Economic Stress, Human Capital and Families in Asia

Economic Stress, Human Capital and Families in Asia

This book presents recent findings about the consequences and policy implications of economic stress for human capital development and family well-being in Asia. The scope of the chapters goes beyond the impact of current financial crisis to include the effect of economic deprivation families in Asia experience as a result of job loss, low-wage employment, and catastrophic natural calamities. The studies show how macro-level economic stress can filter down through households to affect individuals economic and socio-psychological well-being. The chapters reveal a wide spectrum of economic stresses experienced by families in Asia that is linked to poor human capital development, emotional distress, health problems, changing fertility patterns, more frequent geographic movement, and less supportive parenting behavior. The elderly, women, children, low-skilled workers are particularly vulnerable. The economic shocks in the past several decades have exposed the vulnerability of the family institution and the weaknesses in this regions social protection system that can lead to detrimental long-term effects on human capital development. This book is relevant for researchers and students in fields such as Family Studies, Globalization, Development, Social Problems, Social Stratification, Social Inequalities, Poverty and Welfare, Education, and Social Policies.

Economic Stress, Human Capital and Families in Asia

Thinking with Diagrams

Thinking with Diagrams

This book provides an introductory overview of the rapid growth in interdisciplinary research into Thinking with Diagrams. Diagrammatic representations are becoming more common in everyday human experience, yet they offer unique challenges to cognitive science research. Neither linguistic nor perceptual theories are sufficient to completely explain their advantages and applications. These research challenges may be part of the reason why so many diagrams are badly designed or badly used. This is ironic when the user interfaces of computer software and the worldwide web are becoming so completely dominated by graphical and diagrammatic representations. This book includes chapters commissioned from leading researchers in the major disciplines involved in diagrams research. They review the philosophical status of diagrams, the cognitive processes involved in their application, and a range of specialist fields in which diagrams are central, including education, architectural design and visual programming languages. The result is immediately relevant to researchers in cognitive science and artificial intelligence, as well as in applied technology areas such as human-computer interaction and information design.

Thinking with Diagrams

Basic Vision

Basic Vision

Why do things look blurry underwater? Why do people drive too fast in fog? How do you high-pass filter a cup of tea? What have mixer taps to do with colour vision? Basic Vision: An Introduction to Visual Perception demystifies the processes through which we see the world. Written by three authors with over 80 years of research and undergraduate teaching experience between them, it leads the reader step-by-step through the intricacies of visual processing, with full-colour illustrations on nearly every page. The writing style captures the excitement of recent research in neuroscience that has transformed our understanding of visual processing, but delivers it with a humour that keeps the reader enthused, rather than bemused. The book takes us through the various elements that come together as our perception of the world around us: the perception of size, colour, motion, and three-dimensional space. It illustrates the intricacy of the visual system, discussing its development during infancy, and revealing how the brain can get it wrong, either as a result of brain damage, through which the network of processes become compromised, or through illusion, where the brain compensates for mixed messages by seeing what it thinks should be there, rather than conveying the reality. The book also demonstrates the importance of contemporary techniques and methodology, and neuroscience-based techniques in particular, in driving forward our understanding of the visual system. Online Resource Centre The Online Resource Centre to accompany Basic Vision features: For registered adopters: Figures from the book available to download, to facilitate lecture preparation. Test bank of multiple choice questions – a readily available tool for either formative or summative assessment. A Journal Club, with questions to lead students through key research articles that relate to topics covered in the book. For students: Annotated web links, giving students ready access to these additional learning resources.

Basic Vision

Gender, Lifespan and Quality of Life

Gender, Lifespan and Quality of Life

This publication addresses the gender dimensions of peoples lived experience and emphasizes how gender relationships differentially impact on womens and girls as well as mens and boys subjective well-being across the lifespan. It therefore fills a significant gap in the literature on quality of life and subjective well-being. The book brings together research which compares females and males subjective experiences of well-being at various life stages from a variety of countries and regions, particularly focusing on womens subjective well-being. Sex-disaggregation of data on objective conditions of quality of life is now routinely undertaken in many countries of the world. However, despite the burgeoning of objective data on sex differences in life conditions across the world, very little gender analysis is carried out to explain fully such difference and there is still a serious dearth of data on gender differences in subjective experiences of quality of life and well-being. This publication will assist researchers, teachers, service providers and policy makers in filling some of the gaps in currently available literature on the nexus between age and gender in producing differential experiences of subjective wellbeing.

Gender, Lifespan and Quality of Life

Dignity Therapy

Dignity Therapy

Maintaining dignity for patients approaching death is a core principle of palliative care. Translating that principle into methods of guiding care at the end of life, however, can be a complicated and daunting task. Dignity therapy, a psychological intervention developed by Dr. Harvey Max Chochinov and his internationally lauded research group, has been designed specifically to address many of the psychological, existential, and spiritual challenges that patients and their families face as they grapple with the reality of life drawing to a close. Tested with patients with advanced illnesses in Canada, the United States, Australia, China, Scotland, England, and Denmark, dignity therapy has been shown to not only benefit patients, but their families as well. In the first book to lay out the blueprint for this unique and meaningful intervention, Chochinov addresses one of the most important dimensions of being human. Being alive means being vulnerable and mortal; he argues that dignity therapy offers a way to preserve meaning and hope for patients approaching death. Dignity Therapy: Final Words for Final Days is a beautiful introduction to this pioneering and innovative work. With history and foundations of dignity in care, and step by step guidance for readers interested in implementing the program, this volume illuminates how dignity therapy can change end-of-life experience for those about to die – and for those who will grieve their passing.

Dignity Therapy

Handbook of Social Work Practice with Vulnerable and Resilient Populations

Handbook of Social Work Practice with Vulnerable and Resilient Populations

Why do some people collapse under certain life conditions, while others remain relatively unscathed? What accounts for the marked variations in people’s responses to stress and adversity? The second edition of this groundbreaking how-to guide has been extensively updated to reflect the field’s growing understanding of the importance of resiliency and protective factors — the positive poles of the human experience — and the importance of their role in forming balanced assessments and responsive interventions.

Handbook of Social Work Practice with Vulnerable and Resilient Populations

The Edge of Reason?

The Edge of Reason?

inspire spiritual wonder? Confrontation between science and religion has defined much public debate about religion in recent years, most lately in bestsellers portraying a clash between scientists and religious believers, such as Richard Dawkins’ ‘The God Delusion ‘and Sam Harris’s ‘The End of Faith ‘or ‘Letter to a Christian Nation.’ But what does this ‘us versus them’ divide mean for society? This collection of essays gives voice to social scientists, natural scientists and theologians whose experience holds direct relevance on these major issues, and clarifies the position of science in the modern debate. Includes contributions by Mary Midgley (University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK), Denis Alexander (Cambridge University, UK), Richard Roberts (Lancaster University, UK), Bob Layton (Durham University, UK), Simon Coleman (Sussex University, UK), Michael Shermer (Executive Director of the Sceptics Society and monthly columnist for ‘Scientific American’), Lewis Wolpert (University College London, UK), Andrew Newberg (University of Pennsylvania), Timothy Taylor (University of Bradford, UK), Steven Mithen (University of Reading, UK), David Sloan Wilson (Binghamton University), Herbert Maschner (Idaho State University), Ian Reader (University of Manchester, UK), Hiroko Kawanami (Lancaster University, UK), Andrian Kreye (Suddeutsche Zeitung), John Hedley Brooke (Oxford University, UK), Gordy Slack (Author of ‘The Battle Over The Meaning Of Everything’), Seth Shostak (Seti Institute), William Calvin (University Of Washington), and David Wilkinson (Durham University, UK).

The Edge of Reason?

Adobe Flex 4,Volume 1

Adobe Flex 4,Volume 1

Adobe Flex: Training from the Source is the best-selling and most trusted resource for learning about Adobe Flex. Written by a team of authors with practical experience as consultants, mentors and developers of courseware, this book/CD uses project-based tutorials, and is designed to teach beginning Flex developers the details of building and architecting real-world rich internet applications using Flash Builder incorporating MXML and ActionScript 3.0. The book includes a CD that contains all the files used in the lessons, plus completed projects for comparison. This latest edition includes complete coverage of New Flex 4 features such as the Spark Component model, Advanced Skinning, Component Creation, and much more.

Adobe Flex 4,Volume 1

Control of Surge in Centrifugal Compressors by Active Magnetic Bearings

Control of Surge in Centrifugal Compressors by Active Magnetic Bearings

Surge Control of Active-magnetic-bearing-suspended Centrifugal Compressors sets out the fundamentals of integrating active magnetic bearing (AMB) rotor suspension technology in compressor systems, and describes how this relatively new bearing technology can be employed in active control of compressor surge initiation. The authors provide a self-contained and comprehensive review of rotordynamics and the fundamentals of AMB technology. The active stabilization of compressor surge employing AMBs in a machine is fully explored, from modeling of instability and controller design, to the implementation and experimental testing of the control algorithm in a specially-constructed, industrial-size centrifugal compression system. The results of these tests demonstrate the great potential of the new surge control method suggested in this text. This book will be useful for engineers in industries that involve turbocompressors and magnetic bearings, as well as for researchers and graduate students in the field of applied control. Whatever their level of experience, engineers working in the fields of turbomachinery, magnetic bearings, rotordynamics and controls will find the material in this book absorbing as all these important aspects of engineering are integrated to create a multi-disciplinary solution to a real-life industrial problem and the book is a suitable introduction to the area for newcomers.

Control of Surge in Centrifugal Compressors by Active Magnetic Bearings

iPhone Programming

iPhone Programming

Based on Big Nerd Ranchs popular iPhone Bootcamp class, iPhone Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide leads you through the essential tools and techniques for developing applications for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. In each chapter, you will learn programming concepts and apply them immediately as you build an application or enhance one from a previous chapter. These applications have been carefully designed and tested to teach the associated concepts and to provide practice working with the standard development tools Xcode, Interface Builder, and Instruments. The guides learn-while-doing approach delivers the practical knowledge and experience you need to design and build real-world applications. Here are some of the topics covered:

iPhone Programming

Building Web Apps with WordPress

Building Web Apps with WordPress

WordPress is much more than a blogging platform. As this practical guide clearly demonstrates, you can use WordPress to build web apps of any typenot mere content sites, but full-blown apps for specific tasks. If you have PHP experience with a smattering of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, youll learn how to use WordPress plugins and themes to develop fast, scalable, and secure web apps, native mobile apps, web services, and even a network of multiple WordPress sites.

Building Web Apps with WordPress

A Game Plan for Effective Leadership

A Game Plan for Effective Leadership

The conventional wisdom is that leaders are born, not made. Author Robert Palestini argues that his experience and scholarly research indicate that leadership skills can be learned. The first chapter of this book speaks to the so-called ‘science’ of administration and leadership, while the second chapter deals with the ‘art’ of leadership. One needs to learn how to lead with both mind (science) and heart (art) to be truly effective. The effective building blocks of quality leadership are the skills of communication motivation, organizational development, management and creativity. Mastering the theory and practice in these areas of study will produce high quality leadership ability and, in turn, produce successful leaders. This book uses the case study approach in order to facilitate placing theory into effective practice. Each chapter contains an extensive study on one of ten of the most successful basketball coaches of our times including, Phil Jackson, Bobby Knight, Mike Krzyzewski, Pat Riley, Pat Summitt, and Dean Smith. The book looks to see how these coaches were able to place leadership theory into effective practice. The lessons learned will prove invaluable to leaders and aspiring leaders, whether they be a parent, teacher, school principal, athletic director, coach or CEO.

A Game Plan for Effective Leadership

Designing with Progressive Enhancement

Designing with Progressive Enhancement

Progressive enhancement is an approach to web development that aims to deliver the best possible experience to the widest possible audience, and simplifies coding and testing as well. Whether users are viewing your sites on an iPhone, the latest and greatest high-end system, or even hearing them on a screen-reader, their experience should be easy to understand and use, and as fully-featured and functional as possible.

Designing with Progressive Enhancement

True to Experience

True to Experience

True to Experience is a new anthology drawn from Williams’ many profound and thought-provoking writings including much previously unavailable material. True to Experience, like Williams himself, is unorthodox by the tenets of contemporary Christianity, but encompasses the uncertainties and fears, the joys and sorrows common to us all. It expounds a God-given universal humanity to which both Christians and non-Christians can respond.

True to Experience

How to Win Campaigns

How to Win Campaigns

* The essential one-stop, how-to guide for PR and communication specialists * For business and non-profit sectors * Start, conduct and win campaigns on any issue in any context * Written by campaign master Chris Rose, and distilled from his twenty years of experience directing and running campaigns for Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, WWF International and other major organizations * Presents 100 key actionable steps to campaigning and shows what works and what doesn’t work Written for the new campaigner and the experienced communicator alike, this is a comprehensive and systematic exploration of what works in campaigning, and a practical how-to guide for using principles and strategy in campaigning as a new form of public politics. Applicable to any issue, the book’s 100 key steps and tools provide models of motivation, analysis, and communication structure. Content includes: how to begin a campaign; motivating people; research and development, including issue mapping; planning using the campaign planning star; organizing communications including visual language; constructing campaign propositions; insight into news media; how to keep a campaign going; how to use old and new media and what to do and what not to do. The final chapter reviews the bigger picture, including why campaigns need brands, and examines how campaigns became a form of politics and provides new research material on how issues mature and become ‘norms’, and the consequent problems for campaigning.

How to Win Campaigns

Identity Theft

Identity Theft

Identity theft is a horrifying and traumatic experience. It’s easy to imagine the frustration at being wrongly denied a credit card or loan. Worse are the sleepless nights after threatening phone calls from creditors anxious to retrieve cash loaned in your name. It can also be much more serious.

Identity Theft

Software Change Management

Software Change Management

Why is it so difficult to change organizations? What does it really take to make process improvement yield measurable results? For more than 30 years, Donald Riefer has been guiding software teams through the technical, organizational, and people issues that must be managed in order to make meaningful process changesand better products. This practical guide draws from his extensive experience, featuring 11 case studies spanning the public and private sectors and even academia. Each case study illuminates the original conditions; describes options and recommendations; details reactions, outcomes, and lessons learned; and provides essential references and resources.

Software Change Management

As a Man Thinketh

As a Man Thinketh

This little volume (the result of meditation and experience) is not intended as an exhaustive treatise on the much-written-upon subject of the power of thought. It is suggestive rather than explanatory, its object being to stimulate men and women to the discovery and perception of the truth that- ”They themselves are makers of themselves” by virtue of the thoughts which they choose and encourage; that mind is the master-weaver, both of the inner garment of character and the outer garment of circimistance, and that, as they may have hitherto woven in ignorance and pain they may now weave in enlighteimient and happiness. James Allen.

As a Man Thinketh

Pineal Gland and Third Eye

Pineal Gland and Third Eye

DO YOU WANT A DIRECT EXPERIENCE OF HIGHER STATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS? Mystics, philosophers, religious teachers and shaman throughout time tell us the third eye is the gateway to our higher self and deeper life meaning. This unusual book de-mystifies the third eye and explains its true nature in the brain as the pineal gland. Major research studies say at least 85% of us are capable of exciting higher self and 3rd eye experiences. Contains 15 proven-effective step-by-step methods to activate your pineal gland and open your third eye.

Pineal Gland and Third Eye

History Man

History Man

This is the first biography of the last and greatest British idealist philosopher, R. G. Collingwood (1889-1943), a man who both thought and lived at full pitch. Best known today for his philosophies of history and art, Collingwood was also a historian, archaeologist, sailor, artist, and musician. A figure of enormous energy and ambition, he took as his subject nothing less than the whole of human endeavor, and he lived in the same way, seeking to experience the complete range of human passion. In this vivid and swiftly paced narrative, Fred Inglis tells the dramatic story of a remarkable life, from Collingwood’s happy Lakeland childhood to his successes at Oxford, his archaeological digs as a renowned authority on Roman Britain, his solo sailing adventures in the English Channel, his long struggle with illness, and his sometimes turbulent romantic life.

History Man