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Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military
By Avis Lang, Neil DeGrasse Tyson. 2019
“Extraordinary.… A feast of history, an expert tour through thousands of years of war and conquest.” —Jennifer Carson, New York…
Times Book Review In this far-reaching foray into the millennia-long relationship between science and military power, acclaimed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-author Avis Lang examine how the methods and tools of astrophysics have been enlisted in the service of war. Spanning early celestial navigation to satellite-enabled warfare, Accessory to War is a richly researched and provocative examination of the intersection of science, technology, industry, and power that will introduce Tyson’s millions of fans to yet another dimension of how the universe has shaped our lives and our world.Lost in the Valley of Death: A Story of Obsession and Danger in the Himalayas
By Harley Rustad. 2022
NATIONAL BESTSELLER In the vein of Jon Krakauer's Into the Wild, a riveting work of narrative nonfiction centering on the…
unsolved disappearance of an American backpacker in India—one of at least two dozen tourists who have met a similar fate in the remote and storied Parvati Valley.For centuries, India has enthralled Westerners looking for an exotic getaway, a brief immersion in yoga and meditation, or, in rare cases, a true pilgrimage to find spiritual revelation. Justin Alexander Shetler, an inveterate traveler trained in wilderness survival, was one such seeker. In his early thirties, Justin quit his job at a tech startup and set out on a global journey—across the United States by motorcycle, then down to South America, and on to the Philippines, Thailand, and Nepal—in search of authentic experiences and meaningful encounters while documenting his travels on Instagram. His enigmatic character and magnetic personality gained him a devoted following who lived vicariously through his adventures. But the ever-restless explorer was driven to seek out ever-greater extremes, and greater risks, in what had become a personal quest—his own hero’s journey. In 2016, he made his way to the Parvati Valley, a remote and rugged corner of the Indian Himalayas steeped in mystical tradition and shrouded in darkness and danger. There he spent weeks studying under the guidance of a sadhu, an Indian holy man, living and meditating in a cave. At the end of August, accompanied by the sadhu, he set off on a spiritual journey to a holy lake—one from which he would never return. Lost in the Valley of Death is about one man’s search to find himself, in a country where, for many Westerners, the path to spiritual enlightenment can prove fraught, even treacherous. But it is also a story about all of us and the ways, sometimes extreme, we seek fulfillment in life.Vlad the Impaler: The Real Count Dracula
By Enid A. Goldberg, Norman Itzkowitz. 2007
Loyalty meant nothing to Vlad Dracula, a Transylvanian prince who'd sacrifice anything to stay in power. He ruled with a…
thirst for blood so terrible that the most famous vampire in literature was named after him.Culture Smart! Singapore
By Angela Milligan. 2004
The small island state of Singapore is unique in the region. Not only is it a very young country- independence…
came in 1965- but it is a land of immigrants, in which people from three distinct backgrounds, Chinese, Malay, and Indian, live side by side in harmony. Culture Smart! Singapore introduces the Western visitor to the rich and varied cultures and customs of Singapore's communities. It shows what motivates people, how they interact with each other and with outsiders, and tells you what to expect and how to behave in unfamiliar situations. In doing so, it offers you a fuller, more rounded experience of this fascinating society.Grigory Rasputin
By Enid A. Goldberg, Norman Itzkowitz. 2007
Dean Worcester’s Fantasy Islands brings to life one of the most significant (but under examined) figures in the history of U.…
S. colonialism in the Philippines. Upon the outbreak of the Spanish-American War, Worcester, a scientist who had traveled twice to the Philippines on zoological expeditions, established himself as one of America’s leading experts on the Philippines. Over a fourteen-year career as a member of the U. S. colonial regime, Worcester devoted much of his time and energy to traveling among and photographing non-Christian minority groups in the Philippines. He amassed an archive of several thousand photographs taken by him or by government photographers. Worcester deployed those photographs in books, magazine articles, and lectures to promote his belief that the United States should maintain control of the Philippines for decades to come. While many historians have examined American colonial photography in the Philippines, this book is the first lengthy treatment of Worcester’s role in shaping American perceptions of the Philippines in the early twentieth century.Our Man in Hibernia: Ireland, The Irish and Me
By Charlie Connelly. 2010
Each year on St Patrick's Day eighty million people around the world celebrate their Irish ancestry. Millions more don leprechaun…
hats and down pints of Guinness in the annual high-fiving of Ireland and the Irish. Charlie Connelly was one of them. He thought he had a good idea of what Ireland was all about. He was, after all, practically Irish. He had a bodhran and everything. Then, when he was least expecting it, he went to live there. Our Man in Hibernia follows Charlie's adventures among the Irish. Immersing himself in Ireland's language, music and literature, he learns how closely the rose-tinted image he'd grown up with matches the reality, and explores the land, from the small patch of Connemara bog that changed the world to the Holy Tree Stump of Rathkeale. From defining moments of the country's history - the Great Famine and the Easter Rising - to its quirkier phenomena, such as the National Ploughing Championships and the Rose of Tralee, in Our Man in Hibernia Charlie Connelly paints an evocative, entertaining and witty portrait of Ireland today.Francisco Pizarro: Destroyer of the Inca Empire
By John Diconsiglio. 2009
Isaac Newton, The Asshole Who Reinvented the Universe: The Asshole Who Reinvented The Universe
By Brian Taylor, Florian Freistetter. 2018
A blunt and humorous profile of Isaac Newton focusing on his disagreeable personality and showing that his offputting qualities were…
key to his scientific breakthroughs.Isaac Newton may have been the most important scientist in history, but he was a very difficult man. Put more bluntly, he was an asshole, an SOB, or whatever epithet best describes an abrasive egomaniac. In this colorful profile of the great man--warts and all--astronomer Florian Freistetter shows why this damning assessment is inescapable.Newton's hatred of fellow scientist Robert Hooke knew no bounds and he was strident in expressing it. He stole the work of colleague John Flamsteed, ruining his career without a second thought. He carried on a venomous battle with Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz over the invention of calculus, vilifying him anonymously while the German scientist was alive and continuing the attacks after he died. All evidence indicates that Newton was conniving, sneaky, resentful, secretive, and antisocial. Compounding the mystery of his strange character is that he was also a religious fanatic, a mystery-monger who spent years studying the Bible and predicted the apocalypse.While documenting all of these unusual traits, the author makes a convincing case that Newton would have never revolutionized physics if he hadn't been just such an obnoxious person. This is a fascinating character study of an astounding genius and--if truth be told--an almighty asshole as well.Mani: Travels In Southern Peloponnese (New York Review Books. Classics)
By Patrick Fermor. 2006
This is Patrick Leigh Fermor's spellbinding part-travelogue, part inspired evocation of a part of Greece's past. Joining him in the…
Mani, one of Europe's wildest and most isolated regions, cut off from the rest of Greece by the towering Taygettus mountainInstant Thai: How to Express 1,000 Different Ideas with Just 100 Key Words and Phrases! (Thai Phrasebook)
By Stuart Robson, Prateep Changchit. 1832
It's amazing how 100 key words and phrases provide instant communication!Do you want to speak simple Thai but are too…
busy to study it? Are you visiting Thailand for a short time and want a Thai phrase book to help you communicate? If so, this is the book for you. It includes all the necessary information to speak basic Thai.The idea of Instant Thai is simple-learn 100 words and phrases and say 1,000 things. The trick is knowing which 100 words to learn, but the authors Stuart Robson and Prateep Changchit have solved the problem, choosing only those words you'll hear again and again. Even with a vocabulary this small, you'll be surprised how quickly and fluently you too can communicate in Thai. It also has an English-Thai wordlist, arranged alphabetically. At the end of the book are useful appendices for telling the time, kinship terms, some Thai proverbs, and emergency expressions. Here's a sample of what you'll be able to do:Meet peopleGo shoppingAsk directionsRide the subwayOrder food and drinksAnd much morePortrait of Orkney
By George Brown. 1989
Photomechanical Materials, Composites, and Systems: Wireless Transduction of Light into Work
By Timothy J White. 2017
An exhaustive review of the history, current state, and future opportunities for harnessing light to accomplish useful work in materials,…
this book describes the chemistry, physics, and mechanics of light-controlled systems.• Describes photomechanical materials and mechanisms, along with key applications• Exceptional collection of leading authors, internationally recognized for their work in this growing area• Covers the full scope of photomechanical materials: polymers, crystals, ceramics, and nanocomposites• Deals with an interdisciplinary coupling of mechanics, materials, chemistry, and physics• Emphasizes application opportunities in creating adaptive surface features, shape memory devices, and actuators; while assessing future prospects for utility in optics and photonics and soft roboticsCatherine the Great: Empress of Russia
By Zu Vincent. 2009
Roumeli: Travels In Northern Greece (John Murray Travel Classics)
By Patrick Leigh Fermor. 2003
Patrick Leigh Fermor's Mani compellingly revealed a hidden world of Southern Greece and its past. Its northern counterpart takes the…
reader among Sarakatsan shepherds, the monasteries of Meteora and the villages of Krakora, among itinerant pedlars and beggars, and even tracks down at Missolonghi a pair of Byron's slippers.Roumeli is not on modern maps: it is the ancient name for the lands from the Bosphorus to the Adriatic and from Macedonia to the Gulf of Corinth. But it is the perfect, evocative name for the Greece that Fermor captures in writing that carries throughout his trademark vividness of description. But what is more, the pictures of people, traditions and landscapes that he creates on the page are imbued with an intimate understanding of Greece and its history.Guidance and Control Technology of Spacecraft on Elliptical Orbit (Navigation: Science and Technology)
By Fucheng Liu, Shan Lu, Yue Sun. 2019
This book introduces readers to the navigation guidance and control technologies involved in single-spacecraft double-spacecraft and multiple-spacecraft…
tasks in elliptical orbits It comprehensively covers the key technologies of guidance navigation and control GNC system design for spacecraft in elliptical orbits including the orbit design formation configuration design and maintenance autonomous navigation technology and relative navigation technology as well as autonomous rendezvous technology The methods that this book introduces are very close to actual practical engineering applications and presented in an accessible style The book can serve as reference teaching material for senior undergraduates and postgraduates with space navigation related majors while also providing essential information and guidance for research personnel and engineering technical personnel engaged in the development of GNC systems for spacecraftWhatever your reasons for planning to live and work in Hong Kong, this comprehensive guide will tell you all you…
need to know to make the most of your time in this vibrant and challenging city. Organised into three sections: Living, Working, and Leisure, this book includes up to date information and well-informed opinion on: * The kind of lifestyle you can expect to enjoy in Hong Kong * The cost of living * Finding accommodation, whether short term or to buy or rent *Having and raising children in Hong Kong *Shopping for food or luxuries - Working and volunteering *Teaching English *Sporting events, special interest groups and the local arts scene *Travelling and places to visit *Entertainment and nightlifeRick Steves Best of England (Rick Steves)
By Rick Steves. 2016
Hit England's can't-miss art, sights, and bites in two weeks or less with Rick Steves Best of England!Rick's expert advice…
on what's worth your time and moneyShort itineraries covering the best of London, Bath, the Cotswolds, Stratford-upon-Avon, Liverpool, the Lake District, and York, including Windsor Castle, Cambridge, Oxford, Stonehenge, and moreRick's tips for beating the crowds, skipping lines, and avoiding tourist trapsThe best of local culture, flavors, and haunts, including step-by-step walking tours of world-class museums and atmospheric neighborhoodsTrip planning strategies like how to link destinations and design your itinerary, what to pack, where to stay, and how to get aroundOver 400 full-color pages with detailed maps and vibrant photosSuggestions for side trips and excursionsExperience England's Old-World sophistication and modern-day excitement for yourself with Rick Steves Best of England!Planning a longer trip? Rick Steves England is the classic, in-depth guide to exploring the country.Trieste and the Meaning of Nowhere
By Jan Morris. 2001
As well as being a fascinating country, with a rich and varied culture, India is emerging as a major world…
economy. More and more people are going there to live and work. The purpose of this book is to ease the transition between western and Indian cultures. If you are going to India to do business or for long-term employment, or are being relocated there by your company, this book will tell you all you need to know to help you and your family settle quickly into your new environment - and to ensure that it is the experience of a lifetime.Beginning with an overview of the history of India, its geographical divisions, political system, religions, languages and ethnic and cultural divisions, this comprehensive guide goes on to provide detailed information on: how to get a work permit and find a job; Indian work practices, employment rights and benefits; taxes and pensions; the Indian health care system; how to set up a business and set up a company; how to buy or rent a property; what the cost of living is like; how to open a bank account and obtain a credit card; expatriate and Indian lifestyles; entertainment and leisure in India; Indian customs and habits food - the regional variations and local delicacies; and raising and educating your children.