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The Color of Family: History, Race, and the Politics of Ancestry
by Michael O'MalleyA uniquely blended personal family history and history of the changing definitions of race in America. A zealous eugenicist ran Virginia’s Bureau of Vital Statistics in the first half of the twentieth century, misusing his position to reclassify people he suspected of hiding their “true” race. But in addition to being blinded by his prejudices, he and his predecessors were operating more by instinct than by science. Their whole dubious enterprise was subject not just to changing concepts of race but outright error, propagated across generations. This is how Michael O’Malley, a descendant of a Philadelphia Irish American family, came to have “colored” ancestors in Virginia. In The Color of Family, O’Malley teases out the various changes made to citizens’ names and relationships over the years, and how they affected families as they navigated what it meant to be “white,” “colored,” “mixed race,” and more. In the process, he delves into the interplay of genealogy and history, exploring how the documents that establish identity came about, and how private companies like Ancestry.com increasingly supplant state and federal authorities—and not for the better. Combining the history of O’Malley’s own family with the broader history of racial classification, The Color of Family is an accessible and lively look at the ever-shifting and often poisoned racial dynamics of the United States.
Mindprints: Thoreau's Material Worlds
by Ivan GaskellA rediscovery of Thoreau’s interactions with everyday objects and how they shaped his thought. Though we may associate Henry David Thoreau with ascetic renunciation, he accumulated a variety of tools, art, and natural specimens throughout his life as a homebuilder, surveyor, and collector. In some of these objects, particularly Indigenous artifacts, Thoreau perceived the presence of their original makers, and he called such objects “mindprints.” Thoreau believed that these collections could teach him how his experience, his world, fit into the wider, more diverse (even incoherent) assemblage of other worlds created and re-created by other beings every day. In this book, Ivan Gaskell explores how a profound environmental aesthetics developed from this insight and shaped Thoreau’s broader thought.
Rebel Girls All Things Friendship: A Guide to Celebrating Old Friends, Making New Ones, and Navigating Sticky Social Situations (Growing Up Powerful )
by Rebel Girls Sara Jin Li Camila RiveraCelebrate old friends, make new ones, and learn how to navigate sticky friendship situations with this fun and helpful guidebook.Good friends make you laugh until your stomach hurts, support you during tough times, and brighten even the gloomiest of days. But like all relationships, friendships can be complicated. The tricky stuff, like figuring out how to make new friends, navigating group dynamics, and getting through arguments, might have you feeling overwhelmed. This guide to friendship has you covered!Through quizzes, tips from experts, and stories and advice from girls around the world, you'll learn:- How to strike up a conversation with a potential new friend- Tips for setting boundaries and communicating your feelings- The ins and outs of getting through a fight- What to do when you feel left out- Fun ways to celebrate your friends- and more!
Machine Learning for Business Analytics: Concepts, Techniques and Applications in RapidMiner
by Galit Shmueli Peter C. Bruce Amit V. Deokar Nitin R. PatelMachine Learning for Business Analytics Machine learning—also known as data mining or data analytics—is a fundamental part of data science. It is used by organizations in a wide variety of arenas to turn raw data into actionable information. Machine Learning for Business Analytics: Concepts, Techniques and Applications in RapidMiner provides a comprehensive introduction and an overview of this methodology. This best-selling textbook covers both statistical and machine learning algorithms for prediction, classification, visualization, dimension reduction, rule mining, recommendations, clustering, text mining, experimentation and network analytics. Along with hands-on exercises and real-life case studies, it also discusses managerial and ethical issues for responsible use of machine learning techniques. This is the seventh edition of Machine Learning for Business Analytics, and the first using RapidMiner software. This edition also includes: A new co-author, Amit Deokar, who brings experience teaching business analytics courses using RapidMiner Integrated use of RapidMiner, an open-source machine learning platform that has become commercially popular in recent years An expanded chapter focused on discussion of deep learning techniques A new chapter on experimental feedback techniques including A/B testing, uplift modeling, and reinforcement learning A new chapter on responsible data science Updates and new material based on feedback from instructors teaching MBA, Masters in Business Analytics and related programs, undergraduate, diploma and executive courses, and from their students A full chapter devoted to relevant case studies with more than a dozen cases demonstrating applications for the machine learning techniques End-of-chapter exercises that help readers gauge and expand their comprehension and competency of the material presented A companion website with more than two dozen data sets, and instructor materials including exercise solutions, slides, and case solutions This textbook is an ideal resource for upper-level undergraduate and graduate level courses in data science, predictive analytics, and business analytics. It is also an excellent reference for analysts, researchers, and data science practitioners working with quantitative data in management, finance, marketing, operations management, information systems, computer science, and information technology.
Small Animal Surgical Emergencies
by Lillian R. AronsonSmall Animal Surgical Emergencies A comprehensive and up-to-date guide in emergency surgical intervention for veterinary professionals Small Animal Surgical Emergencies, Second Edition continues to be an important resource focusing on surgical emergencies, combining the work of surgical specialists and critical care specialists, and filling a void in educating and informing veterinarians. The new edition of this book provides updated information on an array of topics such as preoperative stabilization, new and innovative treatment options, and aftercare. Each chapter covers step-by-step information on emergency stabilization, diagnostic approach, operative techniques, postoperative care, common complications encountered in each case, and how to troubleshoot any such complication should they occur. It also offers simplified surgical techniques to ensure success and describes new and novel procedures throughout. The Second Edition of Small Animal Surgical Emergencies features: Nine new chapters covering operating room nursing tips, rectal prolapse, colonic torsion, surgical intervention post celiotomy, assisted enteral feeding tubes, open chest CPR, managing complications of skin flaps and grafts, incisional infection, and joint luxations Many chapters are written in collaboration by experts in small animal surgery and critical care, combining these practices in one important resource Relevant anatomy, imaging, and full-color illustrations and drawings incorporated into each chapter Inclusion of case presentations, when relevant An important tool for small animal general practitioners, veterinary surgeons, critical care specialists, as well as veterinary nurses and operating room technicians, Small Animal Surgical Emergencies, Second Edition is a crucial resource for this constantly evolving branch of veterinary medicine.
Murder Before Evensong: The instant no. 1 Sunday Times bestseller (Canon Clement Mystery)
by Reverend Richard ColesTHE INSTANTLY ICONIC NO. 1 BESTSELLER'Devotees of Midsomer Murders and Agatha Christie's Miss Marple stories will feel most at home here' Guardian'I've been waiting for a novel with vicars, rude old ladies, murder and sausage dogs... et voila!' Dawn French'Cosy crime with a cutting edge' Telegraph'Whodunnit fans can give praise and rejoice' Ian Rankin'Charming and funny' ObserverEven better than I knew it would be' India Knight'Quintessentially English' Sunday Express'An absolute joy' Adam Kay''Wry, tongue-in cheek and whimsical' Daily Mail'Glorious' Robert Webb 'Beautifully written, charming, funny, intelligent and mordant too' Sunday Times'Pitch perfect' Philip Pullman'A cunning whodunnit' Daily ExpressCanon Daniel Clement is Rector of Champton, where he lives alongside his widowed mother - opinionated, fearless, ever-so-slightly annoying Audrey - and his two dachshunds, Cosmo and Hilda.When Daniel announces a plan to install a lavatory in the church, the parish is suddenly (and unexpectedly) divided: as lines are drawn, long-buried secrets come dangerously close to destroying the apparent calm of the village.And then Anthony Bowness - cousin to Bernard de Floures, patron of Champton - is found dead at the back of the church. As the police moves in and the bodies start piling up, Daniel is the only one who can try and keep his community together... and catch a killer.
A Death in the Parish: The No.1 Sunday Times bestseller (Canon Clement Mystery)
by Reverend Richard ColesTHE NEW NOVEL FROM THE NO.1 BESTSELLING AUTHOR OF MURDER BEFORE EVENSONGCANON DANIEL CLEMENT IS BACK...It's been a few months since murder tore apart the community of Champton apart. As Canon Daniel Clement tries to steady his flock, the parish is joined with Upper and Lower Badsaddle, bringing a new tide of unwanted change. But church politics soon become the least of Daniel's problems. His mother - headstrong, fearless Audrey - is obviously up to something, something she is determined to keep from him. And she is not the only one. And then all hell breaks loose when murder returns to Champton in the form of a shocking ritualistic killing...
The Burning Land: The Talmont Trilogy Book 1 (The Talmont Trilogy #1)
by David HairBrandon Sanderson meets Joe Abercrombie in this astounding novel of good, evil and magicThe Falcons are knights of the Vestal Order, pledged to use their powers to protect the Empire of Talmont from the cruel Vyr and the carnage they have unleashed upon the world.When the Falcons take a Vyr alive, they go against the protocols of the Vestal Order and interrogate him. They are horrified to learn, if the Vyr speaks truly, that the Empire's worst enemy may not be the Vyr . . . but the Vestal Order itself.Led by the charismatic Romara Challys, the Falcons go rogue, their quest for the truth taking them through burning forests, lost ruins and the uncanny traces of a dying race, desperate to find answers . . . before it's too late.But the Vestal Order has no plans to let Challys and her knights succeed in their mission. With the greatest knight in history and an army of fanatics at their heels, the Falcons must evade capture and discover the truth as soon as possible. Because time is running out . . . for everyone.______________________'This book has everything that I love in a political fantasy. Knights, history, intrigue' - Reader Review'The world-building in The Burning Land is excellent' - Reader Review'A fiery fantasy adventure that blazes with action, magic and epic battles' - Reader Review
Murder at the Monastery: The No. 1 Sunday Times Bestseller (Canon Clement Mystery)
by Reverend Richard ColesCanon Daniel Clement has suffered a secret humiliation and to recover takes respite at the monastery where he was a novice. But the monastery doesn't allow the break he needs, for tensions are building there too. There is a death at the monastery, and Daniel thinks it might be murder.Meanwhile back at Champton, Daniel is the subject of village gossip, his mother Audrey is up to something again, there's trouble at the dress shop, trouble up at the big house, and the puppies are running riot.As dark secrets unfold, can Daniel solve the mystery at the monastery without the help of Detective Seargeant Neil Vanloo?
Intent to Destroy: Russia's Two-Hundred-Year Quest to Dominate Ukraine
by Eugene Finkel'The must read masterpiece . . . utterly essential' PETER POMERANTSEV'With erudition and verve' TIMOTHY SNYDER'Powerful' SERHII PLOKHY'Masterful' BEN ANSELLA history of Russian violence waged against Ukraine across the centuries. Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 shocked the world. And yet this attack was in fact the latest episode in a centuries-long Russian campaign. In Intent to Destroy, leading scholar of genocide and Eastern Europe Eugene Finkel uncovers the deep roots of the Russo-Ukrainian War. Ever since the rise of Russian nationalism in the nineteenth century, the domination of this key borderland has become a cornerstone of Russian and Soviet policy. Using genocidal tactics - killings, deportations, starvation and cultural destruction - against ethnic Ukrainians and minorities including Tatars, Jews and Poles, Russia's long-standing policy has aimed to obliterate Ukrainian identity. This eradication has consistently been a part of the Kremlin playbook and leads inexorably to the violence we see today. Told with the astonishing power of Finkel's connection to this living history, and the authority of two decades of research, Intent to Destroy casts today's war it its broadest historical context, illuminating as never before Europe's bloodiest conflict since World War II.
Empire Falls (Vintage Contemporaries #Vol. 2104)
by Richard RussoNATIONAL BESTSELLER • PULITZER PRIZE WINNER • The bestselling author of Nobody's Fool and Straight Man delves deep into the blue-collar heart of America in a work that overflows with hilarity, heartache, and grace. &“Rich, humorous ... Mr. Russo&’s most seductive book thus far.&” —The New York TimesWelcome to Empire Falls, a blue-collar town full of abandoned mills whose citizens surround themselves with the comforts and feuds provided by lifelong friends and neighbors and who find humor and hope in the most unlikely places, in this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Richard Russo. Miles Roby has been slinging burgers at the Empire Grill for 20 years, a job that cost him his college education and much of his self-respect. What keeps him there? It could be his bright, sensitive daughter Tick, who needs all his help surviving the local high school. Or maybe it&’s Janine, Miles&’ soon-to-be ex-wife, who&’s taken up with a noxiously vain health-club proprietor. Or perhaps it&’s the imperious Francine Whiting, who owns everything in town–and seems to believe that &“everything&” includes Miles himself.Look for Richard Russo's new book, Somebody's Fool, coming soon.
Borderline: The Biography of a Personality Disorder
by Alexander KrissAn intimate, compassionate, and expansive portrait of Borderline Personality Disorder that rejects the conventional wisdom that this condition is untreatable, told by a psychologist who specializes in BPDMental illness is heavily stigmatized within our society, and within this already marginalized group, folks with BPD are deemed especially untreatable and hopeless. When, as a graduate student, Alex Kriss first began working as a therapist in the field, his supervisors warned him that borderline patients were manipulative, difficult, and had a tendancy to drop out of treatment. Yet, years later, when Kriss was establishing his private practice and a borderline patient known as Ana came to his office, he felt compelled to try to help her, despite all of the warnings he&’d heard.Borderline is the story of his work with Ana—how his successes with her led him to open his doors to other BPD patients and advocate for them. Borderline is also the story of the disorder itself: Kriss traces accounts of the condition going back to antiquity, showing how this disease has been known by many names over the millennia, most of them gendered: possession, hysteria, witchcraft, moral insanity. All referred to a person—usually a woman—whose behavior and personality were seen as fractured, unstable, unpredictable, and uncontrollable. Kriss guides us through this history up through the emergence of psychotherapy, the development of the modern diagnosis, and attitudes toward treatment today.
Three-Inch Teeth (A Joe Pickett Novel #24)
by C. J. BoxWyoming game warden Joe Pickett faces two different kinds of rampaging beasts—one animal, one human—in this riveting new novel from #1 New York Times bestseller C.J. Box.A rogue grizzly bear has gone on a rampage—killing, among others, the potential fiancé of Joe&’s daughter. At the same time, Dallas Cates, who Joe helped lock up years ago, is released from prison with a special list tattooed on his skin. He wants revenge on the people who sent him away: the six people he blames for the deaths of his entire family and the loss of his reputation and property.Using the grizzly attacks as cover, Cates sets out to methodically check off his list. The problem is, both Nate Romanowski and Joe Pickett are on it.
Assassins Anonymous
by Rob Hart&“The best kind of thriller. . . . Suspenseful, sentimental, and ultimately redemptive, Assassins Anonymous is a can&’t-miss novel.&” — S. A. Cosby, author of All the Sinners BleedIn this clever, surprising, page-turner, the world&’s most lethal assassin gives up the violent life only to find himself under siege by mysterious assailants. It&’s a kill-or-be-killed situation, but the first option is off the table. What&’s a reformed hit man to do?Mark was the most dangerous killer-for-hire in the world. But after learning the hard way that his life&’s work made him more monster than man, he left all of that behind, and joined a twelve-step group for reformed killers.When Mark is viciously attacked by an unknown assailant, he is forced on the run. From New York to Singapore to London, he chases after clues while dodging attacks and trying to solve the puzzle of who&’s after him. All without killing anyone. Or getting killed himself. For an assassin, Mark learns, nonviolence is a real hassle.
Beware the Woman
by Megan AbbottAn NPR Best Book of the YearBy the "master of thinly veiled secrets often kept by women who rage underneath their delicate exteriors" (Kirkus Reviews), Beware the Woman is Megan Abbott at the height of her game.Honey, I just want you to have everything you ever wanted. That&’s what Jacy&’s mom always told her. And Jacy felt like she finally did. Newly married and with a baby on the way, Jacy and her new husband, Jed, embark on their first road trip together to visit his father, Dr. Ash, in Michigan&’s far-flung Upper Peninsula. The moment they arrive at the cottage snug within the lush woods, Jacy feels bathed in love by the warm and hospitable Dr. Ash, if less so by his house manager, the enigmatic Mrs. Brandt.But their Edenic first days take a turn when Jacy has a health scare. Swiftly, vacation activities are scrapped, and all eyes are on Jacy&’s condition. Suddenly, whispers about Jed&’s long-dead mother and complicated family history seem to eerily impinge upon the present, and Jacy begins to feel trapped in the cottage, her every move surveilled, her body under the looking glass. But are her fears founded or is it simply paranoia, or cabin fever, or—as is suggested to her—a stubborn refusal to take necessary precautions? The dense woods surrounding the cottage are full of dangers, but are the greater ones inside?
The Chateau: A Novel
by Jaclyn GoldisA dream girls trip to a luxurious French chateau devolves into a deadly nightmare of secrets and lies in this &“twisty, well-paced murder mystery that never fully lets go&” (Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author). Welcome to picturesque Provence, where the Lady of the Chateau, Séraphine Demargelasse, has opened its elegant doors to her granddaughter Darcy and her three friends. Twenty years earlier, the four girlfriends studied abroad together in France and visited the old woman on the weekends, creating the group&’s deep bond. But why this sudden invitation? Amid winery tours, market visits, and fancy dinners overlooking olive groves and lavender fields, it becomes clear that each woman has a hidden reason for returning to the estate after all these years. Then, following a wild evening&’s celebration, Séraphine is found brutally murdered. In the midst of this shocking crime, a sinister Instagram account pops up, exposing snapshots from the friends&’ intimate moments at the chateau, while threatening to reveal more. As they race to uncover who murdered Séraphine—and is now stalking them—the friends begin to suspect each other. Because the chateau houses many secrets…several worth killing for in this &“mesmerizing story of betrayal and revenge&” (Megan Collins, author of The Family Plot).
Gerald's Game (Bride Series)
by Stephen KingNow a Netflix movie directed by Mike Flanagan (Oculus, Hush) and starring Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood. Master storyteller Stephen King presents this classic, terrifying #1 New York Times bestseller. When a game of seduction between a husband and wife ends in death, the nightmare has only begun…“And now the voice which spoke belonged to no one but herself. Oh my God, it said. Oh my God, I am all alone out here. I am all alone.” Once again, Jessie Burlingame has been talked into submitting to her husband Gerald’s kinky sex games—something that she’s frankly had enough of, and they never held much charm for her to begin with. So much for a “romantic getaway” at their secluded summer home. After Jessie is handcuffed to the bedposts—and Gerald crosses a line with his wife—the day ends with deadly consequences. Now Jessie is utterly trapped in an isolated lakeside house that has become her prison—and comes face-to-face with her deepest, darkest fears and memories. Her only company is that of the various voices filling her mind…as well as the shadows of nightfall that may conceal an imagined or very real threat right there with her…
The Main Character: A Novel
by Jaclyn Goldis&“Rollicking good fun.&” —The Wall Street Journal A bestselling thriller author arranges a luxury train trip that is not what it appears to be in this electrifying modern homage to Agatha Christie that is filled with &“rich, complex characters, taut prose, and twists and turns that keep those pages turning as the plot thickens&” (Lisa Barr, New York Times bestselling author). Reclusive author Ginevra Ex is famous for her unusual approach to crafting her bestselling thrillers: she hires real people and conducts intensive interviews, then fictionalizes them. Her latest main character, Rory, is thrilled when Ginevra presents her with an extravagant bonus—a lavish trip along Italy&’s Mediterranean coast on the famed, newly renovated Orient Express. But when Rory boards the train, she&’s stunned to discover that her brother, her best friend, and even her ex-fiancé are passengers, as well. All invited by Ginevra, all hiding secrets. With each stop, from Cinque Terre to Rome to Positano, it becomes increasingly clear that Ginevra has masterminded the ultimate real life twisty plot with Rory as her main character. And as Ginevra&’s deceptions mount, and the lies and machinations of Rory&’s travel companions pile up, Rory begins to fear that her trip will culminate like one of Ginevra&’s books: with a murder or two. In the opulent compartments of the iconic train, Rory must untangle the shocking reasons why Ginevra wanted them all aboard—and to what deadly end. The perfect read for fans of Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley, and Paula Hawkins, The Main Character mixes &“the family drama of Knives Out with the locked room atmosphere of Murder on the Orient Express and the resulting cocktail is like an Aperol spritz on a hot summer&’s day: perfect&” (Katy Hays, New York Times bestselling author).
Up Close and All In: Life Lessons from a Wall Street Warrior
by John MackFrom John Mack, former CEO of Morgan Stanley, an intimate personal memoir and riveting business story, recounting how he helped grow the company from 300 to 50,000 employees over four decades, transformed a notoriously competitive culture into a successful and collaborative one, and lead the company through the 2008 financial crisis.During his thirty-four-year tenure at Morgan Stanley, John Mack&’s goal was to build the strongest and most productive team on Wall Street. His ability to motivate his employees to do their best work, especially in times of crisis, was fostered by his willingness to slash through bureaucracy and stand up to powerful interests. A forceful personality, one journalist said Mack was &“described as &‘charismatic&’ so regularly that it could be part of his name.&” In Up Close and All In, Mack traces his personal journey from a one-stoplight North Carolina mill town to a fortieth-floor corner office on Wall Street—and shares the life lessons he learned along the way. He developed a titanium-strength stomach for risk, stress, and competition while landing accounts early in his career, as investment banks fought like wolfpacks to take advantage of new deregulation, fielding business raids, booms, and busts. As he rose through the ranks, he never forgot where he came from, relying on his instincts, doing what was right, and listening to his people on the front lines. This culture of trust and collaboration helped Morgan Stanley anticipate future trends before other firms, adapt quickly, and achieve record profits. This gripping memoir includes both humbling lows—like when Mack made the difficult decision to leave Morgan Stanley in 2001—and exhilarating highs—such as when he made an eleventh-hour agreement with the Japanese bank Mitsubishi to save the company during the 2008 financial crisis, having refused to give in when top regulators pressured him to sell the firm for $2 per share. With humor and honesty, Mack shares advice on both business and life: how to create a culture of team players, how to keep perspective during crises, how to make difficult decisions when all eyes are on you, and more. From a singular man who&’s as unafraid to cry publicly as he is to anger some of the most powerful people in the world, this is an indispensable guide to living and leading well.
Democracy and the Politics of Silence (Rhetoric and Democratic Deliberation)
by Mónica Brito VieiraMost people equate democracy with discussion, speech, and making one’s voice heard. But where does silence fit in? Democracy and the Politics of Silence investigates the largely overlooked role of silence in democratic politics. It challenges conventional wisdom by arguing that silence can support and affirm democratic pillars and outcomes like empowerment, inclusion, and equality.The book focuses on a particular set of problems concerning the relationship between political silence and the democratic triad of voice, agency, and representation. Each of the book’s chapters draws on a selection of hand-picked case studies, both historical and contemporary, including the NAACP’s Silent Parade in 1917, demonstrations by the Women in Black, Spain’s post-Franco Pact of Forgetting, Trump’s silent majority, debates related to the representation of nonhuman beings, and the famous Miranda judgment on the right to silence. Together they offer an innovative, ambitious investigation of democratically undesirable silences and practices of silence that are powerfully affirmative of democratic subjectivities, aims, and norms. In thus expanding the repertoire of democratic citizenship, Mónica Brito Vieira invites readers to consider what silence might teach them about democracy.This timely book should appeal to political science students and scholars as well as anyone interested in the history of democracies and popular resistance movements.
A Grammar of the Hittite Language: Part 1: Reference Grammar (Languages of the Ancient Near East)
by Harry A. Hoffner Jr. H. Craig MelchertSince its publication in 2008, A Grammar of the Hittite Language has been the definitive Hittite reference and teaching tool. This new edition brings Hoffner and Melchert’s essential work up to date, incorporating the dramatic progress achieved in the field over the past fifteen years.Heavily revised and expanded, the second edition recasts the discussion of topics to better serve the linguistically informed reader. A reorganized presentation of the synchronic facts makes them accessible to both Hittitologists and linguists interested in Hittite for historical or typological purposes. Part 1 provides a thorough overview of Hittite grammar that is grounded in abundant textual examples. Part 2 is a tutorial that guides students through a series of graded lessons with illustrative sentences for translation. The tutorial is keyed to the reference grammar and includes extensive updated notes. Taken together with Part 2: Tutorial, which guides students through a series of graded lessons keyed to this reference grammar, the work remains the most comprehensive and detailed Hittite grammar ever produced.
Animal Sightings: Art, Animals, and European Court Culture, 1400–1550
by Jodi CranstonAnimal Sightings challenges two common ideas about the depiction of animals in early modern European court art: first, that the human figure relegated animals to peripheral and often symbolic roles, both compositionally and conceptually, and second, that the representation of animals during this period was predominantly tied to a growing interest in naturalism derived from scientific study and discovery. Art historian Jodi Cranston considers the diversity of art representing animals common to that time and place, including dogs, stags, falcons, and even insects. She discusses how early modern European courts (primarily in northern Italy, Tyrol, Saxony, and southern Germany, where the preponderance of European courtly activity related to animals occurred) acquired and kept living animals, sponsored hunts in purpose-cultivated forests, and fostered trade in animal products. The diverse works created by artists associated with those courts reveal an ambivalent and complex view of animals as beings who shared and shaped the world alongside humans. Ultimately, Animal Sightings explores how early modern artists and viewers thought about human-animal interactions, how visual representation facilitated and inhibited knowledge about animals, and how animals could reveal the limits and possibilities of visual representation. It should be of special interest to scholars of early modern studies, art history, and animal studies.
Probabilistic Forecasts and Optimal Decisions
by Roman KrzysztofowiczAccount for uncertainties and optimize decision-making with this thorough exposition Decision theory is a body of thought and research seeking to apply a mathematical-logical framework to assessing probability and optimizing decision-making. It has developed robust tools for addressing all major challenges to decision making. Yet the number of variables and uncertainties affecting each decision outcome, many of them beyond the decider’s control, mean that decision-making is far from a ‘solved problem’. The tools created by decision theory remain to be refined and applied to decisions in which uncertainties are prominent. Probabilistic Forecasts and Optimal Decisions introduces a theoretically-grounded methodology for optimizing decision-making under conditions of uncertainty. Beginning with an overview of the basic elements of probability theory and methods for modeling continuous variates, it proceeds to survey the mathematics of both continuous and discrete models, supporting each with key examples. The result is a crucial window into the complex but enormously rewarding world of decision theory. Readers of Probablistic Forecasts and Optimal Decisions will also find: Extended case studies supported with real-world dataMini-projects running through multiple chapters to illustrate different stages of the decision-making processEnd of chapter exercises designed to facilitate student learning Probabilistic Forecasts and Optimal Decisions is ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in the sciences and engineering, as well as predictive analytics and decision analytics professionals.
Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design
by Scott RogersWant to design your own video games? Let expert Scott Rogers show you how! If you want to design and build cutting-edge video games but aren't sure where to start, then the THIRD EDITION of the acclaimed Level Up! is for you! Written by leading video game expert Scott Rogers, who has designed for the hits Pac-Man World, God of War, Maximo and SpongeBob SquarePants, this updated edition provides clear and well-thought-out examples that forgo theoretical gobbledygook with charmingly illustrated concepts and solutions based on years of professional experience. Level Up! 3rd Edition has been NEWLY EXPANDED to teach you how to develop marketable ideas, learn what perils and pitfalls await during a game's pre-production, production and post-production stages, and provide even more creative ideas to serve as fuel for your own projects including: Developing your game design from the spark of inspiration all the way to production Learning how to design the most exciting levels, the most precise controls, and the fiercest foes that will keep your players challenged Creating games for console, mobile, and VR/AR/MR—including detailed rules for game play design and controls Monetizing your game from the design up Play test your game to get the best feedback from your players Level Up! 3rd Edition features all-new content, including two new chapters and even a brand-new chili recipe—making it the most indispensable guide for video game designers both “in the field” and the classroom.
Sustainable Smart Homes and Buildings with Internet of Things
by Pramod Singh Rathore Abhishek Kumar Surbhi Bhatia Arwa Mashat Thippa Reddy GadekalluWritten and edited by a team of experts in the field, this exciting new volume explores the real-world applications and methods for using Internet of Things (IoT) to make homes and buildings smart and sustainable and to continue working toward a “greener” world. Sustainable Smart Homes and Buildings with Internet of Things (IoT) is a book that explores the integration of renewable energy sources and IoT technology in the design and management of smart homes and buildings. The book covers various topics related to the subject, including energy efficiency, real-time monitoring, control and optimization of renewable energy sources, smart grid integration, energy storage systems, and microgrids. The book explains how IoT technology can be used to collect data from various sensors and devices installed in smart homes and buildings to create a real-time monitoring and control system for renewable energy sources, which can help optimize energy usage and reduce waste. It also discusses the challenges and opportunities associated with the integration of renewable energy sources in smart homes and buildings, and how these challenges can be addressed through the use of IoT technology. The book is intended for architects, engineers, building managers, energy professionals, and researchers interested in the design and management of sustainable smart homes and buildings. It provides practical insights, case studies, and examples that illustrate the benefits of using renewable energy sources and IoT technology to create energy-efficient, environmentally friendly, and comfortable living spaces.