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Formal Methods: State of the Art and New Directions
by Jawed Siddiqi Paul Boca Jonathan P. BowenThe last decade has witnessed a modest but sustained increase in researching and applying formal methods. A number of well cited success stories are now available and provide strong evidence that formal methods can be effective and deployed in industrial-scale applications. Through fundamental contributions from leading researchers, this book provides further evidence of the use of formal methods in the areas of requirements, design, modelling and implementation, verification and validation. The self-contained chapters are views from experts in these areas, providing readers with rich background information and a diverse breadth of specialist material. This authoritative collection of views provides a snapshot of the field and will be of considerable interest to researchers and professionals seeking a perspective on fundamental underpinnings of formal methods and current hot topics in the field. The following website www.fmsand.info is associated with the book.
Our Church: A Personal History of the Church of England
by Roger ScrutonFor most people in England today, the church is simply the empty building at the end of the road, visited for the first time, if at all, when dead. It offers its sacraments to a population that lives without rites of passage, and which regards the National Health Service rather than the National Church as its true spiritual guardian. Here, Scruton argues that the Anglican Church is the forlorn trustee of an architectural and artistic inheritance that remains one of the treasures of European civilization. He contends that it is a still point in the centre of English culture and that its defining texts, the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer are the sources from which much of our national identity derives. At once an elegy to a vanishing world and a clarion call to recognize Anglicanism's continuing relevance, Our Church is a graceful and persuasive book.
Philosophy: The Latest Answers To The Oldest Questions
by Nicholas FearnThe work of the great philosophers of the past is well known. From Aristotle and Plato to Kant and Wittgenstein, the answers to life's biggest questions have been discussed and debated endlessly. But, as philosophy itself teaches, there is never a final solution to a philosophical problem. In the search for higher meaning, Nicholas Fearn has traveled the globe to interview the world's most distinguished thinkers, from Derek Parfit, David Wiggins, and Bernard Williams, to Donald Davidson, Richard Rorty, and Bernard-Henri LÉvi. Philosophy is a brilliant and compelling guide to the latest answers to the oldest questions, bringing to light what today's philosophers think about what it is to be human.
The Art of War: The Bestselling Treatise on Military & Business Strategy, with a Foreword by James Clavell
by Sun Tzu James ClavellSun Tzu was one of the greatest army generals who ever lived. He wrote The Art of War in the fifth century BC and yet his words are still resoundingly relevant to our modern lives. His writings on aspects of warfare from the laying of plans to the tactics and psychology of manoeuvering an army, to the proper use of spies, resonate for us in today's world of cut-throat, ruthless business. With James Clavell's insightful foreword and notes, this classic is widely seen as a necessity on the bookshelf of military leaders and boardroom executives alike.
The Last Godfathers: Inside The Mafia's Most Infamous Family
by John FollainTHE LAST GODFATHERS charts the spectacular rise and fall of the richest and most powerful crime family in history: the Sicilian mafia’s Corleonese clan. From humble post-war origins in the dismal town of Corleone, the clan manipulated Cosa Nostra’s code of honour to deceive and bludgeon its way to the summit of the secret brotherhood, launching an unprecedented purge of its rivals and a terrorist campaign which decimated anti-mafia judges, police and politicians. Investigative journalist John Follain focuses on the three godfathers who headed the clan from the 1950s onwards – their lives and crimes, their loves and hates, and the state’s sporadic efforts to hunt them. Luciano ‘The Professor’ Leggio, Salvatore ‘The Beast’ Riina and Bernardo ‘The Tractor’ Provenzano, who was on the run for a record 43 years, forged a vicious clan bent on the subversion of democracy. Cutting through the romantic aura of Hollywood films, THE LAST GODFATHERS portrays the true face of the crime family which inspired Mario Puzo to write The Godfather. Based on thousands of pages of judicial documents, wiretap transcripts, the testimony of mafiosi defectors and interviews with investigators, this is the definitive word on the world’s most notorious criminal organisation.
The Last Godfathers: Inside The Mafia's Most Infamous Family
by John FollainTHE LAST GODFATHERS charts the spectacular rise and fall of the richest and most powerful crime family in history: the Sicilian mafia?s Corleonese clan. From humble post-war origins in the dismal town of Corleone, the clan manipulated Cosa Nostra?s code of honour to deceive and bludgeon its way to the summit of the secret brotherhood, launching an unprecedented purge of its rivals and a terrorist campaign which decimated anti-mafia judges, police and politicians. Investigative journalist John Follain focuses on the three godfathers who headed the clan from the 1950s onwards ? their lives and crimes, their loves and hates, and the state?s sporadic efforts to hunt them. Luciano `The Professor? Leggio, Salvatore `The Beast? Riina and Bernardo `The Tractor? Provenzano, who was on the run for a record 43 years, forged a vicious clan bent on the subversion of democracy. Cutting through the romantic aura of Hollywood films, THE LAST GODFATHERS portrays the true face of the crime family which inspired Mario Puzo to write The Godfather. Based on thousands of pages of judicial documents, wiretap transcripts, the testimony of mafiosi defectors and interviews with investigators, this is the definitive word on the world?s most notorious criminal organisation.
It's a PC World
by Edward StourtonAlmost all of us have a hobby horse we like to ride into battle against Political Correctness, and yet the PC phenomenon just seems to keep on growing, touching every facet of our lives from our pleasures to our politics. Why? Could it be that this much derided scourge of the modern world contains a germ of goodness? Edward Stourton finds examples in all walks of life ? and explodes a few myths along the way. His witty and thought-provoking manoeuvres through the pros and cons of PC are both entertaining and at times unexpectedly disturbing.
It's a PC World
by Edward StourtonAlmost all of us have a hobby horse we like to ride into battle against Political Correctness, and yet the PC phenomenon just seems to keep on growing, touching every facet of our lives from our pleasures to our politics. Why? Could it be that this much derided scourge of the modern world contains a germ of goodness? Edward Stourton finds examples in all walks of life – and explodes a few myths along the way. His witty and thought-provoking manoeuvres through the pros and cons of PC are both entertaining and at times unexpectedly disturbing.
The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World
by Dalai Lama The Dalai Lama Howard C. CutlerFollowing on from the internationally bestselling The Art of Happiness, the Dalai Lama and Howard Cutler bring us the inspiring The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World.This inspirational book brings the successful East-meets-West pairing together again to provide a practical application of Tibetan Buddhist spiritual values to the fast-paced, unpredictable, stressful and demanding world we all live in today.In this wise, insightful and practical book, the Dalai Lama shows us how to follow the path that will lead us to fulfilment, purpose and happiness, even in our troubled modern times.
Every Word is a Bird We Teach to Sing: Encounters with the Mysteries & Meanings of Language
by Daniel Tammet'Full of charm and fascination' The Bookseller'Would dazzle any storyteller in love with words and their deepest meanings' Amy Tan, author of Joy Luck Club'A generous book and a beguiling read' Rebecca Gowers* * * * * *From the bestselling author of Born on a Blue Day and Thinking in Numbers, a delightful and eclectic exploration of language, and what it can teach us about ourselves and our lives.Why is the name 'Cleopatra' not allowed in Iceland? Why do clocks 'talk' to the Nahua people of Mexico? And if we are what we eat, are we also what we say? These are just some of the questions Daniel Tammet answers in Every Word is a Bird We Teach to Sing, a mesmerising new collection of essays investigating the intricacies and profound power of human language. Tammet goes back in time to explore the numeric language of his autistic childhood; he looks at the music and patterns that words make, and how languages evolve and are translated. He meets one of the world's most accomplished lip readers in Canada, learns how endangered languages like Manx are being revived and corresponds with native speakers of Esperanto in their mother tongue. He studies the grammar of the telephone, contemplates the significance of disappearing dialects, and also asks: will chatbots ever manage to convince us that they are human?From the art of translation to the lyricism of sign language, Every Word is a Bird We Teach to Sing is a fascinating journey through the world of words, letters, stories and meanings, and an extraordinary testament to the stunning range of Tammet's literary and polyglot talents.
A Profound Mind: Cultivating Wisdom in Everyday Life
by Dalai Lama The Dalai LamaThe Dalai Lama visited New York in 2003 and gave a series of lectures, culminating with a public talk in Central Park, which drew over a quarter of a million people. Based on these lectures, this new volume will provide practical instruction on how we can use meditation to realise the mind's phenomenal potential. It will also lead the reader through the diverse schools of Buddhist philosophy, teaching us how to let go of our own strong ideas of self and how to find a little more happiness in life, for ourselves and for others. For all the millions of fans of the Dalai Lama's writings, and for anyone yet to be introduced to his thinking, Training the Mind is the perfect book to learn how to dedicate our positive activities to the benefit of all in order to build a better world.
AK47: The Story of the People's Gun
by Michael HodgesIn the sixty years since General Kalashnikov created the AK's distinctive silhouette, the gun has been at the centre of conflicts across the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. The weapon that made him a 'Hero of the Soviet Union' has also appeared on t-shirts and vodka bottles, featured in videos and song lyrics and been re-fashioned in crystal - a gift from Putin to George W. Bush. Power, politics and passion combine in the story of a weapon that has shaped the modern world. Using testimonies of people who have experienced the gun at first-hand - including a Sudanese child soldier, a Vietcong veteran and a Yorkshire teenager - Michael Hodges provides a compelling account of how the AK47 became an icon that ranks alongside Coca-Cola as one of the most recognisable brands in the world.
AK47: The Story of the People's Gun
by Michael HodgesIn the sixty years since General Kalashnikov created the AK's distinctive silhouette, the gun has been at the centre of conflicts across the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. The weapon that made him a 'Hero of the Soviet Union' has also appeared on t-shirts and vodka bottles, featured in videos and song lyrics and been re-fashioned in crystal - a gift from Putin to George W. Bush. Power, politics and passion combine in the story of a weapon that has shaped the modern world. Using testimonies of people who have experienced the gun at first-hand - including a Sudanese child soldier, a Vietcong veteran and a Yorkshire teenager - Michael Hodges provides a compelling account of how the AK47 became an icon that ranks alongside Coca-Cola as one of the most recognisable brands in the world.
The Compassionate Mind
by Prof Paul Gilbert'Wise and perceptive. [It] teaches self-compassion and the consolations of kindness. I recommend it.' SALLY BRAMPTON, author of Shoot the Damn DogDEVELOP YOUR FEELINGS OF COMPASSION AND INCREASE YOUR SENSE OF WELL-BEING In societies that encourage us to compete with each other, compassion is often seen as a weakness. Striving to get ahead, self-criticism, fear, and hostility towards others seem to come more naturally to us.The Compassionate Mind explains the evolutionary and social reasons why our brains react so readily to threats - and reveals how our brains are also hardwired to respond to kindness and compassion.Research has found that developing kindness and compassion for ourselves and others builds our confidence, helps us create meaningful, caring relationships and promotes physical and mental health. Far from fostering emotional weakness, practical exercises focusing on developing compassion have been found to subdue our anger and increase our courage and resilience to depression and anxiety. 'As one of Britain's most insightful psychologists, Gilbert illuminates the power of compassion in our lives.' OLIVER JAMES, AUTHOR OF AFFLUENZA
50 Big Ideas You Really Need to Know
by Ben Dupre50 Big Ideas You Really Need to Know is a concise, accessible and popular guide to the central tenets of Western thought. Every important principle of philosophy, religion, politics, economics, the arts and the sciences is profiled in a series of short illustrated essays, complemented by an informative array of timelines and box features.
50 Big Ideas You Really Need to Know (50 Ideas You Really Need to Know series)
by Ben Dupre50 Big Ideas You Really Need to Know is a concise, accessible and popular guide to the central tenets of Western thought. Every important principle of philosophy, religion, politics, economics, the arts and the sciences is profiled in a series of short illustrated essays, complemented by an informative array of timelines and box features.
Angels and Ages: A short book about Darwin, Lincoln and modern life
by Adam Gopnik'Adam Gopnik has taken a coincidence and turned it into a theory of everything, or at least of everything important ... Outstanding' - Andrew MarrOn February 12th, 1809, two men were born an ocean apart: Abraham Lincoln in a one-room Kentucky log cabin; Charles Darwin on an English country estate. Each would see his life's work transform mankind's understanding of itself. In this bicentennial twin portrait, Adam Gopnik shows how these two giants, who never met, changed the way we think about the very nature of existence, and that their great achievements proceeded from the same source: argument from reason. The revolutions they effected shaped the world we live in, while the intellectual heritage and method that informed their parallel lives has profound implications for our present age. Filled with little-known stories and unfamiliar characters, Angels and Ages reveals these men in a new, shared light, and provides a fascinating insight into the origins of our modern vision and liberal values.
The Big Questions: Philosophy
by Simon BlackburnThe Big Questions series is designed to let renowned experts confront the 20 most fundamental and frequently asked questions of a major branch of science or philosophy. Each 3000-word essay simply and concisely examines a question that has eternally perplexed enquiring minds, and provides answers from history's great thinkers. This ambitious project is a unique distillation of humanity's best ideas. In Big Questions: Philosophy, bestselling author Simon Blackburn addresses 20 essential questions.
The Big Questions: Philosophy
by Simon BlackburnThe Big Questions series is designed to let renowned experts confront the 20 most fundamental and frequently asked questions of a major branch of science or philosophy. Each 3000-word essay simply and concisely examines a question that has eternally perplexed enquiring minds, and provides answers from history's great thinkers. This ambitious project is a unique distillation of humanity's best ideas. In Big Questions: Philosophy, bestselling author Simon Blackburn addresses 20 essential questions.
The Great Philosophers: The Lives and Ideas of History's Greatest Thinkers
by Stephen LawSince the beginning of time mankind has struggled with the big questions surrounding our existence. Whilst most people have heard of Socrates, Machiavelli and Nietzsche, many are less clear on their theories and key concepts. In The Great Philosophers, bestselling author Stephen Law condenses and deciphers their fundamental ideas. Avoiding the technical jargon and complex logic associated with most books on philosophy, Law brings the thoughts of these great thinkers, from Confucius and Buddha to Wittgenstein and Sartre, to life.
The Great Philosophers: The Lives and Ideas of History's Greatest Thinkers
by Stephen LawSince the beginning of time mankind has struggled with the big questions surrounding our existence. Whilst most people have heard of Socrates, Machiavelli and Nietzsche, many are less clear on their theories and key concepts. In The Great Philosophers, bestselling author Stephen Law condenses and deciphers their fundamental ideas. Avoiding the technical jargon and complex logic associated with most books on philosophy, Law brings the thoughts of these great thinkers, from Confucius and Buddha to Wittgenstein and Sartre, to life.
Anarchism and Its Aspirations
by Cindy MilsteinFrom nineteenth-century newspaper publishers to the protesters in the "Battle of Seattle" and the recent Greek uprising, anarchists have long been incited to action by the ideal of a "free society of free individuals"-a transformed world in which people and communities relate to each other intentionally and without hierarchy or domination. But what exactly would that look like, and how can we get there?Anarchism and Its Aspirations provides an accessible overview of the history and hopeful future of this vision for a better world. The book quickly brings even the uninitiated reader up to speed with a crash course on some of the most influential anarchists in history and their ideas about how we might achieve the transformation of society. From there, the book looks at how these principles have been put into practice by groups such as the Situationist International, social ecologists, Zapatistas, anti-globalization activists, and other directly democratic organizations and communities in their respective struggles against capitalism and state control.Laying out a clear introduction to some of the main ideas behind an often-misunderstood political philosophy, Anarchism and Its Aspirations helps us imagine the vast possibility of a truly free and democratic society.Cindy Milstein is an activist and educator from Vermont. She serves on the board of the Institute for Anarchist Studies, co-organizes the Renewing the Anarchist Tradition conference, and is a collective member at Black Sheep Books. Her essays have appeared in several anthologies, including Realizing the Impossible, Confronting Capitalism, and Globalize LiberationX.
Direct Action
by David GraeberAnthropologist David Graeber undertakes the first detailed ethnographic study of the global justice movement. The case study at the center of Direct Action is the organizing and events that led to the one of the most dramatic and militant mass protests in recent years--against the Summit of the Americas in Québec City. Written in a clear, accessible style (with a minimum of academic jargon), this study brings readers behind the scenes of a movement that has changed the terms of debate about world power relations. From informal conversations in coffee shops to large "spokescouncil" planning meetings and tear gas-drenched street actions, Graeber paints a vivid and fascinating picture.Along the way, he addresses matters of deep interest to anthropologists: meeting structure and process, language, symbolism and representation, the specific rituals of activist culture, and much more. Starting from the assumption that, when dealing with possibilities of global transformation and emerging political forms, a disinterested, "objective" perspective is impossible, Graeber writes as both scholar and activist. At the same time, his experiment in the application of ethnographic methods to important ongoing political events is a serious and unique contribution to the field of anthropology, as well as an inquiry into anthropology's political implications.David Graeber is an anthropologist and activist who teaches at the University of London. Active in numerous direct-action political organizations, he has written for Harper's Magazine and is the author of Fragments of an Anarchist Anthropology, Towards an Anthropological Theory of Value, and Possibilities.
Property Is Theft!
by Iain Mckay Pierre-Joseph Proudhon"An indispensable source book for anyone interested in Proudhon's ideas and the origins of the socialist and anarchist movements in nineteenth-century Europe."-Robert Graham, editor of Anarchism: A Documentary History of Libertarian Ideas"Iain McKay's introduction offers a sure-footed guide through the misconceptions surrounding Proudhon's thought."-Mark Leier, author of Bakunin: The Creative PassionMore influential than Karl Marx during his lifetime, Pierre-Joseph Proudon's work has long been out of print or unavailable in English. Iain McKay's comprehensive collection is a much-needed and timely historical corrective.Iain McKay is the editor of An Anarchist FAQ.
After the Future
by Franco Bifo Berardi Ph.D. Nicholas Thoburn Gary GenoskoAfter the Future explores a century-long obsession with the concept of the "future," starting with Marinetti's "Futurist Manifesto," tracing it through the punk movement of the early 70s, and into the media revolution of the 90s. The future, Bifo argues, has come and gone, the concept has lost its usefulness. Now it's our responsibility to decide what comes next.