Despite the masses still lining up to enter mega-churches with warehouse-like architecture, casually dressed clergy, and pop Christian music, the Post-Boomer generationthose ranging in age from twenty to fortyis having second thoughts. In this perceptive look at the evolving face of Christianity in contemporary culture, sociologists Richard Flory and Donald E. Miller argue that we are on the verge of another potential revolution in how Christians worship and associate with one another.
Thứ Hai, 23 tháng 2, 2015
Finding Faith
Thứ Bảy, 14 tháng 2, 2015
Foraging: Behavior and Ecology
Foraging is fundamental to animal survival and reproduction, yet it is much more than a simple matter of finding food; it is a biological imperative. Animals must find and consume resources to succeed, and they make extraordinary efforts to do so. For instance, pythons rarely eat, but when they do, their meals are largeas much as 60 percent larger than their own bodies. The snakes digestive system is normally dormant, but during digestion metabolic rates can increase fortyfold. A python digesting quietly on the forest floor has the metabolic rate of thoroughbred in a dead heat. This and related foraging processes have broad applications in ecology, cognitive science, anthropology, and conservation biologyand they can be further extrapolated in economics, neurobiology, and computer science.
Thứ Ba, 3 tháng 2, 2015
Information Routing, Correspondence Finding and Object Recognition in the Brain
This book covers recent research on cortical signal processing and plasticity, with an emphasis on object recognition. The focus is on assemblies of neurons and how they can collectively represent information patterns and their dynamic relationships – leading to novel concepts for how the brain routes information in a purposeful way, how it detects correspondences between patterns, and how sensory inputs are recognized. Furthermore the question which neural substrates are necessary for such capabilities, and how they can self-organize in the developing organism are treated. The readership is aimed at all students and researchers in neuroscience interested in exploring new paradigms of brain function. Experimentalists may draw inspiration from the book for designing anatomical and physiological experiments that lead the way from the current focus on static receptive fields to investigating the dynamic, functional connectivity of cortex. Theoreticians are invited to incorporate the discussed concepts into their own modeling, and to improve on the models presented in the book.
Chủ Nhật, 1 tháng 2, 2015
Physiology and Physiopathology of Adipose Tissue
The scientific advances in the physiology and pathophysiology of adipose tissue over the last two decades have been considerable. Today, the cellular and molecular mechanisms of adipogenesis are well known. In addition, adipose tissue is now recognized as a real endocrine organ that produces hormones such as the leptin acting to regulate food intake and energy balance in the central nervous system, a finding that has completely revolutionized the paradigm of energy homeostasis. Other adipokines have now been described and these molecules are taking on increasing importance in physiology and pathophysiology. Moreover, numerous works have shown that in obesity, but also in cases of lipodystophy, adipose tissue was the site of a local low-grade inflammation that involves immune cells such as macrophages and certain populations of lymphocytes. This new information is an important step in the pathophysiology of both obesity and related metabolic and cardiovascular complications. Finally, it is a unique and original work focusing on adipose tissue, covering biology and pathology by investigating aspects of molecular and cellular biology, general, metabolic, genetic and genomic biochemistry.
Thứ Hai, 26 tháng 1, 2015
Cajun Blue
Cajun Blue Dominique AdairElle Grayson is a woman with a taste for bondage and handsome men who know how to wield a paddle. Using the name Ms. Scarlet, she attends a B&D party with the intention of finding a man to satisfy her dark, sensual nature for a one-night stand.Remy ‘Blue’ DeLaughter is a Cajun with a taste for the dangerous and an eye for sexy, curvaceous women. While attending his business partner’s party, he finds the woman of his bondage dreams, only to have her slip away in the night. He wants her for a lifetime. Finding her is the problem…Publisher’s Note: Originally published in the R.S.V.P. anthology.
Thứ Năm, 22 tháng 1, 2015
Rethinking Logic
This volume examines the limitations of mathematical logic and proposes a new approach to logic intended to overcome them. To this end, the book compares mathematical logic with earlier views of logic, both in the ancient and in the modern age, including those of Plato, Aristotle, Bacon, Descartes, Leibniz, and Kant. From the comparison it is apparent that a basic limitation of mathematical logic is that it narrows down the scope of logic confining it to the study of deduction, without providing tools for discovering anything new. As a result, mathematical logic has had little impact on scientific practice. Therefore, this volume proposes a view of logic according to which logic is intended, first of all, to provide rules of discovery, that is, non-deductive rules for finding hypotheses to solve problems. This is essential if logic is to play any relevant role in mathematics, science and even philosophy. To comply with this view of logic, this volume formulates several rules of discovery, such as induction, analogy, generalization, specialization, metaphor, metonymy, definition, and diagrams. A logic based on such rules is basically a logic of discovery, and involves a new view of the relation of logic to evolution, language, reason, method and knowledge, particularly mathematical knowledge. It also involves a new view of the relation of philosophy to knowledge. This book puts forward such new views, trying to open again many doors that the founding fathers of mathematical logic had closed historically.
Thứ Ba, 20 tháng 1, 2015
Sisters in White
‘…love, loss, lies, grief, finding happiness in the face of adversity, romance, humor, bravery, hot hot hot sex scenes, marriages, births and totally awesome characters.’ –Supportive Business Moms, UK
Thứ Ba, 13 tháng 1, 2015
Decoding the New Mortgage Market
The housing market is in turmoil, but if theres a silver lining, its the fact that purchase prices are at historic lows. Sure, there are still plenty of predatory lenders waiting to exploit the nave potential buyer, but those who do their homework will be rewarded with a fair price and manageable mortgage terms. Decoding the New Mortgage Market is a map to finding the best and most realistic mortgage deals while navigating past potential obstacles and traps. Filled with money-saving advice, this practical guide will help prospective buyers understand: How new lending and underwriting rules affect todays homebuyer Different loan types and lending institutions Credit issues and other qualifying factors Creative down-payment solutions How to reduce closing costs and other fees Because lenders and buyers alike have gotten burned in the mortgage crisis, finding and qualifying for a manageable loan may now be more difficult. Readers will find that Decoding the New Mortgage Market makes the search both easier and more fruitful, and that their dreams of home ownership are still within their reach.
50 Jobs in 50 States
Like lots of college grads, Daniel Seddiqui was having a hard time finding a job. But despite more than forty rejections, he knew opportunities had to exist. So he set out on an extraordinary quest: fifty jobs in fifty states in fifty weeks. And not just any jobshe chose professions that reflected the culture and economy of each state. Working as everything from a cheesemaker in Wisconsin, a border patrol agent in Arizona, and a meatpacker in Kansas to a lobsterman in Maine, a surfing instructor in Hawaii, and a football coach in Alabama, Daniel chronicles how he adapted to the wildly differing people, cultures, and environments. From one week to the next he had no idea exactly what his duties would be, where hed be sleeping, what hed be eating, or how hed be received. He became a roving news item, appearing on CNN, Fox News, World News Tonight, MSNBC, and the Today showwhich was good preparation for his stint as a television weatherman. Tackling challenge after challengeovercoming anxiety about working four miles underground in a West Virginia coal mine, learning to walk on six-foot stilts (in a full Egyptian king costume) at a Florida amusement park, racing the clock as a pit-crew member at an Indiana racetrackDaniel completed his journey a changed man. In this book he shares stories about the people he met, reveals the lessons he learned, and explains the five principles that kept him going.
Thứ Hai, 12 tháng 1, 2015
Speakout
Finding specific advice on inclusive processes for engaging a community in a planning or design process can be a daunting undertaking. The latest offering in the Tools for Community Planning Series is the product of nearly two decades of successful practice by internationally acclaimed community planning specialists. It is designed to support veterans and people with little or no experience to conduct a wide variety of community engagement events with absolute confidence. The book introduces the SpeakOut, an innovative, interactive drop-in engagement process. It provides hands-on, systematic guidance and detailed checklists for managing community engagement processes, as well as targeted advice on facilitation, recording and training. Five international case studies are included. This unique, illustrated manual is a ‘must-have’ tool for community, city and regional planners, activists, community organizations, students in planning and the other land professions and workshop facilitators and trainers everywhere
Thứ Năm, 1 tháng 1, 2015
The Harvest of a Century
Physics was the leading science of the twentieth century and the book retraces important discoveries, made between 1895 and 2001, in 100 self-contained episodes. Each is a short story of the scientists involved, their time, and their work. Together they form a mosaic of modern physics: formulating relativity and quantum mechanics, finding the constituents of matter and unravelling the forces between them, understanding the working of conductors and semiconductors, discovering and explaining macroscopic quantum effects (superconductivity, superfluidity, quantum Hall effect), developing novel experimental techniques like the Geiger counter and particle accelerators, building revolutionary applications like the transistor and the laser, and observing astonishing features of our cosmos (expanding universe, cosmic background radiation). The text is intended for easy reading. Occasionally, a more thorough discussion of experimental set-ups and theoretical concepts is presented in special boxes for readers interested in more detail. Episodes contain extensive references to biographies and original scientific literature. The book is richly illustrated by about 600 portraits, photographs and figures.
Thứ Bảy, 27 tháng 12, 2014
New Perspectives on Type Identity
The type identity theory, according to which types of mental state are identical to types of physical state, fell out of favour for some years but is now being considered with renewed interest. Many philosophers are critically re-examining the arguments which were marshalled against it, finding in the type identity theory both resources to strengthen a comprehensive, physicalistic metaphysics and a useful tool in understanding the relationship between developments in psychology and new results in neuroscience. This volume brings together leading philosophers of mind, whose essays challenge in new ways the standard objections to type identity theory, such as the multiple realizability objection and the modal argument. Other essays show how cognitive science and neuroscience are lending new support to type identity theory and still others provide, extend and improve traditional arguments concerning the theory’s explanatory power.
Thứ Năm, 25 tháng 12, 2014
Mastering Algorithms with Perl
Many programmers would love to use , for projects that involve heavy lifting, but miss the many traditional algorithms that textbooks teach for other languages. Computer scientists have identified many techniques that a wide range of programs need, such as: Fuzzy pattern matching for text (identify misspellings!), Finding correlations in data, Game-playing algorithms, Predicting phenomena such as Web traffic, Polynomial and spline fitting.,
Using algorithms explained in this book, you too can carry out traditional , tasks in a high-powered, efficient, easy-to-maintain manner with Perl.,
This book assumes a , understanding of Perl syntax and functions, but not necessarily any background in computer science. The authors explain in a readable fashion the reasons for using various classic programming techniques, the kind of applications that use them, and – most important – how to code these algorithms in Perl.
Thứ Hai, 22 tháng 12, 2014
Learning Unix for OS X Mountain Lion
Think your Mac is powerful now? Author Dave Taylor shows you how to get much more from your system by tapping into Unix, the robust operating system concealed beneath OS X’s beautiful user interface. Mountain Lion puts more than a thousand Unix commands at your fingertips – for finding and managing files, remotely accessing your , from other computers, and using a variety of freely downloadable open source applications. Take a friendly tour of the Unix command line and 50 of the most useful utilities, and quickly learn how to gain real control over your M
Thứ Hai, 15 tháng 12, 2014
AutoCAD 2013 For Dummies
Used by everyone from engineers and architects to interior designers and draftspeople, , 2013 is the world’s leading 2D and , technical drawing program. But, with so many options and features available, finding your way around AutoCAD can be a challenge, even for experienced CAD professionals. AutoCAD 2013 For Dummies is here to help. You’ll learn to build a solid foundation for all your projects, use standard CAD techniques, get familiar with new tools and features, and start sharing your models and designs in no time with this easy-to-follow guide.