The discipline of economics is not what it used to be. Over the last few decades, economists have begun a revolutionary reorientation in how we look at the world, and this has major implications for politics, policy, and our everyday lives. For years, conventional economists told us an incomplete story that leaned on the comfortable precision of mathematical abstraction and ignored the complexity of the real world with all of its uncertainties, unknowns, and ongoing evolution. What economists left out of the story were the positive forces of creativity, innovation, and advancing technology that propel economies forward. Economists did not describe the dynamic process that leads to new pharmaceuticals, cell phones, Web-based information services-forces that fundamentally alter how we live our daily lives. Economists also left out the negative forces that can hold economies back: bad governance, counterproductive social practices, and patterns of taking wealth instead of creating it. They took for granted secure property rights, honest public servants, and the willingness of individuals to experiment and adapt to novelty. From Poverty to Prosperity is not Tipping Point or Freakonomics. Those books offer a smorgasbord of fascinating findings in economics and sociology, but the findings are only loosely related. From Poverty to Prosperity on the other hand, tells a big picture story about the huge differences in the standard of living across time and across borders. It is a story that draws on research from the world's most important economists and eschews the conventional wisdom for a new, more inclusive, vision of the world and how it works.
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When plutonium was first manufactured at Berkeley in the spring of 1941, there was so little of it that it was not visible to the naked eye. It took a year to accumulate enough so that one could actually see it. Now there is so much that we don't know what to do to get rid of it. We have created a monster. The history of plutonium is as strange as the element itself. When scientists began looking for it, they did so simply in the spirit of inquiry, not certain whether there were still spots to fill on the periodic table. But the discovery of fission made it clear that this still-hypothetical element would be more than just a scientific curiosity - it could be a powerful nuclear weapon. As it turned out, it is good for almost nothing else. Plutonium's nuclear potential put it at the heart of the World War II arms race - the Russians found out about it through espionage, the Germans through independent research, and everybody wanted some. Now, nearly everyone has some - the United States alone has about 47 metric tons - but it has almost no uses besides warmongering. How did the product of scientific curiosity become such a dangerous burden? In his new history of this complex and dangerous element, noted physicist Jeremy Bernstein describes the steps that were taken to transform plutonium from a laboratory novelty into the nuclear weapon that destroyed Nagasaki. This is the first book to weave together the many strands of plutonium's story, explaining not only the science but the people involved.
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Fun, do-it-yourself-and slightly wicked-electronics projects! 15 Dangerously Mad Projects for the Evil Genius appeals to adventure-minded hobbyists with a touch of the mischievous. It also taps into the trend of "hacking and modding" existing equipment to give it a new purpose. Simon Monk provides detailed instructions and designs for 15 exciting electronics projects, from a single-stage coil gun to a mini laser turret to a surveillance robot. Each project is contained in its own chapter and includes an accessible explanation of the theory behind the project, as well as the practical, step-by-step details of assembly, thoroughly illustrated and photographed. The projects aren't truly dangerous in the sense that they are likely to cause serious harm, but they do require common sense and adult supervision. 15 Dangerously Mad Projects for the Evil Genius Enables you to experience the fun and fulfillment of successfully constructing home electronics projects Explains the scientific theories and principles behind each project Helps you develop the inspiration and skills to start designing projects of their own Includes safety instructions and recommended precautions to prevent injury or mishap Build 15 devious devices: Trebuchet; Coil Gun; Ping Pong Ball Minigun; Mini Laser Turret; Balloon-popping Laser Gun; BB Gun Laser Sight; Laser-grid Intruder Alarm; Persistence of Vision Display; Covert Radio Bug and Bug Detector; Laser Voice Transmitter; Flash Bomb; High Brightness LED Strobe; Levitation Machine; Light Seeking Microbot; Surveillance Robot
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A practical book which covers all the latest supervisory concepts and practices, and encourages the reader to think and then behave as a supervisor.
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$58.05
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Just like the other fact-filled installments in Robert Godwin's excellent NASA Reports series, this survey of the X-15 (arguably the world's first reusable spacecraft) pulls together sheaves of unedited official documents to convey the backroom planning and under-the-hood complexity behind one of aviation's most ambitious programs. Fans of Godwin's previous NASA entries might notice a few changes here: because this book covers an endeavor that involved three different aircraft on 199 successful flights over nearly a decade, Godwin had to modify his usual comprehensive reprinting of press releases and mission reports. Instead, this collection offers pilot biographies, NASA's semiannual reports to Congress, flight manuals, the complete proposal that won North American Aviation the X-15 contract, flight logs, the USAF's formerly classified development plans, and more. The accompanying CD-ROM includes hundreds of photos and hours of MPEG video footage, featuring highlights like the pink-eraser X-15A-2 and Neil Armstrong's farewell voyage before he checked out to become a bona fide astronaut. (If you're still worried about those missing mission operation reports, don't fret: the CD-ROM includes the full text for all of them, too.) Such exhaustiveness can be exhausting for the faint of heart, but data junkies and armchair astronauts will no doubt revel in the minutiae. Even casual readers can find some fun stuff here, in between the emergency procedures and exploded engine diagrams. For instance, check out NASA's script comments on 1961's feature-length flick X-15, starring Charles Bronson and Mary Tyler Moore. --Paul Hughes
Price : $39.00
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This second edition deals comprehensively with all aspects of a ship's machinery from propulsion and steering to deck machinery and electrical equipment with a strong emphasis upon correct and safe procedures.Material has been added and revised to reflect the greater weight now being placed upon the cost-effective operation of ships; in terms of greater equipment reliability, more fuel-efficient engines, the ever-increasing shift towards automatically operated machinery, and the need for fewer engineering crew. This is an invaluable guide for professionals but equally covers the requirements for Class 4 and Class 3 Engineer's Certificates of Competency, the first two years of the Engineer Cadet Training Scheme, and the Engineering Knowledge syllabus for the Master's Certificate.
Price : $67.18
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The full-color photographic essay of classic jetliners of the world, from the 50s through the present day. Boeing 707 to the 767, Douglas DC-8 through the MD-11, deHavilland Comet, BAC 11 and 146, VC-10, Concorde, Airbus 300-340, Russian Tu-104, and the Sud Caravelle, all featured with classic airliner markings.
Price : $7.49
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el autobus magico: viaja por el agus(magic school bus)
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