How did the popularity of underwear in the twelfth century lead to the invention of the printing press? How did the waterwheel evolve into the computer? How did the arrival of the cannon lead eventually to the development of movies? In this highly acclaimed and bestselling book, James Burke brilliantly examines the ideas, inventions, and coincidences that have culminated in the major technological advances of today. With dazzling insight, he untangles the pattern of interconnecting events: the accidents of time, circumstance, and place that gave rise to the major inventions of the world. Says Burke, "My purpose is to acquaint the reader with some of the forces that have caused change in the past, looking in particular at eight innovations -- the computer, the production line, telecommunications, the airplane, the atomic bomb, plastics, the guided rocket, and television -- which may be most influential in structuring our own futures....Each one of these is part of a family of similar devices, and is the result of a sequence of closely connected events extending from the ancient world until the present day. Each has enormous potential for humankind's benefit -- or destruction." Based on a popular TV documentary series, Connections is a fascinating scientific detective story of the inventions that changed history -- and the surprising links that connect them.
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This brilliant work heralds the new age of nanotechnology, which will give us thorough and inexpensive control of the structure of matter. Drexler examines the enormous implications of these developments for medicine, the economy, and the environment, and makes astounding yet well-founded projections for the future.
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How companies can stay competitive in a world of total transparency. With their first book, 1993's The One-to-One Future, Don Peppers and Martha Rogers introduced the idea of managing interactive customer relationships, long before the Web and social networking made it standard business practice. With Extreme Trust, they look to the future once again, predicting that rising levels of transparency will require companies to protect the interests of their customers and employees proactively, even when it sometimes costs money in the short term.The importance of this "trustability" will transform every industry. Retail banks won't be able to rely as much on overdraft charges. Consumers will expect retailers to remind them when they have unused balances on gift cards. Credit card companies will coach customers to avoid excessive borrowing. Cell phone providers will help customers find appropriate calling plans for their usage patterns.Success won't come from top-down rules and processes, but from bottom-up solutions on the part of employees and customers themselves. And the most successful businesses will earn and keep the extreme trust of everyone they interact with.
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"Knowledge Capital in the Digital Society" describes how the information society arose, is currently structured, and its possible future directions. The author argues that knowledge is an important part of a person's capital and that information technologies have brought us to the critical point where knowledge is becoming systems-centric instead of brain-centric. He describes how digital technologies are creating a new world information community (WIC) that will impact every facet of our lives. The book analyzes ten areas that are changing our thinking, communication, and decision-making, among them a shift away from memorizing and toward WIC navigation and concept understanding, as well as a move toward transparency and knowledge equality. Taking the example of GPS navigation, i.e., devices that tell people how to find their way, the author predicts that future software will guide us in many other functions of our daily lives, including emotional behavior and decision-making. The challenge of the future is a new intelligence that emphasizes concept understanding, creativity, and identifying accurate information, rather than memorizing data. The emerging value of transparency in the digital society will require companies, governments, and other organizations to establish new policies and practices for the management of their knowledge capital. On an individual basis, knowledge capital management includes our anticipating risks and opportunities that we can best meet with what the author calls "digital hygiene." The book cites examples from the banking and healthcare industries to describe the possibilities that digital technologies offer. The effects of WIC can also be seen in new virtual communities that go beyond borders. Economic disruptive effects are discussed as well as the potential for better living conditions globally. An era of enlightenment could open new avenues to reduce violence, increase well-being, create technology-enabled democracies, and introduce fact-checking to combat information distortion. While there are many books about computers and the internet, "Knowledge Capital in the Digital Society" is unique in that it comprehensively addresses how we got here and what the challenges and options of the digital future are. The book will appeal to those interested in information technologies, intelligence, the philosophical meaning of life, the role of information in our lives, and the opportunities for thriving in the digital society of the future.
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There are millions of different kinds of plants and animals living on the earth. Many millions more lived here in the past. Where did they all come from? Why have some become extinct and others lived on?In this remarkable book for children, Steve Jenkins explores the fascinating history of life on earth and the awe-inspiring story of evolution, Charles Darwinâs great contribution to modern science.
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We've weathered tough times before. History teaches us that periods of "creative destruction," like the Great Depression of the 1930s, also present opportunities to remake our economy and society and to generate whole new eras of economic growth and prosperity. In The Great Reset, bestselling author and economic development expert Richard Florida provides an engaging and sweeping examination of these previous economic epochs, or "resets," while looking toward the future to identify the patterns that will drive the next Great Reset and transform virtually every aspect of our lives. He distills the deep forces that alter physical and social landscapes—how and where we live, how we work, how we invest in individuals and infrastructure, how we shape our cities and regions—and shows the ways in which these forces, when combined, will spur a fresh era of growth and prosperity, define a new geography of progress, and create surprising opportunities for all of us.
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Using modern digital photography, computer-aided design software, and metrology instruments, engineer Christopher Dunn reveals that highly refined tools, techniques, and even mega-machines must have been used in ancient Egypt.
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"BDT" takes a business-first approach, helping instructors improve their students' perception of the value of IS within the business discipline. This perspective allows instructors to more easily demonstrate how technology and systems support business performance and growth. The adaptive chapter/plug-in organization allows the instructor to adjust content according to their business or technical preferences.
Price : $68.00
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This special edition of "The Art of War" by Sun Tzu presents three complete versions of the classic text: in Chinese, in English, and fully annotated. Section I contains the complete 13 chapters of Sun Tzu's masterpiece in Chinese together with the facing page English translation by Lionel Giles, without notes or commentary. This presentation avoids the objection that commentary tends to clutter and obscure the clarity of thought of the ancient military genius. Section II contains the complete annotated translation by Lionel Giles, with explanatory notes and critical commentary. It includes an historical account of Sun Tzu's work, evaluations by Chinese commentators, an essay examining the traditional Chinese attitudes toward war and a bibliography that details Giles' source materials. The supplemental text in this section includes critical commentary and notes by both the Chinese historians as well as by Giles himself. This is invaluable information for any Eastern or Western student of Sun Tzu. Lionel Giles, as the British Museum's "Keeper of the Department of Oriental Printed Books," was uniquely qualified to translate and explain this great classic Chinese work to Western readers.
Price : $16.95
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This book takes the complete novice--armed only with a gleam in the eye, and a basic knowledge of hammer, saw, and screwdriver--and walks him or her through the process of building a boat. The only materials needed are easily available from any lumberyard: plywood, 2x4s, nails, and wood glue. The process is simple, the result is extraordinary--your own boat, ready to sail, in just a week or two, for a fraction of the cost of buying a factory-built (boring!) boat. And the sense of accomplishment is beyond compare. The main focus of the book is on building the 14-foot sailing/rowing skiff called "Mayfly." Full plans and detailed step-by step instructions are given, with numerous line drawings and photographs. Those instructions can then be applied to the other full plans included: for a dinghy, a motorboat, a rowboat, a canoe, and two other sailboats. The only other book to compare is Harold Payson’s venerable Build the New Instant Boats. But where that book leaves off, this book goes beyond: with chapters on making your own oars, making kick-up rudders, pivoting leeboards, sails, flotation compartments, water ballast, hatches, and tips for cartopping and trailering your boat, and much more. It is an introductory book that will continue to be pored over as the beginner transforms himself or herself into an experienced boatbuilder. Also included are a catalog of twenty other boat plans for dreaming over, a guide to boatbuilding sites on the web, a guide to materials suppliers, and a bibliography of further reading. A great book for families, for scout groups, for school shop classes, for anyone who enjoys messing about in boats. Jim Michalak is a former aerospace engineer who has become, in the last decade, one of the foremost designers of small boats in America. He lives in Lebanon, Illinois.
Price : $15.44
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