Whale Done Parenting: How to Make Parenting a Positive Experience for You and Your Kids by Ken Blanchard, Chuck Tompkins, Jim Ballard, Thad Lacinak Requirements: .ePUB, .MOBI/.AZW reader, 3.8 Mb Overview: What does raising children have to do with training killer whales? More than you’d think. Mega-selling author Ken Blanchard teams up again with his Whale Done coauthors to show how positive reinforcement techniques used by trainers at Seaworld can help parents bring out the best in their children. Genre: Non-Fiction > Educational
Intoxication and Society: Problematic Pleasures of Drugs and Alcohol by Jonathan Herring, Darin Weinberg, Phil Withington, Ciaran Regan Requirements: .PDF reader, 2.2 Mb Overview: Intoxicants, substances that alter a person’s mental and physiological state, are a continuing obsession. In their effect on the mind and body, intoxicants go to the heart of what it means to be human. In the tensions between ‘free’ and uninhibited consumption on the one hand, and the pressures of social regulation and personal responsibility on the other, they also illuminate the daily paradoxes, and sheer complexity, of living in modern Western societies. Yet this complexity, and the rich history that underpins it, is often lost in the current debates over public policy.
Intoxication and Society sets out to supplement the contemporary discourse surrounding intoxication with a more nuanced appreciation of the history and nature of what is very much a multidimensional problem. It does so by employing an interdisciplinary framework that includes contributions from leading academics in law, sociology, anthropology, history, literature, neuroscience and social psychology.
The result is a subtle historical and contemporary rereading of the social construction of intoxication that will provide a secure basis for analysis as society continues to respond to the problematic pleasures of intoxication Genre: Non-Fiction > Educational
The Complete Dinosaur (Life of the Past) by Michael K. Brett-Surman Requirements: .PDF reader, 34 MB Overview: Praise for the first edition: Genre: Non-Fiction > Educational
"A gift to serious dinosaur enthusiasts" ―Science "The amount of information in [these] pages is amazing. This book should be on the shelves of dinosaur freaks as well as those who need to know more about the paleobiology of extinct animals. It will be an invaluable library reference." ―American Reference Books Annual "An excellent encyclopedia that serves as a nice bridge between popular and scholarly dinosaur literature." ―Library Journal (starred review) "Copiously illustrated and scrupulously up-to-date . . . the book reveals dinos through the fractious fields that make a study of them." ―Publishers Weekly "Stimulating armchair company for cold winter evenings. . . . Best of all, the book treats dinosaurs as intellectual fun." ―New Scientist "The book is useful both as a reference and as a browse-and-enjoy compendium." ―Natural History What do we know about dinosaurs, and how do we know it? How did dinosaurs grow, move, eat, and reproduce? Were they warm-blooded or cold-blooded? How intelligent were they? How are the various groups of dinosaurs related to each other, and to other kinds of living and extinct vertebrates? What can the study of dinosaurs tell us about the process of evolution? And why did typical dinosaurs become extinct? All of these questions, and more, are addressed in the new, expanded, second edition of The Complete Dinosaur. Written by many of the world’s leading experts on the "fearfully great" reptiles, the book’s 45 chapters cover what we have learned about dinosaurs, from the earliest discoveries of dinosaurs to the most recent controversies. Where scientific contention exists, the editors have let the experts agree to disagree. Copiously illustrated and accessible to all readers from the enthusiastic amateur to the most learned professional paleontologist, The Complete Dinosaur is a feast for serious dinosaur lovers everywhere.
Homer: A Collection of Critical Essays by George Steiner, Robert Fagles Requirements: .PDF reader, 2.5 Mb Overview: George Steiner and Robert Fagles have dedicated this volume to “the principle of delight.” Its chief aim is to lead the reader to the humor, pathos, tragedy and joy, manliness and delicacy of Homer. The Iliad and the Odyssey are viewed here through the eyes of the critic, poet, scholar, translator, and anthropologist; they are appraised from the Marxist, the philosophic, the allegorical, and the poetic standpoint, among others. The Homeric Question-the centuries-old mystery of authorship-is a fascinating enigma. Genre: Non-Fiction > Educational
Everything You Need to Know About Atlas Shrugged by Charles River Editors Requirements: .ePUB, .MOBI/.AZW reader, 142 kb Overview: * Learn everything you need to know about Atlas Shrugged, quickly! * Includes a discussion of the plot, characters, main themes, and political philosophy of Ayn Rand. * Includes a linked Table of Contents. In 2009, with the global economy hemorrhaging jobs, and Western governments pouring hundreds of billions of dollars in taxpayer money to bail out troubled financial firms and large companies, frustrated people and political analysts turned to a book written over 50 years earlier as a guide out of the abyss. Though Atlas Shrugged had been a popular title when Ayn Rand published it in 1957, its quite possible that the only reference to it that many Americans heard before 2009 came from the hit series Mad Men. However, this staple of conservative and libertarian reader took on new life as the new Obama Administration sought to use government resources to fix financial problems. Conservative commentators like Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh praised the book for their audiences, and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas labeled it one of his favorite novels. By January 2009, one article in the Wall Street Journal was titled, "Atlas Shrugged From Fiction to Fact in 52 Years". In that time, the giant novel Rand considered her magnum opus has seen its sales spike dramatically, eventually reaching the top of Amazons bestsellers list. Even today, it is still within Kindles Top 500 titles, making it one of the most heavily read books of the last several years. Today, many have heard of the title and are partially familiar with it, but the sheer size of the book makes it inaccessible for people who dont have a lot of time to read or ponder Rands philosophy. Thankfully, that problem is now solved with Everything You Need to Know About Atlas Shrugged, a primer that can get anyone caught up to speed on the plot, characters, themes, symbols, and philosophy of Rands classic in 30 minutes. In addition to covering the book in detail, Everything You Need to Know About Atlas Shrugged includes a biography of Rands life, discussion about the inspiration for the novels characters, and a full-fledged explanation of Objectivism and the sources of Rands political philosophy. With Atlas Shrugged and its underlying themes as relevant as ever today, get caught up quick with this resourceful guide. Genre: Non-Fiction > Educational
How Logic Works: A User’s Guide by Hans Halvorson Requirements: .PDF reader, 1.6 MB Overview: A concise introduction to logic that teaches you not only how reasoning works, but why it works
How Logic Works is an introductory logic textbook that is different by design. Rather than teaching elementary symbolic logic as an abstract or rote mathematical exercise divorced from ordinary thinking, Hans Halvorson presents it as the skill of clear and rigorous reasoning, which is essential in all fields and walks of life, from the sciences to the humanities―anywhere that making good arguments, and spotting bad ones, is critical to success.
Instead of teaching how to apply algorithms using “truth trees,” as in the vast majority of logic textbooks, How Logic Works builds on and reinforces the innate human skills of making and evaluating arguments. It does this by introducing the methods of natural deduction, an approach that teaches students not only how to carry out a proof and solve a problem but also what the principles of valid reasoning are and how they can be applied to any subject. The book also allows students to transition smoothly to more advanced topics in logic by teaching them general techniques that apply to more complicated scenarios, such as how to formulate theories about specific subject matter. Genre: Non-Fiction > Educational
Bayesian Statistics for Experimental Scientists: A General Introduction Using Distribution-Free Methods by Richard A. Chechile Requirements: .PDF reader, 21 MB Overview: An introduction to the Bayesian approach to statistical inference that demonstrates its superiority to orthodox frequentist statistical analysis. This book offers an introduction to the Bayesian approach to statistical inference, with a focus on nonparametric and distribution-free methods. It covers not only well-developed methods for doing Bayesian statistics but also novel tools that enable Bayesian statistical analyses for cases that previously did not have a full Bayesian solution. The book’s premise is that there are fundamental problems with orthodox frequentist statistical analyses that distort the scientific process. Side-by-side comparisons of Bayesian and frequentist methods illustrate the mismatch between the needs of experimental scientists in making inferences from data and the properties of the standard tools of classical statistics. Genre: Non-Fiction > Educational
The Cambridge Handbook of the Law of Algorithms by Woodrow Barfield Requirements: .PDF reader, 6 MB Overview: Algorithms are a fundamental building block of artificial intelligence – and, increasingly, society – but our legal institutions have largely failed to recognize or respond to this reality. The Cambridge Handbook of the Law of Algorithms, which features contributions from US, EU, and Asian legal scholars, discusses the specific challenges algorithms pose not only to current law, but also – as algorithms replace people as decision makers – to the foundations of society itself. The work includes wide coverage of the law as it relates to algorithms, with chapters analyzing how human biases have crept into algorithmic decision-making about who receives housing or credit, the length of sentences for defendants convicted of crimes, and many other decisions that impact constitutionally protected groups. Other issues covered in the work include the impact of algorithms on the law of free speech, intellectual property, and commercial and human rights law. Genre: Non-Fiction > Educational
Advances in Design and Digital Communication: Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Design and Digital Communication, Digicom 2020, November … Series in Design and Innovation Book 12) by Nuno Martins Requirements: .PDF reader, 118 MB Overview: This book reports on research findings and practical lessons featuring advances in: digital and interaction design; graphic design and branding; design strategies and methodologies; design education; society and communication in design practice; and other related areas. Gathering the proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Digital Design and Communication, Digicom 2020, held virtually on November 5-6, 2020, the book describes cutting-edge perspectives on and analysis of and solutions to challenges digital communication is currently presenting to society, institutions and brands. It offers a timely guide and a source of inspiration for designers of all kinds, including graphic, digital and web designers, UI, UX and social media designers, and to researchers, advertisers, artists, and entrepreneurs, as well as brand or corporate communication managers. Genre: Non-Fiction > Educational
Assouad Dimension and Fractal Geometry by Jonathan M. Fraser Requirements: .PDF reader, 4.3 MB Overview: The Assouad dimension is a notion of dimension in fractal geometry that has been the subject of much interest in recent years. This book, written by a world expert on the topic, is the first thorough account of the Assouad dimension and its many variants and applications in fractal geometry and beyond. It places the theory of the Assouad dimension in context among up-to-date treatments of many key advances in fractal geometry, while also emphasising its diverse connections with areas of mathematics including number theory, dynamical systems, harmonic analysis, and probability theory. A final chapter detailing open problems and future directions for research brings readers to the cutting edge of this exciting field. This book will be an indispensable part of the modern fractal geometer’s library and a valuable resource for pure mathematicians interested in the beauty and many applications of the Assouad dimension. Genre: Non-Fiction > Educational
