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Matchmaking for Psychopaths
by Tasha CoryellLove is a dangerous game when your clients are killers…from the bestselling author behind Love Letters to a Serial Killer.When Lexie's fiancé runs off with her so-called best friend on her birthday, her carefully crafted fairy-tale life shatters. Having survived horrors in her past, she was determined to finally get her happily-ever-after—and she's not giving up yet.To distract herself, Lexie throws herself into her unusual job: matchmaking psychopaths (a specialty her clients are blissfully unaware of). But the loneliness is crushing. So when a gorgeous, overprotective new client named Aidan insists they're soulmates, and another intriguing client, Rebecca, seems perfect to fill the best-friend-shaped hole in her life, Lexie can't help but find the attention comforting—despite her own professional boundaries.Then a human heart appears on Lexie's doorstep. As more threatening packages arrive and her fiancé mysteriously disappears, she must confront a terrifying question: did she inadvertently match herself with a killer? Between Aidan's claims that her fiancé will never return, Rebecca's growing presence in her life, and her own dark past resurfacing, Lexie's matchmaker instincts are being tested like never before.Because someone is determined to ensure her story ends with a funeral.
What Happened to the Naked Mole Rat?: A Graphic Novel (Class Pet Ghost Detective)
by Akeem S. RobertsThe first book in a funny supernatural graphic novel series for early readers about an eight-year-old boy who solves mysteries with the ghost of his former class pet.Mr. Pebbles is dead, and everyone thinks it&’s Carter&’s fault!When Carter&’s third-grade class accuses him of killing the class pet, a naked mole rat named Mr. Pebbles who shivers a lot and smells a little funny, can Carter clear his name . . . with the help of Mr. Pebbles's ghost?
The Convenience Store by the Sea
by Sonoko Machida"An unexpected treasure . . . I will hold it close for when I need a reminder!" —Laurie Gilmore, bestselling author of The Pumpkin Spice Cafe The international bestseller with over half a million copies sold.Welcome to Tenderness!A quaint seaside town in Kitakyushu, Mojiko is full of hidden delights. And one unexpected treasure is the 24/7 convenience store, Tenderness.Sure, it's a bit odd that the incredibly handsome manager has his own fan club. And perhaps the customers are somewhat eccentric, if not entertaining. But there's a warmth about the store that draws you in.The truth is, Tenderness is different. Operating only in Kyushu, Tenderness stands firm and proud by its motto &“Caring for People, Caring for You&”, no matter the cause. And for Mitsuhiko, dishing out delicious food is simply the appetizer to his unsolicited but hearty wisdom on the town&’s shenanigans.An international bestseller with over half a million copies sold between Japan and South Korea, The Convenience Store by The Sea tells the delightfully quirky and heartfelt stories of the store&’s customers and employees, offering us all a unique recipe for a good, fulfilling life.
The Aviator and the Showman: Amelia Earhart, George Putnam, and the Marriage that Made an American Icon
by Laurie Gwen ShapiroCBS Sunday Morning Summer Book Report Pick • New York Times &“Books to Read in July&” • A Town and Country Best Book of July • An Amazon Best Book of July • A Barnes & Noble Best Book of July • A BookBub Beach Read Pick&“Laurie Gwen Shapiro has dug deep into the archives, and emerged with an exhilarating tale of the adventurous life of Amelia Earhart and the remarkable relationship that helped to forge her legend. Yet Shapiro goes even further—stripping away the myths and revealing something far more profound and intricate and true. The Aviator and the Showman is one terrific book.&”—David Grann, New York Times bestselling author of The Wager and Killers of the Flower MoonThe riveting and cinematic story of a partnership that would change the world foreverIn 1928, a young social worker and hobby pilot named Amelia Earhart arrived in the office of George Putnam, heir to the Putnam & Sons throne and hitmaker, on the hunt for the right woman for a secret flying mission across the Atlantic. A partnership—professional and soon otherwise—was born.The Aviator and the Showman unveils the untold story of Amelia's decade-long marriage to George Putnam, offering an intimate exploration of their relationship and the pivotal role it played in her enduring legacy. Despite her outwardly modest and humble image, Amelia was fiercely driven and impossibly brave, a lifelong feminist and trailblazer in her personal and professional life. Putnam, the so-called &“PT Barnum of publishing&” was a bookselling visionary—but often pushed his authors to extreme lengths in the name of publicity, and no one bore that weight more than Amelia. Their ahead-of-its time partnership supported her grand ambitions—but also pressed her into more and more treacherous stunts to promote her books, influencing a certain recklessness up to and including her final flight. Earhart is a captivating figure to many, but the truth about her life is often overshadowed by myth and legend. In this cinematic new account, Laurie Gwen Shapiro emphasizes Earhart&’s multifaceted human side, her struggles, and her authentic aspirations, the truths behind her brave pursuits and the compromises she made to fit into societal expectations. Drawing from a trove of new sources including undiscovered audio interviews, The Aviator and the Showman is a gripping and passionate tale of adventure, colorful characters, hubris, and a complex and a vivid portrait of a marriage that shaped the trajectory of an iconic life.
A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping
by Sangu MandannaA whimsical and heartwarming novel about a witch who has a second chance to get her magical powers—and her life—back on track, from the national bestselling author of The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches.Sera Swan used to be one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her Guild. Now she (slightly reluctantly and just a bit grumpily) helps Jasmine run an enchanted inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guests' shenanigans, tries to keep said talking fox in check, and longs for the future that seems lost to her. But then she finds out about an old spell that could hold the key to restoring her power…Enter Luke Larsen, handsome and icy magical historian, who arrives on a dark winter evening and just might know how to unlock the spell&’s secrets. Luke has absolutely no interest in getting involved in the madcap goings-on of the inn and is definitely not about to let a certain bewitching innkeeper past his walls, so no one is more surprised than he is when he agrees to help Sera with her spell. Worse, he might actually be thawing.Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and staying one step ahead of the watchful Guild is a lot for anyone, but Sera Swan is about to discover that she doesn&’t have to do it alone...and that the weird, wonderful family she&’s made might be the best magic of all.
Atonement Sky (Psy-Changeling Trinity)
by Nalini SinghThe hunt for a stealthy predator takes a damaged J-Psy to the heart of falcon territory in this new Psy-Changeling Trinity novel from New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh… Justice-Psy Eleri Dias knows the end is near for her, her mind one step away from fatal psychic exposure. In the short time that remains, she is determined to atone for an act of omission that has haunted her for a long, cruel decade. But that decision not only means facing a powerful changeling wing leader, but also putting herself in the path of a serial killer.Falcon wing leader Adam Garrett is fiercely protective of his family and his clan. After losing his parents as a teenager in a shocking act of malice, Adam has no forgiveness in him for the J-Psy who betrayed him, betrayed them, at the most painful moment of his life. But the evil that stalks his territory will allow him no respite, forcing him once more into contact with the J he has never been able to forget.Everything that could&’ve been between Eleri and Adam was lost years ago, a shimmering promise crushed. As they work to uncover a monster, the moment of reckoning looms ever closer. Soon, there may be no more time left for either atonement...or love…
Polecat Has a Superpower
by Jill EsbaumA factual (and funny) introduction to the polecat and its awesome, action-packed superpower, from the team that brought you Parrotfish Has a Superpower.The polecat has a super cool superpower you&’d probably never guess. Why? Well, first, he&’s usually only awake when the rest of us are sleeping! Second, he is NOT a baby skunk, despite what everyone says, so he can do more than spray his predators. And third, his superpower isn&’t something he normally shows to friends. But today he&’s happy to show you (and one nervous porcupine) what it is! After we get to know him of course.Will you be able to guess the superpower? Read this book to find out!Discover more wacky animal facts in Stinkbird Has a Superpower and Parrotfish Has a Superpower.
Radiances: Unpublished Essays on Gods, Kingship, and Images of the State (Medieval Societies, Religions, and Cultures)
by Ernst KantorowiczRadiances gathers previously unpublished essays by one of the greatest historians of the twentieth century. Although best known for The King's Two Bodies (1957), Ernst Kantorowicz's scholarly expertise ranged from classical antiquity to early modernity and from political pageantry to numismatics. These essays traverse the breadth of his expertise, exploring "radiations" of the themes that were central to his published work: sovereignty, theology, law, and iconography. The radiations in these engaging essays include the imagery of throne-sharing from the Hellenistic era and Pharaonic Egypt to early Christianity, coronation ceremonies in Byzantium and the West, the Carolingian and Burgundian Renaissances, the relationship between Rome and Christianity, the importance of history as a humanistic pursuit, and the significance of postage stamps in political myth-building. Robert E. Lerner discusses each essay's composition, themes, and place in Kantorowicz's oeuvre. Combining vast knowledge with intellectual delight, Radiances teems with the profound historical insights that distinguished Kantorowicz's scholarship.
Between the Sheets: Sexuality, Classified Advertising, and the Moral Threat to Press Freedom in France
by Hannah FrydmanBetween the Sheets reveals a space, hidden in plain sight in Third Republican Paris, where deviant sexualities and lives could be experimented with and financed, despite republican attempts at growing and norming the population through the heterosexual family. That space was the newspaper, which was not simply a tool of normalization and a site of "dominant discourse," as it has frequently been imagined. Reading between the lines, Hannah Frydman shows how, through the Belle Époque classifieds, the newspaper became a tool for living lives otherwise as information flowed from it not just vertically but also laterally, facilitating person-to-person communication. The sexual relationships, exchanges, and services enabled by this communication were far from utopian: Surviving and thriving outside of social norms often required exploiting others. Yet by attending to the lives and livelihoods enabled by the classifieds, ethical or otherwise, Between the Sheets demonstrates that, thanks to new innovations in media technologies, queer and nonnormative lives in this period were lived in the center as well as on the margins. It was this centrality, however, that inspired efforts to place new (moral) controls on mass cultural forms and technologies. After World War I, in an interwar moment often characterized as one of sexual liberation, the press's queerness was subjected to ever-increasing surveillance and control, with repercussions for press freedom writ large. These repercussions echo into our age of social media, with its promise of unfettered connection, which inspires repressive legislation to keep sexuality (and with it, freedom) in its crosshairs.
Reproducing Revolution: Women's Labor and the War in Kachinland
by Jenny HedströmIn Reproducing Revolution, Jenny Hedström explores the Kachin revolution in Myanmar from the perspective of female soldiers, female activists, and women displaced by the violence in northern Myanmar. Hedström argues that the household is an inherently gendered, militarized, and political space that impacts, and is in turn impacted by, the external conflict with which it coexists. In this context, women's everyday labor—the gendered work of childcare, farming, fighting, and forging connections both across households and between the household and the army and the nation—is key to revolutionary survival. Hedström calls this labor militarized social reproduction, and in Reproducing Revolution she demonstrates that such labor is critical to the military effort, and that warfare itself is shaped through everyday domestic action.
Unsilencing: The History and Legacy of the Bulgarian Gulag
by Lilia TopouzovaUnsilencing provides the first comprehensive study of Bulgaria's forced-labor camps, a network of repression that operated throughout the communist era from 1945 to 1989. Lilia Topouzova uncovers the hidden histories of these camps, often referred to as Bulgaria's "Little Siberia," where thousands were interned without trial, subjected to inhumane conditions, and silenced for decades.Drawing on two decades of archival research, oral history interviews with survivors and perpetrators, and an array of primary sources, Topouzova reconstructs the harrowing reality of life behind barbed wire. She explores how the communist regime systematically used these camps to suppress dissent, target minority groups, and instill fear across the population. Unsilencing presents detailed accounts of key sites like the Belene and Lovech camps, revealing the brutalities endured by prisoners and the lasting scars these places left on Bulgarian society.More than a historical recounting, Unsilencing examines the post-1989 period and how Bulgaria has grappled—or often failed to grapple—with its recent past. Topouzova assesses the country's efforts at transitional justice, including the short-lived truth commission and trials that sought to hold perpetrators accountable. She argues that the legacy of the gulag has been largely forgotten and deliberately obscured, leaving a vacuum in Bulgaria's collective memory that continues to affect its society and politics today.
Zone 23
by C. J. HopkinsA darkly comic dystopian satire about being human—all too human. In a post-catastrophic dystopian future—peaceful, prosperous, and corporate-controlled—non-conformity is a diagnosable disorder, and the human race is being genetically "corrected" to establish peace on Earth. However, Taylor, a Class 3 Anti-Social Person confined to Quarantine Zone 23, and Valentina, a Variant-Positive Normal from the upscale Residential Communities, have other plans for their future. Their rebellion against the forces of Normality is a hilarious, heartbreaking affirmation of the anarchic human spirit and a defiant departure from the norms of both the genre sci-fi and literary novel.
Hide and Shriek (Ghosts of Fear Street)
by R.L. StineA girl gets caught in a deadly game of hide-and-seek in this first book in the Ghosts of Fear Street series from the master of children&’s horror, R.L. Stine—now with a reimagined look!Do you believe in ghosts? Don&’t say no until you take a walk down Fear Street. Past the woods, where no birds sing. Past the lake, where something lurks beneath the water. Past the cemetery, where everyone is dying to meet you. New kid in town Randy discovers there&’s much more at stake than she thought in the town&’s annual after-dark game of hide-and-seek. Turns out, the seeker is the spirit of a long-dead kid from town, and anyone he tags &“it&” turns into a ghost! Even worse, the spectral seeker has a particular fondness for new kids…
Double Creature Feature (Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol)
by Andres MiedosoDesmond and Andres are on the edge of their seats in this twenty-fifth installment of Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol series!Grab some popcorn and soda—there&’s a double feature playing at the Kersville movie theater! But when the monster from the movie literally jumps out from the screen, it&’s up to the Ghost Patrol to send it home before the end credits roll. Double the movies, double the scares! With easy-to-read language and illustrations on almost every page, the Desmond Cole Ghost Patrol chapter books are perfect for emerging readers.
The Greatest Possible Good
by Ben BrooksThe hilarious, thought-provoking new novel from the Somerset Maugham and British Book Award-winning Ben Brooks. &‘A sharp-witted tragicomedy about money, morality, and a family teetering on the brink. A splendidly funny novel.&’ Jenny Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Pineapple Street 'Brooks is a frighteningly young talent.' Tim Key 'I love Ben Brooks.' Matt HaigHow much should one person give to make the world a better place? How much can one family take?&“I&’d like you to imagine that you&’re walking to work one day and you come upon a child drowning in a pool of water. But imagine that someone refused to jump in after the child on the grounds that it would ruin his three-hundred-pound pair of John Lobb loafers. We&’d consider them utterly immoral, would we not?&’ Arthur Candlewick spends three days in a disused mineshaft with only his son&’s drug stash, a book on the concept of &‘effective altruism&’ and a bottle of medium-priced Bordeaux for company. When he emerges, he has made the life-changing decision to become a good man. Deciding to sell the family timber business and give away his wealth to charity, Arthur&’s family become convinced that he has lost his mind. His university-bound daughter, Evangeline, wants to change the world but perhaps not at the cost of her own privileged life. His son, Emil, good at maths and not much else, becomes more distant than ever. And his wife, Yara, who arrives at airports four hours early and fears that AI and climate change will leave her children unemployed, just wants the doctor to run another brain scan on her husband. Incisive, hilarious and unflinchingly human, The Greatest Possible Good asks fundamental questions about what it means to live a good life while introducing the world to one of the great families of contemporary literature. &‘Ben Brooks is a magical imp who pumps out dark nuggets of poetry and makes you snort with laughter.&’ Noel Fielding &‘Brooks has the timing of a genius stand-up comic.&’ Richard Milward &‘Ben Brooks is a writer who genuinely excites me.&’ Colin Herd, 3:AM Magazine
One Yellow Eye: A Novel
by Leigh RadfordIn this heart-wrenching and unique spin on the zombie mythos, a brilliant scientist desperately searches for a cure after a devastating epidemic while also hiding a monumental secret—her undead husband. How far would you go to save your marriage? For British scientist Kesta Shelley, there is no limit. Having always preferred the company of microbes, Kesta has spent her life looking down the barrel of a microscope rather than cultivating personal relationships. But that changed when Kesta met Tim—her cheerleader, her best friend, her absolute everything. So, when he was one of the last people in London to be infected with a perplexing virus that left the city ravaged, Kesta went into triage mode. Though the government has rounded up and disposed of all the infected, Kesta is able to keep her husband (un)alive—and hidden—with resources from the hospital where she works. She spends her days reviewing biopsy slides and her evenings caring for him, but he&’s clearly declining. The sedatives aren&’t working like they used to, and his violent outbursts are becoming more frequent. As Kesta races against the clock, her colleagues start noticing changes in her behavior and appearance. She is withering away, self-medicating with alcohol, and has stopped attending her mandated ZARG (Zombie Apocalypse Recovery Group) meetings. Her care for Tim has spiraled into absolute obsession. There are whispers of a top-secret lab working on a cure, and Kesta clings to the possibility of being recruited like a lifeline. But can she save her husband before he is discovered? Or worse…will they trigger another outbreak?
Lavender Lies Bleeding (A Spice Shop Mystery)
by Leslie BudewitzAt Seattle Spice Shop, owner Pepper Reece has whipped up the perfect blend of food, friends, and flavor. But the sweet smell of success can be hazardous . . . Spring is in full bloom in Pike Place Market, where Pepper is celebrating lavender&’s culinary uses and planning a festival she hopes will become an annual event. When her friend Lavender Liz offers to share tips for promoting the much-loved—and occasionally maligned—herb, Pepper makes a trek to the charming town of Salmon Falls. But someone has badly damaged Liz&’s greenhouse, throwing a wrench in the feisty grower&’s plans for expansion. Suspicions quickly focus on an employee who&’s taken to the hills, though Liz herself is not convinced. Then Liz is found dead among her precious plants, stabbed by a pruning knife. In Salmon Falls, there&’s one in every pocket. Pepper digs in, untangling the tensions between Liz and a local restaurateur with eyes on a picturesque but neglected farm, a jealous ex-boyfriend determined to profit from Liz&’s success, and a local growers&’ cooperative. She&’s also hot on the scent of a trail of her own, sniffing out the history of her sweet dog, Arf. As Pepper&’s questions threaten to unearth secrets others desperately want to keep buried, danger creeps closer to her and those she loves. Can Pepper root out the killer, before someone nips her in the bud? Includes delicious recipes!
Down on the South Beach Drag: A Novel
by Mary Kathleen MehuronA poignant and irreverent coming-of-age tale of a queer young aspiring photographer in the &’70s torn between her love for her conservative family and her desire to be true to herself, perfect for fans of Daisy Jones and the Six.&“Glitter and grit . . . a steaming—and unforgettable—summer of initiation.&”—James M. Tabor, O. Henry Award winner and author of Blind Descent &“Quirky characters, unpredictable twists, a beautiful love story, and even an appearance by Bruce Springsteen . . . A joy to read!&”—Jacqueline Friedland, USA Today best-selling author of He Gets That From Me 1972, Jersey&’s Asbury Park. One red-headed girl with a camera, one washed-up old seaside resort, ninety days to decide whether she leaves . . . or finally belongs. Eighteen-year-old Maeve O&’Connor has one way out of her strict Irish-Catholic home: win a statewide photo contest and bolt for art school in Manhattan. She stakes everything on one restless summer in weather-worn Asbury Park, a boardwalk alive with sideshow performers, flickering neon lights, and bar bands chasing their break. Maeve&’s lens, and her pulse, lock onto Georgie, a singer in midnight eyeliner whose voice rattles the plywood walls and refuses every label the town tries to stamp on him. Through Georgie she finds a community of carnival artists, stage performers and night-shift musicians who treat one another like family because the world won&’t. But rumors spread fast in Asbury Park. Scathing newspaper headlines branding her a &“Lewd Voyeur,&” church busybodies judging her, and Maeve&’s own parents tugging her home.
101 Silly Halloween Jokes for Kids
by Editors of Ulysses PressLooking for some spook-tacular laughs this Halloween? Look no further... 101 Silly Halloween Jokes for Kids is filled with funny, delightful tricks and treats that ghost-loving, pumpkin-obsessed kids will howl over, share, and tell all season long.Discover the ultimate laugh-out-loud joke book for kids that's 100 percent about everyone's favorite time of year—Halloween! Inside, kids will find clean, fun jokes like: What does a vampire stand on when he gets out of the shower? A bat mat! What's the first thing ghosts do when they get in the car? Boo-ckle their seatbelts! What does a skeleton order at a restaurant? Spare ribs! What do sea monsters eat for lunch? Fish and ships. . . . .And many more! Whether you&’re a wizard of wordplay, a ghoulish giggler, or just someone who loves good old haunted hilarity, this book is the perfect addition to your library.
A Flower Traveled in My Blood: The Incredible True Story of the Grandmothers Who Fought to Find a Stolen Generation of Children
by Haley Cohen Gilliland&“[An] astonishing story…Powerful…Harrowing…Absorbing and lucid…You would have to harden your heart to be unmoved by the Abuelas&’ quest.&” —Jennifer Szalai, The New York Times &“Inspiring…A triumphant saga of ordinary people doing extraordinary things in the face of pure malevolence.&” —Hampton Sides • &“Enthralling…Written with the nail-biting verve of a thriller.&” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) • &“Extraordinary...A harrowing and timely reminder of what happens when democracy succumbs to despotism.&” —Adam Higginbotham • &“A heartbreaking and humane story of devotion and moral courage.&” —Robert Kolker • &“Piercing, emotional...Will resonate for generations.&” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) A remarkable new talent in narrative nonfiction delivers the epic true story of a group of courageous grandmothers who fought to find their grandchildren who were stolen.In the early hours of March 24, 1976, the streets of Buenos Aires rumble with tanks as soldiers seize the presidential palace and topple Argentina&’s leader. The country is now under the control of a military junta, with army chief Jorge Rafael Videla at the helm. With quiet support from the United States and tacit approval from much of Argentina&’s people, who are tired of constant bombings and gunfights, the junta swiftly launches the National Reorganization Process or El Proceso—a bland name masking their ruthless campaign to crush the political left and instill the country with &“Western, Christian&” values. The junta holds power until 1983 and decimates a generation. One of the military&’s most diabolical acts is kidnapping hundreds of pregnant women. After giving birth in captivity, the women are &“disappeared,&” and their babies secretly given to other families—many of them headed by police or military officers. For mothers of pregnant daughters and daughters-in-law, the source of their grief is twofold—the disappearances of their children, and the theft of their grandchildren. A group of fierce grandmothers forms the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo, dedicated to finding the stolen infants and seeking justice from a nation that betrayed them. At a time when speaking out could mean death, the Abuelas confront military officers and launch protests to reach international diplomats and journalists. They become detectives, adopting disguises to observe suspected grandchildren, and even work alongside a renowned American scientist to pioneer groundbreaking genetic tests. A Flower Traveled in My Blood is the rarest of nonfiction that reads like a novel and puts your heart in your throat. It is the product of years of extensive archival research and meticulous, original reporting. It marks the arrival of a blazing new talent in narrative journalism. In these pages, a regime tries to terrorize a country, but love prevails. The grandmothers&’ stunning stories reveal new truths about memory, identity, and family.
Konstruierte Wahrheiten: Wahrheit und Wissen im postfaktischen Zeitalter (ars digitalis)
by Thomas ZoglauerIn einer Welt, in der immer mehr Fake News verbreitet werden, wird es zunehmend schwieriger, Wahrheit und Lüge, Wissen und Meinung auseinanderzuhalten. Desinformationskampagnen werden nicht nur als ein politisches Problem wahrgenommen, vielmehr geht es in der Fake-News-Debatte auch um fundamentale philosophische Fragen: Was ist Wahrheit? Wie können wir sie erkennen? Gibt es so etwas wie objektive Fakten oder ist alles sozial konstruiert? Dieses Buch erklärt, wie Echokammern und alternative Weltbilder entstehen, es macht das postfaktische Denken für die gegenwärtige Wahrheitskrise verantwortlich und zeigt, wie wir einem drohenden Wahrheitsrelativismus entgehen können.
Demokratietheorien
by Manfred G. SchmidtDieses Lehrbuch analysiert klassische und moderne Demokratietheorien. Es spannt den Bogen von der Staatsformenlehre des Aristoteles bis zur neuesten international vergleichenden Demokratieforschung. Die Demokratietheorien vermitteln tiefenscharfe Einblicke in den Maschinenraum der Demokratie. Sie erkunden die verschiedenen Demokratieformen, ihre Funktionsweise und die leistungsfähigsten Instrumente zu ihrer Messung. Die Theorien erörtern sodann, wann und wie Demokratisierungsvorhaben erfolgreich sind oder scheitern. Zudem wird in ihrem Licht geprüft, ob die Demokratien Bewährungsproben bestehen – wie den wachsenden Anteil der Nichtwähler (ein Fieberthermometer der Demokratie), die dritte Autokratisierungswelle, den Aufstieg des Rechtspopulismus und die Schwächung der Demokratie durch nichtmajoritäre Institutionen. Wie die Forschung zeigt, hat die Demokratie zwei Gesichter: eines zeugt von beträchtichen Schwächen, das andere von besonderen Stärken. Die Lern- und Fehlerkorrekturfähigkeit vor allem der liberalen, verfassungsstaatlichen Demokratien ist beachtlich – und aus dem Leistungsvergleich mit den Autokratien gehen sie als Sieger hervor. Anhand der Demokratietheorien werden schließlich die Funktionsvoraussetzungen der Demokratie und die Gefährdung ihrer Existenz genauer bestimmt. Dieses Werk ist die siebte - mehrfach erweiterte und aktualisierte - Auflage des erstmals 1995 erschienenen Buches.
Projektkommunikation in der Entwicklung innovativer E-Bikes: Optimierung zwischen taiwanesischen Rahmenproduzenten und europäischen E-Bike-Herstellern (BestMasters)
by Christian MalikDie erfolgreiche Zusammenarbeit zwischen Fahrradmarken und Rahmenherstellern spielt eine zentrale Rolle für die Entwicklung innovativer E-Bikes. In diesem Buch wird die Projektkommunikation als entscheidender Faktor für eine effiziente Kooperation untersucht. Ziel ist es, Kommunikationsprozesse zu identifizieren, die zu reibungslosen Abläufen und erfolgreichen Projektergebnissen führen. Auf Basis von Experteninterviews werden Herausforderungen und Best Practices in der Kommunikation zwischen den beiden Akteuren analysiert. Die Arbeit liefert konkrete Empfehlungen zur Optimierung der Projektkommunikation, um Missverständnisse zu reduzieren, Entscheidungswege zu verkürzen und die Produktentwicklung effizienter zu gestalten. Die Ergebnisse bieten wertvolle Einblicke für Unternehmen der E-Bike-Branche, die ihre Zusammenarbeit durch zielgerichtete Kommunikation verbessern und ihre Wettbewerbsfähigkeit stärken möchten.
Flotation Chemistry of Tungsten Minerals and Its Application
by Wei Sun Haisheng Han Zhiyong GaoThis book provides an in-depth examination of the geological and metallogenic mechanisms, crystal chemistry, and solution chemistry of tungsten ore. The novel findings presented herein establish a robust foundation for the design and development of specialized flotation reagents and innovative flotation processes tailored specifically for tungsten ore. Moreover, this work constructs a comprehensive theoretical framework of tungsten ore flotation chemistry, significantly advancing new technologies in this domain. The content of this book will be of considerable interest to university faculty, researchers, R&D engineers, and graduate students in the fields of mineral processing and extractive metallurgy. It offers valuable insights into cutting-edge reagents and technologies that enhance energy efficiency and promote environmental sustainability.
Neural Information Processing: 31st International Conference, ICONIP 2024, Auckland, New Zealand, December 2–6, 2024, Proceedings, Part VI (Communications in Computer and Information Science #2287)
by Kevin Wong M. Tanveer Mufti Mahmud Maryam Doborjeh Andrew Chi Sing Leung Zohreh DoborjehThe sixteen-volume set, CCIS 2282-2297, constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 31st International Conference on Neural Information Processing, ICONIP 2024, held in Auckland, New Zealand, in December 2024. The 472 regular papers presented in this proceedings set were carefully reviewed and selected from 1301 submissions. These papers primarily focus on the following areas: Theory and algorithms; Cognitive neurosciences; Human-centered computing; and Applications.