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Sequins for a Ragged Hem (Black Britain: Writing Back #8)
By Amryl Johnson. 1988
A beautifully atmospheric memoir and travelogue from poet Amryl Johnson depicting her journey from the UK to Trinidad in the…
1980s'Memories demanded that I complete this book. If what I experienced was, in fact, a haunting, I believe I have now laid these ghosts to rest in a style which I hope will satisfy even the most determined ones.'Amryl Johnson came to England from Trinidad when she was eleven. As an adult in 1983, ready for a homecoming, she embarks on a journey through the Caribbean searching for home, searching for herself.Landing in Trinidad as carnival begins, she instantly surrenders to the collective, pulsating rhythm of the crowd, euphoric in her total freedom. This elation is shattered when she finds the house where she was born has been destroyed. She cannot escape - nor wants to - from the inheritance of colonialism.Her bittersweet welcome sets the tone for her intoxicating exploration of these distinct islands. In evocative, lyrical prose Sequins for a Ragged Hem is an astonishingly unique memoir, interrogating the way our past and present selves live alongside one another.Selected by Booker Prize-winning author Bernardine Evaristo, this series rediscovers and celebrates pioneering books from Black Britain and the diaspora, which remap the nation and reframe our history.A Search In Secret India: The classic work on seeking a guru
By Paul Brunton. 1934
'He found many marvelous things...But now and then a man of real spirituality set his feet on the way that…
finally led him to what he had looked and hoped for.' New York Times Book Review The late Paul Brunton was one of the twentieth century's greatest explorers of and writers on the spiritual traditions of the East. A Search in Secret India is the story of Paul Brunton's journey around India, living among yogis, mystics and gurus, some of whom he found convincing, others not. He finally finds the peace and tranquility which come with self-knowledge when he meets and studies with the great sage Sri Ramana Maharishi.Dependable Computing: Design and Assessment (IEEE Press)
By Ravishankar K. Iyer, Zbigniew T. Kalbarczyk, Nithin M. Nakka. 2024
Dependable Computing Covering dependability from software and hardware perspectives Dependable Computing: Design and Assessment looks at both the software and…
hardware aspects of dependability. This book: Provides an in-depth examination of dependability/fault tolerance topics Describes dependability taxonomy, and briefly contrasts classical techniques with their modern counterparts or extensions Walks up the system stack from the hardware logic via operating systems up to software applications with respect to how they are hardened for dependability Describes the use of measurement-based analysis of computing systems Illustrates technology through real-life applications Discusses security attacks and unique dependability requirements for emerging applications, e.g., smart electric power grids and cloud computing Finally, using critical societal applications such as autonomous vehicles, large-scale clouds, and engineering solutions for healthcare, the book illustrates the emerging challenges faced in making artificial intelligence (AI) and its applications dependable and trustworthy. This book is suitable for those studying in the fields of computer engineering and computer science. Professionals who are working within the new reality to ensure dependable computing will find helpful information to support their efforts. With the support of practical case studies and use cases from both academia and real-world deployments, the book provides a journey of developments that include the impact of artificial intelligence and machine learning on this ever-growing field. This book offers a single compendium that spans the myriad areas in which dependability has been applied, providing theoretical concepts and applied knowledge with content that will excite a beginner, and rigor that will satisfy an expert. Accompanying the book is an online repository of problem sets and solutions, as well as slides for instructors, that span the chapters of the book.Linux Pocket Guide: Essential Commands
By Daniel J. Barrett. 2016
If you use Linux in your day-to-day work, then Linux Pocket Guide is the perfect on-the-job reference. This thoroughly updated…
20th anniversary edition explains more than 200 Linux commands, including new commands for file handling, package management, version control, file format conversions, and more.In this concise guide, author Daniel Barrett provides the most useful Linux commands grouped by functionality. Whether you're a novice or an experienced user, this practical book is an ideal reference for the most important Linux commands.You'll learn:Essential concepts—commands, shells, users, and the filesystemFile commands-creating, organizing, manipulating, and processing files of all kindsSysadmin basics-superusers, processes, user management, and software installationFilesystem maintenance-disks, RAID, logical volumes, backups, and moreNetworking commands-working with hosts, network connections, email, and the webGetting stuff done-everything from math to version control to graphics and audioThis proceedings presents the papers included in the 2nd International Congress of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ICECENG), which took place…
in Bandirma, Turkey, 22-25 November 2023. The conference aims to bring together researchers, developers, and students in computing, technology trends, artificial intelligence, and security who are interested in studying the application of formal methods to the construction and analysis of models describing technological processes at both micro and macro levels. ICECENG’23 also aims to provide a platform for discussing the issues, challenges, opportunities, and findings of computer engineering research. The conference seeks to provide some answers and explore the processes, actions, challenges, and outcomes of learning and teaching.Imagine a world where the boundaries of creativity are not only stretched but redefined. This book serves as your guide…
to this new frontier, engaging general readers, tech enthusiasts, and creatives alike in the captivating interplay between human ingenuity and artificial intelligence (AI).Journey through the ground-breaking advancements in AI as they intersect with art, design, entertainment, and education. Discover how AI’s power to analyze and understand language can be harnessed to generate breathtaking visuals from mere text descriptions—a process known as text-conditional image generation. But this book goes beyond just showcasing AI’s capabilities: it delves into its transformative effects on the creative process itself. How will artists and designers adapt to a world where they co-create with machines? What are the implications of AI-generated art in educational settings? This book tackles these questions head on, offering a comprehensive view of the changing landscape of creativity.At its core, this book challenges you to rethink what’s possible in the realm of artistic expression. Manu contends that as AI evolves, mastering the art of collaboration between human and machine will become essential. More than just a look into the future, Transcending Imagination: Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Creativity is a roadmap for artists, designers, and educators eager to navigate the uncharted territory of AI-augmented creativity. It is a must-read for anyone interested in how AI might redefine the realms of art, design, and education.AI for Peace (AI for Everything)
By Branka Panic, Paige Arthur. 2024
The role of artificial intelligence in war is widely recognized, but is there also a role for AI in fostering…
peace and preventing conflict? AI for Peace provides a new perspective on AI as a potential force for good in conflict-affected countries through its uses for early warning, combating hate speech, human rights investigations, and analyzing the effects of climate change on conflict. This book acts as an essential primer for introducing people working on peacebuilding and conflict prevention to the latest advancements in emerging AI technologies and will act as guide for ethical future practice. This book also aims to inspire data scientists to engage in the peacebuilding and prevention fields and to better understand the challenges of applying data science in conflict and fragile settings.Decentralized Privacy Preservation in Smart Cities (Wireless Networks)
By Cheng Huang, Xuemin Sherman Shen. 2024
This book investigates decentralized trust-based privacy-preserving solutions in smart cities. The authors first present an overview of smart cities and…
privacy challenges and discuss the benefits of adopting decentralized trust models in achieving privacy preservation. The authors then give a comprehensive review of fundamental decentralized techniques and privacy-preserving cryptographic techniques. The next four chapters each detail a decentralized trust-based scheme, focusing respectively on privacy-preserving identity management, cross-domain authentication, data analytics, and data search, in specific use cases. Finally, the book explores open issues and outlines future research directions in the field of decentralized privacy preservation.Global Flow of Funds Analysis: Data, Models, and Applications
By Nan Zhang, Yiye Zhang. 2024
This book is the first to focus on the global flow of funds (GFF), providing an introduction to its fundamental…
concepts and establishing a theoretical framework for analysis. It connects the flow of funds within domestic economies to that of the rest of the world, offering a comprehensive analysis of GFF dynamics. This study enhances GFF statistics, enabling the assessment of global financial stability from both national and cross-border sectoral perspectives. The GFF data provide valuable insights into analyzing interconnectivity across borders and an understanding of global financial interdependencies. By examining the data sources and reconstructing the statistical framework to establish the GFF statistical matrix, this book conducts a case study to evaluate financial risks and influences in G20 countries. Subsequently, it connects the GFF matrix with sectoral account data and the flow of funds to establish the sectoral from-whom-to-whom financial stock matrix (SFSM). The SFSM aims to establish a new framework for conducting multi-country, multi-sector analysis within the G20, with a special emphasis on examining the national and cross-border exposures of sectors in China, Japan, and the USA. This involves constructing country-specific financial networks and connecting them based on cross-border exposures. The systematic analysis results effectively showcase the financial interconnections among G20 countries within the GFF and shed light on the attributes of external shocks and internal influences. The focus is particularly on the changes in risk exposure between China and the USA concerning their external assets and liabilities and the implications of economic decoupling of these dynamics.Patricia Brunkow gibt einen Überblick über relevante Barrieren bei der Einführung von IT-Anwendungen in Unternehmen und stellt zwei Instrumente zur…
Identifikation und Vermeidung von Barrieren vor. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit bieten aufgrund der Datenerhebung in einem Automobilunternehmen besonders praxisnahe Erkenntnisse.Learn effective and scalable database design techniques in SQL Server 2019 and other recent SQL Server versions. This book is…
revised to cover additions to SQL Server that include SQL graph enhancements, in-memory online transaction processing, temporal data storage, row-level security, and other design-related features. This book will help you design OLTP databases that are high-quality, protect the integrity of your data, and perform fast on-premises, in the cloud, or in hybrid configurations. Designing an effective and scalable database using SQL Server is a task requiring skills that have been around for well over 30 years, using technology that is constantly changing. This book covers everything from design logic that business users will understand to the physical implementation of design in a SQL Server database. Grounded in best practices and a solid understanding of the underlying theory, author Louis Davidson shows you how to "get it right" in SQL Server database design and lay a solid groundwork for the future use of valuable business data.What You Will LearnDevelop conceptual models of client data using interviews and client documentationImplement designs that work on premises, in the cloud, or in a hybrid approachRecognize and apply common database design patternsNormalize data models to enhance integrity and scalability of your databases for the long-term use of valuable dataTranslate conceptual models into high-performing SQL Server databasesSecure and protect data integrity as part of meeting regulatory requirementsCreate effective indexing to speed query performanceUnderstand the concepts of concurrencyWho This Book Is ForProgrammers and database administrators of all types who want to use SQL Server to store transactional data. The book is especially useful to those wanting to learn the latest database design features in SQL Server 2019 (features that include graph objects, in-memory OLTP, temporal data support, and more). Chapters on fundamental concepts, the language of database modeling, SQL implementation, and the normalization process lay a solid groundwork for readers who are just entering the field of database design. More advanced chapters serve the seasoned veteran by tackling the latest in physical implementation features that SQL Server has to offer. The book has been carefully revised to cover all the design-related features that are new in SQL Server 2019.Advances in Intelligent Data Analysis XXII: 22nd International Symposium on Intelligent Data Analysis, IDA 2024, Stockholm, Sweden, April 24–26, 2024, Proceedings, Part II (Lecture Notes in Computer Science #14642)
By Ioanna Miliou, Nico Piatkowski, Panagiotis Papapetrou. 2024
The two volume set LNCS 14641 and 14642 constitutes the proceedings of the 22nd International Symposium on Intelligent Data Analysis,…
IDA 2024, which was held in Stockholm, Sweden, during April 24-26, 2024. The 40 full and 3 short papers included in the proceedings were carefully reviewed and selected from 94 submissions. IDA is an international symposium presenting advances in the intelligent analysis of data. Distinguishing characteristics of IDA are its focus on novel, inspiring ideas, its focus on research, and its relatively small scale.The book is a comprehensive collection of extended contributions from the Workshops on Computational Optimization 2022. Our everyday life is…
unthinkable without optimization. We try to minimize our effort and to maximize the achieved profit. Many real world and industrial problems arising in engineering, economics, medicine, and other domains can be formulated as optimization tasks. This book presents recent advances in computational optimization. The book includes important real problems like modeling of physical processes, parameter settings for controlling different processes, agricultural modeling transportation problems, energy management, machine scheduling, air pollution modeling, optimization of fast-food restaurant chain, and solving engineering and financial problems. It shows how to develop algorithms for them based on new intelligent methods like evolutionary computations, ant colony optimization, constrain programming Monte Carlo method, and others. This book demonstrates how some real-world problems arising in engineering, economics, and other domains can be formulated as optimization problems.Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What Is Human in a World of Machines
By Joy Buolamwini. 2023
NATIONAL BESTSELLER • &“The conscience of the AI revolution&” (Fortune) explains how we&’ve arrived at an era of AI harms…
and oppression, and what we can do to avoid its pitfalls.&“Dr. Joy Buolamwini has been an essential figure in bringing irresponsible, profit-hungry tech giants to their knees. If you&’re going to read only one book about AI, this should be it.&”—Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation A LOS ANGELES TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR • Shortlisted for the Inc. Non-Obvious Book AwardTo most of us, it seems like recent developments in artificial intelligence emerged out of nowhere to pose unprecedented threats to humankind. But to Dr. Joy Buolamwini, who has been at the forefront of AI research, this moment has been a long time in the making.After tinkering with robotics as a high school student in Memphis and then developing mobile apps in Zambia as a Fulbright fellow, Buolamwini followed her lifelong passion for computer science, engineering, and art to MIT in 2015. As a graduate student at the &“Future Factory,&” she did groundbreaking research that exposed widespread racial and gender bias in AI services from tech giants across the world.Unmasking AI goes beyond the headlines about existential risks produced by Big Tech. It is the remarkable story of how Buolamwini uncovered what she calls &“the coded gaze&”—the evidence of encoded discrimination and exclusion in tech products—and how she galvanized the movement to prevent AI harms by founding the Algorithmic Justice League. Applying an intersectional lens to both the tech industry and the research sector, she shows how racism, sexism, colorism, and ableism can overlap and render broad swaths of humanity &“excoded&” and therefore vulnerable in a world rapidly adopting AI tools. Computers, she reminds us, are reflections of both the aspirations and the limitations of the people who create them.Encouraging experts and non-experts alike to join this fight, Buolamwini writes, &“The rising frontier for civil rights will require algorithmic justice. AI should be for the people and by the people, not just the privileged few.&”'Superb - a great book to fuel your wanderlust.' Mark Beaumont'The ultimate running book, showcasing the ultimate running adventure.' Sean…
Conway---In 2019, Nick Butter became the first person to run a marathon in every country on Earth. This is Nick's story of his world record-breaking adventure and the extraordinary people who joined him along the way.On January 6th 2018, Nick Butter tied his laces and stepped out on to an icy pavement in Toronto, where he began to take the first steps of an epic journey that would see him run 196 marathons in every one of the world's 196 countries. Spending almost two years on the road and relying on the kindness of strangers to keep him moving, Nick's odyssey allowed him to travel slowly, on foot, immersing himself in the diverse cultures and customs of his host nations.Running through capital cities and deserts, around islands and through spectacular landscapes, Nick dodges bullets in Guinea-Bissau, crosses battlefields in Syria, survives a wild dog attack in Tunisia and runs around an erupting volcano in Guatemala. Along the way, he is often joined by local supporters and fellow runners, curious children and bemused passers-by. Telling their stories alongside his own, Nick captures the unique spirit of each place he visits and forges a new relationship with the world around him.Running the World captures Nick's journey as he sets three world records and covers over five thousand miles. As he recounts his adventures, he shares his unique perspective on our glorious planet, celebrates the diversity of human experience, and reflects on the overwhelming power of running.In the spring of 2021, as the UK's latest pandemic lockdowns were lifted, Nick Butter set out from the Eden…
Project to become the fastest person to cover every mile of Britain's mainland coastline on foot.Battling the most extreme winds Britain had seen in 100 years, days of torrential rain and the unrelenting hills of Western Scotland and Cornwall, Nick suffered two broken bones and countless injuries, whilst taking on two marathons a day, every day, for 100 days.Covering an extraordinary 5,250 miles, running for over 12 hours a day, struggling to take in the 8,000 daily calories required to fuel his body, Nick battled sleep deprivation and extreme weight loss as he pushed his body and mind to their limit.Supported by close friends and family (including his ever-dependable right-hand man, Andy Swain, whose diary extracts feature in this book), Nick experienced spiralling lows and euphoric highs. As he traversed footpaths, country lanes and busy A roads, he passed through over two thousand coastal communities, buoyed along by supporters cheering from windows, balconies, passing cars and pavements, by school children and fellow runners, and by the stunning sights and sounds of the British coast.Run Britain is Nick's account of his extraordinary adventure.The Roads to Sata: A 2000-mile walk through Japan
By Alan Booth. 1985
'A memorable, oddly beautiful book' Wall Street Journal'A marvellous glimpse of the Japan that rarely peeks through the country's public…
image' Washington PostOne sunny spring morning in the 1970s, an unlikely Englishman set out on a pilgrimage that would take him across the entire length of Japan. Travelling only along small back roads, Alan Booth travelled on foot from Soya, the country's northernmost tip, to Sata in the extreme south, traversing three islands and some 2,000 miles of rural Japan. His mission: 'to come to grips with the business of living here,' after having spent most of his adult life in Tokyo.The Roads to Sata is a wry, witty, inimitable account of that prodigious trek, vividly revealing the reality of life in off-the-tourist-track Japan. Journeying alongside Booth, we encounter the wide variety of people who inhabit the Japanese countryside - from fishermen and soldiers, to bar hostesses and school teachers, to hermits, drunks and the homeless. We glimpse vast stretches of coastline and rambling townscapes, mountains and motorways; watch baseball games and sunrises; sample trout and Kilamanjaro beer, hear folklore, poems and smutty jokes. Throughout, we enjoy the wit and insight of a uniquely perceptive guide, and more importantly, discover a new face of an often-misunderstood nation.The Ripening Sun
By Patricia Atkinson. 2006
For most people giving up the day job and moving to a beautiful area of France and living off the…
vines is an impossible but delicious dream. In 1990, Patricia Atkinson and her husband decided to sell up in Britain and emigrate to the Dordogne. Their idea was to buy a house with a few vines attached and employ someone to tend to the wine while they earned their living with some financial consultancy work. There followed a series of disasters: the stock market crashed leaving their small holding as their sole source of income; the first red wine harvest turned to vinegar; and Patricia's husband returned to Britain, unable to cope with the stress. He never returned. Patricia Atkinson, whose only knowledge of wine up to that moment was 'that it came from a bottle' and who had not a word of French, was left to salvage their life savings form the vineyards. What follows is a remarkable story of struggle and transformation whereby her tiny 4 hectare plot has become a major estate of 21 hectares, where her Clos d'Yvigne wines have won awards and been adopted by wine merchants throughout the world and where she has been hailed as a superstar by UK wine writers.Reveries of the Solitary Walker
By Jean-Jacques Rousseau. 2004
After a period of forced exile and solitary wandering brought about by his radical views on religion and politics, Jean-Jacques…
Rousseau returned to Paris in 1770. Here, in the last two years of his life, he wrote his final work, the Reveries. In this eloquent masterpiece the great political thinker describes his sense of isolation from a society he felt had rejected his writings - and the manner in which he has come to terms with his alienation, as he walks around Paris, gazing at plants, day-dreaming and finding comfort in the virtues of solitude and the natural world. Meditative, amusing and lyrical, this is a fascinating exploration of Rousseau's thought as he looks back over his life, searching to justify his actions, to defend himself against his critics and to elaborate upon his philosophy.Reflections On A Summer Sea
By Trevor Norton. 2001
This is the funny and touching story of a menagerie of eccentric and talented ecologists who, mainly as a hobby,…
spent forty summers at Lough Ine, a stunning marine lough in a corner of Ireland, where myths seep from the ground like will o' the wisps and, in one of the most unlikely projects in the history of science, were responsible for the reinvention of marine biology. Among the stars of the book are the marine creatures that occupy the lake: sea urchins that won't dine unless they wear a hat, otters that steal experiments, and worms that will only mate by order of the moon. The creatures' eccentric behaviour is matched only by that of the ecologists themselves, whose antics and interactions with their Irish neighbours are all lovingly described with Norton's keen eye for both the wonderful and the absurd. But for all its humour, the book is also a moving account of two ecologists who collaborated for forty years until their friendship came to a tragic end. The book brings together all the rich flavours of Ireland, the wonders of natural history and the magic of being a marine biologist just for the fun of it.