by Eugene J. ZakWritten by an experienced operations research practitioner with a strong applied mathematics background, this book offers practical insights into how to approach optimization problems, how to develop intelligent and efficient mathematical models and algorithms, and how to implement and deliver software products to customers. With a focus on revealing the similarities and differences between academia and industry in mathematical modeling, the book provides useful tips and advice based on the author’s extensive experience as a principal developer working to solve real-world optimization problems for several major high-tech companies.The book offers valuable food for thought for researchers and practical guidance for graduate students preparing for their future projects in the industry. It is also an essential resource for practitioners working in the industrial, business, and service sectors.
How to Speak Machine: Computational Thinking for the Rest of Us
by John MaedaVisionary designer and technologist John Maeda defines the fundamental laws of how computers think, and why you should care even if you aren't a programmer."Maeda is to design what Warren Buffett is to finance." --WiredJohn Maeda is one of the world's preeminent interdisciplinary thinkers on technology and design. In How to Speak Machine, he offers a set of simple laws that govern not only the computers of today, but the unimaginable machines of the future. Technology is already more powerful than we can comprehend, and getting more powerful at an exponential pace. Once set in motion, algorithms never tire. And when a program's size, speed, and tirelessness combine with its ability to learn and transform itself, the outcome can be unpredictable and dangerous. Take the seemingly instant transformation of Microsoft's chatbot Tay into a hate-spewing racist, or how crime-predicting algorithms reinforce racial bias.How to Speak Machine provides a coherent framework for today's product designers, business leaders, and policymakers to grasp this brave new world. Drawing on his wide-ranging experience from engineering to computer science to design, Maeda shows how businesses and individuals can identify opportunities afforded by technology to make world-changing and inclusive products--while avoiding the pitfalls inherent to the medium.
How to Speak Tech
by Vinay Trivedi"A great book everyone can use to understand how tech startups work. " --Rene Reinsberg, GM/VP at GoDaddy, CEO and Co-founder at Locu "Finally a book non-techies can use to understand the web technologies that are changing our lives. " --Paul Bottino, Executive Director, Technology and Entrepreneurship Center, Harvard University "Through the simplicity of his presentation, Vinay shows that the basics of technology can be straightforwardly understood by anyone who puts in the time and effort to learn. " --Joseph Lassiter, Professor of Management Science, Harvard Business School and Harvard Innovation Lab In a way that anyone can understand, How to Speak Tech: The Non-Techie''s Guide to Tech Basics in Business spells out the essential technical terms and technologies involved in setting up a company''s website or web application. Nontechnical business readers will find their digital literacy painlessly improved with each ten-minute chapter of this illustrative story of one successful technology startup building its Web-based business from scratch. Vinay Trivedi--a private equity analyst and startup entrepreneur who works at the intersection of business and tech--employs the startup story line as his frame for explaining in plain language the technology behind our daily user experiences, the successful strategies of social media giants, the bold aspirations of tiny startups, and the competitive adaptations of ordinary businesses of all sizes and sectors. Along the way, he demystifies all those tech buzzwords in our business culture whose precise meanings are so often elusive even to the people using them. Internet hardware, application software, and business process: the working premise of this book is that none of it is beyond the basic understanding of nontechnical business readers. Trivedi peels back the mystery, explains it all in simplest terms, and gives his readers the wherewithal to listen intelligently and speak intelligibly when the subject turns to technology in business. What you''ll learn Website hosts and programming languages for web apps on the backend Performance and scalability APIs, open-source programs, feeds, and database management Design and display on the front end Who this book is for Primary readership: nontechnical business people who want to firm up their understanding of the technology of the Internet and their fluency with technical terms in widespread use in the business world. Secondary readership: Digital immigrants in the general-interest mainstream who are looking for a short, accessible, and comprehensive treatment of Internet technology and business to inform their personal experience as consumers and generators of Internet content and value. Table of Contents Chapter 1. The Internet Chapter 2. Hosting and the Cloud Chapter 3. The Back End: Programming Languages Chapter 4. The Front End: Presentation Chapter 5. Databases: The Model Chapter 6. Leveraging Existing Code: APIs, Libraries, Web Services, and Open-Source Projects Chapter 7. Software Development: Working in Teams Chapter 8. Software Development: The Process Chapter 9. Software Development: Debugging and Testing Chapter 10. Promotion and Tracking: Attracting and Understanding Your Users Chapter 11. Performance and Scalability Chapter 12. Security Threats: To Defend and Protect
How to Speak Tech: The Non-Techie’s Guide to Key Technology Concepts
by Vinay TrivediThings you’ve done online: ordered a pizza, checked the weather, booked a hotel, and reconnected with long-lost friends. Now it’s time to find out how these things work. Vinay Trivedi peels back the mystery of the Internet, explains it all in the simplest terms, and gives you the knowledge you need to speak confidently when the subject turns to technology. This revised second edition of How to Speak Tech employs the strategy of the popular first edition: through the narrative of setting up a fictitious startup, it introduces you to essential tech concepts. New tech topics that were added in this edition include the blockchain, augmented and virtual reality, Internet of Things, and artificial intelligence.The author’s key message is: technology isn’t beyond the understanding of anyone! By breaking down major tech concepts involved with a modern startup into bite-sized chapters, the author’s approach helps you understand topics that aren’t always explained clearly and shows you that they aren’t rocket science. So go ahead, grab this book, start to “speak tech,” and hold your own in any tech-related conversation!What You'll LearnUnderstand the basics of new and established technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence (AI), augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR), Internet of Things (IoT), software development, programming languages, databases, and moreListen intelligently and speak confidently when technologies are brought up in your businessBe confident in your grasp of terms and technologies when setting up your own organization's applicationWho This Book Is ForStudents who want to understand different technologies relevant to their future careers at startups and established organizations, as well as business and other non-technical professionals who encounter and require an understanding of key technical terms and trends to succeed in their rolesReviews“Finally, a book non-techies can use to understand the technologies that are changing our lives.” Paul Bottino, Executive Director, Technology and Entrepreneurship Center, Harvard University“A great book everyone can use to understand how tech startups work.” Rene Reinsberg, Founder at Celo; Former VP of Emerging Products, GoDaddy“Through the simplicity of his presentation, Vinay shows that the basics of technology can be straightforwardly understood by anyone who puts in the time and effort to learn.” Joseph Lassiter, Professor of Management Science, Harvard Business School and Harvard Innovation Lab
How to Stand Up to a Dictator: The Fight for Our Future
by Maria RessaIntroduction by Amal ClooneyFrom the recipient of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, an impassioned and inspiring memoir of a career spent holding power to account. Maria Ressa is one of the most renowned international journalists of our time. For decades, she challenged corruption and malfeasance in her native country, the Philippines, on its rocky path from an authoritarian state to a democracy. As a reporter from CNN, she transformed news coverage in her region, which led her in 2012 to create a new and innovative online news organization, Rappler. Harnessing the emerging power of social media, Rappler crowdsourced breaking news, found pivotal sources and tips, harnessed collective action for climate change, and helped increase voter knowledge and participation in elections. But by their fifth year of existence, Rappler had gone from being lauded for its ideas to being targeted by the new Philippine government, and made Ressa an enemy of her country’s most powerful man: President Duterte. Still, she did not let up, tracking government seeded disinformation networks which spread lies to its own citizens laced with anger and hate. Hounded by the state and its allies using the legal system to silence her, accused of numerous crimes, and charged with cyberlibel for which she was found guilty, Ressa faces years in prison and thousands in fines. There is another adversary Ressa is battling. How to Stand Up to a Dictator is also the story of how the creep towards authoritarianism, in the Phillipines and around the world, has been aided and abetted by the social media companies. Ressa exposes how they have allowed their platforms to spread a virus of lies that infect each of us, pitting us against one another, igniting, even creating, our fears, anger, and hate, and how this has accelerated the rise of authoritarians and dictators around the world. She maps a network of disinformation—a heinous web of cause and effect—that has netted the globe: from Duterte’s drug wars to America's Capitol Hill; Britain’s Brexit to Russian and Chinese cyber-warfare; Facebook and Silicon Valley to our own clicks and votes.Democracy is fragile. How to Stand Up to a Dictator is an urgent cry for Western readers to recognize and understand the dangers to our freedoms before it is too late. It is a book for anyone who might take democracy for granted, written by someone who never would. And in telling her dramatic and turbulent and courageous story, Ressa forces readers to ask themselves the same question she and her colleagues ask every day: What are you willing to sacrifice for the truth?
How to Start a Blog that People Will Read
by Mike OmarEvaluate business ideas much more intelligently once you've gone through this whole process. This is because you will understand the fundamentals of keyword research & analysis, traffic & lead generation, social & affiliate marketing, monetization & conversion testing, and traffic analysis. These skills will help you immensely in ANY business you ever decide to start.
How to Start and Grow a Successful Podcast: Tips, Techniques and True Stories from Podcasting Pioneers
by Gilly SmithThe only guide you need to build a podcast from scratch with tips, techniques and stories from the pioneers of podcasting, by expert and early adopter Gilly Smith. From This American Life's Ira Glass and George the Poet to the teams behind My Dad Wrote a Porno and Table Manners with Jessie Ware, this practical book is packed full of exclusive, behind-the-scenes advice and informative, inspiring stories that will teach you how to tell the greatest stories in the world.This is a comprehensive yet accessible and warmly written book for creatives who are striving to understand how their content could be successfully turned into a podcast, from conception through to execution, distribution, marketing and monetising. It covers:- Recognising who your show is for, deciding what it is about and where to find inspiration.- Deciding on the format and working on structure and script.- Hosting, casting and interview techniques.- Production expertise - from equipment you'll need to editorial tips and determining the ideal length of your show.- Distribution - deciding on a release schedule, show art, metadata and how to distribute. - Growing your podcast - promotion and building community among fans. With original material throughout, case studies from podcasters across genres and a companion podcast featuring interviews with the pioneers, this is a first in guides to podcasting.
How to Start and Grow a Successful Podcast: Tips, Techniques and True Stories from Podcasting Pioneers
by Gilly SmithThe only guide you need to build a podcast from scratch with tips, techniques and stories from the pioneers of podcasting, by expert and early adopter Gilly Smith. From This American Life's Ira Glass and George the Poet to the teams behind My Dad Wrote a Porno and Table Manners with Jessie Ware, this practical book is packed full of exclusive, behind-the-scenes advice and informative, inspiring stories that will teach you how to tell the greatest stories in the world.This is a comprehensive yet accessible and warmly written book for creatives who are striving to understand how their content could be successfully turned into a podcast, from conception through to execution, distribution, marketing and monetising. It covers:- Recognising who your show is for, deciding what it is about and where to find inspiration.- Deciding on the format and working on structure and script.- Hosting, casting and interview techniques.- Production expertise - from equipment you'll need to editorial tips and determining the ideal length of your show.- Distribution - deciding on a release schedule, show art, metadata and how to distribute. - Growing your podcast - promotion and building community among fans. With original material throughout, case studies from podcasters across genres and a companion podcast featuring interviews with the pioneers, this is a first in guides to podcasting.
How to Start and Grow a Successful Podcast: Tips, Techniques and True Stories from Podcasting Pioneers
by Gilly SmithThe only guide you need to build a podcast from scratch with tips, techniques and stories from the pioneers of podcasting, by expert and early adopter Gilly Smith. From This American Life's Ira Glass and George the Poet to the teams behind My Dad Wrote a Porno and Table Manners with Jessie Ware, this practical book is packed full of exclusive, behind-the-scenes advice and informative, inspiring stories that will teach you how to tell the greatest stories in the world.This is a comprehensive yet accessible and warmly written book for creatives who are striving to understand how their content could be successfully turned into a podcast, from conception through to execution, distribution, marketing and monetising. It covers:- Recognising who your show is for, deciding what it is about and where to find inspiration.- Deciding on the format and working on structure and script.- Hosting, casting and interview techniques.- Production expertise - from equipment you'll need to editorial tips and determining the ideal length of your show.- Distribution - deciding on a release schedule, show art, metadata and how to distribute. - Growing your podcast - promotion and building community among fans. With original material throughout, case studies from podcasters across genres and a companion podcast featuring interviews with the pioneers, this is a first in guides to podcasting.
How to Start and Operate a Digital Portrait Photography Studio
by Lou JacobsTwenty successful studio owners offer their expertise to aspiring professional photographers in this guide to operating a digital portrait studio. Every element of a thriving studio is covered, from choosing a location and determining a budget to selecting computer equipment and streamlining the digital work flow. Details on selecting backgrounds, sets, and props that set a studio apart and advice on lighting patterns, posing, and clothing selection help photographers ensure that they produce client-pleasing images and return customers. Customer service tips on creating comfortable waiting and viewing areas are included to help photographers set up an attractive space to better profit from their artistic skills.
How to Start and Run an Internet Business 2nd Edition
by Carol Anne StrangeThis is the 2nd edition of this practical guide to establishing a profitable online business. It includes business ideas, case studies, suggestions for creating a visible web presence, tips for gaining and maintaining customers, and everything else you need to know to set-up and run a successful online venture. Anyone looking to generate some extra income through their computer will benefit from this guide. Only basic computer and internet skills are needed for this guide. It provides an advice for established businesses looking to fully harness the power of the internet.
How to Start and Run an Internet Business 2nd Edition
by Carol Anne StrangeThis is the 2nd edition of this practical guide to establishing a profitable online business. It includes business ideas, case studies, suggestions for creating a visible web presence, tips for gaining and maintaining customers, and everything else you need to know to set-up and run a successful online venture. Anyone looking to generate some extra income through their computer will benefit from this guide. Only basic computer and internet skills are needed for this guide. It provides an advice for established businesses looking to fully harness the power of the internet.
How to Start Your Own Cybersecurity Consulting Business: First-Hand Lessons from a Burned-Out Ex-CISO
by Ravi DasThe burnout rate of a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is pegged at about 16 months. In other words, that is what the average tenure of a CISO is at a business. At the end of their stay, many CISOs look for totally different avenues of work, or they try something else – namely starting their own Cybersecurity Consulting business. Although a CISO might have the skill and knowledge set to go it alone, it takes careful planning to launch a successful Cyber Consulting business. This ranges all the way from developing a business plan to choosing the specific area in Cybersecurity that they want to serve. How to Start Your Own Cybersecurity Consulting Business: First-Hand Lessons from a Burned-Out Ex-CISO is written by an author who has real-world experience in launching a Cyber Consulting company. It is all-encompassing, with coverage spanning from selecting which legal formation is most suitable to which segment of the Cybersecurity industry should be targeted. The book is geared specifically towards the CISO that is on the verge of a total burnout or career change. It explains how CISOs can market their experience and services to win and retain key customers. It includes a chapter on how certification can give a Cybersecurity consultant a competitive edge and covers the five top certifications in information security: CISSP, CompTIA Security+, CompTIA CySA+, CSSP, and CISM. The book’s author has been in the IT world for more than 20 years and has worked for numerous companies in corporate America. He has experienced CISO burnout. He has also started two successful Cybersecurity companies. This book offers his own unique perspective based on his hard-earned lessons learned and shows how to apply them in creating a successful venture. It also covers the pitfalls of starting a consultancy, how to avoid them, and how to bounce back from any that prove unavoidable. This is the book for burned-out former CISOs to rejuvenate themselves and their careers by launching their own consultancies.
How to Stay Safe Online: A digital self-care toolkit for developing resilience and allyship
by Seyi AkiwowoA powerful, comprehensive guide to spotting, responding to and proactively defending yourself from online abuse - and learning how to be a good ally to those experiencing it.'The need-to-know, must-have and barrier breaking book on fighting online abuse that everyone must have a copy of' Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu'A book written from the front line of life online - heartfelt, heart-breaking, practical, brilliant' Richard Curtis ______________________________________ Digital spaces are a positive force for change, connection and community, but left unregulated, they are not always safe. Globally, women are 27 times more likely than men to be harassed online. Black women are 84% more likely to face online harassment than white. There has been a 71% rise in online disability abuse and 78% of LGBTQ+ people have experienced hate speech online. How to Stay Safe Online is an urgent, necessary digital self-care tool from leading activist for online equality Seyi Akiwowo. With a blend of practical advice, Seyi's personal experiences and interviews with Jameela Jamil, Hera Hussain, Laura Bates and Yassmin Abdel-Magied, this book will: * Provide practical tips on how to confidently navigate online spaces * Equip you with a range of responses to online abuse and how to effectively report * Teach you how to set boundaries and use the internet as a force for good* Empower friends, teachers and parents to help victims * Help you create your own digital self-care plan This will be the go-to guide to developing resilience, greater compassion for others and authentic allyship online. ______________________________________'Seyi Akiwowo's work to make the online world safer, especially for Black women, is not only powerful, it's necessary' Nova Reid 'This helpful book is a crucial companion' Emma Gannon 'No one should be using the internet without having read this book' Alex Holder 'Accessible, empowering and potentially life-changing [...] everyone should read' Laura Bates'Seyi is one of the most important voices of our generation [...] I hope this book gets added to the national curriculum' Poppy Jamie
How to Stay Smart in a Smart World: Why Human Intelligence Still Beats Algorithms
by Gerd GigerenzerHow to stay in charge in a world populated by algorithms that beat us in chess, find us romantic partners, and tell us to &“turn right in 500 yards.&”Doomsday prophets of technology predict that robots will take over the world, leaving humans behind in the dust. Tech industry boosters think replacing people with software might make the world a better place—while tech industry critics warn darkly about surveillance capitalism. Despite their differing views of the future, they all agree: machines will soon do everything better than humans. In How to Stay Smart in a Smart World, Gerd Gigerenzer shows why that&’s not true, and tells us how we can stay in charge in a world populated by algorithms. Machines powered by artificial intelligence are good at some things (playing chess), but not others (life-and-death decisions, or anything involving uncertainty). Gigerenzer explains why algorithms often fail at finding us romantic partners (love is not chess), why self-driving cars fall prey to the Russian Tank Fallacy, and how judges and police rely increasingly on nontransparent &“black box&” algorithms to predict whether a criminal defendant will reoffend or show up in court. He invokes Black Mirror, considers the privacy paradox (people want privacy, but give their data away), and explains that social media get us hooked by programming intermittent reinforcement in the form of the &“like&” button. We shouldn&’t trust smart technology unconditionally, Gigerenzer tells us, but we shouldn&’t fear it unthinkingly, either.
How to Stop a Hijacking: Critical Thinking in Civil Aviation Security
by Clay W. BilesHijackings and bombings have plagued civil aviation since 1930 and air rage incidents are on the rise. While there is aircraft and inflight training available for air marshals, other first responders receive minimal training on inflight security awareness and protocols. There are no other resources currently available to flight crews or armed first responders that specifically address inflight security and how to address threats of disturbances on airplanes.How to Stop a Hijacking provides readers with fundamental principles on how to think more critically about onboard security threats. The aircraft cabin poses unique environment and security challenges, and first responders can apply security awareness and critical thinking skills to establish a safer environment in the cabin and airport for everyone onboard. The lessons in this book are driven with the central objective of teaching the reader how to counter inflight aggression and maintain tactical control of the cabin. Written by a former federal air marshal instructor, this book looks at the recent rash of air rage incidents and violence on airplanes, in addition to the real and ever-present threat of hijack or potential explosive device.How to Stop a Hijacking is a practical guide that offers methodological and tactically proven strategies for stopping violent acts onboard an aircraft inflight.
How to Survive a Data Breach: A Pocket Guide
by Stewart MitchellData breaches are, for most organizations, a crushing blow to their customers' and staff's confidence in them, to their reputation and brand value, and to the career prospects of senior executives. A data breach may be an even bigger calamity to the individuals whose data has been exposed to Internet criminals, to the press and, possibly, to malicious and ill-wishing acquaintances. Identity theft is a growing problem, and one which is inadequately policed. Individuals whose personal and/or financial data has been breached can find that their credit histories are compromised, and may have to spend years and substantial sums clearing their names. Those organizations that have a tried and tested procedure in place for dealing with data breaches will not only put themselves in a position to obey the current and emerging data breach legislation but, more importantly, will enable themselves to win back some respect from the customers whose data has been breached. This pocket guide provides essential support for organizations tackling this mission. The information is drawn from various regulatory publications, and interviews with security experts, lawyers and software suppliers.
How to Survive a Quarter-Life Crisis: A Comfort Blanket for Twenty-Somethings
by Hattie HamiltonMy 'life goals before 25' when I was 20: mortgage, become an MD or social media sensation, have good hair, have my own sustainable coffee shop, travel to 98 countries.My life goals on the eve of my 25th birthday: afford my rent without getting overdrawn this month, get at least two likes on my Instagram post on my new shoes, remember to pluck nose hairs before work, stop mislaying my refillable coffee cup, visit my parents once a month.Is it just me, or does everyone else have their shit together?Believe me, you’re not alone! If you’re having sleepless nights about your latest social media post, think that you’re a bit of a loser in love, or have a job that you hate (but you need the money and there are no full-time poet positions out there), then this book is your life-jacket and comfort blanket rolled into one sweet package. Learn why you’re not the failure you think you are, and why actually you’re well on your way to being a flawed-but-brilliant grown-up, as this guide helps you navigate your way through the choppy waters of your quarter-life crisis.
How to Take Awesome Photos of Cats
by Andrew MarttilaA fun and practical guide to taking the perfect pics of your cat from the photographer of Cats on Catnip -- a great gift for the feline fanatic in your life. If you or someone you know loves a cat, chances are they love taking pictures of their cat, too. But cats can be tricky little guys to photograph -- they move quickly when you want them to stay still and are sedentary logs when you're going in for an action shot. Add to that all the variables of shooting indoors vs. outdoors, and it can be a difficult job. Enter How to Take Awesome Photos of Cats, where professional cat photographer and popular Instagrammer Andrew Marttila (Cats on Catnip, Shop Cats of New York) walks you through all the steps you need to know to take perfect photos of your favorite feline. This lighthearted, gifty guide includes dozens of photos and shares practical information for both amateur photographers and experts alike, all told in a fun, accessible, and lighthearted way. Whether you're looking to take better photos with your phone or you're trying to master the settings on your digital camera, this is the book that tells you everything you need to know to take awesome snaps of cats.
How to Take Great Digital Photos of Your Friend's Wedding
by Patrick RiceArmed with a digital camera, wedding attendees can create snapshots of the their friend's big day with the camera, lighting, posing, and composition skills taught in this step-by-step manual. Beginning with a discussion of digital capture basics and how to ensure the best possible exposure by selecting the appropriate ISO settings, photographers learn how to create the setting that produces the best results under any lighting conditions. Posing is also covered so that, armed with some general principles and strategies, amateur photographers can greatly improve their sense of portraiture. Sections on unusual situations teach readers how to make the best of mixed lighting conditions, flatter subjects, avoid exposure problems, and use the flash indoors; while tips on using Adobe Photoshop Elements help photographers give their photographs that professional edge.
How to Talk about Videogames (Electronic Mediations #47)
by Ian BogostVideogames! Aren&’t they the medium of the twenty-first century? The new cinema? The apotheosis of art and entertainment, the realization of Wagnerian gesamtkunstwerk? The final victory of interaction over passivity? No, probably not. Games are part art and part appliance, part tableau and part toaster. In How to Talk about Videogames, leading critic Ian Bogost explores this paradox more thoroughly than any other author to date.Delving into popular, familiar games like Flappy Bird, Mirror&’s Edge, Mario Kart, Scribblenauts, Ms. Pac-Man, FarmVille, Candy Crush Saga, Bully, Medal of Honor, Madden NFL, and more, Bogost posits that videogames are as much like appliances as they are like art and media. We don&’t watch or read games like we do films and novels and paintings, nor do we perform them like we might dance or play football or Frisbee. Rather, we do something in-between with games. Games are devices we operate, so game critique is both serious cultural currency and self-parody. It is about figuring out what it means that a game works the way it does and then treating the way it works as if it were reasonable, when we know it isn&’t.Noting that the term games criticism once struck him as preposterous, Bogost observes that the idea, taken too seriously, risks balkanizing games writing from the rest of culture, severing it from the &“rivers and fields&” that sustain it. As essential as it is, he calls for its pursuit to unfold in this spirit: &“God save us from a future of games critics, gnawing on scraps like the zombies that fester in our objects of study.&”
How to Talk to Your Computer (Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science 2)
by Seymour SimonRead and find out about the basics of computer language in this colorfully illustrated nonfiction picture book.Have you ever wondered how to get a computer to do something? First you need to speak in a way it can understand! Read and find out all about how to talk to your computer in this updated edition with new illustrations and simple engaging text that introduces conditions, loops, and functions.How to Talk to Your Computer comes packed with visual aids like charts, sidebars, an infographic, and a computer-less coding activity. This updated 2019 edition was vetted by Dr. Justin Solomon, Assistant Professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.This is a clear and appealing science book for early elementary age kids, both at home and in the classroom. It's a Level 2 Let's-Read-and-Find-Out, which means the book explores more challenging concepts for children in the primary grades. The 100+ titles in this leading nonfiction series are:hands-on and visualacclaimed and trustedgreat for classroomsTop 10 reasons to love LRFOs:Entertain and educate at the same timeHave appealing, child-centered topicsDevelopmentally appropriate for emerging readersFocused; answering questions instead of using survey approachEmploy engaging picture book quality illustrationsUse simple charts and graphics to improve visual literacy skillsFeature hands-on activities to engage young scientistsMeet national science education standardsWritten/illustrated by award-winning authors/illustrators & vetted by an expert in the fieldOver 130 titles in print, meeting a wide range of kids' scientific interestsBooks in this series support the Common Core Learning Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) standards. Let's-Read-and-Find-Out is the winner of the American Association for the Advancement of Science/Subaru Science Books & Films Prize for Outstanding Science Series.