- Table View
- List View
Listen and Design: On Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
by Iwan J. AzisThis open access book thoroughly investigates the domain of policy design tailored specifically for micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) with a central emphasis on harmonizing these policies with the preexisting social capital inherent to these enterprises, consistent with the mandate of Bank Indonesia to guard price stability and to promote financial stability, inclusive, and sustainable growth. The study, grounded in the context of Indonesia, underscores the paramount importance of a systematic approach, necessitating social planners and stakeholders to engage in a preliminary phase of active listening, empathetic understanding, and comprehensive knowledge of the diverse mental frameworks prevalent among MSMEs across the nation before embarking on the formulation of bespoke interventions. Readers of this scholarly work can anticipate gaining insightful perspectives into the nuanced policy preferences of both MSMEs and government officials. The methodologies employed, including the Analytic Hierarchy Process and Analytic Network Process, are not only presented but also subjected to rigorous feasibility assessments using the Mechanism Design Theory. Furthermore, the book delves into the intricate challenges faced by MSMEs, including addressing the financing gap and adapting to the digitalization landscape that considers the prevailing social capital, both of which significantly influence their overall productivity. Ultimately, the study underscores the pivotal role played by networks, rather than mere size and the usual suspects (financing, technology, and management), as the linchpin of social capital that profoundly shapes the performance of MSMEs within a specific socio-economic context.
Tempted: Sizzling Summer Nights Tempted A Cowboy In Paradise Her Holiday Fling
by Kimberly Van Meter Kimberly Van MeterOne woman’s plans for her singles cruise getaway change when she lays eyes on the sexy Air Force veteran in the cabin next door in this steamy romance.Her greatest temptation . . . As far as Harper Riley is concerned, attraction can’t be trusted. Money, on the other hand, lasts forever. Which is why Harper’s on a singles cruise for her latest: a wealthy widower who might just need a new wife. So why can’t she keep her eyes—or her dirty thoughts—off the ruggedly hot guy in the room next to hers?Of course, the charming ones are always broke, and Teagan Carmichael is both ridiculously charming and inexcusably broke. Worse still, there’s some serious heat sizzling between them. But Harper has too much riding on this trip to have her head turned by Mr. Deliciously-Sexy-But-Poor. She already knows that giving in to a little temptation can turn into a whole lot of trouble . . .
Dear George, Dear Mary: A Novel of George Washington's First Love
by Mary CalviA novel about heiress Mary Philipse's relationship with George Washington, based on historical accounts, letters, and personal journals bynine-time New York Emmy Award-winning journalistMary Calvi.“Love is said to be an involuntary passion, and it is, therefore, contended that it cannot be resisted.” —George WashingtonDid unrequited love spark a flame that ignited a cause that became the American Revolution? Never before has this story about George Washington been told. Crafted from hundreds of letters, witness accounts, and journal entries, Dear George, Dear Mary explores George’s relationship with his first love, New York heiress Mary Philipse, the richest belle in Colonial America.From elegant eighteenth-century society to bloody battlefields, the novel creates breathtaking scenes and riveting characters. Dramatic portraits of the two main characters unveil a Washington on the precipice of greatness, using the very words he spoke and wrote, and his ravishing love, whose outward beauty and refinement disguise a complex inner struggle.Dear George, Dear Mary reveals why George Washington had such bitter resentment toward the Brits, established nearly two decades before the American Revolution, and it unveils details of a deception long hidden from the world that led Mary Philipse to be named a traitor, condemned to death and left with nothing. While that may sound like the end, ultimately both Mary and George achieve what they always wanted.
Sister Revolutions: French Lightning, American Light
by Susan DunnWhat the two great modern revolutions can teach us about democracy today.In 1790, the American diplomat and politician Gouverneur Morris compared the French and American Revolutions, saying that the French "have taken Genius instead of Reason for their guide, adopted Experiment instead of Experience, and wander in the Dark because they prefer Lightning to Light." Although both revolutions professed similar Enlightenment ideals of freedom, equality, and justice, there were dramatic differences. The Americans were content to preserve many aspects of their English heritage; the French sought a complete break with a thousand years of history. The Americans accepted nonviolent political conflict; the French valued unity above all. The Americans emphasized individual rights, while the French stressed public order and cohesion.Why did the two revolutions follow such different trajectories? What influence have the two different visions of democracy had on modern history? And what lessons do they offer us about democracy today? In a lucid narrative style, with particular emphasis on lively portraits of the major actors, Susan Dunn traces the legacies of the two great revolutions through modern history and up to the revolutionary movements of our own time. Her combination of history and political analysis will appeal to all who take an interest in the way democratic nations are governed.
In the Region of the Summer Stars: Eirlandia, Book One (Eirlandia #1)
by Stephen R. LawheadIn the Region of the Summer Stars is a new Celtic fantasy from Stephen R. Lawhead, the critically-acclaimed author of the Pendragon Cycle.Ravaged by barbarian Scálda forces, the last hope for Eirlandia lies with the island’s warring tribes.Wrongly cast out of his tribe, Conor, the first-born son of the Celtic king, embarks on a dangerous mission to prove his innocence.What he discovers will change Eirlandia forever. For the Scálda have captured the mystical Fae to use as an ultimate weapon.And Conor’s own people have joined in the invasion.The Eirlandia Series:#1) In the Region of the Summer Stars#2) In the Land of the Everliving#3) In the Kingdom of All TomorrowsAt the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Advances in Debris-flow Science and Practice (Geoenvironmental Disaster Reduction)
by Matthias Jakob Scott McDougall Paul SantiThis book provides a summary of the state of the art of all facets of debris-flow science and practice and is designed to be a comprehensive technical reference for practitioners and a state-of-the-art research overview for scientists. It is richly illustrated with equations, graphs, photos, and tables. The book allows students, practitioners, and regulators to get a sense of the current state of the art in this science. Currently, there are 2 to 3 papers published every week on some aspects of debris-flow science. This creates a bewildering amount of literature that cannot be captured by a single individual. This book provides a comprehensive overview of all facets to date, including initial hazard assessments, detailed quantitative risk assessments, debris-flow warning systems, debris-flow mitigation structure designs, and failures of mitigation works, as well as new topics such as climate change effects on debris flows.
Digital Ecosystems: Interconnecting Advanced Networks with AI Applications (Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering #1198)
by Andriy Luntovskyy Alexander Schill Mikhailo Klymash Mykola Beshley Igor MelnykThis book covers several cutting-edge topics and provides a direct follow-up to former publications such as “Intent-based Networking” and “Emerging Networking”, bringing together the latest network technologies and advanced AI applications. Typical subjects include 5G/6G, clouds, fog, leading-edge LLMs, large-scale distributed environments with specific QoS requirements for IoT, robots, machine and deep learning, chatbots, and further AI solutions. The highly promising combination of smart applications, network infrastructure, and AI represents a unique mix of real synergy. Special aspects of current importance such as energy efficiency, reliability, sustainability, security and privacy, telemedicine, e-learning, and image recognition are addressed too. The book is suitable for students, professors, and advanced lecturers for networking, system architecture, and applied AI. Moreover, it serves as a basis for research and inspiration for interested professionals looking for new challenges.
Computational Science and Its Applications – ICCSA 2024 Workshops: Hanoi, Vietnam, July 1–4, 2024, Proceedings, Part II (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #14816)
by Osvaldo Gervasi Beniamino Murgante Ana Maria A. C. Rocha David Taniar Chiara Garau Maria Noelia Faginas LagoThis eleven-volume set LNCS 14815 – 14825 constitutes the refereed workshop proceedings of the 24th International Conference on Computational Science and Its Applications, ICCSA 2024, held at Hanoi, Vietnam, during July 1–4, 2024. The 281 full papers, 17 short papers and 2 PHD showcase papers included in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from a total of 450 submissions. In addition, the conference consisted of 55 workshops, focusing on very topical issues of importance to science, technology and society: from new mathematical approaches for solving complex computational systems, to information and knowledge in the Internet of Things, new statistical and optimization methods, several Artificial Intelligence approaches, sustainability issues, smart cities and related technologies.
The Living Years: The First Genesis Memoir
by Mike RutherfordThe story of Genesis is the rock legend of how a humble schoolboy band grew into a group of global superstars. At its center stood Mike Rutherford, driving the music from pioneering prog rock to chart-topping hits. Now for the first time, he tells the remarkable inside story of Genesis and his own band, Mike + The Mechanics.Against the rhythm of drink, drugs, and lineup changes, Mike's father, a World War II naval officer, always stood in the background. He would watch Genesis grow, supporting them from the very beginning when they toured Britain in the back of a bread van. Through extreme highs and lows, loyal Captain Rutherford was always there, earplugs at the ready.But when his father suddenly died, Mike was forced to reexamine their relationship and only then began to understand how much their lives had overlapped. The Living Years is a revealing memoir of the relationship between father and son and the story of how music, families, and friendship combine.
The Brothers Vonnegut: Science and Fiction in the House of Magic
by Ginger StrandWorlds collide in this true story of weather control in the Cold War era and the making of Kurt VonnegutIn the mid-1950s, Kurt Vonnegut takes a job in the PR department at General Electric in Schenectady, where his older brother, Bernard, is a leading scientist in its research lab--or "House of Magic." Kurt has ambitions as a novelist, and Bernard is working on a series of cutting-edge weather-control experiments meant to make deserts bloom and farmers flourish.While Kurt writes zippy press releases, Bernard builds silver-iodide generators and attacks clouds with dry ice. His experiments attract the attention of the government; weather proved a decisive factor in World War II, and if the military can control the clouds, fog, and snow, they can fly more bombing missions. Maybe weather will even be the "New Super Weapon." But when the army takes charge of his cloud-seeding project (dubbed Project Cirrus), Bernard begins to have misgivings about the harmful uses of his inventions, not to mention the evidence that they are causing alarming changes in the atmosphere.In a fascinating cultural history, Ginger Strand chronicles the intersection of these brothers' lives at a time when the possibilities of science seemed infinite. As the Cold War looms, Bernard's struggle for integrity plays out in Kurt's evolving writing style. The Brothers Vonnegut reveals how science's ability to influence the natural world also influenced one of our most inventive novelists.
People in Glass Houses: A Novel
by Shirley HazzardOnly those who keep their wit and affections about them will survive the mass conditioning of the Organization, where confusion solemnly rules and conformity is king. As in our world itself, humanity prevails in the courage, love, and laughter of singular spirits--of men and women for whom life is an adventure no Organization can quell, and whose souls remain their own.
The Supernaturals: A Ghost Story (The\supernaturals Ser. #1)
by David L. GolemonNamed One of Riffle's Ten Best Haunted House Books of All TimeBuilt at the turn of the twentieth century by one of the richest and most powerful men in the world tucked away in the pristine Pocono Mountains, Summer Place, a retreat for the rich and famous, seems the very essence of charm and beauty, “a scene borrowed from a wondrous fairytale of gingerbread houses, bright forests, and glowing, sunny meadows.”But behind the yellow and white trimmed exterior lurks an evil, waiting to devour the unwary...Seven years ago, Professor Gabriel Kennedy’s investigation into paranormal activity at Summer Place ended in tragedy, and destroyed his career. Now, Kelly Delaphoy, the ambitious producer of a top-rated ghost-hunting television series, is determined to make Summer Place the centerpiece of an epic live broadcast on Halloween night. To ensure success, she needs help from the one man who has come face-to-face with the evil that dwells in Summer Place, a man still haunted by the ghosts of his own failure. Disgraced and alienated from the academic community, Kennedy wants nothing to do with the event. But Summer Place has other plans...As Summer Place grows stronger, Kennedy, along with the paranormal ghost hunting team, The Supernaturals, sets out to confront...and if possible, destroy...the evil presence dwelling there.
The Last Place You Look: A Mystery (Roxane Weary #1)
by Kristen Lepionka"Roxane is a wonderfully complex character...This is a remarkably accomplished debut mystery, with sensitive character development and a heart-stopping denouement. Let's hope there are more Roxane Weary novels on the way."—Booklist (starred review)2018 Shamus Award Winner and Best First Novel Nominee for the Anthony and Macavity Awards, The Last Place You Look is a head-on collision between an allegedly closed case and a tenacious, troubled private investigator who doesn't know when to quit.Nobody knows what happened to Sarah Cook. The beautiful blonde teenager disappeared fifteen years ago, the same night her parents were brutally murdered in their suburban Ohio home. Her boyfriend Brad Stockton—black and from the wrong side of the tracks—was convicted of the murders and is now on death row. Though he’s maintained his innocence all along, the clock is running out. His execution is only weeks away when his devoted sister insists she spied Sarah at an area gas station. Willing to try anything, she hires PI Roxane Weary to look at the case and see if she can locate Sarah.Brad might be in a bad way, but private investigator Roxane Weary isn’t doing so hot herself. Still reeling from the recent death of her cop father in the line of duty, her main way of dealing with her grief has been working as little and drinking as much as possible. But Roxane finds herself drawn in to the story of Sarah's vanishing act, especially when she links the disappearance to one of her father’s unsolved murder cases involving another teen girl. The stakes get higher as Roxane discovers that the two girls may not be the only beautiful blonde teenagers who’ve turned up missing or dead. As her investigation gets darker and darker, Roxane will have to risk everything to find the truth. Lives depend on her cracking this case—hers included.
Fool the World: The Oral History of a Band Called Pixies
by Josh Frank Caryn GanzIt's the 1980s and the rock landscape is littered with massive hair, synthesizers, and monster riffs, but there is an alternative being born in the sleepy East of America-we just don't know it yet.Before the Internet, MTV, and iPods provided far-off music fans with information and communities-and before Nirvana-kids across the world grew up in relative isolation, dependent on mix tapes and self-created art to slowly spread scenes and trends. It was under these conditions that four young musicians found one another in Boston, Massachusetts, and started a band called Pixies.During their initial seven-year career, Pixies would play some of Europe's most gigantic festivals, keep the press guessing, and cultivate a fervid international fan base hungry for more and more of their unique surf punk. The band worked fast, cranking out four albums at a breakneck pace, but ultimately pressures and personality clashes took their toll: Pixies broke up just as bands were singing their praises as the rock'n'roll innovators. For twelve years, a Pixies reunion seemed impossible, but a sudden announcement in 2004 proclaimed the unthinkable-Pixies were getting back together. Their extremely successful reunion tour finally gave the group something they'd always lacked in their homeland: proof that their bone-rattling music had left an indelible impact. Fool the World tells Pixies' story in the words of those who lived it, from the band members to studio owners, from A&R executives, producers, and visual artists who worked with them to admirers of their music, such as Bono, PJ Harvey, Beck, and Perry Farrell. With new cartoons by Trompe Le Monde illustrator Steven Appleby, Fool the World is a complete journey through the life, death, and rebirth of one of the most influential bands of all time.
Her Brother's Keeper & Out of the Depths: Her Brother's Keeper Out Of The Depths
by Valerie HansenTwo suspenseful novels about love and faith, by one great author, together in one collection.Her Brother’s KeeperWas church secretary Becky Tate kidnapped as an infant? It’s up to private investigator Logan Malloy to uncover the truth about her mysterious past—and keep her safe from harm. Without sweet Becky learning about his true identity . . . yet.Out of the DepthsCody Keringhoven has come to Serenity, Arkansas, to heal from an accident that ended in tragedy. But when lovely Trudy Lynn Brown asks him to keep watch at her campground for a saboteur, he agrees to help, never expecting to put his life—and heart—at risk.
My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World (Digital Read Along)
by Malcolm MitchellFrom Super Bowl champion and literacy crusader Malcolm Mitchell comes an exciting new story that shows even reluctant readers that there is a book out there for everyone!Meet Henley, an all-around good kid, who hates to read. When he's supposed to be reading, he would rather do anything else. But one day, he gets the scariest homework assignment in the world: find your favorite book to share with the class tomorrow.What's a kid to do? How can Henley find a story that speaks to everything inside of him?Malcolm Mitchell, bestselling author of The Magician's Hat, pulls from his own literary triumph to deliver another hilarous and empowering picture book for readers of all abilities. Through his advocacy and his books, Malcolm imparts the important message that every story has the potential to become a favorite.
The Art of Noise: Conversations with Great Songwriters
by Daniel RachelTHE ART OF NOISE offers an unprecedented collection of insightful, of-the-moment conversations with twenty-seven great British songwriters and composers. They discuss everything from their individual approaches to writing, to the inspiration behind their most successful songs, to the techniques and methods they have independently developed to foster their creativity. Contributors include: Sting * Ray Davies * Robin Gibb * Jimmy Page * Joan Armatrading * Noel Gallagher * Lily Allen * Annie Lennox * Damon Albarn * Noel Gallagher * Laura Marling * Paul Weller * Johnny Marr * and many more Musician-turned-author Daniel Rachel approaches each interview with an impressive depth of understanding—of the practice of songwriting, but also of each musician's catalog. The result is a collection of conversations that's probing, informed, and altogether entertaining—what contributor Noel Gallagher called "without doubt the finest book I've ever read about songwriters and the songs they write." The collected experience of these songwriters makes this book the essential word of songwriting—as spoken by the songwriters themselves.
Bound to You
by Alyssa BrandonA stubborn teen faces off with her brooding, indifferent (but super hot) soulmate in this unique and sexy take on a classic paranormal romance story. She's met her mate . . . and he's met his match.Megan Ross has been waiting her whole life for her mate to come and sweep her off her feet. But the wolf she meets on the beach is NOT the sweet gentle boy she's been dreaming of. Instead, he's a warrior, one whose suffering has led him to lock his heart away in a prison as cold and hard as a diamond, who fights to resist the bond and their deep attraction.Far from home, with a soulmate who is still a stranger, Megan learns that the path to true love isn't quite as straight and easy as she thought . . .Alyssa Brandon’s debut novel Bound to You is guaranteed to make readers swoon, sigh, and maybe even cry before it's over.Praise for Bound to You from the Swoon Reads community:“To put it simply I was hooked.” —Cinda Edana, reader on SwoonReads.com“It is so totally swoonworthy. ” —E.E. Annavas, reader on SwoonReads.com “This book had me laughing, crying, and swooning a lot!” —Ronda Rigdon, reader on SwoonReads.com
Strangers in a Strange Land: Living the Catholic Faith in a Post-Christian World
by Charles J. ChaputA vivid critique of American life today and a guide to how Christians—and particularly Catholics--can live their faith vigorously, and even with hope, in a post-Christian public square. From Charles J. Chaput, author of Living the Catholic Faith and Render unto Caesar comes Strangers in a Strange Land, a fresh, urgent, and ultimately hopeful treatise on the state of Catholicism and Christianity in the United States. America today is different in kind, not just in degree, from the past. And this new reality is unlikely to be reversed. The reasons include, but aren't limited to, economic changes that widen the gulf between rich and poor; problems in the content and execution of the education system; the decline of traditional religious belief among young people; the shift from organized religion among adults to unbelief or individualized spiritualities; changes in legal theory and erosion in respect for civil and natural law; significant demographic shifts; profound new patterns in sexual behavior and identity; the growth of federal power and its disregard for religious rights; the growing isolation and elitism of the leadership classes; and the decline of a sustaining sense of family and community.
The Paternity Proposition: An Anthology (Billionaires and Babies #2)
by Merline LovelaceA billionaire’s search for a baby’s mother may lead him to true love in this romance by a USA Today–bestselling author. “Are you my baby’s mother?”Billionaire Alex Dalton has had more than his share of women. But now he needs just one—Julie Bartlett, the fiery redhead who’d once given him the hottest night of his life. Was she the mother who had left a baby on the Dalton doorstep? When a paternity test proves inconclusive, he needs Julie’s DNA to determine if it is Alex or his twin brother who’s now a father. But when Julie refuses to cooperate, Alex vows to tempt her into giving him everything he wants.
The Remains of Company D: A Story of the Great War
by James Carl NelsonThe Remains of Company D follows the members of Company D, 28th Infantry Regiment, United States First Division in World War I, from enlistment to combat and the effort to recover their remains, focusing on the three major battles at Cantigny, Soissons, and in the Meuse-Argonne and the effect these horrific battles had on the men.James Carl Nelson's important and powerful tale of the different destinies, personalities, and motivations of the men in Company D and a timeless portrayal of men at war.
The Age of Clinton: America in the 1990s
by Gil TroyThe 1990s was a decade of extreme change. Seismic shifts in culture, politics, and technology radically altered the way Americans did business, expressed themselves, and thought about their role in the world. At the center of it all was Bill Clinton, the talented, charismatic, and flawed Baby Boomer president and his controversial, polarizing, but increasingly popular wife Hillary.Although it was in many ways a Democratic Gilded Age, the final decade of the twentieth century was also a time of great anxiety. The Cold War was over, America was safe, stable, free, and prosperous, and yet Americans felt more unmoored, anxious, and isolated than ever. Having lost the script telling us our place in the world, we were forced to seek new anchors. This was the era of glitz and grunge, when we simultaneously relished living in the Republic of Everything even as we feared it might degenerate into the Republic of Nothing. Bill Clinton dominated this era, a man of passion and of contradictions both revered and reviled, whose complex legacy has yet to be clearly defined.In this unique analysis, historian Gil Troy examines Clinton's presidency alongside the cultural changes that dominated the decade. By taking the '90s year-by-year, Troy shows how the culture of the day shaped the Clintons even as the Clintons shaped it. In so doing, he offers answers to two of the enduring questions about Clinton's legacy: how did such a talented politician leave Americans thinking he accomplished so little when he actually accomplished so much? And, to what extent was Clinton responsible for the catastrophes of the decade that followed his departure from office, specifically 9/11 and the collapse of the housing market? Even more relevant as we head toward the 2016 election, The Age of Clinton will appeal to readers on both sides of the aisle.
Great Harry: A Biography Of Henry Viii
by Carolly EricksonSt. Martin's Griffin is proud to reissue acclaimed biographer Carolly Erickson's lives of the Tudor monarchs.In this full-scale popular biography of Henry VIII, Carolly Erickson re-creates the extravagant life and times of one of history's most complex and fascinating men.Based on voluminous records of the period, the story of Henry's life covers his troubled youth, his triumphant early reign, and his agonizing old age.Against the lively backdrop of the Tudor world, with all its splendors and squalors, Carolly Erickson gives us an unforgettable and human portrait of Henry VIII.
Malcolm X: A Graphic Biography
by Andrew HelferThe age of multitasking needs better narrative history. It must be absolutely factual, immediately accessible, smart, and brilliantly fun. Enter Andrew Helfer, the award-winning graphic-novel editor behind Roadto Perdition and The History of Violence, and welcome the launch of a unique line of graphic biographies.If a picture is worth a thousand words, these graphic biographies qualify as tomes. But if you're among the millions who haven't time for another doorstop of a biography, these books are for you.With the thoroughly researched and passionately drawn Malcolm X, Helfer and award-winning artist Randy DuBurke capture Malcolm Little's extraordinary transformation from a black youth beaten down by Jim Crow America into Malcolm X, the charismatic, controversial, and doomed national spokesman for the Nation of Islam.
A Time to Forgive & Promise Forever
by Marta PerryTwo classic inspirational romances about forgiveness and faith from Marta Perry’s Caldwell Clan series, together in one collection.A Time to ForgiveTory Marlowe hopes her reunion with Adam Caldwell will renew their old friendship. Despite the time that’s passed, she’s never forgotten what they once shared. A dark secret separated Tory and Adam in the past, but being with Tory again shows Adam the truth—love and faith can heal all wounds.Promise ForeverMarriage didn’t last for Miranda Caldwell and Tyler Winchester—but there’s still something to connect them . . . if Miranda will tell Tyler the truth. When Tyler discovers he’s a father, he knows where he belongs: with the family he’ll always love.