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Coevolutionary Computation and Its Applications (Natural Computing Series)
by Xin Yao Siang Yew ChongThis book introduces the fundamentals of Coevolutionary Computation and presents new methodologies that are developed and then employed for modern real-world problem-solving in various applications across different domains. It is structured in three main parts to support the anticipated general and frequent usage of the book. In particular, the reader is able to obtain a quick and general introduction on the principles of coevolution in Part I, and then go over in detail the specifics how coevolutionary principles are exploited and applied to solve specific problems in the relevant chapters of Parts II and III. In this manner, Part I will introduce the fundamentals in Coevolutionary Computation with no assumption made on familiarity with Evolutionary Computation literature. These fundamentals include key concepts and operational principles of both evolutionary and coevolutionary processes that are modelled as iterative algorithms and systems implementable in computing machines. Parts II and III contain various applications of coevolution to problems that are framed in the context of optimization and learning, respectively. Detailed procedural implementations are provided for those methodologies as well as analysis that highlight the improvements they bring about over conventional techniques.
Public-Key Cryptography – PKC 2025: 28th IACR International Conference on Practice and Theory of Public-Key Cryptography, Røros, Norway, May 12–15, 2025, Proceedings, Part III (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #15676)
by Tibor Jager Jiaxin PanThe five-volume set LNCS 15674-15678 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 28th IACR International Conference on Practice and Theory of Public Key Cryptography, PKC 2025, held in Røros, Norway, during May 12–15, 2025.The 60 papers included in these proceedings were carefully reviewed and selected from 199 submissions. They are grouped into these topical sections: MPC and friends; advanced PKE; security of post-quantum signatures; proofs and arguments; multi-signatures; protocols; foundations of lattices and LPN; threshold signatures; isogenies and group actions; secure computation; security against real-world attacks; batch arguments and decentralized encryption; and cryptography for blockchains.
Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Computer Engineering and Networks: Volume I (Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering #1384)
by Guangqiang Yin Xiaodong Liu Jian Su Yangzhao YangThis conference proceedings is a collection of papers accepted for CENet2024 - the 14th International Conference on Computer Engineering and Networks, held in Kashi, China, 18-21 October 2024. The topics covered include Internet of Things and Smart Systems, Artificial Intelligence and Applications, Detection, Analysis and Application of Communication Systems, Cloud Computing and Security, and Medical Engineering and Information Systems. Each section of this book can serve as an excellent reference for industry practitioners, university faculty, research fellows, undergraduate and graduate students who wish to build a knowledge base of the latest advances and state-of-the-art practices in the topics covered. Using this knowledge, they will be able to design, implement and manage systems that are both complex and trustworthy. We would like to thank the authors for their hard work and dedication, and the reviewers for their efforts in ensuring that only the highest quality papers were selected. Without their contributions, the proceedings would not have been possible.
Is China a Global Power?: The Three Great Walls of the Middle Kingdom
by Francisco José LeandroThis book offers a thorough geopolitical analysis of modern China through the lens of defensive realism. It uniquely scrutinizes China's "globalness" within the taxonomy of great powers, challenging the common narrative of China as a global power. In doing so, the book presents an empirical-qualitative model to assess China's global power status, encompassing four dimensions: 1) The Great Wall of Technology and Economic Access (Material Power); 2) The Great Wall of Cultural and Intangible Access (Intangible Power); 3) The Great Wall of Political Access and Global Governance (Governance Power); and 4) an analysis of China&’s comprehensive power. Drawing from firsthand observations, the book examines China's ascent in the international order, emphasizing its strengths and vulnerabilities. With this, it concludes that China has a global vision and ambition, positioning itself as a quasi-global power. Essential for scholars, policymakers, and global politics enthusiasts, this book is a valuable contribution to existing international relations scholarship.
Public-Key Cryptography – PKC 2025: 28th IACR International Conference on Practice and Theory of Public-Key Cryptography, Røros, Norway, May 12–15, 2025, Proceedings, Part I (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #15674)
by Tibor Jager Jiaxin PanThe five-volume set LNCS 15674-15678 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 28th IACR International Conference on Practice and Theory of Public Key Cryptography, PKC 2025, held in Røros, Norway, during May 12–15, 2025.The 60 papers included in these proceedings were carefully reviewed and selected from 199 submissions. They are grouped into these topical sections: MPC and friends; advanced PKE; security of post-quantum signatures; proofs and arguments; multi-signatures; protocols; foundations of lattices and LPN; threshold signatures; isogenies and group actions; secure computation; security against real-world attacks; batch arguments and decentralized encryption; and cryptography for blockchains.
Public Governance and Emerging Technologies: Values, Trust, and Regulatory Compliance
by Jurgen Goossens Esther Keymolen Antonia StanojevićThis open access book focuses on public governance’s increasing reliance on emerging digital technologies. ‘Disruptive’ or ‘emerging’ digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, are often portrayed as highly promising, with the potential to transform established societal, economic, or governmental practices. Unsurprisingly, public actors are therefore increasingly experimenting with the application of these emerging digital technologies in public governance. The first part of the book shows how automatization via algorithmic systems, the networked nature of distributed technologies such as blockchain, and data-driven use of AI in public governance can promote hyper-connectivity and hyper-complexity. This trend and the associated concerns have drawn societal, political, and scholarly attention to regulatory compliance considering the current and potential future uses of emerging technologies. Accordingly, the second part of the book focuses on regulatory compliance and regulatory solutions. It explores the compatibility of technology with existing regulations, existing legal tools that could be innovatively applied for the successful regulation of emerging technologies, and approaches to updating existing legislation or creating new legislation for the regulation of emerging technologies. While socio-ethical considerations on upholding public values in a digital world are at the heart of all chapters, the third part specifically focuses on public values and trust. It advances a conceptual, normative discussion, putting the spotlight on trust and other fundamental public values that should be safeguarded. The book shows that the success of using emerging technologies in public governance depends to a large extent on the choices made by key stakeholders in public administration, legislative and regulatory bodies, and tech companies. When using and regulating emerging technologies in public governance, it is crucial to uphold public values and comply with legislation in a way that prioritizes the citizen’s perspective. To this end, the book offers an interdisciplinary approach based on qualitative and conceptual research.
Regional Romanticism: Literature and Southwest Scotland, c.1770–1830 (Palgrave Studies in the Enlightenment, Romanticism and Cultures of Print)
by Gerard Lee McKeeverThis book tracks the rise of modern cultural regionalism across the turn of the nineteenth century. Attending specifically to literature and literary culture, it examines how a particular region—southwest Scotland—was reimagined between 1770 and 1830. Regionalisms were a vital, emergent force in this period, in dialogue with the local, the national, the transnational and the imperial. In the case of southwest Scotland, the literary inscription of the region was generated in a blossoming periodical press; by visitors like Dorothy Wordsworth and John Keats; by resident icon Robert Burns; by homesick emigrants such as Allan Cunningham; by adventurers, colonialists and pirates looking back from within and beyond the formal limits of empire; by the unprecedented success of Walter Scott; and by many others navigating the opportunities presented by rapidly evolving economic, environmental and infrastructural conditions. Regional Romanticism illuminates a neglected aspect of anglophone literary history, acknowledging regions and regionalism as a primary frame of reference in late eighteenth and early nineteenth-century culture.
Using Integrated Behavioral Health in Pediatric Practice: An Essential Guide to Better Outcomes and Equitable Care
by Roger W. Apple Cheryl A. Dickson Rebecca RauschIntegrated behavioral health plays a very important role in the pediatric practice. This book demonstrates that mental health, behavioral health, and psychology are an integral part of whole person medical care while helping to outline a path for the medical community to integrate behavioral health into their practices. A comprehensive description of integrated behavioral health for general pediatrics is described in the first section of this text. It includes recommended terminology definitions, advice on building an integrated health service, interventions, intersectionality, models of change, person centered treatment planning and the use of integrated behavioral health in residency training programs. The second section focuses on how health equity is improved utilizing integrated behavioral health. Subsequent chapter focuses include describing how integrating psychologists in pediatric practices improves health equity, discussing improved healthcare for transgender youth, inequities of ethnic minorities and improved care for patients with disabilities. The third and final section describes how pediatric subspecialties are improved using integrated behavioral health. Subspecialties included are endocrinology, allergy and immunology, gastroenterology, obesity and medical weight loss and sleep medicine. Written by experts in the field, Utilization of Integrated Behavioral Health in Pediatric Practice fills a much needed gap in medical literature by providing a comprehensive guide to integrated behavioral health, not only in pediatrics, but also pediatric subspecialties.
How the Sun and the Stars Shine: A Single Experiment Solves a Millennia-Old Question of Humanity (Astronomers' Universe)
by Gianpaolo BelliniThis book presents the story of an experiment with historical significance that, for the first time, uncovered the mechanisms responsible for solar energy production and those generating energy in massive stars. The results were obtained by directly measuring the neutrino fluxes produced by individual fusion reactions in the Sun and providing the initial evidence of nuclear reactions occurring in massive stars via the CNO cycle. The CNO cycle is theorized to be the primary channel for hydrogen burning in stars more massive than the Sun and is, in fact, the primary channel for hydrogen burning in the Universe. These groundbreaking discoveries stem from a singular 32-year experiment, spanning from 1990 to 2021. The book commences with the experiment's genesis, placing it within the historical context of astrophysics and astroparticle physics. It then delves into the detector's conceptualization, gently describing the techniques used and addressing the challenges in constructing the detector. The narrative is presented in a simple and popular style, maintaining rigorous scientific adherence to the obtained results. The book is intended for a general audience not necessarily familiar with science, especially physics, but with a curiosity and interest in astrophysics. It aims to reach those who may be unaware of the complexities involved in conducting a scientific experiment, particularly one pushing the limits of feasibility. Additionally, it may appeal to those interested in amateur physics or astrophysics. The core novelty of the book lies in its detailed exploration of an experiment, encompassing scientific, cultural, personal, and even sociological dimensions.
Knowledge, Evidence, and Policymaking: Behavioural Sciences in Australia
by Colette EinfeldThis book provides an insightful and nuanced account of the roles of knowledge and evidence in behavioural science practices. Utilising evidence from Australia, it draws together the fields of evidence-based policymaking and behavioural insights in order to examine how policy actors negotiate the use of scientific evidence, knowledge, lived experience, and ethics in policymaking. It also considers the ways in which different knowledges can &‘compete&’ in public policy, and the roles of policymakers in that competition. Offering insights for both evidence-based policy processes and the application of behavioural insights more generally, the book is a valuable resource for academics and practitioners interested in behavioural sciences, and the impact of different types of evidence in policymaking.
Qualitätsmanagement für Führungskräfte: Instrumente, Methoden, qualitätssichernde Maßnahmen
by Peter PosluschnySolide Kenntnisse über die wichtigsten Instrumente und Methoden des Qualitätsmanagements sind für Führungskräfte immens wichtig. Denn Qualität ist ein integraler Bestandteil aller Unternehmensfunktionen. Ein optimales Qualitätsmanagement trägt dazu bei, dass Sie nicht durch betriebliche Fehlentwicklungen aus dem Markt gedrängt werden. Anhand von zahlreichen Abbildungen, prägnanten Tabellen und praktischen Übungsaufgaben mit Lösungsvorschlägen stellt dieses Buch die komplexen Zusammenhänge der Erstellung von Qualität dar. Qualitätsvorteile können für das Unternehmen zugleich mit Kostenvorteilen verbunden sein, da mit steigender Qualität die Fehlerkosten reduziert und die Produktivität gesteigert wird. Sie erfahren Schritt für Schritt, welche Instrumente und Methoden sich dafür besonders eignen und wo es haken könnte. Auch die Abläufe von Auditierungen und Zertifizierungen werden erläutert und qualitätssichernde Maßnahmen im Produktlebenszyklus aufgezeigt.
Programmieren mit ChatGPT: Eine kompakte Einführung
by Joachim L. ZuckarelliAnwendungen künstlicher Intelligenz (KI) und vor allem Large Language Models (LLMs) sind in aller Munde und revolutionieren in vielen Bereichen die Art und Weise, wie wir arbeiten. Das gilt auch für das Programmieren und die Softwareentwicklung, wo Werkzeuge wie ChatGPT von OpenAI, wenn sie richtig eingesetzt werden, die Produktivität erheblich steigern können. Unabhängig davon, ob Sie beruflich oder privat programmieren, ob Sie Anfänger*in oder erfahrene Entwickler*in sind, ob Sie mit künstlicher Intelligenz bereits vertraut sind oder nicht, in diesem Buch lernen Sie auf kompakte, praxisorientierte Weise anhand zahlreicher Beispiele, wie Sie Werkzeuge wie ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini & Co. bei der Arbeit mit Code einsetzen können, um produktiver zu sein und Ihre Ziele schneller und müheloser zu erreichen. Darüber hinaus erfahren Sie, wie Sie einfache, eigene KI-Anwendungen auf Basis der OpenAI-API entwickeln können. Der Schwerpunkt des Buches liegt dabei auf allgemeingültigen Grundtechniken, die auch im schnelllebigen KI-Geschäft auf absehbare Zeit von Bedeutung sein werden. Der Inhalt Einführung Das Zeitalter der künstlichen Intelligenz Chancen und Risiken für das Berufsfeld des Entwicklers Teil 1 – ChatGPT & Co. verstehen Funktionsweise von ChatGPT und anderen Large Language Models Alternativen zu ChatGPT Teil 2: ChatGPT benutzen Die wichtigsten Features Tipps zur Formulierung effektiver Prompts Teil 3: Einige Anwendungsbereiche für das Programmieren mit ChatGPT: ChatGPT als Nachschlagewerk, Berater oder Tutor nutzen Code schreiben Reguläre Ausdrücke (RegEx) erzeugen und bearbeiten Test-/Beispieldaten generieren Code testen und debuggen Code formatieren, kommentieren und dokumentieren Code übersetzen/transpilieren Fremden Code verstehen Die OpenAI-API verwenden Die Produktfamilie WissensExpress bietet Ihnen Lehr-, Lern- und Sachbücher in kompakter Form. Die Bücher liefern schnell und verständlich fundiertes Wissen.
Practical Front-End Testing: Strategies and Best Practices for Developers
by Hsin-Hao TangIn the fast-paced and ever-evolving field of front-end development, one of the biggest challenges is maintaining high-quality code while producing work rapidly. This is why testing has become crucial. Deciding on the right testing approach and how to write and execute tests is a key issue every developer must consider. Code without tests is difficult to guarantee in terms of quality, and the solution lies in developing a solid testing strategy. This book provides practical guidance in front-end testing that will help you master a variety of techniques and understand how to apply them in real-world applications. This book dives deep into the types and implementation of front-end testing to teach you best practices for building flexible, maintainable test code. By guiding you through various strategies, the book will help you produce test code efficiently. Its pragmatic approach promises to be useful if you encounter challenges when writing tests and are searching for solutions. The book provides detailed explanations supported by visuals and code examples, helping you learn, practice, and apply various front-end tests. It presents clear principles and approaches to guide you in evaluating testing strategies and costs, so you can make the best choices. Additionally, the book contains thorough explanations of various challenges through easy-to-understand examples, enabling you to tackle testing obstacles with ease. It begins with the fundamentals of testing, discussing basics like types of tests and naming conventions. The subsequent chapters cover how to write and use unit testing, integration testing, end-to-end testing, and visual testing. Additionally, the book includes a chapter on how to perform these tests. The final chapters focus on frequently asked questions about front-end testing, serving as a quick reference for developers. The book concludes with material on how to use AI in testing to boost productivity. You Will Learn: How to write and employ a wide variety of tests, including unit testing, integration testing, end-to-end testing, and visual testing Effectively using AI tools to generate test code and enhance productivity Make informed decisions in testing, based on both cost and effectiveness Who Is This Book For: Front-end developers, full-stack developers, software testers, and QA automation developers.
Financial Technology: 5th International Conference, ICFT 2024, Singapore, September 23–25, 2024, Proceedings (Communications in Computer and Information Science #2437)
by Ke-Wei Huang Qi Cao Ruidan SuThis book constitutes the proceedings of the 5th International Conference on Financial Technology, ICFT 2024, held in Singapore during September 23–25, 2024. The 17 full papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 35 submissions. These papers focus on the current research in Blockchain technology, Financial technology and the application of Artificial Intelligence in these areas.
The Omnivore's Dilemma: Young Readers Edition
by Michael PollanThis acclaimed bestseller and modern classic has changed America&’s relationship with food. It&’s essential reading for kids who care about the environment and climate change. &“What&’s for dinner?&” seemed like a simple question—until journalist and supermarket detective Michael Pollan delved behind the scenes. From fast food and big organic to small farms and old-fashioned hunting and gathering, this young readers&’ adaptation of Pollan&’s famous food-chain exploration encourages kids to consider the personal and global implications of their food choices. With plenty of photos, graphs, and visuals, The Omnivore&’s Dilemma serves up a bold message to the generation most impacted by climate change: It&’s time to take charge of our national eating habits—and it starts with you.
Spin of Fate (The Fifth Realm #1)
by A. A. VoraIn a world inspired by karma, three teens encounter magnificent beasts, unforgiving magic, and epic battles in this propulsive and wholly original young adult fantasy.&“Evocative of Sanderson, Pullman, and Fullmetal Alchemist, yet at the same time shockingly original.&” —Rosaria Munda, author of FireborneAina&’s world is governed by Toranic Law, a force that segregates people into upper and lower realms. It&’s said that if the sinful lowers commit themselves to kindness and charity, their souls will lighten, allowing them into the peaceful upper realms.But Aina, one of the few lowers to ever ascend, just wants to go back home.Aina is desperate to reunite with her mother, hoping she&’s survived the beasts and wars of her homeland alone. After failing to weigh down her soul with petty crimes, Aina joins a rebel group defying the authorities and bringing aid to those condemned to a life of suffering in the lower realms. Alongside Aina are two new recruits: Meizan, a ruthless fighter trying to save his clan from extinction, and Aranel, a spoiled noble spying for the powers that be.Before long, the rebels find themselves in the middle of a brewing war. On one side, a violent king of a lower realm is bent on destroying Toranic Law; on the other, the authorities of the upper realms will do anything to stay on top. Now the young rebels must face both sides head-on if they want to stop a conflict that could break not only Toranic Law—but the universe itself.Fans of epic, propulsive fantasies like Six of Crows and innovative world-building like Avatar: The Last Airbender will delight in A. A. Vora's ambitious, unmissable debut.
Wish You Weren't Here
by Erin Baldwin"A masterclass of a sapphic rom-com. Filled with hate-to-love perfection, swoony moments, and off-the-charts chemistry." -Rachael Lippincott, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Five Feet Apart and She Gets the GirlAll's fair in love and Color War.Juliette doesn't hate Priya Pendley.At least, not in the way teen movies say she should hate the hot popular girl. They don't do cat fights, love triangles, or betrayal. To survive their intertwined small town lives, they&’ve agreed to a truce. They complete group projects without fighting, never gossip to mutual friends, and stand on opposite sides of photos so it&’s easy to crop each other out.Priya seems to have everything during the school year—social media stardom, the handsome track captain boyfriend, and millions of adoring fans—and Juliette is at peace with that. Because Juliette has the summer, and the one place she never feels like &“too much&”: Fogridge Sleepaway Camp.But her hopes for a few Priya-free weeks are shattered when her rival shows up at Fogridge on move-in day... as her cabinmate, no less. Juliette is determined to enjoy her final summer, even if it means (gag) tolerating her childhood rival, but everything that can go wrong, does.If Juliette can&’t find something to like about her situation—and about Priya—she risks hating the only home she&’s ever had, right before she says goodbye to it forever.
Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective: Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective Listening Center (Encyclopedia Brown #1)
by Donald J. SobolA Civil War sword...A watermelon stabbing...Missing roller skates...A trapeze artist's inheritance...And an eyewitness who's legally blind!Theses are just some of the ten brain-twisting mysteries that Encyclopedia Brown must solve by using his famous computerlike brain. Try to crack the cases along with him--the answer to all the mysteries are found in the back!
The Tea Party Goes to Washington
by Rand PaulIf the midterm elections were a declaration of war on the status quo, Rand Paul leads the battle charge. Voters fearful of growing government and debt have found voice in the Tea Party phenomenon and the movement continues to deliver a message that Washington, D.C. has found impossible to ignore.In THE TEA PARTY GOES TO WASHINGTON, the newly elected senator and self-described "constitutional conservative" explains why his party has to stand by its limited government rhetoric and why the federal government must be stuffed back into its constitutional box. Given the problems our nation faces, these are not mere suggestions, but moral imperatives.Rand Paul and those who voted for him want to stop borrowing, end the bailouts, and entitlements and the spending. In THE TEA PARTY GOES TO WASHINGTON you'll learn:The history of the Tea Party and why it isn't "extreme" How both parties operate outside the Constitution Rand's plan for a balanced budget Why the Tea Party will endureNow is the time to get America back on track-- this is the moment of the new revolution that will take us back to our grass roots, to the country of our founding fathers.It's a new day in Washington-- as the Tea Party graduates from populist outrage to political influence, Rand Paul stands poised to become one of its greatest champions.
Seeing Red: A Wells Ranch Novel - Book 2
by Bailey HannahIn this spicy romance from the author of Alive and Wells and Change of Hart, a small-town sweetheart finds herself unexpectedly pregnant after a one-night stand binds her to a local cowboy who has had a crush on her for years. She lives by the rules. He lives to break them. Cassidy Bowman has strict rules to uphold her good-girl reputation: she doesn't date the Wells Ranch locals, and she definitely doesn't sleep with men she isn't dating. But after a run-in with her ex-boyfriend—and a few too many drinks—she's ready to buck those rules and allow herself one night of recklessness. Local cowboy Chase "Red" Thompson, on the other hand, has never met a rule he didn't love breaking. With a long-time crush on Cassidy, he's more than willing to accept her offer of a one-night stand and her one condition: he must agree to never speak of it again. That is until two pink lines render Cassidy's entire rule book null and void. Cassidy isn't looking for a relationship with the rough-and-tumble cowboy, and Red doesn't need anyone to tell him he's not good enough for the sweetheart of Wells Canyon. So the two make another agreement—they'll be friends and co-parents, nothing more. But as their carefully constructed boundaries begin to blur, Cassidy might just realize that perhaps some rules are worth breaking. Don't miss any of Bailey Hannah's steamy Wells Ranch series: ALIVE AND WELLS • SEEING RED • CHANGE OF HART
The Narrow Road to the Deep North: A novel (Vintage International)
by Richard FlanaganNATIONAL BESTSELLER • MAN BOOKER PRIZE WINNER • A magisterial novel of love and war that traces the life of one man from World War II to the present.Available now on Prime Video: Justin Kurzel&’s highly anticipated series based on this Booker Prize–winning novel by Richard Flanagan; starring Jacob Elordi, Ciarán Hinds, Odessa Young, Olivia DeJonge and Simon Baker."Magnificent." —The New York Times Book Review "Nothing short of a masterpiece." —Financial TimesAugust, 1943: Australian surgeon Dorrigo Evans is haunted by his affair with his uncle&’s young wife two years earlier. His life, in a brutal Japanese POW camp on the Thai-Burma Death Railway, is a daily struggle to save the men under his command. Until he receives a letter that will change him forever.A savagely beautiful novel about the many forms of good and evil, of truth and transcendence, as one man comes of age, prospers, only to discover all that he has lost.
Dogs of the World: A Gallery of Pups from Purebreds to Mutts [A Dog Breed Book]
by Lili ChinFrom the noble Afghan to indigenous village dogs, this vibrant illustrated gallery offers fascinating information on more than 600 dog breeds, from the author and illustrator of Doggie Language and Kitty Language.Meet more than 600 types of dogs in this captivating canine gallery, from the English Springer Spaniel and Moroccan Aïdi to the Thai Ridgeback and the New Guinea Singing Dog. Packed with fascinating tidbits and hundreds of illustrations, Dogs of the World also shines a welcome spotlight on the world&’s 85 percent of dogs who are no breed at all, including mutts and village dogs.You&’ll learn about different dog types and their working roles, such as herding, livestock guarding, scent detection, dog sports, and companionship, and understand what terms like purebred and landrace mean. Trace the history of our modern dogs through a vibrantly visual timeline, and pick up insights on breed health risks, personality traits, and how breed ancestry DNA tests work.Featuring adorable artwork and research vetted by dog history experts, behavior professionals, and veterinarians, this is a loving and accessible guide to the diversity of our canine companions.
Matriarch: A Memoir
by Tina Knowles#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • OPRAH&’S BOOK CLUB PICK • A revealing personal life story like no other—enlightening, entertaining, surprising, empowering—and a testament to the world-making power of Black motherhood&“A fascinating memoir of Tina Knowles&’s journey to become the global figure she is today.&”—Oprah Winfrey&“You are Celestine,&” she said. She squatted to push the hair off my face and pull leaves off my pajama legs. &“Like my sister and my grandmother.&” And there, under the pecan tree, as she did countless times, that day my mother told me stories of the mothers and daughters that went before me.Tina Knowles, the mother of iconic singer-songwriters Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Solange Knowles, and bonus daughter Kelly Rowland, is known the world over as a Matriarch with a capital M: a determined, self-possessed, self-aware, and wise woman who raised and inspired some of the great artists of our time. But this story is about so much more than that.Matriarch begins with a precocious, if unruly, little girl growing up in 1950s Galveston, the youngest of seven. She is in love with her world, with extended family on every other porch and the sounds of Motown and the lapping beach always within earshot. But as the realities of race and the limitations of girlhood set in, she begins to dream of a more grandiose world. Her instincts and impulsive nature drive her far beyond the shores of Texas to discover the life awaiting her on the other side of childhood.That life&’s journey—through grief and tragedy, creative and romantic risks and turmoil, the nurturing of superstar offspring and of her own special gifts—is the remarkable story she shares with readers here. This is a page-turning chronicle of family love and heartbreak, of loss and perseverance, and of the kind of creativity, audacity, and will it takes for a girl from Galveston to change the world. It&’s one brilliant woman&’s intimate and revealing story, and a multigenerational family saga that carries within it the story of America—and the wisdom that women pass on to one another, mothers to daughters, across generations.
Ordinary Magic: The Science of How We Can Achieve Big Change with Small Acts
by Gregory M. Walton PhD&“By one of the great psychologists of our time, a book that shows us how we can answer the universal questions that define our lives: Can I succeed? Do I belong? Am I loved?&”—Carol S. Dweck, PhD, bestselling author of Mindset Discover simple psychological shifts that build trust, belonging, and confidence—from the co-director of the Dweck-Walton Lab at Stanford University The emotional questions we face can define our lives. If you&’re expecting an interaction to go wrong, that expectation can make it so. That&’s spiraling down.But as esteemed Stanford psychologist Greg Walton shows, when we see these questions clearly, we can answer them well. Known to social psychologists as wise interventions, these shifts in perspective can help us chart new trajectories for our lives. They help us spiral up.This is ordinary magic: The ordinary experiences that help us set aside the ordinary worries of life to unleash extraordinary change.Through vivid storytelling and insightful analysis of fascinating research—both his own and others&’—Dr. Walton pulls back the curtain to reveal the magic at work:• With our children: The few choice words from a parent or a teacher that builds trust and achievement.• In our relationships: How the right opportunity to reflect, for just a few minutes before a conflict conversation, can engender greater intimacy among couples—even a year later.• In school: How learning that everyone feels as out of place at first as you do at a new school—they really do—can unleash extraordinary potential, improving your life a decade later.• In our policy: how a one-page letter reduced recidivism among kids returning to school from juvenile detention by 40 percentage points; a postcard campaign cut suicide rates in half.It&’s easy to think problems are out of our control. But in fact, we have vast opportunities for change. Ordinary Magic puts the tools for change at your fingertips.
The Soviet Destruction of Army Group South: Ukraine and Southern Poland 1943–1945 (Casemate Illustrated #Cis0029)
by Ian BaxterA fully illustrated account of how the Third Reich’s Army Group South was defeated in 1944–forty-five by the Soviet Red Army.Following the destruction of Sixth Army at Stalingrad in February 1943, Army Group South slowly withdrew westwards, using the Dnieper as a fortified position. In late 1943, the Soviet 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Ukrainian Front launched a strategic offensive against the German Army Group South A—one of the largest operations of the war. In May 1944, Red Army troops defeated Army Group South and Army Group A on the Dnieper. Many thousands of German troops evacuated across the Black Sea. In July, troops of the 1st Ukrainian Front launched an operation into the Crimea. The offensive coincided with other Red Army operations further north, including the Lublin-Brest Offensive—part of Operation Bagration. Slowly and inexorably, the powerful Russian attacks forced the tattered German army group to retreat hundreds of miles west, into Eastern Poland and Romania. Here German forces defended their positions and built defenses in Hungary and Austria to try to slow down the overwhelming might of the Red Army. There, the Germans would fight a series of desperate battles until the remnants surrendered in early May 1945.Drawing on rare and previously unpublished images accompanied by detailed captions and text, the book gives a fascinating analysis of the destruction of Army Group South in southern Russia between 1944 and 1945.